What is the meaning of share value maximization?

The shareholder value represents the interest of stakeholders in a business. Shareholders experiences or seems to see an increase in the value of their shares through dividends or gains at stock exchange. Share value maximization is one of the principles used by management to prioritize the interests of shareholders through projects that will increase profits and ultimately the share dividends. Stock price maximization involves adoption of low cost and efficient processes so as to manufacture goods and services of high quality at the lowest cost possible.Thus, by adopting new technology to produce required goods and services by consumers, is beneficial to the society both in the short and long term basis. In addition, it facilitates courteous and efficient services as well as adequate stocks of merchandise (Kellison, 1991). Discuss the time value of money concept. What is discounting and how is it related to compounding? What is compounding? Explain why earning interest on interest i s called compound interest?Time value of money is concept used in financial management to compare alternatives in investment as well as solving problems that involve mortgages, savings, loans, annuities, and leases. Time value of value of money is based on the idea that the amount of money one holds today is worth more than the expectation that he/she the same amount in future. The currently held money has high value in future as it can be invested and earn interest after some time.Discounting involves calculating or converting specific future amount/value of money at certain discount rate to establish its present value. Thus, a person is able to make judgment on whether to invest such amount of money and reap rewards in future. On the other hand, compounding refers to adding interest earned to the principal amount so that it can go on earning higher interests in its own right. The reason that initial interest earns additional interest i. e. compounded is why it is called compound i nterest (Kellison, 1991).Explain the following statement: While the balance sheet can be thought of as a snapshot of the firm’s financial position as of a point in time, the income statements reports on operations over a period of time? The balance sheet shows the financial position of an enterprise in terms of net assets, capital (stockholder’s or owner’s equity), and liabilities as at the end of a specific fiscal period. At any moment in time, assets are equal to the owner’s equity plus liabilities. Liabilities represent creditor’s claims against the assets of an enterprise.Thus, a balance sheet facilitates a business owner to quickly assess the financial capability and of his/her business. Income statement shows all the business transactions in terms of sales and purchases made, revenue collected, and expenses incurred in given period of time. Therefore, the primary use of income statements is to testify if a company is making profit or loss for a given period of time to the shareholders or potential investors (Frank, 2004). Why is it sometimes misleading to compare a company’s financial ratios with those of other firms that operate in the same industry?First, it is in doubt that different companies apply or use different accounting policies to govern their financial operations. Therefore, a specific accounting policy applied by a certain company may not be similar to another’s policy. For instance, a company may apply accrual basis concept whereas another doest not recognize accruals until they are paid. Secondly, companies operate differently in terms of business activity and management for instance, companies may be in the same industrial sector but they engage in different activities such as production of raw materials and processing.In such a case a production company may be affected by adverse conditions like weather whereas the other is favored by industrial-processing subsidies offered by the governme nt which translates to healthier financial ratios. In addition, some financial managers of certain companies are unscrupulous and such individuals can calculate unprofessionally to lure potential investors. Proper comparison can only be achieved if there are established industrial standards within which all companies can draft their financial ratios (Ibid, 2004).

