Off Label Promotion Profitable Health Jeopardizing Act...

Off-label promotion: profitable health jeopardizing act of defiance or costly freedom of speech? INTRODUCTION Over the years there is the discussion on the nature of off-label promotion. Promotion for an unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration usage of a drug, medical device or biologic is prohibited by the 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, and subjects the product to the misbranding provisions. On the other hand, off-label promotion is deemed to be a constitutional right protected by the First Amendment. Numerous debates, lawsuits and court rulings still don’t clear up the dilemma of off-label promotion. HISTORY OF OFF-LABEL PROMOTION REGULATIONS Off-label use of drugs and medical devices is common practice in the United States.†¦show more content†¦Another law that imposes liability on healthcare manufacturers is the False Claim Act also known as Lincoln Law. Initially, the law was applied to people who defraud federal programs but in the late 90s the Act commenced to be applied to frauds associated with the promotions of the healthcare goods. The first recognition of off-label promotion was made in 1996 when Franklin v. Parke-Davis lawsuit was filed. Dr. David Franklin filed the False Claim Act case based on his concerns on his former employer’s, pharmaceutical company Parker-Davis, off-label promotion of anti-epileptic drug Neurontin. The proposed claim that off-label promotion complies with the False Claim Act was new and controversial. It took 8 years of legal disputes to attain equally beneficial settlement of $430 million in fines and penalties. The Franklin v. Parker-Davis case set a precedent for nume rous off-label promotion cases, which still remain urgent matter for both lawsuits and public debates. CLAIM ONE Off-label promotion is law-prohibited action, which is used to increase sales profits. The numerous cases were filled against the giant multinational corporations with allegation in fraud, kickbacks, noncompliance with established laws and regulations. Companies tend to commit the same mistakes year after year despite the existing precedents. What motivates manufacturers to take illegal actions? Why

Correlation between Social Strata and Levels of Stress

There is empirical validity to the hierarchy and stress approach; Marmot et al. (1991) explore the relationship between social hierarchy and health the seminal Whitehall civil servant study. Marmot et al. (1991) found that those who held higher occupational prestige had better health outcomes and lower risk of mortality than peers in lower occupational strata. One explanation was that those in lower social strata experienced greater daily stress than their peers (Marmot, 2004). This has been extended beyond occupational hierarchies; experiencing racism—the result of a social hierarchy patterned around race/ethnicity—has been linked to poorer health outcomes for racial/ethnic minorities (Gee, 2002; Jackson et al., 1995; Karlsen Nazroo, 2002; Paradies, 2006). The literature confirms that occupying lower social strata and experiencing high levels of stress is deleterious for health (Aneshensel, 1992; Barr, 2008; Karasek et al., 1988; Meyer, 2003), promoting the core tenan t of fundamental cause theory: social conditions cause health outcomes. Evidence of Fundamental Causes—The case of SES Socioeconomic status is one way individuals are socially stratified. In Western society, we’ve created a social hierarchy surrounding wealth, occupational prestige, and education. Although there are multiple ways of hashing out social categories based on SES, it is clear that residing in lower strata of this particular social hierarchy is deleterious for health. To assess whether or not SESShow MoreRelatedKiryl Slizheuski. Student Number Here. Class Section Here.1675 Words   |  7 Pagespursuing this pressing question (Boeri 107). 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Rainbow by Kesha free essay sample

