Contemporary Issues in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Contemporary Issues in Business - Essay Example These approaches evidently require some changes in order to finally establish a relevant achievement rate on the part of an organisation. However, in implementing them, there are difficulties that organisations have had in the past when trying to implement new approaches to performance improvement in business management operations. The work at hand tries to provide TQM and BPR as common examples of modern business approaches which have had high failure rates with the discussion why this took place and its probable impact on the attempts of companies to become lean. In reality, organisations are very able to make changes in the way they operate or when they introduce new systems. This is evident in the idea that every organisation has relevant management system that they follow or initiate. In fact, in the presence of tough competition, organisations have felt the necessity to do the right thing, in order for them to establish a market share and remain in the competition. Doing the right thing, in modern time means embracing change. This allows the organisation to do what is essential. In fact, there are various organisations at present that try to implement new business approaches such as TQM and BPR. However, in implementing these, it is also evident that organisations face remarkable difficulties too. These difficulties in general are in line with how the organisations operate, how they will implement the actual new approaches or changes and how they will evaluate and initiate the necessary corrective measures or control. These are some of t he most important issues that the work at hand specifically emphasises. In the first place, some difficulties when organisations need to change the way they operate include finding the right actual approach on how the human resource should respond to change. For instance, changing the basic outlook and orientation of

Labor Union History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Labor Union History - Essay Example Labor unions became prominent in the aftermath of the Civil War. The National Labor Union was the first US union. Another famous labor union was the American Federation of Labor which was established in the late nineteenth century. It acted as a federation for skilled workers unions. In 1905 the Industrial Workers of the World was formed to represent unskilled workers. There are two umbrella organizations for unions. One of them is AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Federation. They have advocated policies that are beneficial for workers. They also have played an important role in increasing the working conditions of workers. This paper traces the history of American labor unions from World War II till the present era (Vittoz, 45). The Congress of Industrial Organizations was established by an autocratic person John Lewis. The CIO organized millions of workers in the 1930s. Lewis was a charismatic speaker and strategist whose speeches forced the closure of the coal industry to ensure that his demands were met. Lewis supported President Roosevelt at the onset of the New Deal. Roosevelt had tremendous appeal with workers. Lewis sent organizers to mobilize thousands of workers to support President Roosevelt. He was one of the main financial supporters of Roosevelt. It is estimated that he contributed over five hundred thousand dollars to Roosevelt's election campaign (Zieger, 65). Lewis organized trade unions in the... By organizing steelworkers, Lewis clashed with the AFL. The AFL represented workers from all industries rather than a particular trade (Zieger, 85). Lewis pushed for a change in the policy of the AFL with regards to industrial organizing. He did this by calling upon leaders of other unions within the AFL. William Green who was the president of AFL opposed Lewis and considered him as an enemy. The CIO was now known as the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Lewis firmly established the organization as a rival federation opposed to the AFL. Lewis's organization provided the financial muscle to the CIO as they organized drives to recruit workers and form trade unions. Phillip Murray was the protg of Lewis. He was made the head of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee. The UAW conducted the Flint and Chrysler sit-down strikes in the 1930s in which Lewis successfully used negotiations to approve worker demands. The CIO had a total strength of 2,850,000 workers in 1942. The economic depression of the 1930s caused a decline in the labor union membership. The union movement was also marked by failures to obtain concessions from the mass production industries and to organize the workers. However during the 1930s, the US congress passed legislation during the New Deal. Collective bargaining was allowed by the passing of the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933. Businesses were also required to maintain good relations with trade unions under the 1935 Wagner Act. Prices and wages were stabilized by the National Recovery Administration. A number of regulations were imposed that set price and production standards for all kinds of goods. However this had an adverse impact on the labor unions since employers had to hire people at an expensive

There are two questions. I need to analyze and give my opinion Research Paper

There are two questions. I need to analyze and give my opinion - Research Paper Example Economic theory covers the four major fields of human society i.e. consumption together with aggregation, household production and the choices concerning investments to be made over the time, uncertainties, the influence of competitive equilibrium over crime, social interactions, economic growth, etc. and lastly the imperfect competitions like monopoly (Becker). Economic theory has a great significance in forming a sound social order. There is nothing eccentric and strange about its place in the social life of humans. Rather it is highly applicable and provides solutions to many problems(Wellington 384-388). Considering the given scenario in the light of economic theory, the basic commonalty that I have identifiedis that they both are the result of consumption and aggregation issues on the micro economic level. In both the situations Sam Slime has exploited the victim.However, in the first scenario he has used the usual criminal tactics of robbing and therefore he got trapped by the police but in the other situation he used the political influence so as to get hold of his hidden motives. As stated in the economic theory the fundamental force behind the criminal activities is the competitive equilibrium which indicates that the fluctuation in the market prices of fundamentally required commodities effected the overall consumption of Sam Slime.This enabled him to indulge into such criminal acts while on