Ncm 104 Lecture Notes

NCM 104 DERMATOLOGIC DISORDERS I. REVIEW OF THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM SKIN – also known as the integument which means covering – largest organ system – barrier between external and internal environment FUNCTIONS OF THE SKIN 1) Protection – protects from trauma (Mechanical, Radiation, Thermal) – thickened skin on palms and soles provides additional covering against trauma r/t constant use – Intact skin – primary defense (prevents invasion of microorganisms) – secretions(from sebaceous gland) are oily and slightly acidic (prevents/limits the mult. of mcgs) 2) Maintenance of Homeostasis prevents excessive loss of water and electrolytes 3) Thermoregulation – affected by: > production of perspiration (dehydration fever) > activity > constriction (v dissipation of heat) and dilation of blood vessels > external BT -body’s core temperature 4) Reception of stimuli – area in the brain – SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX â₠¬â€œ abundance of free nerve endings and receptors * NOCICEPTOR – pain * END-ORGAN OF RUFFINI/PACINIAN CORPUSCLE – pressure * MECHANORECEPTOR – machanical * MEISSNER’S CORPUCLES (MERKEL DISCS/CELLS) – touch 5) Synthesis of vitamin D – helps the uptake of Ca2+ and PO4 in intracellular level with the aid of sunlight activates Vitamin D to D3 (Cholecalciferol) 6) Immunity/processing of antigenic substances – immunologically mediated defenses against microorganisms Ex. Langerhans cells Keratinocytes 7) Provide an outward appearance or cosmetic adornment – acceptance of the appearance of the skin, hair, or nail is critical to psychosocial being 8) Excretion – skin has a vital role in elimination of Na+ and H2O for homeostasis (maintaining balance in the internal environment) STRUCTURES OF THE SKIN LAYERS OF THE SKIN 1) EPIDERMIS – avascular in nature – Thickness: 0. 04 mm (eyelids- thinnest) to 1. mm (palms and soles- thickest) 4 Cell types of the Epidermis a) Keratinocytes – 95% – Produces Keratin – insoluble protein – helps create a waterproof barrier – function in immunity – control water loss b) Melanocytes – located at the base of the epidermis – Produces Melanin – responsible for skin color and absorption of UV light – the darker you are, the more protection against cancer – acts as an umbrella covering that shields DNA from UV c) Merkel’s cell – It is located at the basal layer of the epidermis but can usually be located only with the use of an electron microscope – one of the receptors scarcely located in the palms, soles, oral and genital epithelium d) Langerhan’s cell – play a role in cell-mediated immune responses in coordination with T cell – originates in the bone marrow and migrates into the epidermis Layers of the Epidermis a) Stratum Germinativum/Basale â⠂¬â€œ innermost – cells are columnar in shape – where melanin is found in greatest amount – lies close to the dermis layer – cells at the basale layer receives nutrition from the dermis via diffusion and undergo mitosis every 19 days and older cells are pushed upward undergoing changes in shape and chemical composition through a process known as keratinization ) Stratum Spinosum – cells are irregularly-shaped known as prickle cells (have sharp cytoplasmic projection at the covering) c) Stratum Granulosum – cells are nucleated granular cells which contain keratohyalin granules (contain lipids with desmosomal connections which helps to form waterproof barrier) water loss from the body *not responsible for water loss in the pores d) Stratum Lucidum – thin transparent layer Skin moisture-can only be seen in thick skin like the palms and soles immunity e) Stratum Corneum – composed of dead keratinized cells (contain keratin -acidic in nature) – serves as a durable overcoat of the body DESQUAMATION – natural process of breaking apart of dead skin cells; for every 35-35 days, an individual will have a new epidermal skin Epidermal Appendages a) Eccrine glands – sweat-producing gland – thermoregulation – can be found throughout the skin but with some exemptions – numerous on palms, soles, axilla and forehead – not found in: Vermillion border(junction of the pink area of lips surrounding skin) Lips, Ears, Nailbeds, Glans penis,Labia minora b) Apocrine glands – function is not clearly known – abundant in the axilla, breast, areola, anoogenital area, ear canal, and eyelids c) Sebaceous glands release of sebum (has lubricating and bactericidal effect) – can be found all throughout the skin except on the palms, soles, and axilla d) Hair – a non-viable protein end-product – found in all skin surfaces except palms and soles e) Nails †“ horny scales of the epidermis 2) DERMIS – a dense-layer of tissue beneath the epidermis – gives the skin most of its substances and structures – 1—4 mm (thickest dermis is found in the back) – has characteristics for: ->WOUND HEALING: because it contains fibroblast, macrophages, mast cells, lymphocytes -> MAINTENANCE OF EQUILIBRIUM: because it contains lymphatic, vascular, and nerve supply Layers of the Dermis a) Papillary Layer -upper dermal region with finger-like projections -contains: >papillary loops (provide nutrients to the epidermis) >Pain receptors b) Reticular Layer – deepest skin layer – contains BV, sweat glands, and deep pressure receptor (Pacinian corpuscles) – abundant phagocytes are located – as one ages, depleted collagen and elastic fibers -collagen for TOUGHNESS OF EPIDERMIS – Elastic fiber for SKIN ELASTICITY 3) SUBCUTANEOUS FAT/ HYPODERMIS – AKA adipose layer – Functions: * S ource of energy * Hormone metabolism * Insulation from extreme hot and cold Cushion to trauma -specialized layer of connective tissue -absent in the: eyelids, scrotum, areola, tibia ASSESSMENT OF CLIENTS WITH INTEGUMENTARY DISORDERS A) SUBECTIVE DATA HISTORY TAKING – assess for pre-existing factors 1) Chief complaint (if Derma conditions already exists) – Assessment on itchiness, dryness, rashes, lesions, ecchymosis, lumps & mass – Changes in skin, hair, and nails – Onset of the condition – Other accompanying symptoms with known cause (pain, fever, swelling, redness) – Alleviating factor such as cold weather 2) Past Health History – Hx of previous derma disease Previous trauma and symptoms; interventions – Other systemic illnesses relevant to the skin such as immunologic, endocrine, vascular, renal, or hepatic conditions – Age of onset – Particular season/month of the year – Treatment done – Immuniza tion status – Recent exposure to insects/childhood diseases 3) Known exposure to communicable disease (school, neighbourhood) 4) Travel to foreign countries/places – possible environmental factors that the patient is exposed to Ex. Poison ivy 5) Medications currently being taken/ has recently finished – Photosensitivity drugs- causes sunburn-like rashes in areas of exposureEx. Phenothiazides Tetracyclines Diuretics Sulfonamides – topical preparations containing derivatives of ingredients which are known as sensitizing Ex. Neomycin Ethylaminobenzoate/ benzocaine Diphenhydramine HCl 6) Occupation and recreational activities – exposure to irritants and chemicals either in the home or environment Ex. Prolonged exposure to the sun Unusual cold exposure 7) Allergies – medications or foods – assess if after ingestion, complains of itchiness, burning, or eruption of rashes – substances that cause local, skin irritations/lesions with di rect contact Ex. Textile, Metal (Ni), Wool Allergic reaction could trigger skin discoloration & eruption of rashes, skin irritation *oral corticosteroids which may cause Acne breakouts, Thinning of the skin, Stretch marks, and Other systemic manifestations if this is used at high dose or routinely 8) Family health history – Family lifestyle and living environment – Genetically transmitted Derma conditions such as: * Alopecia * Psoriasis * Atopic dermatitis – Systemic diseases with derma manifestations such as: * DM * LE * Blood dyscrasia 9) Habits (the patient as an individual) – hygiene practices – products/cosmetics use – changes in clothing or bedding diet (sufficient intake of nutrients like H2O, vitamins and dietary fats) -Exercise -Sleep patterns which affect circulation, nourishment, and repair of the skin B) OBECTIVE DATA – appraise the entire skin surface on head-to-toe including oral mucosa – appraise thoroughly †“ use INSPECTION, PALPATION, OLFACTION PHYSICAL APPRAISAL 1) Color – areas of irregular pigmentation (hypo/hyperpigmentation) – Paleness/pallor – Cyanosis – Jaundice – Assess sclera for a very dark person 2) Texture – palpation (stroke the patient with the fingertips lightly to assess texture) – NORMAL: Smooth, Soft, Resilient, No areas of lumps, No unusual hickening/thinning 3) Moisture – hydration level of the skin for both wetness(Fluidity) and oiliness(Sebum) – assess INTERTRIGINOUS AREAS (parts which have skin-to-skin contact like axilla & groin) – NORMAL: Well-hydrated but not excessively moist 4) Temperature – use the dorsum of the hand – compare hypothermia/hyperthermia with the area on the opposite side – NORMAL: uniformly warm 5) Turgor – skin’s elasticity – the time it takes for the skin and underlying tissue to return to its original contour after being pinch ed up (usually on the abdominal area) -older individuals: v skin turgor – NORMAL: 3 sec ) Odor – NORMAL: free from pungent odors – usually present in the axilla, skin folds, open wounds related to presence of bacteria in the skin 7) Presence and characteristics of Lesions MANIFESTATIONS OF SKIN DISORDERS 1) LESIONS PRIMARY LESIONS– first lesions to appear on the skin and has a recognizable structure in response to some changes in the external and internal environment A. Erythema – redness and inflammation (skin/mucous membrane) – result of dilation and congestion of superficial capillaries – Ex. Nervous blush, Sunburn B. Macule – unelevated change in color – flat – 1mm-1cm – circumscribed Ex. Freckles, measles, petechiae, flat moles PATCHES – larger than 1 cm and may have irregular shape – Portwine birthmarks, Vitiligo (White Patches) C. Papule – small, circumscribed, solid elevation, 1 mm-1cm – Ex. Warts, Acne, Pimple, Elevated moles D. Vesicle – circumscribed round or oval – thin translucent mass – filled with serous fluid or blood – 1mm-1cm – Ex. Herpes simplex, Early chicken pox, Small burn blisters E. Bullae – Large blisters (larger than vesicle) – Ex. 2nd degree burn, Herpes simplex (Big) F. Pustule – Vesicle or bullae filled with pus – Ex. Acne vulgaris, Impetigo G. Nodule elevated solid hard mass that extends deeper into the dermis than a papule – have a circumscribed border – 2cm – irregular border – Ex. Malignant melanoma, Hemangioma I. Wheal – reddened localize collection of edema fluid – irregular in shape – varies in size – Ex. Hives, Mosquito bites J. Plaque – raised lesion formed from merging of papules and nodules – >1cm – Ex. Psoriasis, Rubeolla K. Cyst – elevated, encapsulated, fluid-filled mass arising from SC tissues – 1cm or larger – Ex. Sebaceous cyst, Epidermoid cyst L. Comedo – accumulation of sebum and keratin within a hair follicle – occurs due to clogging 2 types: Open comedo (black head) Closed comedo (white head) M. Telangiectasia – permanent dilation of capillaries in the skin SECONDARY LESIONS – develop/occur if changes occur in the primary lesions – relate to client’s health status, environment, & status of the epidermal layer – possible causes: Scratching, Rubbing, Medications, Natural disease progression, Process of involution or Healing A. Crust (SCAB) – a rough dry area formed by the coagulation of drying plasma or exudates – could be a dried sebum, serum, blood, or pus on skin surface producing a temporary barrier to the environment – Ex. Impetigo, Eczema, Healing of burns/LesionsB. Scales – dried fragments of sloughed epidermal cells – irregular in shape an d size – colors vary from White, Tan, Yellow, to Silver -Ex. Dandruff, Dry skin, Psoriasis C. Ulcer – depressed lesion in which entire epidermis and upper layer of dermis are lost – could be due to trauma or tissue destruction – irregular in shape and exudative – Ex. Stasis ulcer D. Fissure – deep linear split through epidermis into dermis – Ex. Tinea pedis E. Scar – Mark left on skin after healing F. Hyperkeratotic Plaque (Callus/ â€Å"Kalyo†) – excessive thickness of the epidermal layer caused by chronic friction or pressure ) PRURITUS – unpleasant skin sensation that provoke the desire to scratch – Skin, Certain MM, Eyes, Perineum, Nostril, External ear canal – r/t mechanical stimulation of chemical mediator – r/t systemic disease – Chicken pox, Severe liver disease, DM , Uremia 3) PAIN – stimulation of Nociceptor 4) SWELLING – due