Expanding into Switzerland Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Expanding into Switzerland - Case Study Example There is also the risk that retaining employees will be difficult, creating higher turnover costs and training issues, when employees seek other opportunities with better benefits or salary. Career management becomes an issue when training must be ongoing to fill positions that are constantly being vacated by employees who leave the business because there is such a high volume of job opportunities in the external job market. There is also the possibility that child care needs will require flexible schedules which could interrupt productivity or normal business operations with the United States as the home country of operations. Question 2 Switzerland is an individualistic culture, meaning that they value self-expression and independence (Blodgett, Bakir & Rose, 2008). The business might have to decentralize its operations and management as a means to ensure that employees stay once they have been selected for employment. On Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions framework, Switzerland ranks 68 against a world average of only 43 on individualism needs (Hofstede, 2009). This means that group-oriented policies and procedures that build a family-type of culture or teamwork might not have success in recruiting or retention. This could mean developing more individual programs for development in human resources, such as individual coaching or mentoring. â€Å"Great companies rely heavily on their cultures to support change management efforts† (Want, 2009, p.10). The business might have to develop more individualistic coaching to give effective feedback and assessment regarding performance in order to build a strong culture. At the same time, Switzerland has a low uncertainty avoidance measurement on Hofstede’s scale, which means that the population is more â€Å"accepting of unique and unusual situations and ideas, with greater tolerance of divergent points of view† (Hofstede, 2009, p.2; Donnison, 2008). This has advantages for launching new develo pment programs to address the challenges for this expansion project. For example, development of in-house work-hour child care services to help educated mothers in their job role would likely be accepted. Flexible working hours or telecommuting (work at home) would probably meet with little change resistance and be accepted by this individualistic culture. Question 3 A potential solution to the challenge of labor shortages is to transfer expatriate managers and employees from the United States. Expatriates can be trained on Swiss culture and lifestyle so they can be ready for transfer with the option for short- or long-term job contracts. This would give the new Swiss division more home country expertise and also ensure that there is not a staffing shortage. By recruiting dedicated and high-performing managers and employees overseas, it will lessen the likelihood of high turnover rates and costs. Mentoring that comes with intensive training packages can also support new HR policies in Switzerland. â€Å"Training that offers employees benefits that are perceived as non-transferable to another organization makes it too costly to leave† (Bambacas & Bordia, 2009, p.225). Innovative companies are usually the ones that succeed and have the most competitive human capital, therefore internal promotions about the benefits of new training could reduce long-term turnover rates. For example, job rotation training for multi-skill development could be promoted in recruitment

CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CASE STUDY - Essay Example Typically, a client that is very serious about purchasing a new product, a new line, or a development package is usually going to be on time to the meeting and show the salesperson as much respect as possible in hopes that they can ease down the price of the products with their charm and good will. At 10:20am another non-verbal clue took place when another salesperson that was Andrews’ competitor walked into the office for a 10:30am appointment. Not only was the buyer for Skaggs Manufacturing tardy for their meeting, but she already had another salesperson scheduled for an immediate meeting right after Andrews. Gillespie also showed many counts of blatant disrespect toward Andrews. For one, there was a 10 minute period where she was discussing a tennis match for that day with the secretary instead of concentrating on who was there for a scheduled appointment. Finally, as Andrews began to speak with Gillespie in her office she gave him no attention, no eye contact and was focused on reading letters from her desk instead of what he had to say. The final sign of disrespect came when she answered the phone in the middle of their meeting and began talking with her husband for another 10 minutes until she finally saw the frustration on Andrews’ face. Each of these non- verbal clues was blatant hints that Andrews was not going to be able to earn the business of Skaggs Manufacturing that morning and he had definitely wasted his time. If I was John Andrews, I would have likely performed many of the same behaviors that he did. He kept calm during many different frustrating events where he was being blatantly ignored and disrespected by the buyer for Skaggs Manufacturing. Still, his job is to sell the product, so it is important to maintain an aura of professionalism and do his best to earn the customer’s business. Unfortunately, he was never able to actually give a sales pitch

The attack on the world trade center and the rise of islamic threats Term Paper

