Case study on Starbucks strategy and internal initiatives to return to Term Paper

Case study on Starbucks strategy and internal initiatives to return to profitable grown - Term Paper Example The study of Starbucks Company focus on a multifaceted journey through its implication into market dominance, culture, and its development of a brand similar to integrity, longevity, and loyalty. Comprehending the Corporation’s growth into an international star and the strategic approaches they utilized to get there starts with the origins of the product itself; coffee. Starbucks acquires its strength from expansion capacities, diversification, and novelty to accomplish a strong financial operation basing on its retail store operation. The corporation has precisely used several strategies to stay at the top of the market through good leadership alliance, branding techniques, use of new technologies, and maximizing its profits at all times. Innovative techniques and products have been the major building stones for Starbucks to maintain its leadership in the market and to return to profitable growth. Starbuck’s Business Model According to Henricks, a business model is a b rief representation of how a unified set of decision variables in a business’s strategies, architecture, and economics will be addressed to achieve a competitive advantage in a certain market. From the analysis of the company’s strategies, Starbucks has been found as a business that enjoys a high level of customer loyalty, and for a long time has had a significant competitive advantage over other less popular coffee-products companies using their entrepreneur approach to business basing on customer intimacy and innovation (Henricks, 2007). Starbucks business model evolves with time to meet the needs of its customers. It treats its employees well, such as insuring their health, has a long resourced fair trade coffee, and offers mobile offices to masses of unemployed workers and freelancers looking for jobs. The Corporation as done before will always entangle its share of critics, but generally it has a set a pace for other companies to learn from. Starbucks value propos ition Starbucks was much successful in the 1990’s. It has set initiatives to return to this profitable growth by making the customers the centre of its success. Starbucks gives the first priority to its customers in its value proposition. Its value is compelling since it places the clients and the service offered to them above everything else. Though the Corporation is a retail-coffee store, its value proposition is not exclusively on coffee, rather on coffee culture and the coffee drinking experience. With this strategy, Starbucks moves away from the practical gains offered by the coffee, like stimulation, taste, and focuses on the quality of its products and the indefinable gains of the experience of customers drinking its coffee. Thus, Starbucks value proposition is not based on coffee or other products, but on the experience of drinking coffee in the company’s store incorporating the product with the emotional gains of consumers. Starbucks vision for the business S tarbucks vision is to establish itself as a premier supplier of the finest coffee globally while maintaining its categorical principles as it grows. The company visualizes a growing business with loyalty to its customers, delivering quality products, and innovative customer benefits. Strategies to achieve the vision With the objective of being the most recognized and appreciated coffee producing brand in the world, Starbucks has some strategies to achieve this. The company concentrates on employee satisfaction and working as a team, as well as customer satisfaction through a favorable environment and high standard coffee. In addition, it uses only the best coffee beans in brewing the various blends and thus achieves the vision of producing the finest coffee. The main objective of Starbucks is to grow by first valuing its employees. Starbucks approach its employees with excellent comprehensive and

Portrayal of Australian Mining Towns Essay Example for Free

Portrayal of Australian Mining Towns Essay Arthur Boyd and Oodgeroo, formally known as Kath Walker, both effectively depict their own view of Australia through the painting â€Å"The Mining Town† and the poem â€Å"The Time Is Running Out. † They each present slightly differing interpretations of the country based upon their altered perspectives and context. Arthur Boyd presents a vivid and vibrant life of an Australian mining town of 1920 through his painting while Kath Walker aggressively portrays an outraged view of what Australia has become violently outlining the damages caused by European settlement. In Kath Walkers poem â€Å"time is running out† she uses a passionate and forceful tone allowing it to illustrate an Aboriginal perspective of the mining town, which effectively portrays her view of Australia. â€Å"The miner rapes the heart of the earth† the use of the word â€Å"rape,† describes a traumatic and violent action. Kath Walker uses this aggressive quote to start her poem essentially stating the miners are ruining the natural part of Australia. She then proceeds to say â€Å" With this violent spade† meaning the spade the miners are using is killing the earth. â€Å" Stealing, bolting her black blood. † The use of a metaphor in this quote depicts the miner taking the black coal from the earth. She then personifies the earth to exemplify that the Europeans are destroying the natural beauty of Australia â€Å"for the sake of the greedy trade. † Kath Walker demonstrates her disappointment throughout the poem in the European culture of Australia and is horrified by what the country has become. She effectively conveys her view of Australia. In the second part of Kath Walkers poem she proceeds to use a patriotic and again a violent tone to portray her view of Australia. She challenges upon all Aborigines to take a stand against the violent nature on the earth caused by the foreigners. The repetition of â€Å"violence† â€Å"he knows violence† â€Å"will be violently written† â€Å"make the violent miner feel† exaggerates her perspective of Australia by portraying Australia as a terrible violent country. Throughout her poem she over exaggerates the terrible wok of the miners and at the end of her poem she hypocritically gives a violent message of retaliation against the miners â€Å"to defend their timeless land. † â€Å"Come gentle black man† she creatively changes the audience’s state of mind by showing that the aborigines are the victims and are innocent. Kath allows the audience to feel her frustration with the use of her aggressive tone and adjectives essentially providing the audience with not only Kath’s view of Australia but also the whole Aboriginal community. It is because of Kaths poetic devices and techniques which allows her to present her perspective of Australia from an Aboriginal point of view. Her aggressive and serious tone, shows her passion and love for the nature of the country. She also spreads a message of violence of retaliation and revenge on the European miners who are destroying nature in Australia all for â€Å"the filthy dollar. † Therefore I think that the poem most effectively conveys a view of Australia rather than the photo.

