Micromax Mobile

A study report on the ‘Brand’ Micromax | | | | By Punyadeep Singh PRN 59, MBA 09-11, SIOM Introduction The mobile phone market in India is worth 130 million handsets annually. While the big boys like Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson make up for 70% share, the market has of late seen a slew of domestic firms such as Micromax, Karbonn and Intex making large inroads and new established brands like Videocon and Onida entering the field. Among the domestic firms, one of the most promising brand is Micromax. Few years ago, when Vikas Jain’s firm was delivering computer printers and monitors across India, he saw first-hand how pervasive Nokia had become. Just as in Europe, where most people’s first mobile phone was made by the Finnish giant, it had repeated the trick of getting in first and carpeting the subcontinent with its no-frills handsets. Despite Nokia’s dominance, the Indian mobile-phone market was far from being saturated. Jain saw his chance. From a standing start two years ago, his company, Micromax, is now churning out 1 million phones a month. He believes that next month it could overtake Samsung, with 11% of the market, and seize second place in India. â€Å"When Nokia or Samsung roll out a new model they do so from its global portfolio rather than launching something specifically for India,† said Jain, who set up the company in 1990s along with three friends from engineering college–Rahul Sharma, Rajesh Agarwal and Sumeet Kumar, all of whom are in their mid-30s to early 40s. Micromax, started operations in 1991 as an embedded software design firm, but was incorporated as a company in 1998, when it branched out as a distributor of computer peripherals such as printers, monitors, scanners from manufacturers such as LG, Sony Inc. , Dell Corp. Today, Micromax  is one of the leading Indian Telecom Companies with 23 domestic offices across the country and international offices in Hong Kong, USA, Dubai and now in Nepal. With a futuristic vision and an exhaustive R&D at its helm,  Micromax  has successfully generated innovative technologies that have revolutionised the telecom consumer space. Micromax, as they claim on the company’s website, is on a mission to successfully overcome the technological barriers and constantly engender â€Å"life enhancing solutions†. Micromax’s first innovation was a handset with 30 days of standby battery life — crucial in a country like India where power failures are common. Next there was a dual memory card phone, priced at ? 26, for callers who like to juggle the cheapest tariffs. The company’s vision is to develop path-breaking technologies and efficient processes that incubate newer markets, enliven customer aspirations and to make  Micromax  a trusted market leader amongst people. Micromax  has a lot of interesting and thoughtful products to its credit on their versatile product portfolio. It was the first to introduce: 1. Handsets with 30 days battery backup 2. Handsets with Dual SIM / Dual Standby 3. Handsets Switching Networks (GSM – CDMA) using gravity sensors 4. Aspirational Qwerty Keypad Handsets 5. Operator Branded 3G Handsets 6. OMH CDMA Handsets,  etc. With a 360 degree advertising and marketing strategy sketched out, the company has an optimistic outlook for the telecom consumer space. Currently present in more than  40,000 stores  across the country, the company plans to have an aggressive market incursion to reach out to its customers through  70,000 operational stores  in the coming year. One of the major aspects that contribute towards the substantial monthly growth of Micromax is its 80% sales in the rural areas. After building a strong presence in the rural market, where the prominence of both subscribers and operators is rapidly increasing, Micromax is now progressively moving towards establishing its foothold in the competitive urban towns as well. Micromax  recently ventured into the telecommunication industry with an end-to-end solution of  Fixed Wireless Devices  and  Wireless Data Cards. In the year 2008, after delivering upon the technology of fixed wireless-powering desired products, the company forayed into one of the most predominant genres of telecommunication – Mobile handsets. Since then  Micromax  has received commendable response for its unique and interesting handsets. Innovation, Cost-Effective, Credible and an Insightful R&D are given high emphasis at Micromax  in the telecom vertical. Micromax as a ‘Brand’ in the Media Posted: Monday, February 8, 2010. 0:45 PM IST on livemint. com (website of the famous B-newspaper): â€Å"Micromax challenges Samsung, LG in mobile phone stakes†. The news further elaborates that Citigroup Global Markets Inc. has confirmed Jain’s assertion in a 3 February report, which said Micromax had a 10% market share, putting it at No. 3 behind Nokia and Samsung, which had 12-13%. The success of Micromax prompted US private equity group  TA Associates  to buy â€Å"less than 20%† of the firm for around $45 million (Rs210 crore today) in December, valuing it above $225 million and indicating confidence in its growth potential. Jain estimated that the firm will close the fiscal with sales at around Rs1,500 crore. The Brand Micromax has now started gaining acceptability not only with the consumers but also with the images, which now has started portraying it with a positive image. Whereas increased consumer sales support the acceptance among the consumes, following quoted are some extracts from the news reports that show that media is also looking up to this brand. â€Å"Micromax seems to have taken a breath of fresh air and totally remade their presence. From their previously drab website, they’ve moved into a much more vibrant state and there’s clearly a significant difference in their mobiles as well, at least cosmetically†, quotes www. tech2. in in a review for its newly launched model X360. Micromax has also tied up some pretty big brands like Yamaha for enhancing their audio experiences and the X360 comes with an MTV branding and exclusive content. Apart from the mobile handset market, Micromax was recently in the news for its alliance with BSNL. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. ntered into an agreement with Micromax for sale and distribution of 3G data card to its subscribers. As per the agreement, Micromax would sell and distribute 3G data cards in the form of USB to the BSNL subscriber in various cities. In another venture, Micromax launched the India’s first operator branded  3G mobile phone H360, in association with MTNL. The H360, pre-loaded with applications to enable video calls, mobile TV, social networking, wireless  business solutions  through web browsing and other Internet-based services. Product Differentiation So, as listed Micromax has been quite effective in the marking a difference with almost every product that it launched. The range that they have covered varies quite a large variety. Right from the handsets with 30 days battery backup, dual SIM, handsets switching networks (GSM – CDMA) using gravity sensors, aspirational QWERTY keypad handsets to operator branded 3G handsets to the most exciting OMH CDMA Handsets,  etc. Every product of Micromax had the potential to grab the attention of media as well as the consumers in a market which is already flooded with mobile phone handsets and a launch is there in every day or two. Image Differentiation: From Rural to the Urban grounds Micromax specialized in entry-level and mid-segment handsets priced between Rs1,800 and Rs2,400 when it started selling the devices in 2008, confining itself to small towns and rural areas in the first 12-18 months. Encouraged by its success, the firm expanded to larger cities and now has a distribution network of 55,000 retailers, which it plans to scale up to 70,000 by the end of March as part of its strategy to raise sales to 1. 5 million handsets a month. The journey is also now spans through the wide range that Micromax plans to offer to its consumers in the coming period. Micromax is planning to expand its range in keeping with new market demands. It is readying several high-end handsets, including phones that will run on Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating systems. The handsets are expected to be available in â€Å"April or May†, Jain said. Micromax has also tied up with a Bollywood celebrity â€Å"who will be announced shortly† as brand ambassador, Jain said. Channel Differentiation Micromax has invested Rs100 crore to set up a plant in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh as it feels outsourcing manufacturing completely leaves the door open for supply-side uncertainties. Production will be scaled up from an initial 50,000 per month. â€Å"If everything goes right, by the third phase in March 2011, the Baddi plant will be making about 500,000 handsets,† Jain said. If the plant isn’t able to cope with the numbers, the fallback plan is to acquire a facility in South Korea, Taiwan or China, he added. Nokia has a plant in Chennai, established in 2006 at a cost of around $150 million, from where it also exports. Summary Till very recently, Micromax was seen as a second grade brand with hardly any brand value. But with the recent reports listing the figures in the company’s favour as well as the huge branding done by the company itself along with the interesting product portfolio has taken the brand to a respect position. And the position is still is very promising for the future. For a company which still has not been listed on any exchange, a turnover of about 1500 Cr. can be termed as huge. Certainly the company has the potential to be a threat to the foreign giant as it has been successful in studying the Indian mindset better. ———————– Micromax spent heavily on branding during the recent India v SA; Jaypee Infratech Cup A recent Economic Times report