The attack on the world trade center and the rise of islamic threats - Term Paper Example Terrorism refers to the threatened application of force, violence or coercion against individuals, society or governments and their properties, in order to coerce or intimidate the society and the government, to achieve the ideological, religious or political objectives of the terrorist groups2. Despite the fact that the threat of terrorism is rising from the extremist views of the minority militant Islamic groups, most especially from the Middle East, South Asia and some parts of Africa, their threat is real, and it has hit the whole world. The most worrying aspect of Islamic terrorist threats is that they are not simply targeted to a given country, society or group, but to multiple targets, which are perceived to have a connection with their perceived enemy. Thus, it is never known when and where the terrorists will strike next. The attack on the world trade center, popularly known as the 9/11 attack is the most conspicuous terrorist occurrence in the world, considering that the terrorists targeted and hit the heart of the world’s superpower, to simply send a message that none of the societies or countries in the world is safe or immune from the threat of terrorism3. Despite the fact that there has been a reawakening of the world to the live fact that terrorism is real and is bound to cause more scare to the world than it could have been anticipated, the world has not been able to completely devise measures that could help to neutralize this threat effectively. Thus, the threat of terrorism continues to scare the world, especially for any society or country that is perceived to have a connection with the west, which is the greatest target of the militant Islamic terrorist groups4. The actions of these extremist Islamic militants have been pitched on the Muslim religion, with such terrorist groups cla iming to be fighting a holy war against the societies that have not adhered to the requirements of their religion, which they hold as true and supreme. In this

Worldwide Micro Electric Vehicles Market Report 2018 Essay Example for Free

Worldwide Micro Electric Vehicles Market Report 2018 Essay Micro electric vehicles are driven by electric battery propulsion with a power rating of 4-10 KWh and are generally two to four-seater vehicles. This class of vehicles was earlier considered to belong to the category of electric vehicles, but as a result of the increased demand for this product and rapid growth of the market, they now form a separate market category. Analysts forecast the Global Micro Electric Vehicles market will grow at a CAGR of 14. 91 percent over the period 2013-2018. The Report recognizes the following companies as the key players in the Global Micro Electric Vehicles Market : Ingersoll Rand plc Polaris Industries Inc. , Textron Inc. , Yamaha Motor Corp. , Canadian Electric Vehicles Ltd. , Chongqing Huansong Industries (Group) Co. Ltd. , Columbia ParCar , E-Ride Industries , Italcar, Pride Mobility Products Corp. , Shenzhen Marshell Green Power Co. Ltd. , Suzhou Eagle Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Co. Ltd. , Tomberlin Automotive Group, Zhejiang Ruifeng (R P) Industry Group The focus of vendors has shifted to finding ways to extend the life of Li-ion batteries. These batteries are now used in a variety of applications such as cell phones, laptops, PCs, power tools, electric bikes, electric scooters, tablets, medical devices, UPS systems, and transit buses. These batteries have completely replaced lead-acid batteries in several applications. The Global Li-Ion Battery market for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles is expected to grow yearly at 20 percent till 2025 Complete Report is Available @ http://www. sandlerresearch. org/global-micro-electric-vehicles-market-2014-2018. html . Covered in this Report. The Global Micro Electric Vehicles market can be divided into three segments: Quadricycles, Golf Carts, and Mobility Vehicles for the Disabled. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the combined sales of all three segments. . In addition, the report discusses the major drivers that influence the growth of the Global Micro Electric Vehicles market. It also outlines the challenges faced by the vendors and the market at large, as well as the key trends that are emerging in the market. Global Micro Electric Vehicles Market 2014-2018, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the Americas and the EMEA and APAC regions; it also covers the Global Micro Electric Vehicles market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. According to the report, the Global Micro Electric Vehicles market has taken center stage mainly because of the increase in government subsidies for manufacturers and incentives for buyers of such vehicles. Gasoline and diesel-based vehicles are major generators of greenhouse gas emissions. Various governments are taking an active interest in reducing the increasing emission levels of greenhouse gases. They are also actively involved in promoting clean and efficient ways of transportation. Further, the report states that the inadequate infrastructure for charging electric vehicle batteries is a major challenge faced by the Global Micro Electric Vehicles market. Also, the time taken to recharge these batteries is too long. There is a lot of scope to improve the infrastructure for charging batteries. Hence, the present infrastructure is not sufficient to cater to current demand. Inquire Before buying the Report @ http://www. sandlerresearch. org/inquire-before-buying? rname=19637 . Contact [emailprotected] org / Call +1 888 391 5441 for further information on â€Å"Global Micro Electric Vehicles Market 2014-2018† report OR for any other market research and intelligence needs you may have for your business.

