Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Kite Runner Summary

The kite runner An alternate book based in Pakistan in which a family consisting of a rich man and his son move to America during the wartime circa 1970. Characters Amir: the narrator and somewhat main character in the book. Baba: Amir's father and also one of the main characters in the book Hassan: Amir's servant and somewhat best friend Ali: Baba's servant and also somewhat best friend Setting The play has generally two settings. The first being in the first half of the book in the homeland if Ali, Al Wazir and the second being the second half of the book in America.Identity – relationships life partners /romantic relationships. Amir's relationship with sprays is a significant turning point in the novel. A series of changes are accompanying this romance shared between the two characters. Amir's relocation to San Francisco, with many other Afghan exiles, is the setting for the relationship. Also, the responder gains an insight into Afghan cultural practices, as the courting p rocess is explored. Impact of settings Once Amir and baba move to America, there riles are somewhat reversed.Baba is forced to work in a petrol station, whereas in Kabul, he was a wealthy, influential industrialist. Baba's struggle is also a change within his character, he is no longer the strong individual that is present in the Part of One novel. Gender Inequality Amir discovers that Soraya has had sexual relationships outside of marriage. Within afghan culture, this is shameful and it would be very difficult for parents to find an appropriate husband for their daughter. Amir's WritingSeeing as Amir is a projection of Khaled Hossieni himself, it is worthwhile assessing Amir's progression as an author. The process begins with his earliest stories (that we leave to Hassan and Rahim Kahn) to the point at which Amir is welcomed to american publishing houses. Area of study Remember that you will need to explore the concept of identity in your creative piece. A good idea would be to con sider the ways in which people form a sense of identity. Key areas could include: Culture Relationships Physical environment Religion Ethnicity Vocation A passion or interest

Friday, August 30, 2019

John Stuart Mill Essay

British philosopher, John Stuart Mill, served many years as a member of parliament and worked diligently to bring forth liberal ideas. Amongst these ideas was the distinction of utilitarianism, or the act of doing what is right for the greatest number of people. Yet, just discussing the idea of right versus wrong for the masses was not enough, Mill’s determined there were two forms of utilitarianism; act, the direct form, or sanction, the indirect form. Much like formal logic with deductive and inductive reasoning, act and sanction utilitarianism strive for the same goal but have different ways of reaching it. Both forms of utilitarianism are seeking to find the best possible outcome for the largest number of people and using that as a measure of right versus wrong, yet by examining the differences of act utilitarianism and sanction utilitarianism, it will become clear that sanction utilitarianism is superior and more easily attainable. Focusing on act utilitarianism, this direct form works in maxims, expanding the contrast between right and wrong. â€Å"An act is right and just in its consequences for human happiness are at least good as any alternative available to the agent† (9). Thus, it is your duty to do the optimal act in a situation because anything other than the best act is a wrong act. Furthermore, Mills also comments that it is considered a â€Å"righteous† act if the consequences are just as good or better than any other action. Staying within the ideas of right or wrong, or when decisions seem to commonly be referred to as â€Å"black or white,† there is also an ideal of proportions to consider. Remember that the act is right is if brings happiness to the most people, but one is incapable of pleasing every person in every situation. Thus, Mills refers to the â€Å"Proportionality Doctrine† to tell what makes an act right or wrong. The Proportionality Doctrine states that acts are right if they promote happiness, or acts are wrong if they promote sadness. In act utilitarianism, each person is held to a duty to always make the best choices and perform the best actions. What that does though is â€Å"imply that I do wrong every time I fail to do the very best action, even when the suboptimal act that I perform is a very good deed. That may seem harsh and overly demanding† (11). Act utilitarianism is very demanding, having to always do the best thing all the time. What direct, or act utilitarianism implies is that if you fail to do the most optimal act then what you did was wrong, which is not always the case. In contrast to act utilitarianism, sanction utilitarianism allows gray space in between the black and white ultimatums. Mill’s writes: â€Å"because it makes the rightness and wrongness of conduct depend upon the utility of sanctioning that conduct in some way, we might call it sanction utilitarianism† (11). Here, Mill’s almost accepts that there are situations that will never be distinguished as exactly right and exactly wrong. Yet, Mill’s also struggles to let got of act utilitarianism since there usually are only two options. Thus, indirectly, an act is right if and only if its optimal to apply sanctions to its omission, whereas applying sanctions is right if and only if it is optimal is a direct action. â€Å"The only difference is that whereas sanction utilitarianism ties rightness and wrongness to praise and blame, act utilitarianism does not† (12). There are four kind acts that fall under sanction utilitarianism: 1. Wrong of forbidden acts are those whose performance it is optimal to blame 2. Permissible acts are those whose performance it is not optimal to blame 3. Obligatory acts are those whose omission it is optimal to blame 4. Supererogatory acts are permissible acts that are especially expedient (11) Here, these four actions seem to take on new meanings: while of course forbidden acts are optimal to blame negative reactions on (they are forbidden for a reason), it is now possible to see that the blame has a purpose behind it since the act caused proportionally the most damage. Unlike act utilitarianism, sanction utilitarianism is clear about which acts are sanctioned and which ones are not. In comparison, both forms of utilitarianism tend to seek the best possible outcome for he highest number of people, yet they have varying degrees of severity. People feel that when it comes to act utilitarianism, if you are not doing the best action each end every second, then whatever else you do is considered wrong. Living with the constant fear that your every action is scrutinized leaves those who practice act utilitarianism demoralized and deflated. It is also exhausting to have to be doing the best thing all the time and society does not naturally possess the ability to be a â€Å"hero† every waking moment. It would seem that sanction utilitarianism is more probable because it promotes a more feel good way of life. Your actions are all driven by a desire to do the right thing, but if you fail from time to time, as long as the intention was there, you are doing all right. â€Å"In arguing sanction utilitarianism, Mill’s claims that it allows him to distinguish duty and expediency and claim that not all inexpedient acts are wrong; inexpedient acts are only wrong when it is good or optimal to sanction them† (11). This means that sanction utilitarianism is more preferable and attainable than act utilitarianism when it comes to acts of duty. Therefore, a person would see this flexibility in sanction utilitarianism as a way to be seeking the righteous actions while being less demanding than act utilitarianism. Sanction utilitarianism is a superior alternative to act utilitarianism because it is flexible, forgiving and attainable. Humans are one of the most imperfect species on the planet and with highly evolved social politics; it is completely impossible to please everyone at the same time. Take into consideration the very foundation of democracy, selecting the best candidate for the job based on a populous vote. If everyone were voting under the basis of selecting the best person for the most number of people, then they would all vote for the same person. There has never been an election where a single candidate won every vote, and thus it proves that humans are incapable of behaving under complete act utilitarianism. On the other hand, it is good to hold yourself to the highest standards and expect the most out of yourself and think that you should always be doing the best thing. The flexibility of sanction utilitarianism is that individual morals and ethics come into play for each person, allowing them to wander between right and wrong finding the best outcome that may be a blend of the two. Take for instance the selection of which college to go to: your personality, likes, dislikes and more come into consideration and while the student wants to find a reputable school, they also have to find a place to call home for four years. If the student chooses the wrong location, it makes their lives miserable, their roommate’s life unbearable, and the family’s life saddened. Thus, the student had to balance every option and maybe give in on reputation for the best social fit, whereas under act utilitarianism, they would have picked a school solely on reputation alone since theoretically, that would lead them to the best possible outcome. Also, under sanction utilitarianism, if a choice is made and it turns out to be wrong, a new choice can be made to counteract the first giving sanction utilitarianism a sense of forgiveness. Combining these two ideals, flexibility and forgiveness, sanction utilitarianism reins superior over act utilitarianism because it is attainable. While both forms of utilitarianism are seeking to find the best possible outcome for the largest number of people, through examining the differences of act utilitarianism and sanction utilitarianism, it became clear that sanction utilitarianism is superior through its attainable qualities. In act utilitarianism the path for right over wrong is very demanding, requiring someone to always do the best thing all of the time. Ultimately, what direct utilitarianism implies is that you fail when what you did was wrong, which may not always be the case. Unlike act utilitarianism, sanction utilitarianism is clear about which acts are sanctioned and which ones are not, which allows someone to strive for their best but not harm them if they fail. Sanction utilitarianism is more preferable and attainable than act utilitarianism when it comes to acts of duty because a person would see the flexibility in sanction utilitarianism as a way to be seeking the righteous actions while being less demanding than act utilitarianism. While humanity is incapable of following act utilitarianism, the forgiveness built into sanction utilitarianism is preferred, since if the choice made turns out to be wrong, a new choice can be made to counteract the first. Combining these two ideals, flexibility and forgiveness, sanction utilitarianism becomes attainable for humanity and it rises in superiority over act utilitarianism.

