The Causes and Effects of Alcoholism

Term Paper 12/7/11 Biology 205 The Causes and Effects of Alcoholism In the United States there are approximately 79,000 deaths annually attributed to excessive alcohol use (NASAIC, 2011). Alcoholism is defined as a medical disease or a neurological disorder. Alcoholism is essentially when a person continues to drink, even when health, work, or family are being harmed (NCBI et al, 2011). Alcohol is not an issue when enjoyed in moderation and responsibly, this however is not always the case. 18. 3 million people in the U. S. are â€Å"heavy drinkers†; among these are 12. million people who have one or more symptoms of alcoholism (NCBI et al, 2011). Some of the many symptoms of alcoholism are hostility when asked about drinking, inability to stop or reduce alcohol intake, or making excuses to drink. The number of problem drinking in the U. S. has increased 8. 2 percent since 1980 and with the growing acceptance of alcohol this number is at risk of rising in the near future (NCBI et al, 2011). Problem drinking can be defined in two categories, alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is when a person â€Å"binge† drinks as way to escape from personal problems.Alcohol dependence is when a person has an addiction to alcohol and cannot control how much they drink. The person simply cannot just have one drink of alcohol without feeling the need to become intoxicated. The highest prevalence of alcohol dependence and abuse is among ages 18-24. Over 80 percent of college presidents in the U. S. identify alcohol abuse as the biggest problem on campus (nd. edu et al, 2003). College students are in the ideal environment to develop a drinking disorder. Students are away from their families and are caring for themselves for often the first time in their lives.Muscular System: Muscle MetabolismWith the increase in responsibility in their lives students can find themselves stressed and confused. These factors only lead to students drinking amongst other students in efforts to fit in or as an escape from their studies or other social problems. However, drinking too much and regularly only leads to even more social and physical problems in the future and possibly for the rest of their lives. Alcoholism is something that should not just be seen as a socially devastating disease. The life of a person with alcoholism is controlled by their alcohol addiction.The many short term effects of alcohol are minor compared to the long term health concerns from excessively abusing alcohol. Public health organizations are utilizing new methods of prevention and research to combat the further rise in this disease. Demographics Though there are risk factors for developing alcoholism there is no definite cause of the disease. A history of alcoholism in a person’s family definitely increases their risks of developing the disorder. This theory has been validated throughout the years utilizing twins in adoption cases growing up in different famil ies.Current research concludes that certain genes may increase the risk of alcoholism, but the identity and function of which genes are still unknown (NCBI et al, 2011). Ethnic and religious background can also play a role in the development of alcoholism, in relation to the culture's lifestyles and acceptance of alcohol. Cultural, religious values and expectations towards alcohol vary and can either promote or disapprove drinking. Members of different ethnic and cultural groups generally show preferences for different types of alcoholic beverages, which can affect their access and alcohol exposure.Other factors such as a race’s reaction to alcohol can affect the prevalence of drinking. For example, blacks are 3 times more likely to develop an alcohol related disease than white (NIAA et al, 2005). The SAMHSA National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported that 3. 5% of people in their entire sample could be classified as alcohol dependent. Caucasian and black surveyors had a similar rate of 3. 4 percent of alcohol dependence (NIAA et al, 2005). Alcoholism rates for Native American and Hispanic-Mexican Americans are higher compared to other ethnicities at 5. percent (NIAA et al, 2005). It was found that these groups tend to start drinking at an earlier age and drank more heavily compared to other ethnic groups in the United States. The rates of alcohol dependence were lower among other groups, Caribbean, 1. 9%, Central American, 2. 8%, Cuban, 0. 9%, Puerto Rican, 3. 0% and South American, 2. 1% and Asian/Pacific Islander, 1. 8% (NIAA et al, 2005). The survey also reported that Asian Americans had higher rates of abstention and lower rates of heavy alcohol consumption compared to Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics.Diversity in drinking patterns is very distinguished between subgroups of the same racial or ethnic group. Mexican Americans born in the U. S. report drinking more often, but consuming less alcohol, and have three times higher rates of al cohol dependence (NIAA et al, 2005). This emphasizes that the lifestyle and genetics of a person play a greater role in alcoholism then race or culture. This is also relevant when looking at gender discrepancies. Women and men have the same chances of becoming alcoholics.However, women have a much stronger reaction to the effects of alcohol; therefore there are many more cases of alcoholism in men though there is no research to support gender susceptibility (NIAA et al, 2005). Women’s stronger reaction to alcohol also means that women are more susceptible to alcohol related illnesses after fewer years