Samsung Electronic

Executive Summary There are many ways specifically in innovation that Samsung is doing well. There is no doubt that they are one of the leaders in their industry. With so many products and product lines there many facets that Samsung is involved in maybe too many. There may need to be more focused. There is a large market that Samsung has but there is still more of the target group that can be reached. Green products have become more important to consumers however the approach to green technology Samsung is taking needs to be directed a different way.Samsung Distribution ChannelThe slowing of buying behavior in the U. S. and recession has made the need for entertainment important to everyone but included in this is the need to be financially savvy. This mindset is a gap that can be filled through marketing properly to the consumers sharing this mindset by purchasing Samsung electronics and staying home to save money essay writer in uk. Introduction Samsung has made many changes throu ghout the years to increase their market share and grow to be one of the top companies in electronics. There has been a growing focus on innovation and design.Samsung has done this by studying target markets in depth. They do this by study groups, creating innovative design labs and sending designers around the world to study museums and architecture. With the target market’s needs and expectations changing more focuses on green technology and the spending habits of consumers has changed. Samsung started with designing and creating simple electronics and now are in a variety of products outside of computers and televisions. This is a problem Samsung is facing is too many focuses instead of how they started in specializing in a few specific products.Samsung has done well in creating design centers across the world that can help study a specific localized target market but when you are designing for so many different target markets whose needs change based on region it can be v ery expensive. There are some generic products that can be made and sold worldwide but you are looking at a high expense for the company. Situation Analysis With the focus of Samsung products having the perfect feel and function, they are doing a great job of studying the needs and wants of the consumer.The innovation awards that have been won throughout the years show their focus and employees is spot on to where they need to be and with sales every year increasing, the current plan they is successful. The company is already aware of some problems and most are specific to products they are creating. Solar panels they are struggling with over supply and price erosion. Electronic batteries where there is such a small demand. Medical devices and biotech drugs face the same issue of having a large chance of competitors to enter the market. All of these things are associated with green technology.There problems are being created and could be avoided by focusing on making their current p roducts more â€Å"green† instead of creating new products. Reducing their carbon footprint is one way they can look at still being involved in the growing green industry. The recession has affected all businesses especially in the United States. The consumers buying entertainment items have decreased but this fact can also be an opportunity to Samsung. There is a way to focus on the costs of going out versus buying a nice 3D television or HD television and staying at home.With so many companies producing similar products the competition that Samsung faces can put a decline in market share within certain product categories. Samsung has the resources and ability to do what they want globally in every product category. The company seems to be willing to make changes and take risks despite the potential payoff or loss. With a large amount of revenue this will allow Samsung to test multiple options without it hurting their productivity and money flow. AlternativesOne alternative Samsung could do is limiting the locations of design centers. Currently the locations span the globe and for the president to be involved in every location would require traveling basically the entire time. To keep a more focused eye on productivity and keep the CEO connected and less reliant on managers and supervisors to relay information. Focus on making current product â€Å"green† from packaging to ways of transportation to export their products across the world. Some of the current products are not selling well and there is an oversupply.By taking focus away from those products this will help save money or use the current money being put in these investments to better use. Recommendations I would recommend Samsung doing a full financial and cost analysis on each product line and see what the top selling products are and make a list of all the products and their ranks in selling. I would suggest doing this annually so they are able to compare from year to year. With this information Samsung will be able to eliminate products that are wasting money and continue to improve and invest in innovation for the products that are selling well.Even taking away some the products that don’t sell well and focusing on the top sellers will help make Samsung be known for making specialized products. Instead of focusing on new green products limit the amount of new green innovation for now and focus on making the current products more â€Å"green†. In addition to narrowing focus on successful products there should be more meeting held to compare the target market research that happens at the many design centers across the world to verify similarities and differences within markets. This will help keep communication open and ideas flowing.If there is a need to continue the green technology product line there needs to be a slowing of production and very detailed account of what is selling from season to geographic location. If there is demand that start s to build then an increase of production would be suggested. In the United States, Samsung is the number one television brand. Although the country is in a recession there is still a large market and amount of money being spent on entertainment. Samsung should start a marketing campaign to show the value in making a large purchase such as a television and watching movies at home.There is no doubt that it is expensive to go to the movies. It is a reasonable idea that buying an HD television or even a 3D television can provide just as good if not better experience then going to the movies. Most of the older generations like to keep very standard electronics and do not need or desire electronics with all the bells and whistles that a younger generation would want. There is an opening to market to the baby boomer generation. These older generations have money and if their old televisions go out or they are want to keep in touch with family they will be looking for something that is sim ple and satisfies their needs.Making a simpler design that could be geared to the older generation is a market within the electronics industry that should be looked at. In addition there is a brand loyalty that is there with this older generation. Brand loyalty when it comes to electronics is becoming rarer with many consumers going with products that number one meet their cost requirement. There are so many competitors that offer similar products. Getting the consumer to keep buying your brand will continue to be a main goal for every company.

Formal Report Exp 9

University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Pharmacy Organic Chemistry Laboratory APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF TEST TO CLASSIFY HYROXY- AND CARBONYL-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS Jane Catherine SP. Villanueva, Edenn Claudine C. Villaraza, Lorenz Oliver C. Villegas and Cristel Bernice T. Wee Group 10 2G-Medical Technology Organic Chemistry Laboratory ABSTRACT Hydroxyl group refers to a functional group containing OH- when it is a substituent in an organic compound. It is also known as the characteristic functional group of alcohols and phenols. On the other hand, carbonyl group refers to a divalent chemical unit consisting of a carbon and an oxygen atom connected by a double bond. It is known as the characteristic functional group of aldehydes and ketones instead. In this experiment, hydroxyl- or carbonyl- containing samples were given to the group for examination. The samples were analyzed through different tests namely the involvement of the solubility of alcohols in water, the Lucas Test, the Chromic Acid Test or also known as Jones Oxidation, the 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazone (2,4-DNP) Test, the Fehling’s Test, the Tollens’ Silver Mirror Test, and the Iodoform Test. The solubility of alcohols in water test showed that the sample, benzyl alcohol was immiscible while ethanol was the most miscible from all the other compounds used. While in Lucas Test which was used to differentiated the primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols had turned tert-butyl alcohol into a cloudy solution afterwards. In Chromic Acid Test which was a test for oxidizable compounds or any compounds that possess reducing property would yield to a blue green solution if it reacted positively. This was seen in all the sample used in this test except for acetone. Whereas Dinitrophenylhydrazone (2,4-DNP) Test was preformed to test for aldehydes and ketones which would result to a yellow orange precipitate if it was positively reacted. All the compounds subjected to this test namely n-butyraldehyde, benzaldehyde and acetone gave a positive result. Fehling’s Test and Tollens’ Silver Mirror Test were used to tests for aldehydes. In Fehling Test, both the n-butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde gave a positive result which was a brick red precipitate but acetone gave a negative result which was only a blue solution. While the Tollens’ Silver Mirror Test had shown that both n-butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde gave a positive result which was a silver mirror and then again acetone gave a negative result which was the absence of a silver mirror. Lastly Iodoform test was performed and was known as a test for methyl carbinol and methyl carbonyl groups. Both acetone and isopropyl alcohol resulted to a positive outcome in this test which was formation of