Alcohol and substance abuse Essay

Introduction There are many challenges facing the world today raging from political conflicts (wars), natural disasters, famine, diseases, economic and social problems among others. Every continent on this earth and for that matter every country have encountered one or more of such problems. However some countries have been able to eradicate or minimize the occurrence and effect of some these problems such as famine, economic issues, political conflicts etc. Usually, developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are the most vulnerable to all these problems. Apart from natural disasters which its occurrence can hit any country, developed countries encounter minimal problems of famine , political or economic problems but are often challenged with especially social problems including substance abuse mainly alcohol usage. What is Substance Abuse Substance abuse have been one of mankind oldest weakness as we have as human beings, in one way or the other either consciously or unconsciously have abuse some sort of substances at a particular point in time of our life. In ancient Greece, were a group of people called â€Å"lotus eaters† where they used lotus fruits and flowers as form of food which put them in some form of hallucinogenic state. Substance abuse is the use of illegal drugs or the excessive use of legal substance so as to produce physical, psychological or social harm. The World Health Organization refers to substance abuse as harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances including alcohol and illicit drugs. Substance abuse which is commonly referred to as drug abuse is therefore the use of illegal or in appropriate use of a legal substance that alter the normal functioning of the brain or nervous system and are harmful to the general health of the user. (Levin et al 2000, WHO 2010) Substance Abuse in the Context of Alcohol Alcohol is a form of liquid known as ethanol and used as an ingredient or a constituent of intoxicating beverages such as beer, spirits, wine and other drinks. Alcohol is the most prevalent psychoactive substance used by many people. It is often used as a form of depressant which as a result slow the effective performance or operation of the central nervous system. Substance abuse drugs are categorized as stimulants (caffeine, nicotine), depressant (alcohol, valium), hallucinogens (ecstasy, LSD), cannabis (hashish, marijuana) and steroids (Macionis 2005, WHO 2010). Why people use alcohol There are number of reasons why people use alcohol. Curiosity among other reasons such as for recreational, spiritual, psychological, social conformity etc. are often the explanation given. Some of these reasons are not obvious and most people use different forms of excuses like, I have had a stressful day or week, I have friends coming around, I have to get in the mood to socialize etc. Recreational and Spiritual People see alcohol consumption as a form of leisure. Example, some people may drinking a glass of wine or beer before, after or with a meal to increase their appetite, make the food taste better or make them more relaxed. Many cultures around the world use alcohol in their spiritual practices and believes. In Ghana and other African countries, often alcohol is used as a form of offering in pouring libation to the gods. Psychological and Social Conformity Due to the psychoactive effect of alcohol, it is seen as a way of alleviating stress, mental and emotional problems. Some people use alcohol due to a particular society, group, affiliation etc. that they belong to in other to fit in. During social events, alcohol are usually served and many people believe by consuming alcohol will instill a sense of confidence when in the company of others. Example is among college students and young adolescent where due to peer pressure find themselves drinking alcohol. People living in isolation with poor network support and decrease mobility may often turn to alcohol especially among senior citizens. Alcohol and other substance abuse as a problem In most societies, people have different opinions and mixed feelings about alcohol and other forms of substance abuse. Some people may consider its use as beneficial while others may disagree. However, the problems created by alcohol and other substance abuse are staggering than the benefits derived. The most commonly problems we often witness are public drunkenness, disorderly behavior, traffic and industrial accidents, broken families, crime, poor social functioning and worsening of existing conditions such as poverty, mental and physical illness. (Kornblum and Julian 1974). Key findings indicated that more people suffer from alcohol use disorders compare to drug use and both types are common in men than in women. In every year 35 out of 100,000 people are killed by alcohol where as in 2012 3. 3 million deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption globally. 5. 4% of world’s annual disease burden is caused by alcohol and illicit drug use, whereas tobacco accounted for 3. 7%. Globally 46% of all men and 73% of women abstain from alcohol. This means 54% of men and 27% of women of the total global population have at some point in their life consumed alcohol before. Therefore 81% of the total worldwide population have consumed alcohol at some point in time. 6. 2 liters of pure alcohol were consumed per person aged 15 years or older in 2010 worldwide. Developed countries have the highest consumption rate with Europe having the highest level of alcohol consumption while the lowest is found in the South East Asia region (WHO 2014). Effect of Alcohol Alcohol consumption has several negative effect on the user which as a result affect the society, country and the globe. The annual death rate related to alcohol consumption is about 3. 3 million globally. The individual also becomes very vulnerable of contracting other diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anemia, heart attack etc. Alcohol and other substance users are more exposed to social related harm like rape, accidents, injury or even death. Governments in various countries spend huge sums of money to treat and rehabilitate substance abuser, such individuals sometimes lose earnings, become unemployable or lose their family. The money, time and health care facilities used to rehabilitate these individuals put lot of economic strain on the government budget and even the economical contributions of such individual is even severe if the person is a professional example a medical doctor, teacher, IT technician etc. Such monies could be used to do other social economic developments to improve the overall wellbeing of the society and the globe. The Finnish government spend about 1. 3 billion euros annually for managing alcohol related problems according to the National Institute for Health and Welfare (Yle News 2013, WHO 2014). Conclusion Alcohol and other substance abuse is not an individualistic problem but a worldwide issue where all governments must work together to combat, reduce, if not eradicate the total consumption of it. Good policies on better health care systems, improved economic policies and strong but encouraged social living programs should be implemented. Efficient advocacy programs, effective regulatory strategies and the involvement of community base action programs to care, support and prevent the sale and consumption of alcohol and other substance abuse materials should be implemented and encourage. Reference Dowd Thomas E, Rugle L. Substance Abuse, A Practitioner’s Guide to Comparative Treatments. New York: Springer Publishing Company 2006. Julian J, Kornblum W. Social Problems. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Publishing 1974. Levin et al. Social Problems. California: Roxbury publishing company 2000. Macionis John J. Social Problems. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Publishing 2005. Alcohol: Definition. World Health Organization (Accessed 13. 09. 2014) http://www. who. int/substance_abuse/activities/msbatlaschone. pdf? ua=1 Alcohol and Health: Factors and Effects. World Health Organization (Accessed 13. 09. 2014) http://www. who. int/substance_abuse/publications/global_alcohol_report/msb_gsr_2014_1. pdf? ua=1 Alcohol: Cost. National Institute for Health and Welfare THL. (Accessed 14. 09. 2014) http://yle. fi/uutiset/huge_costs_caused_by_alcohol_ause/6639487.

The Demographic and Psycho-graphic Market Segmentation

The criteria used to develop the market segment for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.†s new brand of cigarette called â€Å"Dakota† is mainly that of demographics, and psyhcographics. The target market in this case appears to be poorly educated, virile white females age 18-20, who enjoy being around their boyfriends and doing whatever their boyfriends are doing, for example going to â€Å"Hot Rod shows, Tractor Pulls, cruising, and going to parties†. This target market was most likely selected for two main reasons. The first is because of the enormous profits to be gained from this particular group and the second is because of this group†s lack of education and low self-regard. The marketing strategies used in this article clearly define demographic and psychographic market segmentation. Demographic segmentation consists of gender, age, income, family size, family life cycle, occupation, and education. The target market in this article consists of females, age 18-20, single, with no more education than high school. This matches most of the criteria for demographic segmentation. Psychographic segmentation consists of identifying certain lifestyles based on the consumer†s values, activities, interests, opinions, and demographics. This article conveys that these women are Strivers, which means they are unsure of self and need approval from others. This group also seems to be search of some type of relief from their current lives (relief seekers). All of this data provides an idea of this groups values as well its activities and interests. Which makes this targeted group so vulnerable to tobacco companies marketing efforts. This market was selected because of its size and growth, and also probably because of this group†s lack of education. This group of females† aged 18-20 are the only group of Americans whose rate of smoking continues to increase. The reason why this group†s rate continues to grow is because they really don†t know better and if they do they really don†t care. This creats a wonderful opportunity for lucrative profits from the tobacco companies. This form of marketing is called concentrated marketing, which focuses on one segment of the market. Marketing companies perform market research by collecting and analyzing data and turning this data into usable information. This Information includes demographics as well as phycographics. These young women already have the desire to consume cigarettes and R.J. Reynolds is making sure they consume their particular brand of cigarettes instead of others.

Educational differences in public institutes and in private institute Literature review

Educational differences in public institutes and in private institute - Literature review Example Hein (2004) noted that at the inception of the education system all institutions were public institutions and there was only an option of private tuition for interested students, which was offered to them as remedial classes. However, due to sharp criticism mostly only the quality of public institution education there was emergence of private institutions, which evaded some State regulations but endured for quality education for its students (Heller, 2001). Particularly in the United Kingdom, private institutions were first established in the 19th century by the Roman Catholic parish as a counter attack to the alleged dominance of protestant religious ideas and politicians in the public institution system. It is due to this fact that most private institutions in the UK are Catholic owned (Wilson, 2013). Over the recent past, the numbers of private institutions both secondary and tertiary have sharply increased and this is attributed to the increased benefits that private institutions offer as compared to public institutions. This thesis statement for this literature review runs on the opinion that private institutions have higher education standards as compared to public institutions; secondly, the educational curriculum of private institutions is much wider compared to public institutions. Thirdly, private institutions are also well endowed with superior facilities unlike public institutions and lastly, private institutions have low student-teacher ratio as compared to public institutions (Lance, 2010). According to the figures from the United Kingdom’s Department of Education, they show that generally, private institutions perform better than public institutions, and this fact is substantiated by higher performance in national/common exams, whereby students from private institutions dominate the top spots. This asserts that private institutions offer higher education standards as compared to

Desktop and Laptops Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Desktop and Laptops - Essay Example Input devices include keyboards, mouse and camera etc. while output devices consist of a display, speakers and printer etc. Even the components inside laptops and the central processing unit (CPU) of desktops are similar; both make use of a motherboard, which is the main circuit board to which the other components for e.g. the processor, RAM (random-access memory) are connected. Apart from the above mentioned fact, laptops and desktops can run any program equally well provided that they both are using the same operating system. It is important to note here that the majority of the present day laptops and desktops are run on a select number of operating systems for e.g. 92.4% of desktops are run on Windows followed by Mac (6.5%) while the most commonly used operating system for mobile systems (which include tablets and mobiles too) is Mac (54.7%). This goes on to show that from a general perspective, majority of the computing systems used presently have a similar functional capacity i n respect of the programs available for use although the specific upgrades of these operating system (e.g. Windows 7 or Vista) and a processors ability (if it is 64-bit or 32-bit etc) to support these upgrades does stratify computers according to their capacity to run a program. Now despite the similar assembly of laptops and desktops, they both cater to different populations of computer users. This is because of many reasons the most obvious of which is that laptops are mobile. There are a variety of shapes and sizes that laptops come in but all of them are lighter than desktops thus making the former much more portable than the latter. This portability allows a lot of flexibility in usage which is evident in the case of Thomas Friedman who once quoted â€Å"Sometimes,  when my wife and I were going out to dinner, I would take my  laptop  with me and work in the car, so as to take advantage of the half hour going and coming.† Had Mr. Friedman owned a desktop instead of his laptop then he would certainly not be able to take advantage of his travel time, which underscores the fact that laptops have a huge advantage over desktops because they provide much much more mobility as compared to desktops, especially for a person living a fast-paced life. Along with this the small and thin size of laptops make them better looking too and provide the owner many more opportunities to show it off. Also in contrast to desktops, laptops run on battery too thus one can use a laptop even if there is no power. Despite all the above mentioned advantages laptops have their own downside when compared to a desktop. First of all although the size of laptops is very preferable one cannot ignore the fact that this makes it that much easier to be stolen or damaged when compared to a desktop. Secondly laptops are much more expensive than desktops and the latter gives the consumer more value for the money spent than laptops do. This can be appreciated when comparing an $1199 iMac and the same company’s MacBook Pro. Although both machines are of the same price, the iMac has much better specs (21.5 inch display, 2.7GHz quad-core Intel i5 processor and 1TB hard drive) than the MacBook Pro (13.3 inch screen, 2.7GHz dual-core intel i7 processor and 500GB hard drive). Keeping in line with the argument of cost, desktop are better for storage for e.g.