of heavy drinking. While research has provided many factors that increase the risk of alcoholism the highest risk factor for developing a drinking problem is a person’s lifestyle. This is why college students with their young, eager, and immature demographic are ideal for the development of alcoholism.Effects of Alcoholism on the Brain Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and unlike other drugs alcohol does not activate a specific receptor in the brain. This attributes to the wide range of side effects of intoxication. Some of the side effects from drinking heavily include slurred speech, loss of inhibitions, slowed reaction times, loss of balance and memory loss. Cleary alcohol affects the brain negatively when causing these reactions. A definite sign that someone had consumed far too much alcohol is a â€Å"black out†. This is when a person has no recollection of events while they were intoxicated.A survey of 772 college undergraduates found that 51 percent of the students reported to having a blackout multiple times in their lives’ (nd. edu et al, 2003). What they do not recall is the altered state that their brains were in at the time. An estimated one-third to one-half of all unintentional and intentional injured Americans in accidents, crimes, and suicides were intoxicated (BSCS et al, 2003). Alcohol’s affect on the outer layer of the frontal cortex region of the brain interferes with the conscious thought process (BSCS et al, 2003).This contributes to the loss of inhibitions and sometimes careless behavior when someone is intoxicated. However, research has shown that these short term effects of alcohol abuse can be immensely more severe than just a hangover. People who drink heavily and regularly greatly increase their risk of developing changes in the brain. Up to 80 percent of alcoholics have thiamine deficiency (BSCS et al, 2003). This is a common occurrence in alcoholics and results from poor overall nutrition. This can eventually develop into serious brain disorders such as Wernicke or Korsakoff syndrome.Korsakoff’s psychosis is a chronic and debilitating syndrome, resulting in persistent learning and memory problems (BSCS et al, 2003). There are also cases where people have had difficulty walking and with hand eye coordination. People with Wernicke’s encephalopathy have mental confusion, paralysis of the nerves that move the eyes and difficulty with muscle coordination (BSCS et al, 2003). Drinking during pregnancy can lead to a range of physical, learning, and behavioral effects in the developing brain of the fetus (BSCS et al, 2003). This is known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).FAS infant’s brains may have less volume and fewer brain cells as well as being smaller than average. Therefore, drinking during pregnancy ensures the child a high risk of developing serious health problems early on in their lives. Effects of Alcoholism on the Body The dangers of alcohol are commonly associated with the altered states of mind people can find themselves in; while the negative physical reactions to alcohol can be much more severe. Alcohol offers very little nutritional value and is high calories. The body treats alcohol as fat, converting alcohol sugars into fatty acids (BSCS et al, 2003).This results in a lack of energy and endurance. When alcohol i s consumed 20% is absorbed by the stomach and 80% by the small intestine. When alcohol enters the blood stream it can affect nearly every tissue in the body. This is because cell membranes are highly permeable to alcohol (BSCS et al, 2003). This absorption can be affected by the amount of food or liquid in a person’s stomach. Other factors such as how quickly the alcohol is consumed or how much a person weighs also affect absorption which leads to intoxication. Women absorb alcohol faster due to their metabolism.The absorption of alcohol is referred to as the BAC, blood alcohol content. (Graph pg. 10) When our society thinks of alcohol related deaths alcohol poisoning is first to come to mind. Not only can a person die from drinking too much alcohol at one sitting but research has shown that consuming alcohol can result in vast amount of different alcohol related disease. One study determined that 3. 6% of all cancer cases worldwide are related to alcohol drinking, resulting in 3. 5% of all cancer death (NASAIC, 2011). Research has also concluded that drinking alcohol heavily can damage brain tissue, heart, liver and reproductive organs.Problem drinking can also cause pancreatitis, nutritional deficiencies, malignancies, and cirrhosis (NASAIC, 2011). The liver is the most vulnerable organ to alcohol abuse because it breaks down the alcohol into harmless by products and years of this can destroy the liver. Therefore, the negative effects on the body substantially outweigh the possible positive social aspects from drinking. Factors causing the problem In our society drinking alcohol has become widely accepted and is associated with a celebratory or ceremonial atmosphere.This is a key component in the current increase in alcoholism. With the current acceptance, stigmas and speculations about alcohol in our country people are unaware of the severity of the drug. The increase in alcoholism is due to the fact that a majority of people in our nation drinks alc ohol rather than profane. The public receives their information about alcohol through family, peers, media, and personal experimentation. The information people and especially college students or children living in homes with alcoholism are receiving often glamorizes alcohol.Therefore, the public