Establishing the Academic Performance of Veterans in the Us Colleges Essay

The word veteran comes from Latin word, vetus which means old. It’s used to mean a person who has experience or has served for a long time in the armed forces. Though sometime it may be used to even include those still working in the armed forces (Howe 23). In some countries holidays dubbed Veterans Day have been celebrated to honor the veterans. After World War 2 veteran groups like the veterans of foreign wars and even the American legion pushed for the enactment of the GI bill which has ensured that veterans access free or subsidized education and health care (Howe 23). Objectives †¢ To determine the level of academic performance of veterans in the US colleges. †¢ To understand the reasons why veterans decide to go back to college. †¢ To comprehend the effect of being a veteran on academic performance. †¢ To classify the academic performance of the veterans i. e excellent, moderate e. t. c. Justification Frances claims that the Vietnam veterans, who were on duty between 1956 and 1975, were psychologically devastated and bitter (45) and addicted to drugs (46). They include the people who had an uphill task readjusting to the normal society life, in the US history context (47). Several movies e. g. Hi mom (1970), 1971’s hard ride and Marvel Comic’s movie The Punisher among others have constantly shown that the experience at the Vietnam war for example was so devastating (Jay 23). This warrants a study that probes to know if the government’s efforts to take the veterans back to college is the most appropriate measure. The results will boost the morale of the veterans. The researcher hypothesis will be a Null hypothesis-There is no relationship between high academic performance and being a veteran. It will be assumed that the respondents exam result will be a true reflection of their academic capability and that past exam marks achieved were not characterized by any irregularities. Literature review A number of recent studies keep pointing at the fact that those combat veterans who have PTSD have exhibited memory lapse. According to Nash (112) and Andrew (99), other psychological dimensions including intellectual capacity, veterans with PTSD have been ok just like other non-veterans. According to the newly signed GI bill by the USA president George W. Bush on 30th June 2008, all American young veterans are assured of a chance to obtain a college degree or university degree free of charge (Montreal Gazette). An example of the serious attention being given to this sector is Horatio Alger association’s commitment in 2005 to distribute 10 million dollars to those veterans who fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This bill was signed in recognition of the Jewish War Veterans. It was also signed in order to review the educational benefits attached to the military, navy or the air force from which a majority of the veterans emanate and which have been outpaced by the standards of living. The bill has been timely because it eliminates the stringent procedures and replaces them with a minimum of three years of active service to the nation in the military, navy, air force or any other troops like reservists or guardsmen. The veteran benefits are to those who have participated actively in long term state duties and have received an honorary discharge from duty e. g. the American Soldiers who went to fight the war in Iraq and made it back home (National Guard). The financial Aid office and the department of veteran affairs in the US which is based at Ivy Tech in Southern Indiana have been very instrumental in promoting education for the veterans. According to a recent survey by Minnesota state colleges and universities (2007), 80% of National Guard soldiers from Minnesota completing their overseas deployment, said they were keen on beginning or returning to complete their higher education (Karmaz 345). These veterans returning from military duty abroad face numerous challenges i. e. personal, relationship, employment matters and education as they struggle to return their lives to normal civilians (Nash 116). As the president of Las Positas College DeRionne Pollard puts it in her welcome note, the veterans have made an astonishing difference in the lives of their countrymen and women. The peace and freedom that is enjoyed by the US for example as she puts it, is as a result of the tiresome work and a strong sense of duty exhibited by the veterans in their various state assigned duties (Andrews 34). This study will therefore be seeking to establish the general academic performance of veterans and the factors responsible for the standards In veterans elementary public school in Chula Vista that caters for approximately 542 students from grade k-6 in 2007 had an adequate yearly progress of 845 surpassing the 800 mark set by the state of California. Sounds impressive but, how about other schools/colleges? (Neubauer & Diane 376) Methodology This study will utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods. In quantitative method, the academic records of the veteran students will be analyzed; their performance will then be compared to the other non-veteran students in the same setting. A test will also be set and administered to all respondents. The research will utilize several resources including stationery, analyzing computers where data is entered and comparison charts and graphs produced. Qualitative method will also be used be used to generate the opinions of the respondents. Unstructured questionnaires will be used to generate this information. All qualitative information of similar nature will be grouped together i. e. information coding. The coded information will then be organized in the form of matrix and then conclusions drawn from the data, E. g. Oral examinations on general topics can also be posed, the respondent’s answers will then be checked for content and their levels of understanding understood. Data analysis The quantitative data on the performance of the subjects will be compared with that of a control reference population of students with the same characteristic but who are not veterans. The qualitative information will also be translated into percentages of the subject who prefer to go back to college for several reasons. The qualitative information will then be used to explain the performance of the veterans quantitatively. For example, if a majority of veterans go back to college because they want to gain knowledge or because they want to develop new careers and assist their families, then we would rightly conclude that the high performance by the same people is purely because of self motivation and not because of the harsh conditions they faced in service for the nation. Results According to (Willenz 56), a case study done on 204 veterans in Michigan, it was found that 60% of the respondents performed well in college at the beginning but later their performance depreciated and they eventually underperformed, with approximately 20% of them dropping out. Of those who dropped out, 90% of them were not going for counseling sessions. The results clearly show that though many veterans want to go back to college, their past experiences plays a major role in what becomes of that decision. However there is a serious need for the veterans to be attached to counselors or psychologists whose therapies should make them fit to go back to college and stay on course to achieve desirable results. Veterans most of the time have suffered severe consequences of war and therefore as a show of appreciation for the sacrifices they made the government through a specifically set financial scheme offers to take them back to school or if they accidentally passed on in line of duty, their family members are given the benefits. These benefits have been characterized with a lot of procedural technicalities that have denied genuine candidates their dues. The most common scenario is that of veterans living in conditions of poverty and engaged in a lot of legal battles with the state in an attempt to prove that they are worth compensating. For the veterans to become normal civilians after participating in military wars there is need for a carefully structured educative system that re- integrates them into the society through counseling and other methods. Recommendations The veterans occupy an integral part of any society. Their contribution in safeguarding the interests of their nation calls for more than is currently being offered even by the US. Young veterans only should have the option of going back to college as compulsory especially if they had not gone to college. But aged ones should be given an opportunity to access the compensation in terms of finances and be able to do what they like with it. The Compensation for duties discharged should not only be education grants but should also include job placements. Because of their selfless actions it would be prudent for the concerned governments to increase the compensations given to those who have been disabled in the line of duty. The duration of service should be a determining factor for compensation.