The Lost Squatron Short Story

On Tuesday morning, December 5, 2006, Lieutenant Jimmy McGrath, a fresh faced 22 year old, Naval academy graduate, maneuvered his fighter jet across the tarmac at the US Naval Air Station Florida to the designated runway. Behind him, awaiting their tower clearance orders were the four other members of Jimmy's squadron. The men, boys really, some with peach fuzz beards, were training for assignment in Dubai, where they could fly sorties over Afghanistan and Iraq. All five pilots had been training here in Florida for several weeks, their high stress air combat training punctuated by wild Florida nights of heavy drinking and non-stop womanizing. The locals were used to it, having hosted these flyboys since Lauderdale nearly burst at the seams with newly drafted airmen, training in T-6s, and SNJ fighter trainers during World War 2. McGrath readied his jet at the flight line and after a final instrument check, increased throttle towards rotation speed, rumbling down the runway and easing back on the stick until the two ton plane defied gravity and began a steady ascent into the clouds hanging over the azure blue ocean. McGrath banked the plane right and felt momentary g-force pressure as he rolled away from the take off flight path to allow the next jet to leave the Earth.†Hee-haw† shrieked through Jimmy's mic, as his wingman, Bobby-Joe Nicholson followed McGrath into the heavens. Nicholson grew up in tobacco rich North Carolina back country, and his accent and redneck colloquialisms made training a lot easier for everybody. Nicholson was followed by Andy Grayson, from Wichita, then Angel Fernandez of the Bronx, and finally Ron Fontaine, a graduate of the Donnelly Housing Projects in Detroit. Fontaine was voted by his peers the last person anyone wanted to meet in a back alley for a fight. He was also the most accomplished â€Å"stick man† among them. Despite his â€Å"officer and gentleman status, Fontaine's 6 foot 2 inch muscular frame and tattooed biceps gave off a menacing appearance respected and feared by the other young pilots. The five jets screamed through the blue sky, each plane's engine creating enormous jet trails flowing behind, until they maneuvered into formation. The planes floated in the air next to each other as if dangling on elastic strings, their high-powered engines, flying in unison, making it appear as if they were not even moving. â€Å"OK guys,† McGrath bellowed,† lets head south over the ocean and then take a bearing of 26 degrees, 3 minutes north, then 80 degrees, 7 minutes west toward Hen and Chickens Shoals.† Although he did not mention it, the day's flight path would eventually take them into them into heart of the Devils Triangle. The Devils Triangle, or Bermuda Triangle as it was sometimes called, was a triangular patch of ocean in the Atlantic stretching from the Florida Keys south towards the Bermuda Islands. As every school kid knows, the Triangle's legend of mystery encompasses numerous claims of disappearing ships and aircraft. None of the men gave any serious thought to the Triangle legend, not many people did anymore since the quasi-pulp fiction exposes published in the 1970s tried to give pseudo-scientific credence to alleged supernatural happenings in that part of the Atlantic Ocean. However, they all knew about it. â€Å"Where to skip,?† crackled over the airwaves from Ron Fontaine's cockpit. â€Å"We're headed to the old junked freighter for some bombing and strafing practice,† responded Lieutenant McGrath. â€Å"And Ron,† said the flight leader, â€Å"this time wait for my signal before you starting locking in on the target.† â€Å"Shiiiit,† Fontaine screeched into his headset, and the other pilots chuckled at the exchange between the two men. â€Å"Hey Lieutenant, this time can we go in youngest pilot first,?† said Fernandez. â€Å"What is it with you guys from New Yawk,† drawled Nicholson, â€Å"y'all think you're born to tell the rest of us what to do.† â€Å"Hey, Tobacco boy,† I saw a guy like you once in the Bronx Zoo, behind bars,† Fernandex replied with a laugh. â€Å"Aw can it, you two,† shouted McGrath, â€Å"and tighten up the formation. Fernandez and Grayson pick it up back there.† â€Å"Aye, aye sir,† came the reply, in unison. The old freighter had been towed to this classified location in 1945, near the war's end, and for 60 years had, along with several other decommissioned vessels, been used to train young hot-shot pilots in the art of air war. â€Å"All right, in about 60 second we'll come up on the shoals bomb site, Nicholson and Fontaine, break right and take the first pass. Remember, nose guns first, then use one Sidewinder missile each the second time around,† McGrath ordered. The silver jets streaked through the cloud-filled blue sky like sharp knives slicing through warm biscuits. The two pilots took the lead and banked towards the abandoned and anchored old ship and locked onto the target with their computerized weapons guidance system. With today's technology they could hit a small object from a distance of a mile or more, but their state side training still required close target approaches. The planes would come within 500 yards of the target on the first pass. The three other pilots kept a distance to watch the show and wait their turn, as determined by their flight leader, Lieutenant McGrath. Nicholson and Fontaine took turns firing their 30 Millimeter, seven barrel nose guns at the old tub, blasting holes in the rusting hull at apace of 3900 rounds a minute, which exploded with a fury of sparks, smoke and flying debris as they roared past â€Å"Nice work guys,† McGrath said. â€Å"Commander Taylor, my fuel is low, and my instruments are still acting up, maybe we should be heading West† crackled across his headphones in response. â€Å"Come back,† McGrath replied. Is that you Fernandez. Stop the bullshit, will ya.† â€Å"Not me, Lieutenant,† Fernandez replied, â€Å"Don't expect me to give you a promotion,† he laughed. â€Å"Cut it out,† McGrath said, as he scanned the skies around him, â€Å"are one of you guys having instrument problems?† â€Å"Everyone check in,† he commanded. â€Å"Nicholson here, I'm fine Lieutenant.† â€Å"This is Fontaine, Jimmy, no problems with my bird.† â€Å"This is Grayson, sir, it wasn't me.† â€Å"Well who the hell is playing around.† McGrath shouted. â€Å"I can't see any land, sir† came the voice again. This time someone else responded. â€Å"Boys, this is Taylor, don't worry, we left the Georgia swamp area 30 miles back, and we should be coming up on the Keys shortly,† â€Å"Who's on this frequency, identify yourselves, † Lt. McGrath said into his helmet mic. He scanned his instrument radar panel and again looked outside his cockpit canopy but did not see any other planes in the bright, clear, mid-day sky. Without answering McGrath, the unknown chatter continued. â€Å"Hey Brownie, if we ever find our way back, I'm gonna propose to that nurse I met last week at the USO Holiday dance.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah sure, the one whose feet you kept stepping on during the Glen Miller piece?† â€Å"Shiiit, Glenn Miller, what the fuck is that all about,† Fontaine said. â€Å"Hey, one of you guys playing some sort of trick on our boy Jimmy,† Fernandez laughed. â€Å"Yeah, one of those old radio shows, or some shit like that,† Fontaine replied. â€Å"I don't know about you but it's freaking me out,† said Grayson. â€Å"Anyway, whoever it is mentioned Lauderdale, so it's probably some old Navy guys out for a joyride. I see those guys come out on Sunday's sometimes and fly around in those old radial engine trainers.† â€Å"Yeah, but it ain't Sunday, and what they all doin' on our radio frequency,† drawled Nicholson. â€Å"All right, all right, forget about it. It's probably just somebody playing around,† bellowed McGrath, â€Å"lets get ready for the second run. One missile this time.† Fontaine and Grayson broke away from the formation again and headed toward the target This time they programmed their guidance system to fire one AIM-9 Sidewinder missile each at a distance of a half mile. Within seconds each jet shimmied slightly as their missiles dislodged from under their wings and moved off in an arc of white smoke toward the old half-sunken freighter. The missile warheads were loaded with only small amounts of explosives so that they would create damage but not completely obliterate the boat, leaving it sufficiently intact for further training runs. The two missiles struck, on forward one aft, almost simultaneously, and a column of smoke, debris, and sea water rose high into the air. As the mix fell back again, the pilots who were all observing the action noticed small black objects off in the distance, beyond the target area, moving slowly toward them. â€Å"What the fuck is that,† sad Fernandez into his mic. Grayson and Fontaine, who had pulled up and over the target, getting a birds-eye view of the damage they caused, rolled across the sky, unknowingly hurtling their jets directly in the path of the shadowy, black objects. Some three miles away, the rest of the squadron watched as Fontaine and Grayson blew past the objects and then banked and ascended up and to the left. As they had flown by, in the seconds they were adjacent to the objects, both pilots had seen something that had startled them. Grayson and Fontaine had peered into the cockpits of a squadron of World War 2 naval fighters, â€Å"Avengers†, each operated by a two or three man crew, a pilot facing forward, sometimes with a co-pilot, and a gunner operating a ball turret weapon aft. â€Å"Shiiit,† Fontaine yelled into his helmet mic, â€Å"did you see that Grayson.† â€Å"What the hell are those old warbirds doing way out here, the air museum operates outta Pensacola,† Grayson replied. â€Å"Hell if I know,† Fontaine said, â€Å"but they were sure as shittin surprised by us.† â€Å"Damn lucky we didn't clip their wings.† â€Å"Hey skip,† Fontaine said, calling out to Lieutenant McGrath, † you won't believe what's headed your way.† â€Å"I see 'em, Fontaine, we're gonna give those old buckets some room so we don't blow their tails off with our engines,† McGrath replied. The remaining jets elevated their flight path to avoid the oncoming relics of the past, shooting with Mach speed into the lower stratosphere. â€Å"Commander, did you see that?,† said one of the warbird pilots. â€Å"I sure did, Tex,† replied Taylor, I don't know what the hell it was but I saw a red, white and blue star on it's side so it must be ours.† â€Å"Hell yes,† Tex's gunner cried, â€Å"we must be close to the Shoals now. I see the target ship they towed out this way a few weeks ago.† â€Å"I bet that was some experimental jet the Nazis were using, I saw a few being worked on at the base. Just come over from Germany last week for testing,† said one of the Avenger pilots. OK, men, settle down† Commander Taylor ordered, â€Å"set a course for the direction of the target vessels and let's get these tired birds home.† â€Å"Hey, my instruments are working again, Commander,† said one of the pilots. â€Å"Mine too, Chuck,† cried another. â€Å"Looks like we'll make it back after all,† the Avenger flight leader said, â€Å"and not a moment too soon with these near empty gas gauges. Keep a tight formation as we head in boys. Follow my lead. Last one on the deck has to kiss Charlie McCarthy's bald head.† The jet pilots listened, without a word, to the entire conversation going on below them. Fontaine and Grayson had rejoined the group and they were all now headed due East at 400 miles an hour at an elevation of 25,000 feet. Finally, Fernandez spoke up. â€Å"You catch that, Lieutenant.† â€Å"†Probably some re-enactors,† Lt. McGrath replied, although his voice had lost its usual firm, confident tone. â€Å"What the hell they doin' out here, Jimmy,† said Nicholson, â€Å"don't make no sense at all.† McGrath had to agree. This area was restricted to Naval air traffic. He thought he better contact the base and let them know what was going on. â€Å"Flight leader Bravo calling Lauderdale, come in Lauderdale.† The air was quiet. â€Å"Flight leader Bravo calling Lauderdale, come in Lauderdale† Nothing. â€Å"Hey Jimmy,† Fontaine said, â€Å"my computer just went down.† â€Å"Hey me too,† Nicholson shouted. The five jets flew in tight formation through the clouds as chaos erupted in their cockpits. â€Å"Flight leader Chuck Taylor calling Lauderdale, come in Lauderdale.† â€Å"This is Lauderdale, where the heck you guys been?† came the reply. The Base Commander's been going crazy. They even called the War Department.† â€Å"You guys can tell the patrols to come back, we're a little late but we're home, † replied Commander Taylor. On the stormy evening of December 5, 1945, five TBM Avengers, their heavy radial engines roaring across the Florida sky, approached US Naval Air Station in tight formation. One by one the gleaming blue fighter planes lowered their flaps, cut off their throttles and eased their tired metal frames onto the tarmac. As they rolled off the runway, they passed rows of B-17 bombers, fresh from the battle over Europe, being serviced and refit for duty in the Pacific against the Japanese. Worried ground crews raced in gray jeeps toward each plane, dropping heavy wooden blocks under the wheels, and climbing up on the wings to draw back the heavy canopies to release the human cargo. The fourteen crew members scrambled to the airfield grounds and embraced one another, removing their yellow Mae West vests and crush caps, giving thanks that what was lost was once again found. Meanwhile, miles away, five jet fighters crossed the sky into an ethereal graveyard. They hurtled at supersonic speed into an endless vortex of space and time without up or down, without time or space, without any connection to the world they left behind. At NORAD, desperate computer messages flooded the communications room alerting the men and women who worked there of a crisis in the making. An Admiral rushed into the room in time to confront a telecommunications staffer who was the most recent recipient of the tragic news. â€Å"Sir,† the young ensign said to the astonished man,† Flight 19 is missing.† â€Å"Get me Rumsfeld,† the Admiral replied. Two wars, 6 decades apart. Two tragedies, dance partners in a macabre story with ironic parallels. The past and the future, melded together, and separated, one mystery solved, another one just beginning.

