Texting While Driving Essay Example for Free

Texting While Driving Essay How many people text behind the wheel of their vehicle? Can we relate to the following story? Jaci Lemons* is driving down the street, headed to school. The 17 year old driver is texting another friend. As she looks down to read the incoming text, Jaci veers off to the right and crashes head-on into the back of a parked vehicle. She is taken to the hospital, but after brief examination by the attending ER doctor, Jaci is released. Thankfully, the only thing bruised is her pride, and her pocketbook. Missouri should make texting while driving illegal for all drivers, not just the drivers aged 21 and under. Missouri has passed a state law, on Aug. 28, 2009, that prohibits drivers 21 years of age or younger from sending or reading a text while driving. While that is a great start, it isnt enough. Drivers across the country have been seen in their vehicles doing all sorts of dangerous, weird, and downright strange things while driving. Watching a DVD movie (really), dressing, putting on makeup, eating, texting, etc; but texting is what is causing legislatures some concern here in Missouri. The problem is we spend so many hours behind the wheel that seemingly, we are driving on auto pilot. (Have you ever driven a while and then could not remember any of it?) Young people will be forced to at least keep their fingers off their keyboards while they drive,said Leanna Depue, director of Highway Safety or the Missouri Department of Transportation. The law is a small step toward counteracting some of the distracted driving that causes crashes in Missouri. And, according to a recent study by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting while driving is the leading cause of traffic crashes in Missouri, as well as across the country. 80% of crashes involve driver distraction; mainly that texting is the number one thing that distracts motorists attention while driving. Half of all teen drivers say they text while driving. HALF. Its almost unthinkable to realize so many drivers dont have their eyes on the road. Couple that with the sobering fact that most cars on Americas roadways are traveling approximately 65 to 70 miles  per hour. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, statistics show that teenagers have the most problems texting while they are driving, probably because they text more than anyone else and send longer texts than their adult contemporaries. Some teens can very easily burn through a thousand minutes of texting in no time. Twenty-three other states, along with Missouri, have already made texting while driving illegal. While texting while driving a car should not be legal in any case, the law in Missouri allows drivers over the age of 21 to text while they are driving. Motorists in some states are allowed to use a cell phone while they drive, as long as its hands-free. Most states already have laws against talking on the cellphone and driving; however, what doesnt make any common sense at all is allowing those over the age of 21 to text and drive while banning those under 21 to do so. Take for instance, 38 year-old Donald Rios*. One afternoon, while traveling to another town, he was texting a co-worker about picking up some 4 by 6s for their job site. In the meantime, traffic was slowing because a farmer was burning his fields next to the interstate. Donald Rios looked up to see that traffic was nearly at a standstill, and he could not stop in time. He rear-ended the back of another vehicle, and in turn, a semi rear-ended him, causing his truck to cave in like an accordion. Subsequently, Rios lost his life in the accidentall because of his inattentiveness to the road ahead. Legislation encouraging laws which ban texting have also been encouraged at the federal level with proposals suggesting that any state who didnt ban texting could risk losing federal highway funding. Missouri is the 23rd state to ban texting while driving, but is 1 of 9 to single out a particular age group. The fine for texting while driving under Missouris new law is $200. Senator Ryan McKenna sponsored the bill. An insurance industry study has revealed that accidents increased in 3 of 4 states that has laws prohibiting texting while driving. The study, prepared by Highway Loss Data Institute, says it looked at accident statistics from insurance claims in four states that have made it illegal for motorists of any age to text while driving, as well as nine states with no, or limited  bans; in three states, accidents increased dramatically after the bans passed. Those were California, Louisiana and Minnesota . So, how does law enforcement actually catch you texting while driving? How can they tell if you were texting if you dont have the phone in plain view? Heres how: If your phone is destroyed in an accident, the phone company has a log of all texts and calls, which are also logged with the exact date and time. Phone companies keep a log of text histories just like a computer does of websites and pages. Please dont text (or do other distracted hazards) and drive. Your life, as well as others lives depends on it.

