Ubuntu Operating System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ubuntu Operating System - Assignment Example Ubuntu also gives one the security and comfort in working and storing information online, since it has a password to unlock the administrative actions of one's documents. The password protects against superfluous persons from interfering with the documents. The constantly changing versions of Ubuntu make it a striking technology to apply. Ubuntu Operating System is the newest version of a computer operating system built to cater to the immense role computer plays on man’s daily activities. The system offers new features to its users and improves on their daily know-how in the computer world. Ubuntu is described as a computer structure based on the ‘Debian GNU/Linux distribution’. This unit analyses history, features installation, packages, variants, editions and quality of Ubuntu operating system in detail. Ubuntu was developed as a result of the need of having an efficient system. The earlier systems were not efficient to do the multitasking task, which involved a user performing similar tasks at once. The first version of Ubuntu to be released for public use was on 20th October 2004. Various versions of the Ubuntu system are launched after eighteen months to advance on the effectiveness of the structure. The new versions of the system help in maintaining safety, thus preventing unwanted viruses. The Ubuntu system is being sponsored by Canonical Ltd and a well-wisher named Mark Shuttleworth. The sponsor’s donations led to the formation of the Ubuntu foundation whose main function was to support the development of the latest Ubuntu versions. The features of Ubuntu are that; it is composed of different software packages like the free software. Ubuntu’s design allows it to focus on usability, safety, and dependability.

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case Study Example (Troy 2007 pg 158-172). The purpose of conducting such a form of analysis is to assist meet the informational needs of the investors, creditors and management so that they are in the position of making appropriate decisions. The ratios analysis conducted herein is done with the objective of comparing the all the measurements of financial data to aid or facilitate wise investment decision, as well as credit decisions and managerial. A Cross-sectional Analysis will be conducted where- ratios are used and compared between two firms (Goofy’s & Pluto’s) of the same industry(the sporting goods business) in order to draw conclusions about an entitys profitability and financial performance hence the ability to invest in this sector. Inter-firm Analysis will be categorized under Cross-sectional, as the analysis is done by using some basic ratios of the Industry in which the firm under analysis belongs (and specifically, the average of all the firms of the industry) as benchmarks or the basis for our firms overall performance evaluation as compared to the whole industry (Troy 2007 pg 113-17). In the analysis, we will use the return ratios, financial leverage ratios, activity ratios, profitability ratios and liquidity ratios to make our decision on whether to invest in the sporting goods business. The decision to invest the $5,000 will be on the criteria of the company that shows good financial shape and hence able to provide the investor with a return on investment. My analysis and decision will be based on the ratios from the table above which can be grouped into return ratios (rates of return on assets and Rate of return on equity); financial leverage ratios (debt ratio, debt to equity ratio). In addition, Activity ratios (Inventory turnover, receivable turnover and asset turnover ratios); profitability ratios (Gross profit margin, net profit margin

The relationship between social and health problems

The relationship between social and health problems Abstract: The term Social Problems is a misnomer and is an admission of the fact that the actual nature and constitution of the situation has not been deliberated at depth. When senior people see that the rules and behavioural patterns they have held so dear are getting challenged they term it as creation of problems. Criticising the social order that is emerging is the easiest way to admit defeat. The brave and sensible way is to accept the challenges and find ways and means of retaining the value system – may be with certain modifications – that has been followed for generations. In this way the young generation can adjust to the social changes and yet remain healthy and flourish in life. Introduction: The present day health issues are very closely related to the current social set up and coming into existence of a new set of social norms and values. While most of the social norms and values are traceable to and intimately related to the economic factors yet there is a trend of getting carried away by foreign cultures and their different social bearings. The pressure on the present day youth for being economically successful is very high and this gives a peculiar dimension to these ‘youngsters’ way of life which is enormously different to the type of pressures felt by the previous generations. While on one hand parents expect their children to become successful – which is a decent way of saying that they earn pots and pots of money – on the other the boys and girls are expected to follow the same set of social rules which has been followed by the ‘elders’ for generations. Thus the social problems have many causes but one significant reason is the inability of the older generations to accept and adjust to the changes in the society which is inevitable. The main problem that surfaced is that previous generation weighed the social structure of today by the norms and values that were taught to them quite a few decades back. The ground reality has changed rapidly and the senior generations are still getting guided by the rules of the game of yesteryears. The world is changing faster than it ever did before and the changes are not only very wide and rapid but are also very deep penetrating. Thus the changes are in effect causing social ‘evils’ as seen by the previous outlook but in reality the developments of the world is going on for centuries and what is being called as social problems is a manifestation of the inability to change and adjust to the new life order. Discussion: As stated in the introduction above, it is evident that there is need to face the societal changes that are coming up every day. In order to examine the situation in depth, three generation of society were interviewed to get to the bottom of the problem. The first were the generation of grandparents – who learned their ways of life some fifty to sixty years back. The next set consisted of parents i.e. father and mother group of today’s youngsters and they learned what they believe to be correct social norms some twenty-five to thirty year back. The final subset consisted of growing boys and girls of today and consisted of college and university students. These are the people who are bearing the brunt of the social problems which in turn is having a serious effect on their health. The first set of people consisting of grandparents carried fixed and set ideas about what the societal norms and beliefs are supposed to be. They saw no reason for changing those norms and beliefs. The behavioral norms were very strictly defined and centered around simple living and high thinking with very little emphasis and importance – if any at all – being paid to the economic progress and well being. They had lived their life in a very definite way and firmly believed that what was good for them is also god for their grandchildren today. Above all, their firm belief that ‘one size fits all’ concept as far as social behavior is concerned was much too firm for accommodating any updating necessitated by the present day life style. This brought about the severe view of the present day social interactions and the resultant problems. They knew that they had lived their life and were in no mood to accommodate or even tolerate the changing pattern of social values and norms. The best thing is that – in fact it should be called the worst thing – is that his set of people failed to see the few very good aspects of the changing patterns of social behavior. They invariably were quick to point out the drawbacks without for a moment acknowledging the good and beneficial aspects of the emerging new social order. The second set of people who were interviewed represented the parents. This group had its own problems. They fully appreciated the beneficial aspects of the change but were hesitant to admit the same since it clashed with what they were taught as the ideal way of social behavior. They too saw the problems of the present social setups and behavioral patterns but at the same time knew that there is no stopping of the changes coming about. Further they saw the new order did bring new problems but at the same time it encouraged the democratic institutions so very necessary for the well being of the future generations. They wanted to break away from the traditional social order and get into the flow of development of the new order. However, they had reached an age where they were unable to be adventurous and were cautious about accepting the changes. This gave rise to a very unbalanced state since while in their heart of hearts they knew that what was seen as social problems were more of aberrations of their viewing the outcomes than causing difficulties for the new generations. Yes, they wanted their children to bag high-pay job offers but at the same time wanted their children to stick to the ‘five prayers a day’ schedule despite the demands of their job conditions. This kind of situation is prevalent not only in the Middle East but such situation also exists in most of the emerging economies like Brazil, India, China, Pakistan etc. This group, like the previous group of grandparents, also quickly saw the social problems – but with a difference. This group simultaneously tried to find a solution which would accommodate the social change and at the same time keep a balance with the past so that the health (both mental as well as physical) hazards were contained. This is a very healthy indicator of the changes in social order being slowly accepted and though it is a slow process but it is a sure process. The present social norms have taken centuries to develop; it is very likely that the new social order will take some time to settle down. The last group consisted of the people of the below twenty-five age group. The first priority for this group was a better and more comfortable way of life. They valued democracy in all walks of life. They carried no negative feelings for the age old systems and gave full credit to the social order which has seen their predecessors to reach the current state. Yet when any of the social behavioral patterns got into the way of their achieving the goal they so cherished they did not hesitate to set aside the existing social norms. They were ready to burn the midnight lamp if that meant getting higher grades which would translate into their landing better jobs. Yes this was a potential health hazard but it also promised attainment of their dream goals. These groups wanted to make it big and for achieving this they were ready to take on with a ‘no-holds-barred’ situation. Good health is basic pre- requisite of good life. Without having good heath one will lose the very capacity for any human pursuit – from the grossest to the subtlest. He will not be able to enjoy the fruits of his toil. Health does not mean absence of diseases but it implies the possession and cultivation of a physically fit, morally strong and mentally alert individual who is able to meet the physical demands of life pursuits with full vigour and enthusiasm. The present day society seeks comforts, conveniences and freedom from drudgeries and wants to avoid working on monotonous, back-breaking and tedious chores from dawn to dusk – except out of compulsion. They prefer freedom from all hindrances and choose democratic way of life. Democracy for them is not just a merely form of government but it is a foundational societal value and hence they prefer a democratic society. In such a preferred democratic society values of freedom, equality, respect for the individual, collective decision making and the right to dissent should be inbuilt into the social arrangements and transactions. The young people with a democratic bent of mind respected the rights and freedoms of other people. They treated people at the level of equality and were tolerant of the views and opinions which were different from their own. When they were invested with authority they would use it with care and that too for the common benefit of people. Instead of imposing their views on others they would look for a consensus solution for making any collective decision. While the first group (grandparents) stood out by their intolerant attitude, this group of young citizens were endowed with refined, liberal and humanistic values. Though the members of the first group found the young people as creators of all trouble and labelled them as ‘rebels’ the younger generation were accepting their new found status of that of a rebel with alarming ease and comfort. They knew that if they stuck to the ways of the senior citizens then the possibilities of their realising their dreams of making it big would never materialise. There is ample historical evidence which go to prove that change – be it social, economic, technological or even environment – are all here to stay. Either one makes himself capable to adjust to the change or the process of change will eliminate them for good. Now, SOCIETY is an organisation for cooperative working to ensure human development, through production and distribution of sharable social goods. Society is made up of various constituents like individuals, different classes and groups, social, economic institutions and many more. In UAE and other Middle East countries the individual goals and the collective goals are often in conflict with each other. Yet the main objective of any developing and healthy society is to ensure human development which is not restricted to social, political, economic issues but also the development of the members on a total basis which would include health, formality and above all the value system of life. As stated earlier, one of the major aim of any society is to ensure production and distribution of sharable social goods like roads, transportation, water, electricity, health care and a host of other facilities. Opportunities and means of gainful employment, jobs, career and other rightful and legitimate means of seeking personal economic betterment are also to be treated as part of sharable social goods. Thus, the social changes taking place in every country and in every society aim at providing better opportunities and means of gainful employment and suitable jobs to the members of the society. There is no harm if the young people of today seek better standards of living and are prepared to dissociate themselves from the social norms which prevent their advancement in life. Conclusion: To sum up the entire picture it is necessary to understand that the so called Social problems are the result of the failure to appreciate the wisdom behind each and every change that is taking place in the world around. Older people who have lived their lives may conveniently call such changes as resulting in problems causing health hazards but such changes are for ‘GREATER GOOD’ and hence should be accepted if not welcomed. The budding Engineer or Manager or Professor faces an uphill task and shying away from sharing the gains available today is certainly not wise. Though the severe challenges may prove to be a health hazard in the short run but over time people will learn to cope with it and emerge the winner. Thus finding faults with the social problems is the weak person’s way of handling the changes taking place in the milieu. A strong and healthy individual will take the bull by its horns and will certainly succeed in controlling the social changes to his advantage.