Heartache leaks in from every corner of the world, tipping life into all shades of gray. Living seems pointless until the wisps of a million different colors spill out from the horizon—at the end of every storm always comes a rainbow. After five years of being legally barred from producing music, Kesha grows despite her painful past, and she returns with Rainbow, an album that radiates resilience. Kesha uses Rainbow to overcome the many difficulties she has faced in the past few years. In 2014, Kesha sued Dr. Luke, her former producer, for allegedly abusing her sexually and emotionally throughout their many years of success in the music industry. Kesha was previously known as Ke$ha, a famous, perky, and extraordinary pop star with hit singles such as â€Å"TiK ToK† and â€Å"We R Who We R† that dominated global music charts and dance floors. However, in Rainbow, Kesha sings about more than partying and having fun. We will write a custom essay sample on Rainbow by Kesha or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Now, her songs prominently display her feminist views, courageous responses to traumatic experiences, and incredibly personal promises to heal. In an interview with Good Morning America, Kesha said, â€Å"I think this record has quite literally saved my life. I hope you guys like it, I hope you can hear it, and I hope it helps people.† The Kesha who produced the pop-rock album Rainbow is refreshingly raw; her current music is crafted from emotional lyrics and deep instrumentals, but the upbeat party songs that helped her climb the charts in previous years still remain in many of her tracks. The record’s name originates from the song â€Å"Rainbow,† an optimistic track that starts out with simple piano chords that later blend into the spirited voices of an orchestra, which produces strands of hopeful energy within the motivating lyrics. The lines that define Kesha’s bravery and strength are, â€Å"I cant lose hope, whats left of my hearts still made of gold.† In â€Å"Learn to Let Go,† a strong drum beat complements the occasional strum of an electric guitar. â€Å"Let ‘Em Talk† features Eagles of Death Metal, an American rock band who brings fruity guitar riffs to the lively rhythm of this track. The acoustic guitar chords that repeat in â€Å"Godzilla† help p ortray the whimsical, innocent nature of the song, while â€Å"Woman† utilizes the sassy sound of horns to accentuate Kesha’s fun, wild voice. In addition to shining light on the depth of Kesha’s new songs, Rainbow also showcases Kesha’s underappreciated vocal range. In her 2010-2012 hits, such as â€Å"Blow,† Kesha’s voice barely squeezes through layers of auto-tune and touch ups. Now, Kesha’s clear vocals breathe free. In the chorus and bridge of â€Å"Finding You,† Kesha reaches high notes and lulls listeners into her romantic lyrics. â€Å"Hunt You Down† and â€Å"Spaceship† demonstrate Kesha’s sweet, southern toned voice, showing off her Nashville roots. â€Å"Baby, I love you so much,† Kesha sings with breathy vocals in â€Å"Hunt You Down,† â€Å"dont make me kill you.† Perhaps the most remarkable song on Rainbow is Kesha’s single â€Å"Praying,† a silky piano ballad laced with the cheering of a strings ensemble. In this revolutionary masterpiece, Kesha sings to the people who have hurt her, and, amazingly, chooses to wish them happiness even after everything theyve done. This song was the perfect way for Kesha to rise from under the grief that Dr. Luke caused her; instead of taking her anger out on shady social media posts, she uses her emotions and paints a harmony of healing. Kesha’s hidden talents are revealed yet again when she hits a piercing whistle note, something she would have never had the chance to display in her previous albums. This unbelievably high F6 note was so riveting that it even sparked reaction videos across her fanbase. Kesha sings in a silvery voice over the humming of a violin, â€Å"I hope your soul is changing, changing. I hope you find your peace falling on your knees, praying.† Rainbow is the flower that blooms in the midst of the battlefield, the voices that laugh even when the world spins into darkness, and the hope that stitches the horizon. Now, Kesha stomps back into the music industry with fortitude, and she sets her new life streaming into success by producing an album about loving, healing, and finding the â€Å"rainbow† in every situation.

