Want to Know More About Essay Topics for Classification and Division College?

Want to Know More About Essay Topics for Classification and Division College? The New Angle On Essay Topics for Classification and Division College Just Released When it's time for you to decide on a fantastic classification essay topics, select the one that allows you to classify subjects which are well defined. Classification essays aren't very popular with professors. They contain the exact same components that other college papers contain. The categories you select for your essay should be totally separate. Or you might want to find some recommendations on the best way to compose your essay. The particular information and examples form the vast majority of a classification essay. Now you could be thinking about how to compose a classification essay outline. Moreover, now you are in possession of a brilliant classification essay topic, and you are able to dive right into the practice of essay writing. The thesis statement is important as it's the one that is going to be followed in the entire essay. Don't forget that each statement you make in your essay has to be proved. Writers use strong classifications and divisions linked to the most intriguing topics. It's important to not forget that every category needs to have a single base for classification. Finally, every category must contain examples. The very first category ought to be the least important category. When choosing the one or making your own idea of the research work, pick the theme, which will make it possible for you to write about certain well-defined categories. The next step is to divide the subject into three distinct items within the extensive category which you have already chosen in step one. It's essential not to make too many categories all groups have to be equally important and equally related to your topic. The group doesn't fit the category. Essay Topics for Classification and Division College - Is it a Scam? In order to keep cohesiveness in the primary body of a classification or division essay, the author must use comparisons. The subject is going to be defined by a wide area, and it's important to experience the region for identifying the several crucial elements which make up what it is. Your subject will represent a wide whole. It is going to also help identify a subject which can be further split up into several interesting and distinctive ways. The New Fuss About Essay Topics for Classification and Division College It's also imperative that you get a well-developed thesis and utilize it to structure your paper in a more effective way. Starting with a fundamental thesis at the start of your work, don't hesitate to polish it later on, once your essay starts to take some shape. The entire essay ought to be written consistent with the thesis statement. Classification essays aren't particularly hard to write and many students succeed on them. You might also offer some general facts or informative details to pull in the readers. If you're a college student, odds are you have recent knowledge in selecting a college major. Use the suggestions provided by our sophisticated writers! Use the suggestions shared here in order to make a superb bit of writing and make a high grade. Essay Topics for Classification and Division College Can Be Fun for Everyone Our tool is excellent to create research paper topics too. Some might believe that the opportunity to investigate and explore a different topic will help them with an amazing learning curve. The very first step is to pick a topic wisely. Explore a topic that's important to you and you are going to be impressed at how fun and easy this paper is to write. If you cannot come up with two or three, then you may require a new subject. You can pick one topic and rewrite it to produce your own theme. Keep in mind, however, that this topic might be dangerous. If this is the case, you've got yourself a very good topic. It's a type of cost-benefit analysis. Each detail is taken care of in the appropriate way. For example, the classifications could be close relatives, distant relatives and deceased relatives. A good example is if you're writing about gadgets.

Communication Aspects Of A Professionally Well Known Person

INTRODUCTION: The report is about communication aspect of a professionally well-known person in terms of communication style, skills and effectiveness. The major concern is to identify those skills, analyzing and then implementing in professional life. Full name of clinton is hillarydianerodhamclinton a well known American politician, She performed their deuty as 67th united states secratory of states from 2009 to 2013 under the president of Barack Obama.Clinton has achieved many firsts in her roles as First Lady of the United States, U.S. Senator, presidential candidate, and Secretary of State (Simon Schuster, 2003,12) The purpose of this report is to identify professional communication aspects in relation to the communication†¦show more content†¦she is lawyerly and direct. she is extreme on issues, however delicate about her own issues. her inclination to impart is a manly style made her less thoughtful as a first lady.as per hypothesis and book she embraced a more ladylike style as a communicator amid her presidential offer than she used in her discourse as a first woman. (Nichola.D.Gutgold, 2009) NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION: †¢ One of the key component of HillaryClinton is she is master at building rapport and one of the way she use is build rapport within the context of his handshake and eye contact. This skill made her â€Å"feel more human† to the common person. And for a while person believe that he/she and Clinton are only humans in the world this is an assence of making rapport. †¢ Steady eye contact and blink less skill makes people feel more comfortable, Clinton is master at connecting audience and making everyone realize that she is directly addressing them. Her eye contact changed throughout speech. Eyes were more focused and up on moderator. People often blink eyes when they are in stress and this is a sign of anxiety. Blink more makes audience that you are uncomfortable, dishonesty and confusion. By following eye path speaker’s true intension can be measured as eyes are soul’s window. VERBAL COMMUNICATION: †¢ she grin and raise open-plamed hand high and say enthusiastically,i love the soul of the american individuals (she does it incidentally) puts forth

Understand Your Fats and Fiber free essay sample

Examples are fatty beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin, beef fat (tallow), lard and cream, butter, cheese and other dairy products made from whole or reduced-fat (2 percent) milk. These foods also contain dietary cholesterol. In addition, many baked goods and fried foods can contain high levels of saturated fats. Some plant foods, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil, also contain primarily saturated fats, but do not contain cholesterol. Trans- fats (or trans- fatty acids) are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. Another name for trans- fats is â€Å"partially hydrogenated oils. Look for them on the ingredient list on food packages. Trans- fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans- fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It’s also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We will write a custom essay sample on Understand Your Fats and Fiber or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The better fats are unsaturated fats called monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, and the best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, or sardines, or high-quality cold-water fish oil supplements. Canned albacore tuna and lake trout can also be good sources, depending on how the fish were raised and processed. The functions of fiber and lipids in the body is fiber absorb cholesterol and slow glucose absorption. Although your body cannot process dietary fibers for energy, they provide bulk in your feces to avoid constipation and satiety without additional calories Fiber can be used to relieve mild-to-moderate diarrhea. Soluble fiber soaks up water in the digestive tract, which makes stool firmer and slower to pass. Lipids include such ompounds as fats, fatty acids and cholesterol. The functions accomplished by various lipids vary widely. But their most prominent and important function is for the storage of energy for your bodys use. According to Elmhurst College, each gram of lipids can provide 9 kilocalories of energy. Although carbohydrates and protein can also provide energy, it is significantly less than the amount provided by lipids. Some of the food sources of a dietary f iber such as fruits and vegetables, breakfast cereals can be a good source of fiber. Some fruits and vegetables are particularly helpful in treating constipation, such as prunes and prune juice. Fruits, beans, and vegetables, a good source of fiber is unprocessed wheat bran; one to two tablespoons can be mixed with food. One tablespoon of wheat bran contains approximately 1. 6 grams of fiber. There are two types of fiber, each of which is thought to have its own benefits the difference is that, Soluble fiber consists of a group of substances that is made of carbohydrates and dissolves in water, and Insoluble fiber comes from plant cells walls and does not dissolve in water. There are some benefits of a high-fiber diet like, Insoluble fiber (wheat bran, and some fruits and vegetables) has been recommended to treat digestive problems such as constipation, hemorrhoids, chronic diarrhea, and fecal incontinence. Fiber bulks the stool, making it softer and easier to pass. Fiber helps the stool pass regularly, although it is not a laxative. Also soluble fiber (psyllium, pectin, wheat dextrin, and oat products) can reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and stroke by 40 to 50 percent (compared to a low fiber diet). And soluble fiber can also reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In people who have diabetes (type 1 and 2), soluble fiber can help to control blood glucose levels. (American Heart Association 2013) Retrieve from: http://www. heart. org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Trans-Fats_UCM_301120_Article. jsp (USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference) Retrieve from: http://www. uptodate. com/contents/high-fiber-diet-beyond-the-basics? view=print