Farmers

Farmer’s discontent during the period 1870 – 1900 had an impact on their attitudes and actions towards national politics. During this time period manufacturing had a huge growth spurt and agricultural began to decline. This made it harder for farmers to make a living. Document G shows how much manufacturing increased between the years 1849 – 1899. America could no longer aspire to be a nation of small freehold farms. Manufacturers and people living in big cities depended on farmers to pretty much keep them alive. Many people didn’t realize how much of an affect farmers had on their everyday lives. If you took farms away from the United States during this period of time, everything would have completely crashed. Farmer’s had difficulties making a living because the rates of being a farmer were so high. â€Å"Nothing has done more to injure the western region than these freight rates. † (Document F) The high rates of being a farmer made it difficult to pay payments on the lands and the rate of interest was rapidly rising. Some farmers couldn’t even sell their produce at a reasonable profit. These farmers worked long, hard hours and the government wasn’t on their side about paying them with a decent income yet they wanted so much from the farmers. Along with farm prices failing, railroad prices were increasing. Railroads were important to farmers because they took farmers out to their lands, carried their produce of hard work to markets, and brought them the manufactured goods that they needed. Many farm settlements were established around railroads because of this reason. Railroad managers were forced to charge very high rates and because of it, that means farmers would have to pay more money to use railroads when they already used enough money keeping their crops alive. Document B talks about how it was also hard for colored farmers to make a living especially after the Civil War. â€Å"They had to get the local merchant or someone else to supply the food for the family to eat while the first crop was being made. (Document B) They couldn’t pay interest and by the end of the first year, they found themselves in debt. The attempt in the second year didn’t go so well either because they had old debts plus new interest to pay. â€Å"Many of the colored farmers had almost given up hope†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Document B) Not only was money an issue for farmers but also in the late 1880s and early 1890s crop suffered severely from droughts. It was cool and dry which was unfavorable for all crops. This made it difficult for farmers to keep their crops alive. By the late 1880s, farmers were so fed up with everything that they created the Farmers Alliance, seeking to overthrow the chains from the banks and railroads that bound them. The Farmers Alliance merged with other liberal Democrats to form the Populist Party. They strived for railroad regulation, tax reform, and unlimited coinage of silver. In the election of 1892 the Populist Party nominated James B.  Weaver for president and as Document D shows, most of the farmers in the west, mainly Nevada, voted for the Populist Party because that party was rooted in the frustration of the farmers and they needed change. The farmers were furious with the way things were going for them and they had hoped that the Populist Party would help. Even though they didn’t win the election, they made a remarkable showing with 1,029,846 popular votes and 22 electoral votes. These electoral votes only came from the midwestern and western states. With the creation of a new party, out of discontent, the farmers managed to change national politics.

Frederick Winslow Taylors Life. Scientific management theory Research Paper

Frederick Winslow Taylors Life. Scientific management theory - Research Paper Example It is important to posit elucidate the fact that much of the explanations and resolutions he developed were founded on his personal understanding, knowledge, and practice. At his prime, he joined the working class as a worker on the floor of a factor and gradually climbed the ranks to become an executive. Other than describing the life of Taylor, this paper described scientific management theory, experiments conducted by Taylor, and the applications of his theories in the modern word. Available sources assert that Taylor started his work life as a trainee in the field of engineering. Subsequently, he jumped ship and joined Midvale steel company as a mere worker and eventually became a supervisor. In his escapade in this steel company, he came up with his theory of scientific management. Later in his working life, he joined Bethlehem steel company and it was at this company where he merged all his thoughts and suggestions and later carried out a number of tests and trials on his thoughts aimed at enhancing efficiency and output in employment. He is credited for ensuring that his thoughts, suggestions, tests, and trials are passed on to the next generation. In doing so, he put down his thoughts and tests into writing in the year 1911. A combination of all his contributions were printed and made public (Cole 16). Scientific management theory Towards the end of the nineteenth century, many factory executives and owners believed that competence and effectiveness of the techniques or processes of performance was a topic of major concern. Suddenly, there was a flood of labor associated with the establishment of novel factories and other companies. Company executives were therefore faced with a lot of difficulties in systematically putting these essentials into order. This, combined with his infatuation with competence of working techniques is the origin of Taylor’s theory on scientific management. In the course of his studies, he comprehended the fact that the solution and explanation to these predicaments rested on methodical scrutiny and investigation of labor (Taylor 22). According to Cole, through practice, he had gained familiarity on the fact that a very low percentage of employees incorporated substantial exertion in their day to day duties. This propensity was illustrate and depicted by Taylor as soldiering. Soldiering was subsequently categorized into natural and systematic soldiering. According to Taylor, natural soldiering is refe rred to as the innate propensity of effortlessness depicted by human beings. Systematic soldiering on the other hand is referred to as an intentional and systematic constraint or limitation of the speed or pace of conducting various duties and activities portrayed by workers. He asserted that soldering resulted from workers’ dread of joblessness, variations in stipends, and the violent and handy advances introduced by the management (16). During this period, techniques and ways of conducting activities and duties were the enterprise of the employees whereby they were allowed to plan and program their duties. According to Taylor’s proposition in his theory, this should be the work of individuals in management positions. In support of his proposition, he argued that employees favored working conditions whereby they are bestowed with specific duties with precise principles. He elucidated the importance of disconnecting preparation, development, and scheduling of operation s with the work itself. The theory of scientific management also postulates that ongoing and continuing decline on the level of skills within the workplace is goes together with growing and increasing

Media policy in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media policy in Europe - Essay Example During the war in Rome, it got affected by monetary crisis that led by the war led to hoarding of money, by the idle money being taken out of circulation, which caused price deflation in commodities as well as land values. Repayment of Rome loans from Asia got threatened thus causing creditors in Rome to experience a liquidity crisis as well as, trouble in repaying their loans while others were bankrupt. Basing on the acknowledged advantages of society, opinionated also cultural pluralism, multiplicity, as well as, variety in the media can be the enviable trimmings in themselves. Hardt and Antonio (2002) states that the constitutive imprecision of pluralism as a communal assessment that provides a suitable ideological suppleness in a manner that it is capable of suggestive of intransigent issues in one phase of the contest also progressive issues in the subsequent issue. Correspondingly, in the media policy the affirmative significance of pluralism together with the diversity that ha s been subjugated in point of view for variety, as well as, unsuited agendas serves at no cost contest to the public check obligations (Kofman & Gillian, 2003). The definitional along with the discursive authority flocks around the borders of opinionated debates, and also portray in the techniques of the media guiding principle in the European Union. At the same time, as the European congress time after time try to uphold the agenda of media pluralism towards the commission’s ideas to plan on a political, as well as, the cultural definitions being repeated due to the failure of the industry groups and the commission. Media union has been established to become a broad technology that involves internet; this has been intermingled with the old media such as television. This technological development transcends to the societal, intellectual, financial, as well as, industrial reforms. This union only occurs in numerous channels; nevertheless the most important idea is based on the union of the types of media knowledge in the public furthermore within the media industry surroundings (Mann 1970). Commonly, the thought of a fresh media an example being computers disagreeing with the old media an example being a television, as well as, a print media. Away from each other, the technical union and the study examine the manner audiences may be associated and understand some of these technologies. This type of union is defined as the cultural associations contained by the media (Maloutas & Pantelidou 2004). One may identify the four scopes by which media techniques in Europe can be compared through the formulation of media markets, amid exacting prominence on the powerful or even non powerful formulation of an accumulation distribution force down. The opinionated exactness within three scales, as well as, the personality of the relations between media associated with political parties or even more widely to the extent to which the media system portrays the fundament al political separations in society culture. The establishment and formulation of journalistic expertise, degree, as well as, the nature of the governing interaction in the media system (Sarikakis 2004). The dissimilarity in newspaper readership between the Northern and Southern Europe may be recognized, it is possible to associate these dissimilarities to the pop up of the emergence of

SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

SWOT Analysis - Essay Example The Microsoft mission is â€Å"to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential†. The implied vision is to be the preferred provider of software , devices and services for people as Microsoft fulfills that mission (Microsoft, 2013). One goal that can be addressed with the use of a strategic plan is to continually aim for a diverse and inclusive workplace. On the other hand, the goal to provide tools and services to partners in a particular market, such as Finland, can be addressed with an operational plan (Microsoft, 2013; Brown, 2013). The company has deep financial strengths and a diversifying product and services portfolio, with its traditional cash cows Windows and Office being complemented by healthy growth in areas such as servers and tools, as well as its entertainment assets that include Xbox. It is also starting to flex its muscles in cloud computing, and mobile computing. Its large revenues and large profit margins coupled with aggressive investments in acquisitions and R&D, together with its wide presence in a large number of related technology areas, make Microsoft a bulwark of strength (Microsoft, 2013; CNN, 2012; Google, 2013; Capital Traders Group, 2013). While the company has monopoly control of large swaths of computing in enterprises and in personal computers, it is lagging severely in mobile computing and in many facets of online computing, including search and social media. These translate to poor positioning moving forward in the fastest growing areas of computing, with Google and Apple leaving Microsoft behind. These are areas of weakness that Microsoft have been slow to act on, and catch up with the big players in those spaces (Vousvounis, 2013). There are many opportunities for Microsoft moving forward, among them opportunities to get cloud computing right, as well as

Teaching Literary Strategies in Children's Books Essay

Teaching Literary Strategies in Children's Books - Essay Example Nodelman and Mavis also state that there are many strategies that can be used in order to help children become aware of good literature. According to these authors, the children are helped even more if they also enjoy literature; if they do, they are able to teach their students better. 1.1 What to Teach Nodelman and Reimer suggest that teachers must teach their students the techniques that people who read literature on a regular basis use (34). This basically means that children must learn how to interact with literature by making good choices of what to read and by being motivated to read, because what they read is interesting. As an example, in this author’s opinion, one of the reasons the Harry Potter books became so popular was because children of all ages (including adults) could read and enjoy the books. Readers were motivated to read each book as it came out because J.K. Rowling left something for readers to wonder about at the end of each book. The books are fun, inte resting, and they make the reader want to go to the land of Hogwarts. For some children and adults, Harry Potter may have created an interest in other book series like the Hobbit or Narnia books because they were also interesting and able to take the reader into these far away lands. The research done by Nodelman and Reimer provide several ideas for teaching literary strategies that they learned from observing children and teachers in Britain. Some of these were: Children need to have a variety of literature to read in their homes and parents need to love and read literature also to set the example. Children need to be able to read a variety of literature from comic books to nonfiction and fiction. Teachers should allow students to choose from a variety of literature in their classrooms and children should have a say in the books they want to discuss in class. Parents can encourage their children by becoming familiar with the books their children are reading and talking to them abou t the books. These are a few of the many tips that are available to help teach a love of literature to children. The rest of this research paper will discuss a variety of strategies that have been used to teach this topic. 2 Teacher Strategies for Teaching Literature Helping children learn is a major reason to promote the teaching of literature. The reason literature is important is because it can be used to teach across the curriculum. This discussion begins with Gail Goss, a teacher who combines children’s literature and her students’ interests to help them learn easier. Goss suggests an interdisciplinary approach because it: 1. Increases the student’s curiosity in a subject and makes them want to read. 2. By using several content areas, students make a connection between any of their subjects. 3. This allows the teacher to provide â€Å"real world† activities like â€Å"researching, collecting and synthesizing data †¦ narrative reports, and it he lps to connect students with real world situations† (Goss 4). Goss uses the theme of cats to work with her students and uses a variety of literature about cats. As an example, she uses the books Puss ad Boots and Cats of Myth to teach grammar. Children

National Environmental Policy Act Research Paper

National Environmental Policy Act - Research Paper Example The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was first passed in 1969, and it is one of the first laws ever written which establishes an encompassing national framework in the protection of the environment. It basically seeks to ensure that all agencies of the government give adequate consideration to the environment prior to undertaking any significant federal action which may affect the environment. This paper shall identity the most significant challenges facing the United States and/or the international community in resolving, identifying and/or dealing with this policy or issue or both. It shall identify and explain two different perspectives that contribute our understanding of the select issues. This paper shall define this issue/policy supported by research and analyses. Discussion There are various challenges which the United States and the international community are facing in relation to environmental policies and issues. When the Industrial Revolution hit its stride, the Earth’s climate and environment started undergoing changes; these changes were mostly seen in the agricultural and industrial practices (Berkeley University, 2004). Due to the increase in population and fossil fuel use seen through burning, toxic emissions, vehicle emissions, and deforestation, various gases have been introduced into our air which are harmful to living things, including human life. These gases are introduced into the atmosphere mostly as a result of human activity, activities which produce high levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide (greenhouse gases or GHGs). These are heavy gases and do not interact well with our ozone layer. As a result, our ozone layer is being slowly depleted (Berkeley University, 2004). This is unfortunate because the ozone layer shields us from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. These greenhouse gases also cause the greenhouse effect where these gases trap the heat in the atmosphere and cause higher earth temperature levels , otherwise known as global warming. The US environmental issues largely stem from its energy use. The US remains to be the largest energy consumer in the world and also the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide (Berkeley University, 2004). Motor vehicles are the main sources of carbon emissions in the US and in recent years, shifts of use from cars to larger vehicles have assisted in reducing carbon emissions. In 2001, the US consumed about 24% of the world’s main energy consumption. The US released about 1,883 million metric tons of carbon in 2001, and this is credited for 24% of the world’s carbon-related emissions (Berkeley University, 2004). In 2003, the US Department of Energy set forth its Climate Vision program which was meant to assist the President in reducing greenhouse gas intensity from 2002 to 2012. This policy included different federal agencies coordinating with industrial leaders to minimize GHG emissions during the time period set. Bush als o states that a $1.2 billion hydrogen fuel plan was aimed at establishing technologies which would produce, store and distribute hydrogen as a fuel during transport (Berkeley University, 2004). The FreedomCAR (Cooperative Automotive Research) was also launched in an attempt to establish hydrogen fuel cell technology and advanced automotive technologies, including hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars. The US energy consumption will likely increase in the coming years and as a

Electronic Medical Records Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Electronic Medical Records - Essay Example Thus, the EMR has a complicated system which deals with the patient data in the most effective manner. The benefits of the EMR system in health care are several which help the practitioners immensely. "The system enables access to comprehensive, legible, and organized patient data and reference literature at the point of service." (Clayton, 2005). While the benefits of EMR in health care service are numerous, there are some significant disadvantages to the system which offer some crucial challenges to the practitioners. The major concerns about the use of the system are connected with set-up and training, productivity/efficiency concerns, connections to external data sources, privacy concerns, system performance and availability etc. The lack of confidentiality of the individual records which are managed electronically as well as the limitations connected with the software, hardware and networking technologies illustrate the major challenges faced when implementing a universal EMR sy stem. Clayton, Paul D. (2005). "Physician use of electronic medical records: Issues and successes with direct data entry and physician productivity." Retrieved February 09, 2009, from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgiartid=1560588

Answer at least 5 queations thoroughly Assignment

Answer at least 5 queations thoroughly - Assignment Example However, caution adherence is paramount when using the traits to measure origins because characteristics of men and women are different. Also, mixed ancestry may cause complications. Metric traits are sex and age discriminatory while non-metric traits are mainly age discriminatory. Conclusively non-metric traits appear to be less discriminative and are more applicable. Apes have no tails; they are large and cumbersome; the body posture is upright, and the ratio of their brains to their body is bigger than the monkeys. Monkeys have tails, smaller body sizes with relatively equal hind limbs and forelimbs order (Walker and Suzanne 178). Primate is in two groups the Prosimians and anthropoids (simians). Monkey and apes fall under simians. Primate sub-orders Strepsirrhini, (wet-nosed primates), consisting of non-tarsier prosimians, and the suborder Haplorhini (dry-nosed primates), composed of tarsiers and the simians. Simians are sub-divided into catarrhine (narrow-nosed) and platyrrhine ("flat-nosed"). Catarrhine include great apes, baboons and macaques (old world monkey) while platyrrhine (New World monkeys) squirrel, howler and the capuchin. Monkeys and apes have certain similar features which they with the other primates, such features include climbing trees, movement skills like jumping from tree to tree. They all walk on two or four legs and swaying amid branches (Walker and Suzanne 226). The primates have only a pair of mammary glands, heterodyne dentition, and all have fingernails. Monkey and apes differ from other primates with their larger body sizes, condensed dependence on sense of smell, less specified color vision. They have a bony plate that forms back of the eye socket and merging two edges of maxilla at midline forms one bone. Finally, they have longer gestation and development stages. Primates have some common characteristics like