Diamonds Are My Best Friend Essay -- essays research papers

“It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again. And it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings. And then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.'; A. Bartlett Giamatti, the former commissioner of Major League Baseball. From the lush, green grass to the smell of an old leather glove, baseball is truly an extraordinary game. Let us look beyond the enormous salaries and free agency and examine baseball for what it really is: an outstanding form of entertainment. Baseball is incredibly important to me, as not only have I learned an enormous amount from it, I have experienced a whole spectrum of emotions during my love affair with the game. I have been a baseball fan all my life. I remember watching my beloved St. Louis Cardinals play in their robin’s egg blue uniforms in the early 1980’s. We had a birdfeeder in our backyard, and every morning, the same cardinal would stop for his breakfast. I named him Tommy Herr, after the Cardinals second baseman at the time. Tommy has long since retired, but I will always remember the little bird flying in my backyard. It is difficult for one to approach this subject without a sense of heroism and romanticism of it’s rich history. One of my favorite parts of going to the ballpark is listening to the fascinating stories of old timers, the men who have loved the game since childhood. They remember Musial, Maris, and Mantle. They can tell you stories of hearing Hank Aaron hitting his record breaking home run on the radio, or watching Lou Gehrig as a young child. Many of the greatest baseball stories can be heard from these men, living encyclopedias if what the game once was, and it today. Someday I will be sitting in the box seats of a ballpark, and a young child will take the seat beside me. I can captive his imagination with anecdotes of Cal Ripken Jr.’s remarkable streak, Ozzie Smith’s amazing back flips, Pedro Martinez’s menacing fastball, and the magical summer of 1998 when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire mystified the world with their long ball heroics. Only in recent years have I begun to truly appreciate the game for what it really is. While some go to the ballpark to see home runs, popular players, or fireworks, I find myself attracted to th... ... that next year, it will all begin again. A fresh new start. A brand new season. However, right now, it is fall. A pitcher grabs a coat to keep his throwing arm warm in this chilly rain, and soon the entire dugout is seen donning coats. The leaves start to change to brown. Kids go back to school. Football begins to creep onto the minds and lips of sports fans. The season comes to a close, and the spring looks terribly far away with an icy cold winter between now and the promises that lie ahead. Baseball has survived throughout the years. It has survived two World Wars. It has survived a depression. It will continue to survive throughout the next millennium. It has gone on strike and saw half it’s fans leave, then watched them come back to see truly great men exhibit even greater talent. Baseball is a sport for the ages. Eighty year old men who have watched this game for years come to the park and sit next to eight year old boys who have never seen a professional game in their lives. That’s what baseball is all about. It is extraordinary. Athletes rise above the compitition and achieve greatness while astonishing veteran fans and simultaneously earning new ones.

Cineplex Entertainment – Loyalty Programs

S w 9B08A008 CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT: THE LOYALTY PROGRAM Renee Zatzman wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Kenneth G. Hardy solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization.To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [email  protected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2008, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2009-05-15 INTROD UCTION Sarah Lewthwaite, marketing director for Cineplex Entertainment, was approached by chief executive officer (CEO) Ellis Jacob in August 2006 to resume the development of a loyalty program.The movie industry yielded inconsistent revenues each year, and Jacob wanted to increase and stabilize Cineplex’s revenues. As chair of the Loyalty Steering Committee (the committee), Lewthwaite was scheduled to present her recommendations to the committee the following week. She would need to make a persuasive argument that included recommendations on program development, the reward structure and the type of promotional campaign that would be most effective under the existing budget constraints. Finally, she needed to suggest whether the rogram should launch regionally or nationally. Her recommendations would be reviewed by senior Cineplex executives to ensure that the recommendations aligned with their criteria. CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT Cineplex Entertainment (Cineplex) was founded in 1979 as a small chain of movie theaters under the Cineplex Odeon name. In 2003, under the direction of Onex Corporation, a Canadian private equity firm that held a major ownership claim in the company, Cineplex merged with Galaxy Entertainment Inc. (Galaxy). The CEO of Galaxy, Ellis Jacob, took over the newly merged company.In late 2005, Cineplex Galaxy acquired its largest competitor, Famous Players, and became Cineplex Entertainment — Canada’s largest film exhibitor. With a box-office market share of 64 per cent, the chain enjoyed approximately 40 million visits per year under the Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players and Cinema City brands. 1 Cineplex’s corporate mission focused on offering movie-goers â€Å"an exceptional entertainment experience. † In addition to seeing a movie, customers could eat at various branded concession counters or play in the arcade.In 2005, Cineplex expanded its strategy to focus on developing new markets, using the theate rs’ 1 Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund 2005 Annual Report,http://dplus. cineplexgalaxy. com/content/objects/Annual%20Report% 202005. pdf, accessed January 3, 2008. Page 2 9B08A008 large screens to showcase live events, such as major hockey games, wrestling matches and the Metropolitan Opera. These events contributed greatly to Cineplex’s success, which was measured primarily on customer traffic and revenue per guest (RPG), which was in turn composed of box-office and concession revenues.In 2005, weak box-office attendance throughout the movie theater industry had affected Cineplex’s operating performance (see Exhibit 1 for Cineplex’s income statements for 2003, 2004 and 2005). Following the acquisition of Famous Players in 2005, Cineplex executives adjusted the pricing and products in the food and beverage concessions in 2006. With these moves, Cineplex was able to increase its average box-office RPG to $7. 73 and its average concession RPG to $3. 44 (see Exhi bit 2).A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY Like the entire industry, Cineplex faced variable attendance levels depending on the crop of new movies. Additionally, RPG fluctuated based on the film genre. Cineplex executives knew that audiences for actionthemed and children’s movies purchased a high volume of concession items, which typically resulted in a higher RPG than dramas. From these viewing patterns, Cineplex executives were able to distinguish the groups of customers that were particularly valuable.However, with no actual link to individual customers, they faced challenges targeting customers for specific movies and special events. Although market research was helpful on an aggregate level, Cineplex executives wanted to link box-office and concession purchases to a particular customer. Senior executives were supportive of Lewthwaite and the committee collecting this information through a customer relationship management program. FILM EXHIBITION The first Canadian film screening took p lace in 1896, in Montreal, Quebec, and the earliest cinema opened in 1906. Attending the cinemas, also known as theaters, became a popular social activity; by the 1930s, a variety of independent and studio-owned theaters competed for customer attention. In 1979, Canada’s first 18-theater multiplex opened in Toronto, Ontario, with several other multiplexes following in subsequent years. After a series of consolidations, by 2005, only three major theater companies existed in the Canadian movie and event exhibition market. To showcase films, theaters required licensing from distributors who purchased rights from the production studios.The licensing agreement stipulated the â€Å"box-office split,† also known as the percentage of proceeds that the theater received from a given film over a specified duration. Although both parties were mutually dependent, distributors held the balance of power and theaters relied heavily on concession revenues, of which they retained 100 pe r cent of the receipts. The margins on customers’ purchases of concession treats and beverages were 65 per cent on average. 3 Table 1 (below) shows one way of characterizing the motivations and frequency of movie-going behavior according to various age segments. Marcus Robinson, â€Å"A History of Film Exhibition in Canada,† Playback: Canada's Broadcast and Production Journal (2005), accessed December 30, 2007. 3 Janet Wasko, How Hollywood Works, Sage Publications, London, 2003. Page 3 9B08A008 Table 1 OBSERVATIONS ON THE MOTIVATIONS AND FREQUENCY OF MOVIE ATTENDANCE BY AGE Frequency, reasons for attendance* Age Segment Labels 13-15 â€Å"Teenagers† 16-19 â€Å"Young Adults† 20-24 â€Å"Young Working† Medium (Special Movies) High (Routine) 36-54 â€Å"Older Families† X Low (Special Events) 25-35 â€Å"Young Families† 55+ â€Å"Retirees† X X X X X These observations were drawn from an independent focus group study conducted in 2 003. â€Å"Teenagers† — Teenagers use the movie theatre and arcade for social gatherings because locations are accessible and movie-viewing is considered by parents to be an appropriate social activity. They are among the highest frequency of visitors. â€Å"Young Adults† — This segment has access to a variety of other social venues because they can drive. Some in this segment are still in high school and others are post-secondary students; this segment visits theatres with high frequency. Young Working† — This segment has disposable income and they combine movies with socializing at other venues such as bars and restaurants. This segment has a high frequency of movie visits. â€Å"Young Families† — This segment struggles to balance family and work-related obligations; they take their children to special movies occasionally. â€Å"Older Families† — With a busy work and family life and varying interests within the h ousehold, older families attend theatres only for special events, and seldom attend as a family unit. Retirees† — This segment has significant free time to attend movies. They attend movies at a medium frequency. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) Customer relationship management (CRM) is a marketing approach in which a company collects individual purchasing information to improve its ability to understand and respond to customer desires and buying patterns. The information is typically stored in a central database from which the company managers can analyse trends and the purchasing behavior of particular market segments.A better understanding of customers enables organizations to develop targeted campaigns to increase marketing effectiveness, such as restructuring its products and services. For Cineplex, a CRM program could also be Page 4 9B08A008 used to share valuable information with concession suppliers and movie distributors. Through the sharing of this infor mation, partners would be better able to develop products for Cineplex’s customer base. Although several mechanisms were available to collect customer information, the most frequently used systems were point-of-sale systems, which scanned barcodes on wallet-sized cards or key chains.A recent trend for CRM programs was to offer incentives such as discounts or points that could be collected and redeemed for merchandise in return for the customer’s permission for the company to collect data on the customer’s buying habits. Among the Canadian companies following this trend were Shoppers Drug Mart with the Optimum card program, Air Canada with the Aeroplan rewards program and Office Depot and Boston Pizza which both participated in the Flight Miles card campaign. CREATING LOYALTY Even with 65 per cent market share in Canada, Cineplex had to aggressively compete for customer attention.Ongoing film piracy, rental movies, concerts and sporting events, combined with inco nsistent box-office revenues encouraged Cineplex managers to explore ways to increase customer spending and frequency, particularly within the lucrative 16- to 24-year-old segment. Before merging with Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy Entertainment had established the Galaxy Elite card, which offered customers the opportunity to accumulate points toward free movie viewing. Although the program had no CRM capabilities, it had been successful in driving customer traffic.During the merger with Cineplex, the program had been disbanded and Galaxy’s customer traffic had promptly waned. In a survey of Cineplex customers in May and June 2005, 95 per cent of respondents stated they were interested in joining a movie rewards program (see Exhibit 3). In 2004, a steering committee composed of different department representatives was established to investigate CRM opportunities for Cineplex. After being put on hold during the acquisition of Famous Players, the committee was anxious to move forward i n investigating a joint loyalty/CRM program.Senior managers had several concerns, primarily regarding data control and ownership, which would be relevant if the program were disbanded. Another criterion concerned resource requirements; a program this size would be a costly investment and would likely require new employees to manage it. Lewthwaite would need to prove that it was a worthy financial investment. Finally, the committee needed to consider the length of time required to establish a new database because most committee members believed that conclusive information on customer behavior could be drawn only from a minimum of 500,000 members.Further, although they thought that an investment in such a program could be largely beneficial for Cineplex, if implemented poorly, the organization’s image and its ability to deliver customer value could suffer widespread harm. Lewthwaite knew that although the following partner options might not meet all the committee’s crite ria, she had to evaluate the most important considerations. LOYALTY PARTNER OPTIONS Internal Development Under this option, Cineplex managers would develop and operate the program; they would then know their brand best and would have complete control over the direction of the program and the data ownership.However, the organization would incur the entire cost estimated at $5. 5 million in the first year with diminishing costs in subsequent years. The company would also be fully exposed to the financial risk of unredeemed points and could face difficulty in divesting the program if it proved unsuccessful; a new Page 5 9B08A008 department would need to be created to manage the exit of the program. This option would also require a new database, which, depending on promotional effectiveness, could take several years to create.However, because of the unlimited data access and control, this option appealed to several members of the committee. Flight Miles Partnership With 72 per cent of C anadian households as active members, Flight Miles was the top Canadian loyalty program. 4 This program gave cardholders the opportunity to earn leisure and travel rewards by purchasing products at various retailers across the country. Flight Miles executives viewed Cineplex as an opportunity to increase its youth membership, and their executives approached Cineplex executives to propose a special joint program.In this program, traditional Flight Miles cards would be used to collect points. Supplementary key tags would be issued for movie customers who opted to receive additional member benefits and rewards. Although the key tags might confuse other existing Flight Miles members, the proposal seemed to offer numerous benefits to Cineplex, including immediate entrance into a database of seven million people. Cineplex would also have the opportunity to access data from other Flight Miles partners, which would be beneficial in targeting specific retail buyers for niche films.Lewthwaite estimated that access to the Flight Miles program would cost Cineplex yearly fees of approximately $5 million. Cineplex would also be required to pay $0. 09 for each point issued. Lewthwaite thought users of the program would expect each movie transaction to be worth a minimum of 10 Flight Miles points. Cineplex would also be required to pay each time it accessed the data, which Flight Miles would own. A commitment of three years would be required, and if Cineplex decided to leave the program, it would lose all access to accumulated data.Lewthwaite recognized that Cineplex would be required to adhere to the partnership’s decisions; no easy out was available if she did not like some aspect of the program after they signed the deal. To make the proposal more attractive, Flight Miles executives offered to contribute $250,000 to launch a Cineplex-designed and -initiated marketing campaign. Scotiabank Proposal Just as Lewthwaite and her committee sat down to examine the two optio ns in further detail, Scotiabank executives approached Cineplex as a potential loyalty partner. The bank had a relationship with Cineplex derived from earlier corporate sponsorships.As one of the Big Five banks in Canada, Scotiabank offered a diverse range of financial services, including domestic banking, wholesale banking and wealth management. Through 950 branches, Scotiabank served approximately 6. 8 million Canadians in 2005. 5 Because banks competed in an intensely competitive marketplace, many banks aligned their brands with sporting events, venues and other companies through corporate sponsorship. Scotiabank executives were interested in acquiring new youth accounts and increasing overall transactions, so they viewed a partnership with Cineplex as a means to achieve their objectives while sharing financial risk.Scotiabank, which had prior experience with data management companies through its gold credit card program, proposed 50-50 cost-sharing. In return for partnering on t he program, Scotiabank expected naming rights on three major theaters and an exclusivity agreement for Scotiabank bank machines in all Cineplex theaters. 4 5 â€Å"Air Miles Rewards Program,† http://www. loyalty. com/what/airmiles/index. html. accessed November 2, 2007. Scotiabank, 2005 Annual Report, http://cgi. scotiabank. com/annrep2005/en/rbl_ov. html, accessed February 10, 2008. Page 6 9B08A008Scotiabank proposed a three-card rewards strategy. The basic reward card would be Cineplex-branded and used at theaters; the Scotiabank debit and credit cards would act as reward accelerators that accumulated additional points based on customers’ purchasing habits. Any Scotiabank debit- or credit-card user enrolled in this program would be issued the Cineplex card, and holders of basic Cineplex theater cards would not be required to open an account at Scotiabank. Lewthwaite considered that the multiple card system might discourage some customers who disliked carrying additio nal cards.Secondly, because it would be a 50-50 partnership, Cineplex’s decision-making power would be constrained, and the direction of the program would be subject to mutual agreement. Also, owing to privacy laws, Cineplex executives would not be able to access individual-level banking information on the Scotiabank program users, data that might be helpful in targeting specific retail consumers. However, this program could be promoted in theaters and bank branches across the country. The costs to develop and maintain Cineplex’s portion of the partnership were estimated to be $3 million, $1. million and $1. 9 million in years 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Lewthwaite had to fully consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of each proposal and weigh them against Cineplex’s criteria before recommending which partner to select. She also acknowledged other options were available beyond those that were presented. She knew that this decision could not be made without an alysing the potential reward structure of the program because the committee would expect a detailed net benefit analysis to support her recommendation. STRUCTURING THE REWARD PROGRAMLewthwaite believed it was essential to create a program that would appeal to customers. However, creating a program with valuable and easy-to-gain rewards might be too costly to carry out for an extended period of time. If Cineplex went forward with the Flight Miles partnership, an offer of 10 Flight Miles points per transaction would be required to align with cardholder expectations and could be supplemented with Cineplex discounts. If Cineplex went forward with other loyalty partnerships, it would have full design control over the reward structure of the program.Points could be earned based on box-office transactions, concession transactions, or both. The points could then be used towards movies and concession items. Determining the number and value of points to be given per transaction and the requir ed price per transaction were aspects that Lewthwaite needed to determine. She also needed to decide on the number of points required for particular rewards and whether different reward levels should be created. Among the other options, Cineplex could reward cardholders with a permanent discount on theater tickets or concession items (or both) or possibly provide first access to special events.If Lewthwaite went forward with free or discounted movies and concession items, she would need to estimate the extent to which she would be rewarding customers who would have attended without being offered any rewards,6 the so-called cannibalization rate (see Exhibit 4). To determine the other potential revenues, Lewthwaite needed to perform a sensitivity analysis around any increases in the concession RPG, which she hoped might increase by five to 15 per cent for loyalty program members. She also had the option of charging a nominal one-time or annual membership fee of $2 to $5.Finally, as wi th any loyalty point program, Lewthwaite knew that only 40 per cent of earned points would be redeemed annually. She drafted a preliminary list of four unique reward structures she thought could be effective, but was unsure which, if any, would maximize customer appeal through retail value while minimizing costs (see Exhibit 5). 