yellow precipitate but n-butyraldehyde on the other hand yield to a negative result which was a yellow solution containing black precipitate. INTRODUCTION In organic chemistry, classification of test was tests that categorize a substance into one of several classes. They were used to detect functional groups and other structural features. Alcohol were derivatives of hydrocarbons in which one or more of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a hydroxyl (-OH) functional group. Hydrocarbons are compounds which contain hydrogen (H) and carbon (C) only. The hydroxyl group imparts particular properties to the radical to which it is attached. [1] Figure 1. Alcohol Alcohols are classified into three categories: primary (1 °), secondary (2 °) and tertiary (3 °). This classification is based on the number of carbon-containing groups (R for an alkyl or an aromatic group) attached to the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group. If the carbon bearing the OH has one R group, the molecule is a primary alcohol. If two R groups are attached, it is then a secondary alcohol. If three R groups are attached, then the alcohol is tertiary[1][4] Figure 2. Three alcohol groups There are other molecules that contain an -OH group. Even though water (H2O) contains OH, it is not considered as an alcohol because alcohols were defined as organic compounds that have little or no ionization of the ydrogen. Other organic compounds that contain -OH groups but are not alcohols are phenol (C6H5OH) and acetic acid (CH3COOH). These compounds are not alcohols because they are acidic. The term alcohol, then, is another representation of a type of electronic structure in the molecules of substances. [3] [4] Phenols are aromatic compounds in which a hydroxide group is directly bon ded to an aromatic ring system. They are very weak acids, and like alcohols, form ethers and esters. The main phenols are phenol itself, cresol, resorcinol, pyrogallol, and picric acid. Phenol itself (C6H5OH), also known as carbolic acid, is a white, hygroscopic crystalline solid, isolable from coal tar, but made by acid hydrolysis of cumene hydroperoxide, or by fusion of sodium benzenesulfonate with sodium hydroxide. Formerly used as an antiseptic, phenol has more latterly been used to make bakelite and other resins, plastics, dyes, detergents, and drugs. [4] [15] The hydroxyl- containing compounds used in the experiment were ethanol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and benzyl alcohol. Ethanol also known as ethyl alcohol is a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic, agreeable odor. In dilute aqueous solution, it has a somewhat sweet flavor, but in more concentrated solutions it has a burning taste. Its low freezing point has made it useful as the fluid in thermometers for temperatures below –40 °C, the freezing point of mercury, and for other low-temperature purposes, such as for antifreeze in automobile radiators. Ethanol is miscible in all proportions with water and with most organic solvents. It is useful as a solvent for many substances and in making perfumes, paints, lacquer, and explosives. 15] Figure 3. Structure of Ethanol n-butyl alcohol also known as n-butanol, 1-Butanol or 1-butyl alcohol is a four carbon straight chain alcohol. It is a volatile, clear liquid with a strong alcoholic odor, and is miscible with water. It is a highly refractive compound which corrodes some plastics, and rubbers. It is miscible with many organic solvents, and incompatible with strong oxidizers. It is also used as a direct solvent and as an intermediate in the manufacture of other organic chemicals. [7] Figure 4. Structure of n-butyl alcohol Sec-butyl alcohol, a four carbon secondary alcohol, is a volatile, clear liquid with a strong alcoholic odor with a water solubility of 12. 5%. This substance is most hazardous when peroxide levels are concentrated by distillation or evaporation. It is a highly refractive compound which corrodes some plastics, and rubbers. It is miscible with many organic solvents, and incompatible with strong oxidizers. It is flammable strongly with a luminous flame. It is used as a direct solvent and as an intermediate in the manufacture of other organic chemicals. [8] Figure 5. Structure of Sec-butyl alcohol Tert-butyl alcohol is a clear, noncorrosive liquid. It is miscible with water as well as most common organic solvents. The sterically hindered tertiary butyl group imparts stability compared to primary and secondary alcohols. As a result, the solubility and oxidative stability characteristics provide many industrial applications as a reaction and process solvent and chemical intermediate. It is used as a non-reactive solvent for chemical reactions, a non-surfactant compatibilizer for many solvent blends, and a non-corrosive solvent. It is used in free radical polymerizations to dissolve monomers. TBA is a main raw material of tert-butyl functional group in organic synthesis. [9] Figure 6. Structure of Tert-butyl alcohol Isopropyl alcohol also known as propan-2-ol, 2-propanol is a common name for a chemical compound with the molecular formula C3H8O. It is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor. It is the simplest example of a secondary alcohol, where the alcohol carbon is attached to two other carbons. Being a secondary alcohol, isopropyl alcohol can be oxidized to acetone, which is the corresponding ketone. Isopropyl alcohol dissolves a wide range of non-polar compounds. It is also relatively non-toxic and evaporates quickly. Thus it is used widely as a solvent and as a cleaning fluid, especially for dissolving lipophilic contaminants such as oil. [10] Figure 7. Structure of Isopropyl alcohol Benzyl alcohol (C6H5CH2OH) is a colorless liquid with a mild pleasant aromatic odor. It is a useful solvent due to its polarity, low toxicity, and low vapor pressure. Benzyl alcohol is partially soluble in water (4  g/100  mL) and completely miscible in alcohols and diethyl ether. Like most alcohols, it reacts with carboxylic acids to form esters. Benzyl alcohol is used as a general solvent for inks, paints, lacquers, and epoxy resin coatings. It is also a precursor to a variety of esters, used in the soap, perfume, and flavor industries. It is often added to intravenous medication solutions as a preservative due to its bacteriostatic and antipruritic properties. [15] Figure 8. Structure of Benzyl alcohol Carbonyl group is a divalent chemical unit consisting of a carbon and an oxygen atom connected by a double bond. The group is a constituent of carboxylic acids, esters, anhydrides, acyl halides, amides, and quinones, and it is the characteristic functional group of aldehydes and ketones. Carboxylic acid and their derivatives, aldehydes, ketones, and quinones are also known collectively as carbonyl compounds. Aldehydes and ketones contain carbonyl groups attached to alkyl or aryl groups and a hydrogen atom or both. These groups have little effect on the electron distribution in the carbonyl group; thus, the properties of aldehydes and ketones are determined by the behavior of the carbonyl group. In carboxylic acids and their derivatives, the carbonyl group is attached to one of the halogen atoms or to groups containing atoms such as oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur. These atoms do affect the carbonyl group, forming a new functional group with distinctive properties. Figure 9. Carbonyl Group An aldehyde is an organic compound containing a terminal carbonyl group. This functional group, called an aldehyde group, consists of a carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom with a single covalent bond and an oxygen atom with a double bond. Thus the chemical formula for an aldehyde functional group is -CH=O, and the general formula for an aldehyde is R-CH=O. The aldehyde group is occasionally called the formyl or methanoyl group. The word aldehyde is a combination of parts of the words alcohol and dehydrogenated, because the first aldehyde was prepared by removing two hydrogen atoms (dehydrogenation) from ethanol. Molecules that contain an aldehyde group can be converted to alcohols by the addition of two hydrogen atoms to the central carbon oxygen double bond (reduction). Organic acids are the result of the introduction of one oxygen atom to the carbonyl group (oxidation). Aldehydes are very easy to detect by smell. Some are very fragrant, and others have a smell resembling that of rotten fruit. [15] On the other hand, Ketone features a carbonyl group (C=O) bonded to two other carbon atoms. They differ from aldehydes in that the carbonyl is placed between two carbons rather than at the end of a carbon skeleton. They are also distinct from other functional groups, such as carboxylic acids, esters and amides, which have a carbonyl group bonded to a hetero atom. Ketone compounds have important physiological properties. They are found in several sugars and in compounds for medicinal use, including natural and synthetic steroid hormones. [15] The difference between aldehydes and ketones is in the groups that are attached to the carbonyl carbon atom. In the case of an aldehyde, there is always at least one H atom attached to the carbonyl carbon atom. An aldehyde has one R group attached. R stands for any other organic chain or group. In the case of ketones, there are no H atoms attached to the carbonyl carbon. The ketone has two R groups attached. [2] [15] Figure 10. Structure of Aldehyde and Ketone Some of the carbonyl-containing compounds used in the experiment were benzaldehyde, n-butraldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and acetophenone. Benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) also known as benzenecarbonal is a colorless liquid aldehyde with a characteristic almond odor. It boils at 180 °C, is soluble in ethanol, but is insoluble in water. It is formed by partial oxidation of benzyl alcohol, and on oxidation forms benzoic acid. It is called oil of bitter almond, since it is formed when amygdalin, a glucoside present in the kernels of bitter almonds and in apricot pits, is hydrolyzed, e. . , by crushing the kernels or pits and boiling them in water; glucose and hydrogen cyanide (a poisonous gas) are also formed. It is also prepared by oxidation of toluene or benzyl chloride or by treating benzal chloride with an alkali. Benzaldehyde is used in the preparation of certain aniline dyes and of other products, including perfumes and flavorings. [13] Figure 11. Structu re of Benzaldehyde Acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) also known as ethanol is a colorless liquid aldehyde, sometimes simply called aldehyde. It is soluble in water and ethanol. Acetaldehyde is made commercially by the oxidation of ethylene with a palladium catalyst. It is used as a reducing agent (e. g. , for silvering mirrors), in the manufacture of synthetic resins and dyestuffs, and as a preservative. [11] Figure 12. Structure of Acetaldehyde n-butyraldehyde (CH3(CH2)2CHO) also known as butanal is an aldehyde derivative of butane. It is a colorless flammable liquid that smells like sweaty feet. It is miscible with most organic solvents. n-butyraldehyde is used as an intermediate in the manufacturing plasticizers, alcohols, solvents and polymers. It is also used as an intermediate to make pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, antioxidants, rubber accelerators, textile auxiliaries, perfumery and flavors. [12] Figure 13. Structure of N-butyraldehyde Acetone ((CH3)2CO) also known as propanone is colorless, mobile, flammable liquid with a characteristic sweetish smell is the simplest example of the ketones. Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory. [6] Figure 14. Structure of Acetone Acetophenone (C6H5C(O)CH3) is the simplest aromatic ketone. This colorless, viscous liquid is a precursor to useful resins and fragrances. It can be obtained by a variety of methods. In industry, acetophenone is recovered as a by-product of the oxidation of ethylbenzene, which mainly gives ethylbenzene hydroperoxide for use in the production of propylene oxide. [5] Figure 15. Structure of Acetophenone The hydroxyl- and carbonyl- containing compounds were analyzed by utilization of different tests such as testing the solubility of alcohols in water, Lucas Test, Chromic Acid Test (Jones Oxidation), 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazone Test, Fehling’s Test, Tollens’ Silver Mirror Test, and Iodoform Test. Most organic compounds were not soluble in water with the exception of low molecular-weight amines and oxygen-containing compounds like alcohols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, and ketones. Low molecular-weight compounds are generally limited to those with fewer than five carbon atoms. [14] Lucas Test often provides classification information for alcohols, as well as a probe for the existence of the hydroxyl group. Substrates that easily give rise to cationic character at the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group undergo this test readily; primary alcohols do not give a positive result. Since the Lucas Test depends on the appearance of the alkyl chloride as a second liquid phase, it is normally applicable only to alcohols that are soluble in the reagent. This limits the test in general to monofunctional alcohols lower than hexyl and certain polyfunctional molecules. [4] Chromic Acid Test also called Jones Oxidation detects the presence of a hydroxyl substituent that is on a carbon bearing at least one hydrogen, and therefore oxidizable. It is detected by the appearance of Cr+3 ion. This test can be used to differentiate aldehydes and ketones. A positive result would show green or blue-green solution. [4] 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazone Test can be used to qualitatively detect the carbonyl functionality of a ketone or aldehyde functional group. Ketones and Aldehydes would form yellow to orange precipitate after undergoing in this test. [4] Fehling’s Test and Tollens’ Silver Mirror Test are used to detect aldehydes. However, Fehling's solution can only be used to test for aliphatic aldehydes, whereas Tollens' reagent can be used to test for both aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes. A positive result in Fehling’s Test would give a brick red precipitate while in Tollens' Silver Mirror, it is the formation of silver mirror. [4] Iodoform Test is a test for methyl carbinol and methyl carbonyl group. A positive result would yield to yellow crystals or precipitate. Its mechanism occurs through a series of enolate anions which are iodinated. [4] The objectives of the experiment were to distinguish whether a compound was a hydroxyl- or carbonyl-containing, to differentiate the three types of alcohols, to differentiate aldehydes from ketones and to explain the mechanisms involved in the differentiating tests. EXPERIMENTAL A. Compounds Tested * Ethanol * n-butyl alcohol * Sec-butyl alcohol * Tert-butyl alcohol * Benzyl alcohol * n- butyraldehyde * Benzaldehyde * Acetone * Acetophenone * Isopropyl alcohol * Acetaldehyde * Lucas reagent * Chromic acid reagent * 95% ethanol * Fehling’s A and B * Tollen’s reagent * 5% NaOCl solution * Iodoform test reagent * 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine B. Procedure 1. Testing the solubility of alcohols in water The samples involved in the experiment were ethanol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, and benzyl alcohol. Five test tubes were labeled with each of the alcohol samples. With the aid of a Pasteur pipette, 10 drops from each of the samples were taken then placed into the appropriate test tube. To the tube containing ethanol, 1-ml of water was then added drop wise to the tube containing alcohol and the mixture was shaken thoroughly after each addition. If cloudiness resulted, 0. 25-ml of water at a time was added continuously with vigorous shaking until a homogeneous dispersion results. The total volume of water added was noted. If cloudiness resulted after the addition of 2. -ml of water, the alcohol is said to be immiscible in water but if there was no cloudiness then it is miscible to water. The results were noted down. The same procedure was performed on the test tubes containing n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, and benzyl alcohol. 2. Using the Lucas Test This test was performed on n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. Lucas reagent was prepared by dissolving 16 g of anhydrous zinc chloride in 10-ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid. The mixture was then allowed to cool. The Lucas Reagent was already prepared beforehand. 50-mg or 2-3 drops of the sample was added to 1-ml of the reagent in a test tube and the mixture was shaken vigorously for a few seconds. The mixture was allowed to stand at room temperature. The rate of formation of the cloudy suspension or the formation of two layers was observed. 3. Using the Chromic Acid Test / Jones Oxidation This test was performed on n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, benzaldehyde and acetone. 1 drop of liquid or a small amount of the solid sample was dissolved in 1-ml of acetone in a small vial or test tube. drops of 10% aqueous Potassium chromate solution and 5 drops of 6M sulphuric acid were added into the mixture. 4. Using the 2,4-DNP Test This test was performed on acetone, n-butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde. The reagent was prepared by slowly adding a solution of 3 g of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine in 15-ml of concentrated sulphuric acid, while stirring to a mixture of 20-ml of water and 70-ml of 95% ethanol. The solution was then stirred and filtered. This reagent was already prepared beforehand. A drop of a liquid sample was placed into a small sample. 5 drops of 95% ethanol was added and well shaken. Afterwards, 3 drops of 2,4-DNP was added and if no yellow or orange precipitate formed, the solution was allowed to stand for at least 15 minutes. 5. Using the Fehling’s Test This test was performed on acetone, n-butyraldehyde, and benzaldehyde. Fehling’s reagent was prepared by mixing equal amounts of Fehling’s A and Fehling’s B. Fehling’s A was prepared by dissolving 7 g of hydrated copper (II) sulfate in 100-ml of water. Fehling’s B was prepared by mixing 35 g of Potassium sodium tartrate and 10 g of Sodium hydroxide in 100-ml water. Then, 1-ml of freshly prepared Fehling’s reagent was placed into each test tube. drops of the sample to be tested was added in to the tube. The tubes were then placed in a beaker of boiling water and changes within 10-15 minutes were observed. 6. Using the Tollens’ Silver Mirror Test This test was performed on benzaldehyde, acetone and n-butyraldehyde. The reagent was prepared by adding 2 drops o f 5% Sodium hydroxide solution to 2-ml of 5% Silver nitrate solution and mixing thoroughly. Next, only enough 2% ammonium hydroxide (concentrated ammonium hydroxide is 28%) was added drop by drop and with stirring to dissolve the precipitate. Adding excess ammonia will cause discrepancies on the result of the test. Then, four test tubes with 1-ml of freshly prepared Tollens’ reagent were prepared. Two drops each of the samples were then added. The mixture was shaken and allowed to stand for 10 minutes. If no reaction has occurred, the test tube was placed in a beaker of warm water (35-50 oC) for 5 minutes. Observations were recorded. It was noted that if Tollens’ reagent is left unused for a period of time, it may form explosive silver. This was avoided by neutralizing unused reagent with a little nitric acid and discarded afterwards. . Using the Iodoform Test This test was performed on acetone, n- butyraldehyde and isopropyl alcohol. 2 drops of each sample was placed into its own small vial or test tube. 20 drops of fresh chlorine bleach (5% Sodium hypochlorite) was slowly added while shaking to each test tube and then, mixed. The formation of a yellow participate was noted. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1. Solubi lity of Alcohols in Water In the experiment, five compounds were tested to determine the presence of the –OH, hydroxyl group through solubility of the sample in water. The presence of an –OH group was indicated by the miscibility of the substance. This follows the general rule in solubility that â€Å"like dissolves like†. Meaning, a polar solute will dissolve in a polar solvent and a non polar solute will be insoluble in a polar solvent. [14] Going back to the experiment, it was observed that alcohol was soluble in water but as the number of carbon atoms in the carbon chain of the alcohol increased, the solubility of the alcohol sample decreased. It was also observed that branching of the compound increased its solubility in water. Branching will increase solubility since more branching will reduce the size of the molecule and make it easier to solvate the molecules with the solvent. [14] The results of the experiment show that the solubility of alcohols in water depends on the balance between the strength of the hydrogen bonds formed between water and the hydroxyl group, and the strength of the Van der Waals forces between the hydrocarbon chains of the alcohol. Alcohol| Condensed Structural Formula| Amount of Water (in ml) needed to produce a homogeneous dispersion| Solubility in Water| Ethanol| CH3CH2OH| 0. ml| Most Miscible| n-butyl alcohol| CH3CH2CH2CH2OH| 2. 