Debtor Appeal of Boston Essay

1. Case name and citation: In re Boston shipyard Corp. , Debtor Appeal of Boston Shipyard Corp. , No. 89-1144 United States court of Appeals, first Circuit. 886 F. 2d 451 Heard June 7, 1989. Decided September 1989 Before CAMPBELL, Chief Judge Reinhardt and Toruella circuit Judges. Its alleged that the ruling in this case was not fair by the fact that the district court that confirmed the bankruptcy of Boston Shipyard Corporation, BSC in favor of the appellee , the US Military Sealift Command, MSC. 2. Key Facts: BSC entered into agreement with MSC to revamp and repair the USNS Mississinewa (a water vessel) at a final pay of $ 4,997,925. Having been not fully aware, it turned out that the contract required much more in expenses than it was originally estimated. On realizing change in the contract specifications; it filed a change authorization order so that the work could be done with the permission of their client MSC. The orders however accumulated at the MSC’s table such that their delayed resolution resulted to a wide financial implication towards BSC. Till August 1985, BSC’s financial condition had worsened a situation that required the contract partner, MSC to make payments. Failure of MSC to pay BSC led to termination of the contract. The pulling out of the contract by BSC Company was based on the fact that the latter company had been declared bankrupt. It’s reported that on October 17th due to failure of MSC to compensate BSC, and was terminated by the government (West’s Federal Reporter, 1990). 3. Legal issues presented before Court: Among the legal issues presented before the court were several factors. That one, BSC as a company pulled out of a contract it had entered into with the US Military Sealift Command, â€Å"MSC†. The second issue was the fact that the latter, (MSC) had declined to make payments to the contractual partner, (Boston Shipyard Corporation, BSC), to cater for the extra expenses that were not budgeted for by the company. The US Military Sealift Command, MSC was â€Å"supposed† to cater for these cost overruns in order for BSC to provide its services. 4. Holding of the court: The US government, on February 25th 1986, through the US Bankruptcy Court, filed a proof of claim of $ 9. 2 million in Reprocurement costs. On the other hand, BSC, objecting to the Proof of Claim, filed a counter Proof of Claim, which was meant to convert the terminated contract into one that could benefit the government. Six months down the line, the bankruptcy court on making first hearing, it passed a judgement that favoured the government on the basis that BSC had without excuse withdrawn from the contract. This was further accepted to at the district court, a decision that BSC appeals to. 5. Reasoning (rationale): That a cardinal change is created or comes to exist in a contract when the contractor finds that he or she is required to execute tasks that are materially different from those that were originally bargained for at the start. Such changes are not subject to rectification, and so the judging on this, the government was in breach (West’s Federal Reporter, 1990). Basing on the fact that this contract was a â€Å"call and inspect† type, which implied that the vessels had to be opened first and scrutinized before establishing the whole cost to be involved in the contract. BSC may not be justified to abandon or pull out of the contract basing on the change orders written to MSC. Delay in the kick off of a contract is expected in any contractual agreement (Magoba Construction Company vs. United States). Talking of the incapability of BSC to deliver its services due to financial incapacity, one may argue that a contractor’s default may be pardoned if the causes seem to be beyond his control (ruling of Southeastern Airways Corporation vs. United States). However, it’s generally understood that as a contractor who makes and accepts bids from the government or any other individual, he should be having enough funds to support the contract. This is subject to change. Justification of the contractors default may be carried out only if the experienced financial problems were caused by factors beyond the company’s control or by the company itself (ruling of the case of National Eastern Corporation vs. United States). BSC also argues that the government’s delay to pay it some amount of money resulted to it being unable to respond to a contract worth $ 6. 5 million. This is not true. Evidence has, right from the beginning that BSC had a thin financial base before the contract was initiated (West’s Federal Reporter, 1990) At the same time, no blame was to be put on MSC for having caused any delay or disruption. Hence, conclusively, BSC’s financial incapacitation deterred the take-off of the contract. A different decision on this would make government contracts quite unworkable, and hence contractors would demand refund, and or financial consideration for any cost overruns. References: West’s Federal Reporter (1990): Cases argued and determined in the United States courts of appeals and Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals, University of California, p. 452

