Human Resource Management Process1 Essay

The role of a Human Resource department is ever changing in today’s volatile business environment. Over the years HR have become strong strategic partners within an organization by providing functions such as recruitment, training and development and retention. Human Resource, in order to be strategic, works directly with all levels of management in an effort to help with strategy and the growth of the company to meet their vision. One very important aspect is talent acquisition. Having the right people in key roles within the organization is vital to the success and growth of any company. Performing this function includes job analysis, task and KSA statements, preparing job descriptions, recruiting, and then setting compensation. The entire process from job analysis to compensation is discussed as follows; Job analysis                      When a new job is created or a vacancy occurs, it is the role of a HR representative to fill that void. In order to perform this function they need to first understand what role they are trying fill is and what skills and responsibilities this new role would require. By conducting a job analysis they are able to further define important elements of any job and then search for the person or people that are the most qualified and would be a good fit for the company. Job analysis is the process of describing and recording aspects of jobs and stipulating the skills and other requirements necessary to perform the job. It refers to the process of Gathering and collecting information about responsibilities, duties, skills, the outcomes and the environment that influences working in a particular job field. The job analysis process will help the HR managers find the ideal candidate for the position. Task statement                      Task analysis is the process by which a task statement is derived. The task statement is the most important element of task analysis process because it provides a standardized, concise format to describe worker actions. It is a document that defines and describes the specific job to be performed by the candidate. The creation of these task statements may take considerable thought and insight. However, the rewards of conducting this due diligence before taking on the task of hiring a new employee, makes the process very simple and less stressful. Everything is clearly defined and above all, measurable in the future. KSA statement                      KSA statements are the job related knowledge, skills and abilities that an applicant must perform successfully in a certain position. It is a statement that helps employees in the process of identifying the employee who best fits in a particular field. KSA statements help hiring managers identify the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to successfully perform a specific job. Knowing the tasks that have to be performed, helps you to identify the KSA that the candidate must possess in order to perform to the companies standards and in return hire the right candidate. Job description                      Writing a job description is an important step in the human resource staffing plan. A job description typically outlines the necessary skills, training and education needed by a potential employee for a specified job. It provides an outline of what should be done by a particular employee in a specific position. It should give a brief overview of the role, how it relates to the organizational vision, a list of key responsibilities, requirements and qualifications.Once a job description is prepared, it can serve a basis for interviewing candidates, orienting a new employee and finally in the evaluation of overall job performance. By incorporating and utilizing job descriptions, an organization can better understand the experience and skill set needed to enhance the overall success of the company. Recruitment plan                      Once the Job analysis, Task statements, KSA statements and the job description are completed, the next step is to search for candidates. A complete recruitment plan identifies vacant positions in an organization that need to be filled so that so that an adequate job advertisement can be created and placed appropriately for a specific period of time. Most recruitment plans include searching both internally and externally from the organization. When organizations choose the right people for the job, these people are not only great performers with their job, but also tend to stay with the organization longer. Selection method                      The key to the selection process is to choose a strategy for screening candidates that will allow an organization to view the most qualified candidates for the vacant position. Employee selection process usually entails reviewing, screening, interviewing, testing then selecting the best available candidates for theavailable position. Organizations also make use of many outside agencies when completing the selection process. Drug screening and reference checks are often done by a third party. Many companies are beginning to incorporate assessment tests and activities into the selection process to insure additional training is not necessary for potential candidates. A selection method chosen by the organization should allow the selection panel of a company to pick the candidate that is most suited to fill the vacant position. Performance evaluation                      A performance evaluation is a review and discussion of an employee’s performance of assigned duties and responsibilities. Performance evaluations need to be in place to support decisions made by management and the HR department. The appraisal is based on results obtained by the employee in their job. These evaluations can also be used to teach as they may show areas that need improvement as well as provide backup for recognition of a job well done. It measures skills and accomplishments with reasonable accuracy and uniformity.The performance evaluations need to be structured and performed in a timely manner as well and managers need to be trained appropriately has to how to conduct these evaluations. Compensation plan                      Compensation is a systematic approach to proving monetary value to employees in exchange for work performed.Compensation may achieve several purposes assisting in recruitment, job performance, and job satisfaction. Job analysis can be used in compensation to identify or determine skill levels, compensable job factors, fiscal and supervisory responsibilities and required level of education which is related to salary level. Job descriptions are used as a tool for determining salary ranges.Many people associate compensation with money but when looking for a job, many compensation packages are designed with a package of products in mind. Due to the fact that compensation isn’t just about the dollar figure, compensation packages need to be discussed in great detail when hiring new employees.Overall compensation strategies have to be designed to meet the overall objectives of the organization. Would you change anything in your process at this point? No I wouldn’t change anything. This is because of the following reasons: I don’t think that I would change anything about my paper because I did do extensive research on a HR Receptionist position to determining the skills, qualifications and experience needed for this type of positions. There is a legal need to do a job analysis. Employers who wish to demonstrate that their selection processes are valid will need to start with the job analysis. There are also management reasons for doing the analysis. It yields an improved process for obtaining, retaining and managing organization’s work. Job description communicates the organization’s expectations to its employees. Conclusion                      In conclusion, we have discussed the importance of the job analysis process which includes task statement, KSA statement and job description. Job analysis is the procedure used to determine tasks, duties and responsibilities of each job, and identify knowledge, skills and abilities appropriate to perform the job.The job analysis process can render positive outcomes like increased profits, employee retention and reaching overall organizational goals when implemented successfully within an organization. We have also discussed importance of human resource department’s ability to recruit, select candidates appropriately and continue ongoing performance evaluations with the organization’s employees.An organization cannot build a good team of working professionals without good Human Resources. The key functions of the Human Resources Management team include recruiting people, training them, performance appraisals, motivating employees as well as workplace communication, workplace safety, and much more. As you can see, human resource plays a very big role in the foundation of an organization. Literature review on compensation                      Compensation can be defined as any rewards obtained by employees in return for their labor. Compensation can be divided into three aspects, that is; direct financial compensation, indirect financial compensation and non-financial compensation. Direct financial compensation consists of pay received in the form of wages, salaries, bonuses and commissions provided at regular intervals. Indirect financial compensation includes all financial rewards which are not included in direct compensation, and form part of the social contract between the employer and employee such as benefits, leaves, retirement plans, education and employee services. Non financial compensation refers to topics such as career development and advancement opportunities, opportunities for recognition as well as work environment and conditions. As much as many employees focus on direct financial compensation, it is the non-financial rewards that are more effective in the long term employee engagement. Job position covers the various duties such as interesting duties and responsibilities, autonomy, challenges, authority feeling of achievement, advancement opportunities and opportunities for recognition. Work environment focuses on; competent supervision, fun and effective co-workers, flexible scheduling, modified retirement and fair and consistent practices and policies. Scholarly review                      Levels of firms’ productivity widely depend on good compensation strategies. In small businesses, coordination between general resource management practices lacked, hence, diminished productivity levels. Besides, personnel related problems are arising as a result of unclear, outlined policies on human resource management and compensation in small businesses. Inadequate and inefficient management of human resources often adversely affects employee’s perception of equity, resulting in dissatisfaction, inadequate motivation, higher turnover and lower productivity (Tate, et al, 1982). Unlike small businesses, large businesses rely on a well organized, formal personnel development to ensure effective human resource management. There are various policies that aid in proper human resource management and increment of productivity levels. These policies are based on both wage payment and other fringe benefits. In order for these policies to effectively work, one need to enact proper maintenance practices which include; appropriate induction of an employee, conducting performances review, providing employee service and instituting governance. However, the surveys were done to come to a conclusion on the gap that was observed between ‘what could be’ and ‘what was’ (in terms of professional human resource management) might be caused by at least four factors; a lack of formal personnel management training, a lack of perception on the part of decision makers that productivity is improved by use of generally accepted human resource management practices, a lack of incentive because employers are family members or an inability to use human resource management practices effectively because of size and monetary constraints. Compensation can also be achieved through recognition of personnel. Recognition of personnel is done by considering the following; the length of service, above and beyond program, peer to peer, retirements and sales. Rewarding of the recognized personnel is done through; certification and or plaques, cash gifts, certification and company logo merchandise. Recognition is meant to; salute years of service, create a positive work environment, encourage high performance, foster a culture of recognition and raise personnel morale. Not all gestures succeed. Celebrating employees can also backfire, as far as the research conducted by Business Scholars at Harvard Business School. There were two reasons that emerged; first, â€Å"employees strategically gave the program improving timelines only when eligible for the reward, and call in sick to retain eligibility,† scholars explain. Secondly, â€Å"employees with perfect pre-program attendance or high productivity suffered 6.8% productivity decrease after program introduction, suggesting they were de-motivated by awards for good behavior they already exhibited.† Compensation related issues have called for relevant compensation plans and decisions in order to cater equally for personnel. There are various decisions that human resource management makes concerning compensation as highlighted below; Compensation decisions are essential in compensation strategies. Compensation of personnel depends on the market position (level of pay relative to competitors), internal versus external orientation, hierarchy (the pay structure and the basic-job versus skills-for the pay structure reward mix, and the basis of research performance versus seniority, groups versus individual and criteria used) (Lawler 1981). These are issues that determine decision of salary increment. Increasing list of decisions has raised doubts about the efficacy of a strategic perspective. It brings to mind the multiple facts of job satisfaction that made the constraint more complex than originally conceived (Heneman, 1985), hence, t is necessary to differentiate decision which are strategic from those that are not. Compensation decision making widely depends on the strategic policies as highlighted below; Competitiveness, whose degrees vary among various organizations and among occupations within them, from a strategic perspective, competitiveness refers to positioning a firm’s compensation relative to its competitors (Belcher, et al, 1987). It deals with total return trade off decision. Internal structure- the internal pay structure is a fundamental policy that requires strategic decisions. Typically it refers to the distribution of rates or internal pay differentials. (Simon, et al, 1987.) Decisions involved depend on the issue of pay, equity and slope of the hierarchies. Forms of pay- this is another policy that pertains the forms of the mix of various elements of total compensation (Heneman, et al, 1973). Decisions include the number of forms to offer, the degree to which each is contingent to employees maintaining their membership in the organization like entitlement, or performance like incentives, relative importance of each form and the proportion of the workforce eligible for each firm. Basis for increase-decisions based on the strategic policies involved in granting pay increase are also involved; they range from an emphasis on short versus long term incentives (Caroll, et al, 1987). Role in the human resource strategy- description of firm’s human resources strategies plays a very important role in decision making (Dyer, 1985). Administrative style- this process is used to administer compensation decision also referred to as strategic properties. It deals with issues such as employee participation, communication centralization and dispute resolutions mechanisms. Compensation planning and administration has various challenges which require efficient decision making criteria. These compensation related decisions are formulated to do away with disputes that may result from pre hiring pay, ongoing employment, legal compliance, equal pay out and fair labor standards acts. Conclusion                      From what we have seen in the scholarly articles, for one to improve business productivity, it is essential to have relevant compensation strategies to provide guidelines on personnel compensation. Many small businesses are characterized by inadequate and insufficient management of human resources which tend to affect employee’s perception of equity, resulting to dissatisfaction, inadequate motivation and lower productivity, hence, proper human resource management strategies are essential in building a well organized, formal, personnel department to ensure high productivity levels. Compensation can also be achieved through proper recognition of personnel by considering different aspects as highlighted in the articles above. Recognition is essential as it fosters work environment and also encourages high performance through appraisal of morale among the staff. In order to come up to a proper compensation plan, the human resource department needs to formulate clear policies and procedures to follow. These policies aid in decision making regarding various compensation incentives to personnel or employees. These decisions involve financial compensation which is in form of wages, salaries, bonuses and commissions, leaves, retirement plans and other employee services; non financial compensation decision on job positions and working environment related factors. In short, it is essential for a good human resource management to have relevant policies which are essential in identifying when and how to compensate personnel properly. References Amba-Rao, S. C. & Pendse, D. (1985). Human Resource Compensation and Maintenance Practices. American Journal of Small Business, 10(2), 19-29. Belcher, D., & Atchison, T. (1987). Compensation administration (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Caroll S. (1987). Business strategies and Compensation Systems. In D.B Balkin &L.R. Gomez Mgia, New Perspectives in Compensation, Pp 343- 355, Prentice Hall. Ellig, B. R. (1981), Compensation Elements: Market Phase Determines the Mix. Compensation Review. Third Quarter, 30-38. Freedman, S. (1978). Some Determinants of Compensation Decisions. Academy of Management Journal, 397-409. Heneman, H. G. (1985), Pay Satisfaction in K. M. Rowland & G. R. Ferns (eds), Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, vol 3, p 115-139. Lawler, E. E., III. 1981. Pay and organizational development. Reading, Mass.: AddisonWesley. Simon, H. (1950). Public administration. New York: Knopf. Tate, J. 1957. Suggestions toward a reformulation of wage theory. Reprinted in Mahoney,1979. Thompson, K. (2014). Honoring Employees is Good Business. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 94(2), 26. Source document