Narrative Therapy Essay Example

Narrative Therapy Paper { tf1ansiansicpg1252deff0deflang1033{fonttbl{f0fromanfprq2fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} {*generator Msftedit 5. 41. 21. 2509;}viewkind4uc1pardfi360sb100sa100f0fs24 Narrative Therapy is an approach to counseling that centers people as the experts in their own lives. This therapy intends to view problems as separate entities to people, assuming that the individual quote s set of skills, experience and mindset will assist him/her reduce the influence of problems throughout life. This therapeutic approach intends to place the individual in both the leading role and author roles: switching the view from a narrow perspective to a systemic and more flexible stance. The aim is to help clients realize what forces are influencing their lives and to focus on the positive aspects of the lquote play quote . In many events of our lives, we tend to focus on particular things and ignore others. Analyzing our lives as a play, or a system, helps us understand the different forces and roles that are influencing our behavior. This in turn gives us flexibility to invoke the necessary changes for improvement. It is a highly respectful, effective, non-blaming approach. It theorizes that people organize their lives into stories, and that individual are not the ldblquote problem dblquote the problem is the problem. It views people as having many skills, beliefs, and abilities that will help them reduce the influence of problems in their lives. The focus is not on the lquote experts quote solving problems, it is the individual discovering through conversations of their hidden possibilities within themselves. par Narrative therapy was originally developed during the 1970 quote s and 1980 quote s, but became prevalent in North America during the 1990 quote s. The founders are Michael White a Psychotherapist and David Epston a S. S. W professor. Michael was a social worker, family therapist, author and co-director of the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. He quote s known for his work with children, schizophrenia, anorexia/bulimia, men quote s violence, trauma, as well as the Indigenous Aboriginal communities. We will write a custom essay sample on Narrative Therapy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Narrative Therapy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Narrative Therapy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer David Epston is an author, co-author and editor of many articles and books on lquote Narrative Therapy quote . He is a professor in the Social Work field, and the co-director of the Family Therapy article page Centre in Auckland New Zealand. He worked closely with Michael White on developing Narrative Therapy approach by integrating different forms of therapy together. par The Basic concepts of narrative therapy is to enable people to tell their stories in ways that make them stronger and Enables people who are experiencing hardship to make a contribution to others who are also experiencing hard times. It Encourages individuals, couples, and families to more fully explore other possible ways of making sense of their situations as well as supports to break free of restricting narratives. It also maximizes the existing capabilities and resources the individual may have. The core concept in Narrative Therapy is that our lives, identities and sense of self are shaped and made up by the meaning we attribute to our experiences which, roughly speaking, are simply stated the stories we tell ourselves to ourselves and eventually to others. When a person seeks therapy it is because their story is problem-saturated and has also became the person quote s dominant story in their life. When this story is told to a narrative therapist they don quote t contend the fact that it is true or false whatsoever, but simply, that it is subject to the distortion and removal which all our memories and experiences are subject to, that it is a slim description. par The techniques that narrative therapists use have to do with the telling of the story. They may examine the story and look for other ways to tell it differently or to understand it in other ways. In doing so, they find it helpful to put the problem outside of the individual, thus externalizing it. They look for unique outcomes: positive events that are in contrast to a problem-saturated story. dblquote (Sharf, 2004). The 3 main technique used are Firstly Externalizing the Problem. In Narrative Therapy the problem becomes the enemy of the story. Certain behaviors are based on particular lquote unhealthy quote or lquote undesired quote characteristics, such as lack of patience, aggressiveness, etc. Thus, they are approached as not a part of the client but as an opposing force which needs to be lquote defeated quote . An example would be a child that has a very bad temperament and tends to be aggressive to other kids at school and his parents. The child might feel guilty for his temperament and blame it on himself (ldblquote I don quote t know85 it is the way I am85 dblquote ). The counselor will work with him towards isolating that undesired trait (aggressiveness) and placing it as an external trait endash not a characteristic of the individual. This strategy helps clients re-construct their own stories in a way which will reduce the incidence of the problem in order to eliminate negative outcomes and reinforce personal development and achievement. The protagonist becomes the author and re-writes the story constructively. Secondly Unique Outcomes if a story is full of problems and negative events, the counselor will attempt to identify the exceptional positive outcomes. When exploring unique positive outcomes in the story, the counselor will assist the client in redeveloping the narrative with a focus on those unique outcomes. This assists the client in empowering him/herself by creating a notion that those unique outcomes can prevail over the problems. Think about this analogy: you are a novel writer. You were given a novel to review and publish the way you prefer. You have read it and found it generally poor, but there were some interesting ideas which you liked. You selected these ideas, and re-write the novel around them. You can make a flawed story become a bestseller. Finally Alternative Narratives The focus of Narrative Therapy is to explore the strengths and positive aspects of an individual through his or her narrative. Therefore, the main objective of this therapeutic approach is to improve the person quote s perspective internally (reflective) and externally (towards the world and others). Alternative narratives are a simple way to relate to this concept. This technique works in combination with unique outcomes. How? The individual will reconstruct a personal story using unique outcomes, therefore, focusing on the positive aspects of a previous story in order to achieve a desired outcome. This process is based on the premise that any person can continually and actively re-author their own life. By creating alternative perspectives on a narrative (or event within the narrative) the counselor is able to assist the client in bringing about a new narrative which will help combat the lquote problems quote . This is similar to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as it aims to create a positive perspective of an event. The main goal is to get the individual to alter the way they think, feel, and behave towards their own experiences, situations, and problems affecting them in their life. It engages clients in making sense of their narrative stories by externalizing the client quote s problem, Re-authoring the Story, and by providing a context for the new story. par The 6 Principles used in a Powerful transformative session are Dialectic and Paradoxical, Synergic, Symbolic, Holistic, Heroic and Pragmatic. Narrative therapy has a different kind of theory as it seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counseling and community work, which mainly focuses on the person being the expert in their own lives. Narrative therapy views the problem separately from the person and assures people have the skills, beliefs, values and abilities to reduce problems that occur in their lives. In essence, within a narrative therapy approach, the focus is not on experts solving problems, it is on people discovering through conversation, within themselves and hidden unseen story lines. Narrative therapy as been proven to be successful when used within individuals experiencing deep grief, with children experiencing problems , In group Mediation sessions, In Family therapy, with individuals who were sexually abused, with individuals who have Anxiety disorders or eating disorders- anorexia/bulimia, as well as Coaching teams and athlete. par Unfortunately this theoretical approach has some weakness when used with certain family situations. This approach is not Applicable to all problems . It Does not consider the root ldblquote cause dblquote of the problems and it can be vague when understanding of how problems developed. It also Holds a constructionist belief that there are no absolute truths but only socially sanctioned points of view. Therefore; therapist are Concerned that Narrative therapy are made to be lquote gurus quote , especially since its leading proponents tend to be overly harsh. Despite being a widely used approach, particularly when combined with other therapeutic approaches . Narrative Therapy has certain boundaries and limitations. In many occasions, diverse clients may expect the therapist to act as the expert, instead of having to lquote conduct quote the conversation themselves. For this reason, Narrative Therapy can be challenging when the individual is not articulate. Lack of confidence, intellectual capacity and other issues could also undermine the expression of the individual through a narrative. Another common boundary of Narrative Therapy is the lack of recipe, agenda or formula. This approach is grounded in a philosophical framework, and sometimes can become a particularly subjective or widely interpretative process. par pardfi360par }

Free Essays on Relationship Between Nurse Practitioner and Medical Practitioner

Why Can't We All Just Get Along: The Relationship between Nurse Practitioner and Medical Practitioner There is a patient in front of you. You are a nurse practitioner; the individual beside you is a medical practitioner. Both of you have the same information. Both of you have the same goal, or do you? Do you want wellness for the patient, including the social, emotional, nutritional, and familial aspects of that patient’s life or do you want the injury/illness/infection gone and the patient back to routine living? They seem like divergent views, the nursing model and the medical model, but as the environment of healthcare changes, can a path be found so both can thrive? Introduction In Creative Nursing, Tim Porter-O’Grady (2003) discusses that we are moving into a new healthcare relationship with our patients, one that will increase the patient’s expectation of positivity and will require all professions to work in a seamless fashion. Healthcare is becoming patient–owned (Porter-O’Grady, 2003) and that type of pattern will necessitate â€Å"working ‘together’ rather than working ‘alongside’† (Davies C, 2000). We have moved into a new social-evolutionary age, one of information based social behaviors, instantaneous market fluctuations, longer life span, increasing chronicity, and strained resources. Because of these stressors, we must look at what we are doing and do it better. One of the changes that are occurring is the emerging role of nurse practitioner. While this role in primary care has been around since 1965, it has been seen by most as a stopgap for decreasing medical resources and was not regarded, even by some in nursing, as a creditable resource. It is still largely misunderstood and globally underutilized. Part of this misunderstanding is the view of some medical practitioners who deem nurse practitioners as a threat to the exclusivity of the domain of... Free Essays on Relationship Between Nurse Practitioner and Medical Practitioner Free Essays on Relationship Between Nurse Practitioner and Medical Practitioner Why Can't We All Just Get Along: The Relationship between Nurse Practitioner and Medical Practitioner There is a patient in front of you. You are a nurse practitioner; the individual beside you is a medical practitioner. Both of you have the same information. Both of you have the same goal, or do you? Do you want wellness for the patient, including the social, emotional, nutritional, and familial aspects of that patient’s life or do you want the injury/illness/infection gone and the patient back to routine living? They seem like divergent views, the nursing model and the medical model, but as the environment of healthcare changes, can a path be found so both can thrive? Introduction In Creative Nursing, Tim Porter-O’Grady (2003) discusses that we are moving into a new healthcare relationship with our patients, one that will increase the patient’s expectation of positivity and will require all professions to work in a seamless fashion. Healthcare is becoming patient–owned (Porter-O’Grady, 2003) and that type of pattern will necessitate â€Å"working ‘together’ rather than working ‘alongside’† (Davies C, 2000). We have moved into a new social-evolutionary age, one of information based social behaviors, instantaneous market fluctuations, longer life span, increasing chronicity, and strained resources. Because of these stressors, we must look at what we are doing and do it better. One of the changes that are occurring is the emerging role of nurse practitioner. While this role in primary care has been around since 1965, it has been seen by most as a stopgap for decreasing medical resources and was not regarded, even by some in nursing, as a creditable resource. It is still largely misunderstood and globally underutilized. Part of this misunderstanding is the view of some medical practitioners who deem nurse practitioners as a threat to the exclusivity of the domain of...

Take Advantage of List Topics to Write About US History

Take Advantage of List Topics to Write About US History Take Advantage of List Topics to Write About US History There are many moments that serve as turning points in history. They shape political decisions, create positive or negative national moods and work as catalysts for other changes on regional or international levels. In the US history, there were loads of such moments: Cold War, the assassination of JFK, 9/11, etc.   They are still remembered and discussed because they left a trace that will never fade away. If you are tasked with a history essay, it’s great to write about the events like that. But the thing is that there are already so many papers that research these questions that you will hardly be able to offer some new perspectives or ideas. But that doesn’t mean that you have nothing to explore. There is also contemporary American history that contains as many turning points as other periods. They are truly important for changing the national mentality and forming new beliefs. That’s why we’ve arranged a 20 sample list topics to write about when you get a history assignment. You will surely be interested in some of them because many of the mentioned below events have happened and are happening in your plain view. 2003 Iraq Invasion: the Criticism of the Lack of Rationale behind the Final Decision The Launch of Facebook in 2004 The 1st Afro-American President in the US – Barack Obama How Osama Bin Laden Was Tracked and Killed in 2011 Federal Law on Same-Sex Marriages The Death of Pop Icon – Michael Jackson 2007 Shooting by a Korean Student That Started the Discussion on Gun Control Laws The Consequences of Hurricane Katherine First Women in Submarines: 2010 Ban Lift The US Attack on Libya: The Operation Called â€Å"Odyssey Dawn† Arizona and Its Restrictive Laws Against Illegal Immigration Passed in 2010 The 2013 Shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School The Death of Freddie Gray and Baltimore Protests That Followed It Obama Visit Cube and First Steps to Improving American-Cuban Relationships ISIS Attacks within the US throughout the Period from 2010 till 2017 Boston Marathon Terrorist Attack in 2013 Milwaukee Riots and Events Prior to Them Starting from Dontre Hamilton’s Death in 2014 The Immigration Policy of Donald Trump How an American Mortgage Market Crisis in 2007 Developed into a Global Financial Decline in 2008 The 1st President without Prior Government or Military Service – Donald Trump As you can see, the US history starting from 2000 is quite rich in events of different nature. But despite their diversity, they all greatly influenced the American society. Writing a History essay or research paper on one of them is significant because you are a direct witness of the most of them. So, you can rely not only on the articles or research works of others but also on your own independent opinion. Choose one of the topics and create a historically significant academic paper.