to release of chemical mediato rs 5) REDNESS – due to hyperemia 6) SYSTEMIC ss – fever (release of pseudothermoregulators), leucocytosis (^WBC) DIAGNOSTIC TESTS 1) LAB TEST a. Tzanck smear – Named after Arnault Tzanck – Aka Chickenpox test/ Herpes skin test A microscopic assessment of fluid and cells from vesicles or bullae – Top of vesicle is cut with the use of scalpel then a smear is taken from the base of vesicle using the scalpel – Differentiates vesicular disorders – may identify a virus (-) reaction – vesicle from burns (+) H. Simplex or Acantholytic cells; varicella virus; multinucleated giant cells b. KOH test – done if the causative agent is suspected to be a fungus – the specimen (smear) is treated with 10-20% of KOH before microscopic study Normal or (-) result shows no Fungi (No dermatophytes/yeast) c. Culture – done to identify the specific microorganisms to determine specific antibiotic treatment 2) SKIN BIOPSY – ex . Dermal punch biopsy – a sample of skin tissue is removed, processed, & examined under a microscope – 4 types: 1. Excision Biopsy – entire skin area is cut 2. Punch Biopsy – a small cylinder of skin is removed 3. Shave biopsy – outermost part of a lesion is shaved off with a scalpel 4. Aspiration biopsy – indicated for fluid-filled lesion 3) WOOD’S LIGHT EXAMINATION – Skin is viewed under UV light through a special glass (Wood’s glass ) to identify superficial infections of the skin – Place the patient in a dark room before examination 4) SKIN TESTING used to identify substances causing the allergy – 3 ways: 1. Scratch test – aka Puncture/Prick test – Pricking the skin 2. Intradermal test – Similar to Tuberculin test *DURATION OF TEST FOR BOTH SCRATCH AND INTRADERMAL TEST IS 5-10 MINS OR 15 MINS 3. Patch Test – the allergen is placed on a patch then placed on the skin – D uration: 48 hours (2 days) 4 TYPES OF HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS TYPE I (ANAPHYLACTIC/IMMEDIATE HYPERSENSITIVITY) – may involve the skin (disorders such as urticarial or eczema), eyes (conjunctivitis), nasopharynx (rhinorrhea/ rhinitis), bronchopulmonary tissues (asthma), GIT (gastroenteritits) rxn may range from minor inconveniences to death (r/t bronchopulmonary constriction-vO2) – takes 15 to 30 minutes from the time of exposure – delayed onset of type I = 10 to 12 hours – mediated by Ig E – primary cell components : Mast cell and Basophil TYPE II (CYTOTOXIC HYPERSENSITIVITY) – may affect variety of organs and tissues – reaction time: minutes to hour after exposure – mediated by Ig G and Ig M – ex. Drug-induced haemolytic anemia Granulocytopenia Thrombocytopenia TYPE III (IMMUNE-COMPLEX HYPERSENSITIVITY) – the type of reaction is considered as GENERAL – ex. Serum sickness may involve individual organ suc h as the skin (SLE and Arthus reaction), kidneys, lungs, blood vessels and joints – reaction time: 3 to 10 hours – mediated by soluble immune complexes particularly Ig G TYPE IV (CELL-MEDIATED/ DELAYED TYPE) – ex. Mantoux test (PTB test), PPV test, tuberculin test – 48 to 72 hours (2 to 3 days) II. SKIN DISORDERS A. DERMATITIS/ECZEMA – Inflammation of the epidermal layer – Rashes are characterized by itching and redness Types: I. Contact Dermatitis – Inflammatory reaction either caused by Allergens or Irritants – utilize PATCH TEST to identify the cause – 2 TYPES BASED ON ETIOLOGY: Irritant Contact Dermatitis – Most common – There is no allergic reaction but there is inflammation that occurs because of either a PHYSICAL or CHEMICAL IRRITANTS – Manifestations: > Lesions appear sooner > Appear on exposed areas – Ex. Mechanical (glass fiber, wool) Chemical (cleaning compounds, perfume) Physical ( clothing, stuff toy) * Allergic Contact Dermatitis – A Delayed type (TYPE 4) of hypersensitivity rxn from contact with allergens – Immune-mediated response by previously sensitized Lymphocytes to specific antigen (allergen) – Ex. Drugs (Penicillin, Sulfonylamides) Metals (Nickel)Spandex Rubber Bra – MANAGEMENT OF CONTACT DERMATITIS: 1. Topical corticosteroids – use BID for 2 weeks – causes thinning of the skin 2. Oral Antibiotics – if lesions develop into 2’ lesion or if 2’ infection sets in 3. Oral Antihistamines, Topical Antipruritic agents, Colloid oatmeal baths – to control itching – NURSING INTERVENTIONS 1. Avoiding irritants and sensitizing substances 2. Wear appropriate clothing 3. Wear gloves 4. Use mild soap products II. Atopic Dermatitis – Genetically-based skin disorder that is both chronic and relapsing ( bec. it involves type 1 rxn) – Strongly linked with asthma and hay fever Most common in children Immunologic irregularity (Cytokines and inflammatory mediators) v Vasoconstriction of Superficial vessel v vProtective barrier function of the skin – FOCUS OF NURSING CARE in managing atopic dermatitis is geared toward addressing the social and emotional disturbances and sleep pattern disturbance – EXACERBATING FACTORS: * Change in temperature COLD – Dry skin HOT – Vasodilation > Inflammation> Itching & Redness * Other irritants * Physiologic Stress – direct stress to the area * Exercise – loss of H2O > Dryness – MANAGEMENT OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS (SYMPTOMATIC ONLY; NO CURE): 1. Hydrating the Skin Cornerstone of management – Apply moisturizer 3-4x a day to reestablish hydration of the S. corneum 2. Corticosteroid a. Systemic b. Topical * – Educate on: * Proper Application (Only apply to area being affected) * Duration of Use (BID X 2 weeks) * Side effects: Thinning of the skin Jeopardizing the immune sys tem – Application of WET WRAPPINGS – To enhance absorption and – Helps decrease pruritus 3. Protopic ointment (tacrolimus); pimecrolimus (Elidel) – IMMUNOMODULATORS (block T cell activation) – Indication: Moderate to Severe atopic dermatitis – Side effects: Itching, Burning, Irritation for few days Avoid sunlight/ artificial sunlight for prolonged periods (photosensitivity rxn) 4. Antihistamines – for itchiness 5. Antibiotic – if secondary infection sets in III. Seborrheic Dermatitis – Eczematous eruptions typically occur in hairy areas – Sebaceous gland in which there is an increase amount and alteration in the quality of sebum/serum – Usually occurs on Scalp, Eyebrow, Central chest, Face, Genital skin fold – PREDISPOSING FACTORS: 1. Family history of skin diseases 2. Winter months – symptoms usually worsen (drying effect) 3. Over growth of yeast organisms ( secondary to fungal infection) Inf lammatory changes Around sebaceous glands and hair follicles) v Red, greasy scales (Characteristic symptom > scale) – MANAGEMENT: 1. Mild – Tar, Selenium, Zinc, or Ketoconazole shampoo preparations > Have antibacterial effect on the normal flora found at the hair follicles 2. Chronic – Topical corticosteroids > To flatten thick, scaly plaques (SCALP) – Low potency topical steroids/ topical antifungal agents (FACIAL) IV. Stasis Dermatitis – Eczematous eruption common in lower extremities occurring in older persons – PREDISPOSING FACTORS: 1. Varicosities (venous insufficiency) 2. Poor circulation vVenous return (From legs) Substances remain in the tissues v Irritation, brawny colored skin associated with edema v Itching (May or May not occur) v Scratches v Break in the epidermis (Stasis ulcer) v 2’ infection – MANAGEMENT (prevention of predisposing factors): 1. Treatment of peripheral vascular conditions 2. Prevent constriction o f the circulation 3. Treat lower extremity edema * Elevate lower extremity (CI: Cardio/Pulmonary problems) * Compression stockings * Unna boots (bandage application on the lower extremities) 4. Topical corticosteroids – To address itching and scratches V. Lichen Simplex Chronicus Usually occurs in the Wrist, Ankles, and Back of the skull (Easily reached) – A localized, well-circumscribed eczematous eruption caused by repeated rubbing and scratching – Aka ITCH-SCRATCH CYCLE – PREDISPOSING FACTOR: Stress where scratching becomes habitual and worse at NIGHT – elephant skin B. ACNE – An inflammatory disease of sebaceous follicle marked with comedone, macules, and papules TYPES: I. Acne Vulgaris – Occurs on the Face, Neck, Upper chest, & Buttocks – Common among adolescents (80%) & may occur in adults – PREDISPOSING FACTORS: 1. Stress (activation of hormone production) 2.Heredity (familial tendency of androgen imbalance) 3. En docrine (hormonal imbalances) 4. Diet (free fatty acids) Puberty [^Androgen] (Sebaceous glands undergo enlargement) v Produce sebum v Binds with debris (Keratin, Bacteria, Cell fragments) v Plug hair follicle v Comedo (open/close) v Inflammation (Papules, Pustules, Nodules, Cyst) – MANAGEMENT: 1. Topical Benzoyl Peroxide Retinoids Retinoid-like drugs such as Adapaline, Tretinoids, Azeleic acid Antibiotics such as Clindamycin, Erythromycin, & Sulfa-based agents *Don’t self-medicate 2. Systemic Antibiotic – indicated for inflammatory acne lesionsIsotretinoin (Accutane) – vitamin A analog – Side effx: Dry lips & conjunctiva, and skin hairloss, muscle ache, photosensitivity, mood disturbance – prevents pregnancy, ^Risk of birth defects 3. Intralesional therapy – NURSING CARE: 1. Keep hands and hair away from face 2. Avoid exposure to oil and greases a. Eat well-balanced diet b. Wash face 2 or 3X a day with mild cleanser c. Use only water- based cosmetics II. Acne Rosacea – Characterized as a RED facial rash which mostly affect 30-60 y/o – It has both vascular and acne component – Chronic, localized eruption with vascular and acne characteristic – PREDISPOSITION: . Affects women more than men ( S/S is more severe in female) 2. Fair complexion individuals are more inclined 3. Familial predisposition – CHARACTERISTICS: 1. Red papules (sometimes pustules) – usually located on nose, forehead, cheeks, chin, rarely involves trunk and upper limbs 2. Blushing or flushing (â€Å"Red face†) – telangiectasia 3. Dry and flaky facial skin 4. Enlarged unshapely nose with sebaceous hyperplasia (the pores will become prominent) and rhinophyma (fibrous thickening) 5. Eye symptoms – eyelid inflammation/ conjunctivitis *Appearance of Lesion: DOME-SHAPED (no black/white heads; no deep cyst/lumps) MANAGEMENTS: 1. Antibiotics (Tetracycline) including doxycycline and minocycline – Duration : 6-12 weeks – to reduce inflammation (redness, papules, pustules and eye symptoms) 2. Topical: metronidazole/ Azeleic acid cream or lotion – applied 2x a day directly to the affected area 3. Nutraceuticals / clonidine – ? -2 recepto agonists > reduce vasodilation > vflushing/redness in the area 4. Anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac) – to reduce discomfort and redness on the affected skin – NURSING INTERVENTIONS: 1. Avoid oil-based facial creams 2. Use water-based make-up 3. Never apply a topical steroid (to the rosacea) . Protect yourself from the sun. (Use light oil-free facial sunscreens) 5. Keep your face cool: minimize your exposure to hot or spicy foods, alcohol, hot showers and baths and warm rooms. C. PSORIASIS – A genetically determined, chronic, epidermal, proliferative, not curable dse *control fast cellular proliferation – aka PAPULO-SQUAMOUS LESION > scaly in characteristic – a chronic, recurren t, erythematous inflammatory disorder involving keratin synthesis – History: 1841 – Viennese dermatologist known as Ferdinand von Hebra coined the term psoriasis from Greek word â€Å"psora† which means â€Å"to itch† – INCIDENCE:Men and women are equally affected Occurs in all ages but is less common among children and elderly Commence at early adulthood (18-24) Increased incidence among Whites Decreased among Japanese, American Indians, West African origin – exacerbated by several factors – manifestations usually appear between 15 and 35 years old – CAUSE: unknown But with high link to alteration in cyclic nucleotide and possible immunologic abnormality – CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS: 1. Immune-mediated condition – The condition is believed to be caused by faulty signals in the body’s immune system – the body tends to overreact and accelerate the growth of skin cells the T cells abnormally trigger inflamma tion in the skin (accelerates skin cells to grow faster and to pile up on the outer surface of the skin> the skin does not desquamate but piles up) *Normally, skin cells mature and sheds off every 28-30 days Cytokines (Lymphokines) v ^Platelet, Neutrophils, Basophils v Release of Histamine v Inflammation 2. Genetic – It has been appreciated by physicians that it occurs in families – high rates among monozygotic twins – known to be linked with inherited genes or other immune-mediated conditions – when both parents have psoriasis, a child may have 40% probability of developing the disease