the other hand his social interactions withpoliticians helped him to achieve his evil desires. In the second situation he benefitted from the poor political structure prevailing in the country. He just simply became a loyal supporter of the politician who then imposed tax over the victim so as to get $50 from him which was eventually given to Sam Slime.Research indicates that in a consumer-capitalist society prevalence of justice is comparatively difficult than other social systems. Irremediable acts such as the one committed by Sam Slime are a consequence of conv entional economic theory and overall unethical practices(Trainer 7-23). Stealing money using any means is not only a criminal activity rather it is also a highly unethical conduct. However, when such an act is committed using the laws and political influence than it causes greater damage which is the most significant difference in both the situation. In the first case, Sam Slime robbed $50 though it was the only amount left with the victim.Yet it was not that detrimental for him as he was able to save his life by giving the money.But in the second case when he refused to pay the tax so as to keep safe his $50, he was caught up by the police and was convicted for law violation although his act was completely justified. This indicated that theft done on the national level or through the use of political influence as in the given scenario produces much more detrimental consequences. Is stealingthrough the political process any less morally reprehensible than  stealing done individual ly? Ethics are the fundamental driving forces of human life whose absence might lead to irreparable consequences not only for the individual but also for the people around him. Ethics are responsible for the rational humanactivities and also to keep humans far away from offense (Bruno). Stealing is yet another criminal act which is condemned legally, morally and socially. However when it is correlated with the political process then it is slightly difficult to analyze its moral status. In

Gender and Sexuality Barriers in Healthcare

Gender and Sexuality Barriers in Healthcare â€Å"Vancouver School Board Introduces Gender-Neutral Pronouns† – and many similar headlines spanned across website pages and swept newspapers stands just this past summer, surely an indication of progressive politics in action for the queer people of Vancouver. In this case, giving non-binary and gender-neutral identifying students in Vancouver a chance to use gender-neutral pronouns – pronouns that do not make assumptions about a person’s gender. No longer are they stuck having their identities ignored at school: they can be recognized and respected in official records for who they are. This recent event demonstrates how the social barriers that complicate the lives of queer people are disintegrating; however to me, it begs the question: are the same barriers disintegrating within the workplace? Or are they still present and as strong as ever? The barriers in question being a situation or event in which a non-binary gender (transgender) identified indiv idual is treated differently to a non-transgender individual, or if the same discrimination applies to someone because of their sexual preferences (sexuality). It is also important to understand the definition of â€Å"queer† and the false negative connotation that society associates with the word. The negativity stems from its original meaning of â€Å"bizarre†, â€Å"strange†, or â€Å"outlandish†; however, the word has evolved over time to now define and encompass people within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. In its essence, the evolution of the word is parallel to societies’ attitudes towards queer individuals – changing rapidly for a virtuous cause. Not only is the discrimination being experienced by queer people unethical, disrespectful, and wrong, but these barriers that Eliason et al., Brewster et al., and others have proven to exist through their research must be preventing a whole range of studies and fields of research from progressing as lawyers, scientists, doctors, and more are not hired solely based on their gender or sexuality (Eliason et al., 1365). It is also evident that many queer people will in fact leave their work place because of the discrimination, or even be fired because of higher management discovering their sexuality or gender (Eliason et al., 1365). In an effort to diminish these clearly existing barriers, the most prominent ones in the field of healthcare will be researched and discussed: What do scholars suggest are some of the key gender and sexuality barriers that exist within healthcare, and prevent others from entering healthcare in 21st century North America? Beginning with gender barriers that queer patients face inside the field itself, it is clear that physicians are less comfortable working with male-to-female (MTF) and female-to-male (FTM) transgender individuals than lesbian, bisexual, or gay (LGB) individuals, based on Eliason et al.’s research in 2011. The study spanned 45% of LGBT physicians in the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and a select number of heterosexual, non-transgender physicians in the American Medical Association (AMM). Of the male physicians in the AMM, only 65% felt comfortable working with MTF patients, and 64% felt comfortable working with FTM patients (Eliason et al., 1363). The female physicians in the AMM came in with slightly elevated numbers: 66% felt comfortable working with MTF patients, and 69% felt comfortable working with FTM patients (Eliason et al., 1363). These numbers are relatively low when compared to comfortableness levels of physicians working with LGB patients. This can generally b e expected, as society has had more time to grow accustomed to LGB individuals, and thus most physicians are more comfortable when practicing with LGB patients, with an average comfortableness rate of 92%, 93.5%, and 91.25%, respectively (Eliason et al., 1363). A physician’s uncomfortableness levels with MTF and FTM patients can be related to unacceptable behaviour such as denying of patient referrals and accusation of â€Å"unethical behaviour† (Eliason et al., 1365). Non-conventional gender and transgender ideals â€Å"[†¦] challenge prevailing social conventions regarding the expression of gender [†¦]†, according to Brewster et al., who quoted Fassinger and Arsenau in their 2007 study, and are very new to not only the healthcare workplace, but society in general (61). However, according to Eliason et al., queer discomfort with patients stems from not only general unease due to differing societal norms, but the lack of LGBT education within medical s chools across the United States. Their study finds that some students are only exposed to as little as one hour of transgender health studies across their whole time spent at medical school. Of which, 56% of the students described the little time they had as â€Å"unhelpful†, whereas 76% of the students said that their own â€Å"personal experience working with LGBT patients† was very helpful (Eliason et al., 1362). Based on this research, these personal experiences should be cultivated in medical school in order to prepare students for facing real life experiences with LGBT patients when they proceed to become a physician. Even after stepping out of the healthcare work environment and looking at entrance to the field of healthcare as an LGB individual, it is apparent that sexuality barriers of entry to healthcare exist during even the earliest stages of education. 