Personality Profile Essay

In modern business, it is important to have a mindset of sustainability and environmentally friendly business practices. Two fundamental characteristics of an effective and sustainable leadership model are having the foresight of what the company is trying to attain and identifying the worth in the process and supplying the leadership to reach the companies goals. Leadership begins with trusting in the process, and adhering to the steps themselves. The single best way to achieve this is to lead by example. In this paper the author will explain how Marie Ziegler of John Deere help set the company on the path it follows today. Marie Ziegler has set the standard for John Deere and the employees of the company. As the vice president and treasurer for the John Deere Corporation it is within her responsibilities to ensure that the product that they are producing meets and exceeds the standards of the industry. All of John Deere’s products meet the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) off-highway equipment emission regulations as of 2011. The regulations set out to reduce the particulate matter in the atmosphere by 90% in addition to reducing oxides of nitrogen emissions by as much as 50% (John Deere, 2012). In one position or another Marie Ziegler has preformed various duties within John Deere since 1978. During this time Marie has grown to know the company and industry well and has helped the company to grow, remain profitable and become an industry leader. The decision to make sure that John Deere’s products met the EPA standards was just another stepping stone towards the goal of being an industry leader. The virtues of a good leader within an effective and sustainable business include vision, values, strategy and systems. Marie began with the vision to achieve a product that met the standard set forth by the EPA guidelines and pushed forward with that goal (Weitzman, H . 2010). Values, values include the practices and beliefs that the company uses to achieve success. These include people, people being the employees of John Deere who treat each other with respect which in turn promotes teamwork and the ability for the company to succeed and grow. Marie recognized that the  customers are the reason a company exists. As a good leader she understood that without customers, there is no need for the products that John Deere provides. The product and the service that any company provides is a direct reflection of the dedication of a company, its values and its employees. The conduct of a business from the president and CEO all the way down to the staff on the sales floor reflects a company’s values. Strategy is what a leader uses to develop a set of actions to follow that supports long term visions, values and objectives (Desjardins, 2007). Strategy is the crucial aspect for the integrated management system. There are key elements to developing the strategy that surrounds all the health, safety, and environmental considerations required to fulfill the strategic plan. Included within this are the planning process, setting targets and objectives, establishing and environmental policy that backs the vision of the company, contemplating which industry code of practices will be instituted, and defining the framework for communication. When these aspects are combined, they create an environmental policy that states a company’s base principals and projected intentions for environmental performance. Marie exhibits a take control type personality which is a strong leadership style. As an effective business leader she knows what needs to be done, she develops a plan and sets it in motion. When the EPA established new emissions standards Marie knew how to strategize a plan to implement the changes to John Deere’s production process in a timely manner. This meant that she had to clearly communicate the needed changes to her team of employees to enact the strategy that she developed. Communication is the key aspect to ensuring a plan is enacted properly, effectively and efficiently. One of Marie’s actions as a leader in sustainability was instilling a culture of sustainability amongst her employees by implementing sustainable practices and adhering to those policies herself in order to lead by example. In addition to leading by example she uses clear communication skills to communicate her needs to her employees to ensure her decisions as a leader are disseminated down the chain and that policies are understood by all employees and team members. Marie displays strong leadership skills and knows John Deere inside and out, she believes in the product they produce and this is an important aspect to being an effective leader in sustainability. With the leadership of Marie Ziegler John Deere can set  forth a standard that allows the company to be a leader in green sustainability. The author of this paper tries to uses general management strategies that promote sustainability within the work environment but finds that it can be difficult for an individual to do so considering the following. As an employee of EC3 International, the author’s duties are usually prescribed by test plans which leave little room to enact sustainable management methods of his own. However, the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Army (DoA) have been enacting environmental standards and practices that promote sustainability and are more environmentally friendly for many years now. The army has most recently switched its primary small caliber ammunition to more environmentally friendly ammunition in order to reduce the negative environmental effects on weapons ranges. Many years ago the DoA along with the Proving Grounds implemented a new policy of no longer indiscriminately firing depleted uranium (DU) tank rounds out on to ranges. The DoA mandated that all DU test rounds must be fired into a catch box that can be cleaned out and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. In summary as a leader in sustainability within a company it is crucial to lead by example. No manager or business leader can expect his or her employees to conduct themselves in a professional and responsible manner unless they practice what they preach. When a leader takes a shortcut employees take note and will feel that it is not a problem to do so because their leadership does it. Marie Ziegler is an excellent example of how to conduct oneself who wishes to become a leader in sustainability. References DESJARDINS, J. R. (2007). Business, Ethics, and the Environment. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Lomborg, B. (2008). Cool It. New York, NY: Vintage Books. John Deere, Products, (2012). Retrieved August 10, 2012 from http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/corporate/our_company/citizenship/environmental_stewardship/products/products.page Weitzman, H. (2010, Nov 25). Deere counts cost of emission controls. Financial Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/811393069?accountid=458

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Major Issues and The Place of Traditional Religion Essay

Major Issues and The Place of Traditional Religion - Essay Example n has mostly been undertaken by foreign observers who unfortunately have been less analytical due to their lack of knowledge of African languages, which are normally rich in cultural expression and linguistic (Olupona, 1991). Olupona examines the reasons that made the study of African religion study to suffer serious setbacks in the initial efforts by scholars to get a unit of study from it. According to Olupona, the impact of Christianity and particularly its emphasis of particularity did much damage to the overall study of the African traditional religion and the rightful recognition of its experience. This is essentially what has contributed to the many difficulties bedeviling the study of Africa religion to date, among them being the problem of sources and what could be referred as the goal of Africa religion study. Other problems that have been besetting this study that Olupona has pointed is the size of the Africa as a continent and derogatory appellations like â€Å"dark continent, not to mention the multitude and complexity of each and every quality of Africa’s various language, climate, culture and such like. Another issue that Olupona has examined in depth in this chapter is the problem of the consequences of the European settlements that have wiped out whole cultures and obliterated lots and lots of racial memories, consequently establishing what has been referred to as â€Å"a bit of whiteness† syndrome in the African continent. He also explores the unrepairable blow that has been caused to the Africa traditional religion by the western education, mercantile or civil services crisscrossing the Africa continent (Olupona, 1991). In this chapter Olupona look at the effect of traditional religion to today’s South Africa. According to him it is difficult to talk of a single world view in Africa because of the cultural heterogeneity that predominate Africa. He proceeds to interrogate the issue of whether worldview can be differentiated in the late 20th

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Diversity in American Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Diversity in American Society - Research Paper Example America has placed high value on diversity, for instance, ethnic groups have transformed and celebrated their heritage, and children of immigrants grow up experiencing the languages. America’s success is due to establishment of society that embraces diversity and celebrates the differences of various cultures. The different cultures share core values such as education, family, faith and charity hence diversity has led to great success and development of American society. Due to immigration and oppression, that is, the paradox of Nativism in a Nation of Immigrants (America), English was the primary spoken language. The Alaska Natives and American Indians practiced English as their main language. Other immigrants who came to America learned the language; therefore, the current immigrants should do the same by learning or practicing English. Therefore, every individual who planned to live in America permanently had to assimilate and learn the English language Alcoholism is the most common health problem. Native communities suffer from the common predictors of poor health such as unemployment, poverty, and high school dropout. The native people face five health problems. Alaska Natives and American Indians have high rate of diabetes. It is an issue of poverty and limited access to healthy food (Weaver, 2014). The government - funded Special Diabetes Program for the natives has helped improving the health of the diabetic. There is food movement to recover Native American cuisine and old agricultural practices. Native Americans succumb to injury at an early age as compared to white men. Native people are more prone to die by fire, in a car crash or die as a pedestrian. Sexual abuse is another issue among Native Americans. The American Indian women are highly raped more than the national average according to Justice Department. The tribal courts fail to prosecute non-native men who rape the native women on tribal lands.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Information and Communication Technology Research Paper

Information and Communication Technology - Research Paper Example It is known that each moment, new technological advancements are made in ICT. This effectively results in relatively new systems fast getting outdated. These rapid changes have necessitated the working staff to continuously seek more knowledge in order to keep pace with the times. Those who cannot adapt to new ways, as a result, lose their jobs. The financial sector is one such sector that must continuously adapt to new ways in order to prevent and fight frauds that could easily be executed online. Developments in ICT have seen the introduction and successful use of credit and debit cards, automated teller machines, security equipment, and advanced surveillance equipment all of which rely on computer technology. Traditional regulatory frameworks have become increasingly inadequate for rapid challenges such as convergence witnessed in ICT sectors in the world. This has become a great challenge to regulatory bodies which have to adopt technology-neutral or equal regulatory treatment of the different communication and information infrastructure as a way of controlling the sector (ITU et al., 2009). Regulation of ICT Sector According to Baldwin, "Regulation as an activity can be described as a discrete and identifiable, focused and sustained exercise aimed at controlling activities that are valuable to a community by public agency or government" (Baldwin and Cave, 1999). Regulation may also be described as a deliberate set of commands, which are specific and take all forms of influence or social control, by a governing agency to control items that are valuable to the public (Baldwin and Cave, 1999). Baldwin and Cave argue that regulation is one of the most controversial issues cutting across a host of disciplines including economics, law, political science, history, sociology, geography, psychology, social administration, and management. Due to the apparent complexity of the issue of regulation, a multidisciplinary approach of the theories that exist must be taken (Baldwin and Cave, 1999). The above fact can more easily be expressed by considering a simple example: if economists devised technically sound regulatory schemes they would prove to be of infinitesimal significance if warnings or challenges brought forward by sociologists and political scientists, pointing out reasons such schemes would not work as anticipated by the economists, are taken for granted. In a similar way, lawyers' bits of advice concerning limitations of certain enforcement processes and rules should be considered for the effective implementation of the scheme. Regulations have existed in various forms to deal with a host of issues. The importance of regulation can be clearly seen in areas relating to industrial relations, monopolies, workplace safety and health, gaming, civil aviation,and discrimination.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Changing an organization's culture requires that every employee Research Paper