Sexuality In Wiseblood Essays - Fertility, Sexual Acts, Sexology

Sexuality in Wiseblood That Heinous Beast: Sexuality In the novel Wiseblood, by Flannery O'Connor, one finds an unpleasant, almost antagonistic view of sexuality. The author seems to regard sex as an evil, and harps on this theme throughout the novel. Each sexual incident which occurs in the novel is tainted with grotesquem. Different levels of the darker side of sexuality are exposed, from perversion to flagrant displays of nudity. It serves to give the novel a bit of a moralistic overtone. The "Carnival Episode" illustrated Hazel's first experience with sexuality. The author depicts an incident surrounded by an aura of sinfulness. Indeed, the show's promoter claims that it is "SINsational." In his anxiousness to view the sideshow, Haze resorted to lying about his age. He was that eager to see it. When he enters the tent, Haze observes the body of an obese naked woman squirming in a casket lined with black cloth. He leaves the scene quickly. This first bout with sexuality was certainly a grotesque one, and one which, perhaps, helped fortify his resolve not to experiment with sex for years to come. Haze reacted to the incident on different levels. Before watching the "show," he was filled with curiosity. So badly he wanted to view this "EXclusive" show. After glancing at the body, he first thought that it was a skinned animal. When he realized what it was, he at once left the tent, ashamed, and perhaps frightened of the object before his eyes. Hazel's reaction was not unnatural. The sight with which he was confronted would invoke both fear and embarassment within most ten-year-olds. Not only was the body nude, but it was inside a casket as well. The author parallels this vulgar display of sexuality with death itself. But Hazel reacted to more than just the sight of the object. He at once realizes that he was not supposed to watch the naked lady, that it was sinful to do so. He feels ashamed for having gone inside the tent, and punishes himself. Here, it is evident that the author means to show that Sexuality is a sinful creature. This moral tone is reinforced by the behavior of his parents during the episode. Whilst inside the tent, Hazel hears his father remark appreciatively about the nude body: "Had one of themther built into ever' casket, be a heap ready to go sooner." After returning home, Hazel's mother realizes that her son has experienced something that he should not have, and confronts him about it. Though he does not admit what he has done, he proceeds to punish himself. It is inferred that Hazel respects his mother's attitude toward the matter. O'Connor seems to propose that Hazel must do penance for what he has done, or, on a larger scale, for witnessing vulgar displays of sexuality. Perversion reaches its height when O'Connor introduces the reader to Enoch Emery. During Enoch's various dealings with women, one witnesses vulgarity in all its forms. The events surrounding the first of these incidents is tinged with a bit of mystery. O'Connor paints the portrait of a Peeping Tom, an adolescent Enoch Emery watching a topless woman sunbathe while hidden in between abelia bushes. Strangely enough, the woman has a "long and cadaverous" face, with a "bandage-like bathing cap." Ironically, the woman also has pointed teeth, with "greenish-yellow hair." The woman is portrayed as a corpse-like figure who is surprisingly similar to Hazel's one-time mistress, Leora Watts. Sexuality comes in the form of a corpse, an allusion not to be missed. The narrator depicts Sexuality as being analogous to spiritual death. In this episode, however, one sees more than just the grotesque. Enoch Emery introduces us to the grimmer side of sexuality, a side in which a predator spies on an unknowing woman, and gains pleasure from it. The meaning behind the scene is somewhat masked by the lascivious behavior of a typical eighteen year old, but its aim is clear. Here is sexuality at its darker side: one in which women are violated unbeknownst to them. Enoch's other dealings with women are also on the perverse side. He enjoys making "suggestive remarks" towards them. The fact that they do not respond to him results from two

How to Earn Computer Certifications Online

How to Earn Computer Certifications Online Whether you’re looking to broaden the number of companies you can apply to, or simply would like to learn a new skill, there are many options for technology certification and training online. While most credible certification processes require you to take the exam at an authorized testing location, almost all of them do permit you to do all training and preparation work via the internet.When seeking certification, keep in mind that not all types of certification require applicants to complete online training programs. In many cases, certification can be awarded simply by passing an exam. Most certification providers provide training and test prep, but they often charge additional fees to access it. It’s generally best to check the provider’s website for information on the certification first to get a good feel for what preparation is required and what you’ll need help with. Once you decide that the certification is right for you, note the cost to take the exam, and whether the certification provider offers any online assistance free of charge. Fortunately, there