Structure of NTFS :: essays research papers

Structure of NTFS The NTFS file system is used in all critical Microsoft Windows systems. It is an advanced file system that makes it different from the UNIX file systems that the original TCT was designed for. This document gives a quick overview of NTFS and how it was implemented. The biggest difference is the use of Alternate Data Streams (ADS) when specifying a meta data structure. MFT The Master File Table (MFT) contains entries that describe all system files, user files, and directories. The MFT even contains an entry (#0) that describes the MFT itself, which is how we determine its current size. Other system files in the MFT include the Root Directory (#5), the cluster allocation map, Security Descriptors, and the journal. MFT ENTRIES Each MFT entry is given a number (similar to Inode numbers in UNIX). The user files and directories start at MFT #25. The MFT entry contains a list of attributes. Example attributes include "Standard Information" which stores data such as MAC times, "File Name" which stores the file or directories name(s), $DATA which stores the actual file content, or "Index Alloc" and "Index Root" which contain directory contents stored in a B-Tree. Each type of attribute is given a numerical value and more than one instance of a type can exist for a file. The "id" value for each attribute allows one to specify an instance. A given file can have more than one "$Data" attribute, which is a method that can be used to hide data from an investigator. To get a mapping of attribute type values to name, use the 'fsstat' command. It displays the contents of the $AttrDef system file. Each attribute has a header and a value and an attribute is either resident or non-resident. A resident attribute has both the header and the content value stored in the MFT entry. This only works for attributes with a small value (the file name for example). For larger attributes, the header is stored in the MFT entry and the content value is stored in Clusters in the data area. A Cluster in NTFS is the same as FAT, it is a consecutive group of sectors. If a file has too many different attributes, an "Attribute List" is used that stores the other attribute headers in additional MFT entries. FILES Files in NTFS typically have the following attributes: S.N. Attribute Description 1. $STANDARD_INFORMATION Contains MAC times, security ID, Owners ID, permissions in DOS format, and quota data.

Easy Jet

The  marketing audit  is a fundamental part of the marketing planning process. It is conducted not only at the beginning of the process, but also at a series of points during the implementation of the plan. The marketing audit considers both internal and external influences on marketing planning, as well as a review of the plan itself 1. Environmental Audict on Easy jet(the factors that can influnce the company) A)Five porter’s forces: *Threats from new entrants : When new airlines enter the market ,how they affect easy jet *Threats from subsititue products: more options to go to a destination such as buses,train.. ow these things affect easy jet *Bargaining power of suppliers: if plane manufacturer factories sell planes with a high price ,how this affect the easy jet’s finance *Bargaining power of buyers: for instance easy jet makes a contract with plane factories for 10 years with the fixed charge so the factory can’t increase the price during this time. Ba rgaining lets you buy products at a cheaper rate *Internal Rivalry: Internal competation ,easy jet fight against other airlines Threat of substitutes-this can be anything that can be a substitute to EasyJet or airline industry in general.For instance, another airline with even lower prices, consumers opting to use other modes of transport (trains for instance). When Heatrow was hit by that huge fog just before Christmas and no planes were flying, Eurostar trains were suddenly all booked. I would think, however, that for Easy Jet, there would be no big threat of substitutes. There is a threat of ever growing competition but this isn't the case of substitutes. Substitues are in other words ‘me too' products which are less likely to occur in airline industry or service industry then in FMCG. I think. Buyers-here you can list down any possible threats from buyers.This is where you look at the relationship between Easy Jet and its targeted consumers. How strong is Easy Jet brand? D o consumers believe in, and to, Easy Jet? Are they loyal to Easy Jet or do they switch to other airlines with no real or perceived risks? If yes, why? If not, why not? Do consumers have alternative to Easy Jet? If yes, and I would say they do, how does the relationship between Easy Jet and its consumers change? Who has greater leverage in this relationship, consumers or Easy Jet? Who is more dependable on whom, why and to what extent? Etc†¦ Ask as many questions as you can and you will get your answer.Talk to someone who has used Easy Jet services, ask them what they liked and disliked about it, would they use it again and why, how do they feel about Easy Jet, how did they decide to fly with Easy Jet, will they choose Easy Jet again B)Swot analysis: 4 main strenghts and the opposite ones are for weaknesses *Finance *Technology *HR Department *Reputation and image EasyJet Airline Company Limited: Strengths: * EasyJet is a leading provider of  low budget, no frills air travel  servicing many of the leading city destinations in the UK and across Europe, including Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Prague. They offer a high quality service at competitive prices and offer a number of features including ticketless travel, internet booking and assisted travel services. * They have a  highly distinctive livery  on their fleet of aircraft making them easily recognisable and distinguishing them from their competitors. * They have a  user friendly website  which fully discloses the price breakdown of the passengers planned travel. Offering a full breakdown of the price plan prevents any hidden charges when the customer confirms there booking. EasyJet offers an online