6 Cannibalization refers to the number of free visits redeemed that would have been paid visits in the absence of a loyalty program. Page 7 9B08A008 SELECTING THE DATABASE VENDORIf a recommendation were made to move forward with program development, the committee would need to select a database vendor to manage customer data and the e-communication site. This vendor would need strong website design capabilities and a technology platform that could collect a variety of data on Cineplex’s customers. Because Canada had only a few such vendors, Cineplex released a request for proposal (RFP) to three major companies: Alpha, Kappa, and Gamma. Each company r esponded with a unique proposal for the project (see Exhibit 6). THE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGNCineplex executives wanted to enroll 500,000 customers per year for the first three years in any loyalty program, After the first year, she believed the data bank would be large enough to derive meaningful customer information, and the organization could then focus on customer retention. To meet these targets, Cineplex would need to build substantial awareness of the program, particularly in markets where the Galaxy Elite card had previously existed. Launching the loyalty card would also require a marketing campaign to fit a variety of geographic markets, including Quebec, a province whose official language was French.Lewthwaite had a budget of $300,000, and she needed to make some creative decisions, including the name of the program, the marketing message to customers and the media to be used to deliver the message. In-Theater Advertising In 2005, Cineplex served 5. 3 million uniq ue visitors annually with an average of 7. 5 visits per guest. No costs were associated with in-theater advertising, and Lewthwaite knew it was an excellent way to reach the market but she was unsure which media would be most effective without overwhelming movie-goers.The program could be promoted on concession products, point-of-purchase displays, backlit posters or on the website. The program could also be advertised to a captive audience via the digital pre-show or during the presentation of upcoming attractions. Newspaper Advertising Lewthwaite wondered whether the target market would respond to regional newspaper advertisements. She knew that the committee was opposed to advertising in a national newspaper, such as the Globe and Mail, because it did not have strong reach in every market in which Cineplex operated.However, Cineplex was accustomed to promoting events through half-page ads in regional papers. Although this option would be more costly than advertising solely in a n ational paper, several more movie-going markets could be reached. The average weekly cost per half-page ad in the small to medium markets was $1,200, and $3,600 for larger markets, with a development cost of $850 for each advertisement. If this option were selected, Lewthwaite would need to determine in which papers to advertise, and the message and frequency of the insertions (see Exhibit 7).Radio Advertising Local radio advertisements could achieve significant coverage in key markets across Canada. The average weekly cost per 30-second commercial was $160 in small-and medium-sized markets and $225 in larger Page 8 9B08A008 markets. Development of local radio ads would cost approximately $1,100 per city. Because Cineplex had used this medium for other events, particularly in rural theater markets, Lewthwaite was confident Cineplex could also negotiate free advertisement space on many radio station’s websites. Online AdvertisingIn addition to advertising on the Cineplex websi te, the program could be promoted through various websites, such as Google, Muchmusic. ca, MTV. ca and canoe. qc. ca, a French-language news site. Costs varied according to advertisement format and site (see Exhibit 8). Grass Roots Initiatives Lewthwaite had also considered smaller initiatives with the goal of spreading word-of-mouth publicity. Event teams could promote on college and university campuses or at highly visited attractions, thereby raising awareness for the program. Cineplex could also engage in corporate sponsorships.She was unsure what costs would be associated with these options. LAUNCH Launching the program was the final recommendation to be made. Cineplex’s head office was located in Toronto, Ontario, and the company operated in six provincial markets — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia — but none of the four Atlantic provinces. Lewthwaite would have to decide whether the program should be launched regionall y or across all six provinces. In early 2006, Cineplex had completed the installation of a new point-of-sale platform, which had the technological capability to support a national loyalty rollout.A national launch was appealing to Lewthwaite because it would be cost-efficient and would accrue revenues faster than a regional rollout. However, it was also riskier than a regional rollout: any problem would affect all markets. A regional launch would give Cineplex the opportunity to resolve problems before full implementation. The regional rollout would be more expensive at completion, but it would allow Cineplex to stretch funds over a longer time period. If Lewthwaite recommended the regional option, she would need to decide how the regional launch would be phased in.Lewthwaite knew several complex decisions needed to be made, and she had little time before the steering committee’s meeting the following week. Having a more comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and de mographics was important in improving Cineplex’s success, but could a loyalty program be implemented in such a way to fit senior management’s criteria? If she recommended going ahead with the program, which loyalty partner should she use? How should the rewards be structured and promoted? What would the promotional campaign entail, and how should the launch take place?As she leaned back in her chair, she knew it was going to be a very long week. Page 9 9B08A008 Exhibit 1 CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT INCOME STATEMENTS 2003–2005 (Cdn$ in Thousands) Total revenue Cost of operations Gross income Amortization Loss on debt Impairment on assets Loss (gain) on disposal of assets Interest on long-term debt Interest on loan Interest income Foreign exchange gain Income taxes Income from discontinued operations Non-controlling interest Net Income 2005 490,299 421,529 68,770 42,948 4,156 4,296 122 2004 315,786 248,818 66,968 22,530 – (111) 2003 295,540 242,636 52,904 18,404 – – (92) 18,401 8,280 4,020 14,000 (378) – (1,463) 14,000 (473) – (1,149) 1,381 (922) (3,696) 366 28,116 6,357 6,184 1,828 12,976 – 30,248 304 39,323 Source: Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund 2005 Annual Report, http://dplus. cineplexgalaxy. com/content/objects/annual%20report%202005. pdf, accessed January 3, 2008. Page 10 9B08A008 Exhibit 2 CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT ATTENDANCE AND REVENUE PER GUEST DATA Attendance Box office RPG Concession RPG Film cost as a per cent of box-office revenue 2006E 61,000,000 – 2005 9,945,000 $7. 73 $3. 44 51. 7% 2004 28,096,000 $7. 45 $3. 04 51. 6% 2003 27,073,000 $7. 28 $2. 91 52. 1% Source: Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund 2005 Annual Report, http://dplus. cineplexgalaxy. com/content/objects/annual%20report%202005. pdf, accessed January 3, 2008. Page 11 9B08A008 Exhibit 3 HIGHLIGHTS FROM CINEPLEX EMAIL SURVEY OF CURRENT CUSTOMERS Survey Period: May–June 17, 2005 Respondents: 4,261 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ à ¢â‚¬ ¢ 95 per cent of respondents were interested in joining a Cineplex Entertainment movie rewards program 87 per cent of respondents currently elonged to the Flight Miles program, and 39 per cent identified Flight Miles as their â€Å"favorite rewards program† 31 per cent of respondents were interested in the opportunity to collect Aeroplan points 56 per cent of respondents indicated that they would be interested in receiving a 10 per cent discount at concessions The majority of respondents suggested that they would be more inclined to join if there were no additional card to carry Page 12 9B08A008 Exhibit 4 SUMMARY OF REVENUES AND CANNIBALIZATION RATES †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Membership fee possibilities, a one-time fee of $2 to $5 Increase in concession RPG of from 5 per cent to 15 per cent Net increase in attendance (actual incremental attendance times 1- the estimated cannibalization rate) Cannibalization rate assumptions Worst: 50 per cent Most Likely: 25 per ce nt Best: 12. 5 per cent Page 13 9B08A008 Exhibit 5 PRELIMINARY REWARD STRUCTURE OPTIONS Option 1 Membership fee Permanent concessions discount Points? Sign-up points Points per adult movie transaction Points per concession combo transaction Option 2Option 3 Annually $5 Option 4 No One-time $2 – 10% 15% 10% Yes Yes No Yes 500 100 – 250 100 100 – 100 – 75 – – No Reward Items and Maximum Retail Value Points Required 500 750 Free child admission $8. 50 Free concession combo $12. 37 – – – – – – 1000 adult Free adult Free admission admission $10. 95 $10. 95 – 1500 Free event Free event admission1 admission $19. 95 $19. 95 – Free adult admission/concession combo ($23. 32) – Free adult/2 children admission $27. 95 – – 2,000 2,500 – – – Night package2 Free adult admission $10. 95 out $37. 47 1 2Includes admission to the following viewings: the Metropolit an Opera, NHL series, or WWE series. A Night out package includes two adult movie admissions, two large sodas and one large popcorn. Page 14 9B08A008 Exhibit 6 SUMMARY OF CINEPLEX’S REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROGRAM OVERVIEW Cineplex Entertainment is looking into the possibility of creating a new entertainment-focused loyalty program. Members will earn points that can be redeemed for free movies or other entertainment-related rewards. An ongoing marketing program requiring a member database and website is required. VENDORS TO PROVIDE †¢ †¢A proposed approach and high level design concept for the website that is creative and functional Pricing for the database and website build WEBSITE GOALS †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Acquire new customers and deepen relationships with existing customers by enticing them to sign up, then encouraging them to remain active in the loyalty program Provide an easy way to sign up, check status of points earned, get information on rewards t hat can be earned, redeem points, and interact with other members The site will be a major marketing channel to reach members. It will be used for viral and targeted online promotionsProvide an online community for members DATABASE USE †¢ †¢ †¢ For program administration, analysis and reporting For analysis and reporting on moviegoer’s behavior and preferences For marketing to customers THE TARGET MARKET †¢ †¢ †¢ Is very comfortable with the online environment, text messaging, downloading, and browsing Wants and expects discounts and free offers in an attainable timeframe Wants simplicity and convenience WEBSITE REQUIRES †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ A public section accessible to all, a member’s section accessible with member ID and password and an administrative site to be used for customer supportSite must connect to program database to collect, maintain, retrieve and report member data including demographic information and po ints data Integration with Cineplex’s POS equipment and mobile channels for marketing Site will link to and from the sites of main partners and vendors Site must be available in English and French Page 15 9B08A008 Exhibit 6 (continued) VENDORS’ RESPONSES TO THE CINEPLEX REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Alpha Alpha was a leading marketing firm specializing in loyalty programs and performance improvement.As a global company, Alpha’s clients include American Express, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft. Alpha has served