CIA Operation PBSUCCESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CIA Operation PBSUCCESS - Essay Example "PB" here stands for "Presidential Board" while SUCCESS is used to express the general optimism and confidence that this operation would achieve its objectives. Its main objective was overthrowing the popularly-elected Guatemalan President, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. This was because his government had presented various new policies that the US was of the opinion that they were Communist. The US suspected the influence of the Soviet Union in this. The US clearly hated Communism and all its principles. They could therefore do anything to stop it. Moreover, Communism threatened to oust the US as the world's super power. They had to fight this at all costs to continue with this domination. For Guatemala, Communism posed a threat to the US interests in that country and even neighboring ones. They had to intervene to secure these interests. The US was therefore killing two birds with one stone in Guatemala. The US feared that Guatemala becoming a "Soviet beachhead." Guzman introduced land reform acts were seen as antagonizing United Fruit Company, a US-based multinational. This company had great stakes in the earlier Guatemala administration and urged the US to intervene. The operation took place between 1953 and 1954. ... Later there was another operation known as "Operation PBHISTORY". Its aim was gathering and analyzing Guatemalan government documents. The US would later use these documents to portray Guzman as puppet of the Soviet Communists. During the administration of two of Guzman's predecessors, Jorge Ubico and Manuel Cabrera, Guatemala was open to foreign investment, with Ubico specially favoring the United Fruit Company. The UFC then invested heavily in the country. It bought controlling stocks of the rail, electricity and telegraph utilities. It won control over most of Guatemala's best land. Ubico administration greatly protected the interests of the United Fruit Company. Soon after the inauguration of Dwight Eisenhower as the US President in 1953, scrutiny of CIA covert action operations started. Eisenhower set up an evaluation known as Solarium that comprised three committees that did an analysis to find out which action plans should go on. Later, CIA's covert activities were kept under close check. Questions arose as to whether CIA covert operations were proper and if they served national interests (Cullather, 2006). According to David Bruce, a presidential advisor on foreign intelligence activities, these covert actions were responsible for sparking turmoil and raising doubts about the US in numerous countries worldwide. The US faced political condemnation worldwide because of the role it played in having President Guzman overthrown. The US damaged its reputation in Latin America and also angered its allies. It was heavily criticized even by the United Nations (Kinzer and Schlesinger, 1999). There was strong resentment in the Caribbeans and Latin America. This played a part in damaging the stability of Guatemala and Latin

Family life Essay Example for Free

Family life Essay Family life is full of challenges, but when we make wise choices, it is also rewarding. Family Life includes dozens of practical units on human development (childhood, teen years, adulthood, and aging), and living in a family (couple relationships, parenting, strengths, connections). All of these materials are intended to help you make choices that will make your family life more effective and satisfying. Family Life. A family is a household of people related by blood or marriage. More specifically, we can define a family as husband and wife (or one parent), with or without never-married children, living together in the same dwelling. A household may contain more than two generations of people. The family is the foundational institution of society ordained by God. It is constituted by marriage and is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. A safe haven in which family members esteem and honor one another. A place where words and actions communicate value and respect to everyone, young and old. A reliable sanctuary where each person receives grace unconditional acceptance and extravagant generosity with no strings attached. A place where a person finds others available, attentive, and emotionally connected to them. A community of celebration, laughter, and play. A safe haven where family members can let their hair down, reveal themselves fully, and know one another intimately. Family roles are the recurrent patterns of behavior by which individuals fulfill family functions and needs. Individual members of families occupy certain roles such as child, sibling, grandchild. Along with roles come certain social and family expectations for how those roles should be fulfilled. For example, parents are expected to teach, discipline, and provide for their children. And children are expected to cooperate and respect their parents. As family members age, they take on additional roles, such as becoming a spouse, parent, or grandparent. A person’s role is always expanding or changing, depending upon his or her age and family stage. Individuals within a family have both instrumental and affective roles to fulfill. Each serves an important function in maintaining healthy family functioning. Instrumental roles are concerned with the provision of physical resources (e.g., food, clothing, and shelter), decision-making and family management. Affective roles exist to provide emotional support and encouragement to family members. Both sets of roles must be present for healthy family functioning. In addition, families must also consider issues of roles allocation and accountablility. Communication is the way you let other people know about your ideas and feelings. It is much more than the words you say. It is what you say, how you say it, why you say it, when you say it, and what you don’t say. It is your facial expression, your gestures, your posture, and your vocal tones. Good communication isn’t something that just happens between members of strong families; they make it happen. Good family communication involves being both an active listener and a thoughtful speaker. In this way children can see how to communicate well and how to have more control of their lives. A good man leaveth an inheritance to his childrens children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Proverbs 13:22 The Bible speaks often about leaving an inheritance for our children not necessarily as a command, just as prudent advice. Applying this principle to material things, it is easy to see how helpful it would be to have the parent generation jump-starting their childrens generation with sound financial teaching and the means for them to start their own families with tangible goods rather than debt. This second generation will then, in turn, be able to help the third generation so much more, and so on. I am not talking about amassing and hording money. Rather, I was thinking along the lines of how in the old days, families would pass part of their land on to each of their children, and help them build a house/farm on it, or how the family business would be passed down from father to son for generation after generation. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. Psalm 16:6 Regardless of your financial standing, this same principle can be applied to the spiritual realm, which is also infinitely more important than the physical/material. The testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. Psalm 119:111 When we think about the importance of passing on to our children a heritage of godliness, living a life that strives to be in line with Bible principles becomes a much more urgent responsibility.