promotion alert which is e-mailed to existing customers and contact on the company’s database. * Recognised as a leading brand name in the UK travel industry. * As a market leader in an industry widely seen as a leading contributor to the green house effect and global warming, EasyJet actively embrace there environmental responsibilities and continue to keep these factors as a keep priority when developing their future strategies. * EasyJet operate a fast and efficient service with an average turnaround time of 30 minutes or below.This enables them to maintain a reliable and hassle free service to their passengers. * For the case study,planes and turnaround times means to take short time on departure,use of internet,financial position The easy brand is a well known brand across the UK and  some areas of Europe. It is knownfor ‘low cost for the masses’ which is implied by their orange culture. They want to paint the worldorange, implying that they want to provide goods and services at the lowest possible price. easyJeteasyJet only offers a single fare class. Its pricing strategy is to offer ‘value for money’ and this is  doneby keeping costs to a  minimum.Unit costs are kept  low by eliminating travel agents, maintaining highaircr aft utilisation, focusing on internet sales, eliminating unnecessary service frills, operating a fleet of  similar aircraft and establishing long-term agreements with suppliers. One of the key strengths of easyJet has been the utilisation of the internet. easyJet bookings over theinternet relate to  over 92% of total sales and  is expected to increase. They see themselves as  becomingthe first internet only airline. Strengths: †¢ Cheap tickets. †¢ A simple fare structure. †¢ Image, differentiation on price andbrand. †¢Commitment to customer service. †¢ Multi-base network. †¢ Strong corporate culture. †¢ Flexibility to change bookings on theinternet. †¢ Lower costs than the  established airlines Weaknesses: * Domestic air travel is an extremely competitive industry with  EasyJet’s main competitors being Jet2, BMI Baby, Ryan Air plus a host of smaller independent competitors. These external competitive forces can restrict and shape pricing policy on some of  EasyJet’s less profitable routes as they seek to compete with their competitors. * They do not offer a free food service on longer flights of 2 hours plus. asyJet has many weaknesses but the main include the lack of service,flexibility and  business focus making  the low-cost model  unappealing to  business travellers. Businesstravellers are not included within easyJet’s business model. Since September 11 business  travellersaccount for 50% of passengers and therefore should be a target for marketing and should be included inthe business model. This can be seen as a weakness for not targeting this segment. easyJet’s business model also relies on people flying more often. However, there is a limit as to howoften people fly.The growth is not infinitive, it is possible that the low-cost market will be saturated. Itwill come to a point when the low-cost airlines will not be able to stimulate any more demand fromlow prices . (CPRE: The Future Development of Air Transport in the UK, July 2003 Weaknesses: †¢ Pilots over 65 are not allowed to fly over  France, Italy and Portugal. †¢ No guaranteed departure. †¢ No unaccompanied children under age of 16. †¢ No autopilot. †¢ Lack of service, flexibility and business focusmake the low-cost model unappealing tobusiness travellers. †¢ Focus on price and convenience is reaching itslimit.Differentiation will be difficult. †¢ Due to quick success it is difficult to recruitand train new staff. †¢ No customer retention scheme Opportunities: * Possible opening of alternative routes to major cities in Europe. A key route could be from Dublin to the UK, as this has a large potential for travellers going to soccer matches in the UK plus new links into corporate flyers to and from the UK. * Offering of free refreshments on flights with a travel time of over two and a half hours. This would offer an extra perk and comfort to pass engers making their experience with EasyJet all the more comfortable and enjoyable. Updated versions of the fly on the wall documentaries would provide the brand with more coverage and publicity. The opportunities in the industry mainly come from the Eexpansion. On the 1st of  May 2004, 10 countries will be joining the  EU. Thus, the EU’s membership will be  expanded from 15to 25 countries. The new states include former members of the Eastern Block and smaller â€Å"island†states. (bized. ac. uk) These are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,Poland and the Slovak Republic.Further EU expansion is expected in 2007 when Bulgaria andRomania are hoping to join the EU, while Turkey is now currently negotiating its membership. (europa. eu. int)The addition of more than 100 million people to the EU’s market of 370 million will present anopportunity for further growth  for the low-cost airline industry. easyJet has already annou nced its newroutes from Luton, Berlin and Dortmund airports to Budapest (Hungary) and from Stansted airport toLjubljana (Slovenia). (easyJet. com) Threats: * Competitors flying the same routes compete very competitively on price forcing pressure on margin on more popular flights and time slots. External market forces can have a significant impact on  EasyJet’s business, e. g. the rising cost of oil can have a significant impact on running costs putting significant pressure on the profitability of less popular routes and time slots. * Pressure from unions and employee relations committees can signifigantly impact on the day to day operations with strikes proving to be very costly to the company’s image. * Economic downturn may lead to a decrease in casual flyers and corporate travel as companies seek to curtail what they see as unnecessary expenditure and in turn make less business trips.   