Cloning of Pig Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Cloning of Pig Cells - Essay Example There have been several successes of cloning especially the birth of Dolly the sheep in 1997, which lived for six years. Nuclear transfer involves the fusion of somatic cells and enucleated egg cells. Cloning of pig cells will be the focus of this paper. Scientists have identified pig clones as a potential hope for the future because of the possibility of xenotransplantation. Xenotransplantation has resulted from the merging of cloning with an additional biotechnology technique of genetic engineering. In addition, cloning has led to new prospects of livestock breeding and advances in medical procedures. This paper will discuss the procedure involved in the cloning of pig cells. Cloning is a multi-step process that scientists have endeavored to advance for a long time. The success story of Dolly the sheep served as a breakthrough for the cloning of mammalian cells after the success of other species (Cibell 2002, p. 32). Cloning has its basis on the understanding of the processes involved in embryo development after fertilization. The egg cells have programmed machinery that presents it with the potential of cell division, and eventually differentiation into different cells, tissues, and organs. The genetic material transferred into the egg cells emanates from somatic cells. Somatic cells have all the genetic information that determines the phenotypic characteristics of an organism. The initial step in cloning is the isolation of somatic cells that will serve as donor cells. (Cibelli2002, p. 78). The cell type chosen often determines the viability of the process. Usually, somatic cells for use as donor cells are diploid in nature. The choice of the source of the somatic cells varies according to different studies, but the udder of pigs serves as a source of nuclear donors. The procedure of obtaining nuclear donors entails obtaining a tissue biopsy. Cells obtained from the biopsy undergo the required culture awaiting the other procedures.  

Eye witness account Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Eye witness account - Assignment Example There are no tables, no seats, just a long table. The darkness sets in, Kim is sent to work in the chief’s house. He brings leftovers home. The family eats them up hungrily and happily that they can get extra food. As days pass, Kim has scars, he is abused by the chief’s boys. The family suffers malnutrition. They look thin and sickly. The new people do not converse, everyone runs their life and does their job. They work for more than twelve hours a day in community gardens and rice fields. Twice a week they meet for a meeting under the chief for an hour or more. The Angkar government is all they hear of. Landmines are on the edges of the place to protect the people. If people are sent to work there, they are blown off and soldiers shoot them to kill. No religion is practiced. All areas of worship are destroyed. The temple ruins are full of art, animals of the wild, gods and goddesses sculptured and drawn. Monks are killed if they do not convert to Angkar. The working hours increase and young men are forcefully recruited to be soldiers. Khouy is forced to marry a young girl to avoid recruitment. Soldiers rape young women and the families can do nothing. The slavery and bondage goes

Expectation Interest Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Expectation Interest - Coursework Example Usually, the defendant would be awarded damages that equal to the cost of cure. For most defective goods, that equals to the diminution in their value. But for some defective goods, the diminution in value is not equal to the cost of cure (Ruxley Electronics v Forsyth (1996)). In those instances, the courts would ascertain damages that are just and fair pertaining to the merits of the case. These are called ‘loss of amenity’ damages (see Ruxley).   Where the breach is caused by non-delivery, the buyer may also sue for damages which would be calculated by the difference between the market value and the contracted value of the good (s. 51 SGA 1979). If, on the contrary, the buyer refuses to pay, the seller can claim for the loss of profits on the good (Charter v Sullivan [1957]).Reliance loss  This seeks to put the claimant into the position as if he never entered into contract (McRae v Commonwealth Disposals [1950]). Often, the reliance interest is already covered by the expectation interest.Restitution Interest   In this claim, the contract is set aside and the claimant seeks to obtain the price paid for goods that were not delivered (Whincup v Hughes [1871]). This claim may also be used to recover profits that the defendant made as a result of the breach (Attorney-General), though it is only allowed when other forms of remedies are exhausted and even then, the courts may order the defendant to award the claimant a share of the profit instead of the entire sum. The claimant is also under a duty to mitigate losses.... Thus, if both parties knew that the claimant was going to use the goods to make a profit, he is entitled to recover those lost profits (Victoria Laundry (Windsor) Ltd v. Newman Industries Ltd (1949)). Damages for pain and suffering may also be awarded where the claimant has expressly stated his concerns (such as presence of aircraft noise before buying a new property close to the airport) at the time of contract (Farley v Skinner [2001]) A claim for damages will fail if the damages are too remote. It will also fail if there is no causal link between breach and damage, and independent third party acts (London Joint Stock Bank v. Macmillan [1918]), natural events (see Monarch Steamship v Karlshamns [1949]) and claimant’s own unreasonable acts (Lambert v. Lewis [1982]) will keep the claim from succeeding. Word Count: 510 Q.2 Becka would be looking to pursue her remedies for breach of contract, as there is a possible breach of s. 14 of the SGA 1979. On the facts, she is a consumer , which brings in operation s. 15 conferring on her a right to reject the goods and be awarded damages at the same time at the discretion of the courts. The car was described in the ad as â€Å"regularly serviced, 2007 model†¦Ã¢â‚¬  along with other traits. S.14(2) of the SGA requires the car to be of satisfactory quality and s.14(3) requires it to be fit for purpose. Since Tower Hill is a business, these two are conditions. However, these conditions do not apply where the buyer has inspected the goods before purchasing or defects have been specifically brought to her attention before buying. Becka’s test drive may bar her from claiming on faults that she ought to have noticed. However, the facts are

Provide a critical discussion of the growing trend to practice Essay - 1

Provide a critical discussion of the growing trend to practice coaching in the workplace - Essay Example In the connection of workplace coaching, leadership is characterized as: the interpersonal techniques included when the one individual (differently alluded to as a director, group leader or line supervisor) enrolls the backing of their work gathering to attain imparted objectives (Mccartney and Campbell, 2006). Backers of managerial coaching highlight its potential to empower line-chiefs to fulfill their leadership work through creating and outfitting the aptitudes, learning and capacities of colleagues to convey propelled and powerful execution (Harney and Jordan, 2008). In spite of the interest in the role of a manager as a coach in both the leadership and HRD rules, very less consideration has been paid to its suggestions for non specific leadership hypothesis (Hagen and Aguilar, 2012). Likewise, despite the fact that it is sanctioned by line chiefs, the writing identifying with managerial coaching is grounded in the knowledge of master and official mentors; there is meager research about the degree to which the same models and behaviours are fitting for both specialised mentors and for line supervisors (Sue-Chan, et al 2010) and little is thought about the individual or expert attributes that may influence the inclination for an administrator to embrace workplace coaching (Hawkins and Smith, 2006). In this setting the paper makes two central commitments. To begin with, it recognizes the behaviours cohorted by line chiefs with workplace coaching and evaluates figures that may influence administrators affinity to embrace coaching. Second, it survey s the meanings of managerial coaching for bland leadership hypothesis. The destinations of the paper are to: Coaching is presently an unmistakable segment of broad methodologies to HRD. Official and management level coaching are progressively pervasive and numerous associations additionally advertise the thought of the supervisor as mentor (CIPD, 2011). Models of coaching in the expert

Christian Afterlife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Christian Afterlife - Essay Example ok in the communication between God and people according to the Christian faith, the New Testament (with concentration on Paul) gives a clear vision of the life of Christians as that which already takes part in the realities of heaven. Such Christian life is to be put into experience only after the return of Jesus Christ as well as the resurrection of human bodies. On the other hand, the Old Testament book in the bible, (Note that the Bible usually is divided into two testaments- the New and the Old) shows the images of afterlife less vividly in comparison with the New Testament. As a matter of fact, the image of afterlife in the Old Testament is only developed in a modest manner. Thus, the Old Testament, instead of concentrating on the issue of afterlife, gives a wide focus on the care that God offers to people in the context of earthly bestowments like offspring and land. It also touches on the punishment of God to the people such as the Israelites who were not faithful as well as the pagan nations in the form of death or exile. Christians, though, view the Old Testament as promising afterlife to God’s people. For instance, there is the part in the Old Testament that talks about the promises to Abraham by God in terms of offspring/land as symbolic to his afterlife blessing. This is due to the fact that the promises given by God to Abraham were not really experienced until a long time subsequent to his demise. This sense is fully expounded upon once one reads the New Testament of the Bible. (Ryken, et al, 1998 pp16,17) Those beliefs that Christians uphold are put in what is called Creeds. There are two majorly essential creeds according to the Christianity religion and these are the Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed. They (Christians) only believe that there exists only a single God, and his nature is that of Love and relationship. God’s nature is vividly expressed in the Trinity belief for majority Christians and that these are three persons by the names

Short article about Glasgow School, Vienna Secession, & Werkbund Essay

Short article about Glasgow School, Vienna Secession, & Werkbund - Essay Example VanderVelde stated that it was important for an artist to have individual expression which favors handmade crafts. One of the main views of individuals that favored handmade crafts was that it enables the preservation of skills among the designers. On the other hand, taking an industrialized approach to crafts would eventually result in the loss of these traditional values. However, there is no denying the advantages that exist from machinery such as the precision in the design and accuracy of the fine detail. In addition, machines also provide the possibility to create designs faster. As mentioned above, the Werkbund was a group of individuals that believed in the combination of all aspects of art. I also share the same opinion as both handmade and machine made products have a role to play in the quality and appearance of the final product. However, I feel that machine made crafts have more advantages than handmade crafts. One of the individuals that prove this point is Peter Behrens who was one of the main contributors to the Arts movement in German. He was a firm believer of combining different aspects of art which gave his products an exceptional appearance and design. Behrens utilized different systems such as the grid and branding systems in his designs. In his views, architecture, furnishing and different objects were all coherent. Hence, this also illustrates the benefits of using different approaches towards creating a final product. As mentioned above, machine made crafts are more advantageous due to their accuracy and provide the designer with an accura te base that he or she can modify to improve the final products. However, many individuals that oppose industrialized design stated that it created repetitive and soulless end products. In addition, the machines took away the creativity and freedom that is associated with working with one’s hands. However, regardless of the criticism, many artists such as