Effectively exercise leadership functions

Effectively exercise leadership functions According to Adair a leader needs to exhibit certain attributes/qualities/characteristics in order to effectively exercise their leadership functions. These are: Group Influence a leader must generate willingness to achieve desired goal or objective. Command a leader must decide upon a course of action as quickly as the situation demands and to carry through with a firmness and strength of purpose. Coolness a leader must remain composed under testing or trying conditions. Judgment a leader must possess the ability to arrange available resources and information in a systematic and commonsense way to produce effective results. Application/ Responsibility a leader must demonstrate sustained effort combined with a degree of dependability in order to complete a task or achieve an objective (Kermally 2005). Although leadership trait theories are popular, it is viewed by many as very simplistic. There are those that argue that trait theories attribute the success of leadership solely to his or her personality and physical traits or characteristics without regard to the situational context. The trait approach is considered too simplistic as an explanation of the complex leadership phenomenon. Transformational Leadership Theory One of the most popular theories of leadership is Transformational Leadership theory, which was the focus of the works done by Bennis and Nanus (1985), Tichy and Devanna (1986) and Kouzes and Posner (1987). These writers were interested in leaders involved in major changes, operating from the top of the organization. All three pairs utilized relatively small, nonsystematic and non-representative sampling. Evidence has accumulated that transformational leadership can move followers to exceed expected performance. Tesco is considered as the most successful retail company in the United Kingdom. The success of Tesco was heralded by the appointment of Terry Leahy as the Chief Executive Officer. Leahy is considered as a visionary leader who led the company into a series of organizational changes that aimed for the company to become more customer-focused and to develop the companys workforce. Terry Leahy is revered as an excellent leader. Leahy was reported to say that he believes that the success of a leader depends upon maintaining a happy workforce. According to him, there are four things that a leader must provide to his workers and followers to satisfy and motivate them. These are: v  Ã‚  A job that is interesting to do v  Ã‚  A chance to get on in life v  Ã‚  To be treated with respect v  Ã‚  A boss who is some help and not their biggest problem Leadership Model: Bases of Power One of the most popular models of leadership is bases of power. The five bases of power model was introduced by French and Raven in 1959. There are basically two groups of power bases according to French and Raven (1959). These are personal (expert and referent) and position (legitimate, reward and coercive). The French-Raven model attempts to answer the question: What is it that gives an organization, group or individual influence over others (Shannon, 1996). Coercive power this refers to the idea that power can be wielded in a manner that creates fear. Reward power this is the ability to control rewards or positive reinforcers within an organization. Expert power this is power that stems from the leaders possession of special knowledge or expertise. Legitimate power this power stems from the leaders position that gives him or her right to exercise power. Referent power this power stems from the subordinates respect, liking or a feeling that the leader can provide psychological rewards or advancement. Among the five bases of power, there are three bases in which the success of Terry Leahys leadership is founded. These are legitimate power, expert power and referent power. Legitimate power stems from an individuals position within an organization and their right to require and demand compliance from subordinate. Legitimate power is a formal authority delegated to the holder of the position. Legitimate power was achieved by Leahy when he ascended as the CEO of Tesco. Through his position, he is able to lead the companys people. Expert power may include communications, interpersonal skills , scientific knowledge and so on. Such expertise is very valuable but specific to a task. It is based on the perception of the leaders ownership of distinct superior knowledge, expertise, ability or skill. Terry Leahy immediately joined Tesco straight after graduating from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1979. He entered the supermarket chain as a marketi ng executive, was appointed to Tescos board of directors in 1992 and by the time he was 40 he had worked his way up to become chief executive in 1997. His wide experience in the company makes him very knowledgeable of the company, its customers, and its operations. His years of experience in the company makes him a possessor of valuable knowledge of the company, its operations, customers and industry. Referent power is based on group members identification with, attraction to, or respect for the leader. It is a leaders charisma and interpersonal skills which causes subordinates to gain a sense of intrinsic personal satisfaction from the identification of being an accepted follower. Leahy is a very popular leader among his follower. This is because he motivates them and constantly empowers them. He is also charismatic. Leadership Model: Action-Centered Leadership John Adair is one of the most influential leadership gurus. He became the worlds first Professor of Leadership Studies at the University of Surrey and is regularly cited as one of the worlds most influential contributors to leadership development and understanding. Adairs leadership work is written in a hugely rich, detailed and insightful manner that reflects his string academic interest in both modern and classical history. Adair is most famous for his Action Centred Leadership (ACL) model of leadership. The ACL model is represented by three interlocking circles encompassing the following: 1. Achieving the task 2. Building and maintaining the team 3. Developing the individual (Thomas 2005). Two of the main strengths of Adairs concept are that it is timeless and not culture or situation-dependent. A third strength of Action-Centered Leadership is that it can help the leader to identify which dimension of the organization or team needs to be strengthened in order to achieve its goals (Kermally 20005). One major criticism of Action-Centred Leadership is that it takes little account of the flat structures that are now generally advocated as the best organizational form. Action-Centred Leadership is also criticized for being authoritarian, applicable in a rigid, formal, military-type environment, but less relevant to the modern workplace, where the leadership emphasis is on leading change, empowering, enabling, managing knowledge and fostering innovation (Chartered Management Institute 2003). Perhaps one of the weaknesses that the critics of the Action-Centred Leadership is that it does not fit the modern organizations. Action-Centred Leadership tends to focus on the hierarc hical structure of the organization. It is applicable in organizations that are highly authoritarian. Impacts of Leadership Styles on the Organization and Its Sub-Units   Leadership style according to Rosen (1989) refers to the characteristic pattern exhibited by a leader on the process of decision-making and exercising authority. There are two types of leadership that I want to discuss. These are autocratic and participative leaderships. In an autocratic style of leadership, the group or organization is managed under the authoritarian leader. The participative leader on the other hand, possesses the same power as the autocratic one. However, a participative leader chooses to exercise his power differently during the policy-making and work-role assignment phases of the group action.   The appointment of Terry Leahy as the CEO of Tesco marked a new era for the company. Leahy adapted a participative style of leadership wherein the employees are given voice in the decision-making process. The CEO also gives emphasis on the importance of appointing many leaders to handle organizational process. The organizational structure therefore became more flat where the roles and responsibilities of everyone are clearly stated. Leahy delegates leadership roles to individuals in the organization in order to ensure that the company, with more than 300,000 employees, operates effectively. The leadership style that is manifested by Terry Leahy and is imitated by the leaders in the company has changed the structure of the company. The company has adapted an organic for of organization. An organic system is characterized by low to moderate use of formal rules and regulations, decentralized and shared decision making, broadly defined job responsibilities, and a flexible authority s tructure with fewer levels in the hierarchy. An organic structure is more appropriate to those organizations where there is a need to be innovative. The pressure of innovation suggests a structure that can respond to environmental variations rapidly so it is necessarily loosely defined and flexible. The organization tends not to be formalized nor are roles too closely structured (Salaman 2001, p.106). Organic organizations are stratified primarily in terms of expertise, and leadership accrues to those who are the best informed and capable. There is much more commitment to the organization, with the result that formal and informal systems become indistinguishable. A framework of values and beliefs, much like those characterizing a profession, develops that becomes an effective substitute for formal hierarchy (Miner 2002, p. 449). The company has adapted a simpler and flatter organizational structure. Task 2: Current and Future Requirements Current Requirements  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to remain successful in todays highly competitive business environment, many organizations are coming up with strategies to tap the full potential of their human resources. A companys people can be a source of competitive advantage. This is philosophy behind employee empowerment and participative management. Employees are now seen as partners. Because of this, organizations are giving more power and responsibilities to their people. Employee empowerment and participative management will increase productivity, give rise to better decisions, improve employee morale and job satisfaction, elicit greater commitment among employees, encourage flexibility, make employees adapt to changes faster, improve communication and increase employee trust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the current requirements of leadership in Tesco is the development of participative management skills in leaders. The leaders at Tesco need to possess the necessary skills in order for them to practice participative leadership properly. The skills that the leaders must possess are: 1. Interest and concern 2. Communication 3. Conflict resolution 4. Negotiation 5. Compromise 6. Synergy 7. Flexibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Participative leadership is a leadership style which involves members of a group, sub-unit or organization identifying essential goals and developing procedures or strategies to reach those goals. Implementing participative management will also help the company to develop people in the organization to become leaders. Through participative management, people in the organization are encouraged to take part in decision-making, express their ideas and to showcase their talents and skills. The discovery of hidden talents and skills will not only help the group, sub-unit or organization reach their goals it will also alert the organization to people within the organization who have the potential to become leaders. Future Requirements   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One famous contemporary writer on leadership is Warren Bennis (1994). He believes that a leader must have a direction, he must earn the trust of his followers, he must kindle hope and optimism, and he must be results-driven. On the other hand, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner (1987) believes that a leader must   seek to challenge and improve the process, inspire a share vision, enable other to act, act as s role-model, and encourage the heart of the followers. The future leader must not only focus of achieving the task. He must also learn to develop his people. He needs to learn the value of motivation. The future leader must know how to motivate using monetary rewards and he must also use psychological and emotional rewards to motivate his people. The future leader must find the balance between task-orientation and relationship-orientation. On the one hand, he needs to lead his people in achieving their shared goals and objectives an d on the other hand, he must be able to build strong relationships with the people around him. The importance of emotions must also be recognized.   Task 3: Proposals for the Development of Leadership 1. On-the-Job Learning The company must recognize that the primary place for leaders to learn is on the job and on the line. In order to the company to help leaders learn within the organization, educational facilities must be established inside the organization. The company needs to appoint educators that will educate and develop leaders in various countries and places where Tesco is operating. The organization must institute a Corporate Education department that will be under the HRM department. Within the Corporate Education, a Business Leadership Development (BLD) must be established. This group will focus on executive development and overall leadership development, and it will also be responsible for all training specific to leadership. Business Leadership Development should be used to come up with systematic ways to build the capabilities of Tescos business leaders. The emphasis of the BLD process must be to provide development opportunities at key transition points in individuals careers. To accompl ish this goal, a curriculum must be designed and must be operate under the following principles: Based on real problems and strategic initiatives Linked to business objectives and company values Segmented by customer needs Sponsored by CEO and senior executives Comprised of global content and delivered worldwide Based on validated competencies for success 2. Leader Sponsorship Another strategy to effectively develop leaders is through sponsorship. Through sponsorship, senior executives in Tesco will sponsor and will actively participate in leadership development. Example of leader sponsorship activities are involvement of senior executives in management conferences and facilitating dialogue sessions after a leadership development program. Senior executives can also facilitate panel discussions. Through sponsorship, Tescos successful leaders will be able to share and to instil the characteristics, skills and attributes of effective leaders to the future generation of leaders. 3. Leadership Development and Review In order to identify, evaluate, and develop future leaders, Tesco needs to come up with a list of competencies that is needed to become an effective Tesco leader. These competencies can be used as criteria in leadership development. These criteria will also be helpful in providing content for the leadership and management assessment processes, through activities like self-assessment, multi-score feedback, and assessment simulations. They will help identify and qualify external executive development resources. 4. Corporate Universities It is important for Tesco to realize that their most important assets are human capital and the know-how that reside in the minds of the employees. With this realization, the company needs to establish a corporate university. A corporate university links employee learning to overall company strategy, and as a result a corporate university will become a connective tissue for the organization. 5. Developing Emotional Intelligence among Leaders One important development area which must be focused on is emotional intelligence. Future successful leaders need to recognize and learn to influence the emotions of the people around them. An effective leader must have a high level of Emotional Intelligence. Dubrin et al (2006) identifies five factors of emotional intelligence. These are: 1. Self-awareness the leader of the future must be able to understand his or her emotions and how these affect other people. 2. Self-regulation the leader of the future must be able control his emotions and react with appropriate emotion in every given situation. 3. Motivation money or status is not the only motivating factor for a successful leader in the future. He finds fulfillment and satisfaction in performing his tasks. 4. Empathy the leader of the future responds to the unspoken feelings of others. 5. Social skills having effective social skills is important. The leader of the future must build relationships and networks of support. He must build positive relationships with the people around him or her.