are some excellent resources for preparing for certification online that are available free of charge.Some of the more common certification types include: CompTIA A, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Cisco Certification (CCNA CCNP), Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), and the Certified Novell Engineer (CNE). CompTIA A Certification Employers often ask that those looking for IT type position carry some form of certification. For those looking to work with computer hardware, one of the most common certification sought is Comptia A. The A certification demonstrates that you possess the basic foundation of knowledge necessary to provide IT support and is often considered a good jumping off point for those looking to have a career working with computers. Information on the exam and links to online preparation options are available at Comptia.org. Free test prep can be obtained from ProfessorMesser.com. Microsoft Certified System Engineer The MCSE is a good certification to get if you’re looking for employment with a business that uses Microsoft networked systems. It’s good for those with a year or two of experience with networks and some familiarity with Windows systems. Information on the certification,  as well  as testing locations, is provided at the Microsoft website. Free preparation for the exam as well as training material can be found at mcmcse.com. Cisco Certification Cisco certification, particularly the CCNA, is highly valued by employers with large networks. Those looking for a career working with computer networks, network security, and internet service providers will be well served by Cisco certification. Information on certification can be found at Cisco.com. Free study guides and tools can be found at Semsim.com. Microsoft Office Specialist Certification Those looking to work with Microsoft office products such as Excel or PowerPoint will be well served with an MOS certification. While not often specifically requested by employers, an MOS certification is a strong way of demonstrating ones aptitude with a specific Microsoft application. They are also less intense to prepare for than some of the other common certifications. Information from Microsoft on this is available. Free test preparation can be difficult to find, but some practice tests are available for free at Techulator.com. Certified Novell Engineer The CNE is ideal for those looking to, or currently working with Novell software such as Netware. As Novell products seem less used today than they once were, this certification is probably ideal only if you already plan to work with Novell networks. Information on the certification can be found at Novell.com. A directory of free preparation materials can be found at Certification-Crazy.net.Whatever certification you choose to pursue, be sure to review the preparation requirements and costs. Some of the most difficult certification types can take many months to prepare for, so be sure that you’re able to invest the time and resources necessary to get certified. If your virtual certification efforts go well, you may also be interested in earning an online degree.

Schneider Electric Global Account Management

Schneider Electric Global Account Management Free Online Research Papers Established in 1782, Schneider Electrics began as an industrial equipment company. See appendix I. This global leader has 170 years experience in its industry. (Schneider Electrics, a, 2007) With a strategy of maintaining autonomous plants in host countries with shared global skills drawn from the company’s vast network, Schneider Electric can customize innovations to fulfil customers’ requirements, whilst meeting the standards and practices applicable to individual countries through adaptation of products. (Schneider Electrics, b, 2007) This strategy coupled with other factors requires a strong Global Account Management system to ensure the company remains a leader in industry. See appendix II. Schneider Global Business Development (SBGD) was created in 1992 as a global sales organization and counterpart to individual country based sales force. (Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw, 2004) See figure 1 2, appendix III. Global Strategy Drivers of Schneider Electric’s Global Account Management. Market Driver The strongest driver for global account management is global customers. (Yip and Madsen, 1996) Consistent image and presentation; coordinated pricing, branding that is recognisable and of high quality, service that is of high standard throughout the world, all benefit the client and the company. (Johansson, 2003). Customer satisfaction is a high priority for Schneider Electric therefore the means to fulfil this requires strategy, cooperation and a streamline operations system globally, within the corporation, with suppliers and customers. (Schneider Electric, d, 2007) See figure 1, appendix IV. One example of customers being a GAM driver is Schneider’s relationship with the American company, Copiato. To anticipate and fulfil its client’s requirements, an in-depth understanding was required. Mutually beneficial measures were taken that resulted in global consistency in product offering and service quality. In 1995 the joint relationship was awarded the Arthur Anderson Best of the Best Award for Channel management. Subsequently, Copiato appointed Schneider as its