The external and internal environment at Aer Lingus

The external and internal environment at Aer Lingus This paper proposes a new alternative strategy that Aer Lingus could potentially adopt. First and foremost the paper analyzes the external and internal environment regarding Aer Lingus. Here the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment i.e the company are identified and a PESTEL analysis is conducted in order to assess the opportunities and threats concerning the external environment. Through this in depth analysis of both the internal and external environment we were able to devise three alternative strategies for Aer Lingus. 1. Aer Lingus move towards a Low cost carrier model. 2. Aer Lingus move towards benefit-oriented national flag carrier model 3. Aer Lingus continue with their current strategy and position of being in between an ultra low cost carrier and full service flag carrier in Europe while also adopting a low cost model on transatlantic flights; charging for ancillary services and increase the seat capacity on the planes by reducing the number of business class seats and increasing the amount of economy seats. After much deliberation the strategy we opted for was the third alternative. In considering the first strategy, we realized that it would be very hard for Aer Lingus to compete on cost as Ryanair occupies such a large share of the market, therefore making it very difficult for Aer Lingus to reach minimum efficiency levels. In evaluating the second strategy it came to our attention that with most of Europe in a recession, a flag carrier model would not be a desirable nor profitable strategy. Therefore we suggest that Aer Lingus continue with their current strategy and adopt a low cost approach on transatlantic flights, similar to the one they have incorporated to their European flights and also try to improve connections to Asia by finding a partner. This will enable Aer Lingus to access a new market and improve their profitability. External Analysis: The current economic climate has had a direct impact on the Irish airline industry. People have less disposable income and as a result Dublin airport has witnessed a decline in passenger numbers since 2008. Figures released by the DAA show a significant decline in passengers from 23.5 million in 2008 to 20.5 million in 2009; a decrease of 13% and it s expected that numbers will fall even further in 2010 to 19 million passengers. Ireland is one of the few European countries to impose a 10 travel tax on tourist travelling to Ireland. This along with the 40% increase in airport charges (which is being used to pay for Terminal 2) is considered to be one of the main reasons in the decline of seat capacity which dropped by 140,000 in April 2010 alone and the fall in Irish air traffic by 13% so far this year. Growth has returned to countries which have ditched this travel tax and reduced its airport charges. According to Canadian energy economist Jeff Rubin the maximum an airline company can pay for a barrel is $80 dollars, any higher and the company cannot make a profit, $80 dollars is the breakeven point. Oil prices have been steadily rising since January 2009 and economists have predicted that this year the price of oil will rise to $80 per barrel which could prove detrimental to the profitability of the airline industry. In April 2010 the eruption of an Icelandic volcano caused Irish air traffic to come to a halt. The closure of Irish airspace caused a sharp decline in trips to and from Ireland. In April 2010 The Central Statistics Office reported a decrease of 24.9% in trips made to Ireland and a decrease of 27.9% trips made by Irish residents made overseas in comparison with April 2009. (See Appendix A for an Aer Lingus analysis using Porter s Five Forces Model) Internal Analysis: When internally analysing Aer Lingus, we assessed their strengths, weaknesses, resources and capabilities. A major strength we perceive Aer Lingus to have is that they serve both regional and transatlantic hubs. This fact has positioned them between a low cost carrier and a flag carrier airline. Their partnership with Aer Arann has enhanced their short haul network. They have achieved certain advantages at no extra cost such as an improved network frequency, a deepened penetration in core Ireland and UK markets and a consolidation of long haul traffic in their Dublin hub. A major resource they possess is their network connectivity. Their long haul routes to the USA have been established with strong connectivity, such as New York, Boston and Chicago. They now connect to over 50 US cities. They also possess a large market share on key routes and are seen as a flag ship airline. Their large market share comes from their very competitive cost base. They also have potential for expansion on their long haul network. Valuable assets of Aer Lingus include their well positioned slots, their close to 1 billion in cash and their route network. These assets will ensure that Aer Lingus continue successful operations during a time in which the industry is facing an exceptionally tough trading environment which has progressively deteriorated in the last year or so. An important capability of Aer Lingus is their ability to compete with Ryanair, Europe s largest low cost carrier. Their prices are usually higher than Ryanair s prices, however sometimes not by much. Yet what makes them more attractive to many customers is that they fly into major airports, unlike Ryanair. Aer Lingus also managed to resist two take-over bids from Ryanair due to its strong ties to the Government. During our research we found there to be no airline in the top 100 brands, however, the Aer Lingus brand is well established and something that Aer Lingus themselves view as a main resource. Their brand boasts low fares and good service. Something which may be viewed as a weakness is the fact that this year Aer Linus have vacated some of their slots at Gatwick airport. They have also taken two of their Airbus A320 s out of operation and reduced their fleet size to just three at Gatwick. They deferred two A320 aircraft from this year to next year. And also state there to be some savage pay cuts for the Irish flag carrier. This was a result of the cost and capacity management in 2009. The significantly higher than expected cost of terminal 2 at Dublin airport mean that Aer Lingus flight prices will also be higher than expected. This may cause a knock on effect to passenger