15% of students in Merchant’s, Jongco’s, and Artemio’s study were found not to disclose their sexuality during admission interviews to medical school because they felt that they would not be admitted if they did (786). Another 17% of students did not disclose their sexuality because they felt uncomfortable in the interview environment (Merchant, Jongco, Artemio, 786). Based on this evidence, one can extrapolate that a medical school which openly advertises LGBT support and education would essentially disintegrate these problems of interview admission, and also help bridge the apparent â€Å"not at all comfortable† gap between physicians and LGBT patients (Eliason et al., 1363). In the bigger picture, a student†™s sexuality is of no concern to any admission advisor of any school; students are not admitted, or should have their admission affected by their sexuality or gender identification. Additionally, from an objective point of view, if a medical school were to publicly advertise their openness and accepting nature of LGBT students, they would have more students apply and thus gain popularity, as LGBT students will seek out education in environments in which they are accepted and respected. This is evident in Merchant’s, Jongco’s, and Artemio’s study, which displays a drastic increase in the number of students willing to disclose their sexuality when applying for university residence, as they are aware of the university in question’s advertised â€Å"affirming environment†, and that there is no consequence for admitting so (787). Even after graduating medical school, LGBT physician’s work environments do not seem to improve in any notable fashion. Common experiences amongst colleagues in the workplace consist of 65% of LGBT individuals recall hearing â€Å"disparaging remarks†, 22% feeling â€Å"socially ostracized†, and 15% being harassed by their fellow coworkers (Eliason et al., 1365). General psychology agrees that this discrimination is mostly due to the simple human nature of pushing away things that do not fit the sociological norm. Conversely, Brewster et al. present an alternative view on the source of workplace discomfort with LGBT individuals; describing the workplace relationships as being built from â€Å"lower job satisfaction and higher anxiety†, using Lyons et al.’s, Smith Ingram’s, and Waldo’s research to prove their point (61). Although almost all researchers agree that the negativity towards LGBT patients, LGBT physicians in the workplace, and LGBT students is decreasing, there is a common consensus among gender and sexuality researchers that it is difficult to measure the rate of change in negativity (Burke, White, 61; Eliason et al., 1366). The difficulty arises from having simply too small of a sample size for conducting research at regular intervals of time. Burke and White argue that LGB individuals comprise of roughly 3% of the population (a very â€Å"conservative estimate†), and that if these proportions apply to the healthcare field, there would only be 20,000 LGB physicians across the country (61). And of course, not all of these physicians would be willing to participate in a study. This limits a research essay to only having a select few studies available for analysis. Another limitation that exists within queer research is the fact that gender-variant and differing sexualities are very new, and thus have had less time to be observed and addressed. However, as society becomes more accepting over the course of time in the workplace, the barriers of gender and sexuality to healthcare should shatter to give rise to acceptance, and research will hopefully not be in need at all. Works Cited Eliason, Michele J., Suzanne L. Dibble, and Patricia A. Robertson. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Physicians Experiences in the Workplace. Journal of Homosexuality 58.10 (2011): 1355-371. LGBT Life with Full Text. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. Brewster, Melanie E., Velez Brandon, DeBlaere Cirleen, and Moradi Bonnie. Transgender Individuals Workplace Experiences: The Applicability of Sexual Minority Measures and Models. Journal of Counseling Pyschology 59 (2012): 60-70. PsycARTICLES. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. Burke, Brian. P., White, Jocelyn C. The Well-being of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Physicians. Western Journal of Medicine 174.1 (2001): 59-62. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. Merchant, Roland C., Artemio M. Jongco, and Luke Woodward. Disclosure of Sexual Orientation by Medical Students and Residency Applicants. Academic Medicine 80.8 (2005): 786. PsycINFO. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

BioServer Systems Selection Process Essay -- Information Technology

BioServer Systems Selection Process BioServer Systems (BSS) provides secure web server space to its clients. The company is young but has grown exponentially thanks to its groundbreaking encryption technology that is sought after by many businesses including luring some government clients. Stanley Jausneister owns the company and was able to capitalize on his network of pharmaceutical contacts he amassed from his former career in that industry. A longtime client has recently had to fire one of its employees for attempting to sell pharmaceutical cultures to someone overseas. The client realized that they not only had problems with their background checks but contacted Stanley to see if BSS was indeed conducting background checks that were valid. An analysis of BSS interview process and subsequent background testing will be reviewed. Recommended Background Testing for BSS BSS has many clients that have access to data that could affect the national security of the United States. Their clients have access to cultures of potential bioterrorist weapons including the plague and anthrax. When hiring for a new position, all candidates should complete a blank application that is submitted along with their resume. The blank application and resume will reveal any discrepancies in the application. Since the data stored on their servers needs to be secured at all times, a consumer credit check should be conducted as well as a review of criminal history. A consumer credit report according to Heneman & Judge (2012), â€Å"are prepared from accessible databases by a consumer reporting agency and bear on the person’s creditworthiness and standing, character, general reputation, personal information and mode of living† (p. 406). To comply with feder... ...ait Taxonomy: History, Measurement, and Conceptual Issues. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 114- 158). New York, NY: Guilford Press. Peck, B. (2012). Employment Credit Checks: The Case for Requiring Employers to Use More Accurate and Fair Assessments. Retrieved from http://www.demos.org/publication/employment-credit-checks-case-requiring-employers- use-more-accurate-and-fair-assessments Robbins, S.P. & Coulter, M. (2007). Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Rosen, C.B. (2008). Conducting Employee Background Checks: Navigating Current Rules. Retrieved from http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1199354727551 Tomassi, K.D. (2006). Most Common Resume Lies. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/20/resume-lies-work_cx_kdt_06work_0523lies.html