The Free Radical Theory Of Aging

The Free Radical Theory Of Aging The process of aging is a result of increasing damage of our bodys tissues which occurs over a length of time. The accumulated damage to our biological DNA is the cause by which inhibition of the cells to function and express its appropriate genes. This leads to or is responsible for the raised susceptibility of disease and death linked to the time-related changing process of aging. This process is a universal biological phenomenon which indicates that both genetic and environmental factors donating to aging. All together the nature of the aging process has been subject to substantial opinion in the way we age. Over the years, many theories have soared to illustrate the way aging occurs. The free radical theory of aging (FRTA) is the most accepted theory to describe aging which was put forward by Dr Denham Harman in 1956 carried out at the University of Nebraska. The free radical term describes any molecule that varies from a typical moleculethat retains a single free unpaired electron, a property which oxidises other molecules in an exceedingly volatile and damaging way. Otherwise radicals maypossibly be generated by the breakage of a covalent bond in such that one-half of the divided electrons in an oxidation-reduction reaction. These radicals are responsible for aging, some diseases and tissue damage.A simple example to illustrate this is the reaction of water with the sun: H2O > HOà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢- + Hà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ indicates a free radical) Here water is split into a hydroxyl radical and a hydrogen atom. The FRTA expresses that aging is the build up of oxidative damage to bodily cells and tissues that encounters this due to aerobic metabolism. Harman based his theory on the three opinions: (1) irradiation causes premature aging; (2) irradiation creates oxygen radicals, which may mediate its effects; and (3) cells produce oxygen radicals under normal conditions. Commencing this he hypothesised that the manner by which a high reactive free radical such as a presence of an OH group will put forth its effect an ambiguous effect. They are also likely to react with other cellular components including nucleoproteins and nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Also given that genes will be affected by these radicals, rarely it would be probable that mutations and cancer would occur occasionally.This led Harman to conclude that ageing and age-related diseases may be due to oxidative damage which adaptable by genetic and environmental factors. Subsequently with regards to free radicals in ageing h as advanced to an extent to become one of the more reasonable theories of the ageing process. A different idea is chemical damage, which indicates damage to long-lived organic polymers in the body caused by chemical mediators within the body these include oxygen and sugars, which are responsible for aging. Chemical damage to structural cells and DNA can lead to mutations which result in loss of its functions. Later Joe McCord and Irwin Fridovichof Duke University discovered an enzyme in 1969, superoxide dismutase (SOD), exclusively operating to impair the superoxide radical, SOR (O2à ¢- -). This is a type of free radical produced when an additional electron is uplifted by an oxygen molecule. This produces a number of short-lived intermediates including the formation of superoxide (O2à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the hydroxyl radical (OH). Both the superoxide and hydroxyl radicals have a free electron in their outer orbit and are highly reactive oxidants. Hydrogen peroxide is also toxic to cells and a cause of further free radical generation, particularly when reacting with reduced transition metals to form hydroxyl radicals. The most common source of free radicals in biological systems is oxygen (Halliwell and Gutteridge, 1989). There are many types of free radicals which are formed by different reactions with oxygen. Some other examples of these are hydroperoxyl ra dical (HPR), alkoxyl radical (AR), peroxyl radical (PR) and nitric oxide radical (NOR). Successive research has uncovered that SOR are formed within cells during oxidative metabolism and SOD enzymes are existent within a variety of organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Three isoforms of SOD are present within cells; these are cytosolic, mitochondrial and extracellular types of isoforms. Roughly 1-2 per cent of the oxygen within the mitochondria cellchanges into hydrogen peroxide rather than water, which is the actual end product during respiration.The significant of SOD is revealed through studies carried out on mutant bacteria and yeast, lacking the SOD enzyme. In the presence of oxygen these cells are unable to grow. Equally the lack of SOD2 mitochondrial enzymes in mice, were incapable of surviving for a week after birth. However, genetically engineered mice that have been altered with higher hydrogen peroxide- destroying enzymes are able to live 20 per cent longer than the controls. These results observed in 2005, shows that enhanced antioxidant defences can in crease life span. While the high potential of free radicals especially SOR and Hydroxyl radicals, these agents are an important factor linking to aging yet still remains a debatable topic. Harmans predications relating to the fact free radicals are joined to the notion of aging. Then we can expect that mammals with