knows very little about effects of alcohol and the consequential harm they can inflict on themselves and others. Other factors such as the quantity and frequency a person tends to drink plays a role in the chances of developing a drinking disorder. People with addictive personalities, depression and other social disorders are also at a very high risk of becoming alcoholics (NASAIC, 2011). These people with stressful lifestyles, depression or anxiety problems often use alcohol as a release. Drinking â€Å"numbs† their pain and is an escape from their social issues.A striking 20% of all suicide victims in the United States had a form of alcoholism prior to their suicide attempt (NCBI e t al, 2011). Adolescents that live in a culture where alcohol use is common are often pressured by their peers to partake. All of these risk factors are directly correlated to scenarios most college students find themselves in. In result, this age group is at the greatest risk of developing a drinking disorder. College students are at an impressionable age and are looking to meet and befriend new people. They are peer pressured into going out with their riends to restaurants, bars and clubs. With easy access to alcohol they are often drinking more frequently than any other time in their lives. Research has shown that immaturity of neurotransmitter system and hormonal changes during puberty lead to more pleasure in drinking alcohol (NASAIC, 2011). This means that developing brains introduced to alcohol may trigger long term biological changes developing into an alcohol addiction. The overall public neglect and unawareness of the severity of alcoholism only leads to increasing rates o f alcoholism in our society.Providing the public with a better understanding of the ease in developing this disorder is an immediate necessity in our nation. Public Health Response In most cases a person suffering due to alcoholism does not accept that they have a problem. This makes it very difficult or sometimes impossible to cure. The support from loved ones and friends is essential to help find the person a form of treatment that suits them. Alcoholism is treated with counseling and support groups like any social disorder. There is very large number of national and local help services for people looking for help dealing with their addictions.Impatient treatment centers are closed communities where patients are able to live focused on controlling their addiction. Alcoholism is common to most drug addictions, whereas after being dependent on the drug sobriety triggers withdrawal symptoms and often results in relapses. In these cases having the close support of an impatient rehab c enter is the most effective. Tragically most alcoholics do not have the chance of obtaining impatient sobriety because of lack of money. Outpatient programs are less expensive and are an effective method of treating an addiction.SMART, LifeRing, and  Alcoholics Anonymous are all support groups that attempt to resolve the behavioral effects that led the person to become an alcoholic (NCBI et al, 2011). Participants meet in groups or class a number of times a week and share their own personal alcoholism experiences. As a whole group working towards a sober lifestyle the patients have the counselor or the other participant to turn to when they need help dealing with a possible relapse. In most cases a person will never completely resolve their alcohol addiction.Refraining from drinking entirely after achieving sobriety is recommended to limit the chances of relapsing. Alcoholics struggling with staying sober can be prescribed medications. Acamprosate and Naltrexone are some drugs tha t have been shown to lower relapse rates in those who are alcohol dependent by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms (NASAIC, 2011). Prevention methods are currently being utilized to give people a better understanding of the risks and affects of alcohol. Programs such as D. A. R. E and other anti drug and alcohol programs are used to build awareness.Colleges have recognized the vulnerability of college students and have increased student awareness substantially over the past years. Online alcohol education programs are now mandatory for college freshmen to complete prior to admission to most universities. Though these classes are sometimes tedious and time consuming there is no doubt that they give adolescents a better awareness of alcoholisms social and physical effects. Other forms of prevention include warnings on alcoholic packaging and labels. These inform drinkers the percentage of alcohol in the drink and pregnancy warnings are always evident (NASAIC, 2011).Health organi zations are working together to help find out more on the treatment and prevention of alcoholism to combat the prevalence of the disease in the future. Conclusion Alcoholism is not a disorder that only affects the one suffering from the disease. An addiction to alcohol controls the life of the patient, as well as their families. 56 million of Americans say that alcohol abuse has brought trouble to his or her family (NCBI et al, 2011). Getting a person to recognize the harm they are causing to themselves and others from their drinking is the first step of resolving the problem.The immense amount of organizations and support groups in America today provides people the best possible treatment. Studies continue to discover new illnesses that are in result of alcohol abuse. There is still no definite cause of the disease yet the factors attributing to developing alcoholism are definite. With a better understanding of the disease and a raised public awareness alcoholism is something that can be preventable for future generation. The chances of developing an alcohol addiction are higher than ever; which only leads to a new age of alcohol related diseases if the neglect of the negative effects of alcohol continues.Blood Alcohol Concentration| Changes in Feelings and Personality| Brain Regions Affected| Impaired Activities (continuum)| 0. 