An Investigation Into The Causes Of Migraine Headache Nursing Essay

An Investigation Into The Causes Of Migraine Headache Nursing Essay Migraine is a neurological disorder which affects almost 10% of the worlds population (Woeber et al., 2007). In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the number of migraineurs worldwide at 303 million people. A similar study in 2004 found that approximately 20 million migraine attacks occur every day (Forshaw, 2003). Individuals who suffer from migraine headaches carry the burden of pain and suffering that can lead to an impaired quality of life. At a community level, migraine headaches can also be problematic because of absences from work or decreased productivity from migraine sufferers (NINDS Migraine Information Page). As a result of the problems associated with migraine headaches, there is significant interest in discovering the triggers for migraines. A migraine is a specific type of headache characterized by altered bodily perceptions, pulsing pain in the cranial region, and nausea (Forshaw, 2003). Most migraines are unilateral, meaning they affect only one side of the head, and the pain is usually localized to a very specific area (Forshaw, 2003). A typical migraine can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. The most frequent symptoms of a migraine include nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to sensory input (Gallagher et al., 2002). Most commonly, individuals affected by migraine headaches have increased sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia) (Gallagher et al., 2002). A smaller percentage of migraine sufferers report an aura which accompanies their migraine. An aura usually consists of unusual visual, olfactory, or other sensory experiences that give the individual some forewarning that a migraine will soon occur (Gallagher et al., 2002). The diagnosis of migraine can be difficult, especially because this specific type of headache mimics several other types. Migraines are also habitually written off by those who experience them infrequently as a result of the cold or flu (Gallagher et al., 2002). Because of these difficulties, migraines are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed (Lyons, 2007). The International Headache Society (IHS) has laid the foundation for the diagnosis and classification of migraine headaches. According to the IHS, there are seven different classes of migraines (Headache Classification Subcommittee, 2004). These include migraine without aura, or common migraine, migraine with aura, hemiplegic migraine, childhood periodic syndromes which are precursors of migraine, retinal migraine, complications of migraine, and probably migraine. Although there are many classifications of migraine headaches, there are really only two methods of diagnosis, which correlate with the two main types of migraine: migraine without aura and migraine with aura. Migraine without aura can be diagnosed using the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 criteria: 5 or more attacks, 4 hours to 3 days in duration, 2 or more of unilateral location, pulsating quality, moderate to severe pain, aggravation by or avoidance of routine physical activity, and 1 or more accompanying symptoms which could include nausea and/or vomiting, photophobia, or phonophobia (Headache Classification Subcommittee, 2004). In the method of diagnosing migraine with aura, only two attacks are necessary to make the diagnosis. Although migraine headaches are experienced by individuals from many different lifestyles and backgrounds, there are some demographics in which migraine is more commonly seen. Although migraine headaches are equally prevalent in male and female prepubescent patients, 75% of adult patients are women (Lay et al., 2009). Migraines become more common with age, though 98% of patients experience their first migraine before the age of 50 (Forshaw, 2003). Migraines are also thought to be genetically linked, as 70% of migraine patients have some other, first-degree relative (e.g. brother) who has experienced migraine headaches (Forshaw, 2003). Perhaps the most intriguing question pertaining to migraines is that no one knows what causes them. To date, research has not been able to definitively discern which of the suspected triggers of migraine may actually cause the headaches, nor has anyone determined which of the suspected triggers might play the largest role in producing migraines (Woeber et al., 2007). The list of suspected triggers for migraines is extensive, including, but not limited to: weather, missing a meal, stress, alcohol, various types of food and changes in sleeping patterns (Forshaw, 2003). Women have also reported menses as a trigger, and studies of both men and women have also shown that environmental factors and even certain activities, such as using a computer for too long, can bring on a migraine (Woeber et al., 2007). Because it would be impossible to investigate each and every one of these suspected triggers, the comparison of this studied has been narrowed to include sleep-related, hormonal and food triggers. Sleep Disorders (Amelia Van Handel) The role of sleep in migraine has not been fully explained (Kelman, 2005). Studies have determined that disturbed sleep patterns may trigger a migraine attack, and it is also widely accepted that sleep can alleviate and even terminate a migraine (Blau, 1982). Although the exact relationship between changes in sleep patterns and migraine is unclear, many researchers believe there is a correlation (Woeber et al., 2007; Kelman, 2005). Much of the argument for the relationship between migraine and sleep disorders stems from the preponderance of migraine in the morning hours (Fox, 1998). Patients with sleep disorders are far more prone to have morning headaches, and chronic migraine sufferers often experience morning migraines after interruptions in their sleep cycle. This has led researchers to speculate that the circadian clock plays a role in migraine pathophysiology, though no one has yet determined why changes in sleep pattern are a trigger for migraine headache (Cohen, 2005). Several sleep disorders are speculated to be triggers for migraine. Insomnia, which involves difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, is one of the most researched causes for sleep-related migraine (Pallesen, 2001). Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is also commonly associated with migraine. EDS is defined as difficulty maintaining a desired level of wakefulness, and patients diagnosed with the disorder often experience migraine headaches after dosing off during the day (Young, 2004). EDS is relatively prevalent in the general population, ranging from 10% to 20% and increasing in the very young and very old (Hasler, 2005). EDS is usually caused by poor sleep quality at night, which can sometimes be associated with insomnia (Carskadon, 1993). To a lesser extent, narcolepsy (symptoms similar to EDS) and sleep apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep which cause an individual to wake up sporadically) have been studied to determine whether or not they might be associated with migra ine (Bixler, 2005). For more than 100 years, medical personnel and researchers alike have noticed an association between sleep problems and headaches (Sahota, 1990). One of the main causes of confusion, however, is whether the headaches are the cause or the result of disrupted sleep. While interruptions in sleep patterns can cause migraine headaches to become more prevalent, migraines can have the same affect on the sleeping disorders themselves (Paiva, 1997). The determination of which comes first, the sleep disruption or the migraine, is the subject of much current research (Woeber, 2007; Lee, 2009). Hormones (Kelly Pritzl) Previous research indicates that headaches are three times more common in adult females than adult males. (Evans et al, 2000) The reason for this staggering statistic could be due in part to differences in male and female hormones and levels of hormones. (Evans et al, 2000) The major male and female hormones are estrogens and androgens. Men produce significantly more testosterone, a type of androgen, per day than women (7 mg vs. .5 mg), while women produce more estrogen per day than men. A woman experiences more fluctuations in hormone levels during her life than a male does. During these times of fluctuation, many women will have an increased incidence of migraine, suggesting that fluctuations in hormone levels play a role in the onset of migraine. (Lee, 2009) Some of the hormones that may be involved in the onset of migraine are estrogen, progestin, androgens, testosterone, and serotonin. (Glass, 2009) The mechanisms by which these hormones are involved are not clear, but there is strong evidence for the role of hormones in precipitating migraine attack. (Glass, 2009) There is particular evidence for the role of hormones in causing migraine attacks in women. Before puberty, males and females tend to experience migraines at the same rate, there is a sharp increase in the number of girls over boys who experience migraine at the mean age that girls begin menstruating. (Dzoljic et al, 2002) Pregnancy also seems to have an effect on the occurrence of migraines. During pregnancy, there is an increased level of estrogen in the body. Many women either experience an absense of headache when they otherwise suffered from migraine on a regular basis, or they experienced an increase in frequency of headache when they typically did not have migraines. (Robbins, 2002) Another instance of the role of hormone involvement in migraine attack in women is the increase in incidence of migraine as women near menopause, a time of decreased estrogen production. (Robbins, 2002) While there are many different hormones that may have an effect on incidence of migraine, the main focus of this research will primarily be on the mechanisms by which estrogen may induce migraine, with respect to different times in a womans life estrogen levels fluctuate, such as during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Estrogen is a type of steroid hormone and is considered the primary female sex hormone responsible for regulating the normal sexual and reproductive development in women. (Robbins, 2002) Organ systems such as the musculoskeletal system, the cardiovascular system, and the brain are affected by estrogen. (Robbins, 2002) There are two approaches to the current understanding of the role of estrogen in migraines. One type is estrogen withdrawal headache. This happens after a severe drop in estrogen levels in the body, such as during menstruation, during menopause, or post-partum. The second type is exogenous hormone induced headache. This occurs during or after the u se of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy. (Kibler et al, 2005) A comparison of studies that examines the correlation between levels of estrogen during certain periods of a womans life and the incidence of migraine will allow better understanding of the function of this hormone as a cause of migraine. Very little is known about the way in which estrogen actually precipitates migraine, but with an enhanced understanding of the current research that has been done, future research will be promoted on a topic that affects such a considerable proportion of migraineurs. Food (Brandon Pellerin) Various foods have been suspected of triggering migraines for decades (Grant, 1979; Peatfield, 1984). In susceptible people, certain foods and particular compounds contained in these foods are believed to induce trigeminovascular (warning system to protect the brain from tissue injury and toxins) neurons to release neurotransmitters such as calcitonin, gene-related peptide and substance P. The release of these neurotransmitters leads to vasodilation (widening of blood vessels), mast cell degranulation (release of molecules from secretory vesicles called granules), increased vascular permeability (capacity of a blood vessel wall to allow the flow of small molecules), and meningeal edema (accumulation of fluid within the meninges) resulting in neurogenic inflammation (release of inflammatory mediators from neurons) (Sun-Edelstein, 2009). Many common foods such as wheat, eggs, beef, and corn are documented migraine triggers (Grant, 1979). However, the most prevalent food precipitants of migraine are alcohol, chocolate, coffee, fatty foods and artificial sweeteners (Peatfield, 1984). Various compounds present in common foods are suspected to play important roles in the triggering of migraines. Certain amines such as tyramine and phenylethylamine are thought to be precipitators of migraines and are present in alcohol and chocolate (Sun-Edelstein, 2009, Marcus, 1997). Caffeine, also present in chocolate, is believed to be the culprit of coffees capacity of being a trigger (Sun-Edelstein, 2009). Artificial sweeteners themselves such as aspartame and more recently sucralose, have been subjects of research as to their ability to precipitate migraines (Sun-Edelstein, 2009; Bigal, 2006). However, not all migraineurs exhibit sensitivity to food and those that do are not equally affected by each trigger. The food that affects one person may not be the same food that triggers migraine in another, while at the same time a third person may be affected by both. The inconsistency of results keeps food as a continued subject of debate and study in migraine precipitation. The purpose of this research was to determine the role, if any, that sleep disorders, hormones, and food play in the triggering of migraine headaches. The goal of this study was to determine if there is any validity to the conjectures that these are triggers for migraine and if so, which trigger plays the largest role in determining whether or not migraine will occur. To answer these questions, data was gathered from primary sources by searching PubMed and Biological Abstracts. From these studies, each researcher conducted his or her own analysis of the data found within a particular subtopic to determine what correlation that specific cause might have with migraine headache. The information collected in this portion of the research was then combined to determine the relative relationship between the triggers and migraine, using