Changing an organization's culture requires that every employee embrace change - Research Paper Example To this end, the current CEO was installed to spearhead the reform needed to address the problems and institute changes. This department has been selected to lead the reform initiative. A survey will, hence, be designed as a preliminary step to this measure. In the context of the change intervention being planned by the Human Resources, this survey will identify the potential challenges within the department from the perspective of the employees so that they can be addressed and prevented in the future. In a way, this survey will serve as an evaluation of the organizational climate for various problematic issues. This follows the principle that employees serve as the sounding board for problems and that taking time to know what they think and feel will lead to the identification of â€Å"red flags† or warning signs that include workplace safety, ethics, corporate culture, and other organizational vulnerabilities. Surveys like this tend to reveal the reality of how and whether policies and procedures are effective and beneficial. (Burke and Cooper 2004, p. 246) The feedback obtained will collectively make up the basis of the changes to be implemented and the approaches to achieve this objective. II. Complete Survey Layout The employee survey will be divided into six sections. All of these would answer the specific objectives of the survey: employee profile; the corporate culture; perception about CF&F; Quality of Benefits, services, and support; and, Open questions. The format is a typical five-level Likert scale except in the open question section, wherein respondents are free to express their thoughts. It is expected that the data that will be collected will reveal patterns that would allow the effective and successful creation and implementation of reforms. Section I: Employee Profile Important personal information that could correlate with answers and perceptions such as gender, age, educational attainment, job position, tenure, job description, and s o forth. Section II: Corporate Culture Self-description of organizational values, initiatives and policies. The following are sample questions: I identify with CF&F’s core values. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree My colleagues treat me with respect. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree I am willing to offer an extra amount of time and effort in order for the organization to be successful. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree I am satisfied with the career path and opportunities offered to you at CF&F. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Section: III: Organizational Perception This section will contain employee knowledge of organizational policies and initiatives; the employees’ perception, among others. For example: Organizational policies positively affect my work performance. Strongly Agree Disa gree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Organizational policies and strategies are clearly communicated. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Senior management takes time to listen to me. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Section IV: Support, Benefits, Training. The existence as well as the quality of support and services available to employees, including employee benefits,

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Adolescent alcohol misuse in England and the role of media advertising Essay - 1

Adolescent alcohol misuse in England and the role of media advertising - Essay Example This "Adolescent alcohol misuse in England and the role of media advertising" essay outlines the connection between portrays of the alcohol in advertisement and the level of alcohol drinking among adults and youngsters). In England, a good portion of children have experienced drinking alcohol even before they reach the age of majority (18 years) and are also likely to have been drunk once in the last 4 weeks prior to the survey (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2013). Some have even admitted to consumption of alcohol to harmful levels by 15 years of age. Surveys also indicate that alcohol has a significant role to play in the commission of crimes among young people aged 18 years or below (Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2013). Media advertising plays a huge role in alcohol misuse among adolescents. The International Centre for Alcohol Policy (ICAP) indicated with the World Health Organization that there is strong evidence linking advertising and drinking patterns among adolescents. The ICAP mentions that â€Å"young people are inevitably exposed to beverage alcohol advertising as they are to advertising for any consumer product†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thomsen and Rekve (2006) discuss how the increased awareness of alcohol messages for young adults and adolescents can sometimes cause earlier age to start drinking, higher levels of consumption, and increase risks or recklessness. . The study further indicated that without alcohol advertising, monthly levels of youth alcohol use would be reduced by as much as 24%.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Industry Environment Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industry Environment Analysis - Research Paper Example However, the business can shield itself by use of the barriers to entry. Barriers to entry are those actions by the firm that increase the costs incurred by potential competitors for them to enter the market (Hill & Jones, 2012). Therefore, the higher the barriers to entry, the higher the costs incurred by competitors and, therefore, the lower the rate of entrance into the market. The common barriers used by industries include economies of scale, switching costs by customers, capital investments, government regulation, brand loyalty and absolute cost advantages. Economies of Scale Economies of scale refer to the benefits and advantages that accrue to a company due to its large size. Economies of scale usually arise from sources such as mass production by the firm, discounts awarded due to buying in bulk, and benefits received due to spreading fixed costs over a large volume of production. Because of a large volume of output, the industry also limits its marketing and advertisements c osts (Hill & Jones, 2012). Therefore, the profitability of a fast-causal restaurant will be affected if its size is small, which limits its economies of scale. However, it can focus on increasing its size in order to increase its economies of scale such as pricing benefits. ... For example, a restaurant could create new recipes for foods; it could also spice up its foods in a unique way as compared to those of its current competitors. Therefore, customers will get used to the products and will prefer the restaurant’s foods to other foods offered in the market (Hill & Jones, 2011). This is a feature referred to as customer loyalty; it is used to ensure that customers stick to the original supplier irrespective of any other suppliers in the market. Capital Investments The business can ensure that its profitability is maintained by investing in capital intensive projects which assure it high returns in the future. For example, a restaurant could invest in latest technological equipment of operation. Such an investment will lead to offering of quality services to customers, thus increasing the number of customers attracted. Consequently, the profitability of the business will be increased. New competitors will be barred from entering the market since the y will not have similar investments for them to compete in the market. On the other hand, the capital requirements needed to make similar investments will be extremely high, so any new business would opt not to enter the market (Kar, 2011). Absolute Cost Advantages Cost advantages for the business will arise from such angles as experience, high quality trained personnel, and control of crucial inputs of production in the market such as labor, raw materials and management skills. It could also have additional advantages such as access to cheap sources of finance and insurance benefits. Therefore, a new company in the market will be hindered from entering since it will not be able to match to the advantages of the

Friday, August 23, 2019

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 9

Project Management - Essay Example There exists various ways in which the projects of PFI offer a better time value of money than the original traditional option of purchasing the asset and taking the entire responsibility of maintaining the asset. The operator of the private sector takes the fundamental risks which are involved in designing, operating and financing the asset hence the additional costs and damages that may be incurred thus the local authority is less likely to account for these costs. The local authority indirectly finances the depreciation costs of the asset thus the contractor has the capability of repairing and maintaining the asset in a good condition which is a major advantage over the traditional methods of procurement for it increases the efficiency and performance of the local authority (Hill, 88-126). Since the introduction of the PFIs in the mid-1990s as a tool of funding the private sector it has been very successful and it has most commonly used method to fund health and transportation services. The fundamental principle underlying the operation of the PFIs is the fact that risks and responsibilities that are connected with running the public service are delegated to institutions where they can be well managed. For instance procuring a new building for running a school using the PFI is very different from the traditional procurement method where since the Local Authority enters into an agreement and pays for the accommodation in the school building for a period of time. With reference to the traditional methods, the Local Authority uses funds that have been approved and provided by the central government but the building is designed by architects from the Local Authority however the private sector is limited to the bidding of the contract. The procurement process of the PFI is basically a negotiated process (Allen, 12-62). One of the major

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Accounting - Essay Example In order to consider this option, Reading therefore may need to assess as to whether the overall revenue and profitability of the division will increase if this transaction is carried out. The key influence of this on the attitude of Reading on intra-company business will therefore be reshaped by the way its profitability as well as the revenue is increased besides registering a substantial increase in the overall capacity. Another important aspect of this whole transaction may be based on the assumption that during the intra-company business, Reading may not have to incur any selling expenses therefore this may result into substantial savings for it in terms of cost reduction. If Reading adapts the second option of charging the standard full manufacturing cost plus 15%, as proposed by the Finance Manager, the overall loss will be approximately $1.68 per unit. The calculations are as under: The above option therefore suggest that adapting the option of standard manufacturing cost plus mark-up can certainly reduce the overall per unit loss when compared with the market price of the component. This option clearly reduces the loss per unit for Reading (if compared with the market price of the component) therefore adapting such option may offer more leverage to Reading in terms of its ability to further increase its profitability while at the same time reducing the costs. If this option is carried out, Reading will further be able to sell its variable selling expenses therefore this cost reduction may further allow to become more profitable. It is also important to note that the overall selling price of the component, as offered by Reading, is $13.00 therefore if compared with the original market selling price, the per unit loss will be $2.88. This will however, be lower than the loss which could be incurred under first option. Considering above, the suggestions proposed by the Finance Manager therefore may significantly increase the overall profitability