01–0. 05| Relaxation Sense of well being Loss of inhibition| Cerebral cortex| Alertness ,Judgment, CoordinationVisual tracking, Reasoning and depth perceptionInappropriate, obnoxious social behavior Slurred speech, Lack of balanceLoss of temperature regulation, Loss of bladder controlDifficulty breathing, Slowed heart rate| 0. 06–0. 10| Pleasure Numbness of feelings Nausea, Sleepiness Emotional arousal| Cerebral cortex + forebrain| | 0. 11–0. 0| Mood swings, Anger Sadness, Mania| Cerebral cortex + forebrain + cerebellum| | 0. 21–0. 30| Aggression Reduced sensations Depression Stupor| Cerebral cortex + foreb rain + cerebellum + brain stem| | 0. 31–0. 40| Unconsciousness Death possible Coma| Entire brain| | 0. 41 and greater| Death| | | Advisory committee and NIAAA scientists (bscs. org, 2003)| (Effects of Alcoholism on the Brain continued) Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration The graph depicts the average person’s emotional and physical altering when consuming a certain amount of alcohol. For most people an hour after the rinking one 12oz beer will result in a BAC of . 02. The amount of alcohol attributes to very different and detrimental side effects the more it is consumed (BSCS et al, 2003). Bibliography 1) U. S. National Library of Medicine and A. D. A. M. Medical Encyclopedia staff, Alcoholism and Alcohol abuse and dependence; ncbi. nlm. nih. gov, March 20, 2011. http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001940/ 2) National Institutes of Health, Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism staff, Information about Alcohol;  bscs. org, 2003. http://science-education. nih. g ov/supplements/nih3/alcohol/guide/info-alcohol. tm 3) University of Notre Dame, Office of alcohol and drug education, Your Body and Alcohol; nd. edu, 2003. http://oade. nd. edu/educate-yourself-alcohol/your-body-and-alcohol/ 4) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism staff, Model 10h Ethnicity, Culture and Alcohol; NIAA. gov, March 2005. http://pubs. niaaa. nih. gov/publications/Social/Module10HEthnicity;Culture/Module10H. html 5) National Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Information Center staff, Alcoholism; addictioncareoptions. com, 2011. http://www. addictioncareoptions. com/alcohol-help/alcoholism

Is greater life expectancy always desirable? Essay

The quest for the elixir of life has been going on throughout history. In every civilisation, there are myths which depict heroes and heroines who live long lives, some even forever. There is also recorded history of men and women, called alchemists, who experimented to discover means by which people could live forever; or at least for very long times. Mod ¬em medicine too aims to prolong lives – often even of very sick per ¬sons with no hope of recovery from their ailments. In fact, one of the signs of a progressive nation is when its statistics show that its popula ¬tions has a high life expectancy; that is that they can live longer than their forefathers. The longer the life expectancy of a nation; the better that nation. All these show that it is in the human consciousness to want to live for a long period of time. The question now is whether this is always desirable. Seen in the light of the individual, longer life expectancy certainly seems desirable. Almost everyone would like to live and enjoy life longer. Hu ¬mans have generally shown a reluctance to die and leave this beautiful world and their loved ones. This is in the survival spirit with which every person seems to be born. Almost all of us want to prolong our lives and live as long as we can. However, there is a condition to this. We also want to live well. If we are in dire economic consequences or incurably ill or in great suffering, we would not want to live too long, as doing so will prolong the difficulty and pain. If with greater life expectancy comes greater health, it would be a good thing. Suppose a person can be made healthy till the day he dies, then he will not be dependent on anyone and greater life expectancy would be most welcome. Usually, we say that life expectancy has increased, in a society, with reference to statistics. These are likely to be simple and just show that over a number of years, people are now living longer. There is usually no reflection about the quality of life that has been lived by the people who now live longer. The statistics show an average without saying which of the people who have lived longer have lived disease-free lives and which have lived lives of comfort and happiness. It is possible that some of the people who have lived longer lives have actually lived miserably in retirement homes where the doctors have tried their best to make sure that the retirees  live as long as possible. If by longer life expectation we mean that people live longer, but with no improvement in the quality of their lives, then it would be much better if we do not have a longer life expectancy. In such cases, longer life expectancy would be undesirable. It would be better to live shorter but happier l ives than have one’s life prolonged, to suffer and die slow, lingering and painful deaths. Another consideration about greater life expectancy