Financial Analysis Within the  low-cost/no-frills  airline industry in  the UK,Ryanair  is easyJet’s main  competitor. Inevaluating the  financial performance of  easyJet, it  is therefore useful to  compare its performance withthat  of Ryanair. For the purpose of  this  comparison, we will be making use of a  number of ratioswhose formulae follow that of FAME. The data used for this financial analysis are easyJet’s unauditedpreliminary results for their financial year ended 30 September 2003, which provided results for boththe year ending  30 September 2002 and  2003.Ryanair’s financial year-end however is 31  March 2004. Therefore in  order to obtain data that  would be directly comparable, it  was necessary to use data fromtheir half-year which ends 30 September 2002 and 2003, and to use figures taken from their financialyear end 31 March 2002 and 2003. This enabled us to obtain figures for a full 12 months ending 30September 2002 and 2003. For a quick overview of all ratios refer to Appendix 3 a nd details of allcalculations  are contained in  Appendix  4. All financial  reports were obtained from downloadsavailable onwww. easyjet. com  and  www. ryanair. com.The first numerical set of data to  be analysed is the Profit and Loss Account. This deals with therunning of the business, i. e. the amount of turnover, the cost of what has been sold, the expensesgenerated during the year and of course the profit that has been made, perhaps the figure that theshareholders are  most interested  in, but there  are other criteria that  could affect the profitability of thecompany PEST analysis for easyJet The following factors are likely to have an influence on the airline industry and should therefore be taken into account when formulating a Marketing Plan for easyJet.Politico-legal factors †¢ Threat of war in the Middle East †¢ The Air Miles scheme is not considered as a taxable perk by the government in the way that company cars are taxed which may cha nge to allow easyJet to compete on more equal grounds with the likes of BA. †¢ A EU east-enlargement may provide access to viable, new markets. Economic factors †¢ Likelihood of increasing fuel costs, congestion and other environmental restrictions, as well as the prospect of higher security and insurance costs to reflect the risk of terrorism. As the recession is likely to last for some more time, business travellers will keep an eye on their travel expenses. †¢ Globalisation should continue to boost traffic in the long-term. †¢ The introduction of the single currency in Europe is likely to bring more business to easyJet as Europe becomes more integrated. Socio-cultural factors †¢ To win over the French and German publics might cause problems as there appears still to be a general reluctance to use credit cards over the phone and Internet . †¢ The public are general quite friendly to the prospect of cheap flights.However they may feel begrudged where t hey see promotions found in newspapers where flight are for ? 10 only to find that the actual cost is much higher for the particular time or day they wish to fly on. Technological factors †¢ A key issue will be the extent to which technological advancements – such as the use of the Internet on distribution and cost synergies from industry consolidation – can offset upward pressures on prices and costs. †¢ easyJet has to keep track of technological developments in the field of e-commerce and aircraft manufacture in order to gain a competitive advantage. CONTINUE..The business environment is a set of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors otherwise know as PESTLE analysis. These factors are not controlled by the business. Which means that businesses must adapt quickly as the environment changes. These macro factors have a positive or negative impact on the business. The political factor can be affected through tax policies a s Easyjet are charged with landing in different countries, employment laws, environment regulations, trade restrictions, tariffs and the government. The economic factor is forever changing with prices constantly fluctuating.For example oil prices increasing affects overall profits for the company which in return affects how much money Easyjet can invest on improving the airline or giving back to the communities. Baines, Phil and Page (2008a) explain firms are effected by environmental issues such as wage inflation, price inflation, gross domestic product and income sales and corporation taxes. From the social aspect this looks highly on safety of the airline and its staff and passengers. Which then attracts passengers to fly again after being ensured of safe and secure flights.To keep up in technology Easyjet must be internet dependant as flights are booked and checked via the internet. Therefore customers need to be satisfied with a quick and simple service. Easyjet also have a gre at career attitude which commits staff to be up to a excellent standard of service. Technology plays a huge factor within Easyjet as it has to rely hugely on the reliance of technology. Also as things improve technology becomes cheaper which means barriers to entry could be lower for competitors to join which could affect the profit of Easyjet. â€Å"Barriers to entry are designed to block potential entrants from entering a market profitably.They seek to protect the monopoly power of existing firms in an industry and therefore maintain supernormal profits in the long run. Barriers to entry have the effect of making a market less contestableâ€Å". (Tutor2u n. d) To prevent this research and development expenditure can act as an obstruction to potential entrants to industry PEST analysis PEST analysis is chosen, to look at the possible business environmental impacts that may affect theindustry and easyJet. It can be used to infer a variety of trends, patterns and projections which willinfluence easyJet’s future strategic decisions (ACCA 2004).PEST analysis was chosen over SLEPTanalysis as we found it difficult to differentiate between legal and political factors. The legal issubsumed into political. Consideration will be made to the political, economic, social and technologicalenvironments that may affect the industry and easyJet in the future. Political Environment The industry and easyJet must react to any regulations that