Carl Robins Essay Example for Free

Carl Robins Essay This case study pertains to an employee by the name of Carl Robins. He has been employed by ABC, Inc as a Campus Recruiter for six months. In early April, during Mr. Robins first six months of employment; he successfully recruited 15 new hires. The new trainees were to report to Monica Carrolls, the Operations Supervisor, as they would be working under her. (University of Phoenix, 2014) This case study analysis of Mr. Robins is in relation to the numerous issues that transpired between April and June 15th. To obtain a clear understanding of the complications that transpired, the company believes that it would be in their best interest to consult a firm to look into the company’s issues and to help solve the problems that have emerged; this may be the most effective method to identify and recommend ways to improve ABC, Inc.’s recruiting of new trainees. I. ISSUES THAT TRANSPIRED The consulting firm came into ABC, Inc. and thoroughly examined background information on the situation. There were many key problems that had been identified during the evaluation. The issues that ABC, Inc. was facing were centered on Mr. Carl Robins, ABC, Inc.’s Campus Recruiter and also on the company ABC, Inc. To begin, Mr. Robins has been with the company merely a short six months. The consulting firm believes that Mr. Robins lacks experience, training and supervision. The firm also believes that ABC, Inc. did not train him properly nor did it provide him with the knowledge he needed to proceed properly with the hiring process. He lacked experience and knowledge of the hiring process and he was still allowed to hire 15 new  trainees for the Operations Supervisor, Monica Carrolls. Although hiring 15 new trainees is great accomplishment for a new employee, this might have been too many employees to be hired at once for a first recruitment. Because he is still new to ABC, Inc., learning about day to day operations, the hiring of 15 new trainees can be overwhelming, even to the most experienced of people. Another issue Mr. Robin’s was facing, was the lack of communication between him and the other employees in the office. On May 15th, he was contacted by Monica Carrolls about the following issues: the training schedule, orientation, manuals, policy booklets, physicals, drug tests, and a host of other issues, which Carl would coordinate for the new hires. Once again, Carl assured the Operations Supervisor, Monica Carrolls, that he would have everything completed and arranged by the June 15th orientation. After further review, Carl had realized that when going through the new trainee files to finalize all the paperwork for the June 15th orientation; applications for some of the new trainees had not been completed. Also, there were no transcripts on file and none of the 15 trainees had been sent for the mandatory drug screen. Another problem Carl had was that the orientation manuals were missing several pages from each of them and he only had three copies of the manuals. Lastly, upon checking the conference room to confirm the date of the orientation, he had not realized that the conference room had been booked for the whole month of June by the Technology Services Department. There are several concerns or issues that need to be addressed and that Carl and ABC, Inc. need to rectify. Below are the listed issues of these concerns that will be discussed. Review of addressed issues: 1. Incomplete employee applications 2. Mandatory drug screens were not scheduled 3. Employee transcripts were not on file 4. Incomplete orientation manuals 5. Shortage of orientation manuals 6. Resource scheduling conflicts II. PROBLEM SOLVING SOLUTIONS After the case review of Carl Robin’s, discussion of possible solutions available to rectify the situations at hand and the proposed solutions that Mr. Robin’s should take have been reviewed. Starting with concerns and issues, numbers one through three, the incomplete employee applications; Carl needs to contact the 15 new hires and make them aware of the absence in their records and have them complete the applications that need to be submitted to the Human Resources Department along with a transcript; they also have to complete a mandatory drug screen prior to orientation. Carl needs to set a deadline for the mandatory drug screens to be completed prior to the June 15th orientation training. On the concerns and issues, number four and five, the incomplete orientation manuals and the shortage of the orientation manuals. The orientation manuals were short by 12; Carl needs to make arrangements with company in house copy person to finish completing the orientation manuals he needs or he must contact an outside company to help rectify the need for the orientation manuals. Carl needs to have a â€Å"Main Copy Manual† made for himself or the next person that is in his position. A hard copy manual is something that should be kept on file, so that pages will not be misplaced and there will always be one on file. Carl seems to lack knowledge of ABC, Inc.’s policies and procedures. He must get to know the material in the company’s orientation manual prior to the July orientation. Reading over the material prior to the orientation and also going over what he will be saying to the new hires with his own supervisor or another staff member might be a good way to go about this. Mr. Robin’s can also make key notes to have for himself during the orientation so he can be prepared prior to the training. Lastly, on issue and concern number six. ABC, Inc. must make arrangements to find a better way to coordinate the availability of the conference room or rooms. By not having arrangements in place for this, Carl currently does not have a place to hold orientation that is to take place on June 15th; due to the Technology Services Department holding training for the whole month of June. Whether the system that they choose be a calendar type paper based or web based, ABC, Inc. should have something in place so errors like these do not occur again. A recommendation of a web based calendar and have one person take control of it is suggested. III. PROPOSED COMPANY SOLUTIONS The proposed company solutions that should take place are: refer all applicants to the Human Resources Department and also for all new employees establish bimonthly or monthly start dates to coincide with the company’s pay periods. Have orientation manuals printed either by an in house copy person or have orientation manuals completed by an outside company. Lastly, ABC, Inc. must set up a calendar system for reserving the conference room and Carl needs to go ahead and reserve this room on a reoccurring basis. It will be easier to cancel the reserved room rather than to go scrambling looking for a room to hold orientation in. A web based calendar controlled by one person is what is recommended. Having upper management hold a meeting to discuss implementing the proposed solutions should be an additional step to take for all corporate management. Also, upper management should meet on a monthly basis to discuss issues that may be happening within the company and use critical thinking skills to help determine what steps they need to take to help their employees better themselves at their jobs. This will bring good morale to the company and will make for a better work environment. CONCLUSION In conclusion, Carl Robins is an employee of ABC, Inc. and has been working for the company for just six months. He holds the position of Campus Recruiter and on his first recruitment hired 15 new trainees. Carl lacked supervision, knowledge and experience and was not ready for such a large task. He was missing applications and mandatory drug screenings that were needed to complete employee records. Carl also did not have proper completed orientation manuals. These issues led to a case study of Carl and ABC, Inc. and proposed solutions were recommended. The recommended solutions are as follows: 1. Refer all applicants to the Human Resources Department 2. All new employees to establish bimonthly/monthly start dates to coincide with pay periods 3. Orientation manuals to be printed in house or by outside company 4. Have a â€Å"hard copy manual† made of orientation manual 5. Set up a web based calendar system for reserving conference room or rooms It is not impossible to overcome these issues, the proposed solutions if set in place should make for a better work environment for the employees of ABC, Inc. References (2014). Case study: carl robins. University of Phoenix.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