only globally certified electrical supplier. (Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw, 2004) Client demand worldwide is constant as electrification is a common need. The company acknowledges this as a growth driver and works to fulfil demands. (Schneider Electric, d, 2007). See figues 2 3, appendix IV. Cost Driver Without GAM Schneider Electric would not maximise its potential for sales, manufacturing or RD, which results in not fulfilling economies of scale. This is reflected in purchases made by Calchem prior to becoming a GSA. Merchandise purchases from the automation product line were worth SFr 3-4 million. Within a year of becoming a GSA, sharing information and working to common strategies with Schneider Electric, orders mounted to SFr10 million with a projected growth of SFr 20-25million for future transactions. (Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw, 2004) Despite the expense of organising global account management and client-led innovation as indicated previously in figure 2 of appendix III, the overall cost and expansion benefits ensure it a worthwhile venture. See appendix V. Competitive drivers The power and control industry is highly competitive with competitors utilising either a project approach or a stepping stone approach in business. Schneider responded by with various strategies to increase competitiveness. One tactic was the introduction of entry and exit barriers for its clients, which result in high switching costs making it difficult for conversion of clients by competitors and clients to competitors. (Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw, 2004) (PTC, 2007) See figures 1-4, appendix VI Strategies from SGBD enabled the company to set up strong mutually beneficial relationships with clients with long-term focus, optimized use of resources available locally and globally and ensured competitiveness. Actions that can be undertaken for successful implementation of GAM: ? Strength, increased value and growth through effective global teams (Distefano and Maznezski, 2000) See figure 1, appendix VII ? Clear, quick, easily accessible communication systems utilising English as a standard language. (Global English, 2005) See figure 2. Cross cultural training to support communication. (Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw, 2004) ? Up to date training, especially IAMs and IACs. ? Clear strategy and vision for the company’s future, recognising the importance of SGBS to ensure maximum benefit for all concerned, increasing profitability. See figure 3. ? Provide financial assistance, if needed by regional offices, to uphold the GAM Continuing globalization supported by extensive planning ensures maximum usage and benefits from internal and external resources and GAM. This ensures continuity as one of the leaders in its fields.(Yip and Madsen, 1996) (Schneider Electric, g, 2007) See figure 1, 2, 3 and 4 appendix VIII References ? Bartlett, C.A., Ghoshal. S. and Birkinshaw, J. (2004) Transnational Management Text, Cases Readings in Cross-Border Management, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin ? CRM Today (2004) Schneider Electric streamlines SRM with SAS, crm2day, accessed 12th March 2007. crm2day.com ? Distefano, J.J. and Maznezski, M.L. (2000) Creating Value with Diverse Teams in Global Management, Organizational Dynamics, 29, 1, pp. 45–63. ? Frost Sullivan (2006) Frost Sullivan Commends Schneider Electric’s Outstanding Competitive Strategy Leadership,Frost and Sullivan, accessed 8 March 2007 frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release-print.pag?docid=74616675 ? Global English (2005) Case study: Schneider Electric, GlobalEnglish, accessed 9 March 2007. globalenglish.com/corporate ? HP (2005) Schneider Electric: A new regional logistics hub.A centralised data centre. A more adaptive IT platform., HP, accessed 13 March 2007. hp.com ? Johansson, J.K (2003) Global Marketing; Foreign Entry, Local Management and Global Management, Third Ed, MCGraw-Hill, New York, NY ? Pinto, J. (2006) Schneider Electric – Aggressive French Giant, Automation, accessed 8 March 2007. automation.com/sitepages/pid2247.php ? PR Newswire (2006) Strategic Account Management Association Announces Its New CEO, prnewswire, accessed 10 March 2007. prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104STORY=/www/story/10-18-2006/0004454084EDATE ? PTC (2007) Schneider Electric Optimizes Its Global Product Development Processes With PTC Product Development System, PTC, accessed 13 March 2007 ptc.com/appserver/wcms/standards/textsub.jsp?im_dbkey=44302icg_dbkey=21 ? Schneider Electric, a (2007) History, Schneider-Electric, accessed 12 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ ? Schneider Electric, b (2007) Local Operations, Schneider-Electric, accessed 13 March 20007. schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ ? Schneider Electric, c, (2007) Group; Strategy, Schneider-Electric, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ ? Schneider Electric, d, (2007) Finance; 2006 Annual Results, Schneider-Electric, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ ? Schneider Electric, e (2007) Business; Markets, Schneider-Electric, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ ? Schneider Electric, f, (2007) Group; Key Figures, Schneider-Electric, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ ? Schneider