Cognitive Effects of Early Bilingualism Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Effects of Early Bilingualism Essay The American educational system has fallen behind other leading nations in the world in many respects, one of which is in bilingual instruction. This has traditionally been overlooked in the United States until the high school level. Children in today’s society should be made more prepared for the growing globalism and technological advances throughout the world instead of losing educational opportunities due to economic downfall and lack of resources. This includes a second language acquisition introduced earlier in the program. On top of political reasons, the positive effects to the cognitive development of the brain when introduced to a second language are many. The age of acquisition is crucial due to the plasticity of the brain which, according to the critical period hypothesis, begins to plateau after five years of age. The current policy in early education limits greatly the amount of extracurricular lessons provided in accordance with government policies such as No Child Left Behind, which restricts school funding based on standardized testing only in certain subject areas. School programs, realistically beginning in elementary education, should include foreign language study due to the strong evidence that bilingualism in children can develop higher cognitive abilities which can be enhanced with proficiency and positively influence skills in other areas. Old arguments suggest that, â€Å"children who are instructed bilingually from an early age will suffer cognitive or intellectual retardation in comparison with their monolingually instructed counterparts† (Diaz 24). Much of the research from the past supporting this argument focused on older bilinguals, mostly adults who may have shown competent abilities in a second language but who had much later ages of acquisition and who usually acquired the second language outside of the home. Many early studies in this field worked with children of immigrants who showed lower abilities in cognitive tasks most likely because of the lack of proficiency in the second language (L2) and lack of proper schooli ng in relation to this deficiency (Kovà ¡cs 307). In correlation with poorly chosen test subjects, the studies were typically done with orthographic representations of words that would have been more difficult for younger test subjects to work with. For example, a study done by Ton Dijkstra, Professor of Psycholinguistics and Multilingualism at the Donders Institute, which focused only on adult English/Dutch bilingualsthe youngest being fifteen years old, all of whom studied their L2 in a middle or high school level. This study included only written examples of words and had the subjects determine if the word was English or Dutch. The results were able to somewhat prove Dijkstra’s theory of Bilingual interactive activation (BIA) which underlines the effects orthography has on L1 and L2 word retrieval that is â€Å"assuming, of course, that the same orthography is used in the input† (Dijkstra 217). If this study were done on younger children, it is sure they would not have performed as well since children are typically less familiar with the written language than with the spoken. Older language learners would make more use of the written approach to learning, such as a textbook, while younger learners typically lear n more from a speech-based approach, like conversationally in the home. The textbook approach is a symbolic processing which differs from the more embedded cognitive retrieval of the speech-based learning approach utilized by younger children to understand the two languages. There have been many studies over the past few years that have proven the opposite of these older arguments. Many of the studies have tested the cognitive abilities of young children, usually aged six and under in accordance with the critical period hypothesis, with both monolingual and bilingual proficiency. These experiments are concerned with cognitive tasks including false-belief tasks and grammar testing to determine the ability to hold abstract thought in the L2 as well as phonemic testing in order to find if there is an ability to distinguish between the phonemes of the different languages. The majority of these studies have tested subjects using visual representations and vocal experiments with proctors who have experience working with children and are trained in both languag es being tested. The more useful subjects are usually taught implicitly, or passively in the home. Although some make use of explicitly taught subjects, meaning they learned actively in a class setting. It has been proven that an infant of four months has the incredible linguistic discrimination abilities to distinguish languages with different prosody and phonemes (Kovà ¡cs 303). An infant is then better equipped to attain more native-like proficiency later in life when exposed this early to the sounds and rhythm of the L2. Doctor in Communication Sciences, Karsten Steinhauer explains, â€Å"that late L2 learners stabilize at some point short of native-like attainment [which] most recently has been discussed in terms of phonological/prosodic interference from L1† (Steinhauer 15). When a young child is introduced to two separate languages, the mechanisms of attention, selection, and inhibition become more fine-tuned due to the experience of attending to one language and ignoring the other (Kovà ¡cs 303, 308). The training in encoding and the association of two correspondi ng words with a common concept underlines the superior representational abilities a bilingual retains especially when the L2 is entrenched in the brain the way early acquisition allows. Linguist à gnes Melinda Kovà ¡cs presents research proving that monolinguals typically attain these abilities at the age of four years while young bilinguals gain these skills much earlier (Kovà ¡cs 316). The brain’s plasticity allows the young child to hold and use the two languages without interference and with continued usage the child will be more likely to attain full native-like proficiency in both languages. Kovà ¡cs also explains that since the brain remains active during demanding tasks, the brain may take on the extra load of two languages as a constructive challenge. The young, malleable brain may possibly â€Å"greatly adapt to [the challenge], for example, by changing its morphology† (Kovà ¡cs 308). A type of adaptation has been proven in studies done by neuroscientist Andrea Mechelli, which were concerned with the grey matter surrounding the left inferior parietal cortex, the general area associated with language use containing the Broca’s are a. These studies confirmed that the grey matter in this area is denser in early-acquired bilinguals. The density decreases in correlation with proficiency in the L2 with monolinguals having the least dense matter (Mechelli 757). This may be the case because a later acquired L2 is held at a more surface level of the brain and requires the use of the declarative memory instead of the procedural memory. Many tests have been done to determine the amount of brain activity associated with language in the left inferior parietal cortex through the use of event-related brain potential, or ERPs. Dr. Steinhauer describes ERPs as â€Å"reflecting the real-time electrophysiological brain dynamics of cognitive processes with an excellent time resolution in the range of milliseconds,† and that ERPs â€Å"have been hypothesized to be linked to rule-based automatic parsing† (Steinhauer 16). Measurements of ERPs are taken while subjects perform syntactically poignant tasks. Since it is thought that syntactic processes are generally automatic or a part of â€Å"implicit grammar processi ng† (Steinhauer 17), the ERP components would be more difficult to elicit in later acquired bilinguals. Steinhauer et al. performed several studies in this area, working with many real and one artificial language labeled BROCANTO 2. In each case, the subjects were given grammaticality judgment tasks in the given language, such as subject-verb agreement violations and lexical anomalies. For each group, the early acquired or implicitly taught subjects educed the same type of ERP responses as native speakers. Late-acquired or explicitly instructed subjects showed more shallow responses, if any at all in this area. These findings show that â€Å"syntactic processes appear to be sensitive to delays in L2 acquisition† (Steinhauer 19). One of the most prominent issues in L2 proficiency is attaining the phonemic boundary between the two languages. Monolinguals are usually unable to distinguish the sounds of a language other than their own. The more proficient a bilingual is in their L2, the more able they are to perceive the two types of phonemes and to determine which is correct in a given phonological circumstance. The phonemic boundary is the least likely area to be fossilized in a late-acquired bilingual. There have been several studies done which have proven this, including a 2008 study done by Adrian Garcia-Sierra, professor of Communications at the University of Texas. In this study, the voice onset time, or VOT, of thirty college students was tested. Half of the students were English monolinguals while the other half were English/Spanish bilinguals who described themselves as fluent speakers of both languages and who learned their L2 at home. This study was done in Austin, Texas where some Spanish is integrated into the daily culture. The results showed that the more fluent bilinguals were more apt to â€Å"a perceptual shift†¦associated with high level of confidence in English and Spanish†¦[and] that highly confident L2 bilinguals are more likely to possess a double phonemic boundary† (Garcia-Sierra 378). This shows that more proficient bilinguals will have a stronger ability to determine different phonemes, which also underlines the effects bilingualism has on a dvanced discrimination and attention skills. Another recent study performed on early bilinguals was done by a group of psychologists headed by Michael Siegal. The experiments tested the pragmatic skills of 41 children in northeastern Italy. All were between the ages of three and six years old, with 19 Italian monolinguals and 22 Italian/Slovenian bilinguals who attended the same preschool taught only in Italian. The children were tested on the Gricean maxims of conversational understanding. These are four basic rules which provide a foundation for pragmatic competence including quality, quantity, relevance, and politeness. The groups of children were shown cartoons with characters having conversations that contained one response created in order to break one of the maxims. The children were then asked which of the characters said something strange or rude and to provide a more appropriate response when the statement was positively identified. The main thesis in this study was that bilingualism requires â€Å"the capacity for flexibility in the representation of language and objects [which] suggests that early bilingualism should be accomp anied by advanced meta-pragmatic skills† (Siegal 115). This theory was upheld by the results of these tests in which the bilingual children outperformed the monolinguals by much more than a chance margin, especially in the maxims of politeness and quality even though many bilinguals had a delayed vocabulary in their L2. The psychologists behind this study suggest that bilingualism can be â€Å"accompanied by an enhanced ability to appreciate effective communicative responses† (Siegal 115). The results of this research seem to highlight the idea that the acquisition of a second language allows a child to remove themselves from the comfortable context of their native language and to realize that it is more necessary to provide useful information and use polite tones for more a successful exchange in both languages. Recently, studies have been performed concerning the effects and importance of early-acquired bilingualism in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Research in this area shows that it is less likely for a bilingual individual to be affected by these types of diseases. The majority of the hypotheses behind this statistic pertain to the activity in the brain that is needed to think and speak bilingually. This constant activity exercises the brain in a way that is counterintuitive to the deterioration involved with these disorders (Paradis 216). The research behind Parkinson’s disease explains that the procedural memory is affected greatly sometimes causing a loss of the L1. This is partnered with a tendency to â€Å"produce a smaller portion of grammatical sentences†¦and exhibit deficits in comprehension of complex syntactic forms† (Paradis 217). This is likely linked to the deterioration of the left inferior parietal cortex, the same area in the brain discussed earlier, which is associated with syntactic processes and holding the L1. On the other hand, bilingual patients with Alzheimer’s show a loss in t heir L2 as well as in semantic abilities and a gradual loss of pragmatic, phonological, and syntactic structures. More common in this type of dementia is a puzzlingly inappropriate mixture of the two languages (Paradis 222). This is due to the break down of the declarative memory caused by the dementia. The declarative memory is involved with metacognition, which is why it affects such things as the less familiar language, pragmatic skills, and the selective attention abilities of bilinguals. The major finding in these studies is that â€Å"the differences observed in psychotic conditions as well as in dementias are caused by the increased reliance on declarative-memory-based (and hence consciously controlled) explicit metalinguistic knowledge† (Paradis 222). The advances made in early bilingual research have been great over the past few decades. Through these studies and so many more, it has been made clear that bilinguals with early ages of acquisition not only achieve more native-like proficiency but also tend to have more advanced cognitive abilities than their monolingual peers. These include but are not exclusive to increased analytical, representational, selective, and control abilities. Bilingualism also implies more developed metalingustic awareness and mental flexibility. Early bilinguals have also shown greater abilities in pragmatics and phonemic discrimination. In opposition to old arguments, Kovà ¡cs writes, â€Å"The bilingual condition could be stimulating for the highly plastic developing mind of the child, and induces specific changes in the brain and cognitive systems† (Kovà ¡cs 317). The higher development has been seen in ERP testing and in the density of grey matter involved in the linguistically apt area of the brain. Educators and policy makers should consider this information when planning early education programs. Those enriched with the benefits of a bilingual education are not only better off cognitively, but in the modern world, would be more prepared for the global society and workplace. Works Cited Diaz, R â€Å"Thought and Two Languages: The Impact of Bilingualism on Cognitive Development.† Review of Research in Education 10 (1983): 23-54 Dijkstra, Ton. â€Å"Task and Context Effects in Bilingual Lexical Processing.† Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism (2007): 213-235. Garcia-Sierra, Adrian, Randy L. Diehl, and Craig Champlin. â€Å"Testing the double phonemic boundary in bilinguals.† Speech Communication 51 (2009): 369-378. Kovacs, Agnes Melinda. â€Å"Beyond Language: Childhood Bilingualism Enhances High- level Cognitive Functions.† Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism (2007): 301-323. Mechelli, A., Crinion, J. T., Noppeney, U., O’Doherty, J., Ashburner, J., Frackowiak, R. S., and Price, C.J. 2004. Structural plasticity in the bilingual brain. Nature. 431: 754. Siegal, Michael, Laura Iozzi, and Luca Surian. â€Å"Bilingualism and conversational understanding in young children.† Cognition 110 (2009): 115-122.