Cross Culture Analysis

(A) Critical review of cross-cultural models (1)Introduction Culture has played an important role in the evolution of humans enabling them to adapt the environment to their own needs instead of depending solely on natural selection to achieve success in all walks of life. Culture typically is made of customs, ideas beliefs, customs, codes, techniques, tools, taboos, symbols, rituals and ceremonies. Every society has created its own culture which is unique to its society. Culture is characterised mainly of three components which are explained as below: Values – Ideas which are considered important in life can be termed as values. Norms – Different people behave differently in various situations. Norms can be understood as the expectations of how people react to these situations. Artefacts  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Artefacts are manufactured by men who reflect the culture’s values and norms. (2) Cross- cultural Analysis In 19th century, renowned anthropologists Edward Burnett Tylor and Lewis H Morgan have performed first cross-cultural analysis. Both Anthropology and Social Anthropology have made significant progress from the stages of Victorian England’s lower savagery to civilization. The concept of culture can be understood as a response against to those Western concepts and according to the anthropologists, culture is embedded in human nature. All people irrespective of the location and regions have the ability to categorise experiences, understand them by decoding using symbols and communication effectively. Several fields such as Sociology, Psychology, Communication and Anthropology have contributed to the creation of main theories of cross cultural communication. These theories are primarily based on the value differences among several cultures that are spread all over the world. Some of the important researchers who contributed to this field include Fons Trompenaars, Edward T. Hall, Shalom Schwartz, Geert Hofstede Edward Burnett Tylor and Lewis H Morgan and Clifford Geertz. (3) Aims of cross-cultural analysis The main aim of cross cultural communication is to understand the responses of different people from varied cultural backgrounds in different situations. Some guidelines are produced to decipher these differences and help them to better communicate with one another. According to Alvesson, M. (1993),  Cultural Perspectives on Organisations, 1992, Members of a group who share a particular culture can be understood and interpreted using some functions. The group can be of different sizes. It can be a small group in a village, or as big as a continent. Though the responses of the members of these groups can be understood as a whole depending on their culture, it further depends on the individual’s personality. The expressions of culture-resultant response can also depend on their own experience from life and the upbringing of that particular individual. The aims of cross cultural analysis are to harness the utilitarian function of culture as a means for human adaptation and better communication. Cross-cultural management can be understood as a subset of International management focusing on cultural clashes. The conflicts and miscommunication leads to differences in the cultures and cross cultural management aims to develop tools to understand and handle them. (4) Hofstede and his 5 dimensions Hofstede conducted investigations across the world to understand and analyse work-related attitudes in different regions. These studies have resulted in identifying five dimensions. These dimensions are masculinity-femininity, power distance, individualism-collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and long term vs. short term orientation. Social psychology between and within many cultures are being investigated actively in many respects and has acquired its own momentum over a long period of time. According to (Draguns, Lee & McCauley, 1999) comparisons with in the cross cultures can be made with the help of personality variables within that culture. As opposed to this, dimensions can also be derived in multicultural research projects can be used to study the relevance and the proximity to their home culture. In order to elucidate the conceptual nature of the cultural dimensions, Hofstede made various efforts to elaborate the contrast between the individualists as well the collectivist cultures. As this is not the only source of difference, several other Researchers such as Draguns, Lee & McCauley, 1999 also carried out studies on individualist cultures where the individuals are not tightly connected. They found that the priority lies ith looking after themselves or any other members of the immediate family. These individuals have different goals and aspirations that might not be in line with the values and norms of the entire group. However when there is a conflict of ideas, in individual societies they put their personal goals first by feeling autonomous. I n this type of social framework, the focus is on achieving personal goa ls. Such individuals are loosely attached to each other and if needed they can easily detach themselves from the rest of the group. They can also sever relations quite easily with their norms, partners and religion. However in collectivist societies, the most important factor is the group and there is a sense among the group members for solidarity and shared activities. According to (Goodwin, 1999) these kind of groups dominates in general as the obligations and duties of the individuals are not important when compared to that of the group. On the flip side, the collectivist societies are keener to protect the interests of the members of the group. They are not very concerned and may not necessarily help those members who are outside their group. The boundaries of the group are strong and explicit and they develop group egoism. Though it is costs, the individuals of the members contribute more especially in the personal events such as marriage and other links with the families with in the group. They do not behave like mere individuals. One of the other dimensions of Hofstede’s dimensions, power distance, is also widely discussed in the cross cultural studies. It represents the members of the society that agree to the inequalities in the power distribution among various members of the group. It may be in the organisations or institutions in which the degree of respect given those people who occupy superior positions. According to Deal T. and Kennedy, A. A. (1982),  Corporate Cultures, the acceptance to power inequality depends of the high distance and los distance societies. In High distance societies, they see power as the basis need of the group where as in low distance societies, they believe that power can only be used when it is legitimate. The next dimension of Hofstede’s model is Masculinity vs. Femininity. According to him, factors such as heroism, material success, assertiveness as preference for achievement are considered as masculine. Other factors such as caring for the poor and downtrodden, modesty, relationships, and the quality of life are considered subdued and feminine. The differentiation is based on the sex of that individual as the relationship between the Masculinity and femininity concerns about the relative emphasis and interpersonal harmony. While feminine culture gives preference to quality of life, warm personal relationships and fluid sex roles, the masculine cultures success, a sense of performance and competition and being brave. The fourth dimension, uncertainty avoidance, lays emphasis on the extent in which the members of a particular culture respond to the unknown situations or uncertain events. The cultures where the uncertainty avoidance is low are very curious whereas the cultures where the uncertainty avoidance is high are more dangerous. Uncertainty avoidance generally refers to the planning and the method of dealing with the unknown events in life and those with high uncertainty avoidance generally have a strong desire for mutual consensus. Any behaviour other than this is not acceptable in that group or society. The final dimension is long vs. short term orientation. The focus is mainly on the time horizon of the society. The orientation in this dimension of the study is to determine the importance that is being given to the future when compared to the previous history of that nation or society than the present state. In this dimension issues such as persistence and others are resolved by applying the orientation framework. Hofstede’s diverse studies of various cultures have provided the necessary inputs to understand the similarities or differences of cross cultures. (4. 1) Limitations of Hofstede’s model: Though Hofstede made several studies to identify the cross cultural similarities and differences, there are some limitations in this model. The primary limitation is the limited use of samples. The samples with Hofstede conducted the study is not applicable to the all the nations and therefore the results cannot be generalised to all the nations. The findings are generally based on the culture of the nation at a certain time which may be different from the result of the same nation at a different time. Another limitation to his model is the negative feedback of the participants. Some people are happy to cooperate with the study but some people may get offended by it (Barrick, Ryan & Schmitt, 2003). Another limitation is the importance of the study to their organisation or the country they live in. Another limitation is to create changes not all people would like to agree. More often than not, majority of the people cannot accept abrupt change in a short period of time. (5) Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner model: To explain the national cultural differences in an organisation, in 1998, popular management consultants Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner developed a model named ‘Seven Dimensions of Culture’. They tried to explain the differences in a heterogeneous business environment and the challenges faced by the global managers in managing them. Their study is primarily based on the responses of several respondents on a given dilemma. The dilemmas are contrasting in nature and this method is used by them over ten long years to observe the responses of various individuals on these dilemmas which will be used to interpret the basic attitudes and values of the individuals. This method is characterised by developing seven different processes which are formulated into dilemmas. By preferring one side of the dilemma, the individuals from one culture differentiate themselves from the rest of the others. According to Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, these responses provided them a tool to analyse how national cultures differ from one another and how culture can be measured. They also suggested that the differences in cultures play a major role in achieving success globally and observed that reconciling these differences can lead to competitive advantage in the increasingly competitive global business environment. (5. ) Limitations of this model: * Failure in recognising the impact of personal characteristics on one’s behaviour. * Though this model differentiated between several cultures, it failed to suggest any recommendations on how to work with specific cultures. * The dilemmas that are developed by Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner may not satisfy that it will cover all the aspects of cross cultural studies. * Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner suggested th at the organisations must acknowledge the similarities and differences between the cultures that they operate in. However, other authors such as Ohmae (Borderless world) and Levitt (Globalisation of Markets) argue that national borders are diminishing day by day and emphasised on the need to look at the world as one big global market instead of viewing it as different countries that are made up of different cultures. (B) National Management Styles: Analysis and Personal experience. The ideas about the national management style over the past four decades have been dominated primarily by two nations. First by the American management model then followed by the Japanese. National cultural heritage was thought to be the primary reason for a particular management style. Having that as an underlying assumption, claims have been made that the management style is highly influenced by the cultural force of a country. Do the Japanese in general manage their organisations differently from Americans? This lead to evolution of two main standpoints which are called as culture-free and the culture-contingent position (Child/Kieser, 1997 and Osterloh, 1994). According to the culture-free position, the management style reflects the deeper understanding of industrialism producing essentials of technological and economic nature. The management style of firms over the personnel does not depend too much on the nation’s cultural values but more dependent on the technology, size and the industry environment of the organisation. According to Barrett, E. (1992),  The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Corporate Culture Analogy, the competition among the organisations in a business environment need conditions which support the management style. As we all know that those firms which compete on innovation use a more participative and professional management style when compared to the management style of those companies which are traditionally mass producers of plastic toys, screws or hamburgers. This can be observed across various nations all over the world. Likewise, the cultural settings do not seem to have much impact on the management of fast food chains. The contrasting viewpoint is culture-contingent position. Experts argue that societies exhibit distinct and relatively persistent cultures which include shared patterns of manners and ideas. Though different organisations in different organisations compete in varied conditions, they all adopt similar cultural contingencies within that country. This may be one of the reason as to why these organisations though compete against each other manage their firms with similar management structures which are appropriate to the cultural forces of the country. Culture of the country may matter for management, but it certainly is not the primary factor which influences the management style of the organisation. (6) European Cultural Diversity According to (Hofstede, 1993; Munch, 1993), despite sharing a lot of history, it is quite surprising that many of the European countries are still heterogeneous culturally. Though the integration of European countries brought about some economic forces, the culture and traditions of these countries still remain very different to that of each other. The nations that can claim to have developed distinctive cultures are American and Japanese. European countries are far from having a distinctive culture of their own. In order to overcome the present day pressures, they have developed diverse approaches of their own to cope with them. Among the European countries the national differences between the countries are greater than that of the non-European countries when it comes to dealing with the problems of technology development, economic growth and pollution control. (7) British Model of Pragmatic Management: Though Britain had a strong industrial dominance in the nineteenth century, after Second World War it has lost its strength both economically and educationally. Over the past decade or so, the global competitiveness and the economic recovery signs have been strong for Britain. Several factors such as political stability de-regulation of industries, and the English language advantage has attracted foreign direct investments from all across the globe which lead to the creation of entrepreneurial dynamism (ul-Haq, 2000). However according to Porter (1990), one of the important reasons for the continuous decline in the economic performance is the lack of quality in British educational system? Top-quality education has been restricted to a few groups. Important sectors like technology and engineering has been given lower priority. This resulted in the impact on the management in general and society in particular. While there are exceptional employees who are well trained for professional work, majority of them lack in depth education and skills when compared to the other highly industrialised nations. This can explain about the difference between blue-collar and white-collar workers, especially managers, appear to reflect the social structures of the society. The relationship between the workers and the management is generally characterised by mistrust and hostility, as a result of the conflict of interest between the two classes. Source: Martin, J. (1992),  Cultures in Organisations – Three Perspectives Let us discuss various management styles and critically examine if that is the style in my own country. i. Autocratic: In this management style, the decision making lies with the managers and they enforce their decision on the employees. They do not have a two way communication with the employees because they don’t trust them. This can be demotivating to employees, but this style is suitable for organisations that have to take quick decisions and manage large number of employees. I am from India and I can say that this management style is not widely used across the country but can be seen in large organisations particularly in IT firms that have large number of employees to manage. ii. Paternalistic: Paternalistic managers listen to the concerns of the employees before taking decision with respect to their social and recreational needs. The information flow is from top to bottom as they give direction to the employees. Interesting aspect is that they also take feedback form the employees which can be very effective. But the decision making on an issue may take longer than usual. This will help improve the morale of the employee. This management style can be observed in India though not widely. An organisation from the Marketing and Service industries and tourism industry in particular adopts this style of management. iii. Democratic: Everyone is involved in the decision process in this management style. Productivity and job satisfaction is improved as the communication flows from top to bottom in this approach. Employees’ motivation will be high as they are recognised and considered to be important to the organisation. On the flip side, it is difficult to get consensus on any issue and therefore slows down the process significantly. Sometimes there is also a risk that the managers may not be able to implement the best decisions. This style is not usually adapted in India as the mind sets of people are quite different and it may take quite long to take a decision. However this management style when implemented effectively with a judicious mixture can result in producing desired results. Source: Adler, N. J. (1991)  International Dimensions of Organizational Behaviour. Personally, my style has always been employee empowerment. The people I choose to have thinking people work under me, not automatons. Because of this, my task gets simpler and I can accomplish the targets in due course. I have learnt a great deal and also enriched my knowledge base as well as my skill levels. I am always aware of the fact that my task is to manage my team and they have their own tasks. I must enable them to deliver their best whether it is sales, operations or something else. Due to this, the members of the team can come up and discuss their ideas with me without any fear. To my mind, no organisation can grow if its employees do not grow. 8) Conclusion: As per my experience, persistent growth can be achieved by organisations by implementing proper management styles. They can solve organisational problems; improve employee productivity and loyalty and satisfaction. Satisfied customers and higher returns of the investment is the key for all the organisations at the end of the day. On the flip side, adopting an incorrect manage ment structure will lead to tensions between managers and their subordinates resulting in diminished employee morale and depleting productivity. (9) BIBLIOGRAPHY i. Alvesson, M. 1993),  Cultural Perspectives on Organisations, 1992 ii. Deal T. and Kennedy, A. A. (1982),  Corporate Cultures, iii. Barrett, E. (1992),  The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Corporate Culture Analogy iv. Martin, J. (1992),  Cultures in Orgnanizations – Three Perspectives v. Kono, T. (1990), â€Å"Corporate Culture and Long Range Planning† vi. Adler, N. J. (1991)  International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. vii. Riding the Waves of Culture  (Fons Trompenaars & Charles Hampden-Turner), 1990. viii. Five Minds for the Future  (Howard Gardner), 1982 ix. Burack, E. H. 1991), â€Å"Changing the Corporate Culture’’ x. Hampden-Turner, C. (1990),  Corporate Culture (10) Web References i. http://ezinearticles. com/? How-To-Understand-Cross-Cultural-Analysis&id=4031 11 ii. http://www. itapintl. com/facultyandresources/articlelibrarymain/the-use-and-misuse-of-questionnaires-in-intercultural-training. html iii. http://www. blurtit. com/q410358. html iv. http://www. blurtit. com/q792848. html v. http://ivythesis. typepad. com/2010/07/what-are-the-limitations-on-hofstedes-and-globe-studies. html vi. http://www. wright. edu/~scott. williams/LeaderLetter/culture. htm