Sport: Teacher and Softball

Katelyn Poremski 3-8-13 English 100 Final Draft Softball is not just a Sport Softball is not just a sport to me. Sports can be used to learn life lessons in ways that they help shape attitude, portray passion, develop personality, and teach companionship. â€Å"When life throws you a curve ball† means that when life gives you obstacles to overcome. This is a quote relating to life incorporating baseball or softball in to it, using â€Å"curve ball† as a synonym for obstacles. Softball, along with other sports, is a great way to learn life lessons and is not just a sport.A sport, such as softball, is something that many people can benefit from. All ages, starting at 5 can enjoy the game of softball. We, as humans, benefit from learning, enjoying each others’ company, and overcoming and making progress in the game. These concepts can also be related to everyday life because we do each of these things every day. As people, we also need an outlet for our emotions and hardships that we face; softball can help us with this. Instead of taking out anger on another person, we can take our anger out on slamming the pitch and making a home run out of it.If you look at this from a more meaningful prospective, you can take your anger in life and always come out on top if you handle each situation in a positive and professional way. Softball also teaches people to have passion. I give a lot of recognition to the sport for teaching me to have passion not just in the game, but in life. Softball gave me something to be passionate about and also taught me to continue being passionate about other things such as my school work, and being successful.If I did not have softball in my life, I do not even know where I would be today because it was the first thing that I was passionate about. Since I was passionate about softball for all my life, it has given me great opportunities. The best opportunity it has given me is being able to go to a college that I love an d also being able to play softball. If I wasn’t as determined and passionate about softball I would have not gotten the opportunity to play at Point Park University. Being an athlete of softball has taught me so much in life. Having a great attitude while laying a sport was not always easy; however, I knew that if I did not have a good attitude I would not do well. This idea, also, carried over to everyday life. If I did not have a good attitude when I woke up in the morning was like if I did not have a good attitude going up to the plate when I was up to bat. I knew I would fail if I did not have this positive attitude. Softball also can teach people to express themselves. I would not be the person I am today if I did not have softball to help shape the person I am. It taught me to communicate as a teammate and be respectful to the other team.I also interpreted this in to my everyday life. If I did not communicate on the field, or if I did not communicate with my friends I w ould not have successful relationships with people. Also, if I did not respect people, people would not show any respect for me. In conclusion, softball has not only helped me in life with teaching lessons and shaping me as a person, but it has helped a lot of other people as well. Softball, along with other sports, is an exceptional outlet for dealing with emotions and hardships, let alone also teaching great life lessons.

Analyze statistics reported in a news article, advertisement, or poll Project

Analyze reported in a news article, advertisement, or poll from a print source - Statistics Project Example (4) â€Å"Did somebody change the subject?† Carefully examine the conclusion to make sure it is supported by the statistical evidence. Sometimes an interpretation is presented as fact.  Ã‚   (5) â€Å"Does it make sense?† Look for and point out anything that does not make sense. Analysis of Statistics An article written by Luo (2010) entitled 99 Weeks Later, Jobless Have Only Desperation published in the New York Times on August 2, 2010 proffered issues pertinent to the status that jobless people face after â€Å"they have exhausted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits that they can claim† (Luo, 2010, par. 4). To analyze the validity of the statistics, the following questions would be addressed according to Darrell Huff’s book How to Lie With Statistics. (1) â€Å"Who says so?† The figures from the article indicating the number of people unemployed or out of work for 99 weeks or more were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statist ics (BLS). According to the official website of BLS (2011), it is â€Å"the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision-making.

Global business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global business - Essay Example But the issue is: Is it good strategic planning to use the per capita income and consumption data vis-a-vis population size as a basis of forecasting the size of a countrys market? This paper attempts to explore this proposition and to determine whether indeed it is or whether there are other better approaches that can help the international marketer make better decisions in entering a foreign market. Per capita income is derived from the concept of gross domestic product, which is the standard measure of an economys total output (Baumol and Blinder 2001). But such output only make sense if producers can sell them; therefore the concept of aggregate demand is relevant. Aggregate demand is the total amount that all consumers, business firms, government agencies, and foreigners wish to spend on all of a countrys goods and services. It also depends on consumer incomes, government decisions, and events or developments abroad. Aggregate demand can be broken down into the following: b. Investment spending. This is the total amount that firms expend on physical assets such as land, factories, machinery and equipment, and inventories. . These assets add to productive capacity, leading to additional demand for goods and services. By adding up all these components, we are able to obtain the aggregate demand and we can summarize it as the sum of all consumption, investment, government purchases, and net balance of exports and imports. Sommers (1993) and other economists take the view that the total output of an economic system is exactly equal to the total demand in the system, and that the GDP can also be referred to as gross domestic expenditure. From this aggregate is derived the concept of national income - which is the total income of all individuals in the economy. It is defined as the sum of the incomes that individuals in the economy earn in the form of wages, interest, rents, and profits. It

Performance Appraisal Systems in Human Resource Management Research Paper - 1

Performance Appraisal Systems in Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example The beauty and challenge of managing organisations are achieving unity in diversity towards a collective goal. In this context, control becomes inevitable in the organisation because without it, the organisation will forfeit itself, as the organisation is a pre-determined social order collectively working towards one goal achieved through controlled performance (Buchanan & Huczynski 1997, quoted ‘What is an organisation?’ n.d: 1). With employees at the centre of the organisation, productivity can only be achieved if and only if employees perform efficiently and effectively. In this context, human resources mean â€Å"the traits that people bring to the workplace [organisation] – intelligence, aptitude, commitment, tacit knowledge and skills, and ability to learn† (Javed 2009: 3). And one of the many old ways management achieves this is through performance appraisal. Performance appraisal can be historically traced back to Fredrick Winslow Taylor’s pioneering studies of Time and Motion, but as a system management tool for evaluating employees’ performance, it really dates back to World War II (Steel Authority of India Ltd. 2008: 3), yet, it has become an integral part of the life of organisation, that has continually evolved until today trying to respond to the rapidly changing times and needs. Having a strong impact on employees’ working lives, performance appraisal has become not only an issue dividing management and employees into two contending sides but also a favourite topic of debate among theorists and practitioners.  