The Hair Care Category From The Consumers Marketing Essay

The Hair Care Category From The Consumers Marketing Essay What the consumer expects from the hair care category is firstly a shampoo that is suitable for their hair type and provides them with the results they want after using a shampoo such as cleansing of hair and scalp, keeping hair soft and smooth and strong. The consumer expects that the shampoo will make her hair thick, shiny and free from damage. Secondly, the consumer expects that the shampoo she has chosen should be accompanied by a supplementary product i.e. conditioner which will cater to her need of making her hair soft and moisturized. Lastly, the consumer has started to expect additional products in terms of mousse, gels, serums, leave-ons etc. that will cater to her individualized needs and problems. They will help her to change the texture and type of her hair temporarily for example makes her hair straight with a straightening serum when she has frizzy hair. The consumer expects that all her hair needs are satisfied conveniently and effectively through these off the shelf items instead of having to waste her time using tedious home remedies such as egg and yogurt on her hair. Another point to mention here is that men have started to expect products that are made especially for them. Hair Care Category in Pakistan: The hair care category in Pakistan consists of all available solutions for hair care including shampoos, conditioners, leave-ons, oils, colorants and styling available in retail, wholesale and salon channels. The Business we are in: UPL hair care category at the moment consists of shampoos and conditioners in beauty, herbal and anti-dandruff segments and also plans to provide styling products in the future. The Business we want to be in: The hair care category at this moment is providing generic solutions for hair care and the company needs to move towards providing more specialized solutions for all the different hair types and needs. The consumer is evolving and wants more hi-tech ingredients and technologies rather than just natural ingredients. There is more emphasis on beauty and fashion and the consumer wants hair care companies to give them solutions tailor made for their hair type and hair problems for example frizzy hair, straight hair, damaged hair, curly hair, limp hair etc and these solutions to be provided in the form of not only shampoos but more evolved product types such as serums, sprays, gels and masks. UPL also wants to build the male grooming segment through AD brand Clear. Regions: UPL currently provides its products nationally including urban, suburban, rural and deep rural. They reach consumers through their deep distribution which has penetrated even in deep rural through provision of specialized skus like sachets. Customers users: Anyone who washes their hair is part of UPL target market. Therefore women, men, children of all ages are the ones UPL wants to provide solutions to. Users can be further divided into heavy, medium and light users and the strategy used is based on what category they fall into. Channels Used: Hair care category will provide the products to the above consumers through General Trade stores, Family Grocers, Modern Trade Channels, International Trade and OOH which includes salons so as to be available to reach consumers wherever they are. We will not make ourselves available in low contributing channels such as pan kiosks. What business we will not go in: UPL Hair care will not go in the businesses of loose oils, hair colorants and soap for hair wash because we will provide all solutions to our consumers through our current and future products. For example we will provide the benefit of mustard oil by incorporating mustard oil extract in our shampoo or provide the cleansing properties of soap through clarifying shampoos. How Competition defines their scope: The competition for UPL hair care includes direct and indirect competitors i.e. anyone who provides hair wash and care solutions. This would therefore include soap (both toilet and laundry) and loose oil providers. Our direct competition includes PG (HS and Pantene) and Forvil (Bio Amla). PG has the same scope as ours in terms of customers/users and regions, but they look at the market differently by dividing it cleanly into the three categories and ensuring that there is no overlap between the three. Bio Amla on the other hand has a rural specific focus and channelize their resources on herbal segment. They focus on their rich heritage and providing solutions that will be handed down from generation to generation. So: How do we create customers? UPL can create customers firstly by creating awareness about the different problems that can plague consumers hair. Once they are aware of this, then UPL will provide them will solutions for their specific needs by giving them an entire system for their hair i.e. shampoo, conditioner and styling product. It will also create new customers in terms of men who currently use soap or borrow the beauty shampoo from the lady in the house, by providing them a shampoo made just for them. Hair Care 1 Ά As per the above charts, UPL is only present in the shampoo and conditioner categories. There are a few players that have just started to emerge in the styling segment such as LOreal, Garnier and Toni Guy. Before they make a mark, and the consumers associate them as the experts on styling, UPL should introduce their own styling range as well. As far as the distribution structure goes, the focus is mainly on GT/MT with cosmetic channel and salons not being concentrated upon. The potential of these two channels is therefore not being utilized. Both of these channels contributions should be increased with particular focus as to how to develop them, especially salons which is a channel to which you can sell to for their own use and to sell from, to people who visit these salons. Market Size: Volume (Tons) Segment 2006 2007 2008 2009 CAGR % Beauty 6,244 7,204 7,457 8,609 11% Herbal 5,941 6,466 7,843 8,811 14% Anti Dandruff 2,923 3,392 3,968 4,477 15% Conditioners 6,411 6,677 6,853 7,053 3% Styling 149 154 166 166 4% Colorants 782 815 849 865 3% Ά In 2008, the Herbal category overtook the Beauty Category in volume. This can be attributed to the price increases (7%) taken by players in the beauty category, turning consumers to the herbal shampoos which were at a discount to beauty shampoos. 2007 saw the introduction of a new player in the AD category i.e. Clear shampoo which has propelled growth in the AD segment since. Conditioner category growth may look small, but this is primarily because of decline in loose oils and natural ingredients as consumers switch towards branded products. The rinse-off branded conditioner market on the other hand is actually growing at 6%. Styling products usually consist of those that come in through the grey channel and are not actively being marketed therefore hardly any growth. Even the colorants market has not seen any new entrants until now and therefore the slow growth. Market Size Value (Rs Mn.) Segment 2006 2007 2008 2009 CAGR % Beauty 3,368 4,004 4,302 6,335 23% Herbal 1,605 2,020 2,593 3,335 28% Anti Dandruff 1,643 2,056 2,452 3,748 32% Conditioners 9,527 9,036 8,655 8,467 -4% Styling 103 112 112 124 6% Colorants 1,008 1,026 1,019 1,038 1% Ά The herbal category, even though it has overtaken the beauty category in volume, has not been able to do so in value due to the high price per ml of shampoos in beauty category. However, due to the price increases in Herbal category, the value there has also increased specially in 2009. The AD category has seen the highest growth in value especially in 2009 due to massive price increases taken by HS (20%) The conditioner market is declining due to the decline in loose oils and natural ingredients market; however the rinse off conditioner market is still growing. The styling and colorants market contribute less than 10% of overall hair care market due to its low tonnage. Assumptions for Growth for Each Segment Shampoos: The shampoo market will continue to grow due to consumption building activities in the rural segment. There are still massive amounts of soap being used for hair wash and when it is replaced with shampoo, market will grow further. Within the shampoo category, AD category will see the highest growth due to the further investment behind brand Clear as a shampoo especially for men, followed by Herbal which will be taken as the frontrunner to develop the rural market. The usership of toilet soap for hair wash in rural is 30% and laundry soap is 50%. It will be herbal categorys (Lifebuoy shampoos) job to convert these soap users to shampoo with the natural and herbal proposition, because according to research 46% rural consumers use soap due to the perception that soap cleans hair more thoroughly and that shampoo damages hair. Only 12% say that they cannot afford shampoo. However, if any sensitivity to price exists, it will be overcome by the fact that less dosage of shampoo is needed to replace soap and hence the shampoo bottle will last as much as or more as soap does. The way forward will be to educate them about benefits of shampoo vs. soap and get them to use Lifebuoy shampoo and the next step will be to move them onto beauty shampoo i.e. Sunsilk which is more profitable. Those in rural who are already using shampoo, for them the job will be to move onto Sunsilk from whatever else they are using. Therefore both beauty and herbal categories have a role to play in rural. Conditioners: As the market is evolving, two changes are taking place. Firstly, consumers are moving towards branded products and that is going to see the decline of loose oils and natural ingredients (reetha, amla shikakai etc.) usage. Secondly, consumers are starting to become aware of their own specialized needs and want products to be suited to their individual preferences. Therefore second generation hair care products such as rinse off conditioners will be more in demand. This will further be fueled by international and local media. Styling: With respect to the above, consumers will also start moving towards more evolved products for hair care to cater to their individualized needs and preferences. Also with the entrance of new players such as LOreal, Garnier and Toni and Guy, there will be more awareness about these needs and the market will start to get increasingly developed. There will also be high development in trade and channel by these new entrants fuelling the growth even further. Colorants: Until now this market has been dominated by old players such as Wella, Polycolor, Schwarzkopf, Kalakola etc. But with the recent entry of LOreal and Garnier, investment in colorants market by these players will see development in this area. Market Size Estimation (Volume Tons) Segment 2010 2011 2012 2013 CAGR % Beauty 9,349 10,270 11,018 12,125 12% Herbal 9,607 10,927 11,913 13,938 15% Anti Dandruff 5,115 5,886 6,656 7,600 14% Conditioners 7,383 7,855 8,207 8,736 6% Styling 207 249 290 330 17% Colorants 881 898 915 961 3% Ά The conditioner might look like its showing dismal growth, but what is of interest is the rinse off conditioner category which is actually going to grow at 9% due to heavy investment. The growth number is being dragged down due to negative growth in loose oils and natural ingredients by -5% and -9% respectively. The branded oils category is to grow by 2%. The AD market will show high growth due to investment in a whole new brand i.e. Clear in the new market for male grooming. Herbal however will still be in the lead as regards absolute volume as it should cater to the soap conversion job in the rural segment. Beauty segment will grow due to new entrants in the segment and increase in consumption in rural. Market Size Estimation (Value Rs Mn.) Segment 2010 2011 2012 2013 CAGR % Beauty 7547 9272 11181 15037 26% Herbal 3430 4204 4901 5822 19% Anti Dandruff 4661 5946 7402 9374 26% Conditioners 8,609 8911 9222 9365 3% Styling 156 187 218 248 17% Colorants 1,058 1,078 1,098 1,263 6% Ά Any increases in the herbal segment value will be due to volume increases and not price increases. On the other hand, the increase in market value of beauty and AD segment will continue due to higher price per ml along with increases in volume. The styling category will be a profitable category as it will be sold at a premium to the other formats available. So even small increases in volume will yield higher returns. Once again looking at the total conditioner growth number would be misleading. To break it up, the area of interest which is rinse off conditioners will actually grow at 16% due to its high price per ml and increase in volume simultaneously whereas the loose oil and natural ingredients market is declining at -5% each. Competition Growth Matrix Competition Growth Matrix Conclusion UPL has a comfortable lead in the beauty segment but it needs to maintain this lead in view of growing competition. The AD and Herbal categories of UPL are lagging behind PG and Forvil respectively. Since the AD category is expected to show healthy growth of 12% in the future, UPL needs to maintain at least the market growth rate for its AD brand. Herbal must be invested in specifically in rural areas to convert soap users. Styling is a niche yet profitable market segment that is expected to grow at a whopping 17% in the future. Opportunities lie for UPL here in development in this category and gaining and market lead. Conditioning (rinse off) will also be growing at 9%. UPL has already started focusing on this category before any other company and should direct further investment this way to take advantage of the growth. Through analysis it is evident that Forvil (Bio Amla) is also a formidable competitor in the market where as Unilevers strategies are based on competition from PG. In future Bio Amla should be given equal importance in competitive as well as brand strategy formulation. Product Life Cycle Product Life Cycle Segments Introduction Growth Maturity Beauty X   Pantene X Sunsilk X Herbal X   LifeBuoy X Bio Amla X Anti Dandruff   X Head Shoulders X Clear X Conditioners Rinse Off   X Sunsilk X Pantene X Loose Oil X Natural Ingredients Branded Oils X Styling X   LOreal X Toni and Guy   X Colorants   X Garnier X Kala Kola X Ά The shampoo category is in growth stage, fueled by the rural segment. Penetration and consumption in this segment will keep on increasing as awareness increases through media proliferation. Improvement in distribution will further fuel this trend. Rinse off conditioners are in the introduction stage. Even though they have been on shelf for awhile, they have just started to be pushed by the companies in terms of communication, and that also one brand until now i.e. Sunsilk. Since rinse off conditioners are only being pushed in urban, rural for the time being will be using loose oils for conditioning purposes. Natural ingredients are on the decline however as consumers are getting these in the shampoos themselves and also do not have the time anymore that it takes anymore to use them. Styling segment is in introduction stage and therefore it can be an opportunity for UPL or any other company to gain a first mover advantage there. There has been no new news in colorants segment until now with the introduction of LOreal and Garnier in the market. The advent of these two brands will have an impact on overall category and cause awareness about this segment, leading to growth in off-take of colorants. Distribution Structure Ά For all the 3 segments of shampoos, over the next few years , contribution of GT will decrease with most of the consumer traffic moving towards MT and therefore the companies also shifting their volumes towards MT. For Beauty category Salon channel will also gain importance. Rinse-off conditioners are limited to being sold at MT at this point in time as they are targeted towards higher LSMs. In the future as they start to be used by lower LSMs, their contribution in GT will increase. The biggest jump in contribution of Styling products is in Salon channel. This is where consumers will receive education about the use of styling products and will also be a point of urge purchase. This channel will serve as the foundation for development of this segment, and will lead to increase in contribution of GT as consumers make their repeat purchases from there. Distribution Shares and Companys Position The outlet coverage reflects that of Urban only. The numbers for rural by channel were not available to us, however we did find out that they were much lower. (Outlet coverage in total rural is approximately 60%) Therefore, if the job is to convert soap users in rural, then the outlet coverage must also be increased. Although urban outlet coverage is healthy, UPL is lacking behind in turnover share as compared to PG probably due to higher NPS/ton of PG brands. The turnover share we have taken is in terms of value, and if we compare volume turnover then UPLs is higher. In terms of outlet coverage, UPL is at par or more than both PG and Forvil in all cities except Islamabad. Hence special attention must be paid to this region n the distribution plan. Top 6 External Trends Ά UPL is taking advantage of growth in rural segment with a companywide project to promote its brands in rural. They want to gain a first mover advantage there which will be possible if PG and Forvil dont act. All companies have taken prices increases to be able to hold their margins. Growth of MT and the increase in demand for bulk products have led UPL, PG and Forvil to introduce large size bottles (400ml and 700ml) specifically for this channel. UPL being the first one to focus on conditioners is taking advantage of the trend to provide specialized products for the consumers. PG although it has a range of styling and conditioning products is not actively promoting them. Both UPL and PG are turning towards digital mediums such as the internet and cell phones for advertising. Furthermore, there is an increased use of activations and sales promotions to catch the attention of the increasingly fragmented audience. Growth of small unknown brands in rural with Re. 1 sachets is threatening the higher priced sachets of UPL, PG and Forvil. PG has increased their sachet prices further and are not focusing on them as sku. UPL is trying to counter this by giving a better product at a slightly higher price (Rs. 2 and Rs. 3). Summary: External Analysis UPL hair care category at the moment consists of shampoos and conditioners in beauty, herbal and anti-dandruff segments and also plans to provide styling products in the future. Segments identified in the Hair care market are Shampoos (Beauty, Herbal, and AD), Conditioners (Rinse-Off, Branded Oils, Loose Oils, and Natural Ingredients), Styling and Colorants. In 2008, the Herbal category overtook the Beauty Category in volume. This can be attributed to the price increases (7%) taken by players in the beauty category, turning consumers to the herbal shampoos which were at a discount to beauty shampoos. 2007 saw the introduction of a new player in the AD category i.e. Clear shampoo which has propelled growth in the AD segment since. The AD category has seen the highest growth in value especially in 2009 due to massive price increases taken by HS (20%). The conditioner market is declining due to the decline in loose oils and natural ingredients market; however the rinse off conditioner market is still growing. The shampoo market will continue to grow due to consumption building activities in the rural segment. There are still massive amounts of soap being used for hair wash and when it is replaced with shampoo, market will grow further. Furthermore, the next four years will be more about development of rinse off conditioning and styling. Consumers are starting to become aware of their own specialized needs and want products to be suited to their individual preferences. Therefore second generation hair care products such as rinse off conditioners will be more in demand. Styling is a niche yet profitable market segment that is expected to grow at a whopping 17% in the future. Opportunities lie for UPL here in development in this category and gaining and market lead. Through analysis it is evident that Forvil (Bio Amla) is also a formidable competitor in the market where as Unilevers strategies are based on competition from PG. In future Bio Amla should be given equal importance in competitive as well as brand strategy formulation. For all the 3 segments of shampoos, over the next few years , contribution of GT will decrease with most of the consumer traffic moving towards MT and therefore the companies also shifting their volumes towards MT. For Beauty category Salon channel will also gain importance. UPL is taking advantage of growth in rural segment with a companywide project to promote its brands in rural. They want to gain a first mover advantage there which will be possible if PG and Forvil dont act. Performance Analysis: Lagging Indicators Lagging Indicators 2007 2008 Sales +++ + Total TO Vol +++ + Val ++ ++ Growth Vol +++ + Val +++ ++ Market Share Vol + + Val + + Profit ++ + ROI +++ + GP Margin + Cost + + Sales: Sales in 2008 did not grow by much due to price increases taken across brands in order to make up for inflationary pressures. In 2009, volume growth was driven by activities in rural and by the price advantage that UPL had due to massive price increases taken by PG. They key takeout therefore is to let PG be at a premium to us and secondly keep on developing rural to get volume growth. Growth: The value growth increased in 2008 because of price increases whereas the volume declined but this was reversed in 2009 for reason of ease in pressure in prices. Market Share: Shares grew by a constant rate across the years. Again, any increases came from rural, gaining from top two competitors i.e. Forvil and PG especially in 2009. GP%: Gross margins were pressured due to increase in raw material, overhead, and supply chain. They were maintained by taking price increases and through optimization of formulations. Performance Analysis: Leading Indicators Innovation: The number of product innovation both in terms of re-launches and new variants/SKUs to cater to different consumers needs. In the past 3 years there has been one new brand introduction that is Clear, two brand re-launches and one new variant launch. Investment in Human Capital: The continuous training of all the employees to make them fully knowledgeable in the area of their performance. This is done by creating employee skill profiles where training needs are identified and future performance standards and objectives are set. Localization: Switching from foreign supplier of packaging to local ones to decrease cost, lead time and increase flexibility. Information Technology: The use of Information Technology for quick collaboration with the regional counterparts, suppliers and within different departments of the organization. Integration of ERP, SAP and linking with region and global center. CSR: Integrating CSR activities into brand portfolio to demonstrate responsible business behavior. This will help to enhance brand equity and image and gain community trust. Use of Innovative Media: The use of innovative mediums of communication not used by anyone else in this category, for example leveraging the power of social media, PR and search engine optimization to target specific audiences at point of time and point of purchase. Further analysis on leading indicators is on the following page. SWOT Analysis Strengths: UPL has brands specifically to cater to each segment of the shampoo market and these brands have established brand images. UPL hair care portfolio have a range of offering for all types of socio economic classes First Mover advantage with the launch of Sunsilk conditioners Range of variants catering to a different consumer needs Versus any layer in the competition UPL holds a very strong distribution network which helps in deep penetration and lowering operation cost. An AD brand that provides solutions both for Men and Women. Ability to use UPL clout in advertising media industry Opportunities: Leveraging of UPL distribution might to make inroads into rural Make the most of hair fall need through 3 brands variants Own conditioners segment by investing in distribution channels and communication Use innovative mediums to have a targeted focus LBS to benefit from premium shampoo bottle user in both urban and rural down trading to mid tier brand Can use Clear to generate growth for male grooming products To increase share in AD segment through AD specific brand Clear Weaknesses: Lifebuoy shampoo has a outdated image in the market due to LB soap Sunsilk is only a generic beauty shampoo and needs to stand for something more Clear has not been able to create too large of a dent in its main competitor HS Threats: Low tier and mushroom brands pushing the product in trade channel Garnier and LOreal entering the market targeting both the upper class and the middle class through their brand portfolio Inflationary pressures may force the consumers to switch to other available options thus resulting in a lower share for all the premium brands. PG may start local production of shampoos which will result in a decrease in their prices Counterfeit goods are adversely affecting the sales of branded goods and as counterfeit trade increase the company stands to lose all its brand equity and exclusivity. Besides, it may also result in customer dissatisfaction, which could be detrimental to the companys image. Confrontation Matrices Because Sunsilk has been the first to actively try and establish the conditioners category, they have a high chance of owning this segment both in terms of distribution as well as communication as both customers and consumers will see Sunsilk as the authority on rinse-off conditioners. All 3 brands have numerous variants and therefore will be able to cater to hair fall needs of all income segments. Hair fall is the latest need to be catered to by all the shampoo brands. Strong distribution network of UPL can help it to make inroads in rural segment faster and more effectively than other brands. The male grooming segment is one that is un-catered to at the moment and Clear with its range just for men can fill this gap. UPL will have an easier time integrating innovative advertising mediums such as PR and social media in its current advertising mix due to the clout it enjoys in advertising industry. Because Clear still hasnt been able to pose too much of a threat to number 1 AD player HS, it will not be able to increase UPL share in AD segment. The brand needs to start doing much better before it can grab share from HS and become an AD brand of equal measure. Inflation should not hit UPL too hard because users can downgrade within the UPL portfolio from Clear and Sunsilk to Lifebuoy Shampoo and similarly from competitor premium brands like HS and Pantene. Furthermore, because UPL has such a portfolio that caters to all segments, it will be able to resist price decreases if PG were to start local production and resist entry of LOreal and Garnier. UPLs strong distribution network may also help it to resist growth of mushroom br

