Celebrating Nerdiness Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Celebrating Nerdiness Analysis - Coursework Example In the first paragraph, Rogers mentions some stereotyped definitions of nerdiness, such as being â€Å"friendless† and â€Å"book-smart sissies† (1). He opposes the definition of nerdiness as being suck-ups, however, because nerds, since they are nerds, violate social norms at the behest of authorities. Rogers also underlines that the rise of the Internet makes nerdiness cool to some extent, because their computer skills are handy in high-tech societies. Roger starts expounding on the definition of nerdiness on the first paragraph, because he already names several common definitions of nerdiness. This placement is effective, because it establishes ethos. Rogers is saying that he knows what a nerd is, because he is a nerd himself. His experiences are sufficient to explain that society often get nerdiness wrong. In the first paragraph, he stresses that nerds are far from being suck-ups to authority figures, because their deficiency in social skills tend to â€Å"horrify† the latter (1). The effect of this statement is it shows that nerds are not concerned of following authority, in fact, they are ultimate individualists, sometimes, too extremely so that their social skills and experiences suffer in the process. But like any other individual, these consequences are acceptable, because it indicates that nerds are social rebels, to some extent, and this makes them similar to other average-intelligence people. 2. Using the list on pp. 250-251 in Wyrick, (attached) identify and provide examples of those strategies used by the author in order to clarify the definition. For example, does he compare nerdiness to something else? Does he use familiar synonyms for nerdiness? Does he illustrate what nerdiness is not (negation)? Does he explain the etymology (history) of nerdiness? Does the definition change from the beginning to the end of the essay? Rogers uses the strategy of describing distinguishing

Blending homemade juice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Blending homemade juice - Essay Example During peeling, hold the knife carefully and peel the fruit slowly ensuring that one does not peel off large chunks of the flesh besides avoiding injury to self. After peeling, cut the fruits into sizable pieces that will blend easily. The process is equally important since cutting expedites the blending process thus reducing the amount of power required to blend the fruits in the machine blender. Depending on the flavor that one strives to achieve, mixing different fruits is essential since it increases the nutrient contents of the juice. Mixing of the fruits in the blender is indiscriminate and depends on the creativity of an individual. Fill the blender to the brim before switching the machine on. Blending such large capacities of juice is economical since the blender runs once as opposed to blending small quantities at different times that would consume more power. Run the blending machine and wait for the blending process to complete. Most machines hum differently and even slow to a stop to signify the completion of the blending process. However, observe the blending jar to observe the chances as the fruits turn into fluid juices. Turn off the machine and sieve the juice into a clean jug. Sieving helps eliminate fibers. However, health practitioners encourage the consumption of the fibers since they enhance digestion. After sieving, the fruit juice is ready consumption. The above process is exciting and engaging. However, just as any other process people must exercise caution in handling such sharp objects as knives and the electric equipment in order to minimize the risk of electrocution. Additionally, blending is a process that results in the creation of food products. This implies that people must maintain high standards of cleanliness in order to prevent the contamination of juices. Wash both the blender and he fruits before the blending process.  

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in Labor Essay

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution in Labor - Essay Example In the case Davenport who is the human resource manager questions Slover about union activities in the hospital, Slover answers no and at this point he uses the avoiding style because he knew his chances of wining in this situation were limited, the other negotiation style evident is the case where the hospital decides to remind its employees about the rules, in this case the hospital was using the competing negotiation style where it was a win lose situation and the company had to make a quickly decision to stop the employees from joining the union and to discourage those who were introducing others to the union. Finally the accommodation negotiation style is evident where after the court case the hospital management accepts responsibility whereby Ostrowski is compensated, workers union rights are redefined and therefore this is an accommodative negotiation style where the hospital accepts the demands of the employees. There are a number of negotiation principles that were violated in the hospital case, it is evident that emotions take over when Ostrowksi decides to become apart time worker, emotions make Maher not to accept Ostrowksi working as a Diem nurse who are paid a higher wage, he is replaced by a new employee named Elaine Troyer.

Why is Thermoregulation Important?

Why is Thermoregulation Important? In all living organisms there is a complex series of chemical reactions occurring, the rate of which is dependent of temperature. In order for these chemical reactions to occur and thus sustain life all animals exhibit some way of regulating their body temperature. This process is known as thermoregulation. This regulation is achieved in various ways, either by behavioural or autonomic means. Homeothermic animals take advantage of both behavioural and autonomic means of regulating their body temperature in response to temperature fluctuations. Homeotherms have complex means of maintaining core body temperature within very narrow limits. For example, humans are able to regulate skin blood flow through the vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels redirecting blood so as to conserve heat in cold conditions or to increase heat loss in the cold. This process is further reviewed later on. Other autonomic processes utilized by homeotherms are shivering and non-shivering thermogene sis. Poikiotherms do not have the means to regulate their body temperature in such a precise way. Their body temperature is more dependent on the environmental temperature and they regulate this primarily by behavioural means. Such animals include bees, fish, amphibians and reptiles. However current knowledge on how this behavioural thermoregulation operates is not very high. Heterotherms exhibit the characteristics of both homeotherms and poikilotherms. One such example are bats which when active utilize autonomic means to maintain their relatively high body temperature. At rest however the metabolic cost of maintaining this body temperature is too high thus they substantially reduce their metabolic rate, at such time they can be described as being poikiothermic. This review will focus in some detail on the various mechanisms by which different animals thermoregulate, some of the benefits and drawbacks associated with thermoregulation and how this complex system has evolved across different groups of animals. I will draw on knowledge from various pieces of literature to give a comprehensive overview of this important life process. Behavioural and autonomic means of thermoregulation As discussed earlier homeotherms are utilise autonomic means to regulate their internal body temperature. It has been postulated that there is a hierarchy of structures responsible for maintaining the internal body temperature of these animals. The preoptic area of the hypothalamus plays a key role in autonomic thermoregulatory process. Early thermal studies identified the preoptic area as the centre of the thermoregulatory response. This area is synaptically connected to the lower brain stem and thus enables precise regulation of body temperature. Early research suggested that an increase in temperature in this preoptic region would lead to the excitation of neurons, resulting in the heat loss organs bringing about a reduction in preoptic temperature. In the same way, a reduction in preoptic temperature would excite neurons and lead to the heat production organs bringing about an increase in preoptic temperature. More recent research however has demonstrated that there is a far grea ter number of warm-sensitive neuron than cold-sensitive. These warm-sensitive neurons, play a much bigger role in the thermoregulatory process. During pre-optic warming these warm sensitive neurons significantly increase their firing rates and because of the synaptic connection with the lower brain stem, effector neurons are able to bring about heat loss responses. The median forebrain bundle is an important pathway that may be utilized here carrying signals to effector areas. In this way autonomic responses such as skin blood flow and