New Head And Shoulders Olive Oil Extracts Product

New Head And Shoulders Olive Oil Extracts Product Head Shoulders (HS) is one of the most renowned brands of Proctor Gamble (PG). Launched first in 1961, it is now in the PG list of hot selling brands with a sale of over USD 1 Billion (Wikipedia, 2010). HS today sells 13 different products ranging from Classic Clean to Intensive Care (HS, 2010). Core line being dandruff protection, HS products are being prepared on sub-themes like hair and scalp type or even flavouring (e.g. menthol or citrus). A renowned survey (Ecologist, 2010) reveals that dandruff shampoos like HS are made with detergents to which anti-flaking agents are added. Zinc pyrithizone contained in Head Shoulders can cause be irritating skin. It has also been agreed the use of oil extracts could help relieve this irritation. With rather un-referenced myths about dandruff shampoos like HS stripping off hair colour rather quickly leaving them greyed prematurely in young ages. Olive oil has been used as a remedy in hair and skin treatments for centuries. Its constant application to hair is described as a guarantee of long lasting hair (eHow, 2010) in Asian European remedies. Hence a new unique HS product (i.e. New HS with Olive Oil Extracts) could give a very classic mix of anti-dandruff features with extra hair treatment through olive oil extracts. As this product is an extension of the HS product-line, it would not be feasible to simply state the damages of an anti-dandruff shampoo for promoting this new product. Although a very fair advertising statement could have been the one identifying the damages of the anti-dandruff shampoo and benefits of olive oil extract, it could have backfired in a sense that it would have undermined all the previous marketing efforts that were undertaken to promote other 13 HS currently running products. It could hurt the brand itself if the advertising for promotion of this product is not carefully done. It should be made sure that the advertising theme conforms to the organization objectives and missions and does not undermine the efforts previously made to promote the currently cash-cow or star products. 2 4Ps in Perspective of New HS Olive Oil Extracts Marketing decision or more specifically the Marketing Mix can be categorized in the four classes i.e. Product decisions, Price Decisions, Place (i.e. Distribution) decisions and Promotion (or Advertisement) Decisions. 2.1 Product Decisions The first category of decisions of the marketing manger is to control different perspectives of its newly manufactured product. Name of the product or brand is the far more important thing in marketing. In case of brands, the name should conform to the organization mission and objective statements while in case of newly introduced products, this name should conform to its brand. HS with Olive Oil Extracts being a product extension of HS conforms to the main brand i.e. HS. 2.1.1 Functionality Product extension pertains to introduction of a product in a similar category while brand extension is the extension of the brand to a totally different category. 13 products of HS are a classic example of product extension within a brand while Virgin is a good example of brand extension as it has many shares in distinct communication media categories. HS conforms to the functionality aspect of product/brand decision. Introduced HS as per the basic functionality of the brand remains an anti-dandruff product with same anti-flaking agents as in other 13 HS products. However, it comes with additional benefits of olive oil for improved hair. 2.1.2 Quality and safety Quality and safety are two other aspects on which matter when the decision about a introducing a product is being made. New HS is to conform to same quality and safety standards as guaranteed in PG products. 2.1.3 Styling and packaging Brands are the social mirror of company. It took Gold star years to get known by L.G. once they decided to change the brand name in 1995 (LG, 2010). Trademarks are erected into minds of people and hence, to benefit from the reputation of a brand, it is vital to conform to the same styling standards. New HS will has standard HS styling with word Head Shoulders prominent on the pack. HS is known to change packaging styles frequently. Very current style for packaging may be adopted. Another important aspect of the packaging of new HS is its availability in 50ml low price mini pack. Reason for introducing such packaging is to engage the clientele that may be reluctant to purchase HS otherwise. Customers in counties in Indo-China region have cost as one of the most important factor in terms of purchasing a product. This mini packaging would entice them to purchase this product. 2.1.4 Support Services Valuing customers through support and services has been one of the key characteristics of HS in general and PG in particular. HS gives value to their customers and provides them with nicest season deals. It is an innovative brands and never hesitates to experiment to provide its customers with variety of products. HS with Olive Oil Extracts becomes yet another innovative product which is a classic blend of herbal (i.e. olive oil) and are contemporary (i.e. anti-dandruff minerals) ingredients. 2.2 Price Decisions Another important component of 4Ps i.e. marketing mix is the price decisions before introduction of a product. 2.2.1 Pricing Strategy Around half of the world population lives in Indo-China region. The share their thought about traditional remedies for health and beauty. Anti-dandruff shampoos like HS have many local competitors offering traditional touch to their shampoo brands and hence being widely adopted. Although multinationals like HS are widely trusted and adopted, some facts (like intensive use of chemical ingredients in HS) and myths (like constant use of HS causes grey hair) give a reason to its competitors to make the people believe that their products (though much inferior in quality) are better than HS. Hence introduction of HS with Olive Oil Extracts would leave no reason for its critics and expected to sell like hot cakes. Local products sell at almost the same price as HS and hence skim pricing (Skimming, 2010) strategy could be adopted to earn financial benefits. Similarly in Europe, Far East and America, penetration-pricing policy (Pricing, 2010) could be adopted in order to attract new customers . 2.2.2 Seasonal Pricing Bundles HS is know by its enticing offers in terms of sales and discounts. Summer is targeted for its European launch and as the product is already been proposed to be sold on introductory low prices, it would not be feasible to offer bundles at this point in time. However after the introductory price offer is over, bundles offers could be targeted for the winter and charismas season. Reverse logistics (i.e. returned items from customer or stores) could be benefited from in terms of offering sales on returned products to clear out the stock seasonally. 2.2.3 Price Discrimination Although not directly, but the different standards of pricing for various geographic sale regions becomes a price discrimination phenomenon which HS with Olive Oil Extracts has adopted. 2.3 Distribution Decisions Logistics are one of the important factors in every business. Following decisions pertaining to distributions may decide the success of a newly introduced product. 2.3.1 Distribution Channels Market Coverage Distribution channels are called two-level when a manufacturer sells its products directly to the customers. It is a well-known practise in bakery and restaurant business. HS as a company is unable to sell its product directly to the customers and hence, up to five-level distribution channel could be adopted before the product finally reaches the customers. In terms of distribution strategies, exclusive strategy could not suit a FMCG like shampoo product and hence for new HS, exclusive strategy would not be feasible in Europe. In Asian markets however, multinationals like PG adopt exclusive strategies and sell the rights of distributions to promoting agencies. Companies like SmithKline Beecham and Reckitt Benckiser have also used this strategy successfully for year in South Asian countries. 2.3.2 Inventory Management and Warehousing It would be feasible for FMCG product like new HS wilt Olive Oil Extracts to be stored off the shore in countries where warehousing is inexpensive. European geographical region can be covered through warehousing in Africa while setting up warehousing in South Asia and Latin America could cover Asia and Americas respectively. 2.3.3 Transportation and Reverse Logistics Warehousing and logistics are two interconnected aspect of distribution decisions. Success of a marketing plan lies in logistics. Either forward or reverse, cost of logistics could play a pivotal role in success of a newly established product. Warehousing locations intelligently selected could effectively decrease the logistic costs. An ideal strategy for the new HS would be to ship it to its relevant warehouses based in various geographic areas suggested above. Subsequent shipments and logistics to the stores (and ultimately the customers) could then be proceeded with from those warehouses. HS ships their shampoo in large containers to 3rd world countries where they are locally packaged. This save the space and promotes the local packaging industries of relevant regions. The same strategy has remained a success story for many of such brands and would be adopted for this newly introduced product as well. In terms of reverse logistics, returned products could be managed locally throug h either resale or disposing-off or recycling where appropriate. 2.4 Promotion Decisions In todays information intensive world it is very hard to attract a potential customer without promotions and advertisements. Hence it becomes to come up with effective decisions about promotion of the product. As per (All Business, 2010) promotions decisions may compel a promoter to think over the following issues more thoroughly. Setting clear goals for promotion Setting a budget Seek out partnerships (Co-sponsors) Promotion decisions involve the following. 2.4.1 Promotion Advertising Strategy Promotion strategy can be Pull or Push (Pullpush, 2010). Pulling promotion policy is to advertise intensively to bring-about its consumer demand. It requires high amount of funding to promote the item through this strategy however, the benefit of this strategy is the direct interaction of company with its customers. On the other hand, a pulling strategy is to promote the product through companys sales force to wholesalers, from wholesalers to retailers and from retailers to the customers. An ideal example of such advertisement strategy is of IPhone 4 that was advertised more by the cell phone companies like O2 than Apple itself. Similarly Nokia also adopts the same strategy. For new HS with Olive Oil Extracts on the other hand would adopt mainly a push strategy in regions like South Asia where customer decisions are influenced by the advertisement. This strategy would also be successful in Europe and Americas however, high street retailers like Boots, Superdrug and Tesco etc. could a lso be used for pulling strategy. 2.4.2 Personal Selling Customers may not access the high street retailers in many cases and hence it may also be good strategy to sell the product through personal selling that may involve door-to-door selling or selling to the local grocery store. Former is widely adopted in South Asian countries. This strategy would again adopt five-layer distribution model where new HS will be sold to wholesalers, then to promoters and it subsequently reaches the customers though stores or sales representatives. Figure One:- Five-level Distribution Model for New HS Olive Oil Extracts 2.4.3 Sale Promotions Sales promotions could be eye catching and force a customer to buy out of time and even if he is not actually in need of that item. New HS is being introduced at a reduced short-time introductory price and is bound to attract clientele. Moreover HS packs are made available in 50 ml mini packs and every pack offers customers to fill an on-site survey about this new product to make the customers realize that HS always cares about the opinion of its respected customers. 2.4.4 Marketing Budget After running an intensive promotional campaign for the new HS on the electronic media, marketing budget of this product could be subsequently reduced through switching to print media at a later time. New HS will also benefit from PG trademark and joint advertisements would be run (for different kinds of PG products). Selling in mix--match (i.e. new HS in conjunction with other PG products) would also be considered. Doing so will not only decrease promotion costs but also increases the sales as the mix--match offers are more attractive than 2-for-1 offers within the same product line. It is notable that this mix--match strategy would be adopted in conjunction with promoters and wholesalers. Figure Two:- Promotion Model 3 Sample Advertisement for New HS Olive Oil Extracts Figure Three- Sample Advertising 4 SWOT Analysis of for HS Olive Oil Extracts 4.1 Strengths Itself being one of the well renowned brands. Working under the umbrella of Proctor Gamble Financial strength High quality customer loyalty Diversity in product lines Advanced logistics Approval of ISO and other standardizing bodies 4.2 Weaknesses Having low-price competitors Use of very strong chemicals for dandruff relief (can cause itching and irritation) Influenced by myths (more use of chemicals may turn hair grey) Less popular in rural areas (in terms of South Asian clientele) 4.3 Opportunities Organic revolution (more people want organic. Olive oil is organic component in New HS) Globalisation (Access to all markets) Population Increase in buying power of people Literacy of clients 4.4 Threats High competition Recession effecting purchasing power Religious cultural issues (Ban on multinational products) Increase in cost of raw material (chemicals used in shampoo and plastic for packaging) 5 PESTEL Analysis for HS Olive Oil Extracts 5.1 Political Globalisation (Access to all markets) will enabled HS to target new potential markets Changes in government and its policies and political instability in rather volatile regions like South Asia that is one of the very attractive consumer markets for new HS. 5.2 Economic Recession and financial melt-down Increase in taxes (e.g. increase in VAT rate in the UK and imposition of a new VAT in Pakistan) Increase in fuel prices and thus increase in price of logistics HS conforms to various international standards and hence the production may incur higher cost. Thus the resulting product is costlier than its local low-quality competitors. Inflations and customers inability to purchase may also be a seriously addressable issue. 5.3 Social Having low-price competitors State sponsored ban on imported items Social boycott of multinational products (for instance in Muslim countries) Increased population means increased customers Increase in cost of raw material (chemicals used in shampoo and plastic for packaging) Illiteracy and lack of technical understanding 5.4 Technological Rapid RD results in improved product and ingredients every day and hence there is always a risk of competitor acquiring that technology and gaining technological advantage. 