the Canadian marketplace since 1980, and its focus is helping organizations identify, retain, and build customer relationships in order to maximize profit and drive long-term success. With a history of designing and implementing loyalty programs, Alpha’s technology platforms focused on customer behavior tracking and loyalty rewards fulfillment. In preparing its response, Alpha held focus groups to help determine what type of website appealed to Cin eplex’s target market.These groups indicated the importance of security, easy navigation, and keeping site content up-to-date; they also spoke out against pop-up advertisements. All respondents were familiar with e-newsletters, and noted that loyalty members should have the option to opt in, because they do not want to be overwhelmed with promotional messages. Alpha used this information in conjunction with Cineplex’s specifications to present how the website would be designed. The approximate investment cost for the program design was $500,000 with $40,000 per month required for website upkeep.Kappa Known for managing data for the Royal Bank of Canada, Kappa was one of the largest global marketing agencies. With a strong focus on customer loyalty programs, Kappa offered a high standard in data privacy and security and was the undisputed industry leader in mobile marketing, which linked strongly to Cineplex’s target market. The Kappa proposal focused on creating a youth-driven brand identity that engaged viewers to join the program through program incentives and links to third-party social networking sites, such as MySpace.With a significant portfolio of integrated loyalty program solutions, Kappa also had entertainment industry experience, having previously worked on technology platforms with Famous Players, the Toronto International Film Festival and IMAX. Kappa’s main differentiating factor was its proposal to have two distinct sites, one for members and one for non-members. Although similar in nature, one site would focus on member acquisition and program information while the other would focus on member retention through contest promotions and access to personal account activity.Approximate costs would be $1 million. Gamma Gamma, a competitor in the Canadian marketplace for four years, had vast experience in information technology strategy and a track record of developing CRM programs for leading organizations, such as Kaplan U niversity and Citi Financial. Gamma’s response to the RFP included a proposal to plan, design, and manage Cineplex’s marketing and technology programs on its specialized marketing platform that supported all aspects of email management and e-communication campaigns.This platform would also enable Cineplex to track members on an ongoing basis through different promotional mediums, such as web advertisements and search functions, and to respond instantly to member behavior through messaging for those leaving the site. Gamma’s offer was appealing because it included a fixed-price, fixed-time model. Gamma was unable to provide costs for data management because it was unsure of Cineplex’s technical capabilities, but preliminary planning and design costs were estimated at around $200,000. Page 16 9B08A008 Exhibit 7LARGE MEDIA MARKETS Market Calgary Edmonton Montreal Ottawa Toronto Vancouver Newspaper Calgary Herald Edmonton Journal Montreal Gazette Ottawa Citiz en Toronto Star Vancouver Sun Radio VIBE 98. 5 Sonic 102. 9 Q92 BOB FM Mix 99. 9 Z95 FM SMALL- AND MEDIUM SIZED MEDIA MARKETS Market Barrie Cornwall Guelph Kitchener London North Bay Owen Sound Quebec City Regina Saskatoon Sault Ste. Marie St. Thomas Sudbury Thunderbay Windsor Winnipeg Newspaper Barrie Examiner Standard Freeholder Guelph Mercury Kitchener Record London Free Press North Bay NuggetOwen Sound Sun Times Quebec City Journale Regina Leader Post The Star Phoenix Sault Ste. Marie Star St. Thomas Times-Journal Sudbury Star Chronicle Journal Windsor Star Winnipeg Free Press Radio Rock 95 FM Rock 101. 9 Magic FM KOOL FM Fresh FM EZ Rock Mix 106 Le 93. 3 Z-99 C95 EZ Rock 100. 5 Fresh FM Big Daddy 103. 9 FM Rock 94 89X Q94 Page 17 9B08A008 Exhibit 8 COST PER THOUSAND IMPRESSIONS (in Cdn$) Website google. ca mtv. ca muchmusic. ca yahoo. ca imdb. com canoe. qc. ca Big Box Advertisement 20 27 29 19 17 26 Banner Advertisement 12 35 32 13 9 –

Competition in Health Care Essay

For this assignment the class was instructed to describe the different forms of competition that take place among various types of health care organizations, evaluate the benefits and pitfalls of competition in health care and suggest alternatives if competition was not the primary driver of operations in the U.S. health care system, explain the elements of successful competition and the use of competitive intelligence, describe the influence competition has on the services offered by health care organizations and the choices patients have. Health care as in all industries, competition among businesses has long been encouraged as a mechanism to increase value for patients. In the overwhelming majority of industries, firms compete with each other to sell more products or services to customers, their purpose being to capture more of the customer’s dollar (Spath & Abraham, 2014). Many companies are free at any time to offer whatever products they think people need at any price th ey believe people are willing to pay. If customers will buy their product they will succeed; if not, they fail. This considered the nature of competition. Competition creates winners and losers inspires firms to constantly improve. Competition in many sectors of the healthcare industry functions differently. The usual free market principles of supply and demand are distorted by an extensive regulatory framework at both the federal and state levels of government. State regulators may not allow all HSOs in one geographical market area to offer particular services. Price caps may prevent HSOs from charging whatever price people are willing to pay for healthcare services. Pharmaceutical companies are free to develop any new medication they want but must get approval from the Food and Drug Administration before it can be sold in the United States. Insurance plans may direct people to receive services from certain HSOs and not others. Hospital emergency departments must provide healthcare services to people even if they cannot pay for those services (Spath & Abraham, 2014). In the health care industry, competition has an impact on many relational perspectives. There have been  several studies examining the relation ships between competition and quality of health care, competition and health care system costs, and competition and patient satisfaction. Some elements of competition in health care are price, quality, convenience, and superior products and services. One type of competition that takes place in health care amongst the various types of health care organizations is the business’s existing competitors. The existing competitors are the ones that the business has been dealing with for many years. There are also potential competitors, which are companies that are currently operating in another industry or market, but show interest in entering the business’s industry or market. Some examples are; firms operating in other geographic regions seeking to expand their markets, firms offering similar and related, but not directly competing, products that wish to expand their product lines, customer firms that decide to integrate backward in the industrial value chain, suppliers attracted by margins may choose to integrate forward in the chain, a small, strategically weak firm becomes a serious threat of entry when it is acquired by a company that can reduce or eliminate the weaknesses, firms that feel threatened by a move into th eir markets might retaliate by moving in the opposite direction, and firms that have a possible fit or synergy with the critical success factors in the industry (Moseley, 2009). Attention must also be paid to indirect competition, those entities offering products or services that may serve as substitutes to the business’s products or services in the eyes of its customers (Moseley, 2009). Hospitals also compete for physicians by offering more highly trained supportive staff and/or better equipment. Hospitals are more likely to compete for patients by providing more services, better amenities, or discounted prices. There is a strong competition for cutting edge technology and medical talent locally and globally. Hospitals also have to compete for inclusion in insurer’s provider networks. Insurance plans compete for cost to payers, quality of provider networks, credentialing screening, and quality assessment procedures. Competition has played a vital role in shaping the delivery of healthcare in the United States. Competition drives innovation and ultimately leads to the delivery of better healthcare. Competition results in lower prices and broader access to health care and health insurance. Competition among and between hospitals and physicians intensified with the development of managed  care organizations. In addition to putting pressure on costs, managed care plans have pressured providers to use shorter hospital stays and to offer alternative outpatient treatments (Macfarlane, 2014). This led to lower costs  and an increase in choice without sacrificing quality. Lower costs and improved efficiency has made health insurance more affordable and available. Another benefit of competition in health care is the innovation in healthcare technology (endoscopic surgery, anesthetic agents available in ambulatory surgery centers). There are many competitive success stories in healthcare in the area of pharmaceuticals, urgent care centers, and elective surgeries. Competition has some pitfalls in healthcare that includes the time and costs that it takes for healthcare organizations to compete against others. Other common pitfalls are unexpected difficulties when expanding into new geographies, over-optimistic projections in patient numbers, revenues, and profitability, misjudging local income levels and ability to pay, and underestimating local competition. Another pitfall may be over investing in equipment. Competition has severely restricted collaboration among service providers. An alternative to competition would be collaboration between providers or fixed prices. Success is not achieved by ignoring your competition but rather by anticipating competitive issues and influences so you can always have a proactive plan and strategy for staying ahead of your competition. As in all industries including health care the competition among businesses has long been encouraged as a mechanism to increase value for patients. There are many forms of competition that have an influence on services offered by health care organizations. The competition comes from not only other practices, but can include anyone or anything that may influence a prospective patient to not become a patient of an organization. Organizations that fail to deliver products that satisfy customers’ needs will soon go out of business. Strategic thinking and planning enables organization to stay ahead of the competition. References Macfarlane, M. (2014). Sustainable Competitive Advantage for Accountable Care Organizations. Journal of Healthcare Management, 59(4), 263-271. Retrieval from EBSCOhost, www.ashford.edu/libraryMoseley, G (2009). Health Care Competition, Strategic Mission, and Patient Satisfaction: Research Model and Propositions. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nln.nhi.gov/. Spath, P., Abraham, S. (2014). Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. www.ashford.edu/books.