numbers and ultimately profits. Evaluation Criteria: When we assessed Aer Lingus s profitability we found that their return on equity has deteriorated even further from 2008 when it was -14.4% to -18.4% in 2009. We then assessed the efficiency level of the airline by computing their sales to assets ratio. In 2008 the efficiency level was 0.64, this improved to 0.69 in 2009. Aer Lingus have the 16th largest market share in the European airline industry, with a weekly departing seat capacity of 300,000. Their main competitor, Ryanair, occupies the largest share of the European market with approximately 1,900,000 weekly departing seat capacities. With the introduction of the Greenfield cost reduction programme Aer Lingus were able to reduce their cost base by 7.4%, setting a benchmark for the European Airline Industry. At present the average price of an Aer Lingus ticket is 77 compared with Ryanair s average price of 44. Strategic Alternatives: One possible way for Aer Lingus would be to move more towards becoming a low cost carrier (LCC). In order to be able to compete with the players in this niche, Aer Lingus would have to make further adjustments to its business model. The Irish competitor Ryanair proves that there is great potential in the low cost carrier market, as they are still both growing in passenger numbers and revenues and maintaining to be profitable even in times of global economic crisis. But such bottom line figures are results of focused streamlining of the airline business model. Almost every complementary service is charged extra, operations are kept to a bare minimum or outsourced wherever this seem lucrative, flights are not interconnected but only point-to-point, and the costs for fleet maintenance and procurement is greatly reduced by the use of only a single type of aircraft. Also over the last few years there has been massive consolidation in the airline industry, especially with respect to LCCs. This underlines the fact that the pressure in this market segment is particularly high. To get into this segment Aer Lingus would have to restructure its flight network, personnel, fleet, and ground operations, but even then it is questionable whether or not Aer Lingus would be able to match or outperform close competitors such as Ryanair. In exhibit [no.B1] the current differences in cost structure between Aer Lingus and Ryanair can be observed. Although the general structure is fairly similar, especially with respect to staff costs, airplane maintenance and Airport and handling costs Aer Lingus faces much higher costs than Ryanair. Overall, this direction could prove to be a risky and somewhat too challenging endeavor. Too many, too important aspects would have to be changed, which is unlikely to happen when taking into consideration that there will be internal politics involved, particularly when it comes to cuts in the field of staff expenses, Aer Lingus biggest disadvantage. (S ee Appendix B.1) Aer Lingus could also try to move to the other end of the scale, namely that of the benefit-oriented former national flag carriers. These airlines maintain extensive hub-and-spoke networks which allow them offer a big variety of different connections. The flights are complemented with different amenities such as free meals and luggage. In addition to the sheer transport service, an overall experience is created and valued by the customers. Flag carriers generally make their money through business customers who are typically not very price sensitive. Aer Lingus already owns the necessary timeslots and connections to provide an extensive network and its fleet could also potentially be modified to provide the more enjoyable flight experience that luxury customers are used to (See Exhibit B2). Also it is questionable if Aer Lingus is actually large enough to maintain a network that can match the advantages of airlines competing with a similar model. Despite the fact that Aer Lingus may h ave some experience with the type of flight that the potential competitors offer, this knowledge might not transfer as easily throughout the whole business, excessive cost for the same amount of benefits might occur. Also with the general economic climate, which is likely to persist over the coming years, even business travellers are increasingly price sensitive or do not fly at all, which makes this market segment significantly less attractive. (See Appendix B.2) A third strategic alternative Aer Lingus could consider is continuing with their current strategy and position of being in between an ultra low cost carrier and full service flag carrier in Europe while also adopting a low cost transatlantic model. Taking into consideration Air Asia s model of low cost, long haul flights between Asia and Europe, we feel that Aer Lingus could apply this same model to their transatlantic flights. They could implement a no frills approach on these flights by adopting an ancillary service. Passengers would pay a basic premium price for their flight ticket. Any extras on board the flight such as meals, the use of a TV, pillows, blankets, drinks etc. would incur an additional charge. We feel that by increasing the capacity of their current fleet, they could increase revenue, and potentially increase their market share. Both Aer Lingus and Air Asia use the same aircraft on long-haul flights, being the Airbus 330-300. However, Air Asia has managed their passenger numbers more efficiently. They have 12 business class seats, compared with Aer Lingus s 24 and 365 economy seats compared with Aer Lingus s 303. If Aer Lingus were to adopt Air Asia s more efficient method they could increase their seat capacity by 15%. (See Appendix B.3) Recommended strategic alternative and its execution: We have highlighted in the previous section three alternative strategies that Aer Lingus can take. We believe that shifting to a no-frills model is not convenient for Aer Lingus because of the greater bargaining power held by Ryanair, which is the European leader of no-frills carriers (it has reported a net profit after taxes of $612.2 million for the first quarter of 2010). Moreover Aer Lingus would not be able to reach the minimum efficient cost to make a profitable low-cost business because it would not be able to develop a learning curve in the short-term. On the other hand, shifting its business model to a western legacy carriers one is not a winning move because at the moment this business model is proving to be unprofitable (American airline has reported a net loss of $359 million for the third quarter 2009, which included the impact of approximately $94 million in non-recurring charges related to the sale of certain aircraft and the grounding of leased Airbus A300 aircraft pr ior to lease expiration. Excluding those non-recurring charges, the third quarter 2009 loss was $265 million or $0.93 per share). We think that Aer Lingus should continue with their current strategy while also incorporating a low cost transatlantic model based on that of Air Asia. In detail Aer Lingus Group Plc should offer enhancements including better food and faster check-in times to customers willing to pay more. In a switch that brings it closer to EasyJet Plc, which attracts a higher proportion of business flyers, Dublin-based Aer Lingus will adopt a hybrid model somewhere between a discount and full-service carrier. Aer Lingus also adds more short-haul routes through a franchise deal with smaller Irish carrier Aer Arann, while seeking to boost long-haul connections by increasing the number of code-share partners. Moreover the agreement with Aer Arann cover 12 routes, giving Aer Lingus new services to Bristol, Blackpool, Cardiff, Durham and Doncaster/Sheffield in England, together with Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. While the flights use by Aer Arann, being ATR 72 turboprop planes, are branded Aer Lingus Regional, with tickets sold through the larger carrier s Web site. Aer Lingus also needs to improve connections to Asia by finding a partner with daily flights to the region. The airline may rebuild its base at London s Gatwick airport should demand improve after paring services and cutting the number of planes stationed there. Luton, England-based EasyJet is the largest carrier at Gatwick, and has attracted more time-sensitive flyers than Ryanair by operating to airports that are generally closer to major European cities than those used by its rival. Aer Lingus is already reducing wages and slashing its workforce by almost a fifth, and more jobs may have to go as the airline braces for a decline in sales in what will be an extremely challenging. The Irish government holds 25 percent of the carrier s stock, with Ryanair owning about 29 percent following two failed takeover attempts. Likely Benefits and Limitations of Strategic Alternative: Aer Lingus has been hit harder than most as the Irish economy struggles to emerge from the worst recession since World War II. That is why a pure low-cost model was limiting its ability to maximize revenue. Through establishing a low cost transatlantic model, Aer Lingus will have access to a new market which has been created as a result of the economic struggle. Moreover since the recession in Ireland is to last longer than anywhere else world, it is impossible for Aer Lingus develop new routes on its own. Through agreements and alliances, Aer Lingus is able to reach new airports and acquire a new market share at a lower cost by sharing fixed costs. In that way the company will increase its profits by raising the number of its itineraries as well as by differentiating its customer target. In fact, Aer Lingus has joined transatlantic routes by deals with UNITED and Jet Blue carriers and regional routes by their agreement with Aer Arann. Question 2 GTSI From our reading of the GTSI case study we consider the main problem to be that the company expanded too quickly: The Company was too ambitious in implementing such complex systems such as the ERP and GEMs systems and similarly in its 007 strategy. The main reason for the failure of the ERP system was that instead of being run as a corporate project it was run as an IT project. The system was initially supposed to have cost them between $3-5 million and was to take between 12-24 months to complete. Instead the system ended up costing them $60 million and took 5 years to complete and in the process 3 CIO departed. The company seemed to have lost sight of the goal of implementing this system which was to act as a means of lowering costs when in fact by trying to complete this system they ended up driving up the costs which was inevitably detrimental to the profitability of the company. Instead of treating the ERP system as a sunk cost the company kept investing money into it and then e ventually in 2005 launched the system before they were certain if it would be effective or not, stating that the company could learn by trial and error . The launch of the ERP system coincided with the launch of the new GEMS system which in addition was a failure. Because the system failed there was a huge back log in orders and nothing was shipped for two months. In an attempt to rectify this problem GTSI solely concentrated on large orders which only accounted for 20% of their customers, leaving the other 80% extremely dissatisfied. This resulted in a huge increase in customer complaints which in turn lowered staff morale which lead to the increase in employee turnover and proved harmful to their reputation. The reason for the failure of the 007 strategy was that it was simply far too ambitious and it did not take into account the impact of doubling the sales force and revenue in such a short period of time would have on the organizational structure. Also because the company operated in a defined market the implementation of this strategy caused their operating expenses to increase significantly. The company undertook too much by trying to implement the 007 strategy and the GEMS and EPRS systems simultaneously. In being too ambitious with their plans they ignored the individual execution required for the strategy and systems therefore nothing was implemented effectively. The company was nearing bankruptcy when GTSI jumped from a net profit of $10.3 million in 2004 to a $16-million net loss by 2005. Moreover the Bank did not extend GTSIs credit facility leaving the executives at GTSI with two months to find a new credit facility. The reaction of its partners was not good. Some of its long-term partners are going to end their relationship as well as customers questioning whether they should continue to do business with GTSI. GTSI s reputation dropped as well as its stock price. In fact GTSI was quoted into NASDAQ Stock Exchange and when its assets and liabilities were degraded, its rating fell down. In this situation the best solution for the company is trying to retrieve its reputation, so it could increase its stock price. By selling some