Robinson Crusoe :: Free Essay Writer

Robinson Crusoe Robinson Crusoe was written by Daniel Defoe. The novel was firstpublished in 1719. It tells the story of a young explorer who becomes maroonedon a deserted island. His experiences of the island change his outlook on life. Daniel Defoe was a short story writer that came from an poor family.Defoe was poor for most of his life and made his living as a butcher and awriter. Defoe mostly wrote short stories and political essays. Robinson Crusoewas a combination of two short stories. Many believe Defoe used RobinsonCrusoe to portray himself in a certain ways. The description was almostidentical to his own and after his wife left him, he felt as if he was marooned on a deserted island. The story takes place in the 1700s on a deserted island somewhere off thecoast of Brazil. The island is fairly large in size and has a small shore. Theinterior of the island has many trees, wild pigs and other small animals and asmall cave in which Crusoe stores food. I walked about the shore lifting up my hands. Look around, I see nothing but water, a forest, and the remains of my ship. At first, I was afraid of wild animals but after some exploration of the land, the only animals I had seen were wild pigs, squirrels, and some small birds.The only possessions that Crusoe retrieved from the remains of his ship were asmall knife, a box of tabacco, a pipe, and a small book that would later becomehis journal. Robinson Crusoe was a young and stubborn explorer. He was extremelytall and strong. His stay on the island changed him from a mean, stubborn manto an open-minded protestant. Standing at six feet, two inches and having my long, thick brown hair back in a ponytail, I felt as if I was eight feet tall. Without the permission of my parents, I was still sailing away from the misery. I held the cargo box is my strong arms, waiting to board my beautiful ship.Crusoe became a skilled craftsman and was an extremely religious man due tohis stay on the island. Being the only man on the entire island, he established afaith in God. He also became more articulate from writing in a journal daily.Overall, his stay on the island changed Crusoe's life greatly. As the story begins, Robinson Crusoe defies his parents and sets out tosea. Crusoe encounters a series of violent storms at sea and ends up in Africa.

Metabical Case

Table Of Contents 1. 0 2. 0 3. 0 Introduction Executive Summary Situation Analysis 3. 1 Identification Of The Problem 3. 2 Market Analysis 3. 3 SWOT Analysis 3. 4 Target Market Marketing Communication Strategy 4. 1 Marketing Communication Plan/Objectives 4. 2 Marketing Budget 4. 3 Schedule for Key Marketing Communication Activities 4. 4 Promotional Strategies 4. 4. 1 Advertising Strategies 4. 4. 2 Promotion and Public Relations 4. 4. 3 Sales Force 4. 4. 4 Comprehensive Support Program 4. 5 Product Strategies 4. 6 Distribution Strategies 4. 7 Pricing Strategies 4. 7. 1 Potential Customer 4. 7. 2 Sales Forecast 4. . 3 Return on Investment (ROI) Conclusion 4. 0 5. 0 1 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Cambridge Science Pharmaceuticals (CSP) was an International health care company with a focus on developing, manufacturing, and marketing products that treat metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, immune deficiencies, as well as other chronic and acute medical conditions. The company captured ove r $25 billion in sales in 2007. Barbara Printup is the senior director of marketing of CSP who is responsible for the most successful product by CSP, Zimistat. CSP had assigned Printup to be in-charged of the upcoming U.S product launch of CSP ¶s newest prescription drug, Metabical. Barbara Printup, Senior Director of marketing for Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals (CSP) will be the person who is responsible in the product launch of Metabical which scheduled for January 2009. It was now February 2008, and Printup ¶s first order of business was to develop a viable positioning strategy and associated marketing communications plan for Metabical. 2. 0 Executive Summary Cambridge Science Pharmaceuticals (CSP) came out with the first prescription drug approved by the FDA specifically for overweight individuals called Metabical.The majority of Metabical trials participants reached their weight-loss goals by week 12. Although pricing had not been finalized, CSP estimated the retail pri ce for the drug would be approximately $3 to $5 per day, with the average course treatment lasting 12 weeks. In this report, we will conduct an analysis for CSP ¶s product, Metabical starting from the analysis of the industry. We will then elaborate the issues regarding overweight and obesity in the United States and analyse the market survey done by the company regarding overweight issues in order for us to decide which is the best market segmentation that we should target.The second focus in this report would be the positioning strategy which we will state the point of parity and point of differences of Metabical and come out with the positioning strategy and target market. The third focus will be the the SWOT analysis of the product which we will state the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Metabical which lead us in deciding which marketing communication strategy need to be taken next. Finally, we will discuss on marketing communication strategy which best su it with the product so that CSP able to communicate well with the target consumer.To decide the best positioning strategy and marketing communication plan, CSP had spent so much time and money in R&D and on FDA trials for Metabical. Printup was well aware that in order to recoup this massive investment, the drug need not only a successful launch, but also long term, steady demand. If Metabical were not successful with initial consumers, credibility of the drug would be in question and FDA approval would mean little. Printup still needed to flesh out the optimal segmentation, targeting and positioning of the drug, Then she could move on to assessing her current marketing 2 ommunications strategy and developing a timeline for the key activities. The case study had led us in analysing and deciding who was the ideal target consumer? How should each participant in the decision-making process to be addressed? How could these participant best be reached? What was the appropriate message to convey to one of them? What was the role of the support program? What was the optimal rollout schedule for the key marketing communications activities? In this report, Printup will provide all recommendations for the successfull marketing communication strategy and to ensure the long-term steady demand for Metabical. . 