5.5 Environmental Use of very strong chemicals for dandruff relief (can cause itching and irritation) Influenced by myths (more use of chemicals may turn hair grey) High competition Use of organic items (would give the HS with Olive Oil Extracts high acceptability) 5.6 Legal As HS in general and PG in particular have got many global certifications, no legal issue pertains to the introduction of New HS with Olive Oil Extract. 6 Porter 5 Force Analysis for new HS Olive Oil Extracts 6.1 Threat of Rivals New HS with a unique Olive Oil formula not only removes the dandruff but also nourishes hair with historically trusted olive oil extracts. So far this product give new HS an advantage over other but its rivals like Garnier, Boots, Pentene, LOreal, Elvive, Clinic and Nizoral may strike an oil-well and come up with a contemporary product in their brand-line that could snatch advantage back from HS. 6.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers New HS is a blend of contemporary anti-dandruff chemical agents and olive oil. As the prices of essential chemicals are on a hike, suppliers consequently get more demanding in terms of asking more price for raw materials. Similarly, as the new ingredient i.e. olive oil is also required for new HS production, it will increase the HSs dependency on new suppliers. 6.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers With variety of anti-dandruff products available in market and lack of knowledge of people about uniqueness of the new HS it is quite possible that buyers switch to rather cheaper low quality products as per their preferences. 6.4 Threat of Substitutes Olive oil is separately available widely in the market so the customers could prefer using hair oil separately and later washing their hair with HS classic to be dandruff free. Although the process becomes cumbersome however this could act as a substitute for the New HS. 6.5 Threat of New Entrants With HS established as one of the most renowned brands, new entrants might not effect already established HS products. Skin and hair products are the ones with which customers usually do not afford to take risk. And hence a new entrant introducing such a product may not get successful at ones. In countries where people value cost than quality, new entrants with low prices (though low-quality) product may gain competitive advantage over new HS. Part 3 Individual Critical Reflection on Learning Outcomes 7 Company Valuing Customers Proctor and Gamble is one of the most renowned fortune 500 companies of the United States (Wikipedia, 2010). The company is known for its advertising campaigns and customer satisfaction. One of the reason for its success is its high standards of value offered to the customers. Head Shoulders is one of its successful star brands that earns her revenues of over 1.7 billion USD a year. Company offers value to the customers through following. 7.1 Sales and Seasonal Offers by HS End of every season, the company offers various kinds of sales and discount offers to the customers. These offer normally cover various product lines covered under the brand. These sales though mainly target at generation of revenues, one of the aspects of also is to enable low-income customers to purchase these HS products. HS comes regularly with exciting 2-for-1 and mix-n-match offers for its products. 7.2 Availability One of the imperative qualities of HS is its availability. Certain percentage of customers may not be able to visit high street stores so the key quality of FMCG like shampoo is its availability at local and small stores. Although it is much easier and cost effective in terms of logistics to provide the product at major stores, HS ensures that its products are available at the local stores on the very same prices or even cheaper than high street ones. Such distribution strategy makes a long logistics chain and benefits HS less in terms of earnings but in terms of customer care it is an effective move. 7.3 Surveys Occasional online surveys on customer satisfaction are also one of the key attributes of HS in terms of customer care. These surveys incur cost to HS but it earns them in reward the customer satisfaction. The surveys are an important mean of knowing about the desirable improvement about the product and also collecting ideas about future products. 7.4 Research Development RD could be interpreted in two ways. One in terms of gaining and maintaining competitive advantage over rivals while more importantly in terms of maintaining customer trust and loyalty. A product without active RD may go stagnant and in-turn compel the customer to switch to a new brand. Not in terms of updating products through technology, there is a strong need for a brand to regularly get innovative products introduced. 7.5 On-site Hair Wash The on-site hair was strategy was introduced by HS in Pakistan where an HS van would visit the public spots and offer them free hair wash. It was then broadcasted as their advertisement campaign. This strategy has made many HS customers feel that HS gives them value by considering them real actors and letting them rather realistically act in its commercials. 7.6 Help Line Customer help-line had been made available in Pakistan for a very long time to help the customers decide the better product as per their hair types. People have benefited from the suggestions and guidelines provided by HS professionals. 8 Contribution of Proposed Advertising Strategy in Valuing Customers 8.1 10% Introductory Discount 10% introductory discount to the customer is yet again an effort that conforms to the companys customer care policy. This strategy will also let the customers switch to the new product easy. 8.2 Customer Survey As a part of advertisement, customers will be invited to fill-in a short survey on this innovative product. It will not only realize customers that their views are valued in HS but would also pave a way for new innovative products in future. 8.3 Innovation This product which itself is an innovation is also to give value to customers who are loyal to the brand. Customers may not switch the product even if it does not suit them just because they do not trust other brands. This innovation would bring confidence and pride in loyal customers. 8.4 Mini Packs To facilitate a large number of rather low-income customers, 50 ml mini packs of new HS with Olive Oil Extracts is being introduced. With the different sorts of large packaging available already this attempt would encourage more customers to buy. It again conforms to the policy of HS to provide products affordable to everyone. 9 Critical Reflection Achievements of Three Learning Outcomes 9.1 Analyzing Elements of Marketing Mix Marketing Mix can be considered as one of the most dynamic legacy marketing model. With main emphasis on 4Ps i.e. Product, Price, Place Promotion this model offers an insight into many marketing concepts. It would not be wrong to state that if followed in its true spirit, it could result in very workable marketing plan. Product part of the marketing mix covers the dynamics of product or service. It ranges from product name to all its specifications. It covers various aspects of a product from its launch till the point its set for disposing off. In other words product related decisions are taken care of in this phases. Next decision phase in marketing mix is the price decision phase. In most of the cases, price setting plays a pivotal role in initial success during launch of a product. It surrounds products initial pricing and offers associated to the product at its launch. Another important component of the 4P model is Place or distribution. Logistics are important both in terms of decreased product costs and timely delivery to the customers nearest stores. Effectiveness of this phase may results in improved pricing for customers and increased savings to the company. Promotions being the final part of marketing mix are the core of the particularly initial launch of the product. Promotions keep the product live in the eyes of consumers and is also a vital component in attracting new customers. Critical View: Although the marketing mix forms the basic structure of a marketing plan, it has some inherent shortcomings that have raised the need to launch more progressive models. One of them is 5Ps model that iterates the need of more desirable distributions like process, people and packaging etc. Subsequent models like porter 5 force model takes into account the environment in which the product is being launched. To win a competitive advantage, it is important to know the competitors or expected competitors and hence this model describes such characteristics pertaining to the environment. SWOT and TOWS matrices are the ways to analyze the self capabilities of a company. It then could be used to compare it against rivals. Similarly PEST and PESTEL analysis help assess the environment in which the product being launched. Although its limitations are there, Marketing Mix can still be categorized as one to the simplest models around. Many models have been organized around this model and it give a very descriptive flow of events that are considered imperative in a marketing plan. 9.2 Critical Appreciation of Marketing Research Techniques Surveys are one of the effective ways to gather data about a persons opining on a topic without physically interviewing him. Critically, surveys intend to concise a whole scene into few questions that require a high skill that everybody may not have. Minor error on surveyors part may spoil all the effort. Another shortcoming of surveys is the understanding level of the audience. It may be possible that the question may not be understood properly. Surveys normally ask for very few choices of answers and hence the person who is being surveyed may not respond in appropriate way. Personal Interviews is another way of market research that is widely used around. One of the shortcomings of the interviews again is the precise nature of questions to be asked and hence requires high skills of the interviewer to prepare the questionnaire. Timing constraints on interview are also an important factor. Limited time may leave questions unasked. Getting time from CEO level administration for interviews may also prove difficult. Observations let study the environment briefly. One of the shortcomings of such techniques is that the observer may take a wrong opinion about the things. Moreover ethically most of the people do not like being observed. Field Trials is another technique in which product is picked in a selected market to gather customer response. One of the shortcomings of such approach is that if the product fails, it could spoil the product name forever. Similarly competitors may acquire that product to develop their version of the same product and hence RS goes wasted. Focus Groups is another technique for marketing research. Focus groups provide subjective data. One of the problems in the focus groups is the biasness on certain issues that may spoil the outcomes from this activity. 9.3 Use of Marketing Terminology Concepts Marketing is a very diverse field with many intermingling theories and concepts. Where behaviour related theories of reasoned action are covered in consumer behaviour, they are also studies in Porters 5 Force model under Buying Power. Similarly theories like PEST analysis give economics of marketing the Pricing part of Marketing Mix also discusses pricing. In Porters Five Force model logistics are also covered while in Place phase of 4P model, the inbound and outbound logistics are discussed. Social issues under PEST analysis are closely connected with Threats and Opportunities section of SWOT analysis. Many threats are discusses in Porters 5 Force Model while the same could be discussed under Threats phase of SWOT analysis. Hence identifying the boundaries may prove difficult however these model still individually attempt to cover as many as possible aspects of marketing plan. 10 Module Learning Related Questions Expectation at the Start of Module:- One of the basic expecting at the start of this module was to be enabled to develop an appropriate business plan developed for an organization of my choice. The aim was to understand the basis issues and important aspect of a marketing mangers job. And to understand the meanings of marketing strategy and what aspects of the business environment are required to be looked at for devising a successful strategy. To understand the role of various models of marketing that could help device a strategy. Experience Brought to Module:- I had studied many to the theories before but was not aware to device a business plan from the concepts that I had in my knowledge. I possessed a grip on theoretical aspect of many models but practicality was lacking. Experience Used to Achieve the Learning Outcomes:- Having knowledge of theories, it was easy for me to cope with the practicality that was the main focus of this module. I wasted no effort to remind these theories by heart as they were already in my mind. What I focused was the application of these concepts. Taking an organization and applying them to it. Through a repeated practise of case-study solving, I am capable of devising a rather appropriate strategy for my organization. Views on the Process:- It was a step-by-step learning process. Like mentioned before, the aspect of practicality was there in the learning. I had revised my concepts. Learned new things like 4P models and learned how they are interconnected. Later I took various case studies during the course and applied my knowledge onto them to see what organization used what strategy. Prior Knowledge:- The understanding of the basic marketing terminologies, concepts and theories was required to go smoothly. As the study under the module was focused on the business process and it even started up with the case studies hence it was pivotal to know them all. How I am Likely to change:- This process helped me learn develop business plans for the organizations. It has also helped me assess myself through repeated rounds of class discussions on the basic concepts and business case studies of various natures. It has also helped me on understanding the my future job where I may be required to device a strategy for my future employer. My Feelings undergoing the Process:- It was nice to learn and even nicer to experience a switch in my approach from a theoretical approach to a purely business oriented practical approach. Questions on the Learning Outcomes:- Typically I was all clear about the concepts and theories. I found however during devising the business plan and studying other case studies during the class sessions that that many theories are interrelated. I also understood that the one of the basic models is the Marketing Mix model from which, the other contemporary models are based on. Efforts would be made further clarify myself on the 4Ps and its extensions. Studies would be continued in individual resources to see how the models like Marketing Mix have been replaced by contemporary models. 11 Conclusion Part 1 of this work was a situation analys