a longer lifespan possibly produce a small number of free radical, this links to the better ability to destruct free radicals, or the facility to repair cellular damage due to free radical reactions far better than a mammal with a shorter lifespan.These believes are supported by many studies, one in which the growth of mouse and human fibroblasts were compared under standard (20 per cent) and reduced (3 per cent) oxygen levels. Mouse fibroblasts grown under reduced conditions suffered up to a third of DNA damage and experienced many cellular divisions eventually till it stopped compared to those cells grown in normal conditions.Whereas mouse fibroblasts grown in standard conditions suffered up to 3 times more oxidative DNA damage compared to human fibroblasts under the same conditions. This study shows that human cells are far better in repairing and preventing oxidative DNA damage than mouse cells. The animal life spans can be increased by restricting the amount of calories within their diet (Perez et al. 2009 and Ristow, 2010). At first the study on mice in the 1930s, which maintained a strict diet, showed they typically lived longer by 30 to 40 per cent associated to mice that ate a normal calorific diet. Findings on the metabolic rates of these mice have shown inconsistent facts, but these studies show anoverall agreement that animals that were fed with restricted calorific diets contain a visible decrease in O2 à ¢- - and hydrogen peroxide formation, which could possible explain the increased longevity. Longitudinal studies on the rhesus monkeys are currently being carried out with calorie- restricted diets to see if they live longer healthier lives. Though, this study has not been analysed over a long enough period to see if the top figure of lifespan which is 40 years in these monkeys, is increased. These animals have minimal levels of blood glucose levels, insulin an d triglycerides making them less prone to age- related disorders for instance diabetes and coronary artery disease.Reduced blood- insulin levels may possibly important in promoting longer life span, experiments on nematodes (Kenyon et al., 1993) and fruit flies (Clancy et al., 2001) suggest that the lessened activity of insulin- like hormones can spectacularly boost the lifespan within these vertebrates.Hormonal signalling pathways are very powerful controllers of lifespan, possibly since they match the longevity of several key organs by acting in an organised manner. Research on mice with growth hormones (GH) defected by which the inability of the pituitary gland to secrete then showed that these mice had an extended life span by roughly 21- 40 per cent (Coschigano et al.,2003). Whilst transgenic mice that over expressed the GH hormone lived a shorter life span compared to wild mice (Wolf et al., 1993). The first genetic component of ageing by gene regulation was identified by the budding of yeast. The number of daughter cells reproduced from the mother cells via cell division is known as the replicating cell aging. Calorie restriction in yeast cells results in increased life span with the presence of the gene Sir2. Here more mother cells undergo cell division rapidly to reproduce more daughter cells. This gene is programmed to carry out certain processes during cell division, if repeats occur cellular senescence occurs which slowly degrades the cell away from its essential nuclear factors. According to the gene regulation theory we are pre-programmed in our genes when to self-destruct, which cause ageing and eventually death. Diet plays an important part in the formation of radicals on a molecular basis. Metal ions especially in foodstuffs contain high levels and diverse profiles of metals. Metal ions in this instance therefore correlate to the formation of free radicals so share key elements of the FRTA (Naughton el al, 2008). An interrelated area of research concerns the study of substances known as antioxidants that are able to destroy free radicals by the prevention of oxidation (Fusco, 2007). These substances can most commonly be bought over the counter in pharmacies and general stores. Familiar antioxidants in the body are glutathione, vitamin E and C, and beta-carotene. Even though these antioxidants may prove highly beneficial in the diet due to the ability to destroy free radicals, research on mice and rats has been unsuccessful in delivering realistic evidence that can stop the aging process or increase life span. An antioxidant that is receiving substantial interest is resveratrol, which is a polyphenolic compound found in elevated strength levels in the skin of red grapes. It is believed that the substance resveratrol has many health benefits characteristic of red wine. Instead of searching for free radicals in the body, resveratrol acts by activating the enzymes Sir2 that has shown to prove inc reased longevity in yeast cells. An alternative view, the evolutionary theories of ageing indicates that ageing is due to DNA programming that only the survival of the best genes are available to assure offspring have vital living conditions omitting any mutations. Senescence genes that have harmful effects on the vitality of the cells are nominated against using natural selection. The mutations in these genes delay harming effects of the gene in an individual to a later stage reduce the ability to naturally select the best genes. The deleterious genes which may not visible till after it has reproduced, the gene itself possibly escapes natural selection