Alike or Different Essay Example for Free

Alike or Different Essay We can try and change ourselves, by changing our appearance, putting on makeup, wearing different clothes, jewellery, etc. But it’s not just a case of appearance, but it also involves the person underneath that mask everyone tries to hide behind. Nobody has ever tried to look at the person underneath before judging them. It’s just ego that stands in the way. What will the result be when people are stripped of all their accessories, when that mask is removed? What we get is a rollercoaster of emotions. Things that people can never guess are hidden underneath. And that’s yet another similarity, which makes mistaken judgment also put into account. Feelings are also something to look at. For example, people do get happy, angry and sad in different situations, but everyone still gets those emotions at times, regardless of reason. And everyone goes through the same life cycle, how they’re born, turn to children, then the teenage, middle aging comes after, then being old, and finally death. Everyone will face death someday. And everyone is made by God, and made of the same materials, as some believe. Everyone eats and breathes, everyone has the five senses, nobody can live without a vital organ, and no one can have supernatural powers. And these are all similarities. * A lot more people don’t believe in that saying, they believe that people differ in a lot of things, and the things that they have in common with others can be looked at from a different angle, making them into another difference. For example, everyone is a human being, but everyone is a different kind of human being, depending on personality, looks, and abilities. And the fact that everyone has a dream that is to be fulfilled can also be a difference, like everyone has a different dream and a different goal for the future. As for the life, everyone does have a life, but it depends on how they live it, and how everyone uses it that makes a difference. Besides, some people are born to have the personality to be good leaders, and others have the power and will to work hard in what they’re good at, while others don’t treasure their abilities, and instead they use it for their own good, to get the better out of things, while they cause hurt to everyone else around them. That’s an example of being and not being able to be a useful person, to not use life wisely, and another way why people are different. Some believe that people differ in how they look (both on the outside and the inside), how they react to things around them, their personality, beliefs, ethics and religions. What can also count as a difference is how everyone is raised, what they’re taught to believe, where and when they were born and who they lived with. People often adopt habits from those they live with, which can sometimes be good, and sometimes be bad. That can make a lot of differences compared to someone who was born rich, lived rich, and died rich. Another way of looking at things is people’s appearance. Some people really care about how they look, and always try to look their best at times. Some wouldn’t give that subject a second thought. Some do care, but not so much. And that’s related to both personality and physical appearance. Language spoken is also a difference. And the fact that some of us can do something that others can’t, which comes down to ability. Furthermore sometimes people have disabilities that others don’t have. Sometimes there are illnesses and diseases that run in families, and some inherit that disease and some don’t, which is another difference. If we try and list these differences they will not have an end, and just thinking would take long too. So it’s not a case of what is the same and what can be different, it’s just how people think about things in their own point of view. So regardless of what there is that can be used as an argument, and however we think the ones who think the opposite are wrong, and no matter which angle we use look at things, it all goes back to opinion, and opinions are very important. And my opinion stays the same, but what about yours? And what’s more important is to reason why we look at things from that point of view, and if we really are being fair, or if we are just judging others by what we think of them, and how we think of them. And most importantly, are we really being fair, or do we just think we are? Alike or Different. (2018, Nov 07).

Innovation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Innovation Management - Essay Example Not just the adjustment in the earth is making organization receive new patterns, for example, it increases spending to have the capacity to meet the aggressive basic, yet these patterns additionally add to an increment in the instability. From a systemic point of view, the outcomes of these activities can be opened up past desires by the interrelatedness of the components prompting the conclusions that the very results of organizational activities are progressively eccentric. This clear mystery of innovation is normally a common marker of complex systems at work. For this situation, the utilization of innovation to improve the possibilities of survival of the firm, by endeavoring to control its surroundings, winds up compounding advance nature rendering it more turbulent. This expanded vulnerability prompts multilevel flimsiness with direct outcomes: both new dangers and new open doors for organizations. Expanding the turbulence in a situation does not mean actuating a change in all measurements consistently in the meantime. These adjustments in the earth can be seen as instabilities for a few organizations and consequently make dangers. Then again, these progressions can likewise be "arranged" to bring open doors for the organizations that made them. Turbulence might frequently be close to genuine rivalry from organizations in full control of the commercial center. This is what is known as the test of the hypothesis to see how organizations change and change themselves while in the meantime changing and changing their surroundings.