Grand Alliance after World War II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Grand Alliance after World War II - Essay Example The seeds of suspicion sown on both sides and the anxieties of a cooperative post-war worldview resulted in the exaggerated misinterpretation of the motivations of the adversarial ideologies. At the foundation of the split in the Grand Alliance was the mutual fear that each adversary had expansionist policies as its driving force behind their foreign policy. While the Soviets professed a desire for coexistence and cooperation, the West discounted these attitudes and instead focused on Soviet demands for influence in the Near East, Middle East, and Far East (Roberts 21). The United States held the position that the Soviets had a program designed and driven by their goal of world domination. With the post-war Soviet encroachment into Eastern Europe, Kennan's policy of containment had realigned British and American thinking to accept a more aggressive policy of rollback. By the end of 1946, Truman and Attlee were both in agreement that the Soviet Union " posed a direct threat to Western interests and were agreed on the pressing need to modify Soviet behaviour" (White 35). The United States and Britain discounted the ability to negotiate with the Soviets. Soviet statements a nd activities promoting themselves as an equal partner were interpreted as expansionist and aggressive. Stalin was Stalin was also suspicious of the West's motivations and interpreted their foreign policy as being designed to dominate the world stage and the Soviet Union. At the foundation of this mistrust was the atomic bomb and the West's refusal to share nuclear technology. Stalin understood the implications of possessing the atomic bomb, and the fact that the Americans and British had kept it a secret prompted the Soviets to embark on an intense program to develop their own nuclear technology triggering the beginnings of a nuclear standoff (Zubok and Pleshakov 44-45). Stalin would not accept being anything less than an equal partner in the Grand Alliance and was willing to postpone any premature confrontations before getting the bomb. This put the Soviets into the position of retuning to the old Leninist model of igniting revolutions in Iran, Greece, and elsewhere aimed at increasing communist influence and providing the USSR with greater national security (Zubok and Pleshakov 45). Stalin's a ctivities were a response to the unrealistic perception of the threat that the West posed to the Soviets. The mutual suspicions and reactionary fears on both sides began during the war and were a product of wartime necessity. At the heart of the situation was the division of Europe and the Soviet influence in the Eastern satellite countries. The political landscape in Europe was born out of the realities of providing security in Europe during the war. Wartime agreements among the Grand Alliance had given political control of Eastern Europe to the Red Army as a means of providing security for the region during the war and had been bolstered by the growing impact of the communist party in these countries during the post-war period (Roberts 18). By March, 1946 former Prime Minister Churchill was denouncing the growing Soviet influence and gave a speech in Fulton Missouri which coined the phrase 'iron curtain' (Roberts 14). While there was still a spirit of cooperation among the Alliance, the policy of mistrust was

Multi model project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multi model project - Essay Example They just want to eject the DVD out of the DVD player or flip the channel if it is on cable network. It would be interesting to take a peek into the kind of work the producers and screenwriters do to create the desired effect in the audience. The impact it makes the viewers say wow. Obviously, everyone is not interested in the technicalities of a film production. However, one should be aware of the perspective that a movie is instilling in the viewer’s mind. Film critics call this the gaze. It tells the point of view of the movie director. Hollywood action blockbusters like the James Bond and Mission Impossible series are very good examples of the male gaze. The protagonist of such movies is a crime-fighting dominant male. He has access to sports car and top female models of the world. The protagonist is living the fantasy of the majority of the male audiences; to live a carefree adventurous life full of beautiful girls and luxury cars. There is no harm in giving the audiences what they want. The problem arises when such movies become the trendsetters. The people who disagree with such fantasies should not consider themselves outcasts but sadly this is the case. Such movies define what a successful person should look and behave like. This is wrong at so many levels. The people who are living â€Å"ordinary† lives should not consider themselves less than the fantasy projected on the cinema screen. Such perspective or gaze is so dangerous that it creates a sense of loss among average people. They want to live a large life but sadly they fall short because what is projected on the screen is just a fantasy. The counter argument that movies are supposed to be fantastical so that people can momentarily get out of their mundane routines and enjoy voyeuristic pleasures, is not valid because there is a difference between confining something and making a fantasy movie. The fantasy movie Lord of the Rings does not have that usual gaze. The values shown

Death Changes Essay Example for Free

Death Changes Essay Changes in Death Management Practices One of the first noted changes in the book regarding attitudes towards death can be seen with the advances in mass media. As Technology has advanced, so have the ways in which news is reported to the world. Radio, Television, and the Internet have given the public many ways of receiving information. When situations portray a perceived threat, people turn to mass media for information. The ability to access information regarding worldwide disasters, terrorism, and other acts of brutality make us feel like survivors of death. Because we are able to see and hear about things that we have no firsthand knowledge of, we feel like we are experiencing it to some degree. (DeSpelder, Strickland pg. 6) During the Vietnam War, television gave people access to images of things that were happening half a world away. In no other time were daily doses of violence to this degree a part of everyday life. Media analyst George Gerbner observed that these depictions of death evoked a heightened sense of danger, insecurity, and mistrust which contributed to an â€Å"irrational dread of dying and thus to diminished vitality and self-direction in life† (DeSpelder, Strickland pg. 8) Life expectancy and Mortality Rates have been affected by technology as well. In 1900, the average life expectancy was 47 years of age in the United States. As of 2005, the average life expectancy rose to 78 years of age. This rise can be attributed to epidemiologic transition which moves the largest number of deaths from the young to the old. In the early days people died from infection due to lack of medication and knowledge on how to treat and prevent. As this knowledge was gained, deaths tended to be from chronic disease processes that are common in the older population rather than young. In 1900, over half of deaths that occurred were to children under the age of 14. That number has decreased to less than 2% and this fact influences how we feel and think about death. (DeSpelder, Strickland pg. 36) In the 1870’s, nine out of ten Americans over the age of 15 had lost a parent or a sibling. Because medicine and medical care was not advanced, mother’s died during child birth and/or babies were born still born due to lack of prenatal knowledge and care advancement. The family unit was very important and often people in this time period would display postmortem pictures of loved ones who had passed as a testament to this family unit and the common knowledge of their mortality. One other change that has taken place is death rituals. In the early 1900’s families were more likely to be multigenerational living in the same house. People tended to intermingle with other generations out of necessity. Families lived on large homesteads and it took everyone to make it work. Because of this, multiple generations were present at the death of older family members and rituals and traditions existed. In this day and age people are more mobile and on the move. It is harder to maintain close relationships with family when you don’t live in the same state, let alone city. People appear to be less affected by the death of an older relative when the closeness of the relationship has been lost due to sheer proximity. Several changes that can be discussed regarding children are their attitudes towards death, their functional ability to understand death, and their desensitization to violence regarding death. Children’s attitudes towards death are much different in this day and age from in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. In that time, families tended to live together in extended family situations possibly on homesteads. There was less access to medical care and things were taken care of at home. Death was something that was seen as a natural part of the living process and happened more regularly because of the generations that cohabitated. In this day and age as generations tend to live separately, children are more sheltered from this and therefore tend to look at death as something that doesn’t directly affect them. Jean Piaget, a theorist in human development, did extensive study of children and divided them into approximate age groups and developmental periods. He theorized that we develop our knowledge based on things we already know. These stages are sensorimotor from birth to 2 years when children learn based on their senses and motor abilities and begin to develop the idea of object permanence where they understand an object is still present even when it can’t be seen. Preoperational from 2-7 years where they progress from egocentric thought where they look at things as if they are the center of the world to prelogical where they learn trial and error and can begin to understand other points of view. Concrete operational from 7-12 years where they are able to logically understand and organize information and begin to think forward and backward about experiences. And finally, Formal operational from 12 years and up where they can think hypothetically and abstractly about situations and begin to have an interest in ethical situations. . (DeSpelder, Strickland pg. 2-53) Before these types of theorists existed, death was considered a natural part of the living experience and children just dealt with it like the rest of the family. Also in early years when children talked about death, it tended to be in the context of disease processes and accidents. As the culture has, advanced children are routinely exposed to things they weren’t before. If you ask, a child now days what things are that can cause death you may hear things like gunshot wounds and other traumatic experiences that can be linked to crime, violence they see on TV or video games or inner city experiences. In a cultural or historical sense differences in how dying is perceived can be from a cultural standpoint. Different religious and ethnical cultures have different practices and beliefs regarding death but as we have become more culturally competent society, the varying beliefs have become better understood. The physical cause of dying has changed simply by historical differences in living conditions. For example, in the Stone Age people were more likely to have died from trauma and animal attacks, whereas today dying from frailty, organ failure and dementia are more common. One change in regards to mortality and society where death is concerned can be related to education and training. For example, an earthquake in Japan in 1923 caused the death of 100,000 people. Today, because of advances in technology and safety we have ways to warn people of dangerous weather situations and have developed better safety practices that if followed can save many lives. . (DeSpelder, Strickland pg. 135-136) Change has also been seen in the conventional signs of death. Most deaths are determined by the absence of heartbeat and breathing. With the advances in technology and medicine, though, it is possible for mechanical ventilation and medications to artificially maintain these functions while the brain is termed dead. For this reason, the concept of brain death was created. Another innovation that has changed death is organ transplantation. Before this was discovered and perfected people had no choice but to die if they fell victim to an irreversible organ failure. Now, through organ donation and transplantation people can live long and productive lives if they can receive these lifesaving procedures. The final three changes that will be discussed are in regards to patients, staff, and institutions in the field of Health care. In 1900, about 80% of deaths in the United States took place in the home. As the invention of hospitals and other institutions took place, this shifted to the institutional setting with more people dying in hospital or nursing home setting. There is beginning to be a shift again however as hospice care becomes an option available to more and more people that allow them to stay in their homes around familiar surroundings instead of the sterile, non-personal setting of a hospital or institution. Another change that has taken place with regards to dying could be the rationing of resources. This will undoubtedly be getting even worse under Obamacare. Physicians used to be considered the gate keepers of what services and treatments were reasonably appropriate to which patients. As managed care comes more and more into the picture, this will change. Physicians will be paid a certain amount of money per month by insurance companies to manage the patients’ health. The less procedures, tests, and resources that are used the more money the physician will get to keep. This leads to the fear that rationing of resources or withholding of resources is a real possibility in order to keep from bankrupting doctors and clinics. Finally, palliative care, and end of life decisions are changing as well. There have been many advances with the advent of hospice and what can be done to allow a natural and peaceful death for those that are not interested in prolonging it. Undoubtedly, we will all die one day. There has been a shift in recent years from death being an almost taboo topic to one where people are taking control of their decisions. This is an area I am passionate about. You can take control of your end of life decisions by an advanced directive and informing your family members of your wishes. There are people who know they want every intervention possible done to keep them alive and there are those that are accepting of their own mortality, comfortable with their idea of what happens after death, and know that they want nothing heroic done to try and keep them on this earth if they cannot be an active participant.