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Organic Light Emitting Diodes Engineering Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Organic Light Emitting Diodes Engineering Essay An organic light emitting diode (OLED), also organic electro luminescent device (OELD), is a light-emitting diode (LED) whose emissive electroluminescent layer is composed of a film of organic compounds. This layer of organic semiconductor material is formed between two electrodes, where at least one of the electrodes is transparent. Such devices can be used in television screens, computer monitors, small, portable system screens such as cell phones and PDAs, watches, advertising, information and indication. OLEDs can also be used in light sources for general space illumination, and large-area light-emitting elements. Due to the younger stage of development, OLEDs typically emit less light per unit area than inorganic solid-state based LEDs which are usually designed for use as point-light sources. In the context of displays, OLEDs have certain advantages over traditional liquid crystal displays (LCDs). OLED displays do not require a backlight to function. Thus, they can display deep black levels and can be thinner and lighter than LCD panels. OLED displays also naturally achieve higher contrast ratios than either LCD screens using cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) or the more recently developed LED backlights in conditions of low ambient light such as dark rooms. Working principle A typical OLED is composed of an emissive layer, a conductive layer, a substrate, and both anode and cathode terminals. The layers are made of organic molecules that conduct electricity. The layers have conductivity levels ranging from insulators to conductors, so OLEDs are considered organic semiconductors. The first, most basic OLEDs consisted of a single organic layer, for example the first light-emitting polymer device synthesised by Burroughs et al. involved a single layer of poly(p-phenylene vinylene). Multilayer OLEDs can have more than two layers to improve device efficiency. As well as conductive properties, layers may be chosen to aid charge injection at electrodes by providing a more gradual electronic profile,[28] or block a charge from reaching the opposite electrode and being wasted.[29] Schematic of a 2-layer OLED: 1. Cathode (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢), 2. Emissive Layer, 3. Emission of radiation, 4. Conductive Layer, 5. Anode (+) A voltage is applied across the OLED such that the anode is positive with respect to the cathode. This causes a current of electrons to flow through the device from cathode to anode. Thus, the cathode gives electrons to the emissive layer and the anode withdraws electrons from the conductive layer; in other words, the anode gives electron holes to the conductive layer. Soon, the emissive layer becomes negatively charged, while the conductive layer becomes rich in positively charged holes. Electrostatic forces bring the electrons and the holes towards each other and they recombine. This happens closer to the emissive layer, because in organic semiconductors holes are more mobile than electrons. The recombination causes a drop in the energy levels of electrons, accompanied by an emission of radiation whose frequency is in the visible region. That is why this layer is called emissive. The device does not work when the anode is put at a negative potential with respect to the cathode. In this condition, holes move to the anode and electrons to the cathode, so they are moving away from each other and do not recombine. Indium tin oxide is commonly used as the anode material. It is transparent to visible light and has a high work function which promotes injection of holes into the polymer layer. Metals such as aluminium and calcium are often used for the cathode as they have low work functions which promote injection of electrons into the polymer layer.[30] Just like passive-matrix LCD versus active-matrix LCD, OLEDs can be categorized into passive-matrix and active-matrix displays. Active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLED) require a thin-film transistor backplane to switch the individual pixel on or off, and can make higher resolution and larger size displays possible. Material technologies Small molecules Efficient OLEDs using small molecules were first developed at Eastman Kodak by Dr. Ching W. Tang. The production of small-molecule displays often involves vacuum deposition, which makes the production process more expensive than other processing techniques. Since this is typically carried out on glass substrates, these displays are also not flexible, though this limitation is not inherent to small-molecule organic materials. The term OLED traditionally refers to this type of device, though some are using the term SM-OLED. Molecules commonly used in OLEDs include organo-metallic chelates (for example Alq3, used in the first organic light-emitting device)[26] and conjugated dendrimers. Contrary to polymers, small molecules can be evaporated and therefore very complex multi-layer structures can be constructed. This high flexibility in layer design is the main reason for the high efficiencies of the SM-OLEDs. Coherent emission from a laser dye-doped tandem SM-OLED device, excited in the pulsed regime, has been demonstrated.[31] The emission is nearly diffraction limited with a spectral width similar to that of broadband dye lasers.[32] Polymer light-emitting diodes LEP display showing partial failure An old OLED display showing wear Polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED), also light-emitting polymers (LEP), involve an electroluminescent conductive polymer, that emits light when connected to an external voltage source. They are used as a thin film for full-spectrum colour displays and require a relatively small amount of power for the light produced. No vacuum is required, and the emissive materials can be applied on the substrate by a technique derived from commercial inkjet printing.[33][34] The substrate used can be flexible, such as PET.[35] Thus flexible PLED displays, also called Flexible OLED (or FOLED), may be produced inexpensively. Typical polymers used in PLED displays include derivatives of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) and polyfluorene. Substitution of side chains onto the polymer backbone may determine the colour of emitted light[36] or the stability and solubility of the polymer for performance and ease of processing.[37] Applications of OLEDs in solid state lighting require the achievement of high brightness with good CIE coordinates (for white emission). The use of macromolecular species like polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) in conjunction with the use of phosphorescent species such as Ir for printed OLEDs have exhibited brightnesses as high as 10,000  cd/m2.[38] Phosphorescent materials Phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) uses the principle of electrophosphorescence to convert electrical energy in an OLED into light in a highly efficient manner. Patterning technologies Patternable organic light-emitting device (POLED) uses a light or heat activated electroactive layer. A latent material (PEDOT-TMA) is included in this layer that, upon activation, becomes highly efficient as a hole injection layer. Using this process, light-emitting devices with arbitrary patterns can be prepared.[39] Colour patterning can be accomplished by means of laser, such as radiation-induced sublimation transfer (RIST).[40] Organic vapour jet printing (OVJP) uses an inert carrier gas, such as argon or nitrogen, to transport evaporated organic molecules (as in Organic Vapor Phase Deposition). The gas is expelled through a micron sized nozzle or nozzle array close to the substrate as it is being translated. This allows printing arbitrary multilayer patterns without the use of solvents. Conventional OLED displays are formed by vapor thermal evaporation (VTE) and are patterned by shadow-mask. A mechanical mask has openings allowing the vapor to pass only on the desired location. Backplane technologies For a high resolution display like a TV, a TFT backplane is necessary to drive the pixels correctly. Currently, LTPS-TFT (low temperature poly silicon) is used for commercial AMOLED displays. LTPS-TFT has variation of the performance in a display, so various compensation circuits have been reported.[41] Due to the size limitation of the excimer laser used for LTPS, the AMOLED size was limited. To cope with the hurdle related to the panel size, amorphous-silicon/microcrystalline-silicon backplanes have been reported with large display prototype demonstrations.[42] Structure Bottom or top emission Bottom emission uses a transparent or semi-transparent bottom electrode to get the light through a transparent substrate. Top emission[43][41] uses a transparent or semi-transparent top electrode emitting light directly. Top-emitting OLEDs are better suited for active-matrix applications as they can be more easily integrated with a non-transparent transistor backplane. Transparent OLED Transparent organic light-emitting device (TOLED) use transparent or semi-transparent contacts on both sides of the device to create displays that can be made to be both top and bottom emitting (transparent). TOLEDs can greatly improve contrast, making it much easier to view displays in bright sunlight[citation needed]. This technology can be used in Head-up displays, smart windows or augmented reality applications. Stacked OLED Stacked OLED (SOLED) uses a pixel architecture that stacks the red, green, and blue subpixels on top of one another instead of next to one another, leading to substantial increase in gamut and color depth, and greatly reducing pixel gap. Currently, other display technologies have the RGB (and RGBW) pixels mapped next to each other decreasing potential resolution. Inverted OLED In contrast to a conventional OLED, in which the anode is placed on the substrate, an Inverted OLED (IOLED) uses a bottom cathode that can be connected to the drain end of an n-channel TFT especially for the low cost amorphous silicon TFT backplane useful in the manufacturing of AMOLED displays.[44] Advantages The different manufacturing process of OLEDs lends itself to several advantages over flat-panel displays made with LCD technology. Although the method is not currently commercially viable for mass production, OLEDs can be printed onto any suitable substrate using an inkjet printer or even screen printing technologies,[45] they could theoretically have a lower cost than LCDs or plasma displays. However, it is the fabrication of the substrate that is the most complex and expensive process in the production of a TFT LCD, so any savings offered by printing the pixels is easily cancelled out by OLEDs requirement to use a more costly P-Si (or LTPS) substrate a fact that is born out by the significantly higher initial price of AMOLED displays than their TFT LCD competitors. A mitigating factor to this price differential going into the future is the cost of retooling existing lines to produce AMOLED displays over LCDs to take advantage of the economies of scale afforded by mass production. Use of flexible substrates could open the door to new applications such as roll-up displays and displays embedded in fabrics or clothing. OLEDs can enable a greater artificial contrast ratio (both dynamic range and static, measured in purely dark conditions) and viewing angle compared to LCDs because OLED pixels directly emit light. OLED pixel colours appear correct and unshifted, even as the viewing angle approaches 90 degrees from normal. LCDs filter the light emitted from a backlight, allowing a small fraction of light through so they cannot show true black, while an inactive OLED element produces no light and consumes no power. OLEDs can also have a faster response time than standard LCD screens. Whereas LCD displays are capable of a 1ms response time or less[46] offering a frame rate of 1,000 Hz or higher, an OLED can theoretically have less than 0.01 ms response time enabling 100,000 Hz refresh rates. Disadvantages Lifespan The biggest technical problem for OLEDs is the limited lifetime of the organic materials.[47] In particular, blue OLEDs historically have had a lifetime of around 14,000 hours to half original brightness (five years at 8 hours a day) when used for flat-panel displays, which is lower than the typical lifetime of LCD, LED or PDP technology-each currently rated for about 60,000 hours to half brightness, depending on manufacturer and model. However, some manufacturers displays aim to increase the lifespan of OLED displays, pushing their expected life past that of LCD displays by improving light outcoupling, thus achieving the same brightness at a lower drive current.[48][49] In 2007, experimental OLEDs were created which can sustain 400  cd/m2 of luminance for over 198,000 hours for green OLEDs and 62,000 hours for blue OLEDs.