are imposed by the political party and thecorporate governance code. The EU compensation ruling that will take affect in 2005 is currently beingchallenged by easyJet as well as other airlines.If this challenge is unsuccessful then it would meanincreases, in  legal battles, compensation payouts and  overall increases in costs. As  a result, fare  prices easyJetwill increase and demand will fall. This would make  it very difficult to see  the future for the  low-costindustry. Expansion of the UK airport system will play a major role in the future of the airlines growth model. Stansted is expected to have one additional runway and terminal, increasing UK air traffic growth to402 million by 2020, 501 million passengers by 2030 (Mintel report 2003).The government are seeingthe benefits that the aviation industry can bring to the country. The question that remains to beanswered is, for how long are the government willing to help the growth of the industry before theystart to intervene? Any intervention from the government is likely to be costly in the future to theindustry. Economic Environment The government may decide to impose taxes on  the industry. A possible introduction of  a ‘Green tax’,a tax on fuel to try and reduce the pollution that it causes, would increase the costs and as a result couldraise easyJet’s fares by more than 20% (Financial Times, 1 stNovember 2003). Also the ? 6 billionworth of subsidies that is currently received from the government may be reduced ov er time to limit thegrowth of the industry. The growth of the industry may need to be controlled to keep pollution to aminimum. As subsidies decrease there will be  an adverse affect on  fare prices causing demand to fall. This will also affect the business model as it would need to be revisited. The recent rises in the UK interest rate, which currently stand at 4%, has increased the public’sliabilities.People have less disposable income and as a result are less likely to travel abroad. Theincreases will also affect easyJets’s loan repayments on its new order of aircrafts. At present, paymentsrelating to  the purchase are not  included in the hedging  policy and therefore will affect the liabilities of  easyJet. Social and Cultural  environment The UK population as a whole are aging, people are living longer. The number of people between theage of 25 and 34 has been decreasing but the age group between 55 and 64 are expected to increasefrom 2005 (Mintel r eport 2003).The older age group tends to have more disposable income (SAGAholidays target this group) and therefore should be targeted more by easyJet. Saying this, younger  people who have less disposable income are now starting to go abroad for their holidays. This meansthat the airline industry is attracting more potential passengers because of their low fares. Technological  environment easyJeteasyJet’s use of the internet needs to be enhanced, they are aiming to become the first ‘web-only’airline.Currently 92% of their tickets are sold online and improving this figure will bring cost savingwhich in turn could  be passed on  to the consumers. This will make easyJet more competitive on price. easyJet will need to  keep track of  technical developments in e-commerce and  aircraft manufacturing inorder to compete against its rivals 2. 7ps Marketing Mix of Easyjet Product  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Easy Jet is a flight booking company located at London. The  ben efits  of Easy Jet being online and on teletext means that they are providing better margins; this is where they are dedicated to customers digitally.Place  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Not solely online but majority of sales are online so Easy Jet will concentrate on this target market. Today, technology allows us to sell more goods to fewer people, which is far more efficient than selling fewer goods to more people. This is confirmed by Peppers and Rodgers in their Marketing concept. Peppers an advertising executive and Rogers a marketing scholar, their concepts addressed â€Å"one to one marketing†and how it concentrates on providing services or products to one customer at a time. This is by identifying and then meeting their individual needs.It then aims to repeat this many times with each customer, this is so consumers feel relationships are in place when perhaps they are forged. Price  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ With Easy Jet being on the internet for such a long period it means it has cut out aspects such as â€Å"the post†, this is because tickets and boarding passes are now emailed to customers or printable online, therefore â€Å"cutting out the middle man†. Promotion  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Easy jet’s website is offered through search engines and travel/flight comparison websites, this is both advertising and selling their service.They also send members emails with promotional offers. Physical Evidence  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Although Easy Jet is based mainly online now, Easy Jet are still booked through travel agents or in the airport itself. Physically offline Easy Jet have recently in the previous few months been advertising in Sainsbury’s stores by staff (uniformed Easy Jet T-shirts), advertising there new partnership. Physical evidence online differs, they have aspects such as â€Å"security icon† and policies in place which gives consumers a sense of security when booking online.People  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ On Easy Jet’s website they have sections, such as blo gs, FAQ’s and a whole section dedicated to customer service to try and give consumers a sense that even though they are online they still have some form of contact to Easy Jet. Process  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ As mentioned above Easy Jet integrates online and offline by having customer service in the airport and online. CASE STUDY Product: Easy jet is an low cost budget airline as well as no frill. The easy brand has been extended to other products. There are now easyinternet cafes,easycar,easymoney