core assets, the firm could get back some liquidity to guarantee for its liabilities to the Bank. Moreover it could ask for some help from the Government which could acquire some of GTSI s stocks and enable it recover some of its past reputation; particularly, by becoming partly a public company, GTSI stocks rating rise as well as its market price. The second step which we consider very important is to develop a centralized training system to make the employees familiar with the new ERP system, so that the company can really exploit the potential of its investment in this IT system. Finally, we state that a common organization culture and strong leadership is necessary to overcome the attrition within the current organization and to make the coordination between GTSI s activities easier. Question 3 Shenzhen After studying the case of Shenzhen Filtroil, the main problems we have identified are the two dysfunctional relationships between (a) Liu and Qian and (b) The American owners, Randolph and Leahman and the Chinese partners, Liu and Qian. Communication is severed and the merged factory Dongwon Filtroil is not operating as a single team. Relationships are a key component of the business so once trust and communication were not there anymore problems occurred. The main reason is the fact that Liu does not feel appreciated and does not feel that his work is recognised. The firm have a huge reliance on Liu as he is the only one who knows the zinc formula. Liu therefore plays a crucial role in the business and once he recognizes just how important he is he becomes greedy. During a conversation with Qian, Liu demands to be paid (RMB) 15,000 a month, 30% commission instead of his current 5% and also to get a new company car. Qian fails to understand the change in Liu s attitude since they had been such good friends. They should be equals in their business relationship as they both own a stake in the company. However, Liu finds Qian too controlling and untrusting by the way that he checks his products when it is not even necessary. He tells Qian that he needs to stop worrying about his workers and concentrate on his own workers. Due to these issues their relationship becomes more and more dysfunctional. Another reason for their relationship problems is that Qian sees Liu as someone who was in a lot of debt and could barely feed his family. He is of the opinion that Liu should be happy that the merged factory Dongwon Filtroil has enabled Liu to live a better life and send his daughter to a good school. Realistically Qian always felt that Liu should be appreciative of anything he has gained from the merger. He didn t value the important role Liu plays in the company s success with his zinc formula. The relationship between the American owners and the Chinese partners is strained because Randolph and Leahman were kept in the dark for a long time about the tension that was building in the Chinese factory between Liu and Qain. The lack of communication meant that problems were left unsolved and the Chinese partners were left dwelling in the difficult task of keeping the business going. We have considered two solutions to the above problems. The first involves fixing the internal relationship issues without any changes to who works in the business. This can be done by improving communication. Liu and Qain need to become more aware of their responsibilities to the business and stop relying on the American owners to fix their relationship problems. They could put contractual agreements in place that tackle the hold-up issue that Liu has created. This would then establish potential to reinstate trust in the company. At the end of the day we have realised that it is not money that Liu really cares about it is about his work being appreciated. If he had a greater stake it would improve communication and also allow both Liu and Qain to act as equal partners as opposed to one controlling the other. This solution will take time and will need the dedication of everyone involved in the business. Another solution is one proposed at the end of the case. Continue working with Liu and give him the raise he requested. Then hire someone to learn Liu s trade secrets. This would then allow Qain and the American owners to make the zinc formula themselves. They could then get rid of Liu by offering to buy him our or force his resignation if necessary. This solution means that they do not have to address the current major issue that is Qain and Liu s relationship.

completing college the easy way :: essays research papers

Completing our education is a goal many of us share. Finding the time to juggle classes, family life and a job seems to be the hard part. In today’s growing corporate world, more and more people are expanding their education. Searching to obtain a higher level of education, online classes seem to be the wave of the future. The growths in the technology field make achieving our goals seem almost too easy to be true.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Traditional schools offer many learning opportunities, not only to the young, but also to the adults looking to move forward with their careers. Many adults head off to college, hoping to reach personal goals by obtaining a higher level of education. With this goal in mind, many are looking for job opportunities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Higher levels of learning bring an achievement of not only personal goals, but also many gain financial opportunities that come with having a degree. Organizations are hiring individuals with educational backgrounds, to benefit their company. Having a high school degree in these changing times is not a big enough asset anymore.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Online learning is quickly becoming the wave of the future. Many traditional colleges are quickly adding online courses to keep in demand. Modern technology enables us to receive our education with out leaving our home or jobs. Today’s computers are holding large amounts of information making, those days of lugging books back and forth to the library a thing of the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Completing our jobs, taking care of families and now attending classes via the Internet makes college more acceptable to many individuals. Attending a class when it is convenient to ones schedule is creating an environment of educated adults who are benefiting the companies they work for.