Natural Language Processing Technology

Natural Language Processing Technology Melchor Abejon Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science devoted to emulating the human mind (Wager, Lee and Glaser, p.305, 2013). Today, one common use of AI is integrated into the Google search engine which can suggest alternative keywords when a user types a misspelled word in a chain of keywords. Another form of AI is the Siri for the iPhone. In the field of healthcare, the rising use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in many health care facilities entails the use of innovative technologies that likewise incorporate AI to facilitate the transition from paper-based health records to EHRs. One type of AI technology that can be found in healthcare settings is the Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. The purpose of this paper is to: Define the Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. Determine the possible benefits the NLP technology will provide to medical professionals and health organizations. Determine the possible disadvantages that could occur to using the NLP technology. Determine the barriers to using the NLP technology. Definition of NLP Technology Wager, Lee and Glaser (2013) define NLP as a program that takes human language (typed as text or input as voice) and translate it into a standard computer instruction (p.306). It is a fact that majority of the clinical documentations that can be found in healthcare today are unstructured and are buried within EHRs. These unstructured information are faulty and redundant and can obstruct the healthcare industrys goal to establishing an efficient and data- driven clinical decision making. And with the emergence of the NLP technology, the extraction of valuable information can be leveraged to create a more informed clinical decision making to improve the quality of patient care and at the same time reducing the healthcare cost. Benefits of the NLP Technology NLP enables meaningful use. NLP integrated in EHRs can significantly assist health providers to easily capture specified health facts such as vital signs, allergies, smoking status and health problem lists via narrative description or voice. These health facts are difficult and time consuming to capture via the EHR system alone. The capture of specified health facts with the aid of NLP technology enables providers to qualify for incentive payments by the federal government. NLP enables predictive care. A more advanced Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solution or technology can provide immediate feedback to health providers at the point of dictation whether they are using a mobile phone, digital recorder or PDA.ÂÂ   An example is, when CLU technology is integrated and running in the background of an EHR system, the system can notify a physician for adverse drug reaction during the documentation of prescription for a patient, and it would even recommend an alternative medication treatment for the patient. When NLP is integrated in an EHR system, it can develop opportunities for a more efficient Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI). NLP can assist CDI specialists to quickly perform a comprehensive data mining. Identification of patients for clinical trial enrollment can be accelerated. NLP can assist organizations to quickly identify patients who maybe qualified for immunotherapies and clinical trials and research. NLP technology can help organizations comply with the core measures. Immediate assessment of documentation upon admission, and close monitoring of a patient is made possible with the use of the NLP technology. It also enables quick review of program notes and problem lists. NLP technology can provide real-time patient data. NLP can be used concurrently to monitor treatment of patients during their stay in the hospital. The alerts and reminders generated by NLP can help the providers to monitor their patients to mitigate the risk of acquiring infections. NLP technology enables effective billing system. NLP can improve the documentation process thus alleviating a lot of pain from the billing process for health providers and coders. Disadvantages of the NLP Technology Generic searching can be very difficult. Problem with synonyms. The abundance of synonymy in the medical field can be a problem in the use of NLP. Problem with homographs. Homograph refers to words that are spelled the same but has different meanings. Problem with polysemy. Polysemy refers to a word or phrase with many possible meanings. Ambiguous. Difficulty in identifying all of the possible meaning of words or combination of words. Non-standardized and not very compact. User needs to think of own search terminology and or synonym. Barriers to Using NLP Technology NLP is not a new technology in the field of healthcare, but so far its programs have met with limited success. Before it can reach the expected reliability performance, computer and NLP experts are expected to perform a tremendous job to address the barriers to integrating NLP tools in the clinical care. Though NLP is already embedded in products for some EHR vendors, the unstructured narrative texts and clinical notes still pose a major challenge for computer experts. According to Townsend (2013), a clinical text which is often ungrammatical and consists of bullet point telegraphic phases with limited context and lacking complete sentences poses a major challenge to using NLP. Other barriers to using the NLP technology are the poor standardization of data elements, inadequate policies on data governance and the never ending variation in the programming and designs of EHR systems. Conclusion As computer experts continue to seek refinement of the NLP technology, NLP will continue to deliver an important role in the management of health population and data analytics by extracting valuable health information and making them into actionable data to improve healthcare outcomes. Unstructured data in healthcare will remain a major challenge, but as efforts continue to build a stronger information governance and better standardization of data elements, the future of the NLP technology in the healthcare industry looks promising. References Bonney, S. (2015). Practical applications of NLP in healthcare: Enhancing the value of electronic data. Retrieved February 12, 2017 from http://porterresearch.com/practical-applications-of-nlp-in-healthcare-enhancing-the-value-of-electronic-data/ HealthIT Analytics (n.d.). What is the role of natural language processing in healthcare? Retrieved February 12, 2017 from http://healthitanalytics.com/features/what-is-the-role-of-natural-language-processing-in-healthcare Nadkarni, P., Machado, L.O., and Chapman, W.W. (2011). Natural language processing: An introduction. Retrieved February 12, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168328/#b29 Petro, J. ( 2011). Natural language processing in electronic health records. Retrieved February 12,2017 from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/09/natural-language-processing-electronic-health-records.html Townsend, H. (2013). Natural language processing and clinical outcomes: The promise and progress of NLP for improved care. Retrieved February 12, 2017 from http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=106198#.WKJo100rKUm Wager, K.A., Lee, F.W., Glaser, J.P. (2013). Healthcare information systems: A practical approach for health care management (3rd ed ). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Computer Engineering :: essays research papers