1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM OVERVIEW OF OVERWEIGHT ISSUES IN THE UNITED STATE Excess weight is considered a public health crisis in the U. S, with approximately 65% of the entire adult population categorized as overweight, obese, or severely obese. Being overweight is related to a number of serious health complications, and according to the American Obesity Association in 2005, ? the second leading cause of preventable death in U. S. In addition to health risks, overweight individuals endure a significant social stigma as well as outright discrimination.Laziness and self indulgence are common stereotypes associated with this group. Many overweight people feel lik e social outcasts. The professional life of an overweight individual could also be negatively affected, as excess weight has been found to adversely influence, hiring decisions, wages, and promotions. Researchers and health care professionals measure excess weight using the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale. The BMI scale, which calculates the relationship between weight and height associated with body fat and health risk, is appropriate for both men and women.It has three BMI categories of excess weight for adults:overweight (25 to 30); obese (30 to 40); and severely, or morbidly obese (over 40). According to CDC National Centre for Health Statistics in 2002, 65% adults age 20-74 are overweight. Overweight can give negative impact to the people ¶s life such as coronary heart disease, endometrial, breast and colon cancer, gynecological problem, stroke, liver disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, hyper tension and many other diseases. People are getting fatter almost everywhere in the world. In 2005, 1. 6 billion adults in the world are overweight while 400 million are obese.The World Health Organization predicts there will be 2. 3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and more than 700 million of them will be obese. MARKET ANALYSIS Marketing survey An extensive market survey had been conducted in 2007 which included 1,000 men and 1,000 women age ranging from 18 to 70 with BMIs of 25 to 29. 9 from various socioeconomics levels. The objective of the market survey is for CSP to understand the consumer ¶s behaviour and what they actually want. 3. 2 3 At first 70% of respondents surveyed were not satisfied with their current weight. 5% 0f them said were actively trying to lose weight but just 15% of them mentioned that were comfortable using drugs to help their weight-loss goals. When we described the benefits of Metabical to participants, 12 % of them immediately ask us to make an appointment with health care providers and request a prescription. I n terms of satisfaction with their current weight in each gender, 75% of women and 65% of men mentioned were dissatisfied with their current weight and appearance, whereas 50% of women and just 30% of men visited a health care provider for annual physical test.Base on survey which respondents mentioned 55% of women and 40% of men wanted to change their behavior to live a healthy lifestyle. While 60% of women and 30% of men said tried and failed to lose weight in past five years. The survey results reveal 65% and 35% of respondents were dissatisfied with current weight-loss options on the market for women and men respectively. In our data pool educational level of respondents as they mentioned was that 75% hold a college degree and 45% hold high school diploma and they were aware of the health risks associated with being moderately overweight.Based on respondents ¶ report, 65% of 18 to 35 years old respondents said that they wish to lose weight to look better and the rest (35%) of the same age group respondents said that they wish to lose weight to improve their overall health. While respondents with 35 years old and above have percentages 40% answers for good looks and 60% for better health. According to survey results 5%, 11% and 20% of respondents who have income level less than $40000, between $40,000 and more than$80,000 respectively mention that they would be willing to pay ? ut of pocket ? for a prescription weight-loss drug. Therefore according to the survey there is a need for a better weight loss drug which is proven and safe to lead a health lifestyle. Market Research Based on statistic on adult population in United States between 1976 and 2000 obviously we can see the percentage of obese and overweight steadily increasing. The percentage of overweight population who had BMI between 25 and 30 which categorized in overweight group was 34% in year 2000. while in the same year 25. % of U. S. populations categorized as obese and 4. 7% into severely obe se. Also the percentage of obesity were rise steadily with age in both gender with the highest occurrence among men age 65 to 74 and women age of 55 to 64 and with overall more prevalence in men rather than women. As we can see the percentage of obese had inversely related with education level and income level. The highest obesity percentages were in less than $25,000 with 32. 5% and level of education less than high school with 27. 