Discuss the merits and criticisms of the business case for equality Essay

Discuss the merits and criticisms of the business case for equality. To what extent could the state and trade unions contribute - Essay Example Equal opportunity is a fundamental need for the business, and it boosts the competitive advantage. Discussion Human resource department should recognize the importance of human capital in the work set up. Human effort is an asset to the organization and should be valued like other assets. Merit should be the key to rewarding employees. Discrimination should be avoided at all levels regardless of the race or gender. Women at the workplace should be offered equal opportunities as their male counterparts (Aristotle & Chase 1998, p.2). This essay will discuss the merits and criticisms of the business case equality. It will also draw the attention of the extent to which the state and the trade unions can contribute towards strengthening potential business case for equality in organizations. The primary concept of business strategy and in particular the equality case rests on the value for employers. Roles of Trade unions in strengthening potential areas of business equality Trade unions a dvocate for the collective bargaining case in the realization of business case for equality. The trade unions take all the grievances of the ethnic minorities and women and put proper action to address them (Gilmore 2013). All these are geared towards both the short term and the long term benefits. There is fight for equal treatment at all levels of management in the organizations. Union members are also able to come up with protective measures to the problems facing them. The voices of women are echoed through trade unions where they are treated with equality. Trade unions also advocate for equality in setting of minimum wage laws. All employees are supposed to be remunerated proportionally to the work done. There should be no cases of discrimination in wage set up. The human resource management should take the lead in advocating for the fairness in wages (Williams 2009). Women and minority groups voice their wage complaints to the trade unions which sometimes set the minimum indus try price. All the employers should view the equality concept as an interest to the business. There should be mobilization of power to do away with discrimination especially to pregnant women. The argument derives from social justice and the good will of the employees. Legislation should be effectively practiced in matters of human resource manager. Proper management of maternity leaves days will be a boost to the maintenance of potential talents in the organization. Many pregnant women who face the challenge of discrimination at work place reduce their productivity. In the long run, this has an effect to the organization in terms of profitability levels (Gilmore 2013). The concept of the business case for inequality is better understood when one considers the factors that hinder its effectiveness. The first factor is social class of the employees at work. Social class refers to the status of someone brought by the material possessed as compared to the other. People who have physica l materials tend to have their own class far from those who do not have. This greatly affects the level of work performance and result to poor results. The contemporary society is a good source of the social classes which are reflected at work places. Work is also another source of the classes among employees, and it affects their interaction. The greatest disadvantage of the social classes is the problem of unemployment among different people. Divisions are also caused by other

Personal and Professional Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Personal and Professional Development - Essay Example HSBC was recognized in the Asia-Pacific region as the institution that provides finance to the increasing trade between China and Europe. The HSBC group was first opened in Hong Kong and then in Shanghai. HSBC group’s UK banking has been developing and improving from 1836. Acquisition of Midland Bank in Europe in 1992 has brought lot of pride, honour and reputation to the bank and this made the HSBC group grow as one among the leading banks in the world. Imperial Bank of Persia, which was also known as Bank of the Middle East was acquired by the HSBC group in 1959 along with its 26 branches. This entry of HSBC group into the Middle East provided the group to enter into the wider, and quickly varying financial markets in the world (hsbc.co.uk). HSBC group has well established markets in the South America as well as the emerging markets in the South and Central America. The HSBC group is categorized into four business groups. These include Commercial banking, Global banking and markets, retail banking and wealth management (hsbc.co.uk). The HSBC group provides HSBC Premier bank account for everyday banking accounts and services. The group aims at providing exclusive service in banking. Relationship manager helps the customers and gives tailor-made advices in wealth management, money management, preferential rates and terms, and globally linked-up online banking (hsbc.co.uk). Other facilities offered include internet banking, telephone banking, branch banking, and mobile. Through internet banking, a customer can have access to his/her account 24 hours a day (hsbc.co.uk). HSBC group provides wide range of products for accounts having personal banking. It provides insurances of home, travel, car, premier car, life, critical illness & income cover, and student insurance (hsbc.co.uk). Special feature of planning is rendered regarding health & family, home & lifestyle, work & retirement, and planning tools. HSBC also obliges its customers through online customer support centre that clears their doubts. Security centre assists HSBC’s customers to have a secured transaction while operating online. It helps by providing security downloads, and secure key (hsbc.co.uk). Task 1: a. Examine the benefit of self-managed learning to individuals and organizations and evaluate the various approaches involved. Self-managed or self-directed learning involves encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their own learning needs, either to improve performance in their present job or to satisfy their career aspirations (Armstrong, p. 560). According to Armstrong, self-managed learning has the process of recording achievement and action planning where the individuals can review what they have learnt, their achievement and their goals and action plan to achieve their goals and new learning which is to be acquired by them. The principle behind self-managed learning is that people learn, understand and retain the things they find out and helpful i n improving their skills (Armstrong, p. 560). HSBC group must provide chances for its workers to learn new things so that they can acquire new skills for effective job performance. Self-managed learning helps the people working in an organization to find various methods of learning things which are from the society or at the workplace. Learners are to be provided with proper guidance, proper material and information and help they make use of it to a maximum extent. Personal development plans must be