Gender Roles in American Households Essay

The social phenomenon of changing gender roles in American households is explored in this paper. Are men and women sharing more equally in assuming household responsibilities? Do women still bear the majority of the responsibility? How do race, age, and cultural influence play a role in the division of labor in the household? I have done research on the change in gender roles among people of different ages, genders, and race. Data was collected to see if there is a difference in change between races, if there is a significant change in roles between generations, and if men and women view the change the same or differently. To gain the data I used surveying and interviewing as my research methodologies. These methods were used as they were the most practical ways to obtain enough information needed to form conclusions. Caucasian, Asian, and African Americans of both genders and diverse ages were surveyed and interviewed. I feel my research will show that with each generation, as more women entered the work force, the households of all races have undergone significant change in which women and men are sharing both work and domestic duties more equitably. That being said, the distribution of domestic chores does contribute to household stratification of gender roles. Both currently and historically race plays a role in that stratification. Gender role research is socially relevant because each individual in a household is impacted by it. Gender roles in the household can be a factor in whether a marriage is happy and successful. They also influence decision making in the family and parent and child relationships. Researchers could use my data to delve deeper into the impact of gender roles in different types of households. Since everyone grows up in some type of household setting, the research could have far reaching implications for most of the population. The first research method I choose to collect data is the survey. Using a survey to collect data allowed me to reach a large number of people. Family and friends helped in distributing and collecting the surveys. My parents work at a hospital, my Aunt is a teacher, and my friend attends a large university. That allowed me to reach the age groups, genders, and races I needed in order to collect enough data. Included in my survey were both questions about today and about the past. In addition, using a survey allowed me to ask questions that were not opened ended and could easily be converted to statistical data. In the end, I had responses from a minimum of fifteen respondents in each of eighteen categories. The categories are Caucasian females ages 19-30, Caucasian males ages 19-30, Caucasian females ages 31-49, Caucasian males ages 31-49, Caucasian females ages 50 and above, Caucasian males age 50 and above, and the same for both African Americans and Asian Americans. Because of the large number of groups I needed to collect data on, I felt 15 individuals per category would be a large enough number to get a representative sample. I looked at the responses and felt I had a good sample. Had that not been the case, I would have handed out more surveys. Included in the survey were questions on the household the person grew up in and questions about their household today. For example, respondents were asked if they were raised in a two parent home. This is a question I checked the responses to when I determined if I had collected enough surveys. It was necessary to have enough positive answers to this question since gender roles is the issue I am looking at. Also on the survey were questions asking your race and age, who you were raised by, if your mother worked outside the home, percentage of division of household chores, and whether the perceived change in gender roles is positive. I did not have any problems with the survey itself. The only difficulty was finding fifteen respondents for a few of the categories. The second research methodology I used was the interview. In interviewing I was hoping to be able to ask follow up questions and steer the interview in a direction that would supply me with the information I needed. The survey did not lend itself to follow up questions. In addition, participant observation and experimentation methodologies were not at all suited to investigate the question of changing household gender roles. I interviewed one person from each of the three races I was researching. In addition, each was from a different age category. All of the interviews were conducted separately as I would not have wanted to inconvenience the people who were nice enough to participate. All were interviewed once in an informal manner since I believe that discussing your childhood and present home life is best accomplished in a comfortable setting. I interviewed Dr. Espejo, a 49 year old of Asian decent by telephone as she was unavailable in person. Helen Bonokallie, a 24 year old of African decent was my second interview. I spoke with Helen at her workplace as she works third shift and that was most convenient for her. My last interview was with Sylvia Johnson, a 66 year old Caucasian. I interviewed her in her living room. I have known Sylvia my entire life and have a close personal bond with her. Aside from choosing my subjects for interviewing and directing the questions to get the answers I needed I did not shape the outcome of the interview. The survey results revealed several trends related to gender roles in American families. The following charts and statistical analysis help to clarify the collected data from the surveys. The three tables that follow represent each of the three races I surveyed. Each chart shows the three age groups surveyed and their responses to two questions. The first, as a child what percentage of household work was done by each of your parents? The second, in your home today, what percentage of household work is done by the male and what percentage is done by the female? Looking at the charts a few trends are seen. First, regardless of race, the percentage of work done by the male is greater in the adult household as compared to the father in the childhood home. That indicates that with each generation gender roles in the home have changed. Ratio of CaucasianCaucasianCaucasianCaucasianCaucasianCaucasian work doneAge 19-30Age 19-30Age 31-49Age 31-49Age 50+Age 50+ female:malechildhoodadultchildhoodadultchildhood adult In %householdhouseholdhouseholdhouseholdhouseholdhousehold 50-504%40%0%38%0%0% 60-400%40%4%31%0%40% 70-3012%20%15%23%0%40% 75-250%0%11%8%0%13% 80-2014%0%0%0%20%7% 85-1512%0%11%0%3%0% 90-1058%0%30%0%30%0% 95-50%0%11%0%27%0% 100-00%0%18%0%20%0%. Ratio of AsianAsianAsianAsianAsianAsian work doneAge 19-30Age 19-30Age 31-49Age 31-49Age 50+Age 50+ female:malechildhoodadultchildhoodadultchildhood adult householdhouseholdhouseholdhouseholdhouseholdhousehold 50-500%26%0%0%0%0% 60-400%39%0%16%0%0% 70-307%30%0%36%0%28% 75-2510%0%0%12%0%0% 80-2023%5%17%24%3%22% 85-157%0%10%12%13%0% 90-1050%0%30%0%23%36% 95-50%0%30%0%25%0% 100-03%0%13%0%36%14% Ratio of African AfricanAfricanAfricanAfricanAfrican work doneAge 19-30Age 19-30Age 31-49Age 31-49Age 50+Age 50+ female:malechildhoodadultchildhoodadultchildhood adult householdhouseholdhouseholdhouseholdhouseholdhousehold 50-500%0%0%0%0%6%. 60-400%63%0%18%0%18% 70-3031%31%7%28%0%38% 75-2531%0%8%12%5%7% 80-2015%6%8%36%25%12% 85-150%0%23%0%0%0% 90-1023%0%46%6%30%19% 95-50%0%8%0%25%0% 100-00%0%0%0%15%0% In addition, under no circumstance did the males of any race or age perform more household work than the females. The data also shows that there is no difference in gender roles today among Caucasians, African Americans, and Asian Americans in the 19-30 age group. In the Asian American group of individuals fifty and older, 72% of women still do 80-100% of the household work today. In contrast, in the same age group, only 7% of Caucasian women and 31% of African American women perform 80-100% of household work. According to the 2004 United States Census, 69% of Asians were born in another country (Lee and Pituc 2007). This is significant in that many older Asian-Americans adhere to traditional cultural values. Traditional Asian gender roles prescribe for women to place the role of wife and mother above all others: men are expected to be the breadwinner and spokesperson. Asian cultural values consequently encourage distinct spheres for men and women and a gendered household division of labor in which the burden of household duties such as housekeeping tasks and childcare rest heavily on women (Lee and Pituc 2007: 1). The following graph was compiled based on the survey question; did your mother work outside the home? The y-axis is percentage of working mothers and the x-axis is the age of those surveyed. The graph shows that over time more mothers have become workers outside the home. It also indicates that for all age categories >70% of African American women were in the workforce. Kane stated â€Å"White women have a history of lower levels of labor force participation and higher levels of economic dependence on men than do African-American women† (2000 p. 421). This graph when looked at in conjunction with the 3 charts above shows a correlation between women working outside the home and men giving more help around the house. The last survey question was do you think the change in gender roles in the household is positive or negative. The results were 99% positive and 1% negative. The information obtained from my interviews mirrored the information I got from the surveys. Talking to Sylvia, the 66 year old Caucasian, the idea that generation and women in the workplace play a part in changing gender roles was reinforced. Sylvia related what her home was like as a child, indicating that household work was entirely done by her non-working mom. Her home on the other hand is different in that her husband does help out to some extent. She also said her children’s homes are even more equitable when it comes to dividing household chores. Dr. Espejo’s parents worked together and shared responsibilities in the home. It is the same in her home today, where she and her husband, both physicians, share household duties. Dr. Espejo stated that she feels sharing of household responsibilities strengthens the relationship between a husband and wife and between parents and children. This may be explained by a 2003 study conducted by Y. Espiritu. Trask (2006) states: Based on an analyses of various studies of Asian-American families, Espiritu found that more educated couples tended to share and practice greater egalitarian relationships within households. While women still performed more of the housework, their husbands did participate in all aspects of family work. This increased participation by men may be explained due to an equal monetary contribution from men and women which led to wives successfully forcing their husbands to participate in domestic chores. (P. 4) In my interview with Helen, she pointed out that sharing responsibility around the house helps to equalize the stress between both male and female. In the African- American household she grew up in her father did the cooking and laundry while her mother cleaned and helped the children with homework. A recent study has a possible explanation for the sharing of household work in Helen’s childhood home. The study concluded, â€Å"When referencing the family and work, black men may be less traditional because they are more sensitive to oppression in general, may share resistance with black women to racial inequality, and often gain acceptance of women in the workforce during early years while being raised by a single working mother† (Carter 2006: 209). In addition, Blee and Tickamyer state, â€Å"African American men do not equate masculinity with success, wealth, ambition, and power, but rather with self-determinism and accountability† (1995 p. 21). All three interview subjects expressed that change in gender roles where there is a more equal distribution of household responsibilities is very positive. The research I have done shows that over time gender roles have changed among the three races I studied. Every group I looked at had fathers who helped out less around the house than the males in their homes today. One important reason for this could be the fact that over time more women have entered the workforce outside the home. It simply has become a necessity for men to help out more around the house. In addition to more women in the work force, culture and race play a role in gender and the household stratification of gender roles. Culture remains important to many Asians Americans, especially the older generation. In those cultures Asian men are seen as the breadwinner and women as household caretakers. That dictates women being almost entirely responsible for the household. In contrast, African American men do not define their masculinity by success, but instead by accountability. That leads to many African American men being more equitable in sharing household chores. Since everyone in a household is affected by gender roles, this subject is very important socially. It is a subject worth investigating further as the findings could impact many people. References Blee, Kathleen and Ann Tickamyer. 1995. â€Å"Racial Differences in Men’s Attitudes about Women’s Gender Roles. † In Journal of Marriage and Family. Vol. 57, pps 21-30. Carter, J. Scott and Mamadi Corra. 2009. â€Å"The Interaction of Race and Gender: Changing Gender Role Attitudes, 1974-2006. † In Social Science Quarterly. Vol. 90, pps 196-211 Kane, Emily. 2000. â€Å"Racial and Ethnic Variations in Gender-Related Attitudes. † In Annual Review of Sociology. Vol. 26, pps 419-436 Lee, Sandra and Stephanie Pituc. 2007. â€Å"Asian Women and Work-Family Issues. † In Sloan Work and Family Research Encyclopedia. pps 1-6 Trask, Bahira. 2006. â€Å"Traditional Gender Roles. † In Sloan Work and Family Research Encyclopedia. pps 1-5.