shivering are controlled. Figure 1 demonstrates that in addition to bringing about heat loss responses, the increased firing rate of warm sensitive neurons inhibits nearby cold sensitive receptors preventing heat production. During pre-optic cooling the firing rate of warm sensitive neurons decreases thus reducing synaptic inhibition of the cold sensitive neurons. In turn the cold sensitive neurons increase their firing rate and induce heat production responses and heat retention. The preoptic region is also involved in afferent signals, detecting peripheral temperature changes through receptors in the skin. This information is integrated with central temperature information and the appropriate thermal response is activated. Most preoptic neurons are actually temperature insensitive, but do serve a purpose in thermoregulation. It has been postulated that they are involved in the comparison of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs from both warm sensitive and temperature insensitive neurons. It is this that forms the basis for set point temperatures, therefore playing a vital role in heat loss, heat retention and heat production responses. Figure 1 demonstrates the activity of a temperature insensitive neuron. If a neuron is inhibited by a warm sensitive neuron and excited by a temperature insensitive neuron it will act as a cold sensitive neuron. Once the preoptic temperature drops below a certain point i.e. the set point, it will increases it firing rate and bring about heat production and heat retention responses. If thermoregulation does not operate properly it may result in fever. This can be caused by the presence of endogenous substances like pyrogen. Pyrogen affects the activity of the pre-optic thermosensitive neurons. It can inhibit the firing rate of the warm sensitive neurons resulting in heat loss responses not occurring and elevated set point temperature. Also because of the synaptic inhibition between the warm-sensitive and cold-sensitive neurons, this decreased firing rate will result in an increased firing rate in the cold-sensitive neurons and bring about heat production responses further elevating the set point temperature. As a result fever occurs. Skin blood flow The preoptic area is able to coordinate correct efferent response in response to various internal and external thermal stimuli. One of these responses is the control of skin blood flow in humans. The vasodilation of blood vessels and the resultant increased blood flow to the skin is vital to heat dissipation during heat exposure. The increased skin blood flow significantly increases convective heat transfer from the body to the periphery. In conjunction with this increased skin blood flow, the evaporation of sweat from the skin results in cooling of blood in the dilated vessels. This process continues until the internal temperature returns to normal, at which point sweating stops and skin blood flow returns to normal. Skin blood flow in humans is controlled by vasoconstrictor and vasodilator nerves. The vasoconstrictor system is continually active, detecting even detecting subtle changes in ambient temperature. Through this activity maintenance of normal body temperature is achieved. Even small changes in skin blood flow can cause relatively large changes in heat dissipation. The vasodilator system on the other hand is only activated when an increase in internal temperature is detected. This may be during exercise or as a result of environmental heat exposure. Humans have many eccrine sweat glands distributed around the body which are responsible for thermal sweating. These sweat glands are innervated by sympathetic nerves which when stimulated results in secretion. The sweating response is only of benefit when it is coupled with evaporative heat loss. It is for this reason that environmental conditions like humidity and wind speed play an important role in this thermoregulatory process. Sweating and vasodilation are functionally linked however changes in one does not necessarily reflect changes in the other. An example of this is during exercise, as the threshold for cutaneous vasodilation is increased bit the threshold for the sweating response is not. During exercise blood cannot be redirected to the skin at the same level as blood flow to the muscle must be maintained. During cold exposure vasoconstriction of blood vessels and the redirection of blood flow to the core is essential for heat retention. When vasoconstriction occurs its results in a decrease in heat dissipation from the skin. Any alteration in this process can have serious implications, impairing the bodys ability to thermoregulate. As temperature decreases further shivering occurs. These muscular contractions help to maintain core body temperature. Humans are not the only animals to utilize evaporative heat loss process. Despite the fact that most mammals do not have sweat glands many of them are able to use this process in different ways. Birds lack sweat glands and some mammals like cats or dogs only have sweat glands on their feet. In such animals evaporative heat loss occurs by increased air movement over moist mucosal surfaces of the mouth and upper respiratory tract. This is brought about by rapid shallow breathing along with increased salivation. Another way of utilizing this process is seen in rats and kangaroos when they spread saliva on their fur. Tests in rats have shown that warming of the pre optic area of the hypothalamus results in increased saliva secretion. It also resulted in body extension which improves heat loss through the increase in effective body surface area. Many small mammals and those that hibernate exhibit another process in the thermoregulatory process. This process known as non-shivering thermogenesis occurs in response to the cold and it is regulated by the pre-optic area of the hypothalamus. It is a result of increased metabolic activity in the brown adipose tissue. The brown fat cells there are numerous fat droplets interspersed with many mitochondria. The brown adipose tissue has a rich supply and is also innervated by many sympathetic nerves. In cold conditions this non-shivering thermogenesis is activated by impulses passing down these sympathetic nerves or by the release of noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla. The free fatty acid store are burned up with the help of mitochondria and heat is produced. The rich blood supply to the area ensures blood is transported back to the core thus increasing core temperature. This process is seen in animals that hibernate, evident from the amount of brown fat found in such animals. Behavioural thermoregulation As indicated before the preoptic region plays a key role in autonomic thermoregulation, it does not however play such an important role in behavioural thermoregulation. Currently there is a lack of knowledge to indicate exactly which area of the hypothalamus is involved in behavioural thermoregulation. Behavioural responses to changes in environmental temperature occur before the internal body temperature elevates. It is from this that the assumption has been made that receptors in the skin play a key role in behavioural thermoregulation. Research has shown that the neurons responding to thermal stimulation of the skin are located in the spinal cord, with the signals from these reach areas in the cerebral cortex. However these signals, whether detected as hot or cold, cannot be a direct cause of activating the behavioural process. The reasoning behind this is that if a cold stimulus is applied to the skin of a resting animal, they perceive this as unpleasant and move away from it. Ho wever during exercise the same cold stimulus applied to the skin may be perceived as pleasant. It is because of this that the behavioural mechanisms of thermoregulation appear to be based around thermal comfort and discomfort. It has been postulated that the parastrial nucleus and the dorsomedial hypothalamic region are involved in eliciting behavioural responses. Further research however needs to be done to confirm this, possibly by examining the effect of lesions of the two areas on behavioural responses. Once the area directly responsible for eliciting behavioural responses further research can then be done into the relationship between behavioural and autonomic responses. One example of an animal that exhibits mainly behavioural thermoregulation is the lizard. Lizards are ectothermic mainly obtaining heat from external sources. Lizards are able to maintain a relatively high body temperature, unlike most other ectotherms they can do this very precisely. Much research has been carried out into the thermoregulatory process of reptiles. An early concept that was developed was that of the preferred body temperature (PBT), which is related to homeostasis. The idea being that the PBT is the optimum temperature at which the animals physiological processes take place. The PBT varies across species and in some lizards the PBT can change along with the seasons. There are a number of different ways in which the lizard obtains heat from the environment. The absorption of solar radiation or the conduction from hot air or surfaces are the main ways in which lizards gain heat. If