Critically evaluate the extent to which workplace bullying is Essay

Critically evaluate the extent to which workplace bullying is facilitated by Organizational rather than individual factors - Essay Example In the article entitled Organizational, Work Group Related and Personal Causes of Mobbing/Bullying at Work, Zapf, D (1999) stated BULLYING is defined as the severe form of social work stress maker. Bullying last very long and often times escalates conflict with frequent harrassing actions that are aimed at one specific person. According to Zapf (1999) further clarifies that the causes of the Bullying is the work place itself, the social system, the bully perpetrator and the victim itself. The unwiling victim employee needs work to feed his or her family. The perpetrator supervisor is given the power to hire or fire the victim subordinate. As a consequence the supervisor is tempted to ask favors which are sometimes immoral or illegal. The supervisor could have been given the same cold bully and victim treatment when the supervisor was just a new subordinate in the company. The supervisor may just want to play the same game but this time he is the supervisor and his subordinate is the new victim. The social system is also cause because the victim employee is forced to endure and accept his or her predicament because it is very difficult to find a job. The victim prefers to swallow his or her pride in return for money to feed his or her hungry family. A survey of two samples of bully victims and bullies have supported this thesis. It is further discussed that bullying cannot be explained well without discussing the other parts of the bullying system (work place itself, the social system, the bully perpetrator and the victim itself)There are a few supervisors who unfairly use their position to exert power to abuse or bully some of his or her subordinates. The supervisor will abusively ask favors which are against the labor law and other discrimination laws in exchange for job retention. The refusal of the employee to obey such illegal overtures may cause the removal of his or her job.Bullying in the workplace can be done many ways. One-way is for the bully to threaten the victim that he may be lost his job or be demoted if the bully supervisor or co-worker's overtures are not followed. Another bullying move is threaten the person's personal work standing such as threatening the victim's work due to the victim's age or sex. Another bully move is to isolate the individual or victim form g etting information, opportunities, outings, and others. Bully could also give impossible project deadlines, make the victim produce more work within the same time schedule and other undue pressure because the victim would not accept the love proposals of the workplace supervisor. The superior feels that the victim is helpless because of the difficulty of finding another job.Still another bully move by the supervisor is to undermine the individual or give a below standard work performance grade for a job excellently done or to give difficult project benchmarks so the victim will fail. The victim can either bow down to the overtures of the supervisor for special favors like having dinner in an expensive restaurant and the like. EFFECTS OF BULLYING IN THE WORKPLACE Bullying will have a long-term psychological effect

Case Study 6.1 Sparks of Aggression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study 6.1 Sparks of Aggression - Essay Example It then recommends the necessary actions that the organization needs to take to curb the prevalence of the harmful aggressive behavior. First, there are individual factors that led to the development of the aggressive behavior. Some individuals have a predisposition to aggression. Workers have different variables in terms of attitudes towards revenge, self-control, and negative affectivity. Individuals who have indulged in aggressive acts are more likely to have a dominant aggressive behavior in the future. From the case study, Petro suspects that the student had been spreading some rumors about him. The presence of unconfirmed stories about Pedro depicts that his work history has not been smooth, and there are negative issues that may stimulate an aggressive behavior. Secondly, organizational factors also contribute to aggression in the workplace. Interactions may result in perceptions of frustrations and unfair treatment that stimulate the growth of aggressive behavior in the workplace. The case study captures Pedro saying that the student usually receives special treatment because of his connection with a high official of the credit union. Pedro seemed to have perceived some element of unfairness in the treatment of the student and other employees, and this angered him. Somehow, the top leadership of the organization is to blame for their role in escalating Pedro’s aggression. Additionally, there are specific interpersonal factors that can also lead to aggression in the workplace. They could be groups or individuals within the proximity of the victim that exerts a conforming impact. In the case study, the female employee who had declined Pedro’s advancement seemed to contribute to his emotional instability. The actions of the female employee together with the student seemed to hurt him significantly. That is why he thought that the two staff members made fun of him whenever they conversed. It is

Intro to Business Assignment 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Business Assignment 2 - Coursework Example We realize that this shall ultimately benefit our valued customers and lead to a stronger reputation of our business in years to come. Your co operation in this regard shall be highly appreciated. Sincerely, Mr. ABC Topic B: In corporations, the interests of the stockholders are largely protected by the Board of Directors who are appointed by the former to take decisions in favor of them. The Board of Directors are paid handsome amount including stock options, compensation packages etc. and are appointed under fiduciary obligation that entices them to run the company in a way that benefits the stockholders. However, as far as the legal obligations are concerned, the penalty for not acting in the interests of shareholders varies because of difficulties for the Court in assessing the decision taken (Lawrence & Weber, 2010). The fact that shareholders vote for the Board of Directors makes the latter liable to perform in the interests of the former because if that doesn’t happen t hen the shareholders have the power to dismiss the directors. The concept is similar to that of voting under democracy.

Understand the individual elements of the extended marketing mix Assignment - 2

Understand the individual elements of the extended marketing mix - Assignment Example th the analysis of the growth of a firms market share about markets collection, products, and enterprises as well as a conclusion making on the basis of resource allocation. McDonalds have increased its market share over the years through innovations. Of recent development include innovation is the introduction of both a vegetarian and a vegan menu in its list of products especially in continents where majority of the population are against certain animal proteins. The product mix in the McDonalds follows BCG marketing matrix and hence enables it stay on course of profitability and sustainability. By using the BCG matrix, it has been able to monitor its products portfolios in terms of product growth, depth and size. Using the BCG model the McDonalds have considered increased promotional campaigns in countries where they are not well known yet. As such, McDonalds have shown high tendencies to allocate much more resources in product marketing and brand building. Product promotion as a marketing mix is widely used by McDonalds. It widely uses television, radio and billboards in their product and service promotion. The organization has carefully used certain slogans that captures and leaves a mark on the consumers minds. Some of these slogans include, "we love to see you smile; Food, Folks, and Fun; Its a good time for the Great Taste of McDonalds; I love it." These promotional strategies have resulted in customers becoming accustomed to going to McDonalds restaurants for there is an assured derivation of utility from their money (Bahaudin, 2007). What might be considered as a "star" or a "cash cow" is carefully examined and evaluated to determine its right position within the BCG matrix in the UAE. To maintain a competitive edge beyond fellow competitors, they keep on innovating and introducing new products to the market that make them relevant to the needs of the customers all the time. This makes them move large volumes of products of high quality that targets all

Struggle of Human Nature in the Lord of the Flies Research Paper

Struggle of Human Nature in the Lord of the Flies - Research Paper Example Thesis Statement The research paper will intend to focus on the fight or the resistance of human character that is experienced by the marooned boys in the island in their quest for survival. The background of the story was found to have occurred during the mid period of an unnamed nuclear war. The literary work aims at depicting the characters or the boys plunge or transformation into savagery. This particular research paper will try to make an attempt to gain a lucid comprehension regarding the contradictory desires towards civilization. Discussion The novel has already been stated to be a narrative of a situation where a group of few young British boys discover themselves abandoned in a particular island. The attempts made by them for the reason of their respective survival are known to offer a thoughtful insight into the aspect of human character. The story narrates a situation where a remarkable transformation of the human character can be evidently observed good to malevolence, order to disorder and finally from progress to savagery. This particular novel that is the Lord of the Flies concentrates or focuses on unraveling the various circumstances under which the inherent evil is made to surface with regard to the character of the individuals. The consequences as a result of failing to deal with one’s own trepidations have also been highlighted along with indicating the fight that takes place between the disorder and the civilization in a situation of ‘survival of the fittest’. The aspects related to the existence of the thin line between civilization as well as disorder, the inherent human evil, supremacy along with its effects and grouping has been found to be identified in this specific novel (Venkat, â€Å"Literature and the Individual†). The underlying subject matter of the novel has been deciphered to be the collapse of culture towards disorder or rather savagery. This definite facet has been supposed to revolve around or s tress on the fight that takes place among the decision rudiments associated with the society involving regulation, customs, principles along with the disordered components which have been acknowledged to be an integral part of the people’s savage characters that is believed to entail chaos, bloodlust, self-centeredness, amorality and the yearning for supremacy. The study of the fundamental subject matter of the novel relates to the actuality of referring civilization as a facade which is simply capable of being perforated with the intention to disclose the cruelty that is supposed to be associated with the human character (Althaus, B., â€Å"Lord of the Flies - Parallels and Differences Between Golding's Novel and Hook's Cinematic Adaption†). The disagreement between the facets of civilization as well as savagery has been found to be competently highlighted with the assistance of the depiction of the various shades of the human nature in relation to the characters of t he story. The character of Ralph which has been identified to be the central character of the novel along with Piggy has been depicted as figures of leadership and ethics. In contrast to the mentioned personalities, the character of Jack along with his most trusted associate Roger has been regarded to be adversary