4%.Through this experience and strong need to cater the moderately overweight people, health care providers saw their potential customers in them who want to lose unhealthy pounds. Health care providers went ahead to produce the drug and recommend them to use it besides getting help from diet and 4 exercise schedules. Based on reports which were obtained from health care providers one of their major concerns about weight-loss drug was that patients would get back weight when they stopped taking pills. We try to achieve psychographic segmentation of overw eight.According to research which was done on females, they have verity of aims to lose weight. In age 18 to 30 with high school education and under $40000 income have low self-esteem and unrealistic expectation to look like a movie star. And in age group between 25 to 40 with college education and income level $50,000$80,000 said willing to alter current behavior to get back to their old physic. While age 35 to 65 with college education plus and more than $80,000 income mentioned ready to make change to be healthier. In age group 45 to 65 with some college education and income $40,000 to $60,000 want to lose weight but if it is easy.In age group 40 to 65 with some college education and income $30,000-$50,000 they accepted their overweight and they don ¶t want to change the lifestyle. Printup also commissioned a study to analyse psychographic segmentation of overweight individuals. The study revealed that women demonstrated the most distinct segmentation. Out of five psychographic profiles, we feel that CSP should focus into two of it segmentation which is as follows: SEGMENT ? I want to be healthier? DESCRIPTION Want to lose weight to feel better and live longer.Knowledgeable about the importance of nutrition and exercise. Ready to make a change. Focused on gold of reclaiming former weight. Motivated and willing to alter current behaviour. TYPICAL DEMORGRAGPHIC PROFILE Age 35 to 65, college education plus, household income $80,000+ ?I want to wear my skinny jeans? Age 25 to 40, college education, household income $50,000 – $60,000 To support the above findings, in February 2008 focus group study revealed their dissatisfaction with current weight-loss options and the desire for a proven and safe way to drop excess weight.This focus group participants also expressed the desire for a prescription ±strength drug with FDA approval and clinical result to back up weight-loss claim. 5 3. 3 SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT Analysis is a Strategic Planning method that is used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a business. It involves monitoring the internal and external marketing environment. Table 1 : SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. FDA approval Safe and effective in achieving significant weight loss. Less harmful compared to other products.One pill per day Average course treatment lasting12 weeks Combination of Calosera and meditanan created dramatic effect for weight loss. Strong and Comprehensive marketing strategy Experience marketing and R&D team Allocate substantial amount of money in marketing budget i. ii. WEAKNESSES Negative side effect-gastrointestinal discomfort. Not effective for individual with BMI>30 OPPORTUNITIES i. ii. iii. iv. Comprehensive support program Health care plans to include Metabical in their prescription drug program 65% of adult population categorized as over weight, obese or severely obese.No prescription  ± drug options for overweight segment (BMI 25-30 ) available in 2008 except drug Alli approved by FDA Market research indicated of high indication of people wanting to loss weight. i. ii. iii. THREATS FDA imposed stringent regulation due to negative side-effect cases. Increasing herbal / dietary supplements Deceptive marketing claims. v. 3. 3. 1 STRENGTH CSP believed that its prescription drug, Metabical, is far more superior than any weight-loss solution on the market because Metabical would be the first prescription drug approved by the FDA specifically for overweight individuals (i. . , those with BMI of 25 to 30). The combination of calosera and meditonan produced dramatic weight loss for overweight individuals and it is find to be less harmful as compared to other weight loss drugs. It worked in a low dose formulation, thereby reducing stress on heart or liver function than other weight loss drugs tended to produce. Metabical also contained a controlled release feature that required only one pill to be taken per day with aver age course of treatment lasting 12 weeks. It also helps in changing people behavior to a healthier eating habits.CSP is an international company with a strong and experienced marketing and R&D team. CSP has developed a comprehensive marketing strategies and have allocated substantial amount of money in marketing budget. 6 3. 3. 2 WEAKNESSES Despite of its strength, Metabical has few negative side effects associated with excess fat and calories in the diet. It occurs when users consumed high level of fat and calories. These side effects were similar to the gastrointestinal discomfort caused by Alli, only less severe.Metabical ¶s formulation however is not very effective in helping individuals with BMIs of 30 or greater and was, therefore, not recommended for this group. 3. 3. 3 OPPORTUNIES Excess weight is considered a public health crisis in the U. S and approximately 65% of the entire adult population categorized as overweight, obese or severely obese. With these large population , it creates an even bigger market share for Metabical. In addition, no prescription drug option specifically for the overweight segment (BMI of 25 to 30) were available in 2008 except for drug Alli had been approved by the FDA for weight loss used.Meaning there will be no strong competitor for Metabical for the time being. From the market survey and market research conducted by CSP, it showed high indication of people actively wanting to lose weight and live a healthy life style with comprehensive support program will enable individuals to achieve better results than they would from the pill alone. In addition, the support program would teach lifestyle skills for healthy weight maintenance after the initial weight loss was achieved. 3. 3. 4 THREATThe drug industry faced several safety concerns with regard to weight-loss drugs and had been accused of deceptive marketing claims that dempened enthusiasm for the products. This deceptive marketing claim had damaged the industry credibil ity and to regain consumer ¶s confidence would be another big challenge to the drug industries. The rising in the numbers of dietary supplements and herbal products had worsened the situation due to its unregulated condition by the FDA and the products negative side effect such as sudden cardiac death and other serous health risks had reduse people confidence in weight loss drugs. . 4 TARGET MARKET In developing a viable positioning strategy in order to determine the right target market, CSP had conducted an extensive market survey of overweight individuals in the year 2007. Under the market analysis, Barbara Printup also carried out a study to analyze psychographic segmentation of the overweight individuals and they found out that women demonstrated the most distinct segmentation. Based on these findings from the market survey, market research and the psychographic segmentation, we suggest that the target market for Metabical are as the following: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 4. 