and new easycruise products.Price: There 3 types of pricing which are Premium Pricing this is for specific segment of people for example apple targets for certain people. Low cost pricing which is for easyjet,targeting low cost price and low income people. Psycological pricing,99p instead of 1pound They use a low cost price to be competitive Place: It means Distrubition . Distrubition has manufacturer,agents,wholesalers,retailers,consumers. The more distrubition you have ,the more expensive yo ur products will be. easy jet has manufacturers and directly deals with consumers so they save money. lmost 90 percent of tickets are sold through the internet for the 10 percent agents sell so they sometimes deals with agents too. Promotion : internet People : Paperless opeartions since its launch easyjet have simplified its working practices by embracing the concept of the paperless office. they do everything online rather than people going to branches and taling face to face ,everthing can be done online so easyjet saves money for hiring less people Process : Ticketless travel passengers,instead receive an email containing their travel details and confirmation number when they book online. his helps reduce significantly the costs of issuing,distrubuting,processing and reconciling millions of tickets each year Physical Evidence: it means beauty,new planes ,comfort flights†¦ Each boeing is new 737 aircraft and has a list price in the region of 35million gbp. Therefore maximisi ng utilisation of each aircraft reduces the unit cost NOTES FROM THE CASE STUDIES MARKETING:The mutual satisfactions of both suppliers and customers. The method is the process of shaping and managing the marketing mix in a way which takes into considerition the needs of the customer and the goals of the organisation at one and the same time.Marketing is the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from organisation to their customers. Chartered Institute of Marketing defines marketing as; The management process which identifies ,anticipates and satisfies customer requirements effciently and profitably Professor Philip Kotler 1999 states;Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups get what they need and want through creating,offering and exchanging products of value with others. People don’t only buy what they want to ,they buy them because of the value of products they require.Marketing is concerned with cu stomers ,they are the main element in marketing not quality or products. If customers are demanding for new products features,marketing department will have to communicate these requirements to the production department to make provision for new processes and new machinery. On the other hand if the customer change their pattern of shopping or seek more information regarding the safe us of product ,the company may have to recruit new marketing executives to match up to the demand. )Using technology on easyjet One of the most important developments in the UK travel industry in the last 15 years is the growth of the ‘budget’ or ‘no frills’ airlines, easyJet and Ryanair. Both of these airlines were launched when new regulations made it easier to operate between countries within Europe and both used new technology and other methods to sell seats, rather than through traditional high street travel agents.The growth of both companies has been exceptional and the a irlines have used similar approaches in their ‘business models’ * Use of the Internet to reduce distribution costs – easyJet was one of the first airlines to see the opportunity of the Internet when it sold its first seat online in April 1998. Now approximately 95 % of all seats are sold over the internet. * Maximise the time the aircraft is being used – For both Ryanair and easyJet maximising the use of each aircraft reduces the overall cost of running the aircraft. Ticketless travel – Passengers receive an email containing their travel details and booking reference when they book online, rather than a traditional ticket. This helps to reduce significantly the cost of issuing and processing millions of tickets each year. * ‘No free lunch’ – Not offering free catering on-board reduces cost. Passengers can purchase food on-board if they choose to. * Free seating – Unlike traditional airlines, Ryanair and easyJet passengers are not assigned a seat, unless they pay extra to board first.This helps passengers to take their seats more quickly and saves time. * Efficient use of airports – By reducing turnarounds (the time between landing and take-off) to 30 minutes and below, easyJet and Ryanair maximise the use of their aircraft. Not having pre-assigned seating, like traditional airlines, helps reduce turnaround times. * Reduced fares – generally Ryanair and easyJet offer cheaper fares than traditional airlines, especilally for passengers who can book early and take advantage of the deals available. Easy Jet MANAGEMENT 100 800 WORD SUMMARY 836 WORDS EXCLUDING REFERENCES EasyJet EasyJet Airline Company Limited headquartered at London Luton Airport is the UK’s largest budget airline measured by number of passengers carried, operating domestic and international scheduled services. Easy Jet has grown through a combination of acquisitions and base openings fuelled by consumer demand for low-cost air travel. Ryanair another budget airline is currently Easyjet’s biggest competition. EasyJet has adapted cost-cutting measures such as not selling connecting flights or providing complimentary snacks on board.The key points of this business model are high aircraft utilisation, quick turnaround times, charging for extras and keeping operating costs low however EasyJet flies mainly to primary airports. EasyJet also focuses on attracting business passengers by offering convenient services such as the â€Å"Flexi fare† which allows free of charge changes to the flight within a windo w, speedy boarding and a checked in bag. General environment – International dimension According to Samson and Daft (2009), general environment is ‘layer of environment that affects the organization indirectly’. It includes external