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Warehouse management - Essay Example It has become outdated when a company could take an order and quote to deliver after a month or two but today delivery is either the same day or in some cases the next day. This happens to keep your existing customer, which is far cheaper than finding a new one hence satisfying a current customer becomes paramount. Reichheld and Teal (2001) in a well-established research found , 5 percent customer retention can increase many companies profits by 25 to 95 percent, and cost of 6 to 7 times more for gaining a new customer than keeping an existing one. To ensure organizations maintain high performance in their operations that contribute to customer retention and satisfaction the idea of a warehouse has helped them to increase their accuracy, timeliness, customer is provided with the right product in the right condition and at the right time. This paper addresses the measures that enhance the performance of a warehouse. Performance and productivity of the warehouse is measured to ensure customer expectations and continuous improvement of the warehouse and avoid incurring additional costs and loss of customers. The suitability of any of the measures is governed by customer expectation, although they need to align to the company’s resources. Rushton, Croucher and Baker (2010), asserted that the method used should address both the cost of service provision and the level of customer service. Here, the areas measured within the warehouse are cost, flexibility, reliability, and asset utilization. There are a number of measures used nowadays in warehouses, which are based on productivity, cost performance measures, and those related space, labor, and equipment utilization. Most warehouse managers experience a big problem of inadequate space with many warehouses operating with about 20 percent of their available space at any time. Warehouses with high space utilizations result in high cost on employees for their

The ideal global citizen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The ideal global citizen - Essay Example In this regard, one hereby aims to create a personal concept for the ideal global citizen through an exploration of various contentions on education, religious knowledge and moral systems. A more comprehensive picture of a global citizen was expounded through reflecting on the definition of a global citizen. Parallelism with terms such as globalization or multiculturalism; while ultimately deciding to settle on the term cosmopolitanism (Appiah 58) are equally confusing and tend to provide increasing ambiguity, instead of clarity. Intricate as it seems, one perceived that to establish conjectures of ultimately concluding that â€Å"cosmopolitanism is an adventure and an ideal† (Appiah 62), would be the only shared conviction with Appiah’s discussion. For one, the features or traits that make a global citizen ideal are those cited by Appiah of Christoph Martin Wieland’s 1778 essay in the journal Teutscher Merkur, quoted as: "Cosmopolitans . . . regard all the peoples of the earth as so many branches of a single family, and the universe as a state, of which they, with innumerable other rational beings, are citizens, promoting together under the gener al laws of nature the perfection of the whole, while each in his own fashion is busy about his own well-being† (Appiah 59). The ability to acknowledge that citizens are part of one universal family but recognizes individuality, privacy and confidentiality makes the concept ideal and global. Since one recognized that the concept of idealism is analogous to absolute perfectionism, an ideal global citizen, apart from acknowledging universality of being a citizen of the world, should likewise accept the natural law for diversity in values and principles; yet, adhering to moral codes of conduct. As Albright cited Pope John Paul II’s argument that â€Å"if people were to fulfill their responsibility to live according to moral principles, they must first have the right to do so†

Green Estate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Green Estate - Essay Example The remit provides background of the company under study. Introduction section, which follows the remit, provides an overview of the whole paper in addition to defining some aspects of the analysis. Methodology section on the other hand indicates how collection of data was achieved and where it (data) was obtained from. The main source of data for analyzing Green Estate as used in this paper is the firm’s website. From Green Estate’s website, it was possible to obtain data on environmental factors affecting internal and external operations of the firm hence development of the PESTLE and SWOT. Within the findings/results, the paper attempts to critically review Green Estate’s background, mission statements, PESTEL, SWOT, competitors, and substitutes that are affecting operations of the firm. A conclusion, giving a brief summary of the main points, forms part of the paper. Lastly, the paper has recommendations, which mainly revolve around taking advantage of their strengths to overcome weaknesses and through opportunities, overcome the threats. Remit Found in 1998, Green Estate Ltd is an organization or firm has been involved in designing landscape, managing landscape, green roof, composting green waste, maintenance of ground, and providing educational experience. Through Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), Green Estate Ltd was created to help in reforming the landscape. The good reputation created from the SRB, Green Estate Ltd was able to attract more reputation hence being an epicentre in enhancing the landscape (Cote et al., 1994). Operations of Green Estate Ltd have enabled the organization to create a landscape, which has so far led to a positive relationship between land and people. Green Estate Ltd has been able to achieve tremendous success in their bid to enhancing land and people (Greenestate.org.uk (a)). Consequently, Green Estate Ltd forms part of the study area. Interest to study and analyze Green Estate Ltd has been aroused by th e achievements of the firm over the past few years since its inception. Introduction Like many other organizations, Green Estate Ltd has inspired many people in respect to how it has handled issues dealing with landscape and people. Undoubtedly, contemporary environment has been adversely affected by human activities. Hence, there is a sour relationship between people and landscape especially when the latter attempts to obtain their livelihood from the former. People through land have been able to find their livelihood. Green Estate Ltd has therefore been a fundamental firm in creating a positive and mutual relationship between people and landscape. The mutual relationship between people and land has been a creation of Green Estate Ltd thereby arousing the interest to dig deep into the firm’s mission, objectives, competitors, and surrounding business environment. Method In order to analyze the company, there is need to obtain adequate data and information on the organization. One of the ways of finding data is through analysis of the firm’s PESTEL, and SWOT strategic tools. PESTLE and SWOT strategic tools will provide an overview of how Green Estate Ltd is operating within and is affected by the environmental factors. Moreover, finding or obtaining adequate data on Green Estate Ltd also involved evaluating the firm’

The Rise of American Life in the 1920s Essay Example for Free

The Rise of American Life in the 1920s Essay Daily Life in the United States 1920-1940 was written by David E. Kyvig in 2002 and revised again in 2004. This historical novel documents the transformation America went through during the 1920’s – 40’s. Kyvig addresses numerous events that contributed to the rise and fall of America. The book was written to inform citizens and non-citizens of the industrial, economic, and cultural changes that took place in America. Kyvig establishes stepping stones to America and pieced the book together with contents that range from â€Å"Life’s Basics† to â€Å"Conflict, Crime, to Catastrophe† in the states. Kyvig supports his topics with specific events such as the birth of the automobile, the welcoming of women into the political world, and the mass numbers of immigration that flourished the country. He goes in depth on how automobiles changed Americas take on life inside and out of factories and states that, â€Å"In 1920 barely one household in three possessed a car, though this represented a dramatic increase from one in thirteen at the outset of World War I. Automobile ownership tripled during the 1920s, and by decade’s end four families in five owned one† (Kyvig p. 7). He recognizes and promotes the welcoming of women into the political world to surge democracy and better the economy as stated in the text, â€Å"The establishment of national prohibition and woman suffrage at the very outset of the 1920s created a strong sense that the new decade marked a fresh beginning for American society† (Kyvig p. 6). He also speaks of the multitudes of immigrants that flo urished the country and characterized the states to be a â€Å"Melting Pot† of cultures. All of these components helped to create the American Dream that each and every citizen strives to attain. Kyvig does a spectacular job in educating his audience in events like these and many more throughout the book. In the first chapter of the book, titled â€Å"The Circumstances of Life in 1920†, Kyvig writes about the transition from an agricultural world to a more industrialized world. The leap from farms to the city was a very harsh adjustment for many Americans because it transformed a way of living. The South was suffering agriculturally in result of the booming city life and factory work that people sought to obtain in the North. The desertion of farm life was unfortunate as stated in the book, â€Å"Overall growth of the rural as well as urban population during the 1920s concealed the abandonment of farm life by many families. Nevertheless, farm households as a percentage of the nation’s total fell from 28 to 22 percent over the course of the decade† (Kyvig p. 16). The abolishment of slavery did not help the farms either. The slaves knew the in’s and out’s when it came to running a farm. Many freed slaves, who remained in the South, fell back to tenants, rented pieces of land used for housing and farming. A primary source was used in this chapter to show what a tenant looks like. The one in the book is titled Tenant farmer’s cabin located in Harmony, Georgia found in National Archives. The picture illustrates a shack like house that an African American family is living in. The picture shows them all smiling and enjoying a relaxing day without work on the front porch. Kyvig was very specific in each photo he chose to incorporate into the book as primary sources for his readers. They all match the text perfectly. Each chapter contains some kind of statistic or number representing a populous or price. The first chapter uses numbers to influence the reader. For example, â€Å"Half the nation’s farms were located in the South—but the region contained two-thirds of the country’s 2. 5 million tenant farms† (Kyvig p. 14). Kyvig found this statistic and many others in the U. S. Bureau of Census, Historical Statistics of the United States Colonial Times to 1957. This is a great example of how Kyvig used primary sources and legitimized his writing by doing so. The book’s message is also relayed in many informative texts, articles, and websites both past and present. A website titled â€Å"Henry Ford Changes the World, 1908† is very informative and generates the same thesis and idea that Kyvig wrote in his book. Quoting the website, â€Å"The Model T made its debut in 1908 with a purchase price of $825. 0. Over ten thousand were sold in its first year, establishing a new record. Four years later the price dropped to $575. 00 and sales soared. By 1914, Ford could claim a 48% share of the automobile market† (Sorensen). Quoting the book, â€Å"An unprecedented ten thousand of Ford’s new car, the twenty-horsepower Model T, sold in the next year at $825. To reach the mass audience he sought, Ford quickly began seeking ways to reduce the Model T’s price† (Kyvig p. 29). These two quotes are almost exactly the same. They reveal the same information just in a different style. Daily Life in the United States 1920-1940 is one of many books to discuss America’s rise and fall. There are hundreds of books written about this noteworthy era America lived through, all written with the same statistics and names. Each text contrasts from one another through the writer and their personal preferences. For example, if the writer was a woman it can be speculated that she would mainly write about women’s suffrage and how women impacted the 1920s to 40s. David E. Kyvig did an exceptional job in covering as many topics as he could. However, certain topics were covered in far more detail than other related topics. For example, I felt that the Ku Klux Klan was mentioned far more than the U. S. military. This bothered me because the military represents our country as a whole. Men and women that are putting their lives on the line for the country should be recognized just as much as groups that believe in certain ideals that are not practiced throughout the rest of the nation. In Kyvig’s defense, I believe he was writing less about war and more about what culturally defined the 1920s-40s. Kyvig positions his writings to favor a middle and lower class audience. These classes defined this era and Kyvig angled his opinions to suit their beliefs and lifestyles over the upper class of this era. Immigrants populated most of the country and most immigrants were hard-working middle and lower class citizens, who worked in factories and sales. Kyvig goes into great detail on how America revolved around the middle and lower classes. The country’s survival revolves around these classes in many ways. For example, the automobile, the telephone, movie theatres, the radio, etc. were all marketed in the 1920s-40s to the middle and lower classes so they could obtain a richer lifestyle within their own lifestyles. Inventor’s successes were dependent on these classes to invest in their products and in return the inventors would capitalize and improve their work for the middle and lower classes. More convenient and useful products with lower prices resulted in this chain of supply-and-demand. The book contains many pictures and a large index on pages 315 to 330. Pictures occupied a great part of the book, 53 to be exact. Along with an index and pictures, pages 301 to 304 contain notes that acknowledge the sources Kyvig used. Kyvig also included a â€Å"For Further Reading† section on pages 305 to 313. This section was written to cite his work and also recommend other texts to readers, like this one, about information during Americas 1920s-40s. Daily Life in the United States 1920-1940 had parts that I felt were worth reading and parts that were not worth reading. It is hard to say the book is not worth reading because I was very interested in the automobile and how it affected Americans. I am from Dearborn, Michigan and drive by Henry Ford’s estate almost every day. His impact on America was remarkable and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this section of the book. Overall, David E. Kyvig captured three of Americas most influential decades. I appreciate him as a writer and felt privileged to read his book.