Bessie smith biography

Bessie Smith was born In Chattanooga, Tennessee in April 15, 1894. She was the most popular female blues singer known as The Empress of the Blues. She started her career by singing in tent shows in 1912, alongside another blues specialist Ma Rained. Bessie influenced other singers including Earth Franklin, Nina Simons, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Janis Joplin. Bessie Smith was married to jack Gee on June 7, 1923. She made her first record with Columbia records Downhearted Blues in 1923. It was a hit selling 780,000 copies. It was the best selling blues record to date.Between 1923 and 1931, Smith recorded 160 songs for Columbia. Throughout the sasss, she recorded with many famous musicians, including Fletcher Henderson and members of his band, and the pianist James P. Johnson, with whom she recorded her masterpiece Backwater Blues. In addition to recording blues, Smith traveled around the South America with her own show, which was wildly popular, In 1929, smith made her film appearance, In SST. Louis Blues. In the film, she sings the title song with members of Fletcher Henderson orchestra, the Hall Johnson Choir, pianistJames P. Johnson. Smiths marriage to gee ended in 1929; Columbia records ended its nine-year contract with her. In 1937 she was killed in a car accident In Tennessee. Bessie Smith died on September 26th, 1937. 5 Most well-known songs: Down Hearted Blues SST. Louis Blues Backwater Blues Gulf coast Blues Nobody Knows you when youre down and out Backwater Blues: 12 bar blues chord structure relaxed style. Smith has a laid-back, Smith frequently slides Into and out of notes (sliding in the vocals) The piano is responding to smiths melodic line. A lot of repetitionIn the 4th chorus the left hand is descending and low chords are played by the right hand. The tune changes. Smith remains in the same melody. The 5th chorus the piano sounds more march-like. Bessie Smith adds variation to certain pitches. Element of Improvisation Sad lyrics, slow tempo, steady beat, call and response In my opinion Bessie Smith has very strong and powerful vocal skills. I Like the way the pianist accompaniment style frequently changes during different verses of the song, he also tries to depict the meaning of the lyrics while playing. Bessie smith biography By troubleBessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in April 15, 1894. She was the most to Jack Gee on June 7, 1923. Masterpiece Backwater Blues. In addition to recording blues, Smith traveled around the South America with her own show, which was wildly popular. In 1929, Smith made her film appearance, in SST. Louis Blues. In the film, she sings the title nine-year contract with her. In 1937 she was killed in a car accident in Tennessee. Smith frequently slides into and out of notes (sliding in the vocals) The piano is Element of improvisation In my opinion Bessie Smith has very strong and powerful vocal skills.

Frequent Manual Repositioning and Incidence of Pressure Ulcers Essay

Frequent Manual Repositioning and Incidence of Pressure Ulcers - Essay Example Longer hospital stays and costs, as well as the substantial pain and suffering on the part of the patient, can be reduced if the focus will be given to preventing pressure ulcers. Frantz, Tang & Titler (2004) stated in their article that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducted a literature review in the summer of 1990 and found out that the incidence of pressure ulcers range from 2.7%to 29.5%, 9% of it occur in general population while 66% occur in high risk populations.Based on the results of the statistics, the population at relative high risks for pressure ulcers are more likely to have more incidences of the case.Thus, bedbound patients are at high risks for developing pressure ulcers. Learning the susceptibility of a population to develop pressure ulcers, a number of preventive measures including international and clinical guidelines for pressure ulcer prevention have been recommended; among of which include frequent repositioning of patients with limited mobility. Although repositioning is an accepted and a standard guideline for pressure ulcer prevention, there are limited evidence and studies that would support the effectiveness of repositioning in reducing the incidences of pressure ulcers (Rich et al., 2011, 11). In addition, studies suggest that repositioning should depend on the level of tissue injury or stages of pressure ulcers. Therefore, before accepting repositioning as a standard practice at a national level, guidelines about the appropriate assessment tool to use and the correct number and duration of turns in repositioning must be well-established to render effective and cost-reducing prevention as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services no longer reimburses hospitals for treatment of hospital-acquired stage 3 and 4 pressure ulcers due to the reason that pressure ulcer can be prevented by using the current evidence-based practice guidelines (Cox, 2011, 365). Early studies about preventing pressure ulcers throug h repositioning correlate to the number of movements of elderly at night. Hampton (2009) stated that an elderly make 20-40 full turns with small position changes every 5–10 minutes at night (p. 65). This should be a number of movements an elderly should do in order to prevent pressure ulcers; however, the number of turns is not applicable to bedbound patients as it only applies to healthy adults. Then on, subsequent studies focus on the duration of pressure as the most important indicator of pressure ulcer susceptibility until repositioning every two hours develop and become a ritual practice. Repositioning the patient regularly is proven to reduce the incidences of pressure ulcer, however, turning every two hours can increase the risk of shearing and friction leading to damaged tissues (Hampton, 2009, 65). Thus, turning every two hours could not be effective in preventing pressure ulcer because increased friction is also a contributing factor for pressure ulcer development.à ‚  