internal temperature is too high they may reduce this by radiation from the surface, con vection or conduction to a cooler surface. Like other animals discussed before lizards are able to utilize evaporative cooling processes. In temperate climates lizards maintain a high PBT and obtain heat through absorption of solar radiation by basking in the sun, these are known as basking heliotherms. Different species of lizard exhibit different behaviour in relation to basking. The Lacerta vivipara emerges and begins to bask at a time when the activity temperature can be reached in the least time. This way they do not unnecessarily make themselves vulnerable to predators. Other lizards may emerge at a constant time independent of temperature. When basking lizards will adopt a specific posture in order to maximise body surface area and thus maximising their heat gain from the surroundings. They do this by sprawling on the ground with outstretched legs. During the day lizards will alternate between periods of activity and periods of basking. When they achieved their activity tempe rature they will stop basking and may begin actively foraging for food. During this time their internal body temperature is continually dropping and once it reaches a certain point they will have to bask again. This is a continual cycle throughout the day, observed in species known as shuttling heliotherms. Species which obtain most of their heat by conduction from hot rocks are known as thigmotherms, they are only able to in regions with intense solar radiation. Although the information on how lizards monitor their body temperature and how they use this to elicit the appropriate behavioural response is limited, the assumption is made that they must have thermal receptors in the skin. While maintaining a high body temperature the lizard will exhibit a lower metabolic rate than mammals, the reason being that they obtain most of their heat by thermal radiation. However lizards do generate some heat by metabolism but as they do not have fur, feathers or other insulatory means seen in h ometherms this heat is lost very quickly. Research has shown that heart rate can effect thermoregulation in these animals. During cooling the animals heart rate decreases thus decreasing blood flow and conserving heat. As seen in other animals, these reptiles exhibit some control over peripheral blood flow through the sympathetic vasoconstriction or vasodilation of blood vessels. Evolution of homethermy Endotherms like birds and mammals are different from ectotherms in that they have substantially higher standard metabolic rate. When the ambient temperature is reduced endotherms may raise their metabolic rate to generate heat, as opposed to ectotherms such as the lizard which simply allow their body temperature to drop. The evolution of this process of homeothermy may have occurred in stages with the first being the development of behavioural thermoregulation. As seen in the lizard this can become very precise. Once this level of thermoregulation had been achieved enzymes may have become adapted to function optimally at the PBT. Along with a gradual increase in the importance of metabolic heat and development of fur, feathers and subcutaneous fat to retain the heat homeothermy eventually evolved. Consequences of homethermy The evolution of homethermy has many advantages, in that it gives such animals independence from changes in environmental temperature. There are however some downfalls to this process. In order to maintain their high body temperature they must also maintain a high metabolic rate. To do so homeothermic animals must eat a lot more than poikiotherms and they must do so continually. This can be a big problem for small mammals or birds which lose heat fairly quickly. These smaller animals must feed voraciously just to maintain their body temperature. Adaptions to cold Many animals have had to adapt to survive in climates where they are exposed to severe cold conditions. There is a number of ways in which they do this, either through migration, adapting itself to tolerate the cold or it can go into hibernation. Some poikiotherms such as faced with extreme cold have demonstrated adaptions to avoid freezing through the secretion of glycerol. Through this they are able to reduce the freezing point of the body fluids. Another adaption to surviving extreme cold conditions is known as supercooling. This phenomenon is the ability to tolerate temperatures lower than the typical freezing point. One experiment demonstrated that fish taken from deep water had a freezing point between -0.9 and -1.0 C, yet the temperature of the water from which they were taken was -1.73C. Thus they are demonstrating supercooling. It is through this process that deep water fish are able to survive such low temperatures. Another adaption to climatic stress is hibernation. During hibernation, body temperature decreases to approximately that of the surrounding environment. Heart rate and metabolic rate also drop to a minimal level. Animals that hibernate are homeothermic during the summer but under the cold conditions of winter they become poikilothermic. During hibernation the animal remains inactive with greatly reduced metabolic requirements. The animal sustains these small requirements through its energy stores. If surrounding conditions get too low the animals metabolic rate may increase to generate heat. Some species also exhibit another process in regulating their body temperature. This process is a cycle between phases of intense activity with phases of torpor. This is a daily cycle exhibited in small birds and mammals that have high metabolic rates. An animal that exhibits such behaviour is the insectivorous bat. Their particular aerial habits inhibit them from carrying large energy stores. Studies have shown that torpor is important in energy maintenance during the summer diurnal roosting of the N. geoffroy. While resting, the energetic cost of maintaining a  constant, high (normothermic) body temperature (Tb) in small  bats rises steeply when ambient temperature (Ta) decreases below  about 30_C (Herreid and Schmidt-Nielsen 1966; Kulzer et  al. 1970; Genoud 1993; Geiser and Brigham 2000). Hence, thermoregulation  throughout the diurnal rest phase can be energetically  expensive, even at relatively high roost Ta. Furthermore,  during cool weather, insect activity and therefore foraging  success and energy intake of insectivorous bats typically declines  dramatically (Paige 1995; Hickey and Fenton 1996). Torpor is  likely an important factor in allowing insectivorous bats to  manage their energy expenditure nd survive in temperate climates  

Workplace Violence Essay -- Workplace Health and Safety

Workplace Violence Workplace violence has existed throughout history. However, historical documentation of workplace violence is vague and sometimes non-existent. Documented workplace violence is believed to have existed during the Roman Empire, the Renaissance Era, and it continues today. It seems unfortunate, but as long as a â€Å"society† exists, workplace violence will more than likely exist. Therefore, employers must understand: the history of workplace violence, the effects it has on the organization, the reasons why it occurs, the warning signs, and ways to prevent it from occurring. Most importantly, it is the responsibility of the Manager, to not only understand workplace violence, but to ensure that all employees understand the seriousness of workplace violence and to make sure that they have a safe working environment. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), workplace violence is any physical assault, threatening behavior or verbal abuse occurring in the work setting. It includes, but is not limited to beatings, stabbing, suicides, shootings, rapes, near suicides, psychological traumas such as threats, obscene phone calls, an intimidating presence, and harassment of any nature such as being followed, sworn at or shouted at. Before 1980, the American job-site was relatively safe and there were not many people concerned with violence in the workplace. Unfortunately, this has changed. Workplace violence has become a serious issue, especially since many people spend most of their time at work. Today, television and radio bombard the public with graphic depictions of violent workplace scenes. Violence occurs everywhere and it has even trickled ... ...s.† http://www.all-biz.com/articles/violence.htm U.S. Office of Personnel Management Author: Mary P. Tyler., A Manager’s Guide: Traumatic Incidents at the Workplace., 1993. Workplace Violence Department of Labor, Occupational Health and Safety Administration, Resources on the web. Information on Workplace Violence, guidelines and training materials are available. http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence Workplace Violence- a Bibliography Books dealing with workplace violence, prevention, protection, management, containment, liability, etc., are listed here with hyperlinks to Amazon.Com where they can be reviewed and ordered online. http://www.growing.com/accolade/viol/w_place.htm In addition, portions of a group project, in which I participated in, was used as a reference for completing this report.