Vietnam- the American roll in that conflict Research Paper

Vietnam- the American roll in that conflict - Research Paper Example Further, from such a level of discussion, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed understanding for the nuanced nature and ideological motivations for why the United States saw Vietnam as the figurative â€Å"line in the sand† in which global communism must be defeated and democracy and stated; even by force if necessary. After the conclusion of the Second World War, two superpowers arose. Both the United States and the Soviet Union had collectively helped to free the world from fascism and Japanese imperialism (Pham 19). As a function of this combined victory, both of these superpowers emerged as preeminently dominant over large swaths of territory and by extension, inherently distrustful of one another. Due to the fact that global communism called for a sustained and determined attack upon capital systems and imperial powers, the United States and its allies found themselves on the immediate defensive; attempting to guard against military coup s, proletarian revolution, and any other destabilizing force that the Communist bloc of nations around the globe might foist upon them as a means of weakening the strength of â€Å"the free world†. Due to this sustained and determined attack, then President Truman issued what would become the famous â€Å"Truman doctrine†. This Truman doctrine, further honed, added to, and defined by subsequent presidents, helped to determine the way in which the United States would integrate with communist aggression throughout the world. Ultimately, at its very core, the Truman doctrine stated that it was the express intent of the United States to combat communism at each and every juncture, in each and every location around the globe. After Pres. Truman left the Oval Office, Pres. Dwight Eisenhower further honed the Truman doctrine to an even more aggressive stance (Daddis 234). Dwight D Eisenhower, in 1954, helped to elaborate upon this doctrine of containment and expands upon it b y discussing what has since become known as the â€Å"domino theory†. This domino theory asserts that once a given nation within a particular region as a communist government and stated, then a domino effect will be felt throughout the region; allowing other nations to be weakened and ultimately fault of the influence that a single foothold of global communism can have within a particular region. In retrospect, such a theory seems rather preposterous; equating communism to a type of infectious disease that once rooted within a particular geographic region can somehow spread like a cancer. However, within the spirit of the era, this particular approach was not at odds with reality. Following the Second World War, the French unsuccessfully battled an insurgency within Vietnam, then referred to as Indochina, that eventually saw the French colonial forces retreat in humiliation; leaving Vietnam fertile ground for alternative forms of governance and the influences of communism. As such, in 1955, the United States, in tandem with its CIA assets within the region, backed Vietnamese politician Ngo Dinh Diem to oust Bao Dai from power within South Vietnam this particular study was one of many that helps to define the future relationship and strategy that the United

This Book is not Required Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

This Book is not Required - Essay Example As well, the authors of this book - all of whom are incredibly qualified and respected - critically discuss the ever so important matter of how academic life distinguishes between that of learning the institutional roles of higher education, combined with that of the matter of internalizing these particular rules. Furthermore, this book has many quality features included, such as real-life student vignettes that are completely honest and which perfectly address that of actual issues that are facing college students in the world today, and as well there is an overt encouragement of a participatory college education and personal reflection for students in regards to that of various different disciplines. In order to truly understand a literary work such as this, you truly need to divulge into the core parts of the book, and in this case that would refer to the concepts that are included: concept 1, and concept 2. Concept 1 is incredibly important, and it actually helps in several different ways, in particular by helping to explain what is actually going on in the book, and it truly involves the matter of encouraging students to educate themselves by doing several things, one in particular being to call their attention to that of the personal, social, intellectual, and spiritual demands and opportunities that are offered by the college life in general. The second concept is one which basically further describes the first one, however it is one which more so describes that of the impact of the college life, how it affects the students, and what they should do in order to make the matters that they deal with in college life more applicable to that of everyday life. Both of these concepts are extremely important, and truly are what makes this book such an essential read to students and the public in general, and applying these two concepts to the book truly helps you to understand it better overall, and in many different regards at that. This can be proven by the fact that this book is one which was actually revised by actual college students, and this was under the direction of Bernard McGrane, who is one of the authors; this helps not only to make the book actually true, but also to give a perspective that will be precise rather than assumed, thus allowing the aimed age group to truly be able to understand and familiarize with the matters of this book as a whole. The text in this book is given in an incredibly personal and refreshingly is it able and does truly take the critical discussion of academic life and then distinguishes it properly so that it is literate and understandable for the readers; which is favorable because it allows the readers because they will be more interested in something that they can relate to as opposed to something that is intolerable or not understandable or recognizable. One of the most influential chapters of the whole book

Amy Grace Academy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Amy Grace Academy - Essay Example On going through the appropriate websites, AGA has come to know that government grants are announced each year to release grant money of up to $30,000 for new projects (Ron Wainrib). AGA is also aware that this fund is accessible to lots more people. Hence, to make a case for winning the grant it is necessary to write a concrete proposal with information concerning the need and other details and make these as accessible as possible to the grantor. The need for digital technologies is to supplement facilities for testing speaking skills. Today, there is great need for trained workers with speaking skills and abilities. The communication business is doing well and we wish to give our students the means to take a look at something that they may be involved in at some point in the future. An article on "Delivering a Quality Grant Proposal" (Don Peek) provides some ideas on writing a proposal. The article is well written but it does appear that the grantor need details of the way the money will be spent from the time it is disbursed to the moment of success when the digital technologies are installed and are successfully used by the students. Details about the information that must be provided in the proposals do not appear very encouraging. First, there are the objectives to be listed followed by another list explaining how they are proposed to be achieved. Next, there are goals and the timelines when the goals are likely to be achieved. What is petrifying is the fact that after having provided all details in the proposal, the end result could be a damp squib. But, on second thoughts, is it worth taking all the trouble to see if the grant would be available After all, there are other ways and means to raise the required funds. AGA could use these means to raise funds. It is in better position to make a general proposal and circulate it among the parents and other well-wishers. There is no question about the funds coming in. Although AGA does not have any idea how much money could be collected in this fashion, it is better to follow this route where there is a guarantee of raising funds (D.M. Mithani, p253). Of course, AGA could alter information somewhat to make the proposal appear meaningful to the grantors. AGA could mention in the proposal that the digital technology is for use in the Science department (Science and Technology). But this would not be fair or ethical. Ultimately, the purpose of making a proposal for the grant will not be defeated if it is made alongside a general fund raising campaign. It is like having the cake and eating it too. Nonetheless, this is a better approach than solely depending on the grant which may or may not come (Damodar Gujarati & Sangeetha, p496). Conclusion Each part of the source supports specific aspects of the grant application requirements. D.M. Mithani outlines loans provided by banks to make high-cost purchases with low-interest loans. Loans are no equivalent to grants but they are quick means to have funds and can be repaid on easy installments. Damodar Gujarati and Sangeetha explains the means for forecasting. Description of the NIH Guide for Grants, Contracts and Recovery Act and

Critical Thinking and Ethics Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking and Ethics Essay In a discussion of ethics, critical thinking may not be the first term that comes to mind, unless opposing. However in some ways, critical thinking can the foundation, from which an ethical decision is made. This paper will explain the relationship between critical thinking and ethics, how the principles and rules of critical thinking are applicable to ethical reasoning, and if ethical decisions would be necessary if everyone followed the rules of logic. Is Critical Thinking Applicable to Ethical Reasoning? Ethical reasoning is based on the principles of what is considered right and wrong. Critical thinking on the other hand, warrants more of a thought process, causing one to analyze the situation from all aspects before reaching a conclusion. â€Å"By taking the path of a critical thinker, a person develops a mental process of evaluation which helps to determine their ethical standards† (Mnmelillo, 2010, Professional Growth, para. 1). Logic versus Ethical Reasoning The purpose of logic is to find that which is true. Logical thinking processes are often times used in ethics to answer important moral questions. However logic does not guarantee a morally correct outcome. For example, the legalization of marijuana is constantly under debate. Using the rules of logic, one would be able to see both the pros and cons of this argument. Although drug use is considered unethical by US government standards, even for medicinal use, the state of California, has legalized medicinal marijuana. In this particular case or should I say state, the rules of logic did not produce a morally correct result. Conclusion Ethical reasoning and critical thinking are derived from different  processes, although there are circumstances in which one is necessary to reach a decision regarding the other. As with critical thinking, there are no hard rules determining the use of ethics, considering what may be unethical in some cultures, for example, may prove to be ethical in another. Ultimately the use of ethics versus critical thinking or logic is determined by the situation at hand. Reference: Mnmelillo, N. (2010). What is the relationship between critical thinking and ethics? Triad Search Marketing: Professional Growth. Retrieved from http://www.triadsearchmarketing.com/what-is-the-relationship-between-critical-thinking-and-ethics/