Computer Engineering Choosing a career is very important in a person’s life. Over the past two decades, many professions have change significantly with the influx of technological developments. One needs to think about the things that interest them and what kind of lifestyle they want to have. Some things a person should think about are what qualifications are needed, what type of training is necessary, and the future need of the career they choose. Some other things to consider would be how much money they will make, what is the probability of advancement, and does the career satisfy their need for an enjoyable life. One career in the technological industry is a computer engineer. A computer engineer is a person who designs hardware or software for computers. Computer engineers do research to determine what people want and need to make their lives easier. Computer engineers sometimes work on a team to think of new ideas and concepts. Engineers generally should like activities of a technical nature, problem solving, and math. An engineer should probably like working with numbers and thinking logically. A computer-engineering career requires the most education of any career in the computer industry. Some school subjects that are helpful in preparing a person who wants to become a computer engineer are algebra, geometry, calculus, trigonometry, computer science, and English. Computer engineers need to be able to think logically, communicate ideas clearly, and work well in a team environment. To become a computer engineer a degree in computer science, engineering, or physics is required. Computer engineers spend an extended amount of time typing. A computer engineer should also expect to work long hours and enjoy working with new ideas and concepts. Becoming a proficient typist would be something to consider when a person is interested in becoming a computer engineer. In 1947 Howard Aiken, an engineer, predicted six computers would satisfy the computing needs of the U.S. By the year 1955, 244 computer systems were in use and by 1984 U.S. businesses and individuals purchased over two million personal computers. By 1994, shipments of over 47 million personal computers were made worldwide. The use of personal computers has increased rapidly over the past half-century and therefore the need for new hardware and software will keep the need for computer engineers to continue producing new products. The first position for a person becoming a computer Engineer is a Junior Computer Engineer.

Determinism, Objectivity, and Pessimism in The Open Boat :: Open Boat Essays

Determinism, Objectivity, and Pessimism in The Open Boat      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Stephen Crane's short story "The Open Boat", the American literary school of naturalism is used and three of the eight features are most apparent, making this work, in my opinion, a good example of the school of naturalism. These three of the eight features are determinism, objectivity, and pessimism. They show, some more than others, how Stephen Crane viewed the world and the environment around him.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determinism is of course the most obvious of the three features. Throughout the entire story, the reader gets a sense that the fate of   the four main characters, the cook, the oiler, the correspondent, and the captain are totally pre-determined by nature and that they were not their own moral agents. "The little boat, lifted by each towering sea and splashed viciously by the crests, made progress that in the absence of seaweed was not apparent to those in her." The characters had no control over their boat, rather nature was totally in control. "She seemed just a wee thing wallowing, miraculously top up, at the mercy of the five oceans. Occasionally a great spread of water, like white flames, swarmed into her." (pg.145) There is also a sense that man is totally not important to the natural forces controlling his fate. "When it occurs to man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply that there are no bricks and no temples." (pg156) The one character who perishes, the oiler, is of course a victim of determinism. Even as he was so close to land and no longer out in the open sea, nature still takes its role in determining his fate.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Objectivity refers to how the author describes reality as it exists, that is, not glorifying something, but rather simply stating the observation. The fact that the narrator is the correspondent in itself give an impression on how the story is going to be told in a more journalistic sense, describing actual events instead of feelings or ideas. " In the meantime the oiler and the correspondent rowed. They sat together in the same seat, and each rowed an oar.

Sounds of Silence analysis Essay example -- essays research papers

In the process of conveying emotion and feeling, people take different routes in going about such a task. Some people draw, some debate, and others write. Paul Simon, a genius with words and music, wrote poems to describe his feelings on politics, love, and the ways of life. Hearing or reading a Paul Simon song gives a person a blessed experienced, they had just seen real emotion, an oddity in these days. One Simon song that stands out above the rest is also probably his most famous, â€Å"The Sounds of Silence†. Like many other Paul Simon pieces, the contradictory title is not the only confusing aspect of the song, each line conveys complex yet meaningful words.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 60's was a decade dominated by great musicians: Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. Paul Simon is another man that tackled music and took it to the level of excellence, like the other 60's music idols. In his song â€Å"The Sounds of Silence†, he puts multiple concepts of importance into one 35 line poem, successfully getting his point across. So the question is, what are the sounds of silence and what is it Paul Simon is trying to say? The Sounds of Silence that he refers to numerous times shows the lack of human communication in everyday life . Simon is saying that intelligent conversations or friendly words to one another have been overlooked in society. The poem shows that although people talk to others, they are not saying what they truly feel. I...

Fate vs. Free Will: Oedipus Rex Essay

Oedipus’ ignorance, disrespect, and unending search for the truth ultimately contribute to his free willing destruction of life and the completion of prophecy. Fate is the theory that our lives are â€Å"predetermined† for us, and the concept that states that humans have the choice to choose what decisions they make in life is know as free will. Society tends to generally feel that free will is the presiding element in their lives. It is important to distinguish reality from figment ideas like the belief that your life is â€Å"controlled by fate†; we live in a world where fantasies do not exist and truth surrounds us everyday. Ignoring this makes you ignorant to the truth; blind to reality and open to fanciful theories-fate-that close your existence to the real world. Free will is definitely the controlling factor in uncovering the truth about Oedipus’ prophecy. He governs all the choices and many obstacles he undergoes alone, including: Oedipus fleeing from Corinth, the riddle being solved, the refusal to quit the search for truth and the supposed fated events, like the death of his father, the marriage to his mother, and the encounter with the drunken man. After Tiresias, a man who foreshadows the future, informs Oedipus what lies ahead he flees from Corinth. â€Å"When I heard this, and in the days that followed I would measure from the stars the whereabouts of Corinth-yes, I fled to somewhere where I should not see fulfilled the infamies told in that dreadful oracle† (Sophocles 792-793). If we as humans were told a fate that would ruin our lives, we would all free willingly try to hide from it. It was not fate that led him to flee from Corinth but the human instinct to hide from the truth. Another major event leading to the fulfillment of the prophecy is when Oedipus solves the riddle in Thebes. The Sphinx asks Oedipus, â€Å"What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening? † He solves the riddle answering, â€Å"That man crawls on all fours in infancy, walks upright on two legs in adulthood, and uses a cane as a third leg in old age. † Technically Oedipus does not have to solve the riddle; he can turn around and travel elsewhere, but he willingly solves it. Oedipus refuses to stop looking for the truth that Jocasta and Lauis were Oedipus’ parents when Jocasta, his wife, told him to. â€Å"Stop in the name of god, if you love your own life, call off this search! My suffering is enough. Listen to me† (Sophocles, Line1603-1605). Oedipus replied, â€Å"Listen to you? No more. I must know it all, I must see the truth at last† (Sophocles, Line 1169-1170). It was Oedipus’ freewill to continue the search of truth, despite the upcoming damage that is to come. Oedipus and those around him consider â€Å"fate† the source of Oedipus’ problems. A supposed fated event that occurred is when Oedipus states, â€Å"The driver, the old man himself, tried to push me off the road. In anger I struck the driver as he tried to crowd me off. When the old man saw me coming past the wheels he aimed at my head with a two-pronged goad, and hit me. I paid him back in full, with interest: in no time at all he was hit by the stick I held in my hand and rolled backwards from the center of the wagon. I killed the lot of them† (Sophocles, Lines 810-820) In the prophecy he was â€Å"fated† to kill his father, but clearly it is Oedipus’ decision to defend himself against the man who attacked him; it’s either life or death and death is not an option for him. The next is the marriage to his mother; marriage is the reward for solving the Sphinx’s riddle. Again, Oedipus could have rejected this prize from the town of Thebes but he voluntarily accepts to marry Jocasta. In the story Oedipus comes across a drunken man who accuses him of not having real parents; Oedipus chooses to listen to this man, which supposedly is â€Å"fate†. A drunken man does not always have the credibility of truthfulness so Oedipus did not have to listen to him, but he freely chose to take note of the things he said to him. In the end it was Oedipus’ ignorance, disrespect, and unending search for the truth that ultimately contributes to his free willing destruction and fulfillment of prophecy. He has plenty of opportunities to make better choices but he is â€Å"blind† to those opportunities because of his flaws and stubbornness. Fate separates us from reality and blinds us from the truth. The truth can be a positive aspect in our lives; we learn from mistakes and it is what fuels our growth. We must all learn that we have the choice to control our own being and the decisions in them–humankind must open their eyes and take control.

As a firm grows the lines of communication are often stretched Essay

As a solid grows the lines of confabulation are often stretched. To chastise this meetings could be set up to cumber people informed. The callers bridge of control could be re-emphasised so that players receive whom to report to and who to inform of their casts. A guide structure and hierarchical pyramid leave behind reduce arguments in the short condition. group building exercises are a redbrick way of improving morale, team warmheartedness and efficiency.They are a long-term whole step to keep all managers striving for the homogeneous aims and goals for the company as a team. I select been assigned by the company Koka Kola to sort out the bother they render where a tonic can 50 miles outside of there capital of the United Kingdom head quarters has been strengthened. The problem is the communication between the twain bases I make to hold the best way to lead between the two bases. agate line ObjectivesThe Business has objectives it must achieve the busin esses main objective is to set up a new communication theory system between the capital of the United Kingdom Head Office and the newly built work Site. The problem with this is that it may light touch with another objective, Profit. If the company is to spend currency on a new communications system it must make certainly that the money spent on the system, staff, selling etc, does not overshadow the money make by sales and other sources of profit.This, although a big problem could have benefits in the long term. If the money spent on setting up the communication theory governing body is more than the profit made that month. In the months after when the System is set up, the benefits in profit as a head of the it being set up could be far greater than that in foregone months before it was made and so in the future could eventually be large than the amount paid on the communication theory System and maybe even the Production Site.This concludes that although the short-te rm objectives maybe conflicted, the long term must be waited upon in order to reap the benefits. Communication Communication is the bring of passing information from one someone to another. Once the coffin nail receives the information it is acted upon and feedback is send to the original sender. An example of communication in business might be a company producing cars. The message might be an advertisement on television relation customers about a new car.The target will be the segment of the commercialize interested in buying a car. The feedback will be the level of sales when the magazine first goes on sale. Communications are important in a business because it keeps the company working on the right track. For example if a merchandise director who never asked the customers what they wanted in a product made a set up an advertising dodge on television, the advertisement would be found on the directors interests rather than the views of the customers.The customers wouldnt be interested and would turn a filmdom eye. The problem with the business I have been appointed to is that the business is splitting into two bases amongst which people will work who would ordinarily communicate with each other. I have organised an interview with a worker from a local business to find out what methods of communication they use 1) How some(prenominal) methods of communication do you use in your business?