factors that are not within an organization.One of the dimensions, international dimension is referring to factors that arise from foreign countries that will affect an organization. Factor that will either be an opportunity or threat to an organization will include having to encounter competition globally. An organization will have to face international competitors where it trade on its own even though not involve in exports and operates domestically. Besides, it would be essential to learn to adapt to the changes and trend circulating around the world as technology advances as time passes and political events such as Iraq war.Apart from that, rise of economic power of China has a significant impact on the international economy due t o the massive workforce, brainpower, population dynamics and abundant natural resources that many countries rely on. The always changing worldwide environment has very large impact on organization compared to domestic environment, demanding for great control of the organization. What is a competitive advantage A competitive advantage could be defined as a unique position a firm develops in comparison with its competitors (Hyvonen 1995, 334).It is imperative for firms to understand what it’s competitive advantage is and take advantage of them as it can change rapidly (Anthony, Perrewe, Kacmar, 1996, p. 468). One of the ways to create a competitive advantage could be, through lower prices or differentiation (Woodruff 1997, 139). Lower prices is a competitive advantage when a firm is able to sell their product cheaply to consumers. Lower prices may be dependent on lower costs, however lower cost itself is not a competitive advantage as it should come along with lower prices for the advantage to be formed (Kotha, Vadlamani 1995, 76).Differentiation can be achieved through, providing superior goods and services, through the firm’s image, flexibility, total supplies and speed (Kotha, Vadlamani, 1995, p. 76; Sashi, Stern, 1995, p. 126; Helms, Ettkin, 2000, p. 1) Easy jet as a buget airlines has set its competitive advantage through lower prices. How The International Dimension Impacts Easy Jet’s Competitive Advantage There are many ways in which the International Dimension has affected Easy Jet’s Competitive Advantage. After the 9/11 attacks the airline industry suffered extensively. Passengers opted to use less of the big airlines.This allowed Easy Jet to be more successful as passengers were choosing their services over the big Airlines in Europe. When the number of people who used Easy Jet’s services increased it would have allowed the airlines to spread their fixed costs, which in turn reduces overall expenses and meant that the y were in a position to lower their prices thus impacting their competitive advantage in a positively contributing to the overall success of Easy Jet. (Easy Jets Market Structure 2012) Another factor in the International dimension that affects Easy Jet’s competitive advantage as that EU had ruled an ‘Open Skies’ agreement which meant that Easy Jet was given the choice to serve flight paths that may have been normally associated with some specific airlines. This allowed them to choose the routes that they preferred allowing them to choose routes that gave them the most benefits. (Easy Jets Market Structure 2012) Easy jet is also influenced by rising fuel prices. Increased fuel prices meant that the entire airline industry around the globe and Europe had raised their prices.However, increasing fuel prices meant that even Easy Jet had to raise the price, and this does not work well with their low cost, low price strategy. Therefore there is a negative and positive e ffect by the rise of fuel prices (Topham 2012) Conclusion In conclusion, the international dimension of the general environment represents event originating in foreign countries as well as opportunities for Easy Jet in other countries. International dimension affects competitive advantage in various way. Easy Jet has proved to be robust and competitive in a tough general environment.This is due to its large competitive advantages, which is its low cost prices. However, it is the report on the overall international dimensions which affects the competitive advantages of Easy Jet shows that Easy Jet is a highly successful company, which is expanding rapidly. Besides, by engaging with the international dimension, Easy Jet not only get more benefit from its competitive advantages but also increase it’s cash flow from operating activities throughout United Kingdom. References Anthony, William P. , Perrewe, Pamela L. nd Kacmar, Michele K. (1996): Strategic Human Resource Management, Fort Worth: Dryden Press Bamberger, Ingolf (1989): Developing Competitive Advantage in Small and Medium-Size Firms, Long Range Planning, 22 (5): 80-88. Easy Jets Market Structure. 2012. Competitive Advantage and Developing a Competitive Advantage Over Rivals. Accessed September 18, http://www. 123helpme. com/view. asp? id=122608 Helms, Marilyn M. and Ettkin, Lawrence P. (2000): Time-Based Competitiveness: A Strategic Perspective, Competitiveness Review, 10 (2): 1-14.Hyvonen, Saara (1995): Competitive Advantage, Bargaining Power, and Organizational Performance: The Case of Finnish Food Manufacturing Firms, Agribusiness, 11 (4): 333-348. Samson, Danny, and Richard L. Daft. 2009. Fundamentals of Management. Australia: South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning Australia, 2009. Kotha, Suresh and Vadlamani, Bhatt L. (1995): Assessing Generic Strategies: An Empirical Investigation of Two Competing Typologies in Discrete Manufacturing Industries, Strategic Management Journal, 16 (1): 75-83.Sa shi, C. M. and Stern, Louis W. (1995): Product Differentiation and Market Performance in Producer Goods Industries, Journal of Business Research, 33 (2): 115-127. Topham, Gwyn. 2012. EasyJet losses narrow despite fuel cost rise. http://www. guardian. co. uk. /business/2012/may/09/easyjet-losses-narrow Woodruff, Robert B. (1997): Customer Value: The Next Source for Competitive Advantage, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 25 (2): 139-153.