0 ml| Miscible| Sec-butyl alcohol| | 1. 4 ml| Miscible| Tert-butyl alcohol| | 0. 5 ml| Miscible| Benzyl alcohol| | More than 2. 0 ml| Immiscible| Table 1. Solubility of alcohols in water The table above showed that ethanol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol were all miscible with water. Only benzyl alcohol had exhibited immisci bility with water. As stated, all alcohols were soluble in water except under C6. Hence, ethanol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, and tert-butyl alcohol are all miscible with water. Ethanol has two carbon atoms, while the other three all have four carbons since they are all derivatives of the alcohol, butanol. Benzyl alcohol was immiscible with water because it is an aromatic alcohol. Ethanol was the most miscible alcohol followed by tert-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, and n-butyl alcohol. Ethanol exhibited fastest solubility because it has only two carbon atoms as compared to the butanol derivatives having four carbon atoms. Tert-butyl alcohol was the most miscible among the butanol derivatives because it has the most branching substituents present. 2. Lucas Test The four types of alcohols namely n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol were differentiated from each other by way of the Lucas Test. Lucas Test differentiates primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols. Reagents used include anhydrous ZnCl2 and HCl. Positive result was based on its turbidity or alkyl chloride formation and its rate of the reaction. Tertiary alcohols formed the second layer in less than a minute. Secondary alcohols required 5-10 minutes before formation of second layer while primary alcohols were usually unreactive. Substance| Condensed Structural Formula| Reaction| -butyl alcohol| CH3CH2CH2CH2OH| Clear solution(+)| Sec-butyl alcohol| | Clear solution(+)| Tert-butyl alcohol| | Turbid (+++) /Cloudy solution and formation of two layers| IsopropylAlcohol| | ClearSolution(+)| Table 2. Lucas Test Based on Table 2, it was only tert-butyl alcohol which had immediately formed two layers or a cloudy solution; hence, it was known to be a t ertiary alcohol. Sec-butyl alcohol and Isopropyl alcohol when subjected to Lucas test resulted to a clear solution although theoretically, a secondary alcohol dissolves to give a clear solution then form chlorides which would yield to a cloudy solution within five minutes. -butyl alcohol was considered as a primary alcohol. It was unreactive but eventually would react after long period of time. Generally, the order of reactivity of the alcohols toward Lucas reagent was 3 °;2 °;1 ° because the reaction rate was much faster when the carbocation intermediate was more stabilized by a greater number of electron donating alkyl group bonded to the positive carbon atom. This means that the greater the alkyl groups present in a compound, the faster its reaction would be with the Lucas solution. [1] Figure 16. Reaction in Lucas Test 3. Chromic Acid Test (Jones Oxidation) This test was performed on n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, benzaldehyde and acetone. The chromic acid test classifies the three types of alcohols by oxidizing the alcohol. The test was also used to be able to distinguish aldehydes from ketones. Since primary and secondary alcohols were also oxidized by the chromic acid reagent, this test was not useful for distinguishing aldehydes unless a positive identification of a carbonyl group has been obtained from the 2,4-DNP test. Chromic acid has an orange-red color due to the presence of Cr+6 ions, upon oxidation of the aldehyde, the chromium was reduced to Cr+3, which had a green color. A positive result was indicated by a green precipitate due to chromous sulfate, Cr? (SO? )?. [1] From the results, it was noted that the formation of an opaque blue-green suspension within 2-3 seconds, accompanied by disappearance of the orange color of the reagent, indicates a primary or secondary alcohol. A primary alcohol oxidizes readily, first to an aldehyde, then to a carboxylic acid. These two oxidation steps made sense because the primary alcohol functional group has two C-H bonds that can be broken; secondary alcohols were oxidized to ketones, a secondary alcohol only has one C-H bond that can be broken, so it can only oxidize once, to a ketone; a tertiary alcohol has no C-H bond that can be broken, so it was not oxidized, no matter how strong the oxidizing agent was. During the oxidation, the orange-red color of the chromic acid changed to a blue-green solution. Figure 17. Oxidation of the three types of Alcohols The results also show that aldehydes gave the same result but reacted more slowly. With aliphatic aldehydes, the solution turned cloudy in about 5 seconds, and the opaque blue-green suspension formed within 30 seconds; aromatic aldehydes required 30-90 seconds or longer before a suspension formed. The generation of some other dark color, particularly with the liquid remaining orange, was considered a negative test. It was concluded that alcohols and aldehydes are oxidized by chromic acid but ketones were not because they don’t have a hydrogen atom attached to their carbonyl group that can be used for oxidation. Figure 18. Oxidation of Aldehyde Substance| Condensed Structural Formula| Reaction| -butyl alcohol| CH3CH2CH2CH2OH| Blue green solution(+)| Sec-butyl alcohol| | Blue green solution(+)| Tert-butyl alcohol| | Blue green solution (+)| n-butyraldehyde| | Blue greenSolution (+)| Benzaldehyde| | Blue green solution(+)| Acetone| | Green solution(-)| Table 3. Reactions to the Chromic Acid Test It was observed that all the compounds tested gave a visible posit ive result, a blue green solution, except for acetone which had yielded to a green solution. 4. 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone Test This test was performed on acetone, n-butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde. The 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (2,4-DNP) test determined the presence of a carbonyl group in the sample compound. The test used an organic reactant, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, to distinguish the carbonyl compounds, aldehydes and ketones, from the non-carbonyl compounds, alcohols. The 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine reagent was a translucent yellow solution. When this reagent was subjected in the presence of a carbonyl compound, a yellow colored precipitate would form while in the presence of an alcohol, the solution would remain translucent yellow with no precipitate formed. The reaction of 2,4-DNP with an aldehyde or ketone was a condensation reaction. Under less acidic conditions, in this type of reaction, a nucleophile donates a pair of electrons toward the carbonyl carbon forming a single bond to it. [2] At the same time the double bond between the carbonyl carbon and oxygen becomes a single bond as one bonding pair of electrons in the double bond moves to become an unshared pair on the oxygen. The oxygen now has one bond to it and it holds three pairs of unshared electrons, so it has a negative charge. Consequently, the oxygen picks up a proton from somewhere and becomes an -OH group. The proton from the acid attaches itself to one of the unshared pairs of electrons on the oxygen. The carbonyl group now has a +1 charge and is very inviting to even a weak nucleophile. So, the nucleophile attacks the carbonyl carbon forming a bond and the doubly bonded oxygen of the carbonyl becomes an -OH, as before. [1] Figure 19. Nucleophilic addition of 2,4-DNP to Acetone. As seen just below, this product is not usually the one that was isolated. Rather this product undergoes an elimination reaction in which the -OH was removed from the carbon to which it is attached and the hydrogen was removed from the nitrogen immediately to the right, resulting in a double bond between the nitrogen and carbon and a molecule of water. The final product was known as a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone. That is why this reaction was also considered as an elimination reaction. Figure 20. Elimination reaction of DNP Figure 21. Reaction of 2,4-DNP with a Carbonyl group Substance| Condensed Structural Formula| Reaction| n-butyraldehyde| | Yellow- orange precipitate(+)| Benzaldehyde| | Yellow –orange precipitate(+)| Acetone| | Yellow –orange precipitate(+)| Table 4. Reactions to the 2,4- DNP Test As shown on table 4, it was observed that there was a formation of a yellow – orange precipitate in all the compounds used. This would then indicate a presence of either an aldehyde or a ketone. 5. Fehling’s Test Fehling's test differentiated aldehydes and ketones. It was based upon the ability of the aldehyde group to reduce the Cu+2 ion of Cu(OH)? , a blue color, to the Cu ion of Cu? O, a dark red color, in the presence of a base. Fehling's solution contains copper (II) ions complex with tartrate ions in sodium hydroxide solution. Complexion of the copper (II) ions with tartrate ions prevents precipitation of copper (II) hydroxide. Aldehydes reduce the complex copper (II) ion to copper (I) oxide, changing the color of the solution to brick red or dark green. Because the solution is alkaline, the aldehyde itself is oxidized to a salt of the corresponding carboxylic acid. [2] In short it involved a redox reaction wherein aldehyde was oxidized to carboxylic acid and ketones did not undergo oxidation. Copper was reduced from Cu2+ to Cu+. Figure 22. Oxidation of aldehyde to carboxylic acid through Fehling’s test It was a test for aldehydes. Reagents include CuSO4, NaOH. A positive result is the formation of brick red precipitate (Cu2O/cuprous oxide). This test was performed on acetone, n-butyraldehyde, and benzaldehyde. Substance| Condensed Structural Formula| Reaction| n-butyraldehyde| | Brick red precipitate (+)| Benzaldehyde| | Brick red precipitate(+)| Acetone| | Clear blue solution(-)| Table 5. Reactions to the Fehling’s Test As shown in Table 5, n-butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde exhibited positive result while acetone exhibited an absence of brick red precipitate. It can be concluded that n-butyraldehyde and benzaldehyde were both aldehyde. 