Defining Organisational Behaviour Essay examples -- Business Managemen

â€Å"The study of the structure, functioning and performance of organisations, and the behaviour of groups and individuals within them† Derek Pugh’s (1971) This influential definition of organisational behaviour was by Derek Pugh in 1971. Human behaviour is the way people act and react to situations and circumstances, each individual is different, therefore it is essential for an organisation to study human behaviour in order to understand the workforce. By observing and understanding each individual the organisation would improve performance; organisational behaviour can be considered as the key area of management. Organisations study organisational behaviour within by; investigating individuals, social perception, attitudes and emotions. By doing so they are able to determine whether motivation is existent and if so, is it successful. How individuals work in groups and teams is important for unity within organisations therefore it is crucial to know how people communicate amongst their group/teams and how well is the outcome when they do. Employees can become stressed which would affect them a great deal because an employee stressed would not be able to work to his/her potential. However this would be the least of the organisations worry because stress affects an employee’s psychological well-being a great deal, this is dire for both the organisation and the individual. We know how these factors fit into the reason behind studying organisational behaviour however its relevance in today’s organisations is still a question, I’m going to discuss two of the factors in more det ail and relate to whether they are relevant or not in today’s organisations. Human Behaviour in an organisation needs to be assessed in order for the bus... ...torian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motivation. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: December 08, 2010. Integrated Publishing . (2009). Human Behaviour. Available: http://www.tpub.com/content/advancement/14504/css/14504_16.htm. Last accessed 11 Dec 2010. Love2reward. (2010). Motivation. Available: http://www.love2reward.co.uk/rewards/info-centre/motivation.jsp. Last accessed 11th Dec 2010. Seldon, B. (2010). Money, happiness and motivation. Available: http://www.management-issues.com/display_page.asp?section=opinion&id=6100. Last accessed 11 Dec Tutor2u. (2007). motivation in theory - introduction. Available: http://tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_introduction.asp. Last accessed 11 Dec 2010. Image vintechsystems. (2010). Hierarchy of Needs. Available: http://vintechnology.com/journal/?p=47. Last accessed 11 Dec 2010.