The Integumentary System

5 The Integumentary System FOCUS: The integumentary system consists of the skin, hair, nails, and a variety of glands. The epidermis of the skin provides protection against abrasion, ultraviolet light, and water loss, and produces vitamin D. The dermis provides structural strength and contains blood vessels involved in temperature regulation. The skin is attached to underlying tissue by the hypodermis, which is a major site of fat storage. CONTENT LEARNING ACTIVITY Hypodermis The hypodermis is not part of the integumentary system. Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Fat Hypodermis 1.Sometimes called subcutaneous tissue. 2. Loose connective tissue that attaches the skin to underlying bone or muscle. 3. Functions as padding and insulation. 4. Responsible for some of the structural differences between men and women. The hypodermis contains about half the body's stored fat. Measuring the thickness of the hypodermis is a technique used to estimate total body fat. 1 The dermis is dense connective tissue that forms the deep layer of the skin. Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Cleavage lines Dermal papillae Striae 1. Directions in which the skin is most resistant to stretch. . Lines visible through the epidermis produced by overstretching of the dermis. 3. Blood vessels in this structure exchange nutrients and waste products with the epidermis. 4. Projections from the dermis into the epidermis; produce fingerprints. Dermis The epidermis is stratified squamous epithelium separated from the dermis by a basement membrane. A. Epidermis Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Callus Corn Keratin Keratinization Lipids Stratum basale Stratum corneum 1. The process that changes the shape and chemical composition of epidermal cells. 2.The strata of the epidermis that produces new cells by mitosis. 3. The strata of the epidermis that contains dead, squamous cells. 4. Responsible for the structural strength of the stratum corneum. 5. Responsible for preventing fluid loss through the skin. 6. A thickened area of stratum corneum produced in response to friction. 7. Stratum corneum that thickens to form a cone-shaped structure over a bony prominence. The epidermis forms a permeability barrier that is also resistant to abrasion. 2 B. Match these terms with the correct part labeled in figure 5. 1: Dermis Epidermis Stratum basale Stratum corneum 1. 2. 3. 4.Figure 5. 1 Skin color is determined by pigments in the skin, by blood circulation through the skin, and by the thickness of the stratum corneum. Skin Color Using the terms provided, complete these statements: Albinism Birthmarks Blue color Carotene Cyanosis Melanin Melanocytes Melanosomes Red color Suntan 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. (1) is the term used to describe a group of pigments responsible for skin, hair, and eye color. It is produced by (2) in the stratum basale, packaged into (3) , and is distributed to other epidermal cells. Melanin production is determined by genetic factors, hormones, and exposure to light.A mutation that prevents the manufacture of melanin is called (4) . Increased melanin production in response to ultraviolet light results in a (5) . The (6) of tattoos, bruises, and some superficial blood vessels is due to the lightscattering effect of overlying tissues. (7) is a yellow pigment found in plants such as squash and carrots. When large amounts of this pigment are consumed, the excess accumulates in the stratum corneum and in fat cells of the dermis and hypodermis, causing the skin to develop a yellowish tint. Blood flowing through the skin produces a (8) . When blood flow increases (e. g. blushing) this color intensifies. A decrease in the blood oxygen content of blood produces a bluish color called (9) . Congenital disorders of blood vessels in the dermis produce (10) . 3 The presence of hair is one of the characteristics common to all mammals. A. Hair Match these terms with the corr ect statement or definition: Arrector pili Cortex Cuticle Hair bulb Hair follicle Hair root Hair shaft Medulla 1. Portion of hair protruding above the surface of the skin. 2. Soft center of a hair. 3. Outer layer of a hair consisting of a single layer of overlapping cells that holds the hair in the hair follicle. 4.An extension of the epidermis into the dermis. 5. Smooth muscles cells that cause hair to â€Å"stand on end† and also produce â€Å"goose flesh. † B. Hair is produced in cycles that involve a growth stage alternating with a resting stage. Match these terms with the correct part labeled in figure 5. 2: Arrector pili Cortex Cuticle Dermal papilla Hair bulb Hair follicle wall Hair root Hair shaft Medulla 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Figure 5. 2 4 The major glands of the skin are the sebaceous glands and the sweat glands. A. Glands Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Apocrine sweat gland Merocrine sweat glandSebaceous gland Sebum 1. Oily, white substance rich in lipids; lubricates hair and the surface of the skin, prevents drying, and protects against some bacteria. 2. Produces sebum; opens into the hair follicle. 3. Produces a watery secretion (sweat); opens onto the surface of the skin. 4. Produces a thick, organic secretion that is broken down by bacteria to produce body odor; opens into the hair follicle. B. Match these terms with the correct part labeled in figure 5. 3: Apocrine sweat gland Merocrine sweat gland Sebaceous gland 1. 2. 3. Figure 5. 3 5 The distal ends of the digits of humans have nails.A. Nails Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Eponychium Lunula Nail body 1. Visible part of the nail. Nail matrix Nail root 2. Cuticle; stratum corneum that extends onto the nail body. 3. Produces the nail. 4. Whitish, crescent-shaped area at the base of a nail; part of the nail matrix. B. Unlike hair, nails grow continuously and do not have a resting stage. Match these terms with the corre ct part labeled in figure 5. 4: Eponychium (cuticle) Lunula Nail bed Nail body Nail matrix Nail root 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 6 Functions of the Integumentary System The integumentary system has many functions in the body. Excretion Protection Sensation Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Temperature regulation Vitamin D production 1. The skin functions as a physical and permeability barrier. 2. Absorption of ultraviolet light by melanin. 3. Resists abrasion by sloughing cells from the epidermis. 4. Begins when a precursor molecule is exposed to ultraviolet light in the skin. 5. Carried out by producing sweat and increasing or decreasing blood vessel diameter. 6. Occurs to a slight degree with sweat production when some urea, uric acid, and ammonia are lost.The Effects of Aging on the Integumentary System As the body ages, many changes occur in the integumentary system. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Increases Using the terms provided, complete these statements: Dec reases As the body ages blood flow to the skin (1) , and the thickness of the skin (2) . The skin is more easily damaged and repairs more slowly. The amount of elastic fibers in the skin (3) and the amount of fat in the hypodermis (4) , causing the skin to wrinkle and sag. The activity of sweat and sebaceous glands (5) , resulting in dry skin and poor ability to regulate body temperature.The number of functioning melanocytes (6) , but in the hands and face, melanocytes increase to produce age spots. White or gray hair also results because melanin production (7) . The integumentary system is useful in diagnosis because it is observed easily. Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Cyanosis Jaundice Rash 1. Indicates impaired circulatory or respiratory function. 2. Results from a buildup of bile pigments in the blood. 3. Can indicate an allergic reaction, for example, to penicillin. The Integumentary System as a Diagnostic Aid 7 Burns are classified according to the depth of the burn.Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: First degree burn Second degree burn Third degree burn Full thickness burn Partial thickness burn Burns 1. Part of the stratum basale remains viable and regeneration of the epidermis occurs from within the burn area as well as from the edges of the burn; includes first and second degree burns. 2. Involves only the epidermis; red and painful. 3. Damages the epidermis and dermis; symptoms include redness, pain, edema, and blisters. 4. The epidermis and dermis are destroyed, and recovery occurs from the edges of the burn; also called a third degree burn. ? Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. Match these terms with the correct statement or definition: Basal cell carcinoma Malignant melanoma Squamous cell carcinoma 1. Begins in the stratum basale and extends into the dermis to produce an open ulcer; the most frequent type of skin cancer. 2. Develops from cells immediately superficial to the strat um basale; a nodular, keratinized tumor confined to the epidermis. 3. A rare form of skin cancer that arises from melanocytes, usually in a preexisting mole; unless diagnosed and treated early this cancer is often fatal. Skin CancerQUICK RECALL 1. List 5 functions of the integumentary system. 2. Name two strata of the epidermis and the process that changes the deepest stratum into the most superficial stratum. 8 3. Name two pigments involved in skin color. 4. Name the two stages in the hair growth cycle. 5. List the three types of glands found in the skin. 6. List four protective functions of the skin. 7. State two ways the integumentary system functions to regulate body temperature. 8. Name the three types of skin cancer. WORD PARTS Give an example of a new vocabulary word that contains each word part.WORD PART subdermkeratmelancyanpapillMEANING below skin horn black dark blue nipple 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. EXAMPLE 9 MASTERY LEARNING ACTIVITY Place the letter corresponding to the correct answer in the space provided. 1. The hypodermis a. connects the dermis to underlying bone and muscle. b. is the layer of skin where hair is produced. c. is the layer of skin where nails are produced. d. connects the dermis and the epidermis. 2. The part of the skin where cells divide by mitosis in order to replace cells lost from the outermost surface of the skin? a. hypodermis b. dermis c. stratum basale d. stratum corneum 3.The papillae of the dermis a. are responsible for cleavage or tension lines in the skin. b. contain large deposits of fat. c. are responsible for fingerprints. d. do not contain blood vessels. 4. In what area of the body would you expect to find an especially thick stratum corneum? a. back of the hand b. heel of the foot c. abdomen d. over the shin 5. The function of keratin in the skin is a. lubrication of the skin. b. to reduce water loss. c. to provide protection from ultraviolet light. d. to provide structural strength. 6. Concerning skin color, which of t he following statements is NOT correctly matched? . skin appears yellow – carotene present b. no skin pigmentation (albinism) genetic disorder c. skin tans – increased melanin production d. skin appears blue (cyanosis) oxygenated blood e. dark skinned person compared to a fair-skinned person – more melanin in the dark-skinned person 7. Hair a. slowly, but continually grows. b. grows from the tip of the hair shaft. c. consists of columns of dead keratinized epithelial cells. d. all of the above 8. A hair follicle a. is an extension of the epidermis into the dermis. b. receives a duct from a sebaceous gland. c. eceives a duct from an apocrine sweat gland. d. all of the above 9. Smooth muscles that produce â€Å"goose flesh† when they contract are the a. papillae. b. cuticle. c. medulla. d. arrector pili. 10. Sebum a. lubricates hair and skin, which prevents drying. b. is produced by sweat glands. c. consists of dead cells from hair follicles. d. is responsi ble for body odor. 10 11. If a person was born without any sweat glands, it would most likely affect the person's ability to a. secrete waste products. b. control body temperature in warm environments. c. flush out secretions that accumulate in hair follicles. . prevent some bacteria from growing on the skin. 12. While building the patio deck to his house, an anatomy and physiology instructor hit his finger with a hammer. He responded by saying, â€Å"Gee, I hope I didn't irreversibly damage the _____, because if I did, my fingernail will never grow back. † a. cuticle b. nail body c. nail matrix d. nail root 13. Skin aids in maintaining the calcium and phosphate levels of body by participating in the production of a. carotene. b. keratin. c. vitamin A. d. vitamin D. 14. On a sunny spring day a student decided to initiate her annual tanning ritual.However, she fell asleep while sunbathing. After awakening she noticed that the skin on her back was burned. She experienced rednes s, blisters, edema, and pain. The burn was nearly healed about 10 days later. The burn was best classified as a a. first degree burn. b. second degree burn. c. third degree burn. 15. A large, flat spreading lesion develops from a mole. A short time later the victim dies of cancer. The type of cancer most likely was a a. basal cell carcinoma. b. squamous cell carcinoma. c. malignant melanoma. ? F INAL CHALLENGES Use a separate sheet of paper to complete this section. 1. The rate of water loss from the skin of the hand was measured. Following the measurement the hand was soaked in alcohol for 15 minutes. After all the alcohol was removed from the hand, the rate of water loss was again measured. Compared to the rate of water loss before soaking the hand in alcohol, what difference, if any, would you expect in the rate of water loss after soaking the hand in alcohol. 2. It has been several weeks since Goodboy Player has competed in a tennis match. After the match he discovers that a bli ster has formed beneath an old callus on his foot and the callus as fallen off. When he examines the callus he discovers that it appears yellow. Can you explain why? 3. Why is it difficult to surgically remove a large tattoo without causing scar tissue to form? (hint: why do tattoos appear bluish in color? ) 4. Given what you know about the cause of body odor, propose some ways to prevent the condition. 5. Dandy Chef has been burned on the arm. The doctor, using a forceps, pulls on a hair within the area that was burned. The hair easily pulls out. What degree of burn did the patient have and how do you know? 11