6. Tollens’ Silver Mirror Test Tollens’ silver mirror test was a test for aldehydes. Tollen’s reagent was an ammoniacal solution of silver ion prepared by dissolving silver oxide in ammonia. The preparation of the reagent is based on the formation of a silver diamine complex that is water soluble in basic solution. In this reaction, the aldehyde was oxidized to a carboxylic acid while the Ag+1was reduced to silver metal, which deposited as a thin film on the inner surface of the glass. The generic reaction was as follows and was specific for aldehydes. [16] Figure 23. Oxidation of aldehyde with Tollen’s reagent Substance| Condensed Structural Formula| Reaction| n-butyraldehyde| | Silver Mirror(+)| Benzaldehyde| | Silver Mirror(+)| Acetone| | Clear grayish-black solution (-)| Table 6. Reactions to Tollen’s Silver Mirror Test This test was performed on benzaldehyde, acetone and n-butyraldehyde. Based on the results seen in table 6, it was concluded that the aldehyde samples produced a silver mirror on the inner surface of the test tube since aldehydes were easily oxidized. The ketones sample, acetone, on the other hand, didn’t form this mirror image because of its inability to oxidize due to the lack of a hydrogen atom attached to its carbonyl group that could be used for oxidation. 7. Iodoform Test Iodoform test was a test for methyl carbinol, secondary alcohol with adjacent methyl group, and methyl carbonyl. Methyl ketones, but not other ketones, were oxidized by iodine in aqueous sodium hydroxide. The ketone was oxidized to a carboxylic acid which yellow iodoform/ precipitate would be formed. It was the yellow precipitate formed would be the basis of a positive result. Acetaldehyde, but not other aldehydes, would yield to a positive result in this test owing to its structural similarity to methyl ketones. It was also true that ethanol would be oxidized to acetaldehyde and secondary alcohols that could be oxidized to methyl ketones given this test. [2] Figure 24. Oxidation of a methyl ketone Substance| Condensed Structural Formula| Reaction| N-butraldehyde| | Yellow solution with black precipitate (-)| Acetone| | Yellow precipitate| Isopropyl alcohol| | Yellow precipitate| Table 7. Reaction to the Iodoform Test This test was performed on acetone, n- butyraldehyde and isopropyl alcohol. Based on table 7, the results indicate that the methyl ketones of isopropyl alcohol and acetone were oxidized by iodine to carboxylic acids because the compounds formed a yellow precipitate while n-bytraldehyde didn’t. It was then concluded that compounds with a methyl group next to the carbonyl group would give a positive result in the iodoform test, ethanol and secondary alcohols with the methyl group attached to the same carbon as the OH- group would also give a positive result. During the experiment, the compounds acetaldehyde and acetophenone were not available. This was the reason why results of these compounds in different tests were not observed but based from different informations which were gathered from different sources. Acetophenone would give a positive result in the following test namely 2,4 DNP test and Iodoform test. While acetaldehyde would give a positive result in the following test namely Chromic Acid test, 2,4 DNP test, Fehling’s test and as well as Tollens’ Silver Mirror test. REFERENCES: From books: [1]Lehman, John W(2009). Operational Organic Chemistry: A Problem-Solving Approach to the Laboratory Course. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice. [2]Martin, Stephen F(2011). Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiments: Miniscale and Microscale. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. [3]McMurry, John(2010). Foundations of Organic Chemistry, Philippine Edition. Cengage Learning. [4]Shriner, Ralph Lloyd (1980). Systematic Identification of Organic Compound: A Laboratory Manual (6th Ed. ). John Wiley ; Sons, Inc. New York: Van Hoffmann Press. From Websites: [5]Acetophenone. www. chemicalland21. om/industrialchem/solalc/ACETOPHENONE. htm 09/09/11 [6]Acetone. www. chemicalland21. com/industrialchem/solalc/ACETONE. htm 09/09/11 [7]n-butyl alcohol. www. chemicalland21. com/industrialchem/solalc/NBUTYLALCOHOL. htm 09/09/11 [8]Sec-butyl alcohol. www. chemicalland21. com/industrialchem/solalc/2-BUTANOL. htm 09/09/11 [9]Tert-butyl alcohol. www. chemicalland21. com/industrialchem/solalc/TERTBUTYL%20ALCOHOL 09/10/11 [10] Isopropyl alcohol. www. chemicalland21. com/petrochemical/ISOPROPANOL. htm 09/10/11 [11]Acetaldehyde. www. ntp. niehs. nih. gov/ntp/roc/eleventh/profiles/s001acet. df09/10/11 [12]n-butyraldehyde. www. chemicalland21. com/industrialchem/organic/N-BUTYRALDEHYDE. htm 09/10/11 [13]Benzaldehyde. www. chemicalland21. com/specialtychem/perchem/BENZALDEHYDE. htm 09/10/11 [14]Solubility of Things. www. solubilityofthings. com/water/alcohols 09/09/11 [15]Alcohols, Aldehydes and Ketones. www. ipfw. edu/chem/112/kimble/3-Alcohol%20Aldehyde%20Ketones. pdf 09/10/11 From scientific journals: [16]Ennis, J. L. and E. S. Shanley. â€Å"Silver Nitrides. † Journal of Chemical Education (1991): 68, A6. â€Å"Silver Nitrides. † Journal of Chemical Education (1991): 68, A6.

Competition in Healthcare

In the U. S. economy, when companies or organizations compete for consumers’ business, consumers usually win with lower prices and better quality product (Stossel, 2007). This idea has spread to the healthcare industry and is being encouraged as a way to increase value for patients (Rivers, 2008). With the healthcare industry being a very diverse industry, there are many different forms of competitions as well as benefits and shortfalls for competition in the healthcare market.Traditional competition in healthcare involves one more elements of price, quality, convenience, superior products or services, new technology and innovations (Rivers, 2008). There are different forms of healthcare competition. One form of healthcare competition is the competition that exists between individuals who provide healthcare such as physicians and other healthcare practitioners (Rivers, 2008). These entities compete for patients who are able to pay on their own, or who have their own health ins urance (Rivers, 2008). They also compete off of a non-price basis (Rivers, 2008).This means they are competing with their location, their colleague referrals, and their reputations (Rivers, 2008). Physicians and other healthcare practitioners may also compete in the medical market by reducing competition from non-physicians like psychologist (Rivers, 2008). The benefits for this type of competition are that it forces the healthcare practitioner and physicians to be more patient-orientated. It also encourages prices to competitive since some of these individuals are paying for the services out of their own pocket and is price conscious (Stossel, 2007).Another form of competition in the healthcare industry is healthcare organizations, such as hospitals (Rivers, 2008). These entities compete for physicians, third-party payers and patients (Rivers, 2008). They compete for patients by providing more services, better amenities and discounted prices (Rivers, 2008). They also compete for ph ysicians by trying to maintain a cutting edge of competition with their technology and new medical discoveries (Rivers, 2008). The final form of competition in the healthcare industry is between organizations that provide healthcare financing, insurance and plans.These entities compete with access, premiums, benefits, quality and different degrees of freedom in choosing a provider and the benefits or coverage services. The pitfall for this type of competition is that it can often be confusing for consumers who are comparing different insurance or financing plan. Competition in the healthcare industry is being encouraged to help better the quality of care patients receive as well as reduce medical costs. When patients have the choice of where they receive medical care, competition and having a competitive edge on opponents is important.Since the healthcare industry is so large and diverse, there are different forms of competition between healthcare entities. Ultimately competition is supposed to benefit the consumer and patients. resources: Rivers, P. (2008). Healthcare competition, strategic mission and patietn satisfaction:research models and propositions. Retrieved on October 13, 2012 from www. ncbi. nlm. nib/gov/pmc/articles/PMC2865678 Stossel, J (2007). The Competitive Advantage. http://abcnews. go. com/2020/story? id=36026262&page=1

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Pfizer- Puffery or Deception - Essay Example ’ is pertaining to this aspect of advertising. Even if one assumes that the information given by Pfizer in the ads is truthful, it in no way justifies using Dr. Jarvik as an ambassador for Lipitor. Pharmaceuticals are products that have a scientific basis. Hence, the purpose of any advertisement pertaining to a drug should focus on educating the physicians and increasing their awareness regarding that drug. Its objective should be to convince the targeted physicians about the effectiveness of that drug by extending scientific facts and data. In that context, the association of Dr. Jarvik with the ads points towards an attempt by Pfizer to influence the medical practitioners by impressing them with the appeal and stature of Dr. Jarvik. Going by the fact that drugs are products that could have severe impact on the users, usage of emotional appeal in a drug advertisement conveys an unethical and irresponsible attitude on the part of its manufacturers. Drugs are not like cereals o r washing machines that could or should rely on celebrity endorsements to increase sales. They are products that could make or mar the life of a patient. So, the USP of any drug should be reliable and scientific data and not emotional propaganda. For one, Pfizer tried to push the sales of its product by using emotional appeal.