Product Name and Package Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Product Name and Package - Essay Example There is already a well-coordinated ice cream network in the region, with extensive help of the several chains of supermarkets. Most the ice cream products sold in France occur in the supermarkets, hypermarkets and other ice-cream shops. The product logo has exploited the use of what the French people love most: their dessert, wine, and new culinary creations. There is a sense of the French culture the product logo. The English translation of the name means endless joy. The product drives the message that it could bring endless to joy to every consumer that partake a product. The people could be motivated to purchase the product because they associate the product to the love for their culture. It develops the feeling of pride. The color and message driven by the use of the words attract the attention of the customer. The color of the logo is quite similar and sensitive to the different types of ice cream sold in the market. The graphics used in the writings are readable. The front too is okay, as the letters are well outlined. Haagen Dazs has exploited most of the above name features in advertising their brand in the market. At one moment, the Hagen Dazs company was experiencing problems in the market primarily because of the constant increase in competition in the market. The company management decided to address the issue with having a complete product rebrand. The company exploited the people love for honey, by associating their product flavors to be from the bees. This was present in the product logo, marking the company a success once more (â€Å"Haagen-Dazs supports cause†). The advertising aspect of the product adheres to the local rules on food and beverages. The law is against advertising of alcohol to underage kids. Despite having several alcohol flavors in the brands, the logo does not anything alcoholic in promoting the product. However, the firm has taken certain measures in ensuring that the alcoholic

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Salem Witch Trials - Research Paper Example The causes of Salem Witch Trials resides in why were the girls strangely behaving. According to the theory of Mary Beth Norton, the girls made the acquisitions and were behaving strangely because they were suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and this was because of wars that occurred between the Puritans and American Indians (Goss 2008, p.63). The first individual, Tituba who was accused of witchcraft was a American Indian and due to a grudge held by the puritans against the American Indians, she was accused as a practitioner of witchcraft. Another explanation of the strange behaviors of the girls was provided by Linnda R. Caporael, she asserts that those who were believed to experience strange behavior were experiencing ergotism, which is a disease due to eating of bread that has been contaminated with ergot (Hil 2009, p.257). Individuals suffering from this disease act strangely, for example: they may experience crawling sensation in their skin and even may experie nce headaches. These were the symptoms exhibited by those who were considered to be possessed. Events The issue experienced by Salem took off as two young girls went to a slave Tituba to get their future sweet hearts predicted. To predict the future Tituba used a trick in which a white egg is drowned in a water glass. While the trick was taking place, one of the two young females saw a coffin. After this event, both girls started exhibit strange behaviors such as hiding beneath chairs and using ridiculous words. The happening of these events were then noticed by the Reverend Parris and he asserted that these events were taking place as the girls were possessed by devils. The similar behaviors were exhibited by several young females and due to pressure applied by adults of that area, the girls accused that Tituba and other white women were practicing witchcraft on them. Due to this, the accused were shifted to a jail in region of Boston where Tibuta accepted that she was practicing w itchcraft. During the month of March similar behavior was exhibited by an adult and the number of accusations increased. During the three months of March, April and 50% of May the count of those accused increased and they were all shifted to jails. Later on June 2 special court proceedings took place after which on June 10th, Bridget Bishop was hanged to death and later on July 19th five more accused individuals were hanged and then on September 22nd, eight more of them were hanged (Goss 2008, p.181). Later the trails came to a stop under the order of Governor Phips as his own wife was recognized as a witch. Consequences The main consequences of the special court proceedings that took place as a result of accusations was the hanging and corporal punishment of several individuals who were completely innocent. Individuals who did not practice religion and visited churches were accused for livestock death and ill health that was spreading all over Salem. The second major consequence wa s the imprisonment of over 200 individuals along with those who were hanged to death for being accused of practicing witchcraft. These individuals were simply imprisoned on the basis of evidence that was spectral in nature. Property of these individuals was seized by the town and their families had to

Umberto Eco and Hyper-reality Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Umberto Eco and Hyper-reality Concept - Essay Example While it is a clearly tangible technology, hyper-reality is a concept still simmering in the minds which we use sometimes to describe something as unreal as the Disneyland structures. Is it then just postmodernist gibberish when writers like Eco and Baudrillard came up with the concept of hyper-reality? We shall now discuss Eco’s contention with the help of other significant writings on the subject. According to postmodern writers and by that we do not mean Eco alone, hyper-reality is a representation of reality which is better than the original. Eco argues for example that a recreated diorama is more effective than the actual scene (Eco 1986:8). Jean Baudrillard supports this argument when he says that Americans like to see reproductions of their heroes and monuments as simulacra. Simulacra is thus something which is "more real" than the original (1988:41). Meaghan Morris thus defines simulacra as something where, "the true (like the real) begins to be reproduced in the image of the pseudo, which begins to become the true (1988:5)." In the same vein, Umberto Eco argues that for Americans "the past must be preserved and celebrated in full-scale authentic c opy; a philosophy of immortality as duplication (1986:6)." With these views, Eco urges us to go on a "journey into Hyperreality in search of instances where the American imagination demands the real thing, and, to attain it, must fabricate the absolute fake (1986:7)." Umberto Eco maintains that America is obsessed with simulations. The never-ending series of hyperstructures that recreate reality serve as a proof of this obsession with something that is better than the original. Baudrillard (1983) puts it a little differently but supports Eco’s contention. He argues that the reason American like simulations is because they are perpetually trapped in the present.

To Build a Strong Brand within the Fashion Industry Essay

To Build a Strong Brand within the Fashion Industry - Essay Example This paper illustrates that interpretivism has been found to be applicable for this particular research study. Interpretivism combines varied approaches together and tries to comprehend the humankind as it is experienced and made considerable by the experiences of human beings. This philosophy takes into account the individual experiences and their beliefs and opinions to form a genuine conclusion that presents a study that lay concealed in such human experiences. In short, this approach takes the individual understanding to reflect the outcomes of the study. Thus this research philosophy has enabled the present study to focus on the details of the research to determine an understanding on building of a strong brand in the fashion industry. The research has been based on a secondary study involving both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Thus the data that have been collected and used for the study have both qualitative as well as quantitative information. For instance, t he business reports included financial status of the fashion companies, hence involving quantitative data. On the other hand, the theories and previous researches concerning build-up of strong brand in the fashion industry were qualitative in nature. Qualitative methods require the research study to describe the types and qualities of people or incidents without expressing them in the form of numerical figures.

Canada's capital region report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Canada's capital region report - Essay Example This is a serious challenge facing the National Capital Commission in its attempt to increase Canadian’s perceptions of and visits to the National Capital Region (NCR). This report focused on the research that was conducted by Ipsos-Reid together with other lifestyle and demographic trends to help in identifying two important target markets. The research shows that the perception of the Canadians towards NCR is significantly better after a visit. The report analyzes the habits and preferences and proposes a combination of features of the National Capital Region be packaged for each market section. The report recommends a strategic approach that mainly concentrates on influencing visits by two identified market segments. These two target segments exhibit characteristics that make it possible to access them through combination of social media and outlets together with several well established groups that can become advocates for the cause. This approach will make it possible to reach a large number of positively pre-disposed sightseers and therefore helps in generating vital buzz around the National Canadian Region. As stated above, the primary role of NCC is marketing and communication plan aimed at ensuring that Canada’s Capital Region (CCR) remains a source of pride for all Canadians. In regards to the Ipsos-Reid research findings, the following valuable statement was developed. This statement serves as the backbone for guiding conceptual development, creative development and serving as a measure against which creative ideas can be evaluated. Every NCC efforts contribute to the brand value and equity of the capital. This requires the implementations of strategic alignment across the organization to make certain that each and every activity are focused towards developing the capital that will be a source of pride for every Canadian. The big question is therefore; apart from the communication and marketing plans, what are other strategies that NCC