Consumer Buying Behavior Essay

Toilet soaps are part of the growing tribe of cleansing and beautifying products available across the country. There are scores of brands and an even greater number of variants making for a bewildering range. The Indian market has over 1100 million people living in more than 4500 towns and cities and in excess of 580,000 villages. Products must cut through several price points and fragrances to satisfy everyone. Toilet soaps are marketed through 5 million retail stores of which 3.75 million are in rural areas, the penetration rate of the toilet soap is around 97 percent in urban areas and 89 percent in rural areas. But, the per capita consumption of toilet / bathing soap in India is very low at 800g whereas it is 6.5kg in the US, 4 kg in China and 2.5 kg in Indonesia. The market size of the Indian soap industry is around Rs.7129 crores. It can be classified into four categories namely premium, popular, economy and carbolic soaps. The â€Å"Premium1 category includes Dove, Mysore Sandal, Pears and some international brands. Brands in the â€Å"Popular’ category include Cinthol, Santoor, Rexona etc. Likewise, Fairglow, Godrej No. 1 etc. come under economy brands. Carbolic brands include Lifebuoy and Nima bath soap. Over the years, the â€Å"popular’ segment has witnessed rapid growth and has been the category driver. Consumers shift from the premium segment as and when they see better value in the popular category. At the same time, consumers upgrade from the economy segment due to increased in tune with the increasing disposable incomes in both urban and rural areas. As a result, the industry has witnessed a fifteen percent growth in premium brands. The market is flooded with several, leading national and global brands and a large number of small brands, which have limited markets. Competition amongst the MNCs has intensified, leading to shrinkage of margins. The leading players in this market are HUL (Dove, Pears, Lux, Lifebuoy, Breeze), Nirma (Nima), Godrej Soaps (Cinthol, FairGlow, Shikakai, Nihar), Wipro (Santoor), and Reckitt and Benckiser (Dettol). The rest of the market is highly fragmented, with companies having strong presence in select segments or regions. In the toilet soap industry, positioning of the product is very important to attract the customers. Review of Literature To have an in depth understanding of Indian consumer, and to analyze the factors influencing his purchase decisions, one has to conduct studies in relation to his environment, his demographic factors, culture, and level of exposure. In this backdrop, some important studies conducted in the areas of consumer behavior and perception in relation to non durable goods and FMCG in India are briefly reviewed. It is seen that positive attitude of consumer towards advertising of a particular brand is very useful in purchasing that brand (Dr Dharam Sukh Dahiya, 1996). Consumers perceived that the information received from WOM sources is reliable and advantageous in making the purchase decisions (Prashant Mishra et al, 1996). At the same time, Indian middle class consumers are willing to pay a premium for better quality products rather than getting satisfied with generic products with inferior quality (Srinivas Shirur, 1999). They tend to define themselves as well as compare with others in terms of symbolic value of their possessions (Shekhar Trivedi et al, 2000). People belonging to different lifestyles have different interests in shopping (D.P.S. Verma et al, 2000). There is a price threshold at which consumers make decisions to stockpile the products for the future (Arindam Banarjee et al, 2001). At the same time, gender of the celebrity significantly influences consumer perception about the product irrespective of consumers’ gender (Prashant Mishra et al, 2001). Similarly, they develop risk reduction strategies to help them act with greater confidence in making product purchase decisions (Debashis Bhattacharya et al, 2002). In the FMCG sector, the major influencing factors in making a purchase decision were quality (D. P. S. Verma et al, 2003), price and availability of products (Dr. Sarwade W. K. 2002), followed by their economic value and attractive packaging (Kuldeep Singh et al, 2003). Rising family income levels permit buyers to exercise more choice in selection of FMCG from the cost perception (Prof. S. A. Telang et al, 2003). However, age and other demographic variables also have their effect on behavioral and cognitive patterns of the consumer (D. P. S. Verma et al, 2003). Urban consumers preferred branded products (P. Antony George, 2007). Brand awareness and brand usage are highly correlated (Dr. A. Vinayaga Moorthy, 2007). Need and Importance of the Study The toilet soaps market is littered over with several, leading national and global brands and a large number of small and local brands. Toilet soaps, despite their divergent brands, are not well differentiated by the consumers. This results in fragmented market and obviously leads to a highly competitive market. In toilet soap market, strong brand equity and a wide distribution network are vital in attracting customers. Brand equities are built over a period of time by technological innovations, consistent high quality, aggressive advertisement and marketing. Availability of the products is another crucial success factor, as products are of small value, frequently purchased daily use items. So, there is always a chance of brand switching due to impulse buying. A deep insight of consumer brand loyalty and satisfaction can help marketers retain the existing customers and entice new ones. In this backdrop, this study is undertaken to examine the consumers’ brand awareness, loyalty, and satisfaction towards toilet soaps. The factors influencing brand selection and brand switching are also assessed. Objectives of the Study The main objective of the paper is to examine the consumers’ buying habits and brand loyalty towards toilet soap products. The following are the specific objectives of the study. * To identify the product attributes that influence the purchasing process * To assess the brand loyalty of consumers with respect to various levels of price increase * To examine the brand switching behavior of respondents * To evaluate the satisfaction level of consumers with regard to their present toilet soap brand * To assess the market share of different toilet soap brands in the market segment taken up for investigation * To offer suggestions to FMCG companies Scope and Limitations of the Study The present study intends to examine the customer satisfaction and perception towards toilet soap and the influence of product attributes on brand preferences and brand loyalty. It also covers customers’ brand loyalty at different levels of price increase/decrease from the present price. The study has the following limitations; * The study is made by taking each attribute as independent of other attributes, hence their interdependence, if any is ignored. * As the study is conducted in only Warangal City of A. P., the findings and suggestions of this empirical study may not be representative of the universe. * There may be a chance of individual’s experience dominating the interpretation of the data. * Some discrepancies may have occurred due to random sample method used. * Respondents may not have given their exact views or hidden some information deliberately. Methodology The study is conducted with the help of primary data collected from 200 respondents; consumers drawn at random in Warangal District (A.P.) The relevant data are collected from the respondents from different demographic and income groups. Appropriate statistical tools such as averages, weighted averages etc. are used in data analysis. For testing the hypotheses, Chi- square test is administered at 5 percent level of significance in order to validate the results of the investigation. Sample Profile Sample profile refers to the demographic characteristics of the respondent consumers covered in the analysis. Demographic factors like age, education, occupation, income, family size have a direct influence on the product/ brand choice. To ascertain the views of both male and female consumers, almost equal numbers of respondents are selected for the study. On the basis of age, the respondents are classified into five categories viz. below 20 years, 21-30 years, 31-40 years, 41-50 years, and above 50 years. Around 39 percent respondents are in the age group of 21-30 years. Another 27 percent are in the age group of 31-40 years. Around 16 percent are in the age group of 41-50 years, followed by above 50 years (13 percent), and below 20 years (5 percent). It is observed that majority of respondents comprising 73 percent are either graduates or post graduates. The remaining 27 percent have below graduation educational background. It is also observed that private employees comprise 38 percent of sample followed by housewives (25 percent), and government employees (18 percent). The remaining are students, businessmen and professionals. It is found that 43 percent respondents are in the middle income group (Rs. 10,001 to 20,000/pm). At the same time, 31 percent belong to low income group (Below Rs. 10,000/ pm). The remaining 26 percent belong to high income category (above Rs. 20,000/pm). It is seen that around 63 percent respondents have 3-4 members in their families. Around 26 percent have more than 4 three members. Another 11 percent have two or less members. It is observed that 62 percent respondents spend below Rs 100/per month on toilet soaps. The remaining 38 percent respondents spend above Rs 100/- per month. This gives occupation wise, income wise, and lifecycle wise distribution of sample consumers of toilet soaps. Data Analysis The behavior of urban respondents towards toilet soaps in terms of influencing factors, buying habits, and brand loyalty is analyzed. For this purpose, a structured questionnaire of five point scale reflecting the attitudes of the sample respondents is used in the investigation. Data collected from the respondents is tabulated, analysed, interpreted and presented in two sections viz. Section A: Buying Habits, Section B: Brand Loyalty. Section–A: Buying Habits Buying habits are analysed in terms of five interrelated variables viz. a. Buying Motives, b. Choice of Retail Store, c. Brand Specification, d. Frequency of Purchase, e. Average Expenditure and consumption. a. Impact of Buying Motives on Purchase Decision Making process Companies advertise their product as a bundle of some attributes. And, customers see the product as a bundle of benefits. They try to assess the benefit of each attribute and assign a level of importance and build perception about the total product. Then, they take the purchase decision. In this backdrop, the study proposes to assess the consumers’ perception on each attribute and importance given to it. In this context, respondents are asked to rank various product attributes in terms of their influence on buying decision. The product attributes such as unique ingredients, impact on skin and complexion, brand name, protection from heat and cold, price, company name, retailer’s advice, advertising, brand ambassador, availability, fragrance, doctor’s advice, TFM of the soap, freshness, protection from pimples etc are identified. The rankings are presented in Table No. 1. It is seen that unique ingredients of a particular soap has been ranked the first major influencing attribute in the purchase process. Impact on skin and complexion and brand name are ranked second and third respectively followed by price and freshness. b. Choice of Retail Store Consumers consider many factors in selecting a particular store to purchase the products. These factors may include availability of a particular brand, availability of information, familiarity and knowledge about the store, proximity of the store, time pressure, store specific promotions, social status etc. By choosing a particular type of store, consumers may get either utilitarian value (obtaining a required product with the least effort) or hedonistic value (the fun and pleasure associated with the buying process). In this context, respondents are asked to name their preferred outlet. Majority of the respondents comprising 40 percent purchased from super bazaars/ organized retail outlets. Another 32 percent bought from wholesale kirana shops. The remaining opted for nearby shops. c. Brand Specification It is observed that Santoor is the most popular brand with 31 percent users, followed by Cinthol with 11 percent users. Approximately 10 percent each are using Mysore Sandal and Pears. Lux is used by 9 percent respondents, while Medimix is used by 7 percent. Dove and Vivel account for 6 percent respondents each. The remaining brands are used by a few respondents. d. Frequency of Purchase Frequency of purchase can be defined as the number of times a consumer purchases during a particular period. It depends on the volume of purchase, economic status, life style, promotion schemes etc. In this study, it is observed that majority of respondents comprising around 45 percent purchase once in a month. Another 33 percent purchase whenever they required the product. Around 15 percent purchased once in a fortnight. The remaining 7 percent purchased weekly once. e. Average Expenditure and Consumption of Toilet Soaps A question was asked with the respondents to know about the average expenditure on toilet soaps and number soaps used in a month. It is observed that 62 percent respondents spend below Rs. 100/- per month on toilet soaps. The remaining 38 percent respondents spend above Rs. 100/- per month. Majority of the respondents have been using around six toilet soaps per month. Section–B: Brand Loyalty Brand loyalty is analysed in terms of seven interrelated variables viz., a. Brand Awareness, b. Brand Image, c. Price Sensitivity, d. Non-availability of Preferred Brand, e. Usage Period of Present Brand, f. Reasons for Brand Switching, g. Brand Performance. a. Brand Awareness Brand knowledge is based on brand awareness and brand image. Brand awareness is defined as Consumers’ recognition of existence and availability of a brand. A consumer’s brand awareness generally depends on his socio-economic background especially on education and income level. Creating brand awareness is an important tool in promoting brands with little differentiation such as toilet soaps. It can play a major role in purchasing decisions. The products with highest brand awareness will usually get more sales. In the urban market segment, it is interesting to note that, higher the level of education level, greater is the brand awareness. About 73 percent of respondent consumers are above graduation. Within this 73 percent, around 32 percent are from professional courses. These 73 percent respondents are aware of more than 7 brands. Majority of them could recall the brand ambassador and punch line of the brands also. The remaining 27 percent of the respondent consumers are with below graduation level of education. Out of which, around 8 percent of the respondent consumers are below the tenth class. These 27 percent of respondent consumers are aware of only 3-5 brands. Majority of them, either they could not recall or are indifferent of brand ambassador and punch line. b. Brand Image Brand image is defined as consumer’s perception of a brand as reflected by the brand associations held in his memory. The strength, favorability and uniqueness of associations help build a superior brand image. A favorable brand image is useful in creating strong brand equity. In this regard, a question was asked with respondents to compare their present brand with other competing brands. Majority of the respondents comprising 64 percent felt that their brand as the best one. Around 25 percent said it gives good value for money. The remaining 11 percent felt it as almost similar with other brands. At the same time, most of the respondents perceived their preferred brand as the market leader in its category. c. Price Sensitivity Price of a product has been a major determinant of a buyer’s choice. Although non price factors have assumed importance of late, price still remains a dominant factor influencing sales of a product. Fluctuation of prices will have an impact on continuity of the same brand, i.e. brand loyalty. In this context, it is proposed to analyse the impact of price changes on brand loyalty income wise. The respondents’ reactions to 10 percent, 20 percent, and 40 percent increase in the price of present soap brand are categorized according to their income levels viz. Low Income, Middle Income and High Income. It is seen that at 10 percent price increase, majority of the respondents across all income levels opted for continuing with the same level of consumption. From among the remaining respondents, many decided to reduce consumption. A few respondents wanted to shift to other brands. Similarly, at 20 percent price increase, 35 percent (Low Income), 35 percent (Middle Income), and 67 percent (High Income) respondents opted for continuing with the same level of consumption. Around 34 percent respondents from low income category chose to reduce their consumption. The corresponding figures for middle income and high income groups are 23 percent and 13 percent respectively. Another 13 percent (Low Income), 30 percent (Middle Income), 10 percent (High Income) respondents decided to shift to other brands, while the remaining preferred to search for other alternatives. At the same time, at 40 percent price increase, 10 percent (Low Income), 23 percent (Middle Income), and 54 percent (High Income) respondents chose to continue with the same level of consumption. Another 1 6 percent (Low Income), 7 percent (Middle Income) and 15 percent (High Income) wanted to reduce their consumption. Further, around 55 percent (Low Income), 51 percent (Middle Income), and 19 percent (High Income) respondents desired to change their brands. The remaining respondents wanted to search for other alternatives. Further, based on the same data, Chi-square test is conducted to identify differences, if any, among the respondents belonging to different income groups in terms of price sensitivity and brand loyalty at various levels of increase in the price of present soap brand. Calculated values are presented in Table II. It is observed from the above table that at 10 percent price increase, the calculated value of chi-square is less than the table value. Hence, it can be concluded that there are no significant differences among the respondents belonging to different income groups at 10 percent price increase of the present toilet soap brand. But, when the price is increased to 20 percent or 40 percent above the current price, respondents belonging to different income groups exhibited altogether different behavior. d. Non-availability of Preferred Brand Store loyalty is regarded as the patronage of customers to a particular outlet.. It is based on the consumers’ positive attitude towards the store. Store loyalty is influenced by the availability of products and brands at the store and the process involved in customers acquiring them. Brand loyalty is also a major factor in shaping the customers opinions towards a particular store. When a preferred brand is not available in a particular store, consumers will have two options; purchasing the same brand in another shop i.e. displaying more brand loyalty than store loyalty, or purchasing another brand in the same shop i.e. exhibiting more store loyalty. In the present study it is seen that 78 percent respondents preferred to purchase the same brand from another shop. The remaining 22 percent purchased other brands available in the same shop. e. Usage Period of Present Brand Brand loyalty also results in using the same brand regularly over a period of time. It is seen that 51 percent respondents have been using the same brand for above 4 years followed by 21 percent for below 1 year. Around 17 percent have been using it for 1-2 years, and the remaining 11 percent for 2-4 years. f. Reasons for Brand Switching Consumers’ satisfaction and brand loyalty can be measured by buyer’s repeat purchase rate over the time. However, sometimes consumers change their regular brands and patronize new brands due to various reasons. In this context, it is proposed to investigate the effect of product attributes, promotion schemes, reference groups’ influence, impact of pricing and advertising on the switching intentions of consumers. For this purpose, respondents are asked to identify the most important reason that for brand switching from earlier brand to present one. It is observed that 54 percent respondents cited better quality of new brand as a major reason for brand switching. Another 13 percent wanted to check the new brand. The relative cheaper price of new brand enticed 10 percent to use the new brand. g. Brand Performance Customer satisfaction is a positive psychological tendency which the customer gets when he is able to meet the perceived need and expectation with the product he experiences. It is a part of customer’s experience. This satisfaction is related to various aspects such as cost, quality, performance and efficiency of the product. Even if the products are identical in competing markets, satisfaction provides high retention rates. Higher the satisfaction level, higher is the sentimental attachment of customers with the specific brand of product. In this backdrop, the study intends to measure the satisfaction level of consumers towards their present soap brands. For this purpose, Respondent consumers are asked to rate the performance of their present brand of toilet soap along some parameters such as price, packaging, durability, color, fragrance, freshness, quality, convenience of usage etc. The responses are classified into three categories namely excellent, above average, and average. It is observed that, respondents are fully satisfied with only premium soaps namely Dove and Pears as they are rated above average or excellent. Cinthol, Mysore Sandal and Superia came next with majority of users rating them excellent or above average, while the remaining rating them average. The remaining brands are rated just average by the respondents. Findings The following are the findings that have emerged from the study. * While making a brand choice decision, respondents gave more importance to unique ingredients of a soap followed by impact on skin and price. * Majority of the respondents purchased toilet soaps from super bazaars/ organized retail outlets followed by wholesale kirana shops. * Santoor is the most preferred brand used by both men and women which comes in the popular category. Cinthol, Mysore Sandal and Pears are the next preferred brands. * It is concluded that that majority of respondents purchased on monthly basis. Another 33 percent purchased when they required the product. * Many respondents are spending Rs 51- 100/- per month on toilet soaps, while a few are spending more. * More than half of the respondents only knew 5-10 brands of toilet soaps. From the remaining ones, approximately equal number of respondents knew less than five and more than ten brands. The education level of the consumers has a positive bearing on the brand awareness. * Most of the consumers have a very positive image and perception about their present brand. They felt that it is the best one and market leader in its category. * In response to a 10 percent price increase of current soap brand, all the respondents across different income groups behaved similarly. Most of them are willing to continue with same level of consumption. The respondents are not bothered with a marginal increase in the price as long as it satisfies their needs. But, when the price is increased to 20 percent or 40 percent above the current price, substantial differences are seen in the behavior of respondents belonging to different areas income groups. The high income group wanted to continue with same level of consumption. The low and middle income groups chose to either reduce consumption or to change the brand. * It is observed that most of the respondents preferred to purchase the same brand from another shop, when it is not available in a particular store. This shows a strong brand loyalty among the respondents. * Most of the respondents have been using the same brand for a longer period of time (more than 5 years) which shows a strong brand loyalty among them. * The reasons cited by respondents for brand switching are mainly better quality and cheaper price of new brand and inferior performance of old brand. Surprisingly, very few respondents are attracted by advertisements of new brands. * Respondents are just satisfied with their present soap as majority of them rated it only average or above average. A few rated it excellent. Conclusion Significant differences were observed among different income groups, especially, when the price of the present brand increases substantially. This can be attributed to the different lifestyles adopted by different income groups. Surprisingly respondents gave least importance to advertisements of toilet soaps. Quality and price of new brands motivated them to brand switching. This has to be carefully studied by the marketers. Another area of concern is that many rated their present soaps as just satisfying although they have been using the same brand for a longer period. In this perspective, FMCG companies need to reformulate their strategies to delight the customers. At the same time, as most of the respondents have been using the same brand for a longer period of time, new entrants have to devise suitable plans to attract the customers of existing brands. Deeper penetration in urban areas also holds the key to unlocking growth potentials especially in the Premium Segment. Thus, product innovation, smart merchandising and distribution will be of key importance for FMCG products to become leaders in the industry. References Antony George P., â€Å"An Empirical Model for Analyzing Consumer Attitude/Perception on Branding, Brand Loyalty, and Brand equity†, Indian Journal of Commerce, Vol. 60, No. 4, pp 39-57, 2007. D. P. S. Verma and Surendar Munjal, â€Å"Brand Loyalty Correlates: Study of FMCG†, Abhigyan, Vol. XXI, No. 2, pp 25-31, 2003. D.P.S. Verma and Savita Hanspal, â€Å"Influence of Lifestyles on Consumers’ Buying Behavior†, Paradigm, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp 52-65, 2000. Debashis Bhattacharya and Sanjay Gopal Sarkar, â€Å"Perceived Risk and Information Seeking Behaviour†, Indian Journal of Marketing, Vol. XXXII, No. 5-6, pp 3-7, 2002. Dr Dharam Sukh Dahiya, â€Å"Psychographic Aspects of Advertising–An Attitudinal Study of Consumers†, Indian Journal of Commerce, Vol. XLIX No 189 Part IV, pp 101-106, 1996. Dr. A. Vinayaga Moorthy, â€Å"An Empirical Study on Shampoo Consumption†, Indian Journal of Marketing, Jan 2007, pp 36-38, 2007. Dr. Sarwade W. K., â€Å"Emerging Dimensions of Buyer Behaviour in Rural Area†, Indian Journal of Marketing, Vol. XXXIII, No. 1-2, pp 13-21, 2002. Kuldeep Singh and Dr. S. C. Varshney, â€Å"Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Trends of Toilet Soaps in Ghaziabad District–A Survey†, Indian Journal of Marketing, Vol. XXXIII, No. 2, pp 14-17, 2003. Prashant Mishra, Upindar Dhar, and Saifuddin Rastiwala, â€Å"Celebrity Endorser and Adolescents: A Study of Gender Influences†, Vikalpa, Vol. 26, No. 4, pp 59-66, 2001. Prashant Mishra, Vasant G. Kondalkar and Ankhit Singh, â€Å"Seeking Word Of Mouth: An Empirical Investigation of Consumer Motivation†, Paradigm, Vol. 3, No 2, pp 49-56, 1996. Prof. S. A. Telang and S. S. Kaptan, â€Å"Attitudes of Women toward Detergents†, Indian Journal of Marketing, Vol. XXXIII, No. 2, pp 24-26, 2003. Shekhar Trivedi, Sudershan Pandiya, and Suneel Gupta, â€Å"Product–Its Association with the Personality†, Paradigm, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp 40-51, 2000. Srinivas Shirur, â€Å"Marketing Strategies of Family Business in FMCG Sector†, Paradigm, Vol. 3, No 1, pp 32-34, 1999. M. S. Sarma Professor, Department of Commerce and. Business Management, Kakatiya University, Warangal. V. Rana Pratap Lecturer, Department of Business Management, Lal Bahadur College, Warangal.

Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay

The Castor Collins health plan is a health maintenance program (HMO) that was found in 1999 and has grown over the years. The company provides health insurance coverage through a system that involves a network of physicians and hospitals. Castor Collins Heath Plan uses the capitation model to fund its large distributed group of physicians and health care organizations. Castor Collins currently provides health care coverage to 100,000 subscribers and would like to increase their enrollees. It is the responsibility of the Vice President along with his most trusted advisers, Helen Feuerman, Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan Wilkes, Chief Medical Officer, and Adam Hunter, Executive Vice President, Planning and Development, to reach out to new clients; two in particular, E-Editors and Constructit. E-Editors The company E-Editors employs 1,600 individuals, 760 males and 840 females. The employee’s ages range from 35-54. Most of the employees with E-Editors are married so they will need to provide an affordable health care plan for their families. Looking at the kind of work involved for most of the employee’s, Castor Collins found that many of the individuals have a sedentary position. In fact, ninety-five percent of the employees at E-Editors have a position that requires long hours of sitting in front of a computer; the remaining five percent of the employees have positions that require physical activity. A thorough health screening was conducted by Castor Collins. Their findings were as followed, most of the employees who have sedentary positions had problems with their vision. Twenty two percent of the employees had no history of health issues. Twenty six percent of the employees are smokers, most of them revealing that they are considered heavy smokers, although none of employees that smoke reported any respiratory complications. The remaining forty- five percent of the employees are obese. Interestingly, the obesity is due to a sedentary job, poor eating habits, and little to no physical activity. These populations of employees are at risk for severe health complications and diseases. Constructit Constructit has 1,000 employees; 550 being male and 450 are females. The age group ranges from 26-42, and sixty percent of the employees are married. Fifty three percent of the employees have positions that require physical activity. Thirty-two percent of this group has high activity positions and twenty five percent have moderate activity positions. The remaining forty three percent of the employees have sedentary positions. The result from this groups health screening are as followed, thirty-eight percent of the employees have no preexisting health issues and are in good physical health. Ten percent of the employees are smokers. Thirty nine percent of the employees are considered obese, which is a high obesity rate. Some of the illnesses that were reported are digestive disorders, respiratory diseases, injuries, and allergies. Analysis of both groups It is Castor Collins job to find suitable health care plans that will benefit both companies, employees, and Castor Collins while keeping in mind to make it affordable and beneficial to all. They will need to evaluate the potential risks and assess the cost of premiums for both. All members of the team determined the best way for deciding would be best conducted by using the cost-benefit analysis system. â€Å"The cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a set of techniques for assisting in the making of decisions that translates all relevant concerns into market (dollar) terms† (Gertzen & Allen, 2007). The team must first consider the age, gender, and profiles of all employees. Secondly, decide the potential health risks, calculate premium and profit. Thirdly, decide what services will be covered and co-payments for these health plans. When taking into consideration the different health profiles of all employees’ obesity seemed to be an issue for both. This alone makes the population at high risk for health issues associated with obesity such as; heart diseases, strokes, and diabetes. E-editors seem to have a higher percentage of obesity and smokers putting them at a much higher risk with health issues. Outcome After evaluating the cost and benefits that go along with providing health insurance coverage to both E-Editors and Constructit, Castor Collins financial team decided that they would only be able to provide health insurance coverage to Constructit and not E-Editors. The reason for this decision is E-Editors have a higher percentage of employees that are at risk for developing chronic diseases. The team went ahead and presented an offer to Constructit and their employees. Castor Collins can offer their employees the Castor Standard plan, which the premium to be charged will be $3,428.00. The reasoning behind choosing this plan over the Castor Enhanced and the Castor Enhanced Minor is the premiums for each employee would be significantly lower than the Enhanced and Enhance Minor plans even though each employee was willing to pay a maximum of $4,000 for their annual premium. Also, Castor Standard does not cover preexisting health conditions, so this would be a low risk investment. Preexisting conditions can cost a company thousands of dollars and in the end not be beneficial to the company’s profits. If Castor Collins were to contemplate preexisting conditions a much higher premium may have to be considered. This is an advantage that can help keep the annual premiums down and still provide many other health coverage services. The premiums that Castor Collins will charge the employees at Constructit are much lower than anticipated, which means a lower profit return. This group is considered a lower health risk group so increasing premiums could create a possibility to make greater returns, but the outcome is still fitting. Conclusion Many hours of planning and development were considered for the final decision of adding Constructit and not E-editors as a client. The team made this decision by utilizing the CBA method and determining that Constructit would be low risk to provide health coverage too. The plan that was chosen Castor Standard will have a lower return but in the long run be beneficial to Castor Collins. The employees at Constructit will be able to afford the health coverage plan and look towards the future knowing they are insured and covered for any emergencies without draining the wallet. Castor Collins and Constructit will begin a rewarding journey that will benefit both companies in the end. The team based this decision on considering all the  necessary health profiles, risks, and premiums and comparing all of the facts between both companies. Reference Getzen, T. E., & Moore, J. (2007). Health Care Economics: Principles and tools for the Health Care Industry. Hoboken,, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Christine de pilan essays

Christine de pilan essays In the years 1364-1429 there was a great woman writer by the name of Christine de Pisan. This woman wrote great works including her most famous The City of Ladies in which she questions Lady of Reasoning. In this book, she also questioned the importance of the male. She also reasoned that men were not more intelligent than women as people in that period assumed, that when Eve ate the forbidden apple she was doing something great for all kind because as she did that man was being taken with God, and that women are not as skilled as men because they are told that their job is to run a household. Women were not given the same Without such books women might not have gotten to explore other options than only running a household. The world for women might still be oppressed. Men would still be against women doing anything besides running the house and mothering the children. Most women were not allowed to do such things as writing poetry or books, or be doctors or politicians. Many of the great women in history may have looked upon this book as a guide in order to use it to their advantage and to promote equality between the sexes. The meaning of this book is still evident in society today. We do now have equality thanks to the womens movement. Our jobs and home life are incredibly different now than they were thousands of years ago. We now hold many of the same jobs as men and we are sometimes better at it. Running a household is also different. Men are staying at home with the children and keeping house. There is no longer a barrier that states men are better than women. The women in this world are taking control of their lives instead of being told what to do. We should be thankful to Christine de Pisan for starting the womens movement back in 1405. The passage that I read from this book was very interesting. The diale ...