Recruitment and Selection of Incepta Pharma

30th September, 2012 Homayara L. Ahmed Course Instructor Manpower Planning and Personnel Policy (J-601) Bangladesh University of Professionals Mirpur Cantonment Dhaka – 1216Subject: Submission of report on â€Å"Recruitment and Selection Process of Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd† Dear Madam, Here is the report on â€Å"Recruitment and Selection Process of Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. †, which you have assigned us as part of the course curriculum Manpower Planning and Personnel Policy (J-601). This is a group assignment, which was assigned after a series of class lectures and case studies. Thank you for offering us the opportunity to prepare this report. We appreciate the chance to apply our theoretical knowledge which will surely stand us in good stead.We hope that despite of the limitations, this report will give a fare idea regarding Recruitment and Selection Process of an organization to the interested readers. We will be glad to clarify queries if you have a ny. Finally, we thank you again for providing us the opportunity to carry out such study. Sincerely yours, Md. Hafizur Rahman †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Faruque Ahmed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Recruitment and Selection Process of Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Prepared for: Homayara L. Ahmed Course Instructor Manpower Planning and Personnel Policy (J-601) Prepared by: Md. Hafizur Rahman M1112023Faruque Ahmed M1112038 MBA-12 BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONALS Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka September 30, 2012 Executive Summary Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh which established in the year 1999. Now they are exporting their products in 57 countries. Around 4000 individuals from diverse disciplines are working in the company. To attain the goals and objectives, Incepta Pharma choose the right people both from internal and external sources. Only for entry level employees they use external recruitment and selection processes.Their external recruitment sources are universities and other organizations. Recruitment methods are job fair, campus recruitment, internships, advertisement, employee referrals. They use extensive interview method as selection tool. Person/organization staffing model is get priority in the selection process. For mid and senior level employees they follow promotion system based performance and experience. They always prefer employee referral. The main key factor of the success of Incepta Pharma is strong friendly and co-operative working environment.Employees share their tasks with each other. In suddenly vacancies of employment, employees work like team. CHAPTER ONE 1. Introduction: Recruitment is the process of identifying that the organization needs to employ someone up to the point at which application forms for the post have arrived at the organization. Selection then consists of the processes involved in choosing from applicants a suitable candidate to fill a post. Recruitment and selection is the core objectives of HR division of an organization.To attain the goals of an organization choosing the right people in right at time right place is very important. Incepta follow their own recruitment and selection process to pick up the best candidates which adjusted their organizational culture. They believe in team work. Employees share their work each other and help to understanding the tasks. They build a very co-operative and friendly environment which is the main ingredient to meet their ultimate goals & objectives. 1. 1 Background of Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. s a leading pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh established in the year 1999. Incepta began its operation with a handful of highly skilled and dedicated professionals guided by an able leadership. Proper strategic planning, technical excellence, swift and timely decisions helped them achieve their objectives leading to much faster growth. Incepta was able to anticipate the need of the market and provide the right product at the right time. High focus on R&D investment from the very beginning made possible the introduction of quality products ahead of its competitors in most cases. Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. s now the 2nd largest Pharmaceuticals company of the country and recognized as the fastest growing of the top five manufacturing company in the country. . The company produces various types of dosage forms which include tablets, capsules, oral liquids, ampoules, dry powder vials, powder for suspension, nasal sprays, eye drops, creams, ointments, lotions, gels, prefilled syringes, liquid filled hard gelatin capsules, lyophilized injections, human vaccine etc. Since its inception, Incepta has been launching new and innovative products in order to fulfill unmet demand of the medical community.The focus has always been to bring new, more technologically advanced molecules and innovative dosage forms to the country. Headcounts: To ac hieve their purpose and mission, they affirm their values of integrity, respect for people, innovation, performance and leadership. Around 4000 individuals from diverse disciplines including pharmacy, microbiology, MBA, Accounting, Engineering and Medicine are working nationwide under the umbrella of Incepta. All the skilled and professional personnel are set at their very appropriate responsible positions. . 2 Objectives of the Study: * To learn about the real-life practices of recruitment and selection process practiced in incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. * To learn about the selection tools used and do a cursory analysis of the validity/reliability of these tools. 1. 3 Methodology and Sources of Data: Primary data: We collected information about recruitment and selection process of Inceta Pharma by face to faces interview. Md. Iftakhairul Alam Shehab Asst. Officer, Human Resources shared the recruitment & selection process of incepta with us.Secondary data: From the website of Incept a Pharma, we collected their background and some other information. 1. 4 Scope of Our Study: This report is prepared only the basis of Head office of Incepta Pharma which situated in Tejgaon, Dhaka. Basically we don’t emphasize on their whole industrial recruitment and selection process. CHAPTER TWO 2. Recruitment: To attain the ultimate goals and objectives of an organization, recruiting the right people is very important. Recruiting brings together those with jobs to fill and those seeking jobs. 2. Recruitment Sources: This is the first step in the recruitment and selection process. Sourcing candidates means organization employment specialist is using a variety of methods to find suitable candidates for job vacancies. Sourcing can be done via online advertising on job and career sites or professional networking and participation in trade associations. Another creative sourcing technique employment specialists utilize is monitoring employment changes at industry competitors to recruit applicants familiar with the same type of business you are operating.So recruitment sources are: * Internal Searches * Employee Referrals/Recommendations * External Searches * Alternatives The main external recruitment sources for entry level employees of Incepta Pharma are Universities, Other organizations. For entry level employees universities are good recruitment sources. Incepta pharmaceuticals is a reputed organization and maintain good working environment so employees of other organizations are also eager to join the organization. For mid and senior level they go for internal recruitment. 