correlation data and p-values to determine which was the overriding cause of migraine headaches. METHODS Sleep Disorders (Amelia Van Handel) In order to find articles relating sleep disorders to migraine, the database Biological Abstracts was used. This database was chosen because Biological Abstracts includes articles from all science-based subject areas and includes many reviews and other literature forms, which proved helpful for background or supplemental information. This database was also chosen because it was a good resource for primary research sources relating to the specific subject matter. Having chosen this database, the search was initiated using keywords relating to the topic. Initially, the subtopic for this section of the research was sensory stimuli, so the search began with the keywords migraine headache* and light. The word headache was truncated so as to provide a larger base of results. This returned 31 articles, but after looking through them, it was determined that most of them were reviews. The lack of primary research led to a search other types of stimuli, common food triggers, and even specific symptoms of migraine associated with the senses. When none of these provided the intended results, it was determined that this subtopic should be changed. Leaving the idea of sensory stimuli behind completely, a search was performed using the words migraine and sleep, which yielded 38 articles. The number of articles and the quality of the source material fit the needs of the research, and thus the search was completed. With a manageable number of articles, those which were most pertinent to the subtopic of sleep disorders were chosen for further analysis. The initial 38 were narrowed by removing those articles which were not primary research. Although the reviews and other literature forms would be helpful for background information, they would not be useful in making comparisons and finding correlation. The article selection was further narrowed by looking for those articles which contained the metrics the research would focus on. With these parameters in place, only 12 articles remained, a number which was determined to be appropriate for drawing conclusions about the correlation between certain triggers and migraine. The metrics of focus chosen for this research pertained to the quality of patients sleep and the correlation this had to the number of migraines they experienced. Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index made it possible to measure the quality of patients sleep. The association between migraine and sleep disorders was reported in the chosen articles, which aided in the determination of the relationship between sleep quality and the number of migraines experienced. Hormones (Kelly Pritzl) All of the primary research articles relating to hormones as a cause of migraines were found online through the search engines Biological Abstracts and PubMed. The same process for finding citations was used with both engines. The search strategy consisted of first examining the results when migraines was entered into the search box. This yielded far too many results; the goal was to restrict the number of articles relevant to hormones as precursors of migraines to 40 or less. In order to refine the search, the entities migraines AND hormones were entered into the search box. To further refine the search, migraines AND estrogen was entered in and results were limited to only clinical trials and articles in English only. After gathering 40 relevant research articles, five articles within these were found containing specific criteria in order to properly conduct the meta-analysis within the topic of hormones and across the three topics of sleep-induced migraines, nutrition and migraines, and hormones and migraines. The criteria for selecting the five best articles included: relevant and useful primary data, p-values, similar subjects and number of subjects, similar methods of data collection, and recentness of publication. Food (Brandon Pellerin) To find relevant articles on the subject of food triggered migraines, the electronic databases Biological Abstracts and PubMed were used. Biological Abstracts was used using a title search for the word migraine* with a secondary title search of food* or diet*. This search turned up 30 records. The asterisk is used to search for any result which contains the root word. More specific searches were done by a title search of migraine* with topic searches of chocolate*, alcohol*, caffeine*, aspartame*, or sucralose*. Similar methods were used using the PubMed database with the exception of the use of the asterisk and the differentiating of topic searches and title searches. General searches were done using migraine and diet and migraine and food. More specific searches were done using the same keywords used in biological abstracts, joined by the and limiter. The articles searched for were published in relevant scientific journals and pertained to the topic of food and its potential to precipitate migraines. Articles that were chosen contained two types of data. One set of data included the results of general surveys that were done to ascertain details of migraineurs attacks, such as various triggers. The second type of data obtained were results from studies of specific foods documented as triggers for migraine. When an article seemed to contain useful information and was able to be accessed online, it was saved as a PDF file for future reference. The data collected from the general surveys consisted of questionnaires asking for details of subjects migraines. A vast amount of information was collected in these surveys such as the type of migraine (with or without aura), associated symptoms of migraine (photophobia, nausea, etc.), frequency, duration, and so on. The information important to this study was that concerning precipitants of migraines. Each survey documented the reported triggers of each subject if a trigger existed. This information is used to ascertain the prevalence of foods as triggers within the population that suffer from migraines. The second data set used results from studies that sought to test whether suspected foods did indeed trigger migraines. The studies relied on correlating migraine occurrences with the consumption of particular foods. The studies analyzed diet and migraine diaries kept by the subjects. The diet records often required subjects to record all food consumption and the time at which it was consumed. Likewise, the migraine diaries required subjects to document the occurrence of migraines and details regarding them such as severity, duration, type, associated symptoms, etc. The studies analyzed the results by comparing the onset of migraine with the consumption of a particular food. If there was a significant increase in the amount of migraines after consumption of a particular food, it was reasonable to conclude it played a role in the triggering of the migraine. RESULTS Sleep Disorders (Amelia Van Handel) As preliminary research, the results of five studies were analyzed. These studies were interested in finding the correlation, if one existed, between sleep disorders and migraine. Four of the five articles documented research conducted by asking patients to record the quality of their sleep and the number of migraine headaches they experienced, either in diary format or by answering questions in a comprehensive questionnaire (Woeber et al., 2007; Alstadhaug et al., 2007; Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). The fifth article focused on removing the stimulus i.e. sleep problems by providing targeted behavioral sleep invention (Calhoun et al., 2007). The researchers then analyzed whether or not there was an improvement in headache frequency to determine if sleeping disorders were correlated with migraine. In order to conduct research on the relationship between sleeping disorders and migraine, only patients who suffered from both conditions could be included in the studies. To determine the level of sleep disruption, two studies measured excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) as a function of a score on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). A score of 10 or higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale indicated EDS. The first study (Barbanti et al., 2007) found that EDS was more common in migraineurs than in controls (14% vs. 5%), and the second study (Peres et al., 2005) found EDS occurred in 85% of chronic migraine sufferers. In the same study, dozing off was a headache trigger in 30% of all patients and 70% of patients with EDS. In both studies, patients who presented with EDS had more frequent migraines (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). In the same two studies, the quality of sleep was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). An overall score of greater than 5 separated poor sleepers from good sleepers on this scale. In both studies, about 90 percent of patients diagnosed with EDS were also categorized as poor sleepers using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Barbanti et al., 2007; Peres et al., 2005). This provided further evidence that poor or inadequate sleep and migraine headaches often occurred in the same patients. On the subject of correlation, all of the articles chosen for analysis found a correlation between sleep disorders and migraine, though most were hesitant to state definitively that the sleeping disorders were the direct cause of the migraine. Two studies found that patients with excessive daytime sleepiness and/or insomnia experienced more migraines after a night of restless or inadequate sleep (Alstadhaug et al., 2007; Barbanti et al., 2007). These migraines were more likely to occur during the morning hours (Alstadhaug et al., 2007). Conversely, another study which focused on EDS noticed a correlation between fatigue and migraine, but they did not believe the results to be conclusive enough to state whether migraines lead to EDS or if EDS is the primary condition leading to migraine (Peres et al., 2005). One study was tracking several different sleep disorders, but found their results to be inconclusive in determining which sleep disorder was most correlated with migraine (Woeber et al., 2007). The researchers did, however, come to the conclusion that tiredness increased the risk of headache and migraine (headache ratio increased from 0.689 to 1.184 in cases where patients were tired) (Woeber et al., 2007). The final study, which attempted to remove the sleep disruptions by using behavioral sleep intervention, found a significant decrease in headache frequency and intensity after successful sleep modification (Calhoun et al., 2007). They were also able to revert chronic migraineurs to episodic migraineurs after improving the quality of sleep in their patients. By the final visit, 48.5% of those who had received behavioral sleep modification instructions had reverted to episodic migraine (Calhoun et al., 2007). Hormones (Kelly Pritzl) The purpose of the individual meta-analysis was to determine when hormones were most involved in the precipitation of migraine. Two of the studies used only females as subjects. (Dezoljic, 2002 and Kibler, 2005) The subjects in two other studies consisted of males and females with medically diagnosed cases of migraine. (Kelman, 2007 and Rasmussen, 1993) The subjects in the remaining study were self-reported male and female migraineurs (Russel, 1996) All of the studies were researching adults. The mean age of subjects for all the studies was the mid-thirties. (Dezoljic, 2002; Kelman, 2007; Kibler, 2005; Rasmussen, 1993; Russell, 1996) The methods used in all of the articles were very similar. Four of the studies conducted a clinical examination to confirm a diagnosis of migraine and were followed by a questionnaire or an interview to collect data on lifestyle of the subjects and possible causes of their migraines. One of the studies involved self report of migraine status and if the subject indicated positively, they were issued a questionnaire. (Russell, 1996) In all of the studies, incidence of migraine caused by fluctuations in hormones was overwhelmingly more prevalent in females than by males. This indicates that female sex hormones, such as estrogen, play a significant role in the onset of migraine. Food (Brandon Pellerin) Four articles were used that studied triggers of migraine in various populations (Kelman, 2007; Spierings, 2001; Takeshima, 2004; Chabriat, 1999). The studies used surveys to gather information about a population. The individuals chosen for the surveys were either random people or known migraine sufferers. In the case of the random surveying, individuals that reported having migraines were instructed to complete a detailed migraine questionnaire. Three of these studies (Kelman, 2007; Spierings, 2001; Chabriat, 1999) show evidence of food as a precipitant for migraine. Of these three studies, at least 26% of individuals documented food as being a trigger. The fourth study (Takeshima, 2004) shows little evidence of this as it reports less then 1% of surveyors listing food as a trigger. Of these four studies, two (Kelman, 2007; Spierings, 2001) listed alcohol as a separate category and reported about 40% of individuals claiming alcohol as a trigger for migraine. Alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners are among the most often cited food triggers for migraine (Sun-Edelstein, 2009; Peatfield, 1984). The high frequency of these claims makes these subjects of particular interest. Articles were obtained that studied these particular triggers in order to ascertain whether they did indeed trigger migraine. Two case studies were found that documented the artificial sweetener sucralose as a probable precipitant of migraine (Bigal, 2006; Rajendrakumar, 2006). In the two studies, migraine attacks were documented at least 90% of the time after the individuals consumed a beverage containing the sweetener. In one study this was ascertained through correlating a food diary with the occurrences of migraine (Bigal, 2006). The other study (Rajendrakumar, 2006) relied on administering different sodas that contained and did not contain sucralose. It was found that only the sodas containing the sweetener triggered migraines.