Launching Strategy Essay Example for Free

Launching Strategy Essay Purpose: Alpen Bank is facing potential growth opportunities in terms of launching a credit card to the Romanian market. The overall goal is to increase annual profit by â‚ ¬5 million within two years of launch. Selection of the right target audience, while applying the appropriate launching strategy is the direction of our focus. Our goal is to extend the Alpen Bank premium service to customers via a new product market. Predictions of economic growth in Romania, proves that the market is growing increasingly ripe for credit cards. Therefore, the issue is not whether or not Alpine Bank should launch a credit card in Romania. The concern of Alpine Bank should be when to launch said services in Romania. Current models, statistics, and research are conclusive; the time to invest in Romania is now. Position Statement: The recommendation standing and supported by enclosed financial statements are as follows: Launching a credit card in the Romanian market would meet the stated purpose by targeting the affluent and most affluent audience (Exhibit 1). The marketing approach will consist of direct sales in conjunction with branch cross selling (Exhibit 2). Also the use of magazine and television advertising strategies will enhance our position. This approach will add support for the recommendation of taking advantage of a primarily non-penetrated market. Reason: The opportunity to invest in the Romanian credit card market yields potential revenue growth, along with increasing the life time value of each customer, new and existing. With Romania entering the European Union, Alpen Bank has been prompted to re-visit its previous credit card approach in the emerging economy. Additionally, there has been an increase in luxury products and purchases, displaying increased consumer purchasing power, a potential indicator of an increased interest in credit card. Furthermore, Romania is in a transition period, with cards gaining favorability over cash payments. Alpen Bank hopes to build upon prior methods explored in Romania by competing banks in penetrating the credit card market. Decision Options (Exhibit 6): 1.Launch a credit card in Romania. 2.Do not launch a credit card in Romania. Decision Option 1 a.Add a new market: Alpen Bank can continue its successful venture in Romania by adding a credit card to its portfolio. This will foster a continuing growth in an increasingly affluent Romanian upper class. As purchasing power is determined by income level and accumulated wealth, the affluent class is more able than the middle class to make purchases on credit. b.Increase revenue: Current models and predictions indicate a strong opportunity to significantly increase the yearly revenue by investing in the credit card market. Calculations display how the venture will increase the life time value of each customer, ensuring future growth. (Exhibit 1) Decision Option 2 a.Focus on existing markets: Venturing into the credit card market could draw resources away from core Alpen Banking services already in effect for the Romanian market. b.Assure no potential risk: All investments come with inherent risks. By investing substantially into an exploratory market, Alpen Bank is running the risk of not meeting the expected outcome. The potential monetary risk could run into the millions of dollars, along with an incalculable risk to reputation. How to measure Decision Option 1 a.Establish a customer base with the affluent and most affluent: By building upon the currently excising clientele, along with attracting untapped segments of the prosperous Romanian upper class. By comparing the actual number of clients utilizing the Alpen Bank credit card with the models and predictions made pre-credit card launch. (Exhibit 4) b.Increasing revenue from the credit card launch: Expected revenue from the credit card enterprise is projected to be â‚ ¬6,698,391 within two years (Exhibit 2). By updating current calculation models with on-going information as the enterprise proceeds allows for ongoing monitoring of predicted return on investment. The lifetime value of customers will also be assessed on a yearly basis, predicting the value of loyal, long term users of credit cards. How to measure Decision Option 2 a.Projecting further growth without credit card. Venturing into the Romanian credit card market taps resources away from current banking business. Investments could also be put to use in other areas, such as higher frequency of branches opening or improving services currently offered. b.Customer awareness of the bank’s premium brand: By investing in already offered business services. Alpine Bank is committed to improving our superior line of service currently offered to the Romanian clientele. Critique of Decision Options 1 Per limitations of senior management, the investment into the Romanian credit card market must prove itself profitable within two years, yielding at least five million euro. Investing in developing a profitable line of credit cards comes with several risk factors. Predictions of profit could be erroneous, leading to a less than expected return on investments. This in turn could lead to revocable and irrevocable damage to reputation, potentially resulting in a net loss of customer over short and long term. Projections of the positive effects of Romania’s’ recent acceptance into the European Union could also be incorrect. By investing time and energy into a new business venture, current banking services could suffer from subconscious neglect by employees involved in both enterprises. Critique of Decision Option 2 A decision not to invest in the Romanian credit card market will be a hinder of growth. Currently, competing banks are investing and have invested in the growing credit card market. By delaying a venture, Alpen Bank is permitting competitors to gain establishment and credit market branding. Alpen Bank currently holds the potential necessary for a successful venture into the credit card market. By failing to employ said resources, Alpine Bank is neglecting talent and opportunity, which could lead to failure in expected profitability. Being accepted into European Union brings increasing prospect of higher return on investments in the credit card market. By choosing to stay out of the market, Alpine Bank is also forcing excising customers to other banks for credit card services. As experienced in other emerging markets in developing countries, credit card customers are less likely to switch from one credit card to another. Therefore, failing to introduce a line of credit cards now will make it increasingly difficult to attract customers when Alpen Bank eventually starts its credit card venture. Action plan: Goals: †¢Launch a credit card †¢Reach the affluent and most affluent †¢Launch marketing and adverting that appeals to our audience Action Steps: Short term †¢Marketing Plan: Release a Premium Marketing Plan that is focused, achievable, compelling, and simple. As evident by exhibit 1, the chosen target group is the affluent and most affluent segments of the Romanian population. By ensuring a proper understanding of the dynamic characterizing the targeted demographic, we are able to construct the appropriate marketing plan. This will instill the programs, tactics, incentives, and budgets necessary for a strong image and a consistent message reaching the targeted customers. †¢Marketing: Investing in direct sales and branch cross-selling holds the highest effective rate of potential customers reached. These two methods also have the lowest cost per customer. Combined they ensure the most effective tactic in recruiting customers to Alpen Bank’s credit card. (Exhibit 2) †¢Advertising: Magazine and television advertisements. Our advertising goal is to capture the attention of perspective applicants as well as converting prospects involved with other credit card venues. Establishing a clear message for the audience is essential in launching advertising Alpen Bank’s advertising campaign. â€Å"A premium clientele deserves a premium banking experience.† The launch of the campaign considers the sophisticated, vernacular culture of our Romanian clientele. The goal is to assure the same quality experience in our established bank while adding an innovative credit card product to allocate more options for our clientele. -Magazine advertisements could feature admired Romanian model Diana Dondoe, to highlight Alpen Bank’s image of being an upscale and exclusive provider of banking services. -Television advertisements could consist of 30 second runs of a Romanian couple being picked up by their driver and dropped off at the premier launch of the credit card. These are some alternatives in order to illustrate how the product could be marketed. †¢Launch of promotional events by the Alpen Bank’s public relations department. Evening events could be held at elegant local venues for charitable fundraising purposes. Long term †¢Continuing growth in the Romanian market, with special focus on the credit card market. †¢Attracting customers to Alpen Bank by focusing on its premium image and superior services. †¢Expansion in the credit card market, to have established a customer base of 200,000 customers five years following initial launch. †¢As the Romanian economy is growing, the percentage of population with a disposable income is increasing. Alpen Bank will focus on attracting new members of the affluent segment of the population. †¢Increase the lifetime value of each customer, by further expansion of the financial services offered. †¢Increase credit card utilization by informing clientele of benefits associated with credit card purchases, along with temporary potential incentives offered in order to change consumer habits. Risk and Countermeasures †¢The chosen target demographic of affluent and most affluent Romanians could prove itself too limited for effective penetration. However, as the Romanian economy is growing, the targeted demographic is also expected to expand in size. Therefore, even if the current market niche is too limited, it is expected to grow substantially over the next two to three years. †¢The expected profit of five million could not be achieved within the timeframe of two years. As limitations set by senior management calls for a substantial profit to be made within a relatively short amount of time, there is a risk of the time restraints not being met. Yet these restrictions add a clear vision, enabling a structured approach in order to meet the expected outcome within the set timeframe. Final recommendation and conclusion By venturing into the Romanian credit card market, Alpen Bank is capitalizing on a ripe product opportunity. Current predictions and models consistently indicate that by pursuing the recommended strategy, Alpen Bank will see profits grow by a minimum of â‚ ¬6.6 million over two years. Romania’s recent acceptance into the European Union, accompanied with an increase in purchasing power among the affluent fragment of the population will ensure a substantial return on investment. (Exhibit 4, 5)