and is passed through to the next stage of replicating. Yet there is no actual evidence to prove this theory. Although when we begin to age, is down to variation of our genetic inheritance. Recently, cellular senescence has become an interest to explain aging likewise. The continuous chromosomal shortening of the telomeres, where each cell cycle is considered to affect the vitality of the cell, hence contribute to aging. In 1973, Olovnikov proposed the telomere theory in that cells lose a bit of DNA followed by a round of replication because the lack of ability for DNA polymerase to fully copy telomeres (chromosome ends) and that eventually an acute deletion triggers cell death. A study on the yeast cells lacking a functional EST1 gene showed progressive shortening of the terminal G1-3T telomeric repeats and a parallel increase in the frequency of cell death (Lundblad and Blackburn, 1993). Similarly research on loss of telomeric DNA during cell proliferation may play a role in ageing and cancer.Telomere length, telomerase activity and chromosome rearrangements in human cells weremeasured; ov erall telomerase (enzyme) activity was not detectable in control or extended lifespan populations but was present in immortal populations (Counter et.al, 1992).Telomerase enzymes switches itself on to which adds to the telomeres when cells divide. There have, then again also been accounts that cloning may perhaps vary the shortening of telomeres. For example dolly the sheep died of progressive lung disease and sever arthritis. The common live expectancy of sheep is 11- 12 years however dolly the sheep lived till she was of years. This could possibly be because the sheep she was cloned from lived to 6 years. One understanding is that dolly the sheep had short telomeres which are the result of the aging process (Campbell et al, 1999). This supports the telomere theory of aging as well as the FRTA. A further notion of ageing is the mitochondria DNA theory. This theory suggests that the effectively of mitochondria; the power producing organelles found in every cell of each organ, surfaces age-related degenerative diseases. The mitochondria have their own genome (mtDNA), which is produced within the inner mitochondrial membrane close to locations of formation of extremely reactive oxygen species (Sanz, 2010). Mitochondrial DNA appears incapable to frustrate the damage inflicted by the by-products of respiration for the reason that distinctively the nuclear genome lacks advanced repair mechanisms. Consequently, the cell fails to produce energy and progressively dies. This concept is backed by observations verifying the genomic variability of mitochondria, on top of many mtDNA deletions and more types of injury to the mitochondrial genome. In addition, children with the Progeria disease are naturally liable to premature aging. They have symptoms which involve progressive heart disease. Almost all Progeria patients die as of heart disease. Heart disease is moreover one of the directing triggers of death across the world. Children with Progeria commonly experience cardiovascular events, such as high blood pressure (hypertension), stroke, angina, enlarged heart and heart failure illnesses linked to aging. Progeria has a mutation on the gene that codes for Lamin A, a protein that maintains the nucleus of the cell together. It is thought that the defective Lamin A protein makes the nucleus insecure. This variability appears to lead to the process of premature aging between Progeria patients. Yet it occurs without any cause so it is hard to relate this idea to support the FRTA in anyway. Another idea that does not support the FTRA is anoxic animals. According to BMC report deep under the Mediterranean Sea small multicellular organisms are present (belonging to the group Loricifera) which are completely surrounded by poisonous sulphides and they live their entire life in the absence of oxygen, they are still able to reproduce without the existence of oxygen and are metabolically active. Electron microscopy shows that these animals own organelles as an alternative to aerobic mitochondria as well which resembles to the unicellular organisms (protozoan) having hydrogenosomes that occupy anaerobic environment. The discovery by Danovaro et al. offers the tantalizing promise of metazoan life in other anoxic settings, for example in the subsurface ocean beneath hydrothermal vents or subduction zones or in other anoxic basins, (Levin). The incidence of anaerobic mitochondria and hydrogenosomes in other organisms showed the highlight to the evolutionary significance from the f indings at Comenius and Dusseldorf Universities. In conclusion, the FRTA is not dead and it alone is not the only explanation of how we age. Genetic data alone doesnt provide strong evidence for the FRTA; however in studies with oxidative stress being reduced or inhibited can play an effect in prolonging life span. Damages and accumulation of radicals are the highlight of many other theories. This implies that the FRTA provides a foundation for other theories and that radicals cause aging to an extent is still alive. However studies on anoxic animals proves that the FRTA can not support the idea for FRTA due to lack of mitochondria instead mitosomes are present. Also studies on antioxidants supported the notion that consumption of vitamins prevents free radicals from forming or being reduced. Further studies still need to be carried out in order to prove whether FRTA is actually dead.