Comparative Forms of Adjectives

Comparative Forms of Adjectives Comparative Forms of Adjectives Comparative Forms of Adjectives By Maeve Maddox Adjectives have inflections. That is, adjectives change in spelling according to how they are used in a sentence. Adjectives have three forms: positive, comparative, and superlative. The simplest form of the adjective is its positive form. When two objects or persons are being compared, the comparative form of the adjective is used. When three or more things are being compared, we use the adjectives superlative form. A few adjectives, like good and bad form their comparatives with different words: That is a good book. This is a better book. Which of the three is the best book? He made a bad choice. She made a worse choice. They made the worst choice of all. The comparative forms of most adjectives, however, are formed by adding the suffixes er and est, or by placing the words more and most in front of the positive form. RULES FOR FORMING COMPARATIVES: 1. One syllable words form the comparative by adding -er and -est: brave, braver, bravest small, smaller, smallest dark, darker, darkest. 2. Two-syllable words that end in -y, -le, and -er form the comparative by adding -er and -est: pretty, prettier, prettiest happy, happier, happiest noble, nobler, noblest clever, cleverer, cleverest 3. Words of more than two syllables form the comparative with more and most: beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful. resonant, more resonant, most resonant 4. Past participles used as adjectives form the comparative with more and most: crooked, broken, damaged, defeated, etc. 5. Predicate adjectives (adjectives used to describe the subject of a sentence) form the comparative with more and most: afraid, mute, certain, alone, silent, etc. Ex. She is afraid. He is more afraid. They are the most afraid of them all. So far, so good, but when it comes to two-syllable words other than the ones covered by Rule 2, the writer must consider custom and ease of pronunciation. Usually, two syllable words that have the accent on the first syllable form the comparative by adding er and est. Ex. common, cruel, pleasant, quiet. BUT tasteless, more tasteless, most tasteless. Some two-syllable words that have the accent on the second syllable form the comparative by adding er and est: polite, profound, BUT: bizarre, more bizarre, most bizarre. The rules given above should prevent abominations like more pretty or beautifuler. When in doubt, look up the preferred inflected forms in the dictionary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Precedent vs. Precedence50 Words with Alternative Spellings

Marcus Buckingham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marcus Buckingham - Essay Example In addition, he expresses that managers need to assign employees depending on the abilities and personalities. Therefore, managers need to identify the one practice that will ensure success in all management situations irrespective of the complexity of situation. The ability of leaders to inspire the employees and to guide in implementing management goals determines the success of their organizations. Buckingham uses the analogy of chess to explain the situation that managers face while working with a big lot of employees (3). In the Chess, all the pieces move differently unlike in Checkers where all pieces move in the same manner. The same way, employees within an organization have unique differences in terms of abilities, personalities, or qualities, which all influence their service delivery. Therefore, a manager’s role is to understand the key strengths of every employee and to utilize this strength for the benefit of their organization. In his example, Walgreen’s manager Michelle Miller employed Jeffrey, an employee who was not good in vague and generic tasks but effective in specific tasks. By tweaking her responsibilities, she realized this strength and became an important resource in handling specific tasks within the organization. In this light, a manager should be able to identify employee’s strength and support them in becoming better workers. Just like, a Chess player, the manager should be able to look ahead of the employees and see opportunities even before they emerge. Secondly, Buckingham (5) identifies the need for managers to identify the one strategy that works best in all situations of management. The author calls it as the â€Å"one thing† that ends up being the backbone of the management strategies. He identifies that the argument that exists within modern research supporting the idea that there is no any management practice that is best for all situations. Therefore, leading an organization requires

Intellectual property law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Intellectual property law - Essay Example With regards to a brief of this situation, it can be said that Trevor who was working as a laboratory assistant in the University of East shire’s Chemistry Department and his work involves assisting the PhD students in their experiments and also running the laboratory. Officially no project has been assigned to him, but the Head of the Department of Chemistry has permitted him to do research tasks if he intends to provided that they do not interfere with his routine tasks and responsibilities at the Department. An important fact of this case was that Trevor worked over the weekend beyond office hours with a PhD student into developing a cure for common cold. Since the student developed common cold, Trevor considers developing a cure for her problem. The student is working on a particular compound and Trevor decides to add the compound Millenniumium (Mil) to that compound. Mil is usually used to treat tropical diseases and in the past according to the author, the use of it for treating common cold has not been obvious to any body reasonably skilled in the art. Trevor immediately tests out the drug on his friend, and to his surprise the drug cures the common cold. Trevor immediately reports the invention to his boss the Head of the Department, who applies for a patent but does not put Trevor’s name in the application form. The head of the department does not offer credit Trevor. The facts of the other issues are that a professor from another rival university claims that Trevor’s invention may be obvious to a person skilled in the art and would not pass the non-obviousness test. The professor from the other university suggests that Trevor’s invention may have been found out by another person at some time as a lot of random testing had been going on with drugs. Trevor’s rights over the invention It may be difficult to ascertain the rights that Trevor would be having, but important facts of the case are that:- Trevor was the actual inventor of the drug combination containing Mil Trevor was using the resources of the university to test out the drug and develop the same Trevor was given permission by his HOD to carry out a research project he wanted provided that it did not interfere with his work in the organisation Trevor conducted the work beyond his work timings and hence it was not interfering with his work There were no efforts put by his HOD in developing the proposed combination of drugs that could be considered for the patent. Under Section 10(1), 10(2), 10(3) and 10(4) of the Patent Rules 2007, the Mention of the Inventor has been included. Under section 10(1), if the inventor has not been mentioned in the patent application, he/she has to be mentioned in the appendix or erratum. Under Section 10(2), if the inventor has not been mentioned, he can apply before the comptroller of Patents. Under Section 7(1) of the Patent Act 1997, there is a mention that any person can apply for a patent either alone or jointly. Under 7(2) it has been mentioned that person would include not only individuals but also corporate bodies including universities. The patent may be granted either to the inventor, joint inventor or to the successor/s of the inventor or inventors. Under section 7.06, the inventor has primarily the right to grant the invention to any person but this law may be overridden by legally enforceable

Panera Bread Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Panera Bread Company - Essay Example In order to achieve this, business organizations have to implement certain strategies. Each and every product needs to be designed or made on the basis of customer’s needs and wants. Panera Bread Company has so many outlets in US and Canada and each outlet has its own varieties of customers. Thus, in order to maintain a steady flow of customers they have to follow certain marketing strategies tailor made to meet the requirements of each and every outlet, depending on the peculiar characteristics of the outlet. The franchisee business model is quite appropriate in the food and beverage industry. However, unlike it is competitors, Panera does not have many Franchisee units. So to increase the franchisees the company has to implement some new strategies. Because of the strict policies Panera does not have as many outlets as its competitors like Star Bucks and McDonald’s have. Not cashing in on the attractive concept of franchising is the main drawback of Panera. The issues however can be easily solved on the basis of franchises and the management professionals have to follow some kind of marketing activities such as market campaigns, Employees and customer’s awareness classes. . To get more in to franchising the rules should be cut down on the basis of this we can improve our business activities as well as our customers. It is needless to mention that every business operates on the basis of profitability and for Panera to