is about the effect it would have on society. Unless longer life expectancy also brings about with it greater health, there is going to be chaos. If people live longer, it could mean that it would take them longer to live out their old age. This means dependence on the younger population. The younger and health ¬ier generation, or indirectly the state, has to support the older. In fact, there have been forecasts that as time goes on there will be more old people in proportion to the younger. If this is a consequence of greater life expectancy, it will place a strain on the younger people as they would have to look after their parents and grandparents while they themselves struggle to make a living. The final thing to consider is whether there will be overpopulation if there is greater life expectancy. It is easy to see that the earth’s resourc ¬es are not limitless. There may come a time when there are too many people in the world to be able to survive. On the other hand we cannot rule out the possibility of earth colonies on the moon and perhaps even other planets. This seems to be a possibility in a century. In conclusion, though it is apparent that greater life expectancy is a good thing, there are certain conditions that should go with it. The most important thing is the ability of the people to live longer lives indepen ¬dently. There is also the consideration of the earth being able to support the larger number of people living on it. References Coale, A.J. 2003. â€Å"Increases in expectation of life and population growth.† Population and Development Review, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 113-20. Riley, J.C. 2001. Rising Life Expectancy: A Global History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.. White, K.M. 2002. â€Å"Longevity advances in high-income countries, 1955-96.† Population and Development Review, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 59-76. Wilmoth, J.R. 1998. â€Å"The future of human longevity: A demographer’s perspective.† Science, No. 280, pp. 395-97.

The Challenges ahead in Purchasing and Supply Management Essay

The Challenges ahead in Purchasing and Supply Management - Essay Example manufacturing processes, or for the purchase of goods for the inventory that are to be resold as new products in distribution and the retail outlets. Purchasing and procurement have been used interchangeably in many industries2. In many sectors, the acquisition or the buying of services is referred to as contracting, while that of commercial or industrial goods is known as purchasing or procurement. Purchasing needs to satisfy two primary objectives in business. These are to ensure intact operation in the company by facilitating the economic supply of procurement of goods and services and maintaining the profit levels by controlling the flow of money3. In a supply chain management a vendor or a supplier is known to be an enterprise that provides goods and/or services to the buyers in a supply chain. For any business venture as the distributors and the dealers form its one arm, the other arm is formed by the vendors or the suppliers. It is thus essential to form a good bond with the v endor chain4. a. Distribution network configuration which can be the number, location, network connections of suppliers, the production facilities, the distribution centers, warehouses, the cross-docks and their customers5. b. Distribution strategy that will consist of the questions related with control whether it is centralized or decentralized or even shared, the delivery scheme which can be direct shipment, pool point shipping, cross docking, DSD, i.e. direct store delivery, mode of transportation etc. c. Trade-Offs in logistics activities that needs to ensure that the activities are well coordinated in order to achieve the lowest total logistics cost. Trade-offs can increase the total cost if there is only one activity that can be is optimized. The trade-offs are the keys to develop the most efficient and perfect logistics and SCM business strategy6. The petrochemicals industry plays a significant role in many economies. SCM philosophies are used in this sector now-a-days to

'If a business wants to maximise profit, it cannot be concerned with Essay

'If a business wants to maximise profit, it cannot be concerned with corporate social responsibility'. Critically discuss th - Essay Example When a business focuses on maximizing profit, they are ignoring their responsibility towards society. Should a business worry about the importance of CSR or that of maximizing profit (Davis 1960)? The paper discusses the fact that it is a business’ social responsibility to maximize profit by ignoring corporate social responsibility. Argument 1 It is the responsibility of the corporate executive to generate as much profit for the business while complying with the fundamental societal rules. CSR has the policies that ensure a business conforms to these rules. Throughout the decades, the theory of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) continues to develop in significance and importance. It has been the subject of considerable debate, commentary, theory building and research. Regardless of the continuing discussions as to what it means and what it entails, it has enhanced and evolved in both practitioner communities and academic globally (Smith 2003). The notion that the responsib ilities of business enterprises to society go past that of profit making for the shareholders has been here for many years. The phenomenon developed after the WW II and failed to take any direction in terms of significance until