2. 2 Communication Message:There are about three types of messages (Traditional, Realistic job preview and targeted), organization may use to provide information that will attract a significant pool of qualified candidates and discourage unqualified ones from applying. Incepta Pharma normally use realistic job preview type message in their advertisement. 2. 3 Recruitment Method: 2 . 3. 1Entry Level: Incepta Pharma use job fair, campus recruitment, internship (mainly for pharmacists) advertisement, employee referral method for external recruitment. They use university teachers’ referral for pharmacists recruitment.Choice Basis: Generally for medical promotion officer (MPO) they give news paper advertisement. Here they need higher yield ratio because when applicants understand the responsibility and challenges during training period most of them switch the job. They use employee referral because it is cost effective and these types of candidates also have to cross an extensive selection process for final selection. So there is no possibility of nepotism. They use job fair and campus recruitment because the processes require less time and the methods are targeted.By using internship they can evaluate an applicant practically. Challenges of the Methods: Except advertisement by using job fair, campus recruitment, internship, employee referral methods they a re getting only limited applicants but a vast number of applicant are not coming to their applicants pool. So there is most possibility the organization is depriving from more efficient candidates. 2. 3. 2 Mid and senior level: The organization follows promotion system for mid and senior level employees. When the company was started they followed head hunting for mid and senior level employees.But now they use internal sources for mid and senior level employees recruitment. Mid and senior level employees turnover is rare in the incepta. When any mid and senior level employee turnover or dead then responsibility of that person is shared by his/ her team because they would like to do team work. Then the vacancy post is filled up by promotion system on performance basis. They do not follow success plan culture. Choice basis: If they use external recruitment processes for mid and senior level employees it will be time consuming and new employees will take time to adapt the environment.S o it is not good for mid and senior level employees. As they would like to do team work the employees know the duties and responsibility of their boss and colleague. So they can easily share duties and responsibility when a mid or senior level employee turnoff or dead. Challenges: If any time for uncertain situation turnover of mid or senior level is high then it difficult to share duties and responsibility among the employees. They may face to problem for development/succession plan as they are following internal recruitment process. CHAPTER THREESelection 3. 1 Selection: Selection of right people from vast number of candidates is a very difficult task. If there is continuous recruitment and selection process year round of an organization, those must have recruitment and selection department. Otherwise some organizations transfer their recruitment and selection responsibilities to the recruiting firm and they pay huge for it. Incepta Pharma handle their recruiting process own. Choi ce Basis of Selection Tools: For Initial Assessment Incepta Pharma overview Resumes and Cover Letters of a candidate.They take written test when a large number of employees are recruited. But for two or three employees they collect CV from CV bank and employee referral and start first interview. Though they prefer employee referral there is no possibility of nepotism because the applicants have to overcome an extensive selection process to get final job offer. So only efficient candidates are selected for their job. 3. 2. 1 Resumes and Cover Letters: All educational, previous experiences, extra curriculum activities and other required information are written in resumes and cover letters.And information needs to be verified by other predictors to ensure accuracy and completeness. Generally organization uses this selection tool to initial assessment of large number of candidates. But sometimes there is a possibility of falsification and misrepresentation of information in resumes and cover letters. Problem with resumes and cover letters: Though resumes and cover letters is the most cost effective method of selection but in words of validity or reliability is very low. Someone may be prepared his/her CV by other.Real work skills or knowledge cannot be measured through this method. 3. 2. 2 Interview Method: Any confusion/curiosity is dissolved with the face to face meeting between employers and candidates. Interview is very important to evaluate person/ job match. For making the interview effective organization should follows these rules: * Asking questions assessing most basic KSAOs * Sticking to basic, fundamental questions suitable for making rough cuts rather than subjective questions * Keeping interviews brief * Asking same questions of all applicants * Useing a standard scoring guideHowever it is almost impossible to judge qualified candidates without Job Knowledge Tests and Performance Tests and Work Samples. But Incepta Pharma take only resumes and intervi ew for selecting their qualified employees most of the cases. They take 3 step descriptive interview for choose their appropriate candidates. 3. 3 Selection Process: The selection process typically consists of eight steps: 1. Initial screening interview 2. Completion of the application form 3. Employment tests 4. Comprehensive interview 5. Background investigation 6. Conditional job offer 7. Medical/physical exam . Permanent job offer For entry level employees selection Incepta Pharma follow following sequence: Collection of CV| v Screening of CV| v Written test| v 1st interview by HR head | v 2nd interview by head of the department | v 3rd interview by director| v Conditional job offer| v Final job offer | Fig: Selection process for entry level employee of Incepta pharmaceuticals Ltd. Always they do not take written test. It depends on number and types of the employees. CHAPTER FOUR ConclusionIncepta pharmaceuticals Ltd. Wants to be research based global pharmaceutical company and a highly efficient generic manufacturer. Now they are 2nd largest pharmaceuticals company in the country and exporting their products in the abroad (57 countries). But they started their business from 1999. They are fastest growing of the top five manufacturing company in the country. The market position they gained within few years only possible by highly skilled and dedicated professionals who can take Proper strategic planning, technical excellence, swift and timely decisions guided by an able leadership.The most important factor that takes an organization in a leading position is its efficient and right human resources. Incepta obtained their skilled and experience human resources by well structured, concurrent and extensive recruitment and selection processes. They have own distinct recruitment and selection process. They prefer internal referral to pick up appropriate employee for their organization. Question may arise have they maintain nepotism and favoritism. Yes they use n epotism and favoritism in efficient and effective manner to draw attention of sufficient candidates who will be resources in future.