Physiology of the Heart

Physiology of the Heart Anatomy 1. Illustrate and describe the gross anatomy of the heart. Include the layers of the heart wall, chambers, valves, structures and major blood vessels connected to the heart. Indicate direction of flow. Include your own diagram. The heart is a complex biological electrical pump. It is found in mediastinum of the thorax. Surrounding the heart is the pericardium, which contains serous fluid, allowing the heart to move freely within the membrane. (1) The outside surface of the heart is known as the epicardium, the inner surface of the heart muscle; the myocardium and the innermost surface; the endocardium. The heart itself can be separated into 4 chambers which are filled with blood when the heart is relaxed, and pumped out of when the heart contracts. (1) They are separated into the left and right side, which are distinct, and into atria (singular atrium) and ventricles. The atria and ventricles are separated by the coronary sinus or AV groove. Between the right atrium and right ventricle is the Tricuspid Valve which is made up of 3 leaflets. Deoxygenated blood feeds into the right atrium from the Vena Cava (which is separated into the superior and inferior vena cava – superior from the head, neck and arms and the inferior from the lower limbs and the abdomen). (1) The right ventricle feeds into the pulmonary artery which carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs. Blood is then oxygenated and fed back to the heart through the pulmonary vein. This fills the left atrium and subsequently, flows through the Mitral Valve into the left ventricle.. (1) As the heart contracts, this pushe s the blood into the aorta, which feeds through to the major arteries in the body. Within the base of the aorta lies some very small arteries known as the coronary arteries. These feed the heart tissue with oxygenated blood and drain into the right atrium, with the systemic deoxygenated blood. (1) 2. Briefly describe the function of the pericardial cavity As mentioned before, the heart and roots of the great vessels (aorta, vena cava, pulmonary vein and artery) is surrounded with a very strong membrane known as the pericardium. It is a double walled structure, made up of the fibrous pericardium on the outermost surface of the heart, and an inner serous pericardium. (1)The fibrous pericardium is made of very dense connective tissue, and contains many collagen fibres. It prevents overfilling of the heart and anchors it to the surrounding walls of the thoracic cavity.(2) The serous pericardium can be differentiated into two layers, the parietal layer, which is fused and continuous with the fibrous pericardium, and the visceral pericardium which can also be known as the epicardium. Between these layers is a potential space known as the pericardial cavity, filled with about 50mls of serous fluid. (2) This potential space is extremely important as it allows the heart to move freely within the space by keeping the transmural cardiac pressure s very low, as well as facilitating atrial filling during ventricular systole by maintaining a negative pericardial pressure. It also prevents hypertrophy of the heart under strenuous exercise, keeping the heart muscle a relatively constant size. (2) The membranes completely isolate the heart from the thoracic cavity which prevents spread of disease or infection. Its importance is particularly obvious when there are cases of pericardial tamponade – build-up of fluid in the pericardial cavity which causes compression of the heart. (2) Without the pericardial cavity, the heart would not be able to pump as efficiently as it would have to overcome the pressures exerted on it by the surroundings, which would just add to the work of the cardiac muscle.(2) 3. Illustrate and describe the anatomy of the electrical conduction system of the heart. Briefly describe the blood supply to the electrical conduction system. The electrical impulse originates at the Sino Atrial Node in the right atrium. This impulse travels through the cardiac muscle – through the many gap junctions, as well as through the intermodal pathways or Bachman’s bundle. (1) At the level of the atrio-ventricular valves, there is another node called the Atrio-Ventricular Node (AV Node) that has properties that delay the stimulus. Following this, the impulse travels down the left and right bundle branch fibres in the ventricular septum, into the bundles of His which travel up the ventricular walls and branch into Purkinje fibres. The stimulus reaches the apex of the heart first, and then travels up towards the outflow tracts resulting in coordinated depolarisation and contraction. (1) This coordination is a result of both the coordination of the stimulus as well as the layout of the myocytes, as well as the ease at which the electrical signal is able to propagate through cardiac muscle.(3) Sino Atrial Node is usually supplied oxygenated blood by the Right Coronary Artery (RCA) or the Left Coronary Artery (LCA) though this is variable. In most people, the AV Node is supplied by the AV Node Artery branch of the Posterior Descending Artery which is a branch off the RCA, though in some it will be supplied by the same artery, just as a branch of the left Circumflex Artery. (3) All of the fibres downstream from this point are supplied by the Left Anterior Descending artery with exception of the His fibres, which are also supplied by the AV Node Artery. (3) Conduction 1. Illustrate and describe the propagation of a single beat through the electrical conduction system and the relationship to the surface ECG. Include in your answer a discussion on conduction velocity through the various components and list the normal ECG intervals. An ECG works by detecting the electrical change in the heart through sensors that are put on the surface of the skin. Direction is determined through the use of electrical vectors generated by many hundreds of individual cells. (4) The P wave is the first small wave in the ECG. It reflects the spread of depolarisation through the atria from the SA node. The normal range is  ¬0.08-0.1seconds. After the P wave there is a brief isoelectric stage when the current is flowing through the AV node, and the conduction is slowed. This is known as the PR interval and it is usually 0.12-0.2seconds. (4) The QRS complex shows the very strong electrical signal and resulting contraction that forces blood into the aorta and pulmonary artery. It is about 0.06-1seconds, which shows just how fast depolarisation spreads through the ventricles (its shape has been idealised on the schematic below). (1) After the QRS complex there is another isoelectric period which indicates plateau phase of depolarisation. The T wave is the repolarisation of the ventricles – in preparation for the next beat the duration between the P and T waves usually approximately 0.2-0.4seconds, though this is dependent on heart rate.(4) The U wave is a very rarely seen artefact and is thought to reflect the repolarisation of the papillary muscles that control the valves. (1) Figure 3: Electrocardiogram schematic. Based on the diagram from Bruce Shade: Fast and Easy ECGs (4) 2. Briefly describe the ionic movement that occurs during each phase of the myocardial and SA node action potential. Include a labelled illustration of both action potentials in your answer. The myocardial action potential is quite complex with influxes and effluxes of 3 different ions, changing the membrane potential as contraction occurs. There are 5 distinct phases of the myocardial action potential. (1) These are shown in the figure 4 below. Between phase 0 and 2 there is an absolute refractory period where it is impossible to invoke another action potential. This allows even more coordination of the spread of a stimulus.(1) The ECG trace shown below the action potential shows where the stages of contraction occur that can be extrapolated out into the ventricular depolarisation (QRS complex) and the ventricular repolarisation (T wave) Depolarisation Repolarisation ECG Cells in the SA node are pacemaker cells and have a property which is known as automaticity. They do not need activation to fire an action potential.(1) They are very similar to myocytes but have several key differences in their action potentials (see figure 5). Phase 0 is significantly slower in the pacemaker cells of the SA node as it is dependent on the activation of L-type calcium channels instead of Sodium channels, which makes the depolarisation significantly slower at this phase.(1) During Phase 1, repolarisation of the membrane occurs leading to a period of pacemaker potential, where the membrane potential gradually depolarises through constant Na2+ leakage into the cell. When the action potential is triggered automatically, Phase 0 commences. Pacemaker cells do not have phase 1 and 2. (1) Figure 5: SA Node Action Potential 3. Describe the role of escape pacemakers in the conduction system. The SA node is entirely autonomous which means that it does not need external innervation or activation to fire. Other areas of the heart are heteronomous which means they need an external source of action potential to stimulate them to produce one. (1) Some specific cells along the conduction fibres possess both of these properties. This is so that if the SA Node fails for some reason, they can activate themselves and this allows the heart to beat, even without a functional SA Node. (1) Each area will have a slower rate of autonomy as it gets further downstream from the SA Node to prevent competition between the different areas. (5) This is very useful when the SA Node fails, and the AV Node takes over as the AV Node can maintain a BPM of about 40-60 BPM which is still slow but can maintain life for a reasonable amount of time. Further downstream the Bundles of His can maintain about 25-40 BPM and the Purkinje fibers about 15-30BPM which cannot maintain life for any reasonable perio d of time, though it can help during some forms of arrhythmias which prevent the signal reaching the Purkinje fibers/Bundles of His. (6) This is also where Escape beats originate, and this is seen on the ECG as a widened QRS Complex. 4. Discuss the role of decremental conduction in the AV node. Decremental conduction means the more the AV node is stimulated, the slower it conducts the stimulus. This allows a control over how fast the blood is pumped out. The faster the contractions, the less time between them for filling of the heart and therefore less blood is pumped out. (1) The AV Node slows down the stimulus so that there is an element of control of how fast the signal reaches the apex of the heart and prevents the ventricles from contracting so fast that the cardiac output drops too low.(7) It is extremely important that the AV node is able to slow down the conduction velocity, even as it gets activated more and more frequently. It is even able to block out some signals. This is clearly seen in patients with atrial fibrillation. (7) The only way for the signal to travel to the ventricles is through the AV node (due to the insulating fibrous skeleton that prevents atrial cell – ventricular cell depolarisation spread). (7) If the AV node allowed conduction of ever y single depolarisation, an atrial fibrillation would be fatal as the cardiac output would become too low, and the ventricle would go into ventricular fibrillation, which is fatal without intervention. It is the decremental properties of the AV node that prevent this from occurring. (7) 5. Explain the term ‘functional syncytium’ and its significance in the cardiac muscle contraction. A functional syncytium by definition is a group of cells that are both mechanically and electrically bound to one another, so they are able to function as one. This is extremely important in cardiac muscle contraction.(1) One of the main reasons that the heart is able to work so effectively is that the contractions and depolarisations are always coordinated. (8) There is no coordination without communication, which are the electrical signals that are passed between the myocytes. (1) This extremely effective communication is completely useless unless the cardiac myocytes are mechanically bound, so that when they do contract, it is as a whole. The specialization, which is unique to cardiac muscle, that allows it to be a functional syncytium is a structure called intercalated discs. (8) They contain three types of intercellular junctions; many fascia adherens and desmosomes, for mechanical connection, and many gap junctions allowing for direct communication between neighbouring cells. ( 1) Another interesting property that contributes to the functional syncytium is the fact that cardiac muscle has an innate rhythmicity. This means that at the level of the muscle, the myocytes will exhibit the rhythm of the cell with the fastest rhythm. This makes regulating and coordinating the speed of the heart beat very easy and effective. (8) References 1. Boron WF, Boulpaep EL. Medical Physiology [Internet]. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2008 [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://books.google.com/books?id=HlMJRw08ihgCpgis=1 2. Watkins MW, LeWinter MM. Physiologic role of the normal pericardium. Annu Rev Med [Internet]. 1993 Jan [cited 2014 Apr 9];44:171–80. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8476238 3. Futami C, Tanuma K, Tanuma Y, Saito T. The arterial blood supply of the conducting system in normal human hearts. Surg Radiol Anat [Internet]. 2003 Apr [cited 2014 Apr 9];25(1):42–9. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12819949 4. Shade BR, Wesley K. Fast and Easy ECGs [Internet]. McGraw-Hill Higher Education; 2007 [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://books.google.com/books?id=hibqIAAACAAJpgis=1 5. Adams MG, Pelter MM. Ventricular escape rhythms. Am J Crit Care [Internet]. 2003 Sep [cited 2014 Apr 9];12(5):477–8. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14503433 6. Vassalle M. On the mechanisms underlying cardiac standstill: Factors determining success or failure of escape pacemakers in the heart. J Am Coll Cardiol [Internet]. Journal of the American College of Cardiology; 1985 Jun 1 [cited 2014 Apr 9];5(6):35B–42B. Available from: http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1111307 7. Cardiac Electrophysiology: From Cell to Bedside 5th edition ISBN: 9781416059738| US Elsevier Health Bookshop [Internet]. [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/cardiology/cardiac-electrophysiology-from-cell-to-bedside-expert-consult/9781416059738/ 8. Cardiac Muscle | histologyolm.stevegallik.org [Internet]. [cited 2014 Apr 9]. Available from: http://histologyolm.stevegallik.org/node/146