Internet gambling Essay Example for Free

Internet gambling Essay Gambling online is growing exponentially, without the protection of reliable regulatory structures that ensure age and identity verification, the integrity/fairness of the games, or that responsible gaming features are included on a site. In a poorly regulated Internet environment, this study investigates gambling on twenty online sites. Content analysis was utilised to evaluate whether the sample displayed responsible gambling features. In the absence of established, agreed, regulatory evaluation criteria, the researchers constructed their own, based on examples of good practice on available websites and following the recommendations of the Gambling Review Report 2001 and the Gambling Act 2005. The primary findings suggest that most online gambling sites are responsible and most show elements of good practice, which is of interest given the unregulated environment and absence of policing. While some features are derived from conventional gambling policies and regulatory influences, some are unique to the special ethical risks of gambling on line. Web designers and commissioning organisations appear to have anticipated social criticisms by incorporating guards against unethical outcomes before regulatory controls have been imposed. As the impossibility of regulating/controlling the Internet is a common cliche in many commentators’ analysis, this self regulation and willingness to refrain from taking revenue from vulnerable punters, is intriguing. The authors recommend further research to establish an accurate picture, including the size and characteristics of the UK online gambling market. Secondly, to study and compare online gambling with more traditional forms of gambling in terms of underage and problem gambling. More studies need to investigate which forms of responsible gambling are most effective in reducing underage and problem gambling. Lastly, the response of the industry to legislation and micro regulation would be a guide for policy makers and responsible industry practitioners. Introduction Since the increased popularity of Internet access into homes and workplaces in the early nineties, Internet gambling opportunities have expanded at a surprisingly swift pace and more people are gambling online (Wood, Williams and Lawton, 2007). The unregulated nature and uncontrollability of the Internet, with low or no tax gambling, have created a perfect environment for the proliferation of gambling (Crist and Yeager, 1998). Anyone, anytime, anywhere with a computer, a connection, and a credit card can gamble at hundreds of different online gambling websites. Recent statistics state there are as many as 2,500 gambling websites currently operating; consisting of 1,083 online casinos, 592 sports and race-books, 532 poker rooms, 224 online bingo sites, 49 skill game sites, 30 betting exchanges, 25 lottery sites and 17 backgammon sites (Casino City, 2006). Gamcare (2008) state that the number of Internet gambling websites is approximately 3,000. By 12 September 2007, the Gambling Commission had received only 146 applications for operating licences that include provision for online gambling, a minute proportion of the 2,500 sites worldwide. Internet gambling revenues in a single year were $651 million in 1998, more than double the estimated $300 million from 1997 (Sinclair,1999). Further, the global Internet gambling industry is forecast to grow from about $9,000 million in 2004 to $25,000 million in 2010 (European Commission, 2006). If the estimated figures are accurate, then the importance of Internet gambling will continue to rise. Gambling presents a large set of negative social consequences and online gambling has its own challenges beyond those of gambling in general; introducing many new potential problems and rekindling many old ones (Griffiths,1999). Internet and land based casinos have problems detecting and deterring addicted gamblers. Even with the opportunity presented to physically verify age in conventional gambling outlets, no gambling jurisdiction is 100% effective in keeping out underage gambling (Gambling Online Magazine, 2004). It is feared that the anonymity offered by the Internet will exacerbate this problem. Computer-based systems allow gamblers to self-exclude or establish loss limits and may stand a better chance of being effective than the current systems in most conventional casinos. Whilst a determined gambler can move from site to site, reports of players’ activities can be made readily available with contact details for bodies that aim to assist those with problem gambling issues. However, offline and online operators other than those regulated in the UK, do not collect information about a customer’s financial situation, spending or habits, for both practical and protection of privacy reasons. A person who has developed a problem must identify it themselves and take their own constructive steps to deal with it. Operators only train staff to help those who believe they have a problem and approach customer services. Presently there is no comprehensive research or definitive standard as to how to identify someone who has developed a gambling problem. The prevailing view is that it is the minority of players who develop gambling problems. The current regulatory response to this issue is influenced by this perspective (EGBA, 2007). The Growth of Internet Gambling Several factors have contributed to the growth of online gambling. †¢ Internet access has increased globally and technologies that drive the Internet have improved. Confidence in conducting financial transactions online has increased and some governments have licensed online operators within their borders. †¢ The personal computer extends the range of choice. Land-based casinos dictate which games are available to players. Online gambling lets players move through cyberspace to play the games they prefer. †¢ The Internet provides the highest level of anonymity for conducting gambling. The more pervasive concern has been that the Internet attracts people away from person-to-person contact, fostering alienation and real-world disconnection (Boase, 2006). †¢ The costs of establishing online sites are considerably less than those of land-based gambling operations. Flatt (1998) has estimated as little as $135,000. Problem Gambling The ability to gamble anonymously provides problem gamblers with a safe haven without physical scrutiny or surveillance (Scharf and Corrin, 2002). Problem gambling is categorised as an addiction. A severe disorder characterised by obsessive thoughts of gambling, a loss of control, often involving lying and stealing in order to recover gambling losses. As well as other negative consequences (Netemeyer,1998). Specific to Internet Gambling is the role that technology contributes to alteration in gambling habits (Griffiths, 1999). There are no regulated opening times, as exercised by terrestrial operations. It has been argued that there is an ‘exodus from reality’, in the sense that gambling online does not involve ‘real cash’. A gambler may lose control as he or she cannot see a money balance and does not suffer a physical loss. Online gambling loses the social aspect of gambling creating the disadvantage that there are no friends or peers to discourage a gambler from going too far (Griffiths, 1999). Underage Gambling. There is a high priority of protecting children from online gambling, considered more addictive than conventional forms of gambling, because of young people’s familiarity with and access to computer-based technologies (Conway and Koehler, 2000). They have a perception of control resulting from their skills honed playing PlayStation or interactive video games, and may have a false sense of security boosted by their fluency (Mackay, 2004). Another concern is that underage gamblers have easy access to sites and to forms of gambling, from which they otherwise would be excluded by conventional outlets. Many sites offer a ‘demo’ mode, i.e. play without wagering money. It is suspected that ‘demo’ games may give very good odds. Adolescents who are successful on these games could develop a habit which continues when they reach adulthood and are legally permitted to gamble for money, when the odds are no longer so favourable (Mackay, 2004). Regulation Gambling in its various forms is often seen as a deeply-rooted trait of the human activity, which although a source of gratification for many and not innately immoral, can cause harm to individuals. Gambling has long been subject to regulation by governments, reflecting moral, religious and political mores. A pragmatic motivation for such regulation is to generate revenue, which might result in a conflict of interest in regulatory regimes, as the industry grows. The objective of regulation can vary from protecting consumers by ensuring the probity and integrity of the gambling operators and the purging of fraud and abuse of criminal activities, such as money laundering, to reduction of the social cost of problem gambling. There is a gap in the literature concerning the efficacy of regulation. Regulation of online gambling is a comparatively new phenomenon and it is too early to measure its effectiveness. There are debates about appropriate licensing frameworks, legal and technical standards for operators and cover issues, such as protection of customer funds, continuous and repetitive play and intervention to tackle problem gambling. Methodology Content analysis, adopted for this study, has been defined as a systematic, replicable technique for compressing many words of text into fewer content categories based on explicit rules of coding (Krippendorff, 1980). Content analysis has four key advantages: †¢ it is unobtrusive †¢ it is flexible and applicable to unstructured materials †¢ it is context sensitive. †¢ it can be applied to large amounts of data. The lack of research applying content analysis to websites is partially a result of the complexity of Internet information, in particular; the definition of a website, the unit of analysis and the method of sampling. A major problem in conducting Internet content analysis is related to defining the term ‘website. ’ With a large volume of information on a website, it becomes unworkable to analyse the whole website. Therefore, parts of the website, the units of analysis, must be chosen for evaluation. In addition to size, websites differ in purpose, structure and content, therefore selecting a unit of analysis consistently across all samples is highly problematic (Ha and James, 1998). Coding an entire website is difficult and can introduce bias based on size. Selecting the unit of analysis is not an easy task as the volume of data can overwhelm the researcher. In this study the first step was to decide on the sample. The sample consisted of the top twenty most popular online gambling sites visited in Britain, according to: †¢ www. gambling. com, †¢ www. cam-orl. co. uk. Internet-betting-online. html and †¢ www. ukcasinoguide.org. uk . The sites were accessed and coded during a period of three days, in February 2006. The term website was applied on a general level, defined as a collection of pages or files linked together and available online. The unit of analysis was the homepage, plus drill downs. The study attempted to limit the analysis to the homepage. However, it was decided that the content available on a homepage was too limited and did not necessarily reflect the breadth and scope of content available on the whole website. The study experimented with gambling sites. A commonality of approaches indicated prima facie industry norms. The study observed evidence of good practice. The content of the websites was evaluated by characteristics providing factual information and of responsible gambling. The coding template was based on possible features associated with each of the two categories and was used to record the content of each website, within the unit of analysis. Ratings were based on how difficult it was to locate information. More drill downs meant the information was harder to find and scored a lower rating. It was believed that the more easily located and extensive the information, the more an online gambling operator was committed to responsible gambling. Reliability and Validity The reliability of a study involving content analysis refers to the stability and reproducibility of the results (Stemler, 2001). Stability requires researchers to code the data consistently. According to Weber (1990), concerns regarding reliability often stem from the ambiguity of word meanings, category definitions, or other coding rules. The validity of a study involving content analysis is determined by the extent to which the definitions (included in the tool) reflect the sub-categories. The validity of categories is enhanced by the inclusion of many words to arrive at the same judgment. For example, the words gambling and betting were considered interchangeable. One of the primary reasons to conduct content analysis is to collect objective information. Therefore, the study ensured that the procedure was clearly laid out and defined. It was consistently applied to the sample. The following three steps were taken to enhance the reliability and validity of the study’s findings and to ensure that the information gathered was objective. First, to enhance the reliability of the results, after the tool was applied to the website, the coder re-coded the website on the same day to ensure accuracy. Second, the coding scheme was tested to ensure the suitability of the categories and the overall reliability of the tool. It was important that the list of variables was exhaustive and mutually exclusive in order to avoid any confusion. Lastly, to improve the validity of the results, the definitions were reviewed and expanded to ensure that there was an exhaustive list of words for each sub-category where applicable. For example, for the sub-category ‘Addiction Help,’ words such as ‘problem gambling,’ ‘concerns about gambling,’ were included in the coding guidelines to broaden the category, allowing the coder to capture the data. Findings Considering the large amount of data collected, only the criteria of responsible gambling were analysed intensively. These are illustrated in Table 1. The key areas of concern, underage gambling and problem gambling are expanded in Tables 2 and 3 respectively. Sample characteristics Security Online gambling security is as good as most other e-commerce sites. There are no reported any security-related fraud (Turner, 2002). Online gambling sites know that cheating their customers is bad for business and therefore tend to be honest. The market is so competitive that the reputation of market leaders is paramount. Players are likely to switch to rival sites if practices are questionable. Payment systems are critical to the success of any online business and online gambling operators have their own particular challenges to face. The integrity of systems must be assured. [pic] Table 1 Voluntary Initiatives Systems must be secure from hackers and crackers, from both outside and from within. There are readily available codes to ensure security such as the use of encryption and digital signatures. These technologies are already in use. All sites accessed displayed secure transaction information. The ‘dot com boom’ followed by the ‘dot com crash’ has had Internet gambling casualties. Several Internet gambling operators have gone bankrupt. For example Netbetsports and Luvbet folded owing their customers money (Barker, 2007). These firms had a relatively high profile within the industry. Luvbet was one of the first bookmakers to promote an Internet site offering tax free betting. Netbetsports offered Internet customers high bet limits and tax free betting, when UK tax rates were still nine per cent. Internet gambling is expanding in ever-changing