Kodak Major Case Essay

Kodak’s main problem was not foreseeing and adapting to market changes of price and competition. Kodak had dominated the photo film market for most of the 1900s until competitors like Fuji began taking market share from Kodak in 1984. Kodak ignored the new threats until the late 1990s, relying on their market dominance. Problem Analysis Kodak offered three product lines to target various market segments as a part of their Funtime strategy to regain market share. Prior to this strategy, Kodak offered only two product lines, Ektar, their superpremium line, and Royal Gold, their premium line. They planned to introduce Funtime film, an economy brand film, which targeted the price sensitive consumer. The target market is the average film user who has little or no education about film, buys strictly on price, and is not influenced by advertising — the 50% of buyers that were not brand loyal (40% were film â€Å"samplers†; 10% purchased on price). Gold Plus is the premium brand film and is developed to target average consumers who are already Kodak-loyal or seeking quality photos over price. The superpremium film, Royal Gold’s target market is professionals, serious amateurs and average consumers who pay the premium for professional grade pictures for â€Å"very special† occasions. (See Appendix A) In the 1990’s Kodak’s main competitors were Fuji of Japan, Agfa of Germany, 3M, Konica of Japan, and Polaroid as a late competitor. Kodak has many ways to differentiate themselves from all of these competitors. As an established photography and film brand, Kodak has dominated 70% of the market share in the U. S. ; where many of their competitors are new to the market. Kodak has not offered a private or economy film line like many other competitors have. In the superpremium tier Fujicolor Reala was targeting advanced amateurs and professionals only while Kodak targeted a more broad segment with their competing Royal Gold line. In the Economy brand tier, Funtime was launched as an economy brand competing with Fujicolor Super G, Konica Super SR, and ScotchColor. Funtime was the only film in this brand tier to be offered only at off-peak film use times and only packaged in value packs. Kodak dominated the film market all through the 1900’s. They never received any major competition until Fuji began to attack their market share in the 1980s, when they were announced as the official film sponsors of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Kodak 3 California. Kodak believed their dominance and customer loyalty would continue to carry them as new competitors entered the market and as film prices were beginning to fall. They underestimated their competition and did not react soon enough. It seemed as if Kodak believed that people would not buy another film other than Kodak. By the late 1980s the film market began to see many competitors and Kodak’s market share began to fall. While still the dominant competitor, their market share fell from 76% in 1989 to 70% in 1994, and similarly the average price of film began to fall. While Kodak’s film rolls were in the neighborhood of $3. 50 to $6 per roll, competitors began releasing film under private brands starting at $2. 19. Shortly after the economy film market began to form, Consumer Reports released a quality test of the top 6 films in the market. While Kodak positioned themselves as the superior quality film, Consumer Reports reported that, â€Å"We found most films to be no better or worse than their competitors of the same speed†¦ and will yield prints of comparable quality. Kodak’s standard, Gold Plus, even ranked below Fuji’s economy film. With film market evolving, Discount Merchandiser released a survey in 1991 stating that â€Å"more than 50% of the picture takers in the US claim to know nothing or little about photography, and as a results they tend to view film as a commodity, often buying on price alone. † This led Kodak to a major repositioning of its film product line, introducing Funtime film, an economic film line, something Kodak would have never previously considered. Kodak was desperate to recover some of the market share they had recently lost and implemented a new strategy to help recapture some of their market share. They introduced the Funtime Strategy. In this strategy, Kodak would offer 3 lines of film (superpremium, premium and economy). The economy line was new for Kodak since they specialized in high-end photography that was parallel with their high quality brand image. Funtime was to be offered at 20% less than Gold Plus (their premium brand) and offered in limited quantities only twice a year at off-peak film use times, 4 months out of the year. Funtime was only sold in â€Å"valuepacks† of two or four rolls of the two most popular speeds, ISO 100 and 200. The major inconsistency with implementing this new strategy was the lack of advertising spent by Kodak; they offered no support and a lack of commitment to Funtime. Kodak was too concerned with maintaining its high profit margins that they were not willing to cannibalize their own market share before the competition did. Kodak 4 Whereas their focus was to regain some market share with their new Funtime line, they replaced their superpremium line with Royal Gold, broadening their â€Å"professional† target market. They emphasized that Royal Gold could be for â€Å"very special† occasions not just professional photography. Kodak spent 40% of its total film-advertising budget on this line and the other 60% on its Gold Plus. The Funtime strategy was a last chance effort to regain market share and compete with private label brands. It seemed that the economy line was introduced too late to recover the shares that were lost. By only offering it twice a year Kodak seemed as if they were not fully committed to this line. The lack of advertising sent a deceitful message. It appeared as if they were hiding the line as to not take away from their other â€Å"quality† lines. They wanted to keep their high quality image while competing in the low end of the market as well. This strategy does not solve their problem of competing with their competitors. The case did not mention any new ways that Kodak tried to differentiate themselves from their competitors or explain to their customers why they thought they were superior to them. Kodak offered 3 main lines of film but did not educate the customer on the difference between the lines. They stated their superpremium, premium and economy lines but did not take time to educate the consumers of the difference between the three lines and how they differentiated from their competition. Since Consumer Reports released a study showing that most film rolls in that time performed similarly and printed pictures of comparable quality. Kodak did not take time to distinguish themselves from this new competition but simply relied on their trusted brand name they had built in the years prior. Before differentiating themselves from their competition they should have reacted immediately to new competition rather than ignore it. Because Kodak was late to react, Fuji was able to easily differentiate themselves from Kodak. Kodak should have viewed Fuji’s sponsoring of the LA Summer Olympics as a threat. They should have immediately started discussion strategies on repositioning themselves to avoid the competition absorbing their market. Kodak was not prepared for the market changes that came. The week of January 25, 1994, Kodak’s stock lost 8% in value. Kodak was used to the large profit margins on film and could not rationalize cannibalizing their own profits by lowering costs due to their rigid management before the whole industry lowered prices. The reality was that the film industry was slowly declining, people viewed photography as a commodity and they were just on the cusp of Kodak 5 the digital era. Kodak was reluctant to come to terms with this new reality. Their competition capitalized on the market changes and private film companies began offering lower cost film of comparable quality. Kodak did not look far enough into the future of the market and were slow to react to competition which is why they failed to remain ahead of their competition and minimize any losses. Alternative Solutions Due to Kodak’s lost market share, lowered stock prices, and declining profit margins, it was evident that the company was headed in a downward spiral. Surviving within the industry, due to film being a commodity product, was not easy, and the company was in dire need to revive its own value. To solve its main problem, not foreseeing and adapting to market changes, we propose five alternative solutions: (1) delve into wholesale market share, (2) better educate customers regarding the products’ benefits and values, (3) spend more time on research and development, (4) halting production of the Funtime product, and (5) both educating customers about the products’ benefits and values, and spending more time on research and development. Alternative Solution 1 Kodak could sell its film in value packs at wholesale stores, such as Costco or Sam’s Club, in order to regain the market share within the industry. In doing so, this would be a great way for Kodak to tap into market share that had not yet been touched. Film, at this point, had not been sold in larger wholesale packs, and was being sold primarily in smaller groupings, at general retail facilities. Because of the recent upward trend with consumers buying in bulk, wholesale retailers were gaining more loyal customers on a daily basis. By selling within these types of stores, companies were more likely to succeed because this was a retail niche that was evolving, and would give particular brands and products more consumer recognition. Kodak could have taken advantage of the strong market and loyal customers that