Systemic Change :: Systematic Systemic Essays

Systemic Change What Is It To fully understand Systemic Change, one must first be able to distinguish systemic from systematic. The term systematic often is associated with images of a linear, generalizable model of how to do something. Systemic on the other hand implies a global conception of the problem and an understanding of the interrelationships and interconnections. (Carr 1996). The systemic perspective in instructional design is traditionally limited to feedback via needs assessment or evaluation. The systematic perspective in instructional design, however, is strongly represented in a variety of step-by-step models. (Carr 1996) Systemic thinking "requires keeping many aspects of the problem set in your head at one time. It is a community activity, not an individual one, with all the requisite challenges of any group task. Systemic thinking demands persistence, because to think systemically means to constantly reflect back to previous assumptions, and to be flexible enough to change thinking that has been agreed upon previously. (Reigeluth, Garfinkle 1994). Using a systemic view, we develop ways of finding out about the mass of inter-relationships which exist between the different components of systems as well as finding out about the components themselves and we have to find out about the relationships which exist between the whole system and the environment in which it exists. (Bateson, 1979; Bawden 1991, Carr 1996) There are two types of change. There is piecemeal change, often called tinkering, which entails modifying something (fixing a part of it) and there is systemic change, often called paradigm shift, which entails replacing the whole thing. Reigeluth, Garfinkle 1994). Systemic change is comprehensive. It recognizes that a fundamental change in one aspect of a system requires fundamental changes in other aspects in order for it to be successful. In education, it must pervade all levels of the system: classroom, building, district, community, state government and federal government. And it must include the nature of the learning experiences, the administrative system that supports the instructional system, and the governance system that governs the whole educational system (Banathy, 1991, Reigeluth, Garfinkle 1994). Systemic change is needed because of the paradigm shift that is occurring in education due to the information age. Although this paradigm shift in education is only a microcosm of the changes in society as a whole, these changes in society is making "the current educational system obsolete.

Operations Management Essay

I. Introduction Operations management is a management system dedicated in dealing with the allocation of resources, dealing with constraints, marketing and the strategic management theories that would be used in the day to day processes necessary for a company, with the endpoint of producing profits and revenues.(â€Å"Operations Research†, 2006) It is basically the management function that deals in the production and distribution of goods and services.(Stevenson, 2005) Companies practice this type of management to ensure that the daily processes to produce the necessary good or service that would be available for distribution. Basically, an organization or company has three functional fields that it functions on. First of which, is finance.   Basically, Finance is the management field dealing with the sourcing and allocation of funds in the organization; it functions as a distributor of funds to the whole organization and is also responsible for the investment decisions that would generate future cash flows for the company. Marketing is the managerial field responsible for the identification of consumer’s preferences and tastes. It seeks to employ these as market factors that would be used to promote and sell the organizations products or outputs. Lastly, Operations is the managerial function that deals mainly in the production of goods and services that the company considers as output. The driving force of the organization or company is operations. II. Industry in Scope The Service Industry of the United States is one of the industries that runs under the classification of being one of the main industries in the United States. It is the industry devoted to the utilization of non-good products that would be utilized by the market, mainly in finance and operations. A. The Information Industry The Information Sector of the Service Industry is the sector concerned with data processing, distribution of products that perform data processing activities, and more importantly, the distribution of information through mediums like the Internet. Main components of the industry include the data processing companies, broadcasting companies, movie and audiovisual companies and other industries that function as distributors of information or provide products that would be capable of receiving, transmitting or processing of Information. The information service industries that include data portals and search engines are also included in the list.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) This shows that the Information Sector is one of the key industries in the development of information and data exchange. The development in softwares and the evolution of the means of data processing is achieved through the development of this industry. Characteristics of the Information Industry There are several unique characteristics associated to the Information Sector segment. They are the distinguishing characteristics that separate this sector from the different sector segments.   First is that the products associated with this industry does not take any particular form(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006); the associated outputs are intangible in nature. For example, news delivered by a television broadcasting company does not have a true form, although it can be grasped by the comprehension of people. The second characteristic is that the transaction can be consummated without direct contact from the parties involved.