Designer Baby Research Paper Example

Designer Baby Research Paper Example Designer Baby Paper Designer Baby Paper A designer baby is defined in the dictionary to be a baby developing from an embryo created In-vitro fertilization and selected because It had or lacked particular genes, the genetic makeup often having been modified by genetic engineering. This term Is simply referring to the newly scientific developed process providing a chance that would enable parents to genetically modify their child whilst it is still in the form of an embryo. The overall idea on this topic that is being raised at this present moment is the discussion of whether or not to permit people to determine their childrens ones, which would help Immensely in lowering the risks of various diseases. The positives are endless for It may help parents rid a hereditary disease, or provide chance for saving a child that may need a bone marrow transfer, to the less extreme ideas of being able to determine the sex of your child as well as the color of their eyes and hair. Although despite the positives there are various negatives that need to be taken into perspective and be properly analyses. The three major categories for the negatives are the moral and ethical, social, and health concerns. The controversy n the Issue Is considering all possible factors that can occur If they give the go on designer babies In Australia, not only do they have the positives and negatives In front of them but some evidence and real life results that will help them reach a concise conclusion. First let us assess the positives involved with designer babies. One that is widely viewed to be one of the main positives that come from this process Is the fact that for some parents by choosing their childs genes they will be able to eliminate the chances of Inheriting a disease which may be common throughout the history of heir family tree. By the end of 2001 it was recorded that there was the successful birth of at least 30 genetically modified babies in the US. The process consisted of the offspring carrying DNA from three parents two parts of the genetic material was from women and the third from a male. The initial motivation for the US scientists in doing it was the high rates of mitochondria disease that many children seemed to be suffering from and by around the age of 10 they were either producing mild or devastating symptoms. The stance put on genetically modified babies Is divided for It s believed to be ethically wrong but then there are the endless possibilities of this scientific discovery eradicating into something further as the study, research and trials progress. The world could seriously be looking at the solution that may one day eradicate this world from disease; these points are very optimistic but just think of where we are today and the advances we have already made In this research, who can even begin to imagine where It may lead us to with In the next 50 years or so. Furthermore the prospects that genetically modified babies provide for future billings that may be in desperate need of help. Another positive outcome from this procedure would mean that less money would needed to be spent for medical treatments for the future. By the means of less money needed to be devoted to the health It would enable us as a community o developments within the community that may require some extra attention. Overall not only would families benefit but the economical status of the community and the progression of being able to move forward in developing a more wider, diverse and knowledgeable community. It is believed that through the advances that have been made in the research of genetically modified babies that scientists will now be able to provide families that have a child who suffers from a particular disease take cancer for example. This child is in a desperate need for a bone marrow transfer but there is no match but through the scientific process of genetically modified babies scientists would be able to create an exact match for this child and therefore result in saving a childs life whilst having created another. In the movie My Sisters Keeper, which was first a book written by Jodi Piccolo presents the story of a family who had a daughter that was in desperate need of a bone marrow or otherwise she would die. Through her parents determination to save their daughters life they work with doctors to successfully create a match for Kate. Once Anna was born she was required to donate various parts from her body to help her sister. However as Anna grew older she began to question her parents decision, which resulted in her filing a lawsuit against her parents. Despite all the positives genetically modified babies poses there are also any negatives and repercussions that we first need to face. On the other hand we as a society need to weigh up both the positives and negatives that may be evoked if we went ahead with allowing parents to choose their childs genes. The main moral and ethical concerns that revolve around this issue is the questioning of are we playing too much of a role as God in undertaking this process? Also the fact that in order to create a genetically modified baby they actually have to kill off some embryos which is viewed as that those embryos that they have Just stored to help create one being could also have grown and developed into humans. It is pointed out that by some scholars such as George Nanas who was reviewed in an article called The Prospect of Designer Babies: Is it Inevitable, which is an article that has focused on exploring the factors involved within designer babies her is a part from the article which helps support the Moral and Ethical stance on the issue. From a more ethical outlook, some scholars claim that altering a childs genes before he or she is born would be a violation of rights, and it would sacrifice redeems, promote competition, and accentuate hierarchy (Sprier 1809). R. E. Sprier, in analysis of works by Francis Fauvism and Gregory Stock, explains that we would lose a sense of humanity. We would become cowboys, or functional cowboys, with extrapolate electromechanical devices to improve senses and organs (Sprier 1807). Fauvism asks us to look into three issues when considering genetic engineering: the right of a human to be a human; the dignity of a human, which would be lessened by deliberate genetic manipulation; and the preservation of unman nature (Sprier 1809). See more at: http://pit]urinal. UNC. Deed/article/ prospect-designer-babies-it-inevitable#stash. Yachted. Duff Standing and the further gap it would evoke within the community. While taking on board the possible consequences of designer babies one that has stood to mind is the fact that as this process is very dear it would only be a viable option for the more richer families as opposed to the poorer ones, not only does this further outline the differences it would lead to a social scale where the poor were always on the bottom ND the richer up on top. Some of the most challenging moral and ethical questions about a license to design babies concern the societies it might lead to. The movie Cataract depicts a future in which genetically enhanced people take the lead, viewing enhanced people as fit only to clean up after them. Liberal democracy is a cooperative venture in which all are seen as having something to offer. 17 Will genetic enhancement bring this social arrangement to an end, creating societies in which enhanced people are viewed by their genetic superiors in much the same way that e currently view chimpanzees, suitable for drug testing and zoo exhibits but little else? See more at: Concessionaires. Org/biotech/agar. HTML It is believed that the process of genetically modified babies may lead to them acting more superior to their peers and feel as though that they are as important as the Queen which would most likely result problematically and cause issues for the children that families have either chose not to have them modified or cannot afford it. The other major concern for the scientists and health professionals are the many fatty concerns t hat is involved with the process and also the fact that this is still a very new development and hasnt had major amounts of practice. Three of the concerns include the fact that it can lead to OCHS which means Ovarian Hyper- stimulation Syndrome, that some lab technology may effect the embryo during biopsy causing the embryo damage, and also the removal of eight-cell embryos has its implications for the well-being of people that are created by PEG or in other words Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis. Through research and testing on various animals t was shown that Animal clones suffer from a variety of problems that some scientists connect with incomplete reprogramming of somatic cell DNA or damage inflicted by the process of nuclear transfer. Human clones may also suffer from these problems See more at Concessionaires. Org/biotech/agar. HTML Therefore there are many considerations that need to be taken into consideration first. After having outlined some of the negatives and positives of designer babies there are still many that scientists and health professionals need to analysis and further explore these factors. As well as being provided with the ability to conduct further experiments in order to gain evidence on this particular process. The idea of permitting parents to genetically modify their child is going to be a long process before anything is allowed to take place. Despite this slow and long process there is no doubt amongst experts that within the near future or so we will be well on the way to having all of our future children genetically modified in an attempt to eradicate the chances of disease and illness throughout ones life time.