a wholesale retail company already has. By partnering with Costco, for example, Kodak could become its exclusive film partner. With this type of partnership, Kodak might be able to capitalize on the exclusivity of Costco’s film sales. Also, seeing in recent years that Costco has become a very common place for consumers to have their rolls of film developed, and frequently sells film rolls in value packs, it seems to be a one-stop-shop for families who are constantly on-the-go. If Kodak 6 Kodak were to partner successfully with retailers like this, the company would be able to gain further market share and sales, because people would increase their recognition of this particular brand, and could become the go-to brand for most. Wholesale retailers, like Costco, are extremely popular and well-trusted. By associating its image with these companies, Kodak would have a competitive advantage over others within the industry, and could be associated with Costco’s positive identity, thus giving itself a positively-positioned image relative to its competitors. The biggest disadvantage in implementing this solution, however, would be in securing a mutually-beneficial partnership with a wholesale retailer. Most wholesalers would not necessarily be likely to commit to an exclusive partnership to one particular brand (in this case, Kodak), simply because they limit their own product availability, and therefore cut into their own sales. Retailers, like Costco and Sam’s Club, focus on having a wide variety of products from which consumers may choose. If wholesalers were to commit exclusively to Kodak, per se, then they could lose out on potential sales from consumers who desire the competing film product. There is not necessarily an inherent benefit for wholesalers with exclusivity. Alternative Solution 2 Apart from selling within wholesale retail locations, another way to regain lost market share is to better educate consumers regarding camera film. Film had become a commodity product to most consumers, and there was little customer loyalty to any particular camera film brand. Differentiation between the companies’ own products, as well as the competitors’ products, is an important aspect of any business. However, it seems that Kodak lacked a differentiation strategy and had not communicated to consumers how its products were positioned positively, relative to those of its competitors. Consumers knew â€Å"little or nothing about photography,† according to the 1991 survey in Discount Merchandiser. Its lack of educational advertising left customers in the dark, as far as the difference between products available. Because many uneducated customers simply buy based off of price alone, Kodak needs to inform customers why they should pay the premium price, and what benefits come along with paying that premium. No other film companies were educating consumers about value and benefits, so Kodak had an opportunity to capitalize on the lack of knowledge thereof. By educating consumers, they Kodak 7 would become familiar with their film needs, and the film’s benefits. Simultaneously, they would also acquaint consumers with the value of their product, when compared to others. As a result, Kodak would create more brand loyalty. Moreover, in the case study, we are told that Kodak offered three types of films: Gold Plus, Royal Gold, and Funtime. To the average consumer, Gold Plus and Royal Gold are far too similar in name, and give off the impression that they are of the same quality. Customers were becoming confused due to the similarity between these two names. By educating the consumers about its products, consumers would begin to understand the value of Kodak’s film relative to competitors, and the inherent differences between its products. However, if this solution were implemented, the likelihood of making a large impact on its own market share would be minimal if implemented by itself. By itself, it would not help repair Kodak’s decline in sales, stock prices, and market share (because of its inability to adapt to market trends). Let aside, this would not address the problem of having been unadaptive, at its core. Educating consumers would likely only work best when paired with another alternative solution. Alternative Solution 3 It was ten years before Kodak responded to the Fuji’s sponsorship of the Olympic Games. Clearly, Kodak should have had a rapid response to this threat. Due to their lack of capitalization and overconfident mindset, Kodak lost a vast amount of their market. Kodak should have recognized that technology would advance sooner rather than later. Instead of only focusing on repositioning their film, they should have also tried to advance the technology of their cameras. The key to a successful business is focusing on the present product, while spending time on researching and developing the future product. Kodak executives should have asked themselves, â€Å"What can we do to get ahead in the market? † Seeing that the main problem with Kodak was its inability to anticipate and adapt to future market trends and developments, it should spend more time, efforts, and money on proper product development. This late response resulted in a rapid loss of market share. Had Kodak responded to this with more immediacy, its market share would not have dropped so significantly. To prevent market loss in the future, Kodak should invest more time and money on properly developing â€Å"cash cow† products. Prior to the development of Funtime, the products Kodak 8 within Kodak’s camera film portfolio were considered cash cows. Due to negative market rumors, the company intended on creating another cash cow, as to maintain its market share. However, had the company spent more time on researching the camera film industry, it might have noticed that developing another cash cow product was not intelligent. Market research is extremely important in knowing what next steps a company should take, and how to create a strategic business plan. Rather than Kodak’s executives asking themselves â€Å"What can we do to sustain our market share? † they should have asked themselves â€Å"What can we do to get ahead in the market? † Kodak’s strategy was to boost its existing products as stars, and develop a new product (Funtime) as a cash cow. Accordingly, the star products (Gold Plus and Royal Gold) would be funded and, ultimately, further promoted. In asking the wrong questions, Kodak forged its own demise: Funtime became a question mark product, liquidating revenues made by the existing cash cows. By spending more time on analyzing current trends and advancing technologies, Kodak could develop products that would help it recover lost market share and become a dominating force within the industry. The biggest disadvantage in implementing this, however, would be the risk of product failure. Kodak’s executives would need to make informed decisions regarding whether such developmental risks are worth product failure. Alternative Solution 4 As mentioned in the case study, Funtime film would be offered â€Å"only twice a year at offpeak film use times†. Kodak confused its customers in regards to the value of its product. In the eyes of the consumers, offering a different product only at certain times of the year, with a lower price, brought down the value associated with Kodak film. The case mentions that Kodak’s â€Å"stock had lost 8% in value on rumors of a price cut on film†. If rumors of a price cut brought down its stock prices, then adding a lower quality product, like Funtime, would also bring down company stock prices. In analyzing Kodak’s products with a BCG Matrix (see Appendix B), Funtime could be viewed as a question mark, whereas each of its other products were cash cows. The market share for lower quality film was not growing and did not generate much cash. Often times, dog products should be divested. Kodak should have quickly determined whether the Funtime Film Kodak 9 would develop into a cash cow or dog. Because Kodak was only selling this product during the off seasons, Funtime could never become a cash cow. While developing Funtime would have been a great solution given normal circumstances, developing a new lower quality product amidst negative market rumors was a risky move. Other companies, such as Fuji and Polaroid, had dog products, and were fighting to become cash cow products. To retain the market share it already has, and since the Funtime product is already developed, though, Kodak should phase out its production. This would turn the product into a dog, and over time, would be fully liquidated. Some foreseeable cons with this solution would be the costs incurred from holding inventory and phasing out a product. This would further cut into company revenues, making it more difficult to return from a decline in stock price. Alternative Solution 5 We believe that a combination of Alternative Solutions 2 and 3 would be an effective solution for Kodak. Education will explain the products’ values and benefits, while simultaneously maintaining its exceptional brand image. By educating customers and anticipating future market trends, not only is Kodak able to retain its loyal customers, but positively position themselves in the minds of non-Kodak-loyal film consumers, as well. This, however, only speaks to part of its main problem. Accordingly, this education needs to be aided by proper market analysis, so that Kodak is able to foresee market trends, and is able to react accordingly. The company must focus equally on both the present and the future. By using this two-pronged approach, between education and proper R&D, the company is able to educate consumers within the market for film, and additionally, determine how to stay ahead of the competition. Proposed Solution In direct reference to Kodak’s main problem (not foreseeing