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) Since the transaction can be done in the Internet, such as that in E-Business, the buyer and the seller can transact using that medium. The third characteristic is that the since the products involved does not really have a tangible form, the content of the product is what gives the product its value.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) Structure is not important. And since this is the case, intellectual property laws protect the products. For example, the reel of film is not what gives a motion picture its true value,; hence the motion picture itself is the one protected by the law and not that of the film in which it is recorded in. The fourth characteristic is that the processes involved in the production of the products in this sector is different from the processes involved in the production of the goods in any other industry.(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006) This reserves the company the sole rights in the nature of its processes and its sequential structure. The fifth characteristic is that companies in this industry that does not derive its profit mainly from the revenue from the sales of its products(â€Å"NAICS Industry Sector Description: Information Industry†, 2006); instead, the main part of revenue is accumulated form the additional values that are attached to the product such as advertisements. II.   The Health Care Industry The Service Industry also has Health Care under its roster. This industry is the one responsible for the administration of proper care in health of the people that needs them. These varieties of receivers of health care range from the poor to the rich, from the terminally ill to those of infections. The combination of human affection and that of modern technology helps provide the necessary service that the industry promises to deliver.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) Workers ranging from physicians of every kind to the paramedics, this industry is responsible for the research and study of the illnesses that afflict mankind and finds ways to counteract the diseases before they become outbreaks. This industry is also essential in providing the public information on their health care and of the recent diseases and how to prevent them. The Nine Segments The Health Care Industry can be classified into nine segments overall. The first segment would be that of the Hospitals. This is the segment includes the care of patients that would need to be cared for overnight.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) The hospital facilities offer a whole variety of health care services that they offer to the general public. The second segment is the Nurses and Residential Care Facilities. (â€Å"Health Care†, 2005)This segment takes care of people who cannot fully take care of them selves but not in definite need of hospital care. This segment mainly deals with children, the elderly and the incapacitated. This is also the facility that gives care round the clock nurturing, like those of children. The Office of the Physicians is also a segment of the Health Care industry.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) This is a segment wherein a group of physicians practice together in order for them to reduce costs. Doctors also find it convenient to practice with peers, which lead to the formation of such. This segment also comprises about 37% of the industry of Health Care. The Office of the Dentist is the next segment, comprising about 20% of the health care facilities established.(â€Å"Health Care†, 2005) This office provide specialized dental care, and in times, dental surgery. The Home Health Care Service is a fast growing segment in the Health Care Industry. This segment specializes in the care of the elderly in the comfort of their homes. This special care is always under the supervision of a doctor or physician, in order to establish any concerns in the field of medicine. The segment of the Office of Health Practitioners is the segment that includes the services of alternative medicine such as the practice of acupuncture. It also includes the services of other practitioners such as the chiropractors, who are paid either in cash or by insurance coverage. The segment of Ambulatory Services is the segment involved in this industry as the support of the medical field of hospitals and other institutions. This segment includes transport (helicopters), surgical components (blood banks), and other support services like that of anti-smoking programs. Outpatient care centers are also part of this industry as another segment. This segment includes the outpatient services of dialysis, mental health care and that of drug abuse rehabilitation centers. The last segment is that of the medical and diagnostic services. This segment deals with the laboratory work that patients need from time to time. Services include x-rays, sonograms and x-rays. These laboratory works are commonly used in hospitals to supplement the knowledge of the doctors practicing their profession there. III. Analysis of Companies Intel Corporation Intel is a processing chip producer that specializes in the production of microprocessors utilized by the computer producing companies. The corporation can be classified as belonging to the Information Sector of the Information Industry as it manufactures the microprocessors used in data exchange and data interpretation. The companies recent developments are also put into focus. A. Marketing The marketing aspect of Intel Corporation is on a roll recently. They made strategic tie-ups with Dell and Google, giving them an advantage against their competitors. The tie-up consists of the production of microprocessors that would be used in the assembly line of Dell Computers and would also provide Google the hardware that they need. In addition