Concept Of Reciprocity In Discourse Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Concept Of Reciprocity In Discourse - Assignment Example These morphemes imply some kind of a back and forth movement. ‘Reciprocity’ is also related to feedback, interaction and causality. In a speech situation when a speaker puts across his message, the hearer listens to it and signals that he has heard it. This is the feedback. This takes place constantly between the speaker and the listener, and there is interaction among them. The response of a speaker depends upon what he hears. The speech is a cause and the response is the effect. Hence, there is causality involved in reciprocity. 2. Concept Of Reciprocity In Discourse A speech situation involves a speaker and a listener. â€Å"Reciprocity condition of speech refers to the relation between the speaker and the listener in the process of speech.† ( Bygate, 1987 ) Speech is a reciprocal activity. At this point, it is necessary to differentiate between speech and writing. The way language is organized in speech is different from the way it is organized in writing. In order to speak fluently, a speaker must have grammatical competency which includes knowledge of vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence structure and meaning. But speaking does not mean merely putting together words in a grammatical structure. The capacity to use language appropriately is called communicative competence. It is the knowledge that underlines the use of grammatical competence in communicative situations. Speech situation consists of various factors like topic, purpose, social relations, environment etc. These differ from culture to culture and community to community. In sh ort, â€Å"speaking is not a discrete skill. It overlaps a number of other areas. Structure of conversation is culturally determined.† ( Hughes, R., 2002 ) Now let us look closely at what happens when two people speak. The speaker has a message which he encodes and transmits to the listener through speech. The listener listens to the speech and decodes the message. The listener then responds in the same way, by transmitting a message. Hence, the speaker becomes the listener and vice versa. An individual takes turns at being a speaker and a listener alternately. This is called ‘turn taking’. In a speech event, the participants are face-to-face and the turn-taking is a continuous process. Hence, we see that casual conversations are also organized by rules. People take turns at speaking and listening, they answer questions, mark the beginning and end of a conversation, make mistakes and correct themselves. All this needs some kind of direction and control on the par t of the speakers. People do not say – I have finished now. You can answer my question. Conversations are organized covertly and the organizational principles provide a discreet interactional framework. It is within this framework that reciprocity takes place. â€Å"Reciprocity develops during the ongoing negotiation of meaning between speaker and listener, thus producing a joint construction of communication.† ( Byrne D., 1987 ) Reciprocity involves the use of turn-taking skills, strategies to interrupt and to control the topic, which are necessary to maintain meaningful interaction. During conversations, individuals follow norms like politeness principles and co-operative principles. They also reciprocate each others’ verbal and non-verbal behavior. In a social intercourse, people are obligated to help and not to harm those who help them. Social activity is also reciprocal and ubiquitous. The ability to appropriately reciprocate or compensate a partner’ s communicative response is an essential element of communicative

UNIT 5 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT-STATISTICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UNIT 5 INDIVIDUAL PROJECT-STATISTICS - Essay Example To support the hypothesis it was developed an ANOVA test. The results show that there is statistical evidence to support that the average overall job satisfaction of the female employees is equal to the males, with a significance level of 5%. Besides, the third hypothesis examined was related to if the expected observations between males and females are equal to the observed ones. The test employed to find evidence was Chi-square test. According to results, there is statistical evidence to support that the expected observations of gender is different from the observed ones, with a significance level of 5%. Finally, the last hypothesis tested was about if the expected observations among employees of human resource department and Information Technology department and administration department are equal to the observed ones. In the same line of hypothesis three, the test used was Chi-square. The results show that there is statistical evidence to support that the expected observations of employees’ department is different from the observed ones, with a significance level of 5%. There were taken into account one study in the literature review. The research analyzes and empirically tests the factors which influence in the job satisfaction. According the research of Bajpai and Srivastava (2004) job satisfaction is an evaluation and represents the belief and feelings about one’s job. The favorable evaluation of satisfied employees is based on their observations and emotional experience. The feeling aspect is stated as being a function of perceived relationship between all that one wants from his job/life and that entire one perceives as offering or entailing. Another view conveyed in their research is that job satisfaction is a collection of attitudes about specific facets of the job. The study found that the amount that one is paid is not as influential to job satisfaction as perceived

Marketing of Samsung Galaxy Gear (Smart Watch) Assignment

Marketing of Samsung Galaxy Gear (Smart Watch) - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that Samsung Galaxy Gear is one of the Android based smart watches which are manufactured by the Samsung Electronics. It serves as the apt companion for most of the Samsung Galaxy tablets and smart phones that run on Android 4.3. The Galaxy Gear makes use of Android based operating system with a minimalistic interface as well as gesture based navigation. In order to pair it with any tablet or smart phone, the NFC tag within the charging cradle of Gear is stimulated to trigger the installation of Gear Manager Application, which coordinates the pairing of devices with this Gear over the Bluetooth. Gear Manager is used primarily for adjusting the device settings and installing various applications by means of Samsung Apps. Samsung Electronics, Australia announced that the Samsung Galaxy Gear would be available in the country from 18th September 2013. It has been declared as the first wearable mobile technology range which acts as the companion device for the most recent Galaxy Note 3. The product launch has been announced globally on 5th September 2013 in Berlin. The Samsung Galaxy Gear has combined features of the stylish design, smart device connectivity and the latest mobile technology presented in the form of a wristwatch. It represents one of the most exciting moves of Samsung in terms of pioneering the innovation which provides the users with high meaningful experience and provides increased freedom while using the mobile technology.