Trends And Scenarios In The Airline Industry

Trends And Scenarios In The Airline Industry The Airlines is one among the inventions that had changed the way how people live and experience the world. In due course of time it has now become impossible to imagine business and leisure travel without air travel. The airline industry exists in an intensely competitive market. In recent years, there has been an industry shakedown, which is expected to the trend towards expanding domestic and international services. The airline industry is classified into four categories: International, National, Regional and Cargo. Airlines industry facilitates economic growth, world trade, international investment and tourism and so plays a key role in globalization making it a large and growing industry. Air travel (both business and leisure) has grown by around 7% in the last decade. Business travel has grown as companies having global presence in terms of their investments, their supply and production chains and also their customers. Availability of aircrafts at affordable prices backed by increased tourism had led to rise in leisure travel. Overall in terms of regions in developed regions like Europe and North America a slower growth is seen when compared to developing regions like Asia Pacific. Airlines profitability is closely tied to economic growth and trade. So based on the GDP growth the demand for airplanes and the air travel will increase. So during 1990-1995, the industry suffered from world recession and the air travels were further lowered by Gulf War. Thus financial difficulties impact airlines/aircraft industry. Deregulation is also stimulating competition, such as that from small, low-cost carriers. Some of the Key terms and ratios for airline industry are listed below. Available Seat Mile = (total # of seats available for transporting passengers) X (# of miles flown during period) Revenue Passenger Mile = (# of revenue-paying passengers) X (# of mile flown during the period) Revenue Per Available Seat Mile = (Revenue) / (# of seats available) Air Traffic Liability (ATL): An estimate of the amount of money already received for passenger ticket sales and cargo transportation that is yet to be provided. Load Factor: Measures the percentage of available seating capacity that is filled with passengers. Analysts state that once the airline load factor exceeds its break-even point, then more and more revenue will trickle down to the bottom line. Airport capacity, technology used, structuring routes and costs to buy or lease the aircraft are very vital for the industry. In addition Weather, Fuel Cost and Labour also play an important role. The industry has to realise the need for a radical change to sustain and also ensure growth and prosperity for their survival. Currently many cost cutting measures are being adopted in the industry. Also to meet the requirements of customers and elevate to customer delight from mere customer satisfaction the industry players concentrate on the quality of service that they offer, both on the ground and in the air. The key challenge is to ensure meeting of customer requirements and at the same time make effective cost cutting measures and continuously being efficient and competitive and profit making. Nevertheless, the aviation industry is characterized by strong nationalist sentiments so in many places despite globalisation airlines will face limitations on where they can fly and restrictions on their ownership of foreign carriers 10 aviation myths More runways are essential Environmental organisations try their best to price people off planes International agreements make the ending of aviations privileged tax free status (including tax-free fuel) become impossible The external costs of the industry are met through Air Passenger Duty (APD) Building new runways has clear economic benefits Aviation helps the UK tourist industry We may be able to fulfil our international obligations with regards to climate change and still have uninhibited growth in aviation and airports We can lessen the damage done to our environment, heritage and countryside that has been caused by aviation and airport expansion and also compensate for the same Airports can expand and we can still meet EU air quality standards Technology has delivered significant environmental improvements in the past and will continue to do so Emerging Markets The Asia-Pacific region and Middle East are the emerging markets in airline industry. They are expected to experience a higher traffic growth and expand rapidly. For better analysis please see the graph below: Regional traffic growth (% change year-on-year): 2009 to 2012F Note: (Data by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation)) Chief Characteristics of Airline Industry Capital Intensive: Its a capital-intensive business which requires huge amounts of money to operate effectively. This industry requires capital for expensive equipments like aircrafts, maintenance systems, control towers, simulators etc. Labour Intensive: Airlines need personals like pilots, crew members, security guards, cleaners, engineers etc. Its a very labour-intensive industry and nearly 1/3rd of the revenue is used for the payment of workforce. Thin Profit Margin: The profit margin is very thin in this industry. It averages to about 1-2% only. Seasonal: Earlier airlines used to see a heavy load during summers (because of vacations) and a relatively lesser load during winters. The seasonal factors results in rise and fall of airline revenues over the course of the year. Over the years the seasonal effect has reduced to a greater extent. History and the Current Scenario of the Indian Aviation Sector Genesis of Indian Airline Industry 1932: Mr. J.R.D.Tata flies a De Havilland Puss Moth from Karachi to Mumbai as part of the first Tata Sons Ltd. Flight to deliver mail carried by British Imperial Airways 1948: Govt. of India acquires 49% stake in Tata Airlines, designated it a flag carrier and renamed it as Air India International 1953: Jawaharlal Nehru, in friendly transaction, convinces the Tata group to let the Government of India acquire a majority stake in Air India International and nationalizes air transport 1953: Indian Airlines formed by merging eight former independent domestic airlines 1960: India enters the jet age with an Air India B707. USA and India are connected for the first time with an Indian Airline 1990: East West Airlines becomes the first private airline since 1953 After 1991 1991: Private airlines were allowed to provide the service under air taxi scheme to operate chartered and non-scheduled services. 1994: Private airlines permitted to operate as scheduled air service providers. 2003: Air Deccan lowered down the fares to 17% of previously charged rates thus introducing the concept of budget airlines in India. Consolidation The under-pricing of tickets due to the intense competition and the increasing number of budget carriers resulted in losses to the budget carriers as well as to the entire aviation sector. Consolidation was looked as the single way out which would lead to less competition and stable fares. The main reason for the increasing costs and reduced efficiency and flexibility for the Indian aviation sector was poor Airport infrastructure and manpower shortages. In 2007, there were 13 scheduled carriers which was estimated that this number would fall to 8-10 by 2010 in this fragmented Indian domestic aviation sector and the estimation is almost true considering the current scenario of the aviation sector. 2007: Jet Airways announced that it would buy Air Sahara for US$500 million 2007: Air India and Indian Airlines merged into one entity named NACIL 2008: Kingfisher-Deccan deal was the third alliance in the Indian aviation sector. Current Scenario of Aviation Industry The Indian Aviation Industry, being one of the worlds fastest growing aviation industries, has a compound annual growth rate of 18%. There are 454 airports and airstrips in India, of which 16 are international airports. As of May 2006, private airlines accounted for more than 75% of the sector of the domestic aviation market. The Indian aviation sector saw an increase in revenue by nearly US$ 21.4 million in December 2009 due to increase in traffic movements. Moreover, the Airport Authority of India may gain better margins in the near future as predicted by Ministry of Civil Aviation. These have been attributed primarily to the boost in the share of revenue from Delhi International Airport Limited and Mumbai International Airport Limited. According to a report released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation the number of passengers carried by domestic airlines rose from 67, 61, 000 to 80, 56, 000 for the period January February 2009 and January February 2010 respectively. The increase in passenger marked a growth of 19.2% for the aforementioned period. Some of the factors that have resulted in higher demand for air transport in India include the growing purchasing power of middle class, low airfares offered by budget airlines, the growth of tourism industry, increasing outbound travel from India and overall economic growth of India. Besides this, Indian airports are being ranked among the top airports of the world. The Hyderabad International Airport now ranks amongst the top 5 Airports in the world as per the annual Airport Service Quality passenger survey. The other airports to figure in the top 5 are the ones at Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing. There are even talks going on between India and United States to make the country an aviation hub. The Airport Authority of India is set to spend over US$ 1 billion in 2010, towards modernization of airports. The civil aviation ministry has also converted Delhi airport into an international hub for passenger airlines to help the airport utilize large amounts of additional capacity. The investment policy of India in aviation industry currently allows FDI up to 100% under the automatic route for green field projects and for existing projects, FDI up to 100 % is allowed; upto 74% under the automatic route and beyond 74% under the government route. Potential for Growth Despite the slowdown and slow recovery, Indian Aviation industry sector still continues to look promising. This is primarily due to the burgeoning middle class with increasing massive purchasing power, low cost carriers providing services at very attractive low fares, the growth of Indian tourism and increasing outbound travel from India. In addition, the Government has planned to modernise non-metro airports, phasing out new international routes, putting into place new airports and renovating existing ones. Experts are estimating the growth of industry as high as 25% YoY. Since 2006, most of the major Indian airline operators such as Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have reported large losses, reason being high aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, rising labour costs and shortage of skilled labour, rapid fleet expansion, as wheel as intense price competition. Adding to all these problems are the new players entering the industry even before the existing players could stabilize their operations. As a result, all the airlines suffered even further when the recession hit. Even then also the Indian aviation industry has been more prone to crisis as compared to their global counterparts and thus, India has the highest passenger growth rate among the entire airlines sector in the world including economies like Australia and France. The total number of passengers travelling by air will be a whopping 400 million by 2020. To meet with this accelerated demand, existing players need to increase fleets and broaden their reach including regional destinations as well. They are also going to get the competition from international low cost airlines like Air Asia (Malaysian) and JetStar Asia (Australian). Flight into the future As estimated by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), by 2011, the Indian aviation sector is likely to cross the mark of 60 million domestic passengers, whereas the total number of passengers i.e. both domestic and international is expected to cross the 100 million-mark over the next three years. India is gearing up for heavy investments in the aviation sector of India. According to the Investment Commission of India, Investment opportunities of around US$ 110 billion by 2020 are now being predicted. It is estimated that about US$ 80 billion will go towards purchase of new aircraft and US$ 30 billion for the development of airport infrastructure. Over the next 10 years, the Indian aviation sector will try to cash in on the potential to grow by 25% annually, as said by Praful Patel, the Minister for Civil Aviation. Also it could attract the highest investments among all the industries in India i.e. an amount up to $45 billion. India needs improvements in services offered, huge number of skilled personnel and to stop already experiencing shortage of pilots and thereby problems like direct and indirect employment. Hence, India can look at this time to play a transforming role in this sector, as it holds great promise for development as well needed for the Indian economy to grow at a faster rate. Major players in domestic market Indian Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. Full Fare Airlines Jet Airways Ltd. IndiGo Jetlite Budget AirlinesSpiceJet Paramount Airways Go Air Kingfisher Red Current Market Shares Challenges faced by Airline Industry 1) Rising Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) Prices: ATF prices form about 40% of the total operating costs of airline industry. As fuel prices climb, a trend of airline stock prices going down has been noticed. The rising fuel prices make it difficult for airlines to increase profits and they are forced to increase the air fares. 