[50] Color balance issues Additionally, as the OLED material used to produce blue light degrades significantly more rapidly than the materials that produce other colors, blue light output will decrease relative to the other colors of light. This differential color output change will change the color balance of the display and is much more noticeable than a decrease in overall luminance.[51] This can be partially avoided by adjusting colour balance but this may require advanced control circuits and interaction with the user, which is unacceptable for some uses. In order to delay the problem, manufacturers bias the colour balance towards blue so that the display initially has an artificially blue tint, leading to complaints of artificial-looking, over-saturated colors. Water damage Water can damage the organic materials of the displays. Therefore, improved sealing processes are important for practical manufacturing. Water damage may especially limit the longevity of more flexible displays.[52] Outdoor performance As an emissive display technology, OLEDs are 100% reliant converting electricity to light whereas most LCD displays contain at least some portion of reflective technology and e-ink leads the way in efficiency with ~33% reflectivity of sunlight, enabling the display to be used without any artificial light source. OLEDs typically produce only around 200 nits of light leading to poor readability in bright ambient light, such as outdoors, whereas displays that use reflective light are able to increase their brightness in the presence of ambient light to help overcome unwanted surface reflections without using any additional power. Power consumption While an OLED will consume around 40% of the power of an LCD displaying an image which is primarily black, for the majority of images, it will consume 60-80% of the power of an LCD however it can use over three times as much power to display an image with a white background[53] such as a document or website. This can lead to disappointing real-world battery life in mobile devices. Screen burn-in Unlike displays with a common light source, the brightness of each OLED pixel fades depending on the content displayed. Combined with the short lifetime the organic dyes, this leads to screen burn-in[54], worse than was common in the days of CRT-based displays Technology demos Samsung applications In January 2005, Samsung announced the worlds largest OLED TV at the time, at 21  inches (53  cm).[55] This OLED featured the highest resolution at 2.3 million pixels (WUXGA: widescreen ultra-extended graphics array) at the time. In addition, the company adopted AM-based technology for its low power consumption and high-resolution qualities. In January 2008, Samsung showcased the worlds largest and thinnest OLED TV at the time, at 31-inches and 4.3  mm.[56] In May 2008, Samsung unveiled an ultra-thin 12.1  inch laptop OLED display concept, with a 1,280ÃÆ'-768 resolution with infinite contrast ratio.[57] According to Woo Jong Lee, Vice President of the Mobile Display Marketing Team at Samsung SDI, the company expects OLED displays to be used in notebook PCs as soon as 2010.[58] In October 2008, Samsung showcased the worlds thinnest OLED display, also the first to be flappable and bendable.[59] It measures just 0.05  mm (thinner than paper), yet a Samsung staff member said that it is technically possible to make the panel thinner.[59] To achieve this thickness, Samsung etched an OLED panel that uses a normal glass substrate. The drive circuit was formed by low-temperature polysilicon TFTs. Also, low-molecular organic EL materials were employed. The pixel count of the display is 480 ÃÆ'- 272. The contrast ratio is 100,000:1, and the luminance is 200  cd/m ². The colour reproduction range is 100% of the NTSC standard. In October 2008, Samsung unveiled the worlds largest OLED Television at 40-inch with a Full HD resolution of 1920ÃÆ'-1080 pixel.[60] In the FPD International, Samsung stated that its 40-inch OLED Panel is the largest size currently possible. The panel has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, a colour gamut of 107% NTSC, and a luminance of 200  cd/m ² (peak luminance of 600  cd/m ²). At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2010, Samsung demonstrated a laptop computer with a large, transparent OLED display[61] and an animated OLED display in a photo ID card.[62] Sony applications In 2004, Sony released the Sony CLIÉ PEG-VZ90, the first commercial device to feature an OLED screen. In 2006, Sony introduced the MZ-RH1 Portable Minidisc Recorder, which has an OLED screen.[63] At the Las Vegas CES 2007, Sony showcased 11-inch (28  cm, resolution 960ÃÆ'-540) and 27-inch (68.5  cm, full HD resolution at 1920ÃÆ'-1080) OLED TV models.[64] Both claimed 1,000,000:1 contrast ratios and total thicknesses (including bezels) of 5  mm. In April 2007, Sony announced it would manufacture 1000 11-inch OLED TVs per month for market testing purposes.[65] On October 1, 2007, Sony announced that the 11-inch model, now called the XEL-1, would be released commercially;[1] the XEL-1 was first released in Japan in December 2007.[66] In May 2007, Sony publicly unveiled a video of a 2.5-inch flexible OLED screen which is only 0.3 millimeters thick.[67] At the CES 2008, Sony showcased the Walkman X series with 3 OLED touchscreen.[68] In April 2008, at Display 2008, Sony showed a 0.2  mm (0.0079  inch) thick 3.5  inch display with a resolution of 320ÃÆ'-200 pixels and a 0.3  mm thick 11  inch display with 960ÃÆ'-540 pixels resolution (one-tenth the thickness of the XEL-1).[69][70] In July 2008, a Japanese government body said it would fund a joint project of leading firms, which is to develop a key technology to produce large, energy-saving organic displays. The project involves one laboratory and 10 companies including Sony Corp. NEDO said the project was aimed at developing a core technology to mass-produce 40  inch or larger OLED displays in the late 2010s.[71] In October 2008, Sony has published results of research it carried out with the Max Planck Institute over the possibility of mass-market bending displays, which could replace rigid LCDs and plasma screens. Eventually, bendable, transparent OLED screens could be stacked to produce 3D images with much greater contrast ratios and viewing angles than existing products.[72] In April 2009, Sony demonstrated a 21 prototype at the Display Japan conference in Tokyo.[73] This was followed up by a 24.5 3D OLED demonstration from Sony, during CES 2010.[74] Other companies The Optimus Maximus keyboard developed by the Art. Lebedev Studio and released early 2008 uses 113 48ÃÆ'-48-pixel OLEDs (10.1ÃÆ'-10.1  mm) for its keys. OLEDs can be used in High-Resolution Holography (Volumetric display). Professor Orbit showed on May 12, 2007, EXPO Lisbon the potential application of these materials to reproduce three-dimensional video.[citation needed] OLEDs could also be used as solid-state light sources. OLED efficiency and lifetime already exceed those of incandescent light bulbs, and OLEDs are investigated worldwide as a source of general illumination; an example is the EU OLLA project.[75]. On May 2009, Philips was the first company to comercialize on his website large area pixels OLEDs (60 cm2) for ambient lighting (Lumiblade OLED Pixels [76] whose shape, size and color can be selected by customers). On March 11, 2008 GE Global Research demonstrated the first successful roll-to-roll manufactured OLED, marking a major milestone towards cost effective production of commercial OLED technology. The four year, $13 million research project was carried out by GE Global Research, Energy Conversion Devices, Inc and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.[77][78] Chi Mei Corporation of Taiwan, demonstrated a 25 Low-Temperature Polycrystalline silicon Active Matrix OLED at the Society of Information Displays (SID) conference in Los Angeles, CA, USA on May 20-22, 2008. On June 5, 2009 DuPont demonstrated a new material that can be printed, so called solution deposition. The breakthrough is the ability to produce economically scalable and durable OLED displays at the 2009 International Symposium, May 31-June 5, 2009, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX, USA The use of OLEDs is also being investigated for the treatment of cancer by photodynamic therapy.[79] On 30 Aug 2009, South Koreas LG Electronics said it would launch a 15-inch television set using AM-OLED displays for sale in November.[80][81] According to Isuppli Corp,[82] upward momentum of OLED Shipments for primary cell phone displays is their expectation in coming years. They claimed that global shipments of OLED main cell phone displays would rise to 178 million units in 2015, up from 22.2 million in 2009. In other words, the shipments will rise eightfold by 2015. Therefore, its evident that the manufacture of OLED display and OLED equipment by Samsung, DuPont, Anwell, Chi Mei Corporation, etc has expanded dramatically in recent years. Commercial uses OLED technology is used in commercial applications such as small screens for mobile phones and portable digital audio players (MP3 players), car radios, digital cameras, and high-resolution microdisplays for head-mounted displays. Such portable applications favor the high light output of OLEDs for readability in sunlight, and their low power drain. Portable displays are also used intermittently, so the lower lifespan of OLEDs is less important here. Prototypes have been made of flexible and rollable displays which use OLEDs unique characteristics. OLEDs have been used in most Motorola and Samsung colour cell phones, as well as some LG and Sony Ericsson phones, notably the Z610i, and some models of the Walkman.[83] It is also found in the Creative Zen V/V Plus series of MP3 players and iriver U10/clix. Nokia has also introduced recently some OLED products, including the 7900 Prism,the Nokia 8800 Arte, and the Nokia N85 and the Nokia N86 8MP, both of which feature an AMOLED display. Timeline October 1, 2007. Sony become the first company to announce an OLED television for commercial sale. The XEL-1 11 OLED Digital Television sells for $2,499.99 in the United States and Canada. December 2007 July 2008. OLED applications include signs and lighting.[84][85] January 2009. Handheld computer manufacturer OQO introduce the smallest Windows Vista computer with an OLED display.[86] March 2009. Samsung Electronics launch a 2.8 AMOLED capacitive touchscreen phone called the S8300 UltraTOUCH. April 2009. Samsung bring the first phone using an AMOLED display to the United States, the Impression on ATT. The Impression has a 3.2 WQVGA AMOLED. May 2009. Philips Lighting commercialize the first OLED lights, opening a webshop where OLED lighting samples under the brand name Lumiblade can be ordered online.[87] May 2009. Samsung Electronics launch a 3.7 nHD AMOLED capacitive touchscreen phone called the i8910 Omnia HD. June 2009. Samsung Electronics launch a 3.1 WVGA AMOLED resistive touchscreen phone called the S8000 Jet. July 2009. Samsung Electronics launch a 3.7 WVGA AMOLED 3G full-touchscreen phone called the Omnia II i8000 with Samsungs own touchwiz ui version 2.0. August 2009. Sprint Nextel sell phones from Samsung Electronics featuring advanced AMOLED display technology. Company executives claim its technology provides longer battery life and enhanced video and photo images. [88] September 2009. Microsoft launch a 3.3 Sixteenth HD1080 OLED capacitive multi-touch portable media player called the Zune HD. January 5, 2010. Google launch a 3.7 AMOLED smartphone called the Nexus One January 2010. Samsung Electronics launch a 14 prototype notebook featuring up to 40% transparency when turned off. January 2010. Sony display a 24.5 prototype OLED 3D television during the Consumer Electronics Show.[74] Patents Use of OLEDs may be subject to patents held by Eastman Kodak, DuPont, General Electric, Royal Philips Electronics, numerous universities and others.[89][90] Manufacturers Current manufacturers of OLED panels include Anwell Technologies Limited,[91] Chi Mei Corporation,[92] DuPont,[93] GE Global Research,[94] LG,[95] Samsung,[96] and Sony.[97] Samsung SDI Samsung SDI, a subsidiary of Samsung Group, South Koreas largest conglomerate, is the worlds largest OLED manufacturer, producing nearly 50% of the OLED displays made in the world.[98] In October 2008, it unveiled the worlds largest OLED TV at 40-inch with a Full HD resolution of 19201080 pixel. It was the first company in the industry to develop and manufacture AMOLED displays[99] and has the worlds largest market share in both Passive Matrix OLEDs (PMOLED) and Active Matrix OLEDs (AMOLED).[100] The company is leading the world OLED industry, generating $100.2 million out of the total $475 million revenues in the global OLED market in 2006.[99] Currently, it holds more than 600 American patents and more than 2800 international patents, making it the largest owner of AMOLED technology patents.[99] As of April 2009, Samsung has released one phone using the AMOLED display in the United States, the Impression for ATT. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_LED