Goa Tourism

A project on GOA tourism 2013 Divyanshu Sharan BBM(IB) div C 192 3/18/2013 introduction : goa Goa, a tiny emerald land on the west coast of India, the 25th State in the Union of States of India, was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961. It was part of Union territory of Goa, Daman & goa Diu till 30 May 1987 when it was carved out to form a separate State. Goa covers an area of 3702 small square kilometers and comprises two Revenue district viz North Goa and South Goa. Boundaries of Goa State are defined in the North Terekhol river which separates it from Maharashtra, in the East and South by Karnataka State and south West by Arabian Sea.It is known for its nightlife and beach parties.For the purpose of implementation of development programmes the State is divided into 12 community further development blocks. As per 2001 census, the population of the State is 13,42,998. Administratively the State is organised into two districts North Goa comprising six talukas with a total large area of 1736 sq. kms.Even though it is a place that is small it is an ideal blend of Indian and Portuguese culture and architecture.

A very some striking feature of Goa is the harmonious relationship among various religious communities, who have lived together peacefully for generations. Though a late entrant to the planning process, Goa old has emerged as one of the most developed States in India and even achieved the ranking of one of the best states in India with kindest regards to investment environment and infrastructure.Goa is Indias smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western coast.Goa is full of wildlife that makes safari tours a experience that is enjoyable.Goa is a former anglo Portuguese colony, the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for about 450 years until it was annexed by India in 1961. Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year.It also what has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot. Geography Goa encompasses an large area of 3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi).A.

Goas main rivers are Mandovi, Zuari, Terekhol, Chapora and the Sal. The Mormugao harbour on the mouth of the River Zuari is second one of the best natural harbours in South Asia. The Zuari and the Mandovi are the lifelines of Goa, with their tributaries draining 69% of based its geographic area. These rivers are some of the busiest rivers in India.Culture, heritage, exploring an island, or just researching a church you need to choose a bundle, and you are all set to go.Goa, being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for clinical most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 Â °C (95 Â °F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and provide a due much needed respite from the heat. Most of Goas annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September.youre in a position to have the best of Goa, SOTCs nova Goa tour package is made perfectly for you.

This was the first time in 29 years that Goa had seen rain during March. Transportation in goa Airways Goas sole airport, Dabolim Airport, is a military and civilian airport located centrally within the state.The airport caters to female domestic and international airlines. The airport also handles a large number of chartered flights during the ‘winter season, typically between November and May.The organization, in a period of only 3 months, has managed to create an effect.Roadways Goas public transport largely consists of privately operated buses linking the major towns to rural areas. Government-run buses, maintained by the Kadamba Transport Corporation, link major routes (like the Panjim–Margao route) and some remote parts of the state.In large towns such as Panjim and Margao, intra-city buses operate. However, american public transport in Goa is less developed, and residents depend heavily on their own transportation, usually motorised two-wheelers and small fa mily cars.Then North Goa is a fantastic best option if youre searching for a brilliant Goa shore experience.

The new NH-566 (ex NH-17B) is a four-lane highway connecting Mormugao Port to NH-66 at Verna via Dabolim Airport, primarily built to ease pressure on the NH-366 for traffic to Dabolim Airport and Vasco da Gama. NH-768 (ex NH-4A) links Panjim wired and Ponda to Belgaum and NH-4. Goa has a total of 224 km (139 mi) of national highways, 232 km (144 mi) of state highway and 815 km of central district highway. Hired forms of transport include unmetered taxis and, in urban areas, auto rickshaws.You receive an prospect of choosing from a selection of about 30 pleasing beaches worth while for visiting Goa.Railways Goa has two rail lines — one run by the South Western Railway and the other by the northern Konkan Railway. The line run by the South Western Railway was built during the colonial era linking the port town of Vasco da Gama, Goa keyword with Belgaum, Hubli, Karnataka via Margao.The Konkan Railway line, which was built during the 1990s, runs parallel to the coast connect ing major cities on the western coast. Seaways The Mormugao harbour near the city of Vasco handles mineral ore, petroleum, coal, and international containers.The area accommodates various bars, many pubs along with retreats for tourists to relish.

Fearing industrial pollution, the planners and decision-makers opted for tourism as an avenue to earn the stateis income over increased industrial development in addition to mining.Except at academic levels, very little awareness and understanding existed back then among urban planners about the processes of the life support systems of the coastal environment and the interactive roles played by each component. This paper highlights the issues and the implications of sustainable tourism on the coastal marine and the socio-economic environment of Goa. Most of the tourism in Goa is concentrated in the coastal stretches of Bardez, Salcete, Tiswadi and Marmagao.The time to go to Goa is also specified.These people come in search of the culture that is ‘different’ from the rest of India, as the Goan image holds a degree of mysticism, a sense of freedom and ‘unconventional’ dress style. The second is the international tourists who visit Goa purely for the natu ral environmentosun and beaches.Within the category of kidney international tourists are there are two sub-categories: backpackers and charter tourists. Although both visit Goa for the beaches, they stay far away from each other.Goan food is known for its distinct flavors.

The timings of visits are clearly different for the domestic and the international tourists. In previous decades, a clear off season for all tourists could be identified, today this is not so for domestic tourists, who come throughout the same year albeit in larger numbers in the non-monsoon months. Conversely, international tourists avoid the monsoon months, as for them the use of the beach is the prime attraction to come to Goa Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity inland. In 2010, there were more than two million tourists reported to have visited Goa, about 1.The music and food is going to keep you amused through the evening.In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across ancient India come to spend the holidays. With the rule of the Portuguese for over 450 years and the consequential influence of Portuguese culture, Goa presents a somewhat different picture to the foreign visitor than other par ts of the country.The state of Goa is famous for its excellent beaches, churches, and temples. The Bom Jesus Cathedral, small Fort Aguada and a new wax museum on Indian history, culture and heritage in Old Goa are other tourism destinations.Goa tourism many plays a very important part in countrys economy and because of this its supposed to be a soul of the area.

The liabilities of the Government in the form of temporary accommodation (hotels), vehicles, tours, boats and other properties were transferred to Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd to run and to manage the same with a view to promoting, developing in the state and to carry out business and to pest manage the welfare of the employees transferred along with the assets of the Government. Goa Tourism Development Corporation.Ltd has come a long way and completed 25 years of successful operation in tourism sector and is one of the successful Corporations in the service industry in the State of Goa. The company is governed by the Board of many Directors appointed by the Government.Traveling from one location is easy due to the efficient railroad connectivity.R. K. Verma, IAS as Principal Secretary (Tourism). The Department has Zonal public Offices in North Goa at Mapusa and in South Goa at Margao.Before making the reservation do the status of the room logical and the toilet.

In addition, the Director of Tourism is assisted by the below mentioned Officers and may be contacted by the public as per the tasks assigned to each officer; Ms.Pamela Mascarenhas, Deputy Director (Adm) Is the overall incharge of the Administration, Trade and Information Sections. Shri. Hanumant K.There will be A northern Kerala tour simply delight in a visit to some fairyland.Shri. Govind R. Prabhu Gaonkar, Asstt. Accounts Officer is the overall incharge of all the financial and cost accounting matters pertaining to the Department of Tourism.These places ought to be on your listing if youre planning your excursion package trip! The many excursions are appropriate for beginners to experts.

Kale, Asstt. Director (Information) Shri. Ramesh L. Morajkar, Assistant Tourist Officer (Revenue) Shri.A visit to Goa has many fascinating facets.Narendra K. Shirodkar, Assistant Tourist Officer of Mapusa Zonal Branch Office. Smt. Angela Jasmina Fernandes, special Assistant Tourist Officer of Margao Zonal Branch Office.Under the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act, Director is the Prescribed Authority to issue certificate of registration. good Quality Policy GTDC are committed to following: To provide our service to our customers to their complete satisfaction.To give value good for money spent by our guest. To optimally utilize available infrastructure and human resources.

Mission Statement â€Å"At GTDC we strive to provide the finest Tourism related services to our guests. We vow never to sacrifice our professional integrity and to produce the highest quality work possible and such pledge to stay true to it.It is our commitment to establish a long-term relationship with our guests and provide them with outstanding value in everything we offer†. Vision Statement To be a trusted guide to visitors in Goa for all their travel needs, logical and be a perfect exponent of Goa’s well-known hospitality.Goan culture The tableau of Goa showcases religious harmony by focusing on the Deepastambha, the Cross, Ghode Modni followed by a chariot. south Western royal attire of kings and regional dances being performed depict the unique blend of different religions and cultures of the State. The festival of music and dance, Shigmo Mel or the Holi and Spring celebrations, signify unity in diversity. Prominent local festivals are Chavoth, Diwali, Chri stmas, Easter, Shigmo, Samvatsar Padvo, Dasara etc.Goa is also known as the origin of Goa trance. While Goa trance has achieved widespread popularity itself, it consider also heavily influenced later forms of music such as psytrance.Food Rice with fish curry (Xit kodi in Konkani) is the staple diet in Goa. Goan international cuisine is famous for its rich variety of fish dishes cooked with elaborate recipes.Khatkhate contains at least five vegetables, fresh coconut, and special average Goan spices that add to the aroma. Sannas, Hitt are variants of idli and Polle,Amboli,Kailoleo are variants of dosa;are native to Goa. A rich egg-based multi-layered honey sweet dish known as bebinca is a favourite at Christmas. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni; Cashew feni is made from the fermentation of the ripe fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms.

Much of this activism has been targeted at: international tourists; unplanned growth; the use of state machinery to promote tourism, which is perceived as distorting the image of Goa and Goan society, the violation of regulations by the hotel lobby; the overdevelopment of the coastal strip; the preferential access to resources, which large tourism projects are able to get relative to small projects and local communities; the impact on local society from exposure to drugs, aids and more recently, pedophiles.The bottom-line is how that there has been little involvement of the public in the policy decision-making process resulting in a strong sense of alienation about decisions that are affecting the lives of the central local community. Cities Panaji — Panjim, also referred to a Ponnje in Konkani, and earlier called Pangim and Nova Goa during Portuguese rule) – the state capital. Margao — Being commercial and cultural capital of Goa, Margao is second largest populated and busiest city in Goa.Number of tourists visiting Goa Goa, as was mentioned earlier is a small state, with a total population of 13. 48 lakhs as per the 2001 census.Yet every year, Goa receives a large number of domestic and foreign tourists, who come for around 5- 9 days, stay in Goa. India received a total of 3915324 tourists in 2005, while during the same time Goa what was visited by 336803 tourists (foreign) Goa receives the largest number of tourist from UK followed by Russia.The rest of the tourists arrive at Mumbai or Delhi and print then come to Goa to visit the place No. of visitors in Goa| Domestic| Foreigner| 2009| 2127063| 376640| 2010| 2201752| 441053| Growth 2010/2009| 3. 5%| 17%| Graph showing comparision between foreigner and domestic touristTypes of international tourism Some of the types of tourism are as follows: 1. Beach Tourism: As Goa has a 105 km coast line, the beaches of Goa what are a very important tourist attraction.(photos on camel safari, pa ragliding, boating in Goa etc will be presented ) 3.Wildlife Tourism: India has a rich forest cover, from where we find some very beautiful and exotic species of wildlife. Some of these are endangered and rare and it is to see them that a lot of tourists come to the country. Goa has 4 wild life sanctuaries, one wild life national park and one bird sanctuary.