to that, the management changed their company’s logo, stating the fact that they need to be at the same page with the developments that the industry is undergoing. Furthermore, the marketing implications of changing a logo that was easily related to the company was a good move, especially with the extinct principles that accompany the old design. In addition to that, the company is promoting their processors with the renaming of their products. The Pentium Series would be phased out, being replaced by their new products, the Viiv and the Centrino. This put consumers on a new page with the development of new names of their products. And Lastly, Intel produced power-saving chips for the search engine Google, which lets Intel make advertisements through the search engine. Google also expressed their liking of Intel’s wireless technology, the WiMax. B. Operations Intel’s operation is on the rise as it is the product of the company make-over issued by the newly appointed CEO, Paul Otellini. The production of their microchips has risen and they have also expressed their plans to penetrate the markets governed by the leadership of Texas Instruments by producing the same chips that Texas does. Moreover, the company decided it should produce more of the specialized type of chips that the digital players require. Inking a deal with a Hollywood producers and music services. Intel is now producing digital players the same way that their partners Sony and Philips do. The operations of the company took a major turn in the changing of leaderships. This result may be due to the different principles employed by the new management, which other companies say is a good strategy on Intel’s part. A continuance on the part of Intel in its operations like in the production of their specialized microchips may give further development on their part. Praise is also due to the Digital Home team of Intel as it was one of the key factors that affected the company’s success in the present. C. Product Quality Products by Intel seem to be growing in quality, as it the marketing strategies employed was a success. The ride in the demand of the company’s new products, especially of the new processors, may also be attributed to the quality control measures employed by the company. No company’s growth would be constantly on the rise unless the company’s product has good quality. The digital players that Intel produced were a good plan, according to their business partners. They followed through by producing real good products that are now competing with the dominant producers of digital music in the industry. Furthermore, their strategic partnership with well-known brands ensured the public of the good quality of products that are produced by Intel. The power saving chips that are manufactured by Intel to be used by Google are of good quality, otherwise Google would not use it. A quality company would want nothing less than their standards of quality. And finally, the wireless application WiMax, which was developed by Intel, was of comparing status with the existing WiFi, giving the go signal that Google is also interested in further development of the application. D. Product differentiation The company’s marketing strategy employs quite a good differentiation of their market at present in such a way that the public would know what type of product they would want o own. The digital player developed by the Digital home team of Intel was made to those music fans who wanted no less than the best products for their listening pleasure. The powers saving chips were made at the idea of Google, which now has a tie-up with Intel Corporation. The basic computer processors were made with different names: the Viiv and the Centrino. This allows consumers to choose their processor without confusing it with the other. The product differentiation in this part of Intel’s product line worked well as the two products mentioned have different characteristics, giving good judgment to the fact that they should be named differently. The company also stressed a point that Intel is not all about microprocessors inside the computers. They also have a wide variety of goods that do not overlap in the market. The placing of the products is both effective and efficient. D. Consumer Satisfaction Issues At present, not much consumer satisfaction issues have made any negative impact on the products of Intel. The microprocessor that they produce would only be delivered to the assembly line of the computer producers. They would be the one to incorporate the chip into the system of the computer. So far, no problem in the speed and the accuracy of data processing has been large enough for the company to re-think their strategies. The consumer satisfaction index that can be nearly based on would be the satisfaction of the consumers on their continued development of their product lines that somehow reaches out to almost all generations. E. Overall Assessment The management of Intel made the best move when they have changed not only the look, but also the outlook of the company. Marketing strategies have been hitting two birds with one stone: achieving promotional means and the earnings they generate through the ale of product to tie-up companies. This excellent strategy made Intel one company to watch in the future. However, the drawback with Intel’s new strategy the company’s new logo was a lot different from the previous generation’s idea of the Intel logo. This may pose to be a problem to the older generation of the market that would want to catch up with the progress of technology. Consumer preferences actually change with this move by Intel; but the implication of the changing of the logo was also the changing of the practices, values and principles that governed the company for years. Furthermore, Intel must live to the expectations of its consumers, accompanied with the change in principles. Intel must prove that they have indeed developed into a powerhouse strategist.