Electric, g, (2007) Schneider-Electric, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ ? Ultima Media. (2006) Automation Systems Controls; Schneider Electrics, Automotive Manufacturing solutions, accessed 15 March 2007 automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com/ams/directory/schneider.shtml ? Yip, G.S. and Madsen, T.L. (1996) Global account management: the new frontier in relationship marketing, International Marketing Review, 13, 3, pp.24-42. Appendices Appendix I A summary of the history of the Schneider Electric reflects early ventures of the 19th century in the iron and steel industry, heavy machinery, and ship building. The 20th century brought expansion into electricity and automation management. With 170 years of experience, Schneider Electric has grown and emerged to become one of the main players in its field. Timeline of Schneider Electrics ? 1782: Established as an industrial equipment company ? 1836: Surviving the Napoleonic Wars and French Revolution, the Schneider brothers acquired the Creusot foundries. Built the first French locomotive ? 1838: established Schneider et Cie. ? 1891: Expanded from armaments specialist by moving into innovation in the emerging electricity market. ? 1914: Prominent as one of France’s most important heavy industry companies. ? 1919: Installation of Schneider in Germany and Eastern Europe via the European Industrial and Financial Union (EIFU). ? 1929: Entered the electrical contracting business with associations with Westinghouse. Expansion into manufacturing of electrical motors, electrical equipment for power stations and electric locomotives. ? 1939-45 WWII: Company suffered with factories destroyed or commandeered. The French government supported the company post WWII in its restructuring as a holding company. The company now had three subsidiaries; civil and engineering, industrial manufacturing and construction. The restructuring opened the way for diversification and new ? 1950: last Schneider family member passes away ? 1966: Company goes public. ? 1969: Merger with Empian, forming Empian-Schneider Group. Production diversifies to include fashion, travel, publishing and ski equipment. ? 1980-1997: With minimal success in its diversification efforts the company underwent reorganisation between 1980 and 1993. In 1992 Schneider Global Business Development (SGBD) was created with the objective of further expanding its business globally. In 1993 it merged with its former parent company, Societe Parisienne d’Enterprises et de Participation. Merlin Gerin (acquired 1975) and Telemecanique (acquired 1988) were the Scheider Electric ‘s European operations and Square D (acquired 1991) became the North American operations. Individual brands, however, were maintained in favour of customer recognition ? 1996: 100% French owned company established in China. ? 1997: Spie Batignolles, the electrical contracting subsidiary was sold. ? 1999: Acquisition of Lexel, European N °2 in electrical distribution. Utilised to expand its household equipment base. Global renaming as Schneider Electric, to more clearly emphasise its expertise in the electrical field. Engagment of accelerated growth and competitiveness strategy. ? 2000-2005: Growth and further acquisitions allow Schneider Electric to position in new market segments: man-machine dialogue, UPS uninterruptible power supply, movement control, Voice Data Image, Sensing Technology, Building Automation and security, (Digital, Crouzet, Clipsal, MGE UPS Systems, TAC, Kavlico, Andover Controls †¦). Developed from sources: Barlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw (2004) Transnational Management Text, Case and Readings in Cross-Border Management, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Schneider Electrics, a, (2007) History, Schneider-Electrics, accessed 12 march 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ Appendix II Schneider Electric holds first position globally in Electrical Distribution and second position globally in Automation Control. The company is comprised of: ? 88,670 employees in 130 countries ? 25 Research and Developments sites ? 206 manufacturing facilities ? 60 logistics centres ? 15,000 sales outlets Source: Schneider Electrics, b, (2007) Local Operation, Schneider-Electrics, accessed 12 march 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ Appendix III Figure 1 Framework for global account management This framework reflects the basis for Schneider Electric’s creation of Schneider Global Business Development. Source: Yip and Madsen (1996) Global account management: the new frontier in relationship marketing, International Marketing Review, 13, 3, pp.24-42. Figure 2 The following factors were drawn from Yip and Madsen (1996) and Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw (2004). Challenges to utilising GAM: ? High costs of restructuring and implementation. ? Ensuring all levels of management and other human resources have the skills, knowledge and means to maintain efficient and effective GAM. ? Increased difficulty in pricing and contracting ? Regional differences ? Establishment of clear communication at all levels regionally and globally. ? Parochialism ? Extensive customization to fulfil clients needs ? Shift from standardized manufacturing to client-led manufacturing ? High involvement levels for all parties. ? Client demands lowest