and adapting to market changes), we highly suggest that Kodak choose Alternative Solution 5: spend more time educating customers and communicating the value of Kodak’s products, as well as investing more efforts in proper product development, aided by effective market analysis. By educating customers, Kodak is able to both lock-in the loyalty of current customers, sustain its competitive advantage, and find additional ways to attract more new customers. Moreover, investing its time Kodak 10 and money on proper product development and analysis will allow Kodak to grow within the developing market. As a result, Kodak would be able to develop a star product, while maintaining several cash cows. Implementation Product In regards to the product life cycle, Kodak’s current product Gold Plus, exists in the maturity stage and their primary objective at this point is to defend and regain market share. To do this, Kodak needs to redevelop an existing line that will appeal to a broader audience of photographers. We are going to introduce Royal Gold to replace the current film, Ektar, in the high-end segment. At the same time we are going to propose to keep our premium product, Gold Plus, where it’s currently at in the middle segment and over the course of a year, as we want to phase it into the low-end of the middle segment, and make the price competitive with economy brands. This is partly because most consumers do not buy as much from the middle segment. Therefore, we want to enter a more profitable market segment. By phasing Gold Plus into the lower end, we can compete in both the high and low-end market. However, we cannot go about this by simply dropping the price of Gold Plus immediately. Mainly because doing so, in the eye on the customer, will cause confusion and potentially reduce brand equity. Instead, we will drop prices once or twice a month over the course of a year. This way, both products will be positioned better, in that we will be competitive in both areas. Royal Gold will be targeted to a broader customer base. It will be targeted to professionals and serious amateurs, as well as any photographer seeking film for â€Å"special† occasions, as referenced in the case study. Royal Gold will produce a sharper image and overall a better quality photo, thus attracting customers who prefer to have options in what they do with their photos. Those wishing to potentially enlarge the photo will have a finished product that is so crisp they will have the peace of mind in knowing it will not jeopardize the integrity of the picture. Royal Gold will be available for purchase in a variety of forms. In order for Kodak to be profitable with this new product it will need to be sold in individual packages, as well as packs of three and/or six in order to give customers a variety in selection. Kodak 11 Place Royal Gold and Gold Plus will be sold in places where other Kodak products are currently being sold. There are several retail outlets that carry Kodak products so purchasing the new line will not be difficult or hard to find. The distribution will be allocated in amounts that will maximize profitability and will be attractive to customers who are selective in where they buy film. Our main distribution for Royal Gold and Gold Plus will be to discount and department stores, about 34%; the eased decline in pricing will not be as noticeable in such a store. Next will be to drug stores who typically do not offer as many discounts unless a customer is part of their rewards program, about 25% will be distributed to such. Camera shops will get about 15% of the distribution, as this will attract the customer base that Gold Plus targets, those photographers seeking a more professional picture. It is in the privately owned shops that single rolls of film will be purchased more frequently. The other 26% will be allocated to supermarkets and wholesale clubs. We predict profits will be maximized greatly coming from these establishments, especially in sales of the three/six value packs. It would be wise of Kodak to track the profits where the film is distributed within the first few months after repricing Gold Plus, gauge consumer demand and produce and distribute enough film in order to satisfy the market. Price While trying to implement an economy brand, Kodak failed when releasing Funtime film. The consumer was not educated in the differentiation between the superpremium Royal Gold, premium Gold Plus, and economy Funtime. Although the market was searching for a product from Kodak that would be introduced in the economy brand, Funtime was unsuccessful. By taking Funtime off the shelves, the economy portion of the Kodak market is unavailable. Gold Plus is Kodak’s current lowest brand of film, but still offers higher quality over competing economy brands. Due to the stages in the product life cycle, Gold Plus’ price will naturally decrease. Gold Plus has already experienced its peak times of sales during the introduction and growth stages. Now that Gold Plus has been on the market for a while, it is now in the maturity stage of its life cycle, as sales have begun to stabilize. In order for a product to still succeed in the Kodak 12 maturity stage, the product must stand out among competitors. Implementing a gradual price decrease will slowly lower Gold Plus into the economy level tier without adding an entire new Kodak line. Eventually, a 15% price cut would give Gold Plus a price of $2. 96, $. 05 more than the Fujicolor Super G and Konice Super SR economy brands. Still allowing Kodak to have a distinguished brand image over competitors in the economy brand, this would place Gold Plus as a premium brand competing with competitors of the economy level. Sending coupons to customers is another way to help Kodak gain back market share in the decreasing market. Coupons create brand recognition and make customers feel like they, personally, are receiving a great deal. Because perception is reality, it is important for Kodak to position its brand as a product of high value. Instead of drastically slashing prices, Kodak’s gradual price decrease, along with coupons, will help gain back the market. Making coupons available to customers helps Kodak keep their value. On the other hand, Royal Gold is still in the growth stage due to the replacement of Kodak’s previous superpremium film, Ektar. When Kodak implements Royal Gold into the market, replacing Ektar, Royal Gold’s price is 20% lower than the previously existing Ektar, at $4. 19. In the superpremium market, Fujicolor Reala is selling at $4. 69, a $. 42 increase over Kodak Ektar. By gradually decreasing the price of Royal Gold, overtime, it will eventually take the place of Gold Plus’ previous position. In 1993, the premium brand, Gold Plus sold at $3. 49, competing at the same price as Agfacolor XRG. â€Å"Gold Plus price was standard of the industry†. Gold Plus no longer has the power of setting the price due to the lack of market share and position in the product life cycle. Instead of allowing Gold Plus to completely diminish from the market, diffusing it into the economy tier will still give Gold Plus a competitive edge. Promotion In order to regain market share, it is important for Kodak to advertise the benefits of Royal Gold and Gold Plus film. A simple picture can prove quality of film; alongside educating through commercials, Kodak will ensure the consumer knows exactly what to look for in film. Mailing out coupons is another great form of advertising. Promotion will help Kodak educate, along with create brand recognition. In turn, customers will purchase Kodak film and avoid post-purchase dissonance. By launching an advertising campaign and Kodak 13 emphasizing the long-term quality of Kodak, as well as educating the customer on distinctions between each product, consumers will be attracted to the film best suited for their needs. Kodak can gain a larger market share by informing the customer what they are gaining from purchasing Kodak film before even entering the store. This campaign, done through commercials, emphasizes the benefits of buying each Kodak product. As Royal Gold is new to the market, more advertising must be focused to educate consumers about the product. Devote 60% of the advertising budget to Royal Gold and 40% to Gold Plus, allowing Royal Gold more resources to takeoff as a new product. Pinpointing the idea that the average picture taker can take a picture like a professional, without being targeted to professionals. A commercial representing Royal Gold as well as Gold Plus is necessary to show the perk of each product. The innovation of Royal Gold coming from Ektar, which was originally targeted to professionals, adds confusion to the average photographer, assuming the consumer must be a professional to purchase the product. By making it clear to the market that Royal Gold is targeted to the consumer wishing to capture the â€Å"special moments†, the average consumer will be more drawn to the product. Gold Plus advertisement will focus on the value of everyday quality film. Whenever you take a picture, Gold Plus is there for you, always dependable in any situation. In a Kodak commercial, Royal Gold is the film used to capture the special first moments of a baby being born. Gold Plus is the dependable film for irresistible times thereafter when the baby is constantly photographed. As a result of consumers being uneducated in the film market, the general hesitation of purchasing film will come from being unaware of the benefits each film provides. Educating consumers, promoting benefits of Kodak and showing the attributes important in the Gold Plus as well as the Royal Gold film will lead consumers to the correct product. With the correct promotional strategy, the education will be suited for the target market, resulting in a satisfied consumer.