Essay Sample on Forensic Science The Search for Justice

Essay Sample on Forensic Science The Search for Justice A Chicago native, Kathleen J. Reichs is an award winning international bestseller, winner of the 1997 Ellis award for best first novel. Her novel Deja Dead was only the first in a series of books. She went on to write four more novels: Death du Jour, Deadly Decisions , Fatal voyage and Grave Secrets. Kathy Reichs is a internationally recognized forensic anthropologist working on cases around the world, from examining the tomb of the unknown soldier, and working at ground zero, New York, to being an expert witness between Charlotte and Montreal were she currently divides her time. These experiences are what gave birth to her novels, each of her stories is based on her own personal experiences. Evil exists in every human being, the closest most get to this evil is by criminal activities. But, most people also have a natural need for justice when this evil called crime is committed. Justice is often acquired through the means of forensic science, or simply forensics, the application of science to law. Scientific procedures, methods, and technologies are used in investigating these crimes and proving the guilt of an accused suspect in a court of law. After the evidence is gathered from a crime scene, and photographs have been taken. A crime involving a body normally begins with the Medical Examiner ( also referred to as the ME) conducts an autopsy, the examination of the body after death. The ME studies the deceased to determine his or her identity, as well as the cause, method, mode and time of death. The ME determines the time of death by pathology. When a human dies he or she shuts down in stages, the bodies live temperature of 98,6 degrees, is maintained for one to two hours after death, then begins to cool, till it finally drops to it‘s surroundings temperature. But, this method is only used if the body has been discovered within 48 hours. For those cadavers found weeks after death a forensic entomologist enters the scene and uses his or her knowledge of insect life to determine the time and date of death. Insects are attracted to a decaying corpses odour. This may smell bad to humans, but for an insect it’s chow time, and a perfect place for laying eggs. Since insects go through different stages of life at different times, a forensic entomologist (FE) will take samples of the insects surrounding the body, and identify what species they are. Then the FE will cultivate the larvae to discover the time each stage takes. Once the species and stages of their life has been established, the entomologist can determine how many hours and days the body has gone unfound. Insects can also tell if the body has been moved after death by comparing the local insects found around the body and the insects inside the body. Identifying a corpse is sometimes very simple, people usually carry with them a wallet or some kind of identification, it’s a simple task to simply examen the contents of a wallet. But, in some infrequent circumstances a body is not carrying any identification and no one is able to identify him or her. Under these circumstances, the ME, and other forensic specialists are brought in to work with the evidence and make an identification. The easiest things to do are to describe the victims appearance and search the missing persons reports. The next step would be to take the body’s fingerprints and compare it with the federal fingerprint files. Since no two people have the exact same fingerprints and the pattern is unchanged through life if a match is found the deceased has an identity. Fingerprints can also link a suspect to his crime, fingerprints found at the scene of the crime are compared to a suspect’s fingerprints establishing absolute proof the suspected was there. If a body part or a bodies skeleton his found, enter the forensic anthropologists to identify the victim’s remains. A forensic anthropologist must suggest the age, sex, stature, ethnic group, and other unique characteristics of a descendent with anthropology, the study of human beings. In the novel Fatal Voyage, author Kathy Reichs has her heroine, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan, investigating plane crash victims. Body parts have been scattered and Dr. Brennan must determine which body parts go together to identify the body by comparing her description to the description of the passengers on the plane. In other cases without a passenger list investigators can take the description made by the forensic anthropologist and compare it to missing persons files. Forensic science depends on evidence to help solve a crime, and bring criminals to justice. Evidence is a reliable witness, it can be anything and everything in the physical universe that helps establish the facts. From a single hair, to a trail of blood, we humans are made of a cocktail of biological materials that can be left behind at the crime scene, which all can be used to identify the criminal with DNA analysis. Other evidence can suggest contact between the victim and the suspect. Like Sherlock Holmes depended on his trusty magnifying glass, the forensic scientists of today depend on their tools of the trade to uncover evidence. Without these technologies some evidence needed to solve the crime would be obsolete and others not even uncovered. An example would be the chemical luminol, used to highlight blood that has been washed away from the crime scene. . Many books, television programs and movies have based themselves on the idea of forensic science and detective work, from Sherlock Holmes to the popular television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. These stories show a glimpse of the work involved in forensics, but only a glimpse. On the television and in movies the hero or heroine often reveals the identity of the criminal with one piece of evidence, one clue, that solves the hole case. The real investigators are much harder working and cannot reveal the criminal that instantly. Very often the cases cannot be solved due to an insufficiency of evidence. The search for justice is a hard and long process, which involves many scientific methods procedures, and technologies. For some the search of justice is to strenuous, but for others who remind themselves that justice is needed in a society of laws, it’s a living. Kathy Reichs describes the reasons for doing what she does in her book Fatal Voyage when her heroine Dr. Brennan says, †I want to serve both the living and the dead. The dead have a right to be identified .To have their stories drawn to a close and to take their places in our memories. If they died at the hands of another, they also have a right to have those hands brought to account.† Forensic scientists require extensive knowledge, training, and skill. They also require a healthy appetite of curiosity, a quean eye of observation, the emotional stamina to work with human tragedies, and to be able to view the evil of man.