Printable SAT Practice Tests PDFs 18 FREE Official Tests

Printable SAT Practice Tests PDFs 18 FREE Official Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In this article, I'll tell you where to find all official, printable SAT practice tests andanswer keys. This comprehensive guide gives you access to more SAT practice tests than any other online guide. In addition, you'll learn key strategies that'll help you make big improvements on SAT practice tests you can print out. Free Printable SAT Tests (Current 1600 Format, 2016-Present) Currently, there are 10 available practice tests for the redesigned SAT, all of which have been provided by the maker of the SAT itself, theCollege Board. These tests are the absolute best ones to use for your SAT studies since they're the most similar to the test. Practice Test 1:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay Practice Test 2:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay Practice Test 3:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay Practice Test 4:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay Practice Test 5:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations |Essay Practice Test 6:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations |Essay Practice Test 7:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations |Essay Practice Test 8:Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations | Essay Practice Test 9: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Practice Test 10: Questions | Answers | Answer Explanations Don't forget to fill in your answers with theSAT answersheet. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Free Printable SAT Tests (Old 2400 Format, 2005-2016) These next tests follow the old 2400format of the SAT, with separate Critical Reading, Math, and Writing sections. (By contrast, on the current SAT, your Reading and Writing scores are combined for a total Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score.) Despite their somewhat out-of-date structure, these tests can be useful for your studying.Just keep in mindall the major differences between the old and current SAT. I recommend using these tests more as training sessions than as full-on practice for the SAT. Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2013-14:Questions|Answers Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2012-13:Questions|Answers Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2007-08:Questions|Answers Official SAT Printable Practice Test 2004-05:Questions|Answers It might look as though I've skipped a few years here, but I actually haven't: all the tests for the yearsnot listed are repeats of those above, including the 2011-12, 2010-11, 2009-10, 2008-09, 2006-07, and 2005-06 practice tests. So if you find these tests on other forums or websites, don't waste your time taking them since they're the exact same as the ones already listed. We're going way back into the past for this next set of SAT tests. Free Printable SAT Tests (Very Old 1600 Format, Pre-2005) Before the SAT underwent a redesign in 2016, the last time it had changed was in 2005, back when it jumped from a 1600-point scale to a 2400-point scale. Despite this massive shift in scoring, only a few major differences could be found between the very old 1600 SAT and the old 2400 SAT. Other than those, most of the test remained the same. As a result, these very old SAT practice tests are a hidden gold minethat few students know of. By taking these tests, then, you'll have that much more of an edge over other test takers. Before I give you the links, though, note a few important caveats: You can skip the analogies questions on Reading. These are the questions that look like "CAR : ENGINE ::." Since they're no longer on the SAT, there's no point in studying them. You can skip the comparison questions on Math. This question type presents two boxes and asks you to decide whether A or B is greater. Again, these aren't on the current SAT, so you don't need to worry about these. There is no Writing section on these tests.Therefore, make sure you use supplementary prep materials to study the grammar and question types you'll need to know for the current SAT's Writing and Language section. Be grateful you don't need to answer some of these old-format questions- analogies were the primary reason that the SAT had a bad reputation for forcing students to memorize vocab! Official SAT Test 2004-05:Questions|Answers Official SAT Test 2003-04:Questions|Answers Official SAT Test 2002:Questions + Answers Official SAT Test 2001:Questions + Answers 6 Tips for Getting the Most Out Of SAT Practice Tests Each SAT practice test requires around four hours of intense focus, so it's important to utilize them effectively. Below are six critical strategiesto follow each time you take a practice test. #1: Print Out the Test and Take It on Paper Because the SAT is a paper test (as opposed to a computer test), it's best to take the practice tests on paper. Also, make sure youdo your scratch work directly on the test.Don't get out separate pieces of scratch paper to use since on the actual test you won't get any scratch paper (but will be allowed totake notes directly in your test booklet). Finally, if you're taking the optional Essay section, practice writing your essay using the lined paper included with your practice test. #2: Use Strict Timing on Each Section Although time pressure can be intimidating,it's important to follow official SAT time limits as closely as possible onpractice tests. Why? If, for example, you spend just two extra minutes on a section, this could raise your score by hundreds of points, since the extra time allowed you to answer more questions than you would've been able to within the actual time limit. As a result, your practice SAT score becomes inflated and doesn't give you an accurate indicator of your actual scoring ability. Here's an overview of the official time limits for each SAT section as well as how long you should spend (roughly) per question: SAT Section Time # of Questions Time per Question Reading 65 minutes 52 75 seconds Writing and Language 35 minutes 44 48 seconds Math No Calculator 25 minutes 20 75 seconds Math Calculator 55 minutes 38 87 seconds Make sure togive yourself breaks, too! #3: Take the Test in One Sitting The SAT is a marathon of a test, lasing around four hours on an early Saturday morning. Many of my students have told me how difficult it was to stay focused the entire time and keep themselves from making careless mistakes at the end. Preparing for the SAT is like training for a marathon: you need to ensure you have enough stamina to make it through the test.And the best way to do this is to take each practice test in one sitting, as if you were taking the actual SAT. If it's too difficult for you to find the time to take a practice test in one sitting, go ahead and split it up over several days- just make sure youadhere to the time limits for each section. Ultimately, it's better to do some SAT practice than none at all! #4: Review Your Mistakes (and Your Correct Answers, Too) Practice tests aren't just good for getting to know the SAT format and sections- they're also great for learning from your mistakes. For every practice SAT test you take, spend time reviewing both questions you got wrong and questions you got right. If you don't know why you missed a question, don't just skip it and move on; doing this means you won't learn what kind of mistake you made, raising your risk of making it over and over again. This habit can hamper your score pretty drastically. So make sure to approach your SAT prep with this in mind: quality over quantity. I'd rather have you take three practice tests with detailed review than six practice tests with no review. #5: Take At Least 4 Practice Tests Before the Actual SAT From my experience with thousands of students, this magic number works best at getting students really comfortable with the SAT in all major respects, including timing and endurance. If you want to take more than four tests, go ahead and try it out- just make sure that you balance your prep with some focused studying on your weaknesses so that you can make faster progress. #6: Use Supplemental Resources If Necessary Some students are great at learning the ins and outs of the SAT through practice tests alone- they recognize their mistakes, understand why they made them, and avoid making them in the future. But most students need additional help to pinpoint their weaknesses and teach them the skills and strategies needed for success on the SAT. If practice tests aren't enough for you, download our free guide to help you figure out which SAT prep method works best for you. What's Next? Want to get a perfect SAT score?Take a look atour famous guide to a 1600, written by an expert SAT perfect-scorer. Aiming high on each SAT section? Then read our individual, in-depth strategy guides to help you reach an800 on SAT Reading, SAT Math, and SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Challenges Facing the Field of Organizational Change Management

In the modern day business world, organizations are facing more changes than it has been witnessed ever before. One of the factors that have brought about the rapid change is globalization that has led to an increase in today’s market’s growth and revenue increase. Organizational change management is a field that gives guidelines for preparation, equipping and supporting individuals to be successful in adopting change with the view of driving organizational success and outcomes. However most of the changes and individuals are unique, research has proven that some actions can be taken to influence affected people in their transitions. It is a discipline that provides a structured approach of how individuals can be supported in their organization to be able to successfully transit from their current status to that if the future  (Dyer, 2017). Most precisely, organizational change management is a framework that is aimed at managing the effect of new business processes ch anges in the structure of an organization or enterprise cultural changes. While there are laid approaches towards change management, there also exist several challenges in the same field  (Buchanan, 2014). The primary aim of this paper is to explore the challenges facing the organizational change management field. The exploration will involve a literature review in the challenges facing the field of organizational change management followed by a critique of the same. Different authors have taken an interest in the subject of organizational change management, probably because it is a critical subject that determines how organizations are likely to adapt to changes in their organizations. According to different schools of thought, various challenges are associated in the field. However different authors take different angles in analyzing the challenges, their arguments seem to have a common focal point. According to one school of thought, organizations either change or remain the same. According to the author, one of the challenges in the field of organizational change management is resistance to change. The author argues that people are status quo biased and that they are willing to get low pay struggling to get into a stable organization  (Gioia, 2016). He further argues that resistance to change usually has political motives and that people tend to resist changes whose origin is political adversaries. He argues that people may resist a change directly either through political influence or indirectly through passive aggressive behavior. According to the author, another challenge is an unknown current state. He says that it would be difficult for an architect to repair a building without first looking at the existing blueprints. He claims that most of the organizations often try to change without having a glimpse at their blueprints, something that fuels the complexity of the building’s architecture. This blind move makes it difficult to transition to a future state  (Lewis, 2017). Another challenge is integration. The author likens managing a large organization to repairing an aircraft while it's still on the flight. He says that change is a moving target and therefore implementing a process will change the business processes it supports. He further argues that changing n organizational structure will lead to employee turnover occurring in parallel. He concludes by saying that long-running changes with many integration points are usually prone to failure. Another challenge according to this author is competitive forces. He says that in most of the