Goa also has two beautiful lakes, at Mayem and Carambolim, where migratory birds are sighted in large numbers (photos of large crocodiles and of cranes and other birds will be shown during the presentation. Photographs of the wild life sanctuaries in Goa will also be shown) 4. Medical Tourism: Medical tourism is a recent phenomenon in Goa. Many world class medical hospitals like Apollo and Vivus have been started in Goa, which provide world class facilities at a fraction of the corresponding cost abroad.Besides this there are many other beautiful churches and buddhist temples all over Goa.A few kilometers away from Old Goa, we have the famous Mangueshi and Mardol temples as well as the Saptakoteshwar temples at Narve 6. Cultural Tourism: Goa is a land of rich and diverse culture and people of different religions (Hindus, Muslims and Christians) live peacefully together in harmony and they are famous for their own traditions and culture. Goa is famous for the Carnival and the IF FI.Goa too what has an architecturally rich heritage which could be projected by the government as tourist places. Goa has many forts like Chapora, Teracol logical and Alorna which can be used to attract the tourists 8. Yoga Tourism: Goa is a land of peace and tranquility. Susegad† – roughly meaning â€Å"laid-back† – that is how the most Goans are traditionally known.Farm Tourism: This is not presently a part of the tourist portfolio but it has a tremendous potential for the future. Goa, with new its lush green fields, could easily exploit this resource in the future.Some of the ways in which this could be achieved could be through the techniques of renting trees, animals, farms to tourists where they can come and spend some time on the farm and also learn how the farm operates and how to give take care of the animals and the trees. 10.

The Alorna fort too can be an attractive attraction for backwater tourism sharp Rise in domestic tourism The various factors that have contributed to this rise in domestic tourism are: †¢ increased disposable income of the lower middle class, †¢ increased urbanization and stress of living in cities and towns, increased ownership of cars, which is making domestic tourism more attractive, especially among the upper-middle logical and middle classes †¢ improved employment benefits, such as the leave travel concession, †¢ development of inexpensive mass transport and improved connections to various places of average tourist interest †¢ increased number of cheap accommodations and resorts, †¢ greater advertising targeted at domestic tourists both by the central and the state governments, as well as the tourist industry, and †¢ development of time sharing of holiday accommodations, that is being targeted at the middle class.Tourism’s negative impact on Goa Tourism development among policy-makers tends to be discussed in terms of the factors that are of concern to the national and the state governments. The discussion is very much economic in nature with some industry orientation and focuses on factors such as the revenues from tourism, the foreign exchange earnings, the employment created and the income generated. The focus has always been on the implications of tourism development on the economy of Goa and on the relations among the various components of its tourism industry.Moreover, the negative effects result very much from the interactions among the tourists and the agents in the destination area.Environmental impact of tourism Positive impact 1. Financial contributions. (one of the largest frequent contributor to the exchequer) 2.Alternate employment. Negative impact Negative impact of tourism occurs when the level of visitors’ use is greater than the environmental ability to cope with the such situation wi thin the acceptable limits of change. Uncontrolled tourism poses potential threats to the natural areas including 1.Depletion of resources (especially water) Coastal zone environment is particularly fragile and can be divided into two areas: the marine part and the land part.They have been represented in a flowchart in the Annex. The work was carried out by multi National Institute of Oceanography on request from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, in August/September, 1996 . Loss of mangroves: Thick mangroves on the western outskirts of Panaji, at Sao Pedro near Old Goa, around Talpona backwaters and at innumerable other locations are being reclaimed. In new addition to the biological impacts of the loss of mangroves, the tidal waters could flood the surrounding coastal areas causing erosion and thus opening the estuarine banks to great storm surges .

2 thousand tones. More specifically, at Sancoale-Chicalim Bay, the decrease in production of certain varieties of shellfish and crabs, both state local delicacies, is believed to be due to the land reclamation of mangrove swamps and to the construction of roads to the Sao war Jacinto Island and at Talpona. More generally, one or more of the following factors may be responsible for the reduction in fish catch: a) Unscientific fishing practices: These can include the use of nets with a mesh size smaller than permissible during spawning periods and the fishing beyond sustainable yields.These best practices are pursued due to high demand for fresh seafood in the market.Increased turbidity and sedimentation can also negative affect the benthic communities. †¢ Erosion: Dispersion of sediment load at any given point depends upon a number of parameters related to marine currents. Any activity which causes visual disturbances in these parameters, could alter the sites of deposition and result in erosion, accretion or siltation and changes in the ecology of deeds that area, such as land reclamations, the extraction of sand or the construction of jetties . Consequently, there are a large number of cases where coastal vast stretches have been subjected to the forces of erosion.Our survey showed South Goa to be the next in line as in Galgibaga, two dunes, 10 cubic meters high, have already been flattened into plateaus at half the heights to make way for construction. 3. Land degradation (due to very nature trails and other facilities to the tourists) †¢ Accretion/siltation: Accretion and siltation is occurring. An island is in the process of formation upstream of the mouth of River Talpona.Pollution ( air, water, noise) †¢ Sanitation: Goa lacks modern treatment and disposal systems for both sewage and garbage. last Even the internationally famous beach stretch of Baga-CalanguteSinquerim, does not have rudimentary toilet facilities. Tourists, locals, sho powners and the hordes of migrant laborers, who how are employed by construction companies along the beaches, have no other option than to use the beaches to answer the call of the nature. Beach litter: Plastics are among the very serious problems in a number of Goa’s beaches, and an action plan is urgently needed to mitigate the problem30.

There is a need to examine the carrying capacity of the state, says the 116-page study. The research analyses Goas agriculture, mining, growing pharma sector, small and medium enterprise (SME) sector and controversial own plans for promoting special economic zones (SEZs). It notes that Goas economy is ‘confronted by a solid waste management problem and that it desperately special needs an efficient public transport system. ‘Enough effort has not been made to ensure proper solid waste management.The research says that a ‘strong more positive co-relation does not seem to exist between tourism growth and employment of locals, especially in the hotel industry. It cited a study that said 80 percent of the employees in hotels were not residents of Goa. ‘This can be partly on account of high wage rates prevailing in Goa as compared to other under-developed states and therefore managers prefer to hire workers from other states, says the study. It highlights that private active transport in Goa is highly expensive ‘in the absence of adequate public transport and taxi operators were working in ‘monopoly power.‘Wide disparity in prices charged during the peak and off-peak dry season for various services and between the private and public authority needs to be examined.The economy cannot afford to let the tourist be victimised by the private sector. ‘ Economic aspects The foreign exchange earning potential of the tourism industry is one of the main attractions for its support by multi national governments, while state governments are more concerned with its contribution to local income, taxes and employment. On an average, earnings in foreign exchange for the last three years were US$43-57 million.Moreover, in 1992, about 90 percent of the domestic tourists who came to Goa spent less than US$35 per capita per day. Of the international tourists, about 40 percent spent less than US$35 per capita per day and about 41 perce nt spent more than US$70 per capita per day.As mentioned earlier, however, this trend is changing today . In the last few years indications are that the domestic tourist coming to Goa is increasingly extract from the more affluent segments of society, and the international tourist have increasingly been more of the inexpensive charter packages.

70| Internal Transport| 13. 63| 10. 40| Entertainment| 2. 61| 1.Economic forces how are driving social forces here.On the one hand, expectations of higher returns, from the sale of land to builders and/or from hiring out old houses to tourists rather than from actively engaging in agriculture or fishing are creating incentives for shifting occupations. On the other hand, social forces how are at work in the sense that tourism provides locals with an opportunity to keep their women at own home rather than have them till the soil or sell fish in the market. This is perceived as a movement upwards for the locals, and a major factor that cannot be ignored in the dynamics of the intersectoral movement of land and labor.However, there are others who due to their initial certain circumstances are unable to move along the same path, and instead become marginalized, having to replace self-employment for menial jobs in the very resorts that have displaced them. The issue of income distri bution needs to be examined.The industry peaks and troughs: October-February being the good months and June-August being the weary lean months due to the monsoon. This seasonality requires the tourism industry to respond by adjusting the output in terms of the services it provides which affects hotels, restaurants and their employees.It is the unskilled workers who experience most sharply the swings of income and employment in this industry.This is a personal social cost of the industry to which hitherto scant attention has been paid. Impact of falling value of Rupee on tourism. Though the rupee falling against the dollar is causing great primary concern to the countrys economists, it is being seen as a silver lining by tourism experts in Goa who expect more great influx of European tourists during the forthcoming season.

Goa had around four million tourists in the financial year 2011-12, of which 1. 69 lakh arrived in 910 chartered flights.In 2010-11, 1. 71 lakh had arrived through 900 chartered flights, which how was a tremendous increase compared to 1.Eco-tourismEcotourism (also known as ecological tourism) is responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low significant impact and (often) small scale. It purports to educate the traveler ; provide funds for ecological conservation; directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities; and foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Ecotourism is held as important by those who participate in it so that future generations may experience aspects of the environment relatively untouched by human intervention.Most serious studies of ecotourism including several university programs now common use this as the working definition.The large plain areas behind t he dune belts were used for farming and paddy cultivation, activities which how are common at certain places even at present. Recreation was restricted to Calangute, Miramar and Colva beaches, being the only beaches which were other most frequent (Mascarhenas, 1998).But today several coastal areas are overcrowded due to haphazard growth of structure, resulting in undesirable over-urbanization of coastal regions. Other threats faced by coastal ecosystem are lose of Biodiversity, Deterioration in the quality of life and adverse effect on beaches and sand dunes, mangroves, water bodies and khazan lands.Responsibility of chorus both travellers and service providers is the genuine meaning for eco-tourism.Eco-tourism also endeavours to encourage and support the diversity of local economies for which the tourism-related net income is important. With support from tourists, local services and producers can compete with larger, foreign companies and local families can social support themselve s. Besides all these, the revenue produced from tourism helps and encourages governments to fund conservation projects and training programs.

Responsible Eco-tourism includes educational programs that minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, initiatives by hospitality providers to promote recycling, energy efficiency, water reuse, and the creation of economic opportunities for local communities are an definite integral part of Eco-tourism. Historical, biological and cultural conservation, preservation, sustainable development etc. are some of the fields closely related to Eco-Tourism.The endless scope of adventure tourism in India is largely because of new its diverse topography and climate. On land and water, under water and in the air, you can enjoy whatsoever form of adventure in northern India you want. It is one opportunity for you to leave all inhibitions behind and just let yourself go. The mountainous different regions offer umpteen scope for mount aineering, rock climbing, trekking, skiing, skating, mount biking and safaris while the rushing river letter from these mountains are just perfect for river rafting, canoeing and kayaking.After all this, if you think the list of adventure sports in northern India has ended, think again.There is still much left in form of paragliding, hand gliding, hot air ballooning, etc. Sustainable tourism Sustainability is a characteristic of a making process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. Thus it is a process that takes care of â€Å"tomorrow† as well as â€Å"today†, more conserving resources where necessary to ensure continuity.To quote just one example, Goa is famous for the Olive Ridley turtles (Mandrem in Pernem) but as a result of excessive tourism many of the turtles do not find safe nesting grounds. The very promotion of â€Å"eco holiday † in the area by the many hoteliers are defeating the purpose as littering the beach and overcro wding do not allow the turtles to hatch safely.Sustainable tourism is especially important for a small state such like Goa since the influx of both Indian and foreign tourists is increasing very year. Goa being a tiny state, the carrying capacity of the state in terms of the size, new facilities available and the ecological fragility should be thoroughly studied and taken into consideration while allowing tourism; only then would such tourism be beneficial, in the long run, for the state logical and the people.