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

New Product Launch Marketing Plan Essay Audi LED headlights Audi is a top of the line luxury car manufacturing company who plans to achieve goals and provide consumers with one of kind products. Audi has decided to create a new LED head light with spot detection capabilities to assist with consumer safety while driving in the city, as well as down country roads. Audi has assessed the need for their new product and has found that the new LED headlights with spot detection would be great for the consumer as well as the company sales. Through past research by Audis team we have found that several accidents within the United stated States occurred due to poor head lights or blinding head lights. Though Audis current venture is geared towards consumer’s with families who travel at least 100 miles a week, their game plan is to incorporate this light into all vehicles. We will address the areas of target population, product position against the competitions, as well as each stage of the product life cycle and our expansion of product offerings. Audi focuses on people (Idea Connection, 2014). This new innovation of LED head lights will do just that; focus on people. Audi will utilize the family and let them be the guide behind the quality and performance of this new offering (Idea Connection, 2014). Target market profile At Audi, we came up with this new headlight technology that is designed to make night driving safer. The target market for our product is composed of couples with children under the age of 15. Among these families, the focus will be on those who drive SUVs’, Minivans and Sedans. The target audience will be based around those parents who drive their kids to extracurricular activities like piano lessons or soccer, and who live either deep in the  country or outside of the city. One submarket will be those who live within the city and like to travel outside the city. These headlights are best suited for people who drive over 100 miles a day. In terms of income, we will target individuals with a college degree who make more than one hundred thousand dollars per year. Our product will also aim at corporations who offer company vehicle for their senior executives. Key buying behaviors Three factors influence consumers buying behaviors, those factors are cultural, social and personal (Kotler Keller, 2012). In terms of culture, individuals during the course of their life will be influenced by family, friends, neighbors, and others. Our consumers are individuals whose family members are accustomed to luxury cars, preferably Audis’. Cultural factors influencing buying behavior in terms of culture are also social classes. Our consumers will be individuals belonging to the upper class of society. For these individuals owning a luxury car with the latest technology is a statement. On the social level of consumers buying behaviors, our target market will be influenced by factors such as reference groups, family, and social roles and statuses (Kotler Keller, 2012). Our consumers will be influenced by family members, for instance a mother will most likely want her children to ride safely in a minivan, or SUV. A businessman will buy an Audi sedan because it is a luxury car and it tell others what social class he belongs to. Our target consumers are influenced by membership groups. One example is an individual who buys a luxury car to blend in with others in hos social circle who also own luxury cars. â€Å"Personal characteristics that influence a buyer’s decision include age and stage in the life cycle, occupation and economic circumstances, personality and self- concept, and lifestyle and values.† (Kotler Keller, 2012, p.155). Our consumers will be men and women, 30 years old or older. The target customers are also educated and very thoughtful as they carefully weigh the benefits of purchasing such a product (Rao, 2014). We believe that as mothers and wives, our consumers will be focused on safety. There have been a lot of plane crashes lately, because of that more and more people decide to drive instead of fly. Corporations will be concerned with profit. Corporations will see great benefit in Audi as it relates to the new LED head lights. The thought of safety will both save the company money, attract eager and loyal employees,  as well as give a strong impression on both competitors and new clients. Decision motivators for consumer/organizational target markets The primary decision motivators for buying the new headlights on the Audi car are the enhanced safety features of the product. Since the primary feature of the new headlights leads to secure driving, it will appeal to almost all consumers. On the other hand, the organizational target markets will entail the demographics of the urban areas. Geographic target markets will target the individuals who live in the urban areas that have developed infrastructures (Novak, De Leeuw MacEvoy, 2011). Product life-cycle (PLC) LED headlights continue to develop short and long-term strategies in the product life-cycle. The first of four stages is the introduction into the market; customer-value hierarchy is vital during the introduction stage, which identifies the core benefit of the product and creates a detailed description of the basic product. The augmented product value stage must surpass the customer yearning