Operations Management Methods At Mcdonalds Corporation Business Essay

Operations Management Methods At Mcdonalds Corporation Business Essay Operations management is a keyword or method that is used to convert the inputs like materials, labour, proprietary information, etc into outputs like value-added products, services, goods, etc. The method includes a forecasting, capacity planning, scheduling, managing inventories, assuring quality, motivating employees, control of activity, and many more. In other words, it is a field of study that focuses on the effective planning , scheduling, use, and control of a manufacturing  or service organisation through the study of concepts from design engineering, industrial engineering, and management information systems, quality management, production management, accounting, and other functions as the affect the operation. (APICS Dictionary, 1995) Operations management concerns making the most efficient use of whatever resources an organisation has so as to provide the finished goods or services that its customer need in a timely and cost effective manner. (Barnett,1996). For better organisation, operations management relating with the strategy of the organisation plays a vital role. However, in this coursework, we will demonstrate the relationship between the operations management and the strategy of the organisation with the help of a corporate entity. The corporate entity chosen is  McDonalds Corporation. Company Background McDonalds Corporation  was first launched in 1940. It is one of the leading fast-food restaurant chains in the world. It was driven by siblings Richard Dick J. McDonald and Maurice Mac McDonald  in  San Bernardino,  California. The employees were instructed to Treat Every Customer with Respect and so children were made to feel special when they ordered. The food was not only served quickly, to a consistent standard, but it was also inexpensive. The result was the Speedee Service System. The principle of the modern fast-food restaurant was established in 1948. Due to fastest growing company, McDonalds restaurants are found in 120 countries and territories around the world and serve nearly 54 million customers each day. In all its restaurants around the globe, there are a number of operations that has a relationship with the overall strategy of the organisation. Let us now discuss the key operations decisions and its relationship with the strategy. Problems in McDonalds Restaurant Woolwich There are many problems in McDonalds restaurant of Woolwich among which some are listed below: Improper product planning . Cannot respond quickly to demands in peak hours due to which the customers go to Nandos located next door. Short of ingredients is always a major problem. No parking facility for the customers. The Woolwich market is closed by 5 p.m. daily. Hence, the customer will decrease gradually after that period of time. Since there is no facility for drive thru, it is the major problem for those customers who have no waiting time. As there is no facility for drive thru, most of the customers visiting the restaurant eat in. Hardly 30 customers can eat in at the same time in rush hours. The restaurant has always issue in supply chain and inventory management due to which there is always shortage in shock. The problem may be due to inappropriate ordering or miscalculation of stock. McDonalds restaurant use batch processing where numbers of sandwiches are made at the same time with the same condiments. If a customer wants, say, a hamburger without onions, he or she has to wait for a new batch of patties to be grilled. The kitchen space is much narrowed. Solutions Product Planning Every company should introduce new products. New products development shapes the companys future as well as gives a new taste to the customer. A company can add new products through attainment or promotion. Product planning is just a systematic decision making in all aspects of the development and management of a firm products. A product is anything that can be presented to a market to satisfy a want or need. Keeping on mind the exact utilization of the product through product planning, McDonalds Restaurant should keep on adding new products to its menu so as to accumulate the needs and choices of the customers which are persistently changing. For instance, the increasing liking of consumers towards healthy food made the restaurant add healthier food items to its menu. On the other hand, depending upon the season, it has to add new products for different seasons, for example hot coffee in winter and milkshakes in summer. Capacity Planning Capacity planning is the way of determining the capacity of product that the organisation needed to meet changing demands for its products. In the circumstance of capacity planning, capacity is the maximum amount of work done by the organisation in a given period of time. So, capacity panning is important for any organisation for operation decision making. Operations managers usually distinguish between short, medium and long-term capacity decisions. For short- and medium-term capacity planning, the capacity level of the operation is adjusted within the fixed physical limits that are set by long-term capacity decisions. This is also referred to as aggregate planning and control because it is necessary to aggregate the various types of output from an operation into one figure. In McDonalds Restaurant, the operations managers have to set its capacity of making food items in such a way that it responds quickly to the demands of those items in peak hours which is very important for a fast food restaurant like McDonalds. It also have to make sure that it has enough stock of  ingredients  to prepare food items which is very important because if one ingredient fall short then the whole process of making food may halt. For instance, if the buns required for making hamburgers fall short, then the restaurant may not be able to sell any hamburgers even if it has enough quantities of other ingredients. Location Planning Another most important role that every organisation must focus on is location planning. Success or failure actually depends on the location where it is situated. So, location planning plays a vital role for any organisation. Better location planning leads the organisation in success and obviously worse location planning leads the organisation in failure. Therefore, it is an essential significant success factors for any organisation. Thus, it is very important for businesses to choose an ideal location. McDonalds Restaurants also have to choose their location in such a way that maximum customers visit their restaurants and have full facilities of parking. Some customers may have no waiting time to eat in, so drive thru should be introduced. Moreover, it also prefers locations that are suitable and have plenty space for raw material delivery. Process Planning Process planning can be defined as the systematic method by which a product is to be manufactured economically and competitively. It consists of developing, selecting and specifying processes, machine tools and other equipment to convert raw material into finished and assembled products. After developing the product, the businesses have to develop proper processes planning for making and supporting the product. Process planning begins after the product design is completed. In McDonalds restaurant, the operations manager should develop and establishes the process of cooking food items so that food is prepared using that method which helps them to maintain the speed and the quality of the food. Moreover, it should also design processes so that the health, safety and hygiene issues are taken into consideration. Also the managers should keep on introducing latest equipments with the advancement of technology so as to bring pace, perfection and quality in the product. Layout Design Layout is the blueprint for arrangement of facility to provide working, service and reception, and storage and administrative areas. Traditional methods are used to design the layout. These methods include templates, scale plans, string diagrams, and travel charting as they have been proved as low-cost methods of  achieving either optimal or near optimal layout plans. Care must be taken by organisation when designing layout because poor layouts may lead the organisation to reduce the overall capacity and overall productivity. In McDonalds Restaurant also, layout designing is a very important operation. Due to the nature of the kitchen space, a good layout design should be carried out. Operations manager must have good knowledge about what equipment where to keep. So, a proper layout of the equipments in the kitchen is very essential to ensure preparation of quality food in less time. It should design its layout keeping in mind the health and safety issues with minimal supervision. Costs of productions also rely on the layout. Supply Chain Management A supply chain is the flow of processes of moving goods from the customer order through the raw materials stage, supply, production, and distribution of products to the customer. All organizations have supply chains of varying degrees, depending upon the size of the organization and the type of product manufactured. Managing the chain of actions in the process of supply chain is called as supply chain management. Effective management must take into account coordinating all the different pieces of this chain as quickly as possible without losing any of the quality or customer satisfaction, while still keeping costs down. In McDonalds also have certain suppliers who supply them the with the raw materials like buns, beef, patties, ketchup, sauce, mayonnaise, disposable cups, food packaging materials, etc. Therefore, it has to manage its relationship in an effective manner so as to get the raw materials at the right time, in proper quantity, and at acceptable cost. Inventory Management Inventory management is another important operation of any organisation. Inventory management is the process of controlling the stocks needed to run any organisation. It involves choosing the best method of inventory control. While choosing the method of inventory control, the organisations must keep in mind the expected demands of the products. McDonalds should follow the First-In-First-Out rules in the process of controlling the inventory. This is because most of the inventory consists of fragile items. Delivery of inventory happens twice or more times a week depending on the business of the restaurant. In addition, the stock kept in freezer with proper packaging so as to ensure freshness of the food items. All this activities comes under inventory management of the organisation. Quality Management Whether for profit, non profit, or an organisation like health-care maintenance organisation, quality management is the single most important process in any organisation for maintaining the quality of the goods and services. It also helps the organisation to keep up the reputation of the organisation. To manage and maintain the quality of the products and services, the organisation may adopt a number of practices like quality checks procedure etc. Quality in McDonald Restaurant is very important because of two reasons. Firstly because of the legal requirements of the quality of food served. Secondly, to keep up the good reputation which McDonalds restaurants have earned over the years. Quality of food can be very difficult to maintain and therefore, McDonalds restaurant carry on a number of practices to make sure that quality food is served. Some of these practices are the visits by the food inspector from the head office, supervisor checks etc. Conclusion: Therefore we conclude that operations management is very important for any organisations as they have a relationship with the overall strategy of the organisation. Operations management contributes to the strategy and therefore helps the organisation to gain competitive advantage. For instance, process planning can help the organisation reduce cost and gain cost advantages and therefore gain competitive advantage. Therefore the organisations must effectively manage the operations of the business as it has a massive effect on the strategy of the organisation.

Christianity And Lord Of The Rings Essay -- essays research papers

If the study of literature shows nothing else, it shows that every author, consciously or subconsciously, creates his (or her) work after his (or her) own worldview. Tolkien is no exception. "I am a Christian..." he writes(1), and his book shows it. Christianity appears not as allegory--Tolkien despises that(2)--nor as analogy, but as deep under girding presuppositions, similarities of pattern, and shared symbols. That there should be similarities between the presuppositions of of The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's Catholic faith is to be expected given Tolkien's own views on Christianity and myth. Regarding the gospel story Tolkien wrote, "The gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essences of fairy-stories."(3)Since all myths are subordinate to the overarching "myth," it would be surprising if parallels were not found between greater and lesser. This is certainly true where the author consciously recognizes his archetype. If he has at all grasped its form and meaning, if the archetype has at all succeeded in working its way to his heart, then it must also work its way to his pen. The essence of the gospel and of fairy-tales is, in Tolkien's own word, euchatastrophe--the surprising, hopeful turn in all man's despair and sorrow. Joy is the result, a brief glimpse springing out of the inherent evangelium of the genre.(4)This is the dominant note of, and even the apology for, fairy-tales. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy is set in a pre-Christian world. Hence it cannot adopt an explicit Christianity. Nonetheless it can, and does, shadow Christianity just as the Old Testament pre-shadowed the New, although admittedly Tolkien's is a post-view set as a pre-view. The Christian types to be found in The Lord of the Rings which we will examine are of two sorts: shared world view and shared symbols. The first category embraces such distinctly philosophical issues as good and evil, historical perspective, freewill and predestination, grace, mercy, providence, judgment and redemption. The development of these themes in The Lord of the Rings is Christian or at least Hebraic. Shared imagery is no less important to the tenor of the whole work. An example of shared imagery is the antithesis of dark and light so evident in both John the Apostle and Tolkien. Observe the close connection between Hal... ...Apollo Editions) pp. 158-77.[back] 18. I-347. [back] Additonal References Auden, W. H. "Good and Evil in The Lord of the Rings." Critical Quarterly 10 (Spring/Summer 1968) pp 138-42. ------------ "A World Imaginary but Real." Encounter 3 (November, 1954) pp. 59-62. Callahan, Patrick J. "Animism and Magic in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings." Riverside Quarterly, Volume 14 No. 4 (March 1971) pp. 240-250. Kocher, Paul Harold. Master of Middle Earth; the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972. Meisel, Sandra L. "Some Motifs and Sources for The Lord of the Rings." Riverside Quarterly 3 (March 1968) pp. 125-8. Pfotenhauer, Paul. "Christian Themes in Tolkien." Cresset 32 (January 1969) pp. 13-15. Sale, Roger. "England's Parnassus: C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien." Hudson Review 17 (Summer, 1964) pp. 203-225. Stimpson, Catherine R. J. R. R. Tolkien. Columbia Essays on Modern Authors #41. New York:Columbia University Press, 1969. Urang, Gunnar. Shadows of Heaven: Religion and Fantasy in the Writings of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams and J. R. R. Tolkien. Philadelphia: Pilgrim Press, 1971.

A Night to Remember - Original Writing :: Papers

A Night to Remember - Original Writing It was the day of the concert. The lively atmosphere around the arena was only beginning, being there early before, I saw the transformation of the what seemed to be spacious hall, into a jam packed stadium, mocked with nothing but up for it Geordies and music lover alike. As the lights sparkled above the stage, the huge amplifiers buzzed, vibrating the seat in which I had suddenly risen from. Announcements through the loud speakers were cropping up every minute, adding to the anxiety, whilst the crowds poured in, creating a carnival like atmosphere, despite still being an hour away form the main performance. Market stall like shops were beginning to unfold around the perimeter of the seated area; hats, shirts, jumpers you name it were being sold to the public with the name 'Stereophonics' sprung across them, mean while the more 'intelligent' of us crammed ourselves down to the front where the party was just starting. By the time fifty five minutes had passed, although it had seemed like days, a small acquainted girl, who when turned around looked at least thirty, noticed smoke effects coming from the ground of the stage as the florescent lights illuminated the entire audience which had now filled almost to the brim shouted "its begun!" Silhouettes of the and member, Stuart Cable and both Stuart and Kelly Jones appeared on the giant screens of paper behind there instruments before bursting through leaving the 'cannibalistic' like crowd roaring and urging forward, pushing against the dim steel rails lined with security guards. As Kelly, the lead guitarist and singer, introduced himself, the drummer, Stuart, Began a huge ear splitting fill, leading to the bands first song 'A Thousand Trees'. After hearing this song on there album I thought it was great, well now it was beyond great. With the atmosphere of the watching crowd and the raucous instrumental music being played before me, the words couldn't stop coming from my mouth, then again, I wasn't alone. As the song came to an en, the

Synthesis Paper on Cell Phones Usage in School

Robert Pohlman ENG-215 Miss Sreenan June 2, 2009 My Fifteen Minutes of Fame I arrived at the Tepala Shrine Temple to play my first gig in front of a live audience with my new band â€Å"Ben Joehoff and the Cards†. I'm Robert, the lead guitarist in our four member band. I walk into the building with my shoulders back trying to exude confidence as I carry in my two guitars, a laguna and a fender Stratocaster. As soon as I'm through the door I start looking for my friends without trying to be too obvious about it. At the same time I walk slowly toward the room where all the loud band and people noises are escaping. I stop at the doorway. Glancing around the room, I see the judges at their table, the audience, and all the other band member â€Å"want-to-be's† hanging around. My eyes shift to the front of the room, to the huge stage. The stage appears as promised by the RAMI's. It is set up with everything necessary for a rock band to play professionally. I see the huge black speakers and the shiny microphones which will make us sound professional. There are lights all over, of different sizes, colors and shapes. There are lighting people, and sound people. The setup looks great and the rest is up to us. I swallow down a dry throat, trying to keep my nerves from showing. Again, I look for my friends. Suddenly, I see Mark, or â€Å"Joker†, that is his band nickname, and, then, I see the rest of my band. I give a little sigh of relief, to myself, and, I think, â€Å"They are here, this is really happening! â€Å". I grin at them, and hurry over to join them. Everyone is excited, nervous, but excited. We can't wait till it's our turn! There are several bands before us, but they play their songs way too fast. Suddenly, we're up! This is my first time. I can feel the butterflies exploding in my stomach. I take a deep breath and walk out into the lights on stage. The lights are so bright that it is hard to see anything off stage. I strum a cord on my guitar to make sure my volume is alright. Suddenly, I hear the sound of sticks! One, two, three, four! My turn, I hit the first cord and feel the rich sound. The crowd seems to like us. Some of my crazy friends are dancing to the music. Mark busts out with his crazy drum solo. The beat calms me somehow. Oh, no! My solo is coming up! I hope I don't mess up! Here, goes. I just need to concentrate on the notes. Suddenly it is over! I nailed it!!! That has to be one of the best fifteen minutes of my life!