2) High input costs: Input costs are high due to:- Various taxes by State Governments and on repayment of interest on foreign currency loans taken for purchasing aircrafts due to which some airlines are under high debts . Due to shortage of technical personnel, manpower costs are also high. 3) Decreasing returns: After the advent of Low cost carriers, the legacy carriers were forced to decrease their prices and thus profits were impacted. With the ever-increasing competition, there is a price war that is giving low returns to all airline operators. 4) Employee Management: Training, recruiting and retaining talented employees is a major concern due to shortage of skilled personnel including pilots, unionism and cut-throat competition. After- recession effects like retrenchments, salary cuts along with no-new-hiring policy, strikes by Air India and Jet Airways staff etc. has made this task even more challenging. 5) Infrastructure Upgradation: The infrastructure upgradation progress in India is far behind the western countries. While steps are being taken to upgrade major airports in Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai, another issue that is yet to be fully addressed is security. Proper airline scheduling and passenger handling is another task besides physical and IT infrastructure. Attracting private sector investments and implementing the planned projects efficiently is a concern. 6) Overcapacity: There has been excess capacity of aircrafts that were ordered to increase market share before the global slowdown but were delivered after the same. 7) Regional connectivity: Though there is excess capacity in some airlines, some areas are still not well connected due to poor infrastructure. The airlines have to concentrate on building remote regional connectivity other than concentrating only on metros. 8) Environmental Regulations: The carbon emission and fuel efficiency standards have to be met by technology investments and commitment. RD on bio-fuels, that have the capacity to reduce aviations carbon footprint by up to 80%, needs to be carried forward aggressively. 9) Congestion: Due to increased passenger traffic and cargo growth, there has been congestion on major routes on airports like Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai etc. This has to be tackled effectively by either expanding capacity or creating new airports. All this needs real strategic planning in the industry with technological innovations and best management practices. global scenario and trends In the past decade, travel by air has increased by 7% per year, for both business and leisure. Large aircrafts like the Boeing 747 have made it convenient for people to travel at affordable costs. Governments in developing nations give impetus to the development of infrastructure to lure tourists from prosperous countries and add to their national economies. Besides tourism, business travel has grown considerably owing to the rapid growth of world trade in goods and services. Some airlines are owned by the state. The ones that are independent are vulnerable to economic uncertainties. Changes in the regulations of the governments and the presence of an intensely competitive market have led to many hardships in the industry Commercial flights began within a decade of the invention of aircraft in the early 20th century. There was a surplus of aircraft and pilots worldwide after world wars I and II. DELAG, Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft, the worlds first airline, was founded on November 16, 1909 with government assistance, and operated airships manufactured by The Zeppelin Corporation. Its headquarters were in Frankfurt. By the 1950s, airline companies created the framework of international travel and commerce that exists to this day. The Airline industry is highly unionised viz. there exist multi-unions. The industry is highly regulated in terms of routes, hours of work, etc. De-regulation in US in 1978 and in Europe in 1990s and again 2007/08 has removed control of the government over fares, routes and has marked the entry of new low cost airlines in US, Europe and now India and SE Asia. In Europe, major players like Iberia, TAP, Alitalia, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa were all once state-owned. The aviation industry is governed and set apart by strong nationalist sentiments towards a countrys domestic flag carriers. In many parts of the world, airlines will, therefore, continue to face confines on where they are allowed to fly and restrictions on their ownership of foreign carriers. The global airline industry being high competitive has resulted in huge cumulative losses. Many airlines have either gone bankrupt or have collapsed. For example, Sabena, Swissair, Alitalia, Delta, United. future trends Worldwide economic activity, reflected in the global gross domestic product (GDP), is the most powerful driver for airplanes demand. The global GDP is projected to grow at an average of 3.2 percent per year for the next 20 years. Reflecting the economic growth, worldwide passenger traffic will average 5.3 percent growth and cargo traffic will average 5.9 percent growth over the forecast period. The above graph represents the growth in the future. However, this growth can be achieved only if the surging price of fuel is controlled as it directly affect flight schedules, ticket prices and services offered. So order to survive airlines need to become more lean and mean by addressing issues like rising costs, constraints on revenue growth and increasingly dissatisfied customers. Now we need to understand that three features are vital. That is services that give customers more control over their journeys, an infrastructure that can be easily changed to cope with variations in demand and greater collaboration among travel providers. The 5 technological innovations that can help the industry deliver the above mentioned features are Self-service solutions: Its a cost cutting measure but now gives the passengers the choice and control they want Integrated baggage handling: Using IT systems and process and technologies like RFID together and thereby speed up at the same time efficiently handle the security checks for the customers baggage. Shared Services: There are three levels of shared services. One is share commodity application which reduces infrastructure costs. Next is common service hosting, which allows applications to be used by the partners and other clients. Then finally traditional application hosting, which enables multiple clients to use commodity applications as per their usage rate. Modular, flexible airport operating systems: Airports need to improve their operating systems and have a modular, flexible architecture so has to improve the efficiency and contribute to growth. New Security Technologies: Identity management solutions like finger print matching etc. and other such improved techniques have to be employed as the threat of terrorism is growing. Thus with all such measures we can expect a good growth in the airline industry. Opportunities The rise in low cost carriers and increasing disposable income of consumers with the growing population of youth working generation, especially in metros, all give rise to tremendous opportunities to the aviation industry- 1) Enhancing non-aeronautical revenue streams and Airport retailing: Revenues from vehicle parking, advertisements, shop rentals are being targeted with increased modernisation of airports and attracting international luxury brands for a 24/7 shopping experience for the customers. E.g.- New airport terminals such as the T3 in New Delhi. 2) Airport development through PPP: The restructuring of airport infrastructure for metro and non-metro airports, developing Greenfield airports by attracting large private investments is a part of governments Eleventh Plan, where it expects an investment of around US$ 6.5 billion. This would fulfil the gaps to build world-class user-friendly airports with modern technology and provide airport capacity ahead of demand. 3) Bio-Fuels: Instead of focusing only on crafting fuel-efficient engines, manufacturers of aircraft (like being done by Boeing and Airbus),can focus on developing sustainable bio-fuels that can protect them from wavering profits due to rising fuel prices. 4) Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business: This offers high investment and business potential. An Ernst Young report says that the MRO business in the aviation sector can absorb investments of up to US$ 120 billion 2020. Air India has signed an agreement with GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric Co. (GE), to set up a $90 million facility to maintain aircraft engines in Mumbai. 5) Private Jet market: With increasing number of billionaires in the country and the glamour quotient attached to airlines, the private jet market in India is a great business opportunity. The government is also considering permitting private airstrips in the country. 6) Heli-tourism and Commonwealth games: A major portion of visitors during the Common wealth games including spectators, athletes and coaches will travel via airlines. Tourism to various parts of India can be boosted at the same time by heli-tourism or attractive offers by airlines connecting major tourist spots. 7) Exploring alternate revenue streams: Air Cargo operations Ground Handling opportunities lie in offering comprehensive ground-handling solutions,3rd party handling and service contracts with private airports.E.g- AI-CIAL at Cochin Training will be needed for pilots, airhostess, engineers, cabin crew, technicians, ground staff which is a huge business opportunity considering the demand for aviation jobs. Internet business can be leveraged for e-ticket bookings thus saving agent commission costs and airline websites can pose as one stop shops for all travel related information thus boosting revenues. Emergency medical services (EMS) business Eurocopter, a division of EADS which is world leader in the field of aerospace defence and related services, is looking forward to entering the emergency medical services (EMS) business in India. Leading hospital majors like the Manipal group and the Apollo group are being considered for the purpose. The company operates around 480 helicopters in India that cover both the civil and military sectors. The company also plans to increase its business area by entering the heli-tourism sector.