for safety and technology. In addition, marketers will incorporate future potential product growth. The product design can be incorporated into any Audi vehicle during the manufacturing process. The LED headlight will be an upgrade option, and pricing will be slightly higher than Audis without the LED headlight. A strong customer-value hierarchy strategy will enhance product promotion, and the place to launch the LED headlight will be a joint effort with Audi Automotive. During the initial growth phase, pricing will remain slightly higher than Audis without the LED headlight. Based on the lesson learned during the introduction of the LED headlight, the customer-value hierarchy strategy will adjust to meet customer expectations. Product promotion will continue to expand into new markets. The maturity phase begins when the LED headlight implementation reaches market equilibrium; pricing will remain the same during this phase. If the product continues to exceed customer-value hierarchy strategy, the product promotion will continue with the addition of customer and law enforcement reviews. Research and development continues to improve the LED headlight technology. The decline phase begins when market followers enter the market; pricing will then be slightly reduced in an attempt to slow the rate of decline. Product promotion will then be redirected to the new and improved LED headlight. Promotions and places to  launch the new product will be nationwide rather than regional launches during the introduction phase. Product mix A Product Mix is referred to as â€Å"the complete range of products produced by a company.† (http://businesscasestudies.co.u). That being said, Audi plans to unleash its new LED headlights in all of its product lines, which will appeal to the varying types of drivers who have a plethora of different needs and wants in a luxury vehicle. Audi produces a multitude of options for consumers to choose from. These products include 13 sedan options that range from $29,900 to $137,900, six SUV/Crossover/Wagon options that span from $32,500-$51,900, six Coupe options ranging from $40,000-$115,900, and seven Convertible options that span from $35,600-$129,400. (http://www.audiusa.com). With 32 available products that can be altered to match the driver’s particular style, the LED headlight is poised to grant the ultimate driving experience. â€Å"Audi revolutionized vehicle lighting with the first full-LED headlamps in 2008.† (http://www.audileds.com). Audi responded to the automobile industry’s need to change how vehicle headlights affect road conditions for all drivers. Audi continues to enhance its LED design, which is sure to darken its competitors’ vision of the future of automobile driving experience and further differentiating itself by not only enhancing driving conditions, but will be made available in a variety of options. â€Å"Only one square millimeter in size and offered on every vehicle in the lineup, LEDs have opened up an array of styling opportunities for Audi designers.† (http://www.audileds.com). Audi adds that â€Å"these little marvels can be combined to create infinite shapes and arrangements, giving each vehicle a look that’s distinct yet unmistakably Audi.† (http://www.audileds.com). Positioning statement â€Å"For you that spend hours behind the wheel, Audi is one in its luxury class that provides not just the looks of a high end vehicle but the safest lighting for safe traveling. Unlike traditional vehicles Audi provides a combination of class, luxury, and the safest selection to keep you and loved ones safe†. Audi is not only committed to provide its consumers with top  notch service but it has also taken measures to separate itself from the competition. Audi is improving all of its vehicles by providing â€Å"LED lighting† on all its vehicles as part of its standard package. Audi’s positioning statement carries words such as â€Å"luxury, safe, traveling, family† which will always come to mind for those searching for a vehicle to purchase. Audi’s statement is targeting families, those that travel a lot, those that enjoy the luxury of a vehicle but at the same time want to keep themselves and loved ones safe. The consumers spoke and Audi listened. Their position statement is meaningful, important, and convincing to its customers, not just to the company. The Audi brand will deliver on this promise and continue to earn the trust and respect from consumers. References Anonymous. Staying ahead by meeting changing consumer needs. Business Case Studies: A Heinz case study. Retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/heinz /staying-ahead-by-meeting-changing-consumer-needs/the-product-mix.html#axzz39FCRkOTR Defeat Darkness. LED technology:The vision of LED;View the LED experience. Retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://www.audileds.com/ Idea connection (2014). Audi looks to the future of car production. http://www.ideaconnection.com/open-innovation-success/Audi-Looks-to-the-Future-of-Car-Production-00392.html Retrieved August 1, 2014 Kotler, P., Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management (14th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Models. Retrieved August 2, 2014 from http://www.audiusa.com/models# Novak, T. P., DeLeeuw, J., MacEvoy, B. (2011). Richness curves for evaluating market segmentation. Department of Statistics, UCLA.