Leadership and Organizational Behavior Essay

A Proposal: †¢ precisely defines your research topic and the need for studying it—what is the organizational issue and OB topical area that requires attention and further study †¢ provides a research question to summarize the problem statement, however tentative it may be †¢ explains the sources critical to your proposed research, demonstrating that they are adequate for your project Proposal Organization: Your project proposal must include the following four labeled sections: Your Name (top of first page). Organization. Give the name of the organization and very briefly describe it. If you are focusing on one department in the organization – tell which one and describe it briefly. Be sure to include a description of your role in the organization. Set the context for the problem statement. Problem Statement. Identify and clearly state the problem—the leadership / management issue in which an element of the identified organization is not meeting expectations. The problem statement is usually phrased in terms of questions considerably more focused than the subject of the paper. End this section by stating the problem in the form of a question. For example, if a work group is not performing effectively, an effective problem statement might be, â€Å"How can group performance be improved?† rather than simply â€Å"Poor group performance.† A well-formed problem statement has four main characteristics: 1. Unity – the problem statement articulates a single controlling idea. The idea may be complex and have several parts, but it should be one idea nevertheless. 2. Focus – the problem should be restricted and specific enough for the reader to gain a clear idea of the OB topical area and the direction of your study and research. 3. Structure – if the problem statement is sufficiently focused, it will provide a basis for decisions about which information to include and which to exclude from the paper. 4. Interest – the problem statement should sharpen the reader’s interest in the OB topical area of interest. Research Plan. Provide an overview of what specific research/actions you will be taking on your problem statement. (surveys, journals, etc.). Do not be vague in this section. Note: Interviews are discouraged unless you secure management approval in advance. Scholarly Sources. You are required to use scholarly sources for your course project. Stay away from textbooks as your primary source. †¢ Within DeVry University Library Services (link can be found within The HUB), you have access to EBSCOhost, which offers full-text access to articles in all subject areas. Within EBSCOhost, you can do an advanced search where you have the choice to search for only â€Å"scholarly (peer reviewed) journals†. †¢ You might also consider using the Google Scholar search engine. Proposal Deadline: The proposal is due at the end of Week 2. Format of Your Proposal †¢ Header should include the title â€Å"Your Name Project Proposal† and the date †¢ Typically this is a one page document—if your need two pages, you are exceeding what is required for the proposal. †¢ Spell check / grammar check / proofread! †¢ Save your document in the following naming convention: â€Å"your last name first initial† Project Proposal.docx and leave it in the Week 2 Project Proposal Dropbox

Life’s Journey

Life is an art of seeing everything as a purpose (Bangot, L. B.), this is what the statement of one writer when he wrote a fictional story â€Å"10:12’s Purpose†. Yes, everything has a purpose. The bad things that happened, this essay that I’m writing, all has a purpose. We cannot predict what will happen tomorrow, only God knows. The journey I life is the only journey that has many path. Everyone who takes has a different and unique road of adventure but what makes them common? Man has only two destinations. It’s our choice to where to go and whom to follow. How will we know our destination here on earth, simply, as we goes on with our lives, our hearts will lead us to where we should be going. President Fr. Robert Lawton, S. J. said during a baccalaureate mass: â€Å"So what is the answer to this deep insecurity that we all feel?† this is really an awakening statement. We never noticed about it but we sometimes feel it. What is really the answer to this great insecurity that is in us? Are we really insecure? One thing that will only answer these questions; we don’t have all what we want. Not all the goods are on our side. Even if all goods are there, there is still unsatisfaction and man will still crave for something that is better than what he have now. Even the most beautiful woman has an ugly that is in her. We are not perfect. We are made to be human beings. We don’t have that supernatural ability that will give us everything. If we have all, are we happy? Sometimes, but do we have a joyful life? Joy is different from happiness. Joy is felt even in the rainy season of our lives. We cannot feel this joy unless we do not feel insecurity. I remember a verse in the bible, it is on John 16:24 and it says â€Å"Until now yo0u have not ask for anything in my name, ask and you will received and your joy will be complete†. What a wonderful statement of Jesus. We can only have what we ask in prayer if we believed in Him as our savior. Believing means following what the Lord has said or commands and imitating His deeds. We can only have this if we accept Jesus as our Lord. The answer to our insecurity is the salvation that we can get from believing in Jesus. We will only be saving if we believe. In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says â€Å"For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith†¦.and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast†. It is only a gift from God. Every good works that we did will not be credited for our salvation. Our works (good works) are just an outflow of our faith. Jesus came into the world as a man and has nothing. Yet he wasn’t insecured because He knows who He is. He owns the riches of this world. What really is the most important to us? For me, it is the salvation. I would prefer to have all the bad things here on earth than to have no salvation. If I have the Christ living in me, why should I be insecure, my home is in heaven. In the statement of Fr. Lawton truly the journey to be oneself is the riskiest. If we have God living in our hearts, we have all the trials and testing of faith. We will be prune in order to bear fruits. It is the riskiest because the road ahead is a narrow road. If we claim to be a Christian (meaning: a person who follow Christ) then to be ourselves is to be a Christian. A Christian should be holy, humble, and everything you think that is right and good. A Christian knows God’s will. How, by meditating the bible. In Joshua 1:8 it says â€Å"Do not let this book of law depart form your mouth, meditate on it day and night, so that you will be very careful to do everything written on it, then you will be prosperous and successful†. Meditating is the only way to know what really God wants us to do. I am now in the stage to make my first pace in life. It is now the time that I will be equipped with knowledge about life. A four year University sounds like the entrance to be a real person. I feel excited but nervous, excited because I was given a chance to fulfill my dreams. This essay is the proof of the opportunity, but I feel nervous because I do not know what will happen to me, but one thing for sure, it is for my good. If I do not go to this University, I will be stuck as a person with no use (in the case the opportunity will just pass by without me grabbing it). I believed that Loyola Marymount University can give me not only the education that I need but the equipping to be oneself as well. In this school I will learn everything to be a person and not just that; I will also be equipped with God’s word. That is the most important of all. But because I’m still here on earth, I should also know what is happening and how to deal life here on earth. Also, I believe that LMU can give me the motivation that I need to pursue my journey. In other words, inspiration can also be taken when I’ll be inside the University listening to my teacher. But as for now, my only dream is to be part of the University and my only hold is the faith that God will give me a chance to study in LMU and be equipped for the life’s journey. Work cited: THE FAMILY DEVOTIONAL STUDY BIBLE (1987), New International Version. The Zonderval Corporation. Bangot, L. B. . 10:12’s Purpose.                           