Case Study And A Oncology Health Assessment

Case Study And A Oncology Health Assessment This case study concerns a patient, Mrs. Singh who is diagnosed with stomach cancer and is being managed with chemotherapy. Mrs. Singh, a 78yr. old female, presents to the oncology center with the chief complaint of feeling weak and hugging the wall while walking. Mrs. Singh is a known diabetic, and was accompanied by her daughter to the clinic. A thorough focused health history accompanied by a focused physical examination was done to ascertain possible nursing diagnosis related to Mrs. Singhs presenting complaints, current diagnosis, and treatment used presently. Health History Using COLDSPA, this information obtained will allow for a focused health history of the presenting problem. (Weber Kelly 2007) Patients vital signs will be assessed temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiration and oxygen saturation. Blood pressure in lying, sitting and standing will be assessed. If needed, (any nasal flaring, use of accessory muscle of respiration or difficulty breathing) oxygen via nasal cannula will be administered. The character of the weakness The onset when did the weakness begin, is it better or worse since it began? Location where exactly is the weakness, does it spread to other parts of the body? Duration how long does the weakness last, does it recur? Severity how bad is it on a scale of 1-10? Pattern what makes it better, what makes it worse? Associated factors what other symptoms accompany the weakness, is it possible to do work or engage in other activities such as leisure/exercise during this? (Weber Kelly 2007) A biographical data is part of the health history, and would be obtained prior to entering the center (see Appendix). However, key features that the nurse takes into account will be discussed. Weakness can be caused by a variety of medical conditions, such as: dehydration, stroke, myasthenia gravis (or other autoimmune disorders), electrolyte disturbances, anemia and infections. The obtaining of a current medical history and family history is vital in order to link other possible complications involved. (McGraw Hill Medical 2010) Assessment will be directed towards: neurological (combining musculoskeletal and peripheral), cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems (including nutritional). (Merck Manual 2010) Health History Mrs. Singhs chief complaint is a history of weakness, being unable to walk without hugging the wall. This weakness, according to Merck Manual (2010), may be due to the disease process of stomach cancer, diabetes mellitus as well as from the chemotherapy that she is presently having. Mrs. Singhs age, is an indication that she is postmenopausal, (Manson 2008), which can also contribute to her being weak as well as the possibility of hormonal treatment she may be receiving. (National Institute of Aging 2010) An inability to stand for long periods of time due to weakness is also a presenting symptomatology of menopause, according to Mayo clinic (2010) Mrs. Singh is a diabetic; this can cause weakness, due to diabetic polyneuropathy. However knowing the type of diabetes Mrs. Singh has will also assist the nurse in verifying the drugs Mrs. Singh is presently taking. Hypoglycemia can also present as weakness. These symptoms can be also related to an overdose of insulin (if insulin dependent) or other hypoglycemic agents as well as not eating on time. Blood glucose monitoring via a Diascan would be done at this point in time. Renal involvement will also be assessed as this may be secondary to DM. Electrolyte blood values will be assessed (Merck Manual 2010) Mrs. Singh is diagnosed with stomach cancer. Time of diagnosis as well as the management for the stomach cancer will be taken as part of the health history. This is very important, as the patient with stomach cancer may have had different types of surgery done to treat this. Also the staging and grading of the cancer is important to verify the possible metastatic sites. Endoscopic mucosal resection, subtotal or total gastrectomy with or without lymph node removal may cause complications afterwards, such as abdominal pain, gastro esophageal reflux, weakness related to vitamin deficiencies and inabsorption. (American Cancer Society 2009) Another study showed postoperative complications for stomach cancer resulted in cardiovascular complications, hemorrhaging, septic shock, anastomotic leakage and abdominal and wound infections. (Japanese Journal of clinical oncology 2010) Dumping syndrome can also result in extreme weakness, which may result from surgery for stomach cancer. This occurs as there is a rapid movement of nutrients directly into the small intestine. (Merck Manual 2010) The type of chemotherapy that Mrs. Singh is presently having as well as her compliance to it is also taken as part of the history. Chemotherapy drugs used for stomach cancer are: Fluorouracil Doxorubicin, Epirubicin, Methotrexate, Etoposide, Cisplatin, Irinotecan, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, Mitomycin C, Vinblastine, Cyclophosphamide, Cytarabine and Vincristine. Knowing the type of chemotherapy drug is relevant to assessing and monitoring possible side effects, even though most chemotherapy agents causes severe bone marrow depression leading to anemia. Methotrexate can lead to central neurotoxicity, Vincristine, peripheral neuropathy; together with Vincristine can cause serious weakness. (BC Cancer Drug Agency 2006) Cisplatin may lead to ototoxicity causing problems with balance, which Mrs. Singh may have as she is holding on to the wall to walk. Neurotoxicity is also caused by this drug, and may also contribute to severe weakness. Doxorubicin may cause cardiovascular abnormalities which may present as myocardial infarctions, causing weakness, an inability to stand and walk without assistance. This is treated as a medical emergency. Hence during cardiac assessment, a 12 lead ECG should be done to assess heart rhythm for pending supraventricular tachycardia, myocardial infarctions or other dysrhythmias. (BC Cancer Drug Agency 2006) Neurological assessment: level of consciousness, posture and body movement will be assessed. A score will then be obtained (G.C.S) in order to ascertain Mrs. Singhs neurologic status. Cranial nerve assessment will then be performed together with posture, all reflexes, mood, speech, facial expression and cognitive status. (Weber Kelly 2007) This will allow the nurse to ascertain whether the weakness is due to a neurological problem, as Mrs. Singh is a known diabetic. The use of the chemotherapeutic drugs can also affect her neurological status as well, hence the importance of this assessment. Observations for any stroke or history of same will be done. Drooping of face or any side of the body will be assessed for. Since Mrs. Singhs balance is affected, a thorough assessment for balance, using the Rombergs test would be done. (BC Cancer Drug Manual 2006) Gait and balance, together with strength of muscle and tone will be assessed. Nutritional assessment: Patient will be assessed for anorexia, dyspepsia, weight loss, abdominal pain, constipation, anemia, nausea and vomiting as these may all be related to the weakness she is experiencing. The daughter will be asked to answer as well as Mrs. Singh. (Weber Kelly 2007) Cardiovascular assessment Observation of the jugular veins for venous pulse and pressure would be done. Carotid arteries would be ascultated for bruits and palpated to determine the pulse. This can indicate hypovolemia, if the pulse is weak and may be associated with weakness. (Health Medicine 2010) The precordium will be inspected for any pulsations. Any heaves, lifts observed on the precordium, and abnormal pulsations palpated, may be an indication of an enlarged ventricle from an overload of work. This can be caused by chemotherapy agents such as doxorubicin (cardiotoxicity). Mrs. Singh being a diabetic as well could develop cardiac complications secondary to the diabetes. (Cecil 2002) Auscultation of heart rate, rhythm, heart sounds and extra heart sounds may be an indication of cardiac abnormalities such as aortic regurgitation. (Weber Kelly 2007) Nutritional status will be assessed, which will involve what is her daily intake: food and fluid, her weight will be assessed and compared to her baseline weight. Mrs. Singhs intake and output will be assessed in the last 24 hours with any supplements/ vitamins taken. For a vitamin deficiency can lead to peripheral neuropathy. Patients blood values as per laboratory chart will be assessed: hemoglobin levels, WBC count platelet levels for any abnormalities. Can pt. tolerate a full diet or what is the intake, what food can she eat or any changes in eating habits as well as presence of mucositis. Skin, hair and nails would also be assessed for dehydration. The patient will be asked if any bleeding was observed in stools. The nurse will assess occult blood in laboratory reports. (Weber Kelly 2007) Observation of body build, muscle mass and fat distribution will be taken in accordance to weight and height. (Body mass index). Assessment of Mrs. Singhs skin for turgor, moisture and venous filling will show fluid volume status. Observation of the neck veins will also identify fluid volume status. The tongue will be observed for hydration (furrows), as well as, the eyes position and coloration for signs of dehydration. Palpation of the eyeball will verify any dehydration. Auscultation of lung fields will identify any fluid present in the lung. (Weber Kelly 2007) Inspection of abdomen The abdomen will be observed for colour. A purple discoloration of the flanks will indicate bleeding within the abdominal wall. Abdomen will be inspected for jaundice (yellowing), paleness, swelling, hernias, abdominal movement, contour, symmetry, striae, vascularities, scars, lesions and rashes as well as, aortic palpations and peristaltic waves. Umbilicus will be inspected for colour, deviation from midline, contour. (Weber Kelly 2007) Auscultation of bowel sounds, vascular sounds and friction rubs over liver and spleen will be done. Absence of bowel sounds can ascertain any abdominal surgery being done or can be an emergency. Bruit over abdominal aorta, renal, femoral or iliac arteries may indicate an aneurysm. Friction rubs heard over liver or spleen may indicate metastases. (Weber Kelly 2007) Percussion of the abdomen is done for tone. Dullness over the liver or spleen may indicate hepatomegaly or splenomegaly. Measuring the span of liver and spleen will also allow the nurse to assess any decrease or increase in size from the normal. Light and deep palpation of the umbilicus, liver, aorta, spleen and kidneys would allow any masses to be verified which may be related to tumor growth or presence, aneurysms or metastases. Shifting dullness and fluid wave test will be done. (Weber Kelly 2007) Possible Nursing diagnoses Weakness related to diabetic polyneuropathy and side effects of chemotherapy (anemia) as evidenced by displayed weakness. Imbalance related to chemotherapy side effects as evidenced by pt. inability to stand. Nutritional imbalance: less than body requirements related to chemotherapy or G.I. surgery as evidenced by displayed weakness. Impaired physical mobility related to impaired balance as evidenced by Mrs. Singh hugging the wall to walk Powerlessness related to chemotherapy and inability to perform activities of daily living as evidenced by inability to maintain balance and walk (RN CENTRAL 2010) Conclusion A thorough health assessment of Mrs. Singh was done which included a focused health history as well as a focused physical assessment in order to formulate nursing diagnoses for appropriate nursing interventions and referrals to be made as immediate as possible. This allowed for the chief complaint to be logically analyzed for a plan of care to be developed for Mrs. Singh. A framework was provided (COLDSPA) as well as, scientific literature to validate all assumptions made.