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Recruitment and selection consultation - Assignment Example The company seeks to recruit a staffing officer who will be responsible for sorting out resumes of potential candidates as required by different employers as well as to conduct interviews. This person should have experience in the field of human resources management. Suitably qualified candidates will be selected on the basis of their education as well as experience. Candidates will be invited to submit their resumes online and aspects such as employee referrals will be seriously taken into consideration. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews. The company shall not discriminate potential candidates on the basis of race or gender. Any person who has knowledge about Australian labour practices will be considered for the position. The company will mainly consider the level of education and experience of the candidates. All people who meet the requirements for the position will be given equal opportunities and will be required to prove that they are competent enough for the position. The other policy of the company is that effort should be made to verify the referees provided by the applicant. This helps to screen the candidates so as to remain with the best people who can fill the vacant positions. The third policy of the company is that all applications should be done online and the candidates will be required to submit their resumes and other relevant information online. The company will maintain a strict policy that all information about the applicants will be treated as confident and will not be divulged to other third parties. The post for the job will be advertised in national newspapers. The company will also use its official website to advertise for the post. All candidates will be required to submit their CVs through the official website of the company. The candidates will be invited by phone to attend the interviews for the

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Zappos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Take Networking to the Next Level Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Marketing 100 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Contemporary strategy analysis Essay Example for Free

Contemporary strategy analysis Essay 2001-2011 was filled with many black swan events (i. e. events that are extremely rare, have a major impact and are unpredicted even if they are rationalised retrospectively) e. g. Sep 11 attack, Lehman Brother collapse, Greece/Iceland bailouts, Arab Spring revolutions, major earthquakes and tsunamis) Rise of BRIC countries creating a multipolar world 2. Sluggish Economic Growth + Increased Competition Economic growth in advanced economies sluggish throughout the medium term governments and household sectors are over-leveraged insufficient productive investment from companies sitting on cash excess capacity in most sectors - resulting in strong price competition Internationalisation of companies from emerging-market countries e. g. contract manufacturers (OEM) in China and India competing with their customers in final markets. 3. Technology Disruption Digital technology disrupting incumbents (e. g. Netflix replacing Blockbuster) and redrawing industry barriers (e. g. Apple, Nokia, Nintendo, Blackberry now competing in same mobile device market) 4. Social Pressure and Crisis of Capitalism Loss of social legitimacy of companies as a result of a fall-out from the 2008/9 financial crisis – disdain for companies (hypocrisy + greed of bankers, traders, etc) and their leaders (e. g. Occupy Wall Street movement) Rise of alternative forms of business enterprise as better, more sustainable models over limited liability companies – e. g. state-owned firms (China, Brazil) and cooperatives (i. e. businesses mutually owned by consumers or employees). Challenge faced by companies of whether to unilaterally create/stick to its own values (which may become out of step) or reflect the current values and attitudes of society it operates within. Item 2: New Directions in Strategic Thinking 1. Re-orientate Corporate Objectives of Companies Reconcile the need for profit maximisation with a broader societal role (i. e. companies having greater social and environmental responsibilities) Move away from focusing on stock market valuation alone Management should not focus on profits but what strategic factors that drive profits or create value e. g. customer satisfaction, innovation Best antidote to corporate empire building and CEO hubris is a stronger emphasis on basic principles of strategy analysis. 2. Seeking More Complex Sources of Competitive Advantage Competitive advantages in today’s dynamic world is difficult to sustain due to high rate of technology diffusion + increased competition from emerging market companies who are more cost-effective Developing multiple layers of competitive advantage is now required (e. g. as shown from companies that maintained profitability and market share for years (e. g. Toyota, Wal-Mart), combined with the ability to combine multiple capabilities. 3. Managing Options The portfolio of options of a company e. g. growth options, abandonment options, and flexibility options are increasingly important as sources of value. Therefore option thinking should be adopted into a firm’s strategy: e. g. industry attractiveness should not depend on profit potential, but option potential (e. g. an industry that produces a no of different products, comprises multiple segments, has many strategic groups, utilises a wide variety of alternative technologies) e. g. a resource is attractive if it can be deployed in different businesses and support alternative strategies (e. g. nanotechnology). Dynamic capabilities are important because they generate new options. 4. Understanding Strategic Fit Importance of fitting the strategy of the firm with the firm’s business environment and its resources and capabilities. 2 major concepts regarding linkages within companies: complementarity and complexity Complementarity: the importance of linkages among a firm’s management practices and finding the optimal configuration (e. g. a six-sigma quality program needs to be accompanied by changes in incentives, recruitment policies, product strategy, etc) Complexity: the idea that companies are complex systems whose behaviour results from interaction of a large number of independent agents. This results in unpredictability, self-organisation by a company and a company positioning between inertia, chaos, and evolutionary adaptation Common to both concepts is the contextuality of linkages: Do the benefits from any particular activity depend on which other activities take place? 2 dimensions of this contextuality: contextuality of activities (are management activities and their benefits dependent or independent of each other? ); contextuality of interactions (do activities interact in similar ways across firms) Item 3: Redesigning organisations The challenge of today’s business environment is reconciling multiple dilemmas (e. g. product at low cost, but also innovate), requiring multi-dexterity. Companies are now multi-dimensional structures with organisational capabilities for each business area e. g. quality management processes, social and environmental responsibility, knowledge management, innovation and exploration, etc. 1. Solution to Complexity Making Organisations Informal, Self-Organising and Permeable Informal Organisation: Rely upon informal rather than formal structures and systems e.g. team-based structures which rely on coordination rather than control. Companies are moving towards project based organisations – temporary cross-functional teams charged with clear objectives (as opposed to permanent functions and continuous operations). Such teams are more able to achieve innovation, adaptability and rapid learning than more traditional structures and avoids issues of over-concentration of power a nd rigid, inflexible structures (e. g. W. L. Gore, supplier of Gore-Tex boots). This is an example of a consensus-based hierarchy, which emphasises horizontal communication, over an authority-based hierarchy, which emphasises vertical communication. Self-Organisation: Humans (and therefore, companies) have a capacity for self-organisation. Three factors are conductive for self-organisation: identity, information and relationships. Identity is a shared cognition of what the organisation is (what is core, distinctive, and enduring about the character of the company) and an emotional attachment towards what it represents. A strong consensus of identity provides a powerful basis for coordinated action that permits flexibility and responsibility to be reconciled with continuity and stability. Information and communication networks within companies support spontaneous patterns of complex coordination with little or no hierarchal direction Relationships, or informal social networks, allow information to be created and transformed and allows the organisation’s identity to expand and include more stakeholders. The more access people have to one another, the more possibilities there are. 2. Breaking Down Corporate Boundaries There are limits to the range of capabilities that companies can develop internally. Therefore, companies must collaborate in order to access the capabilities of other companies e. g. strategic alliances. Today’s web-based technologies permit much wider networks of collaboration (e. g. use of ICT technologies by PG and IBM to draw upon ideas and expertise across the globe or the rise of open-source communities that build highly complex products such as Linux). Item 4: Changing Role of Managers The changing conditions and types of organisations require new approaches to management and leadership. Previous era of restructuring and shareholder focus associated with change masters (highly visible, individualistic and often hard-driving management styles e. g. Michael Eisner of Disney, Rupert Murdoch) â€Å"Buck-stop here† peak decision-making role of CEOs may no longer be feasible or desirable for the current era. Instead, it is the role of guiding organisational evolution that is more important nowadays (being a social architect by creating an environment where every employee has the chance to collaborate, innovate and excel). CEOs should be less concerned about decision-making and more concerned about cultivating identity and purpose. Senior managers also require different knowledge and skills nowadays – e. g. self-awareness, self -management, social awareness (empathy) and social skills – i. e. emotional intelligence. They should move away from being administrators and controllers and become entrepreneurs, coaches and team leaders instead. In particular, Rapid evolution requires a combination of both incremental improvement and stimulating radical change (e.g. Sam Palmisano at IBM) Establishing simple rules: the idea that companies can be managed by a few simple rules (boundary rules and â€Å"how-to† rules) with limited managerial direction otherwise (e. g. Cisco) Managing adaptive tension: Create a level of tension that optimises the pace of organisational change and innovation. This is done through imposing demanding performance targets, but ensuring targets are appropriate and ac hievable.

Analyzing Enterprises Service Quality Survey

Analyzing Enterprises Service Quality Survey Enterprises Service Quality Survey is attempting to gather very precise information on the value and quality of its service throughout the whole process. The first few questions are very generic and are aiming to source information on the overall experience of dealing with the Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This includes information on customer satisfaction. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is trying to attain valuable information on how customers feel the service could improve and how customers would rate the telephone reservation process. These sorts of questions are unspecific and are the beginning to service quality surveys for any enterprise. As the survey progresses, customers are urged to articulate how long the process of picking up and returning the rental car took. Surely, by doing this, Enterprise Rent-A-Car are trying to attain approximate times so they can average the results out and seek to improve on the results in the coming months and years. Customers are asked to rate sundry questions based on five options: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor and Non Applicable (N/A). Utilising this rating method the firm can obtain a definite level of customer fulfilment and find out where their strengths and weaknesses lie concerning each aspect of the service they provide. One interesting aspect to note about the information Enterprise Rent-A-Car are trying to source is that only one question requires the customer to write out an answer whereas every other option simply requires a ticking of the box in an option such as Good, Fair, Poor etc.. In my opinion, this means that Enterprise Rent-A-Car as a firm simply want polarised answers so to speak. By having to tick options such as Good, Fair and Poor, it becomes apparent straight away if the customer was satisfied with the service or not. If several questions required answers with full sentences, this could lead to numerous problems for Enterprise Rent-A-Car employees who are analysing the su rveys after. One problem is that customers could write out a half-hearted misleading answer with little or no meaning making it extremely difficult for Enterprise Rent-A-Car to attain valuable customer opinions and outlooks on the service. The Service Quality Surveys research objectives are quite simple. The objective of the research is to assess how well they are providing their service to customers. The most important aspect of the survey is that it is being answered by those who have used the service and whose opinion on the service is of huge strategic importance to the company. Question 3: In addition to or instead of the mail survey, what other means could Enterprise use to gather customer satisfaction information? There are numerous other means that Enterprise Rent-A-Car could utilise to gather customer satisfaction information. Observational research involves gathering primary data by observing appropriate people, actions, and situations to gather how satisfied the customer is. Ethnographic research involves sending trained observers to monitor and interact with consumers in their natural environment. Experimental research is best for gathering causal information, through the use of cause-and-effect relationships. Enterprise Rent-A-Car could change the contact method from the currently used mail survey to the other available contact methods: Telephone, Personal (Face to Face) or online (through the use of the Internet). Each one of these contact methods has both benefits and disadvantages with regard to gathering customer satisfaction. Concerning response rate which is of utmost importance, Online and Personal can be classified as good while telephone lags behind and is poor for response rate. If one was to look at cost as a means of differentiating the other contact methods, telephone is obviously the most expensive with also personal contact cost being very poor indeed. Online methods of gathering information seems to be a brilliant way of gathering customer satisfaction information. Firstly it is very cheap once the consumer has an Internet connection. The simplicity of this process is the best alternative to the means being used by Enterprise Rent-A-Car to gather customer satisfaction info rmation. Question 4: What Specific recommendations would you make to Enterprise to improve the response rate and timeliness of feedback from the process? The specific recommendations I would make to Enterprise Rent-A-Car to improve the response rate and timeliness of feedback from the process is to conduct the survey online on their website http://www.enterprise.ie/car_rental/home.do The response rate would be increased ten fold in comparison with the use of the mail survey. Once the survey is completed, the information will be available to Enterprise Rent-A-Car in their database instantaneously. This means busniess decisions can be made quicker, faster and more efficiently. In comparison, while the mail survey has a free postage stamp so it costs the customer nothing to complete, the Internet is such an easier process. There is no need to head down to the post office and send back the survey, once users click the submit button their part of the customer satisfaction process is complete and their feedback is available to Enterprise Rent-A-Car straight away. Enterprise Rent-A-Car could offer customers a discount on their next transaction if they complete the survey in a specific period of time online. They would then have up to date valuable information on the levels of customer satisfaction the users have had with their service. Thus they can use this information and feedback to adapt their business to suit customers. Therefore the timeliness of feedback is improved which improves Enterprise Rent-A-Cars performance and will keep their customers loyal to their service. Marketing Principles Assignment 2 Choose a recent purchase that involved not only yourself but other people in making the decision. What role(s) did you play in the process? What roles did other people play and how did they influence your choice? Recently, the home computer in the family house broke and so a new desktop computer was needed for everyone in the family to use. My father asked the whole family to do a bit of research into the best available computers and that we would agree between us on the best available option to suit everyone. We were given that we had a budget of 800 to spend replacing a home computer that had finally worn down after five years of constant use. Each one of the family scoured various magazines, catalogues as well as visiting stores such as Currys and PC World to check the computer market for the best suitable fit for us. I played a key role in the choosing of a computer for the family as I was viewed among the family as the most technically aware person with regards to the latest products being unveiled in the business market. My two sisters were quite proficient users of computers but my parents were looking more at the cost and simplicity side of purchasing and utilising the computer. I researched reviews online for each type of computer and noted the opinions of others in my college class who were adept computer users and had a broad knowledge of the market. My sisters played the role of reading over the reviews I had picked out to give a second opinion to me on what they thought of products I had earmarked as being a potential purchase for the family. This role influenced me as it gave me the confidence to follow on from the primary research I had carried out. My father played the role of making sure I was keeping within the budget allotted for the computer. His role influenced me as it was a constant reminder to keep within the money designated to purchase the computer. My mother kept an eye on me to make sure that I was looking out for the best needs of the family and not just my personal needs. Her role influenced me as it re-emphasised to me that the computer was for the whole family and not just my preferences. What type of buying decision behaviour process did you go through? At each stage (need recognition, information search, etc.), outline what activities took place Need Recognition: Directly after the breaking down of the home computer, a close family friend purchased a new desktop computer with all the state of the art specifications. I was aware of the quality of the product but my parents who were oblivious to the latest technologies were thoroughly impressed by the newest technologies such as Bluetooth, Built in Microphone and Webcam, huge Hard Drive space and the simplicity of the User Interface. My father decided that instead of paying to fix the worn down computer, a new computer with all these latest cutting edge technologies would be more suitable. Thus a need for the new computer was triggered in my father by external stimuli, in this case the family friends positive feedback. Information Search: Thus my father urged the family and primarily myself to scout the market for a computer with all the latest technologies. Other than the personal source (family friend) who had been the external stimuli in the first place, I consulted an extremely knowledgeable I.T whizzkid in my course to offer his opinions. As mentioned previously the mass media was used to provide us with information on the products i.e. technology websites, blogs etc. I paid a trip to the local Galway computer superstore PC World and I was given a test run on a few of the latest computers released by the leaders in the personal computer market such as Sony, Toshiba and Samsung. Evaluation of Alternatives: In the computer market there are so many alternatives so each alternative was scrutinised thoroughly. The first choice was to choose between either an Apple Mac or a Personal Computer (PC). I would regard myself as a huge fan of the Apple and very susceptible to their compelling marketing of their products. If I was to choose PC there are so many leading companies with high quality computers to choose from. I decided to categorise the PCs in terms of warranty, look, price and performance. I weighed up which company offered the best post sale support to consumers if problems were to arise. Look was based on the easiness on the eye of the product as well as weight, size etc. Performance was based on user reviews from reputable sources. Purchase Decision: The family had a brief meeting and we decided to all divulge what each of us wanted from the computer (software, applications etc.) My father asked me to inform him of my opinion bearing everything in mind. I informed him that I believed the Apple products were the market leaders in terms of computer performance but that their products would not be suitable for the family and the price budget wasnt enough to purchase one. We decide on a PC with a Microsoft Windows OS platform as it would contain all the MS Office tools which would be of utmost importance to the family. My sister and I concurred that Dell Desktop PCs were receiving outstanding feedback and each computer could be tailored to suit the needs of the family. A Dell Inspiron One 23 with the specifications my father liked was agreed on by the family and purchased over the Internet that day. Post Purchase Decision: The family was incredibly satisfied with the product and has lived up to our expectations. Dell delivered within 3 days and a warranty of a year was given to us to cover us in case of unintentional damage to the computer. What choice criteria did you use? Did they change between drawing up a shortlist and making the final choice? The choice criteria as outlined up above were that we divide the computer into three categories: Warranty: We wanted to review which companies were renowned for having an excellent post-sale service given the problematic nature of technology and in specific computers. Look: My mother wanted the computer to have a pleasant appearance so it would blend into the corner of the living rooms environment. We also wanted it to be very lightweight so it could be transported if it had to be moved. Price: The computer had to stick within the budget allotted of 800 euro; there was no flexibility on this rule. Performance: We wanted the computer to run quickly and efficiently and have plenty of storage for the familys photo albums and software applications. The choice criteria did not alter between originally drawing up a shortlist and when we made our final choice. Marketing Principles Assignment 3 Discuss three alternative price-increase strategies that address these concerns. Increasing prices can be a very sensitive issue and can easily upsets loyal customers so companies must carefully approach how they increase prices. When increasing prices, the company must avoid being alleged as being a price gouger( Kotler Armstrong ,2010). Customers have long and clear memories and they will desert companies that they believe are excessively pricing their products. Competitors will prey on the companys necessity to increase their prices and so can advertise a cheaper price in their persuasive marketing campaigns, simply informing the market that they charge lower. There are three price-increase strategies that can address the concerns of customers fleeing from the company due to excess pricing: Honest Approach: The first method of increasing prices that can address the concerns of customer loss is the honest approach. By maintaining a sense of fairness surrounding the price increases, customers will realise that there are legitimate reasons for the rise in prices and that these increases are because of a necessity not a profit hungry exercise from the upper echelons of the organisation. Company communications should tell the customers exactly why the prices are being raised and thus the customers are not left in the dark as to the reason behind the price increase. Honest is always the best policy is an overused phrase but this may just apply in a competitive business market if the firm wants to keep faithful to their loyal consumers. Low Visibility Price Moves: A good technique of increasing prices is by making low-visibility price moves first. Examples include reducing discounts, ever-increasing minimum order sizes and slowing down the production of low margin products. The company sales force should help business customers find ways to economize. By getting rid of offers such as 33% off etc. the firm will steadily increase the amount of revenue they are earning for each product without displeasing their loyal customers. If the removal of discounts is done subtly, then customers will not notice that the price has increased officially and firms can benefit from this method. Unbundling of Market Offering: By removing features, packaging, or services and separately pricing elements that were formerly part of the offer, firms can increase profits. By unbundling their product offering, they can gain more revenue for each sale of a product. By doing this firms are making consumers pay extra for the excess parts of a product such as packaging. This will not easily upset customers as much as say just increasing their product. Airlines such as Ryanair are using this method of increasing prices. For example, to keep flight fares down, Ryanair are charging separately for services that were once part of the price paid in the flight. Examples include a restriction on the weight of handheld luggage and food served on flights. Thus when you are paying for a flight, it is simply the transport you are paying for with no built in perks. Principles of Marketing Assignment 4 Q.1 ZARA SUPPLY CHAIN Q.3 Zara employs a