Medical Benefits Of Medical Marijuana - 1161 Words

Introduction For quite a long time there has been debate surrounding the issue of whether medical marijuana ought to be legally sanctioned as a medicinal treatment. Medical marijuana involves the use of cannabis and its constituent’s cannabinoids in order to treat a disease or its symptoms (National Institute on Drug Abuse 2015). Numerous studies led declare the drug a miracle treatment for a variety of medical issues. These studies, however, are limited and effectively challenged by different studies that exhibit the health risks marijuana can have on the human body. Additionally, independent of upcoming scientific evidence, ethical and economic implications of legalising marijuana likewise should be evaluated before determining its widespread use. Medical Applications Marijuana: Role in medicine Potential therapeutic benefits Numerous studies led have exhibited that the utilisation of medical marijuana has many medical advantages for patients. Reinarman (2011) demonstrated 70% of marijuana users were HIV, anorexia and cancer patients collectively. Reasons for this were identified through a series of randomised trials carried out by Cohen (2009), who demonstrated that marijuana effectively decreases pain, nausea, vomiting and increased a person’s appetite, all of which are common symptoms to these medical conditions. However, Campbell et al. (2011) proved that in accordance to other approved analgesics medicines, medical marijuana is less safe and isShow MoreRelatedMedical Benefits Of Medical Marijuana1255 Words   |  6 PagesMedical marijuana has been proven to an effective drug in the treatment of a number of encumbering medical conditions. A large number of legitimate medical organizations recognize the benefits of marijuana. It is far less harmful and poses fewer negative side effects than man y prescription drugs, including painkillers - and patients often find it to be a more effective treatment for a variety of illnesses. However, it is perhaps the most commonly misunderstood substance in America. The usage of theRead MoreThe Benefits Of Medical Marijuana1598 Words   |  7 PagesThe Benefits Medical Marijuana By: Nicole Wynne Advance Placement Psychology Mr. Cuetara June 4th, 2015 Marijuana Outline I) Intro: a.) History and facts that make up marijuana b.) Thesis: Through numerous articles, books, documentaries, and journals, I have concluded that marijuana has positive creative effects and numerous medical ben-efits, including increased appetite, pain reduction, nausea reduction, and hard drug substitution II) Positive Medical Benefits:Read MoreThe Benefits of Medical Marijuana729 Words   |  3 PagesMedical marijuana has been used for centuries to combat pain, weakness, anxiety, insomnia, female problems and nausea. Today it is commonly used by cancer and AIDS patients to stimulate hunger, combat nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy or other drug therapy and reduce pain. It has also been shown to be effective in reducing eye pressure, especially in the cases with glaucoma. Medical marijuana, or cannabis, is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant and there is some evidence of cannabisRead MoreMedical Marijuana And Its Benefits2240 Words   |  9 Pages1 MEDICAL MARIJUANA Medical Marijuana and Its Benefits Steffany Brinker University of Maryland University College Abstract Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shownRead MoreThe Benefits Of Medical Marijuana Essay2136 Words   |  9 PagesI will discuss the many benefits of medical marijuana, and how a substance that is labeled as an illegal drug can have just as many health benefits as the strongest of medicine. With marijuana becoming more accessible being legalized for medical and/or recreational use in 7 states, I will explain how if used properly can help many people suffering with serious problems like muscle pain, depression, anorexia insomnia and PTSD. But still there is the stereotype that marijuana is a dangerous recreationalRead MoreBenefits of Medical Marijuana Essay990 Words   |  4 Pages Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana is a very controversial and obtrusive issue in our society today. Although many have made malicious remarks about it in the past, and even still in the present, the truth and beneficial facts of marijuana are finally resurfacing. Unfortunately, our society has become a very critical crowd towards the legalization of marijuana due to the stereotypical view of the kind of people who are considered â€Å"pot smokers†. This contorted perception of a lazy and unmotivated AmericaRead MoreEssay on The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana929 Words   |  4 PagesThe Benefits Of Medical Marijuana Are you sick of hearing your girlfriend nagging you about letting go of your pot pasttime? Have you been hearing a lot of negative things about the use of marijuana lately? Would you like to know what the real deal is behind the use of this infamous drug? Then read on because youre in for a surprise. One of the saddest things in North America is the lack of clinical trials on marijuana use. Many other countries in the world have already performed such testsRead More The Benefits of Medical Marijuana Essay1130 Words   |  5 Pageseffects than its other legal counterparts such as alcohol and tobacco. This kind of information calls into sharper focus the question on the minds of many as to why such a plant that is not only less harmful than legal drugs but has significant health benefits has remained illegal. People all over the world, continue to be tendered prescription medication, which in many cases further complicate health issues with its myriad of side effects. In fact, statistics have shown that approximately 100,000Read MoreBenefits and Hazards of Medical Marijuana1034 Words   |  5 Pagesknow how to control or don’t have control over marijuana the weed program the development of the biological control of marijuana program/system, an advisory group was established at the request of biological control researchers who were seeking. It legalizing the use of marijuana as a social catalyst and as a tool with which prior physicians can know about the marijuana controversy, what are the benefits and hazards of medical marijuana? Marijuana is the worst thing you can ever get involve in,Read MoreThe Benefits Of Medical And Recreational Marijuana1740 Words   |  7 PagesPark Hegeler The Benefits of Marijuana The question of whether or not to legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana has been an ongoing debate ever since President Nixon declared the war on drugs in 1971. The main question that circulates this debate is, do the benefits of medical and recreational marijuana justify its legality? Marijuana is one of the only drugs that has numerous medicinal properties that can do everything from managing chemotherapy side effects, to putting an