times organizational change is influenced by external forces such as competition, technological change, market conditions, external threats and economic forces. Organizations may plan to change to respond to external threats. He argues that however if a competitor releases a product that is many years ahead of your product chances are there that you are driven to an extreme pace of change whose likelihood of failure is too high  (De Massis, 2018). According to the same author, another challenge in the organizational change management field is complexity. He says that when organizations develop more complex systems, processes and product change become very challenging to make and therefore complexity of a change is a big barrier. He argues that complex changes need an effective and efficient project, quality, knowledge, risk and change management. He concludes by giving a change management principle that says that one should never tackle a change which is too complex for his organization to manage. According to another school of thought, one of the challenges facing organizational change management is planning. The author argues that without stepwise planning an organizational change would bring about more problems than the benefits it is anticipated to bring. He argues that you need to precisely need to know which changes are to take place and how they’ll occur. Overall, the author advises prior planning of how the change will be executed. According to the same author, another challenge is lack of consensus  (Ololube, 2017). He argues that failing to involve everyone in the corporate changes will lead to increased barriers to the change execution. He advises that a decision to make corporate changes should originate from the top organizational level. He also says that the associated management level staff should be present to be in a position to deal with the challenges otherwise the staff will dissent. Another challenge according to the same author is failing communication. He argues that failing to communicate to all employees in the organization beforoe the change brings about fear and rumors in the entire organization especially if facing major changes such as downsizing or emergence. Communication failure brings about the uncertainty that makes the employees feel that they are not part of the decision  (Pettigrew, 2016). He advises involvement of employees and updating them regarding the plans and progress towards the implementation of the change. Another challenge is employee resistance. He argues that sometimes employees resist change especially when they had become comfortable with the way their organization runs. It is because they have been used to what is expected of them in the organization. He argues that some major changes disrupt the familiarity of the employees thereby making them upset. In this case, the employees are not willing to relearn their jobs or change th e way they used to undertake their duties. That becomes an enorbigmous challenge. He concludes by advising that provision of training for any new responsibilities as well as supporting then will ease the transition. Now, according to another school of thought, one of these challenges is lack of employee involvement. He argues that that is the main and common barrier to effective change management  (Senge, 2015). He argues that most of the employees have a fear towards change and that there is the likelihood that even the most loyal employees would resist the change if they were not involved. He further argues that failing to involve employees in the change execution process lead to fear of the unknown and the lack of desire to support the change which eventually becomes very challenging  (Grosser, 2015). According to the same author, another challenge is lack of effective communication strategy. He argues that in some organizations when some of the top leaders announce a change and assume that people will automatically adjust to the new change which is not the case  (Meyer, 2015). The author argues that this approach is the silliest way to introduce a change and therefore it usually leads to change resistance. He says that employees need to know how the change will affect them as well as how they will be able to adapt it. Another challenge according to this school of thought is bad culture shift planning. The author argues that sometimes the planning team lacks the idea that the change will affect the people. He claims that in most of the times the team concentrates on planning the administrative structure, job responsibilities and work reporting structure ignoring decisions regarding feelings and intuitions. By so doing, that becomes a challenge to change management  (Kiefer, 2014). Another challenge according to this author is an unknown current state. He says that many organizations tend to introduce and to implement a change without assessing and understanding their current blueprint. He suggests that this can be overcome through a full understanding of the current corporate's blueprint before formulating or implementing any change. Another challenge is organizational complexity. He argues that sometimes organizations start developing complex processes, something that makes the process of planning and implementing a change very challenging  (Stensaker, 2015). He argues that these complexities include complex products, processes, and systems which act as change barriers because they are difficult for the organization members to understand. He suggests a solution that an organization can counter this barrier by making use of a quality, diligent and effective change management approach  (Tushman, 2016). He says that it is wise not to tackle a change that is too complex for an organization. He also advises that it is not wise to implement complex changes if the organization does not have the maturity to handle the complex change. According to the literature review conducted above concerning the challenges facing the organizational change management field, it has been evident that different authors have different approaches to the same subject as well as different thoughts and ideas. However, at some point, their arguments have the same baseline. In considering the first author, his arguments are precisely true, and much evidence has been garnered to support the arguments. As seen in the above literature review, the author has come up with the challenges that are facing organizations in the contemporary world. It seems that the author conducted enough research to know what the modern day organizations are facing  (Kuipers, 2015). The explanations provided by the author are valid and convincing. Taking an example, the author said that one of the challenges facing organizational change management is resistance to change. He began by hinting that people are status quo biased and went ahead to prove the same by showing that they can easily opt to get a lower pay to get into a stable organization rather than getting a higher pay in a changing organization. He goes ahead and provides the reason as to why people may resist change and finally illustrates how they resist the change. That is a sure indication of enough pre-conducted research on the study topic. However the author has strong points, he is too brief. The author is dedicated to tackling key points rather than giving full explanations, and this is one of the drawbacks of his piece. According to his principle on complexity barrier, organizations should not tackle complex changes  (Buck, 2015). This principle, however workable, is a discouragement to organizations as it drives that view that some impossibilities in change management are beyond solution  (Kiel, 2014). That is not true, in the business world, every problem has a solution, and therefore the author should have given a solution to the problem rather than arguing for not giving it a trial. The second author has taken the topic at a different angle. He has looked at the challenges of organizational change management from the employee’s point of view rather than the organizational point of view. He has looked at the factors that may make the employees unwilling to adjust to the change such as poor planning, poor communication as well as lack of consensus. The arguments are true and have enough explanations. The author has in fact taken time to deeply explain his arguments so that they can be easily understood. The challenges given by the author apply to organizations in the modern day business world and thus helpful. While his arguments are true and practical, the author should not have looked at the challenges in the employees’ point of view only  (Cameron, 2015). The author should also have looked at the same in the organization perspective such as competitive forces, an unknown current state among others. That would have been more helpful. The third author has not done any research concerning the subject. His arguments are just a copy cut of the first author’s arguments. As seen from the literature review, the same challenges given by the first author are the same challenges given by the third author. The author lacks originality and distortion of initial message in the zeal of attaining uniqueness is evident. His arguments are weak with the usage of offensive words such as â€Å"the silliest approach.† Overall, the author has not introduced anything new on the subject. Change is indisputably one of the hardest things to adapt. This fact poses a major threat to companies wishing to change their structure, systems or operations with the fear that the affected stakeholders may not be willing to accept the change. Many authors have given several challenges, but the bottom line is that employees will hardly accept and adopt changes. However, there is an opportunity to provide solutions for these challenges by proper planning and involving all the affected members. Therefore, organizations should not be afraid of making major changes especially if they bring positive impacts to the company. Buchanan, D., 2014. No going back: A review of the literature on sustaining organizational change. International Journal of Management Reviews, 4(8), pp.43-69. Buck, T., 2015. Long-term orientation and international joint venture strategies in modern China. International Business Review, 6(89), pp.58-64. Cameron, E., 2015. Making sense of change management. A complete guide to the models, tools, and techniques of organizational change, 5(7), pp.76-90. De Massis, A., 2018. Counterpoint: How heterogeneity among family firms influences organizational change. Journal of Change Management, 4(9), pp.78-98. Dyer, L., 2017. Studying human resource strategy: An approach and an agenda. Industrial Relations. A Journal of Economy and Society, 45(8), pp.55-78. Gioia, D., 2016. Identity, image, and issue interpretation: Sensemaking during a strategic change in academia. Administrative science quarterly, 59(8), pp.65-84. Grosser, T., 2015. Employee Perceptions of Network Change Following an Organizational Change. In Academy of Management Proceedings. Academy of Management Briarcliff Manor, 5(8), pp.63-85. Kiefer, T., 2014. Feeling bad: Antecedents and consequences of negative emotions in ongoing change. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 4(8), pp.68-75. Kiel, L., 2014. Managing chaos and complexity in government. A new paradigm for managing change, innovation, and organizational renewal, 5(7), pp.65-78. Kuipers, B., 2015. The management of change in public organizations: A literature review. Public administration, 5(7), pp.67-87. Lewis, S., 2017. Appreciative inquiry for change management. Using AI to facilitate organizational development, 4(76), pp.56-89. Meyer, J., 2015. Employee commitment and support for an organizational change: Test of the three?component model in two cultures. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 6(8), pp.53-84. Ololube, N., 2017. Organizational Change Management: Perceptions, Attitude, Application, and Change Management Practices in Nigerian Universities. International Journal of Applied Management Sciences and Engineering, 5(8), pp.5-10. Pettigrew, A., 2016. Studying organizational change and development: Challenges for future research. Academy of management journal, 4(7), pp.57-87. Senge, P., 2015. The dance of change. The challenges to sustaining momentum in learning organizations, 8(45), pp.12-22. Stensaker, I., 2015. Change management choices and trajectories in a multidivisional firm. British Journal of Management, 9(6), pp.61-87. Tushman, M., 2016. Ambidextrous organizations: Managing evolutionary and revolutionary change. California management review, 6(8), pp.56-85.