Prenatal Diagnosis for Abnormalities Detection

Prenatal Diagnosis for Abnormalities Detection PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS The incidence of major abnormalities apparent at birth is 2 to 3 percent. These anomalies cause a significant portion of neonatal deaths, more than a fourth of all pediatric hospital administration results from genetic disorders. Prenatal diagnosis is the science of identifying structural or functional abnormalities, birth defects in the fetus. With this information clinicians can hope to provide appropriate counseling and optimize outcome. Birth defects can arise in at least three ways. The malformation i.e structural fetal abnormality, then the deformation, then the third type is disruption. Sometimes multiple structural or developmental abnormalities occur together in one individual . A cluster of several abnormalities can be a syndrome. Prenatal diagnosis helps to detect these abnormalities. Thus prenatal diagnosis basically comprises of different techniques and methods used to determine any diseases or heath condition of the unborn fetus or embryo. SOME PROCEDURES FOR EARLY DETECTION OF FETAL 1)GENETIC 2) CHROMOSOMAL 3)STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES Amniocentesis Triple test Chorion villus sampling Cordoncentesis Ultrasonography Fetoscopy Maternal serum alpha feto protein Peri-implatation genetic diagnosis Fetal cell isolation from maternal blood 3-D or 4-D ultrasound with increased resolution a) Amniocentesis: This test is developed byRichard Dedrick .Examination of a sample of amniotic fluid makes possible the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and certain metabolic defects. The procedure can be used as early as 14th week of pregnancy when abortion of the fetus is still feasible. The diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities is made by culture and karyotyping of fetal cells from the amniotic fluid, and of metabolic defects by biochemical analysis of the fluid. Karyotyping is a test used to detect genetic problems. Before the procedure begins a local anesthetic is given to the mother to get relief from the pain, a needle is inserted into the abdominal wall and then the amniotic fluid is withdrawn. The fetal cells are distinguished from the extract and the cells are cultured in medium, further stained and examined under microscope for abnormalities. Amniocentesis is very accurate in detecting the abnormalities in fetus as well as to find the gender of the fetus, hence is banned in many countries. Amniocentesis is called for in the following circumstances if the parents are prepared to consider abortion. A mother aged 35 years or more (because of high risk of down’s syndrome with advanced maternal age). Patients who have had a child with Down’s syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities. Parents who are known to have chromosomal translocation. Parents who have had a child with metabolic defect-detectable by amniocentesis. The most commom are defects of the neural tube, anencephaly and spina bifida which can be detected by an elevation of alpha feto protein in amniotic fluid b) Chorionic villus sampling(CVS): This is another prenatal diagnosis used to find chromosomal or genetic disorders in the fetus. CVS was first described in China in the mid-1970s. This technique is also called as chorionic sampling. This is usually performed at 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. This new technique allows prenatal diagnosis at 9 to 11 weeks of pregnancy. By this test the chromosome status can be easily determined. Prenatal diagnosis of congenital abnormalities offers the parents the option of therapeutic abortion. Samples may be obtained transcervically or transabdominally, depending on which route allows easiest access to the placenta. Relative contraindications include vaginal bleeding or spotting, active genital tract infection, extreme uterine ante or retroflexion, or body habitus precluding easy uterine access or clear sonographic visualization of its contents. The indications for CVS are essentially the same as for amniocentesis, except for a few analysis that specif ically require either amniotic fluid or placental tissue. The primary advantage of villous biopsy is that results are available earlier in pregnancy, which lessens parental anxiety when results are normal. It also allows earlier and safer methods of pregnancy termination when results are abnormal. Complications of CVS are similar to those of amniocentesis. There is an understandable desire to perform CVS as early as possible. Technically, this can be done successfully as early as six weeks’ gestation. However, a few clusters of limb reduction defects have been reported following CVS, with a trend toward an increased incidence of these defects when CVS was done before nine weeks gestation. Subsequent, large epidemiological follow-up studies failed to confirm this association, but most clinicians delay this procedure until after 10 weeks gestation. The incidence of amniotic leakage or infection is less than 0.5 percent. c) Alpha fetoprotein: Neural tube defects can be detected by measurement of a specific protein of foetal origin called alpha fetoprotein in maternal blood and amniotic fluid during pregnancy. A neural tube defect is termed as a opening in the brain or spinal cord that occurs very early in the developmental stage of human. Neutral tube defects include spina bifida. d) Ultrasound: This can be used to visualize the foetus and detect many abnormalities of the foetus . Ultrasound is the method of choice for detection of anatomical problems (e.g. absent kidneys, spina bifida), but provides no information on the genetic constitution of a fetus. Maternal serum screening, alone or in combination with ultrasound, is often used to identify fetuses at risk of Down’s syndrome, but the definitive chromosomal diagnosis can only be made from fetal cells. e) Fetal cells from maternal blood can be isolated for prenatal diagnosis during pregnancy. Fetal trophoblast, lymphocytes, granulocytes, and nucleated red blood cells are studied. Generally, 1ml of maternal blood contains one fetal cell. f)Â  Peri-implantation genetic diagnosis(PGD): This is done by polar body biopsy, blastomere biopsy, trophectoderm biospsy. Polar body biopsy is done by removing first or second polar body in the preconceptional phase. Paternal genotypeis not assessed here. Blastomere biopsy –one or two cells are aspirated through a hole made in zona pellucida by mechanical, laser or chemical means. This does not effect the normal embryonic development. g)Â  Triple test: This is basically a screening test. It mainly detects the presence of three substances in the maternal blood, i.e of alpha feto-protein, human chorionic gonadotropin(hcp)which is basically a hormone in placenta, and estriol. The triple test detects the presence of high level or low level of these substances. Both high and low level can creat abnormalities. h)Â  Cordocentesis It is also called as Percutaneous Umbilical Cord Blood Sampling (PUBS), this is a test that mainly examines the blood from the fetus to detect fetal abnormalities. The procedure carried out is quite similar to amniocentesis. This test helps in finding any malfunction and abnormalities of the fetus. i)Â  Fetoscopy-This procedure provides a direct visualisation to the fetus, amniotic cavity, umbilical cord, and fetal side of placenta. It does this by ultrasound scanning. Here an endocope is inserted into the abdomen of the mother which acts as an analyzer. Thus many prenatal diagnosis are available nowadays which allows to detect any kind of abnormalities in the fetus. Once diagnosed, some genetic abnormalities can be treated with partial or complete success by medical and surgical measures. Genetic counseling can also have impact when individuals or couples at risk are identified.