the 1960s and afterwards (Friedman 1970). So long as the government keeps the laws, corporations will continue to carry out their practices as the law permits them to maximize profit, so in other words, CSR is not the complete responsibility of corporations, but that of the governments. Edwards Freeman created the theory of the  stakeholder, which deals with a person’s values and morals in organization management (Friedman 1970). The  theory of the stockholder states that stockholders increase resources to corporate managers who operate as agents in developing their interests. The main purpose of any organization is to maximize profit. The problem is whether these organizations should have any responsibilities towards society. The function of a co rporation is vital when attempting to comprehend what builds a ‘good’ corporation (Smith 2003). Since the beginning of debates over CSR, critics and supporters have been expressive about the arguments for and against the notion of CSR. There has been expansive discussion about these arguments. Embedded in the discussions for and against the theory of CSR are points made previously, possibly on a gradual basis, supporting the concept. The argument against CSR concept classically  begins with the economic case expressed by the late Friedman (1970). According to Milton Friedman, the only duty of a business is to ensure maximum profit, and not worry about social responsibility. As a libertarian, he believes there is no need to get in the way of another person’s liberty. Milton supports free market and claims most developed capitalists states are, to some degree, welfares. According to him, the main social responsibility of a business is to ensure maximum profit, as long as it follows the rules of society. In short, a corporation should carry out its operations and take part in free and open competition exclusive of any fraud or deception. It is not right for businesses to have any form of social responsibility because most business owners become so in order to make profits. The issue of CSR also asks the question, who is responsible in ensuring the corporation follows CSR policies? Is it any person with power or the owner? Does an individual, as opposed to workers combined have moral duties (Smith 2003)? These are the type of

Marketing high street fashions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing high street fashions - Essay Example In the past, high end retailers like those commonly found on High Street in London used to segment their most relevant customers by needs and lifestyle, along with resource availability depending on their social class. However, with rising competition from fast fashion, lower-end retailers acting like high-end fashion retailers, this philosophy has changed. Western models of segmentation such as the VALS2 Network which describes eight different lifestyle and resource tendencies of key markets are not as effective as they once were. This model describes active lifestyles versus more sedentary buyers with traditionalist values, as two examples, in order to help marketers identify with key needs, values and attitudes (Boone & Kurtz 2007). However, the current recession is changing even the buying behaviours of the most elite of customers who are looking for more value in their fashion purchases. Banister & Hogg (2004) identify that self-esteem has been one of the most important motivators for the consumption of symbolic goods, including fashion. Self-esteem, as related to high end fashion merchandise, involves how a consumer feels about the enhancements that fashion clothing adds to their lifestyle or image that directly impacts their final decision to select key branded merchandise. Self-esteem is also comparative to others in society, their own reference groups such as peers and celebrities, that provides the motivation to make high-dollar purchases in order to fit their own mould of what constitutes success and wealth. However, understanding what drives trend-based self-esteem requires a significant investment in primary research, such as the use of questionnaires and surveys, and the information is not beneficial over the long-term due to changing values and social conditions. Companies that are finding themselves with strapped and tight budgets do not have the resource s or the labour investment to conduct complicated psychologically-based primary studies consistently and must find new methods to target and segment their key customers most likely to make purchases and be loyal to the brand. Therefore, segmentation in high-end fashion retailers occurs differently today, amidst a difficult economy with rising competition globally. Geographic segmentation occurs regularly, especially for high-street retailers with a great deal of their support coming from local consumers in the London region with adequate resources to make purchases or those unaffected by the difficult economic conditions plaguing European countries. This is rather straight-forward for many fashion companies as it helps divide catalogue distribution and ensure that the right customers receive this literature to promote products. Today, primarily, marketers use psychographic segmentation strategies to understand buyer behaviour and gain presence in key markets they have