0 Specifica lly for overweight individuals with BMI of 25 to 30. Women with age ranging from 25-65 Women with household income between $50,000 – $80,000 Women with college education and above Concern with health issues caused by overweight and actively trying to lose weight Willing to change current behavior and to live healthy lifestyle MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY The communication strategy of a prescription weight loss drug such as Metabical had to address all participants in the decision making process.Therefore, the communication strategy must focus on two main targets firstly, the Healthcare Providers and secondly direct to consumers who would be prescribing the medication. The marketing communication strategy should also address the concern of the healthcare providers which is  µthe patient would regain weight after they stop taking the pills ¶ and to include in the communication process by providing solution through Metabical and its continuous support program.As far the end consumers the communication process must address their concern which is  µwant to lose weight to feel better and live longer ¶. The initial Metabical launch budget is as per Table 2 below: Table 2 : Marketing Budget YEAR 1 ADVERTISING Push (Prescriber) Pull (Direct To Customer) Total Advertising $ 1,000,000 $ 12,000,000 ——————-$ 13,000,000 $ 200,000 $ 600,000 $ 2,000,000 $ 500,000 $ 200,000 ——————-$ 3,500,000 $ 3,500,000 $ 800,000 ——————-$ 4,300,000 $ 600,000 $ 1,491,000 $ 255,000 $ 23,146,000 PROMOTIONDevelopment of Support Program Lunch & Learn Seminars / Other Promo Production of Support Program Training / Promotion Materials Direct Mailing To Health Care Providers Total Promotion PUBLIC RELATIONS Medical Education Meeting and Event Press Release / Materials Total Public Relations Market Research Sales Force Allocation Product Management Allocation TOTAL BUDGET It is also very important for the marketing communication strategy to have the timeline for the key marketing activities and we proposed the optimal roll out schedule for key marketing communications activities to be as follows: 8Table 3 : Schedule of Marketing Communication Activities TIME LINE Sales Force Road show On Clinical Information by sales Pharmacies Team Advertising To Create Brand Awarenes & Knowledge Advertising Branding Image Promotion & Public Relation Product Launch Continues Support Program YEAR 1 YEAR 2 FEB 2008 JAN 2009 4. 4. 1 ADVERTISING A sum of $13. 0 million had been allocated for these push and pull advertising. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is a new phenomenon in the drug industry due to the introduction of guidelines by the FDA in 1997 that opened up the flood gates to the drug advertisements.The first year, CSP should aggressively spend on the advertising activities to DTC in order to create product knowledge and brand awareness which include television, online (website), radio advertisements and press conference during the product launch in January 2009. In order to meet its objective we propose that the advertisement strategy must go with the tagline ? Losing weight is tough, You don ¶t have to do it alone. Let Metabical and your healthcare provider start you on the road to a healthy weight and better lifestyle?.The Senior Executive of CSP did not agree with the idea of celebrity endorser but we strongly believe that this celebrity spokesperson idea is a great idea and able to attract more customers to buy Metabical. As we know that celebrities have become the trend setter and very influential in terms of their style of dressing, hairstyle, cosmetic that they are wearing, their car model and even what they eat. Thus, a celebrity like Oprah Winfrey can be very influential in attracting more customers especially when she endorse Metabical in her talk show program.Metabical ¶s advertising strategy should also target the professional medical community which is the healthcare provider. For example, they could create a campaign by print ads in leading medical publications and interactive ads online related to health issues in order to raise awareness about the drug and its benefits. 9 This advertising concepts which aimed to healthcare provider must go along with the tagline ? Empower your patients to lose excess weight. Change their unhealthy eating habits and achieve long term success.Introducing Metabical short-term drug therapy and comprehensive support program for overweight patients. It gets results? 4. 4. 2 PROMOTION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS The promotion and public relations budget also included campaign aimed at both healthcare providers and the end consumers. The total budget allocated for this campaign is $4. 3 mil with $1. 3 mil was allocated for promotional campaign in the first year. Before the Metabical launch, pamphlets and reply card for sample of support program should be mai led to 100,000 health care providers as a direct mail campaign.These pamphlets contain information about Metabical. The next best campaign that the marketing communication strategy should focus heavily on is the viral marketing campaign in order to reach the market globally. This viral marketing involves internet sales, social network such as facebook, twitter and blogs in order to create buzz for Metabical. Infact, CSP should set up a team on this viral marketing campaign in order to reach customers faster and cheaper globally.The plan to launch an online contest during Metabical launching day is a good idea whereby Metabical users would have the chance to compete who could reduce their BMI ¶s by the highest percentage. Normally in the weight loss industry, people want to see results and testimonial on the drugs. ` We consider the Public Relations efforts to include pre-launch and atlaunch press release is a good more because it can act as a teaser ad and to inform the public at large that Metabical is the newly safe weight loss drug in the market.The roundtable discussion involving prominent leaders member of media and medical professional in the medical community and medical research symposium to members of media and medical professional, is an important strategy because in order for the weight loss products to be successful, an endorsement by expert is very likely to increase the confidence level of the customers. In addition, the coverage of these high profile events in the leading news organization shall enhance the marketing communication strategy of Metabical.A series of breakout sessions focusing on health issues for overweight patients shall further strengthening the communication strategy in product effectiveness and awareness. 10 4. 4. 3 SALES FORCE The Metabical sales team consisted of 32 sales representatives who service approximately 3,200 medical offices. These sales team had been instructed to give product detail of Metabical to the healthca re providers.In order for the sales team to be effective in meeting objective of creating product knowledge and its benefits, they providing clinical information and to arrange for a visit to at least four medical offices per day in order to finish up the 3,200 medical offices which are already in their data base. CSP also need to increase the number of their sales force team in order to cover the other 100,000 healthcare providers which are still untapped by them. This additional sales force team need to attend all the inquiries that they might receive after the mailing of pamphlets and sample to the said 100,000 healthcare providers. . 