Case Study Part 1 Pinnacle Essay

Cash Ratio: cash and marketable securities/ current liabilities: 6,714,156/25,926,158 =0.03 (2009) 6,369,431/17,605,301 = 0.36 (2008) 7,014,387/16,340,517 = 0.43 (2007) Current Ratio: cash +marketable securities+ net account receivables/ current liabilities: 6,714,156+9,601,883/25,926,158 = 0.63 (2009) 6,369,431+7,495,528/17,605,301 = 0.79 (2008) 7,014,387+6,901,225/16,340,517 =0.85 (2007) Current Ratio: current assets/ current liabilities: 44,497,169/25,926,158 = 1.72 (2009) 36,195,745/17,605,301 = 2.06 (2008) 36,005,390/16,340,517 = 2.20 (2007) Accounts receivable turnover: net sales/ average gross receivables: (9,601,883 + 866,330) + (7,495,528+948,679) + (6,901,225 +862,690) = 26,676,335/3 = 8,892,111.7: average gross receivables 149,245,176/8,892,111.7 = 16.79 (2009) 137,579,664/8,892,111.7 = 15.47 (2008) 125,814,272/8,892,111.7 = 14.15 (2007) Days to collect receivables: 365/accounts receivable turnover 365/16.79 = 21.74 days (2009) 365/15.47 = 23.59 days (2008) 365/14.15 = 25.80 days (2007) Inventory turnover: cost of goods sold/average inventory (28,031,323 +22,206,259 + 21,975,220) = 72,212,802 / 3 = 24,070,934: average inventory 104,807,966/24,070,934 = 4.35 (2009) 96,595,908/24,070,934 = 4.01 (2008) 88,685,361/24,070,934 = 3.68 (2007) Days to sell inventory: 365/inventory turnover 365/4.35 = 83.91 days (2009) 365/4.01 = 91.02 days (2008) 365/3.68 = 99.18 days (2007) Debt to equity: total liabilities/total equity 25,926,158/55,825,756 = 0.46 (2009) 17,605,301/52,758,726 = 0.33 (2008) 16,340,517/50,872,536 = 0.32 (2007) Times interest earned: operating income/interest expense 6,171,502/1,897,346 = 3.25 (2009) 5,998,463/2,128,905 = 2.82 (2008) 4,745,339/2,085,177 = 2.28 (2007) Earning per share: net income/average common shares outstanding 3,260,411/1,000,000 = 3.26 (2009) 2,470,557/1,000,000 = 2.47 (2008) 1,493,609/1,000,000 = .1.49 (2007) Gross profit percent: net sales –cost of goods sold/net sales (149,245,176- 104,807,966)/149,245,176 =29.77% (137,579,664 – 96,595,908)/137,579,664 =29.79% (125,814,272 – 88,685,361)/125,814,272 =29.51% Profit Margin: operating income/net sales 6,171,502/149,245,176 =0.04 5,998,463/137,579,664 =0.04 4,745,339/125,814,272 =0.04 Return on assets: income before taxes/average total assets (102,968,775 + 89,791,858 + 86,673,853)=279374486/3 =93,124,828.7: average total assets 4,274,156/93,124,828.7= 0.05 3,869,558/93,124,828.7=0.04 2,660,162/93,124,828.7=0.03 Return on common equity: income before taxes- preferred dividends/average stock holder equity (55,825,756+52,758,726+50,872,536)=189,457,018/3 =63,152,339.3: average stock holder equity (4,274,156-0)/63,152,339.3 =0.07 (3,869,558 -0)/63,152,339.3 =0.06 (2,660,162 -0) / 63,152,339.3 =0.04 B) Based on your calculations, assess the likelihood (high, medium, or low) that Pinnacle is likely to fail financially in the next 12 months. When reviewing the ratio calculations, it is apparent that the company’s likelihood of failing financially in the next 12 months is low. This is because it is apparent that the short-term debt paying ratios are down from the previous years. For example, the current ratio has decreased from the preceding year concluding that the current assets can cover the current liabilities successfully. Also looking at days to collect receivables is also lowered which presents that it takes less days for the company to collect their receivables implying that the monies owed to them are coming in more quickly. Lastly, in order for a company to succeed they need to have a good turnover rate for the inventory which is just what Pinnacle company has. The inventory turnover ratio is low indicating that it is taking fewer  days than before to sell invent ory. C and D) are on the Excel Spreadsheet labeled Pinnacle Case Study Common-Size Income Statement C) Account Balance Estimate of $ of Potential Misstatement Training37,621 Miscellaneous expenses74,791 Rent125,115 Legal Fees232,798 Miscellaneous office expenses211,874 D) Account BalanceEstimate of $ of Potential Misstatement Welburn Division: Training26,928 Depreciation880,286 Executive salaries174,362 Solar-Electro Division: Legal fees234,669 Miscellaneous office expense202,331 Machine-Tech Division: Depreciation66,596 E) Explain whether you believe the information in requirement c or d provides the most useful data for evaluating the potential for misstatements. Explain why.  I believe that the information in requirement d provides the most useful data for evaluating the potential for misstatements because you can see exactly what each division is claiming in each sub-category. When using the information in requirement c, you are getting an overview of what all the divisions have done and cannot tell which division each misstatement is coming from. Also, by using information from requirement d, the auditor has a better chance of depicting the misstatements because you are focused on one specific division instead of trying to figure out which division the misstatement might have been from. Requirement d is more informative than  using requirement c.

Bank of America Essay Example for Free (#2)

Bank of America Essay The apparent problem in the Bank of America case study is that Jen McDonald (head of the Bank of America digital marketing group), and Douglas Brown (senior vice president of mobile product development) received requests to create mobile apps more specific for individual businesses as a way to gain leverage (Supta & Herman, 2012). Brown, specifically, was hesitant to add additional mobile app features as he feared it would make the application far too complex. Not only would it prove to be difficult for some users to understand, more features often make applications run more slowly, which could complicate the idea of mobile banking. In addition this could possibly give the customer a more negative experience. To cite the problem specifically, Brown stated â€Å"App complexity has led to some high-profile failures in the market place. This carries a huge risk† (Supta & Herman, 2012). Furthermore, Bank of America was provided $20 billion in capital from the United States government during the financial crisis under leadership of CEO Kenneth Lewis (Supta & Herman, 2012). Lewis had concerns that certain investors and customers would start to correlate Bank of America with Citigroup, who had previously given up 36% of its ownership to the federal government (Supta & Herman, 2012). This resulted in Brian Moynihan (head of consumer and small business banking) taking over as CEO on January 1, 2010 (Supta & Herman, 2012). Constraints and available options One of Bank of America’s options was to create different apps to target different groups and market segments, which proved to be somewhat of a risk. Not only was the organization concerned for the customers reaction, Bank of America was also hesitant because mobile apps are costly and in doing so, technology resources would be taken from other essential areas of banking such as online banking and atm machines. At this time customers were not completely trusting in working with their banks, as financial struggles were becoming more and more apparent. In order to give theBank of America the trusted name and customer loyalty it had previously held for so long, executives decided Mobile banking was the right path to take in order to save the company. Analysis and Evaluation The bank of America officially launched their mobile banking application in May of 2007. This included the ability to bank on the customers phones either by application or by accessing the mobile web through their phones browser. Douglas Brown confirmed that the success of the mobile application was astounding as the company gained four million mobile banking customers over the time span of less than three years (Supta & Herman, 2012). Because of the high level of success, business managers were eager to update the applications, in an effort to raise the level of functionality even higher. This proved to be a decision that had to be carefully considered by the Bank of America corporate team. Strengths: The Bank of America already holds the title of being one of the most prestigious banks and a leading company in the U. S. Because of their household name, marketing new products prove to be fairly easy; however identifying a product that customers will adopt and figuring out the target market are essential to Bank of America’s success. An additional strength of the mobile banking application was the timing in correlation to the launch of the application and the launch of the iPhone, making Bank of America the first bank to be able to offer a banking application on the iPhone. The most used features of mobile banking came from viewing account balances and viewing transaction details, making debit card holders the most popular users. After the mobile banking launch more customers opened checking accounts in the months of the introduction of mobile banking and did in fact use the application during that time. Weaknesses:  A weakness shown by Bank of America proved to be within technology adoption and which smart phones the mobile applications could be used by. The Bank of America was slow to adopt SMS technology and access to mobile banking was limited. It was only available to those who used online banking with Bank of America, therefore leaving a huge portion of customers out and feeling negatively about the new product. Another weakness in the new mobile application was that it had to be created with more features than competing mobile applications, which added the risk of making the mobile app more complex. Complexity is a weakness when striving to offer a simple and functional upgraded product to customers. Furthermore, the bank was recovering from the financial crisis, which caused a great loss for a company as big as themselves, as customers had to put a curb to their spending. They also feared they damaged their name in asking for $20 billion in federal backing which proved to be a huge mistake. Bank of America did not want to be associated with other banks that had borrowed capital, but in turn were forced to give up a percentage of their company. Opportunities: In analyzing the Kotler & Keller text, marketing opportunity is described as a buyer taking interest in something that has the probability to make a profit (Kotler & Keller, 2009). The introduction of mobile banking was a huge opportunity that the Bank of America capitalized on. When mobile banking was introduced costs per transaction started at 10 cents and were expected to drop to 3 to 4 cents. ATM costs were already 1. 34 per transaction which provided an advantage to debit card holders with low account balances. They also benefited in that they could easily check their account balance through their phones before making a purchase. The Bank of America capitalized on the opportunity to offer this feature to customers for absolutely no cost. This was a huge plus in gaining additional customers and fans of mobile banking, as other banks had already begun to waive ATM fees during the times of the market dropping. Mobile banking was a way for Bank of America to bounce back after financial crisis and offer users an experience they had never before been exposed to. The novelty of the design and idea would bring trust and value back to the company. Threats: A potential threat of mobile banking was that expanding on apps and adding new features can turn potential customers off because it tends to make banking more complicated throughout the introduction process. Surveys and research also showed that 44% of customers did not see a need or any type of value within mobile banking. When introducing a new product, buyer behavior tends to be very guarded as customers are reluctant to trust a pone application to keep their banking statements and accounts secure at all times. Major competitors are also a threat that the Bank of America faced. Major Banks such as Wellsfargo, Citigroup and PNC, to name a few, also offer mobile banking with virtually the same functions and applications. Mobile banking was also seen as a threat because of the high initial costs, however, from a marketing perspective, if the Bank of America were to pay extra costs to set their mobile applications apart from competing banks, the additional features would be worth the price in customer popularity and satisfaction. Recommendations Because mobile banking has been introduced by so many other banks, the best recommendation would be to create a form of mobile banking that is more secure and user friendly than competing applications. These are the two issues that customers seemed to have the most doubts about, so putting extra emphasis on these areas will surely set the Bank of America apart from others. Another recommendation is to target one particular audience and market to them specifically, therefore making age and stage in the life cycle of great importance. It is likely that the younger generation will be much more open to yet another phone application, as it is the norm for them, and will provide huge ease to another aspect of their lives. This may result in the younger generation taking more initiative when it comes to banking and gaining more responsibility in this aspect of their lives. Phone applications makes it easy to transfer money and to check balances, providing an awareness of your funds 24/7, opposed to only during banking hours. Kotler & Keller advices marketers to take the following three steps when marketing a product: 1. Compare it with a product that consumers already know about, making it more comfortable for them to base the purchase off of a past decision (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 2. â€Å"†¦The lure of â€Å"free† is almost irresistible† (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 3. Consumers often experience the â€Å"optimism bias† or â€Å"positivity illusion. † They tend to overestimate their chances of experiencing a positive outcome and underestimate their chances of experiencing a negative outcome (Kotler & Keller, 2012). These steps are recommended to the Bank of America’s target audience in order to raise popularity and awareness of the mobile banking application. In other words, it is essential to understand the meaning of consumer behavior. Kotler & Keller define consumer behavior as how individuals come up with ideas and experiences that work to satisfy the customer’s wants and needs. The customer’s desires will be met in that the mobile banking app will be free to current customers, which will already account for a huge part of the appeal. Compared with online banking, which customers are likely to be more familiar with, the target audience will see the mobile app as an easier, faster version of a feature they already value. Furthermore, because of the optimism bias and positivity illusion, customers using this product are more likely to feel it will improve their financial security and well-being. Lessons Learned In the review of the entire Bank of America case study, it is apparent that control was an issue that was brought up as the main concern of the customer in accepting the new application. Customers were weary at first, as they had concerns for the security of their finances and feared they were giving up control of their bank accounts to a mobile application. In retrospect, the customer actually gained more control over their finances as they were able to access them from nearly anywhere in the world. This goes to show how identifying with the customers emotions and providing them with a product that gains their trust and eases their concerns, will make the innovation and the company that much more successful. Bank of America. (2016, Sep 09).