corporate vertical marketing system. A corporate vertical marketing system can be defined as when a single owner runs organizations at each stage of the marketing channel(Kurtz, McKenzie Snow, 2010) Zara has such an efficient and effective supply chain that it has almost total control of every aspect from raw materials to the consumer purchasing the product at the end. This is directly mentioned in the case study his experience led him to design a system in which he could control every aspect of the supply chain (Kotler Armstrong, 2010). Zara benefits greatly from adopting this system. Firstly, the 300 creative staff that carry out the design, benefit from information sent to them by the shop assistants who can report on the latest fads that are trending as they are directly dealing with the customers on the frontline. With regards to sourcing, as mentioned in the case study by using this type of a VMS that while Zaras rivals outsource nearly all their product to che ap production facilities in Asia, Zara makes 40 percent of its own fabrics and produces more than half its own clothes. Therefore Zara which is located in Northern Spain needs not to rely on slow moving suppliers. This is of huge benefit and speeds up the process from raw materials to retailing meaning Zara can produce two or three times as many items as its competitors. Zara carries such business clout that it uses local co-operatives to complete some tasks such as sewing meaning that these materials are sent back quickly to the factory where they are moved onto the next stage in the supply chain. It has huge control of its packaging and distribution service by adopting this system. The huge warehouse which uses high quality machinery is so efficient that the packaging process which can be of concern to other firms in this sector of the market is completed seamlessly by Zara. Therefore Zara, by using a corporate vertical marketing system enjoys many benefits and is the dominant fig ure in its market. Q.4 In my opinion, Zara experiences very few disadvantages from employing its fast-fashion distribution system and the advantages of this distribution system easily outweigh and offset by its advantages. The advantages of fast fashion distribution system seem to be endless and this system generally pleases the end user as the variety of products available changes regularly while maintaining high quality. Firstly, personally I would imagine that through my study of microeconomics if because of the short production runs due to the amount of products being made from different raw materials each time with the change in the fashion trends is their cost of production very high. They certainly arent benefitting from economies of scale at the rate they change the type of products they are producing. While it is a huge advantage that they seem to have a change in product every few weeks in comparison with competitors who have shipments arriving at stores only 4-5 times a year, surely the distribu tion costs are exceedingly high. The cost of transporting new finished goods to the retailers every fortnight or so must put huge pressure on the sale of the stock because of the products short life cycle. However all that said, undoubtedly the advantage of this distribution offsets the disadvantages. For example, the figures mentioned in the case study paint a true portrayal of the massive success of this system. In some cases, Zara are launching as many as four times as many products as their competitors. Because, of the rapid nature of their products life cycle, obsolescence of inventory is never a problem. Thus the cost of storing inventories are never a problem nor is the loss of revenue due to having to cut down prices in end of season sales. Therefore, the advantages of fast fashion easily offset the disadvantages. Q.5 Zara adds value for the customer through major logistics functions in many ways. Major logistic functions include warehousing, inventory management, transportation and logistics information management. By barely having the need for warehousing due to the high turnover of stock quickly, customers are receiving the freshest new products without any chance of obsolescence. Also as a result of the efficient transportation system of Zara, it means that the overall price of the product should invariably cheaper for the customer to purchase. Zaras high quality packaging system done by efficient automate machinery means that the chances of products being damaged on arrival is very slim in comparison with some of the logistic functions of its rivals like Gap. Logistics Information Management which keeps tabs on the flow of information with regards to customer data adds value for the customer as there is documentation with the product and a manner of tracing back the product if there is ever a problem. Reference: Kurtz, McKenzie Snow, 2010 http://books.google.ie/books?id=lf7VKtZcJlgCpg=PA403dq=corporate+vertical+marketing+systemhl=enei=HWnlTOKxIsGwhQfYqoX0DAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=corporate%20vertical%20marketing%20systemf=false Principles of Marketing Assignment 5 There are three types of appeals used by marketing professionals when promoting a product or service: Rational Appeals, Emotional Appeals Moral Appeals. I intend to critically evaluate an advertisement that fits into each of these types of appeals using the A.I.D.A model. Rational Appeal: This type of appeal is concerned directly with the self interests of the audiences that are targeted by advertisers. This type of appeal tries to utilise a persons common sense to draw in their viewers. Rational Appeals use logic/reason to convince audiences (Chaudhari Gokhale, 2009). This type of appeal can also be used to try and elevate itself above its competitors by using its quality, performance or dominance over its main rivals. Through these appeals, the audience are made to think and believe that the advertisers product is the best in the market (Trehan Trehan, 2009). I believe an advertisement that expertly uses rational appeal to capture the audiences interest is that of Rolexs Commercial for Wimbledon 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ECS3k9od0NR=1 Evaluation using A.I.D.A Model: Get Attention: From the offset my attention was fixated on the screen with the opening images presented in the advertisement. The nobility of the opening pictures showing the hallowed lawns of the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the image of the arrival of a sporting titan like Roger Federer instantly command the attention of the audience. Rolex cleverly have inserted their product within the first three seconds of the ad along with an up close illustration of Federer who is easily one of the sporting worlds most recognisable figures. Hold Interest: The audiences interest is held because of the slow build up of the advertisement with slow eerie music and the slow paced moving shots of Federer and their product. Suddenly, the advertisement burst into life and a plethora of fast paced action occurs which corresponds with a crescendo in powerful music. Arouse Desire: After a certain point in the advertisement, I became aware of the relationship between the number on the watch and how it directly communicates with the number of Wimbledon titles Federer is seen winning. I think they are trying to associate Federers unbelievable success with their product. I also noticed the Rolex advertisement on the scoreboard as Federer leaps in ecstasy having secured another victory. This almost subliminal style of interest showed me the power of the organisation and its lofty high class status in its market having such a strong connection with such a prestigious tournament. Obtain Action: The ending to the advertisement would certainly would certainly give me the impetus to purchase a Rolex watch. The closing image of Federer standing as a messiah like figure in front of the jubilant masses and the Rolex punch line A crown for every achievement made me assume that this successful relationship is going to continue and made me want to be part of this esteemed partnership. There is certain majesty to the connection between Rolex and Federer as both are viewed in the public eye to have an air of superiority to them. This is a great example of an advertisement that uses Rational Appeal. Emotional Appeal The Emotional Appeal theme of advertising is an advertising approach where the message seeks to evoke a positive or negative reaction in the consumer (Clemente, 2002). Thus this appeal has a direct connection with the heart and how the person is feeling or will feel after seeing the advertisement. An advertisement that uses Emotional Appeal to gain the audiences approval and loyalty to their product is used by Nokia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Ek8i0ddSQ) Get Attention: The start of this advertisement shows a man and a woman in seemingly distant contrasting environments which captures the audiences concentration straight away. The woman seems to be entrapped within a desolate apartment alone with seemingly no way out due to the dark and persistent nature of the weather. In startling contrast, the man seems to be enjoying the freedom of life exploring a town with his trusty Nokia phone. Hold Interest: The music playing throughout the advertisement seems to have a quite emotional downtrodden tone to it and this is illustrated perfectly as the woman stares out the window of her apartment with sorrowfulness. The advertisement holds our interest as we are wondering what is the connection or relationship between the downtrodden woman and the joyful man. The man is getting his photos taken beside random billboards/signs and suspicion is aroused as to the meaning of this. Of course each of the photos is being taken by a clearly vivid Nokia phone and the random words being taken hold our interest as to whether the sundry words will have an outcome or a destination. Arouse desire: Desire is aroused to purchase the product when it is revealed the outcome of the various photos. The woman receives a multimedia message which maps out to reveal Will you mary me? tugs at the heart strings as the womans previous apparent depression like nature is suddenly cured as she views each of the pictures of the man and the sequence of words. The Nokia phone is of course used as the medium of communication between these distant lovers. Obtain Action: The final scene of this fifty four second commercial sees the man sitting on a park bench impatiently awaiting the outcome of his proposal. As we see him receiving the answer to his proposal and his sudden explosion of unadulterated joy, a bus in the background trundles off screen to reveal the monstrous Nokia logo. This is a brilliant advertisement as Nokia manages to involve itself within the heart warming relationship that has consumed the audience. This advertisement will particularly appeal to amorous women and might just sway them as they purchase their next mobile phone. Moral Appeal This type of appeal as one would imagine is based on morality. These appeals draw attention on what is right (Trehan Trehan, 2009(2). I think a perfect definition on what moral appeal is and what it aims to do is contained in the following quote Use of moral appeal includes attempts to gain compliance by convincing the target audience that it is morally wrong if it doesnt comply (Heath, 1994). Thus the organisations who use this type of appeal are aiming at a large target market considering that if the message is presented correctly in the advertisement itll have a profound effect on the audience. Environmental Defense uses moral appeal in its advertisement quite ably in its attempt to warn of the looming threat of Global Warming. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-_LBXWMCAM Get Attention: This advertisement automatically draws the attention of its audience as we see a dark, bleak looking environment beside a set of train tracks with the eerie sound on the environment to be heard in the background. Suddenly, the audience sees a close up shot of a worried looking man who simply utters the phrase Global Warming. Hold Interest: Directly after the utterance of the words Global Warming impending doom and tragedy in the form of a moving train hurtling towards the man who is now seen to be standing in the middle of the train tracks. This instantly worries and alerts the audience and is a perfect example of an advertisement using moral appeal as the audience is suddenly fraught with anxiety as to the mans imminent death. Arouse Desire: As the train trundles along at what seems like increasingly greater speed, the man informs us that the irreversible consequences of this global disaster are 30 years away. The fact that the middle aged man of the age bracket [40-50] enlightens us that he wont be affected as he will be on the cusp of death by the time the real effects are felt throughout the planet is an example of the ignorant view expressed by many throughout the world. This blatantly ignorant statement questions the audiences morals. Obtain Action: After his immoral statement, the man walks of the train tracks and a small child is seen to be split seconds away from taking the brunt force of the train. This a hard hitting advertisement as it calls on our morals in relation to what is going to be done to stop this imminent global disaster. I certainly was forced to think twice about the disastrous outcomes of this global problem being caused by the citizens of humanity.