Process Analysis In Software Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Process Analysis In Software Engineering - Essay Example There are various goals of process analysis. One of the goals of process analysis is to understand the processes that are run in these processes. It is good to understand the processes that are run in a system. This will give a clear working relationship and will enable one to update the system with ease. Another goal of process analysis is to be able to understand the relationships that exist between processes and their associated activities. This will enable the system analyst to understand the process that is being analyzed to the various processes that are integrated in the software that is being developed. The last goal of a process analysis is that of relating the specific process that is found in a system with a process that is found in another part of the organization. This will help to analyze the processes and know which one is optimized and perform a better than the other one. This will help in undertaking an analysis of the performance of the processes in the various depa rtments and parts of an organization (Patten, G. Larry, 2007). When one undertakes a process analysis, what they are doing is that they want to know about the process and undertake the necessary corrections that will improve on the inefficiencies that have been found in the program (Kerzner, 2003). It is important to know how the program works in the system. In the agile method of undertaking process analysis which is: Exploration phase This is the phase where the different requirements of the user will be translated to different tasks that are to be performed by the user. These tasks are then noted done on task cards. Commitment phase This is the stage where the tasks that have been identified are given to different programmers. The programmers are also given the approximate time when the tasks will be required to end. Steering phase This is the stage where tasks are undertaken and then the user story and the products are compared to see if there is an outcome. There are tools that are used in the undertaking. One of the procedures that are used is that of process mapping. With this, it is possible to analyze a process and know what is required and how information flows between them. Process mapping tools include Flowcharts. These are used to analysis the flow of information in the system. This is an important tool that is commonly used to analyze a process. It brings out the issues that are associated with the various processes. References Kerzner, H., 2003. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 8th ed. New York: Wiley. Patten, G. Larry. 2007. Strategic Organization Development. AuthorHouse. Question 2 There are various processes metrics that are mentioned in the text. The three metrics that are mentioned include the time that a process takes to be completed. This is an important issue that should be taken into consideration. Another process metric that will be considered is that of the resources that should be used in undertaking a particular process. The last metric is that of the number of occurrences that have been experienced in a particular process(Sprankle, & Hubbard, l 2008). The time that is taken for a given process to undertake a given task is very important. The time that a process takes can be evaluated based on the time that a particular process has been assigned to operate. This process measurement metric can be used to gauge whether a process has improved the efficiency of a particular process. In a normal system development, there are various paints that are considered when developing the processes. These points could include collecting system requirements, the development

Depending on what a European company decides to outsource to India, Essay

Depending on what a European company decides to outsource to India, the result may be very beneficial in several aspects even if it includes some disadvantages - Essay Example Measures that are set for companies that outsource to India and Indian venders ensure confidential data is stored on the servers of the outsourcing companies and Indian vendors have strongly controlled access. Although, the outsourcing may have adverse outcomes to the European company that decide to outsource to India, it may as well yield beneficial outcomes to this company. The economic crisis has made many European companies to decide the focus on India as an outsourcing objective for their information technology requirements (Schniederjans, 2005). Thus, these companies should ensure that the outsourcing contracts must be carefully drawn to protect their intellectual property rights. The European company outsourcing to India should not allow the team in India to know much about their business, but Indian should only understand the details of equity trading and settlement. However, the outsourcing will cause unemployment due to the introduction of information technology, but it is significant for European companies to outsource in India because they will have a competitive advantage in the global market. The competition will ensure that the profits decline in the long-run, and profits accrue to employees via more job creation, and to clients via cheaper prices. For instance, the research indicates that most European companies would gain new jobs in the long-run due to offshore information technology outsourcing to India (Schniederjans, 2005). Higher wages in India are one of the significant drivers of global outsourcing, and would cause the wage differential to narrow in the European companies. Meanwhile, the skill differentials and higher productivity as a result of outsourcing to India will tend to preserve Europe companies wage levels, with differentials decreasing gradually due to increase in the low end wages. The outsourcing is growing significantly in Europe due to labor