and unregulated websites (Hartman, 2007; Holahan, 2006). It is uncertain whether as an unintended consequence of domestic regulation; risk taking clients might be challenged to gamble with unscrupulous vendors. This could represent an extra excitement factor, perhaps generating worse personal consequences, than in an unregulated environment. Responsible gambling The concern with responsible gambling is the rationale of this study. It was intended to measure how online sites recognise that gambling can cause problems for customers and to investigate and record the measures to offer checks. The websites were evaluated according to how helpful responsible gambling information was. The study found no consistency in the responsible gambling information. British legislation requires mandatory procedures promoting socially responsible gambling. This should be clear and prominent on their homepage, if it is to be effective. Eleven sites displayed responsible features on the home page or easily accessible links. Most of the remaining sites contained these features, but access was difficult, hence their lower rating. Fair Gaming and Independent Audits Fair gaming refers to sites operating honestly and responsibly, ensuring monetary deposit safety and winning bets paid in a timely manner. Fifty-five per cent of sites accessed contained information stating that they were independently audited. Independent audits confirm the percentage of payouts of games, review the output and validity of the software, that it consistently produces random results and fair outcomes of games. For example Price Coopers Waterhouse at www. roxypalace. com. The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends that online gambling software systems must be random-operated and tested by the Gambling Commission. Online sites must make payments only to the credit card used to make deposits or by cheque to the player. The study looked for evidence of these recommended features. Security and honesty of transactions are as important to the supplier as the customer. A bad reputation for online gambling sites could be commercially crippling (Griffiths, 2003). Therefore the responsible features recorded here do have an economic payoff. Ethical Statement An ethical code was a key criterion to be assessed when visiting each site. Only one ‘ethical code’ which covered policies on compliance and data protection, measures restricting minors and the risks of compulsive gambling, was observed. This might be seen as a ‘narrow’ interpretation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) focussing on legal/rule based elements. Legal safeguards are problematic, since any Internet relationship questions which law should be complied with. Smeaton and Griffiths (2004) found two-thirds of the sites they visited displayed no evidence of social responsibility and concluded that social responsibility was a low priority for online sites. Problem Gambling Social responsibility can be evidenced by attempts to offer services in a way that does not encourage repetitive play or by supporting a client with a problem. Sixty per cent of the websites provided problem gambling information. InterCasino UK |Ethics drill down finds the website is committed to detecting and reducing compulsive gambling with |Med | | |procedures including monthly deposit limits and analysis of gambling patterns (this information was not | | | |verifable for the study). | | |Coral Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|High | | |accounts. | | |Platinum Play Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods, access to customer accounts and filtering programmes. | | |Spin Palace Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facility self exclusion periods. |Med | |City Club Casino |Link to a statement of encouraging sensible gambling and link to Gamblers Anonymous. |Low | |Roxy Palace Online Casino |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |32 Vegas Red |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |Victor Chandler |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Crazy Vegas Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods and filtering programmes. | | |English Harbour |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |Casino Tropez |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Vegas Red Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |Ruby Fortune Casino |Link to gambling support agencies and facilities for self-assessment tests, daily/weekly deposit limits, self|High | | |exclusion periods, access to customer accounts and filtering programmes. | | |Eurobet Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|Med | | |accounts. | | |UK Casino Club |About Us link leads to a Responsible Gaming Policy which offers a self-assessment test, cooling off |Med | | |periods and exclusion options. | | |Golden Riviera |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | |William Hill Casino |Link to GamCare and facilities for daily/weekly deposit limits, self exclusion periods and access to customer|Med | | |accounts. | | |Hammers Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |King Solomons Casino |No link or message to be found. |Nil | |www. 888. com |Link to Gamblers Anonymous website. |Low | Table 3 Problem Gambling Information UK legislation requires training of gambling operators’ employees to identify problems and to have procedures to sensitively deal with these. Fifteen sites had problem gambling information. Five linked to the Gamblers Anonymous website. Four sites offered assessment tests. It was not within the parameters of this study, to determine if online gambling sites follow up on tests, when a result indicated a problem. Three of the sites accessed provided information relating to filtering programmes, which can block underage users. These could be found through links to other sites and there was a free trial download facility available. Self-exclusion and Deposit Limits A player who feels that he or she is losing control of play and requires help in restricting access to online gambling were served by eight sites in this study that provided the facility for self-exclusion. This option was never located on the homepage and accessed only through drill downs. The study could not determine if applications were processed immediately or if self-exclusion from one site meant exclusion from multiple sites. It was unclear if these schemes required the gambler to undergo counseling assessments prior to re-admission, or if after the self-exclusion period had lapsed; the player automatically was included again. The study was also not able to clarify if players who request self-exclusion were given information about problem gambling counseling services. Computer-based systems can allow gamblers to self-exclude or establish loss limits and may stand a better chance of being effective than the current systems in most conventional casinos today. Whilst a determined gambler can move from site to site, reports of a player’s activities can be made readily available, with contact details for bodies that aim to assist those with problem gambling issues. Internet gambling operators are equipped to collect adequate data and information to be able to identify patterns of problem gambling (DCMS, 2006). There is the technological ability for operators to collect enough data to be able to identify patterns of problem gambling. This is a requirement of the 2005 Act. However, this is a prescription only for operators with a British licence and the position of the European Gambling and Betting Association (EGBA, 2007) is that it is extremely difficult to monitor and identify when someone has begun to gamble irresponsibly. Therefore according to EGBA, offline and online gambling operators should not collect information about a customer’s financial situation, spending or habits, for both practical and privacy issues. Operators that act on this aim to establish a responsible reputation and may see it as a competitive advantage factor. Yet they may infringe the principle of privacy. An issue for regulators is whether to acquire the power to compel operators to intervene in the event of identifying a problem gambler. The technical provisions in Britain for socially responsible Internet gambling have been drafted and are in the process are being applied. Assessment of the effectiveness of regulations in curbing problem gambling has yet to be done. Some sites permit customers to limit the amount of money that they are able to deposit into their account on both a daily and/or a weekly basis. It was noted that amounts may be revised downwards at any time, but increases are implemented after twenty-four hours. The online gambling operators are unable to override limits set by customers. Some sites allow access to a player’s full history of transactions, withdrawals and deposits. The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends online sites should be required to set up facilities that enable players to set maximum stakes, limits and to self-ban. Protection of Underage Gamblers In order to ensure child safety online sites were evaluated for identity verification and exclusion facilities, such as the use of filtering software. The Gambling Review Report (2001) offers guidelines to ensure that identification standards are comparable to those of off-line casinos. It asserts that all players who register to play online should be properly identified before they are permitted to play. Age Verification Most sites studied required a prospective gambler to only complete a registration form in order to play. These sites rely on the player to disclose their correct age and do not verify the accuracy of the information. Underage gamblers can use their parents’ credit cards or even their own to register and set up accounts (Schroeder and Versch, 1998). The Gambling Review Report (2001) recommends that players who register online should be properly identified, before they are permitted to play. All sites displayed an age warning on their homepage. 32 Vegas Red alone stated it had taken steps to ensure that their site did not attract young people and used software that stops the underage from joining. Smeaton and Griffiths (2004) have investigated underage gambling and found poor standards of verification. The concern is that many sites are not employing identity verifications systems to check the age of players and therefore allow underage play. Verification systems work by searching available government and financial databases, to find evidence to support the personal information supplied by the player. For example, credit ratings or inclusion on the electoral roll can verify that the player is of the required age. However such searching again might threaten individual privacy. InterCasino UK |Logo displayed on homepage. Ethics drill down reveals site requires customers to declare that |Low | | |they are of legal age. | | |Coral Casino |Logo linked to statement that the company reserves the right to request proof of age. |Med | |Platinum Play Casino |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult and sane as per laws of country of |Med | | |residence. | | |Spin Palace Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |City Club Casino |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be adult as per country of residence. |Low | |Roxy Palace Online Casino |Terms Conditions drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |32 Vegas Red |About Us drill down leads to Responsible Gaming drill down stating it is illegal for anyone |High | | |under 18 to open an account or to play and that they have taken steps to ensure that the website| | | |does not attract young people and our website uses software that stops under 18s joining (this | | | |could not be verified by the study). Also requests responsible parenting. | | |Victor Chandler |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult as per laws of country of residence. |Med | |Crazy Vegas Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |English Harbour |Terms Conditions drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Casino Tropez |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Vegas Red Casino |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |Ruby Fortune Casino |Logo linked to statement relying on responsible parenting. |Med | |Eurobet Casino |Logo linked to statement stating the company reserves the right to request proof of age. |Med | |UK Casino Club |Responsible Gaming drill down leads to downloadable Children Protection Software and urges |High | | |responsible parenting. | | |Golden Riviera |Terms Conditions drill down states customer must be of legal age. |Low | |William Hill Casino |Responsible Gaming drill down leads to statement that the company reserves the right to request|Med | | |proof of age. | | |Hammers Casino |Terms of Use drill down states customer must be adult as per country of residence. |Low | |King Solomons Casino |Logo linked to statement defining the customer as adult and sane as per laws of country of |Low | | |residence. | | |www. 888. com |Link leads to statement that it is illegal for anyone under 18 to play and that they have taken |High | | |steps to discourage and track young people (this could not be verified by the study). Website | | | |recommends software supporting responsible parenting. | | Table 2 Age Verification Telephone Betting The Gambling Review Report (2001) states that aspects of online gambling should be more heavily regulated than conventional gambling. However, the Internet’s characteristics make it more difficult to regulate. This study looked for evidence of telephone betting and considered implications of this facility. The three sites that offer the player the facility of telephone betting have a UK High Street presence. It could be argued that the reason why these organisations have added online sites to their operations is to expand opportunities. Using the BCG Matrix, the shops could be considered ‘cash cows,’ well-established with high market share. The new online sites could be ‘stars. ’ The prospect of growth is exciting as are the opportunities (McDonald, 2002). Land-based operators provide an online presence, giving extra services for the player, the anonymity of play compared to their shops, higher levels of usibility, and possibly even more security, simply to grow their businesses, rather than to offer player protection in this feature (Johnson, 1997). Ultimately this criterion failed to help evaluate the concept of responsible on line gambling, given the ‘virtual’ existence of most sites. Technical Support All sites provide ‘24-7’ telephone and technical support, with free numbers, player-to-technician online chatroom and email support. Every channel of communication is available to guarantee full access for a player. This measure is clearly very important to the site operators and customers. The sites are very competent in not losing customers through technical problems and offer very many points of contact. Yet the same form of in house supportive ‘counseling’ service is not offered to problem gamblers. Licenses It is not illegal for British residents to gamble online, nor is it illegal for overseas operators to offer online gambling to British residents. However, the Gambling Act 2005 requires an operator to obtain a licence if they site any piece of equipment, for example a database, presentation device, or determining device in the UK, regardless of whether other devices are outside the country (DCMS, 2005). Gibraltar |Canada |Caribbean |UK |Unknown | |5 |7 |6 |1 |1 |. Table 4 Sources of Licenses As an example the City Club Casino is licensed by the Island of Curacao, but displays US and UK freefone numbers, in prominent positions on their website, which may mislead the player into thinking that the site is American or British. Another disingenuous feature is when ‘UK’ appears.

Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis

Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis In this chapter a basic understanding of how the pharmaceutical industry will be defined and which models will be used to analyse it will be given to the reader. 1.1 Definition of Industry The most important definition of industry was given by Michael Porter in 1979: a group of competitors producing substitutes that are close enough that the behaviour of any firm affects each of the others either directly or indirectly. Later, Porter defined the term more precisely as a group of companies offering products or services that are close substitutes for each other, that is, products or services that satisfy the same basic customers needs. This new definition emphasizes the importance of industry borders and industrys role as a market supplier or producer of goods and services, as distinguished from a market, defined as a consumer of goods and services. Furthermore, inside every industry there are groups of companies that follow similar strategies, defined by Michael S. Hunt in his unpublished 1972 Ph.D. dissertation as strategic groups. Between these groups there are differences in entry barriers, bargaining power with buyers and suppliers and skills and resources . Strategic groups compete against each other within the industry as a result of these differences. 1.2 Models to Analyse the Industry and Its Environment The literature agrees that comprehension of the industry structure is essential to developing a firms strategy and has a greater effect on the firms performance than whether it is business-specific or corporate-parent. The comprehension of the structure requires analyses of the industrys life cycle. It also requires step-by-step political, legal, technological, social and economic analyses as well as the five driving forces of business, provided by Michael Porter. By utilizing these analysis techniques, it is also possible to anticipate changes in industry competition and profitability over time. 1.2.1 Industry Life Cycle Analysis There are different phases during the development of an industry. Every phases is characterized by a different environments which make competition assumes different the form. Through studying the life cycle, the industry realizes its stake in the market and its influence on consumers. The industry life cycle model includes four different phases: introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The first phase, called introduction, is characterized by a low demand, whereas prices are high as a consequence of firms inability to realize economies of scale. For this reason profits are low and losses are possible due to high amount of investments in new categories. Barriers to entry are primary based on technologies and competencies. Strategy is focused mainly on RD and production, with the goal of enhancing novelty and quality. Competitors, attracted by the rising demand, attempt to replicate the new product. In the second phase, growth, the use of the product is extended, demand grows, prices decline due to economies of scale, barriers to entry are lower and the threat of new entry is high. At this phase the technology is usually not exclusive property of one or more firms, and the primary reaction to competition is marketing expenditure and initiatives; profits are not very high because prices decline as competitors enter the market. There is a transition period, or shake-out, between the second and the third phases. The shake-out involves finding and using all investment opportunities, because the market is near saturation and demand grows more slowly. In the third phase, maturity, market growth is low or non-existent, and the focus shifts to gaining market share; demand is represented only by the substitution of products, investment in RD decreases and there is little innovation. In this phase firms seek cost reductions, and competition is based primarily on advertising and quality because of the low differentiation between products. Big firms acquire smaller players, while others are forced to exit. As a consequence of high barrier to entry, the threat of new entrants are low. The last phase is decline, so called because of the continued decline in demand. Industries arrive at this stage for a variety of reasons. These include a change in social behaviours, demographic changes, international competition, technological innovations and increased customer knowledge. The buying process is based primarily on price rather than innovation. As a result, profit and revenues decline, and the industry as a whole may be supplanted. 1.2.2 PEST Analysis The word PEST is an acronym of several aspects that influence business activities at any given moment. An industry operates under Political, Economic, Social and Technological conditions. These conditions are identify and analyzed using the PEST Analysis technique. Due to their independent influence on any industry, it is essential that each be considered individually. The political aspect of analysis encompasses various factors that influence business activities in a given country at several levels: national, sub-national and supranational levels. These include trade policies control imports, exports and international business partners, government ownership of industry, attitude toward monopolies and competition and trade policies. Hence, failure to consider these policies may result in loss of revenue due to taxes or penalty fees. Government stability is also very important, because it eradicates the risks associated with wars and conflicts. For an industry to thrive, political stability must be uncompromising; otherwise, sales and business activities will be uncertain, and investors will lose interest. The internal political issues in any country influence the running of industries. Politics based on race or religion may define the course for certain industries, especially if an industry falls short of political expectations. Elections and changes in leadership also influence an industrys strengths and opportunities and thus should be considered during the analysis. In addition to internal issues, international pressures and influences may affect some industries, such as environmental degradation or product safety. Another factor is terrorism. Though uncommon in many countries, poor or unstable governance may attract terrorist activities, vengeful or otherwise, which can have adverse effects on the industries operating in that country. All these issues may influence industry and firm expansion and industry attractiveness from stake holders point of view. The economic aspect of analysis includes many factors. The first factor to consider is the current economic situation and trends in the country in which the industry is based. Companies should note inflation and economic decline so that when it comes to investing, they can avoid being financially affected. Failure to do this results in an economically blind platform that may cause the industrys sudden collapse. Another factor to consider in analysis is taxation rates. When there are high taxation rates in a given country, price-based competition may affect a given industry in the international market. International economic trends are also very important, because they define currency exchange rates, imports and exports. Other factors to consider are consumer expenditure and disposable income and, finally, legal issues, including all trade legislation in a given country and other legal regulations that inhibit or encourage expansion of business activities. Also to be considered are consumer protection laws, employment laws, environmental protection laws and quality standardization regulations. Industrial laws regulating competition, market policies and guidelines also play an important role in influencing industrys stability and future expansion possibilities . When considering the social aspect, factors including demographic changes, shifts in values and culture and changes in lifestyle are important to note so as to strategize on expansion and growth . Certain factors, such as media and communities, influence an industrys growth and returns. Brand name and corporate image are also very important in influencing growth and returns since they shape customer loyalty and shareholder investment. The medias views on certain industrial products should be incorporated into the analysis, as should consumer attitudes and sensibility to green issues, that is, issues that affect the environment, energy consumption and waste and its disposal. A companys information systems and internal and external communications should also be analyzed to ensure that it keeps pace with its competitors. Other factors are the policies regulating education, health and distribution of income, all of which, in the long run, influence consumer use of products . The technological aspect of analysis encompasses a variety of factors. In addition to developing technologies, all associated technologies, along with their innovation potentials, speed of change and adoption of new technology, should be analyzed for a proper evaluation of the industry. Other technological factors are transportation, waste management and online business. The level of expenditure on RD should also be considered in order to secure the industrys competitive position to prevent losses and collapse . 1.2.3 Porters Five Competitive Forces Analysis Porters model, as described by Kay, is an evolution of the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm conceived by Edward Mason at Harvard University in the 1930s and detailed by Scherer in the 1980s. , The model aims to determine the intensity of industry competition, major issues in determining strategy and whether an industry is attractive or not. Porter identified five competitive forces that act on an industry and its environment: threat of entry, intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers and bargaining power of suppliers. The first competitive force, threat of entry, refers to the threat of new entrants in an established industry or acquisition to gain market share. Reactions of participants and barriers to entry are the main factors used to establish whether the threat is high or low. Six major entry barriers have been identified: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ capital required to compete in the industry (especially in risky industry, such as advertising or RD) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ switching costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ access to distribution channels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ economies of scale à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ cost disadvantages independent of scale, such as patents, access to know-how, access to limited resources, favourable locations, government subsidies or policies and learning or experience curves à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ product differentiation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ expected retaliation from existing firms against the new entrants Strong barriers to the entry of new firms enable a few firms to dominate the market and thereby influence prices. The second force is intensity of rivalry among existing competitors. Rivalry takes place when one or more firms inside an industry try to improve their position using tactics such as price competition, new product introduction or new services. Rivalry depends on several factors: number and size of competitors, industry growth, product characteristics (which determine whether the rivalry is based on price or differentiation), cost structure, exit barriers, diverse competitors, operative capacity and high strategic stakes. If an industry is inhibited, then firms will experience difficulties when trying to expand. The growth of foreign competition and the corporate stakes should also be included in the analysis. Threat of substitutes is the third forces. Substitutes are those products manufactured by other industries but serving the same purposes as the initial product. These substitute products cause the demand to decline. The implications are reduced profits and reduced market command by the original capital investor. This is of particular importance when the buyer has no switching costs and can easily compare products in terms of price and efficiency. Bargaining power of buyers is the fourth force. High bargaining power positions weak firms inside the industry, forcing price down, enhancing competition between industry players and resulting in bargaining for higher quality or services. This power is particularly high under certain conditions, such as few and specific buyers, undifferentiated products, low switching costs, the possibility of backward integration and information about demand and the availability of market price to the buyers. Furthermore, bargaining power is high if product quality is not a crucial factor of decision-making and if what the buyer is acquiring is a modest fraction of his total costs. Bargaining power is even higher when the buyer is a retailer or a wholesaler able to influence the consumers purchasing decision. The fifth and last force is the bargaining power of suppliers. This can act on the industry in several ways: raising prices, lowering quality or privileging some buyers. Supplier power can be divided into several elements. One of these elements is supplier concentration. Suppliers are in a stronger position when there are few suppliers, switching costs are high, the industry they are serving account for a small fraction of their business or their products are an important part of the buyers business. The bargaining power of suppliers is low or non-existent when there are substitute products. Lastly, purchase volume and the suppliers influence on cost are very important. 