The Rise of Universal Liberal Values? Essays -- Essays Papers

The Rise of Universal Liberal Values? Democracy is one thing, and constitutional liberalism quite another. In the inexorable march of modernity, Fareed Zakaria argues in The Rise of Illiberal Democracy, the message of constitutional liberalism has gotten lost in the clamor for democracy. This is problematic because, without a strong foundation of pluralism and constitutional liberalism, the apparatus of democracy can easily be hijacked by forces that hardly espouse the liberal values that have, in the Western mind, become transparently conflated with democracy. The fact that liberal constitutional democracy has become the unmarked case for Western pundits serves and most likely will continue to serve, Zakaria points out, as a legitimizing shroud around illiberal democracies' practices. What is problematic is Zakaria's notion of legitimacy: who are we to say whether, to the extent that we find an illiberal democratic regime's actions questionable or worse, that regime is illegitimate? Such pronouncements not only fly in t he face of the democratic orthodoxy, but also dangerously destabilize the props of national sovereignty that comprise the underpinning of the current international system. Democracy, broadly defined, is a mechanism of governance, the participation of a people in the selection of its rulers. Constitutional liberalism, on the other hand, as sketched by thinkers from the Enlightenment onward, is a philosophy of governance, granting the governed a set of inalienable personal freedoms, in addition to ensuring the rule of law and the separation of powers (132). These are quite clearly not the same thing, although they have been bedfellows for some time in the governments of western Europe and North America. Zakari... ...notions of basic liberal rights and freedoms upon other cultures that do not, by necessity, share them all. He takes the almost-insulting stance that people that choose an illiberal government do not know what is good for them, when they may in fact have quite tenable reasons to do so. To further suggest that America and company aim to spread these uniquely Western concepts is further problematic in that to do so could destabilize these countries, or even turn them against the West, surely not a desirable outcome. It is important to recognize that culture plays an important role in the choices people make, including their choice of government. And just as some cultures find nothing wrong with eating termites or belching in public, so too are they entitled to find no problem with illiberality to an extent. As long as they choose it voluntarily, it is their own choice.

My Grandparent’s House Essays -- Personal Narrative

My Grandparent’s House It was another summer at my grandparent’s house that I woke up to one sunny Saturday morning. The smell of eggs, bacon, and tortillas was a greeting to the home-cooked breakfast I could sense as I lie in the bedroom still lightly dreaming. I could hear my grandpa in the distance, chopping wood for the stove my grandma was cooking with. Very old fashioned my grandparents were, convincing me to become more independent, I always enjoyed their company. It was a summer where I would be taught the value of wisdom and of the people I love. Though the past summer at my grandparent’s place was pretty much the same, I didn’t understand the words and talks my grandparents would have with me. At such a young age I wasn’t able to account for everything they had said or appreciate what they had to say, but this particular summer was different. My cousins were about the same age I was and had only live half a mile away from my grandparents. As I quickly did my chores, I could see three of my cousins walking down an old dirt road form their house. When they reached the porch I was just about finished packing my water bottle along with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I opened the door finding my cousins outside replying â€Å"Hey Kev! How are you?† As we started our walk towards the creek behind my grandparent’s house, I looked back and saw my grandmother frowning, knowing that we were going to use the rest of the day to our own content. Becoming full of excitement, one of my cousins yelled â€Å"last one to the creek is a rotten egg!† as everyone dashed towards the wash. As midsummer approached, our rendezvous at the creek became an even more popular event for more of relatives to join in on. At certain times, there were as many as 15 of us down at the creek laughing, running around, and splashing each other with the cold refreshing water containing a sweet scent from the near by willows. I still remember my grandma’s dogs barking and running after the little kids. I could feel the squishy sand between my toes and hear the trickling of the water brushing against the grass. We followed the creek and it led through a small pond where we swam in. We were having so much fun that we didn’t see that it was getting late as the sun sat gleaming, sinking beneath the horizon, giving one last wave bef... ... the time spent with people you love and those who love you because life isn’t very long for anyone to not regret spending time with your loved ones. Here's one of my favorite songs by the Smashing Pumpkins: {rotten apples} dirty your face with longing and grace, God-given suffer her heart, and love her when your love goes unrequited Where the cool winds blow, I must surely go For my love calls me lo, drag her from the depths of my soul When will I see her again? The other side of friends The darkened clouds of death The empty-breathed desire Dirty your face with longing and grace, God-given Suffer her heart, and love her when your love goes unrequited Restless in my speech And ruthless in my teach So vacant in my breach, I drive the dirt of her garden Sorrow She'll never listen again No other lovers to bend Just rotten apples to eat Slathered yellow distant scorn Dirty your face with longing and grace, God-given Suffer her heart and love her when your love goes unrequited Life just fades away Purity just begs Dust to dust we're wired into Sadness

Alcoholism :: essays research papers

The Physical Effects of Alcohol on the Body Alcoholism is a disease which, in many cases, appears to be a genetically transmitted biochemical defect. However, in other instances, it appears to be caused by overwhelming bombardment of the physiology of the body by repeated episodes of heavy drinking resulting in the incapacity to handle alcohol normally. Psychological and/or social pressures may aggravate the disease. It is characterized by a typical progression of drinking behavior that requires an average of twelve and one-half years of drinking to reach fully developed, overt symptoms and an average of eighteen years to reach the stage of deterioration. It is seen most frequently in those of Eskimo or American Indian descent. Among those of Caucasian descent, the Irish, French and Scandinavians exhibit a far higher incidence than do other European population groups. The disease is further characterized by physical damage in all system of the body, the most serious of which is encountered in the cardiovascular system, th e nervous system and the liver. In these three areas the damage may eventually prove fatal. Living the life of an alcoholic is hard work - the body suffers. There is complete unanimity of opinion that alcoholic drinking is very bad for the heart. Not only does the alcoholic suffer increased risk of heart disease, but he may also sustain direct damage to the heart from alcohol. Alcoholic drinking results in: Increased lipid levels which may result in arteriosclerosis and increased risk of stroke and possible early death. Possible development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, resulting from injury to the energy-producing portion of the heart muscle, which may lead to death from heart failure. Damage to the nervous system in alcoholics has been recognized for many years. Some of the possible neurological effects of alcoholism include: Development of diseases caused by vitamin B deficiencies. Impairment of overall mental functioning. Some of the ancient physicians recognized an impairment of overall mental functioning in those who drank excessively and recent brain cell studies suggest that an alcoholic literally kills off brain cells at a more rapid pace than normal. If one destroys brain cells rapidly enough and for a long enough period of time, eventually the "cell bank" of reserves will be depleted, and the subject will begin to show impaired mental functioning. This appears to be the sequence of events observed in the EEG tracings and clinical observations of alcoholics. The gastrointestinal system is prominent among the organ systems damaged by alcohol.