4. 4 COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT PROGRAM The most common problem among the weight loss drug company is that people will start regaining weight once they stop taking the pill and in some cases, these people will gain even more weight then their initial weight. Realising this issue, CSP planned to create a comprehensive support program to complement the Met abical pill. Its goal is to enable individuals to achieve better results than they would from the pill alone. In addition, the support program would teach lifestyle skills for healthy weight maintenance after the initial weight loss was achieved. 200,000 will be spent on the development of the support program and the cost in Year 1 associated with producing the program is approximately $2 million. It is recommended that CSP to add this comprehensive support program in their packaging in the form of a CD in each pack so as to enhance the ability of Metabical users to reach and maintain their weight-loss goals. They can also put it in their website and to other form of social network. The sales force team also need to include this support program in their presentation in order to convey its benefits to the healthcare providers.It must also be well stated in the pamphlets and flyers which they are distributing. 4. 5 PRODUCT STRATEGY Metabical is the first prescription drug approved by FDA specifically for overweight individual with BMI of 25 to 30. Clinical trials proved Metabical to be safe and effective in achieving significant weight loss for overweight individuals. The majority of trial participants reached their weight-loss goals by week 12. Thus, CSP need to decide on the best form of packaging by considering what is the number of pills that would be included in each pack. 11Packing the whole twelve week supply in one package will cause higher pricing and it will effect the number of potential customers. Even though the twelve-week supply will enable the customers to complete the twelve-week cycle in 3 months in a row but it will limit the potential customers only to those who can afford the entire medication program with one-time pay. Therefore, it is advisable to pack Metabical with one pack for four week supply which can make it affordable for everyone. However, there is risk to this one-month packaging whereby there will be no guarantee that the consume rs will complete the entire treatment.As such, it is also suggested to have another packaging with 3 pack for 12 weeks supply and as value added, a CD contain comprehensive support program is attached to it. By attaching the comprehensive support program to the 3 pack of twelve week supply it can definitely attract more customers especially those with higher income bracket of more than $80,000. 4. 6 DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY Being a prescribed weight loss drugs definitely the distribution channels are limited to places such as Drug store, healthcare Providers, Specialty Store uch as Watson, Pharmacy such as Guardian and the latest trend is the Internet Sales. 4. 7 PRICING STRATEGY Pricing is another important factor in determining the success of Metabical. In order to determine the price for Metabical, first we compare with its closest competitor which is Alli ¶s pricing model. We have to also come up with several other assumptions such as by assuming that consumers will be ready to p ay more for a prescription drug and generally people trust prescribed drug rather than the non-prescribed drugs.So, to set higher price for Metabical would not be a problem and would be acceptable by the consumers. Therefore, we come-up with price simulation as per Table 4 below: Table 4: Pricing Simulation METABICAL ALLI Estimated Retail Price Dosage Treatment $3 to $5 Per pill 1 Pill Per Day 12 Weeks (90 Days) $120 Per Pack / $2. 40 Per Pill 1 Pill Per Day 50 Days $2 Per Pill Revenue Per Month Revenue Per Year   ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE $3 Per Pill $4 Per Pill $5 Per Pill $6 Per Pill $60 $720 $90 $1,080 $120 $1,440 $150 $1,800 $180 $2,160 To sell at $90 per month is to low because Metabical is a prescription drug. To capture a larger group the price should not as high as $150 per month. $120 per month would be the right price for a four weeks supply. Based on Table 4 above, we set Metabical price at $120 per month which we assume would be the right price for a four week supply. 1 2 Pricing strategy is also directly ties with the demand forecast and sales forecast. Thus, based on Market Survey and Market research finding we come up with demand forecast as per Table 4 below: 4. . 1 POTENTIAL CUSTOMER Table 5 : Potential Customer POPULATION OVERWEIGHT POTENTIAL USER (Million) (25 < BMI < 30) (MILLION) 2000 209 34% 71. 06 2008 230 39% 89. 70 FROM MARKET SURVEY 12% – Respondents Immediately Make an Appointment With Their Health Care Provider and Request a Prescription YEAR 2000 YEAR 2008 71. 06 Mill X 12% = 8. 53 Mill 89. 70 Mill X 12% = 10. 76 Mill Say Only 10% Consumers Can Be Reached In The First Year 8. 53 Mill X 10% = 0. 85 Mill 10. 76 Mill X 10% = 1. 08 Mill YEARFrom the above demand forecast, we then come up with the sales forecast as per Table 6: 4. 7. 2 SALES FORECAST Table 6 : Sales Forecast ESTIMATED TOTAL NUMBER OF PACK TO BE SOLD From : 2. 55 Mill Packs (0. 85 Mill X 3 Packs) To : 3. 24 Mill Packs (1. 08 Mill X 3 Packs) Consider Price @ $120 P er Pack CSP WOULD EARN BETWEEN $306 Mill to $389 Mill 4. 7. 3 RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) Table 7 : Return on Investment (ROI) INITIAL YEAR SALES TURNOVER ($ Mill) ACUMULATIVE CASHFLOW ($ Mill) RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) ( % ) (423. 5) (423. 15) YEAR 1 347. 40 (75. 75) -19% : : : YEAR 2 383. 88 308. 13 77% YEAR 3 424. 18 732. 31 183% 515% $2,623. 65 MILL 1. 27 YEARS YEAR 4 468. 72 1,201. 03 300% YEAR 5 517. 94 1,718. 97 429% INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN (IRR) NET PRESENT VALUE (NPV) PAYBACK PERIOD y ASSUMTIONS Product Price : $120 Per Pack (For 1 Month Treatment  ± 30 pills) Estimated Product Sold in Year 1 : From 2. 55 Mill  ± 3. 24 Mill (Say On Average 2. 90 Mill Packs). Turnover Increase by 10% Every Year. Investment Cost $423. 15 Mill. 13 5. 0CONCLUSION Print-up had come up with a strong and comprehensive marketing communication strategy which focus on the brand awareness and Metabical benefits to the targeted group. Based on the extensive market survey and market research as well as the focus group findings, the marketing communication strategy of Metabical will be successfully creating demand for Metabical. Furthermore, being known as the only prescription drug with FDA approval and clinical results to back up weight-loss claims will definitely attract a lot more customers and steady demand in the future. 14