2. Pharmaceutical Industry Analysis A general overview of the pharmaceutical industry is the primary objective of this chapter. First, this chapter will define the industry in order to identify the main players in the pharmaceutical market. Second, using the instruments and models described in the first section, it will highlight the main characteristics of the industry and the factors that influence it. 2.1 Definition of Pharmaceutical Industry The pharmaceutical industry is composed of companies developing, manufacturing and marketing products licensed for use as medications. Their goal is to prevent, diagnose or treat diseases. A medicinal product, also called a pharmaceutical, according to the EU, is an exogenous substance or a combination of exogenous substances that can be organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, and able, once inside the human or animal body, to modify physiological functions or to make a medical diagnosis through physical, chemical or physicochemical action. This industry is subdivided into two sub-industries characterized by different business models and players: prescription and OTC pharmaceuticals. Prescription pharmaceuticals, also referred to as Rx, are medicines that are available to the consumers for purchase in a pharmacy or drug store only with a prescription from a physician or administered only in hospitals. These medicines target specific diseases and, therefore, are prescribed for and used by one person only. OTC pharmaceuticals are instead used by more than one person which present the same symptoms in the same or in different time. These medicines are available to the consumer at every time and the consumer dont need any prescription from a physician for purchase. Furthermore, inside this industry there are two types of firms: Big Pharma and Biotech. These two types, despite being in the same business, vary in several ways: IP, drug methodology, expenditure and productivity of RD . The primary drug RD techniques used by Big Pharma firms are chemoinformatics and in silico screenings. Biotech firms are companies that use biotechnology in RD . Biotechnology, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, is the application of science and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models thereof, to alter living or nonliving materials for the production of knowledge, goods and services. Generally, Biotech firms tend to have a strong academic culture, are more risk treatment and spend less than half what Big Pharma spends on R&D; in 2004, Biotech firms spent $20 billion, versus $50 billion spent by Big Pharma. Generally, a Biotech product has multiple IP covering manufacture, formulation and stability, as opposed to Big Pharma IP, which covers only the product, allowing generics to be produced quickly. While they may appear to have the same phenotype, their genotypes are distinct, so much so that they can be considered two industries, as stated by Arthur D. Levinson, Chairman and CEO of Genentech. Nevertheless, this distinction is not always clear, as many Biotech and Big Pharma firms are hybrids to varying degrees. The focus of this thesis are Big Pharma involved in the development of prescription pharmaceuticals to treat and prevent human diseases in the EU market. 2.2 Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Industry The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the pharmaceutical industry lifecycle and investigate the major force acting inside it . 2.2.1 Industry Lifecycle Analysis People over the years have always tried to discover diseases causes and to find remedies against it. The most complete medical test, the Ebers Papyrus, is dated 1550 BC and it was written by Egyptians . However, the industrial production of drugs dates back to the year 1827 when Heinrich E Merck in Germany founded the first company for the production of cocaine and morphine . This event started the introduction phase of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe. In Europe, this industry was born in different way, reflecting the different strategic groups inside it. In the German-speaking countries, pharmaceutical companies were born as a branch of the chemical industry, with firms like Bayer and Hoechst in 1863, BASF in 1865 and Schering in 1871 in Germany, and CIBA in 1884 and Sandoz in 1886. Only Hoffman-La Roche in 1894 in Switzerland was originally a drug firm. On the other hand, in Italy, France and the UK companies were born from small shop pharmacies, such as Glaxo which traces its origins to a pharmacy in Plough Court in 1715 . During the 1800s many compounds were already being isolated, but none was being synthetically produced. The first synthetic drug was Phenacetin, produced by Bayer and commercialized in 1888 . Ten years later Bayer commercialized Aspirin, which marked a milestone in the pharmaceutical industry. Many firms rose to prominence in the 1920s-30s with these kinds of pharmaceuticals, but also with a new class of pharmaceuticals: vaccines and serums . During the Second World War II the demand for drugs increased and mass production started, primarily with drugs such as antibiotics (penicillin, streptomycin and neomycin) and sulphonamide . The availability of these drugs dramatically changed the quality and the average life-span of people. In this period the German pharmaceutical industry, a leader along with the Swiss in pre-war times, was taken over by American firms who came to Europe to taking advantage of the condition of the continent after the war. The period 1950-60 was the start of the industrys growth phase , and this saw a proliferation of new drugs and high return to drug discovery. New drugs included tranquilizers such as MAO inhibitors in 1952, anti-tuberculosis drugs such as Isoniazid in 1952 and oral contraceptives in 1956. Other discoveries included Librium in 1960 and Valium in 1960. The latter was sold from 1963 and later became one of the most prescribed medicines in history before controversy emerged over its link to habituation and dependency. In the 1950s, legislation was put in place to regulate the industry, mainly touching on labelling and approval by health authorities as well as drawing distinctions between non-prescription and prescription medicines. In this apparently unstoppable process of pharmaceutical progression and optimism the industry was stalled by a drama concerning one drug sold in Europe and Japan, Thalidomide. This drug, synthesized in Germany in 1954, was introduced to the market to treat the symptoms of morning sickness and nausea in pregnant women. Between 1954 and 1960, it caused around 5,000 and 10,000 severe deformities in infants. In fact, the drug had not been sufficiently tested on animals to assess its safety, and after this revelation, in an attempt to better regulate the industry, drug oversight authorities were established to exercise control over the industry. The World Medical Association met in Finland and issued the Declaration of Helsinki, setting the standards for clinical research. Among other things, the declaration stated that pharmaceutical companies must prove the efficacy of a new drug in clinical trials before releasing it to the market, and subjects must consent to experiments done to test the efficacy of drugs in clinical studies. The industry remained small up to the late 1970s . Two events characterized the 1970s. First, chemical production for raw materials and early intermediates shifted out of Europe to low cost destinations such as India and China which later began producing active pharmaceutical ingredients and finally non-patented pharmaceuticals . Second, there was the birth of biotechnology. This new science had its roots many years before with the discovery of the double helix in 1953 by Watson and Crick, which followed the advances in molecular genetics, recombinant DNA technology, and molecular biology. Until then, drugs in commerce were produced by extraction from natural substances or chemical synthesis. These new techniques of molecular biology marked the birth of a new industry which became a competitor to and a substitute of the pharmaceutical industry. This new industry was pioneered by firms like Genentech and Amgen which introduced revolutionary drugs such as Epogen and recombinant human insulin. In the 1980s, legislation was passed in most European countries requiring adherence to strong patents for both the pharmaceutical products and their production processes. There were also new regulations such as the introduction of the Good Clinical Practices, which were guidelines regulating ethics and the reliability of clinical studies. In Europe, several states also initiated health maintenance organizations and managed care in an effort to limit rising medical costs, and a preference for preventive rather that curative medication took root. As the industry entered the 1990s, new discoveries and projects, such as the Human Genome Project 1990, changed the business environment. Also, there was a huge wave of MA to build on synergies. This included Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz forming Novartis, Hoechst and Roussel-Rhone Poulenc-Rorer forming Aventis and Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline forming GlaxoSmithKline. In this way, the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals came to be concentrated in Western Europe and North America, with dominant firms and a few small companies that produced drugs in each country. The major European companies are still the dominant players not only in Europe but also in the global market. They include Novartis of Switzerland, Bayer of Germany, GlaxoSmithKline of the UK, Hoffman-la Roche of Switzerland and AstraZeneca of UK/Sweden. As the European pharmaceutical industry entered the 21st century, signs of the growth phase have become even more evident. This has been characterized by intense marketing to physicians and internet commerce. This, in part, has been facilitated by the liberalization of marketing rules requiring presentation of risks as well as the advertising message. Internet has enabled the direct purchase of raw materials by the manufacturers. The development of drugs has moved from the hit-and-miss approach to research and informed discovery. Alternative medicines and lifestyle medicines have presented new challenges and opportunities and have raised the level of competition in the industry. The ageing population in western European economies has increased opportunities for raising revenues. In fact, because of the ageing population in the developed economies, drug consumption will increase since the aged have a higher frequency of contracting diseases than younger people. New epidemics, such as the recent H1N1 flu outbreak, continue to batter the world population, and increased globalization makes them spread more quickly than ever. As the industry advances through the growth phase, companies are undertaking research and development initiatives both to develop new drugs and improve production processes. Further, the increased role of state-supported medical schemes across Europe, as well as other state-managed health programs around the world will greatly increase the reach of healthcare, extending it to more of the middle class and the poor who constitute the larger part of the population in most countries. As the medical programs continue to gain efficacy, the sales of pharmaceutical firms are expected to grow. In addition, the emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, India, China, Turkey, Mexico, and South Korea will add to potential consumer numbers in the industry for European manufacturers. Together, these countries constitute a huge percentuage of the worlds population, meaning that their entry into the high income category will no doubt present an enormous potential market for pharmaceutical products. In fact, the growth in these markets is expected to reach 14-17% by 2014, compared with only 3-6% growth in the developed markets. Thanks to agreements signed by the Asia-Pacific and Europe governments concerning liberalization of the Asia-Pacific pharmaceuticals and investments market, many companies have already started to establish relationships with emerging markets. An example is GlaxoSmithKline, who partnered in 2009 with Indias Dr. Reddy Laboratories. GlaxoSmithKline will distribute the drugs manufactured and supplied by Dr. Reddy in Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Even with these last considerations, the European pharmaceutical industry has only a limited chance of entering the maturity phase of the cycle. The barriers to entry are so great that they choke any new entrant in almost every facet of operation: in research and development, in product distribution, and in compliance with rules and regulations. In fact, this industry has complex manufacturing capabilities which are hard to replicate, and are protected by way of patent, as well as huge consumer attachment to preferred brands from specific companies, often informed by experience. Furthermore Europe generic penetration is very low (less than 10% in total). Thus the industry might remain in the growth phase for a considerable time.