national price due to centralised demand. Benefits of utilising GAM: ? Becoming sole provider on on-innovated products, guaranteeing business from Global Strategy Account client. ? Elimination of bidding process for both parties, reducing costs involved in projects. ? A united front in sales, eliminating intra business/ subsidiary competition. ? Co-innovation expands knowledge and skills base available for product creation. ? Enhanced reputation transferable across regions. ? Interregional links building relationships, therefore forming platforms for expansion. Requirements of SGBD for clients to become a Strategic Global Account: ? Client must offer potential of sourcing a minimum of 50% of global business from Schneider Electric. This is to ensure Schneider Electric recoups investments made to fulfil client’s requirements. ? Client must assist Schneider Electric in understanding its needs, challenges and services to ensure optimal results for both parties. ? Compatibility of goals, values, style and time frames also a consideration. Source: Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw (2004) Transnational Management Text, Cases Readings in Cross-Border Management, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin Yip and Madsen (1996) Global account management: the new frontier in relationship marketing, International Marketing Review, 13, 3, pp.24-42. Appendix IV Figure 1 Schneider Electric customer satisfaction as stated by Ultima Media (2006): â€Å"To increase customer satisfaction and keep installations up and running, Schneider Electric has established call centres in 40 countries and deployed a wide range of web-based services, including a global e-catalogue and online information, training, diagnostics and technical support. In addition, they work side-by-side with customers to enhance their performance. This means : ? Ensuring the sustainability of electrical installations ? Improving industrial process performance ? Enhancing energy performance. Some clients in the automotive sectors : ? DaimlerChrysler Engine manufacturing and assembly – USA ? DaimlerChrysler Body shop – Germany ? Renault Surface treatment workshop, assembly plant Spain, USA ? Ford Engine manufacturing and assembly USA and UK ? PSA Test and research centre, high storage facility, body workshop, paint shop ? Caterpillar Powertrain – France† Source: Ultima Media. (2006) Automation Systems Controls; Schneider Electrics, Automotive Manufacturing Solutions, accessed 15 March 2007 automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com/ams/directory/schneider.shtml Figure 2 Growth drivers as ascertained by Schneider Electric Source: Schneider Electric, d, (2007) Finance; 2006 Annual Results, Schneider-Electric, accessed 18 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ Figure 3 Products, consumers and growth opportunities of Schneider Electrics as detailed on their website. Energy Infrastructure Guaranteeing a safe, reliable power supply and controlling operating costs Products and services solutions encompassed in the Energy Infrastructure market: ? electric power generation and distribution, ? energy metering and quality, ? water transportation and treatment, ? public transportation and freight shipping, ? telecommunication infrastructure, ? oil and gas infrastructure, ? multi-site remote management. Growth opportunities Growth in this market is driven by the considerable development of infrastructure for water, energy, transportation and communication (notably via the Internet); privatization of public infrastructure; outsourcing; and growing security and environmental protection requirements. Main customers Public-sector investors, supervisory authorities, systems integrators, OEMs, electric companies, large industrial companies and service firms, end users. Industry Enhancing productivity, flexibility, security and traceability In the Industry market, products and services solutions cover: ? machine control, ? process automation, ? electrical supply and distribution, ? single or multi-site production data management. Growth opportunities Servicing a wide range of sectors including food and beverage, packaging, automotive, pharmaceuticals, electrical components, and chemicals industries. Major growth paths include global partnerships with key accounts and OEMs as well as Transparent Ready solutions. Main customers Engineering firms, systems integrators, OEMs, large industrial companies, panel builders and electrical equipment distributors, end users. Buildings Reducing operating costs while offering greater comfort and safety In the Buildings market, products and services solutions cover: ? electrical supply and distribution, ? utilities management (lighting, air conditioning, elevators, access control, etc.), ? data exchange (Voice-Data-Image, Power Line Communication technology, radio), ? multi-site remote management for office buildings, shopping malls and stores, industrial buildings, ships, hotels, hospitals and schools, etc†¦ Growth opportunities Great potential in the areas of automation, maintenance, optimization of energy use, automated HVAC and lighting management, access control and security for industrial, commercial and service buildings are available. Main customers Developers, engineering offices, developers, engineering and design firms, systems integrators, contractors, panel builders, electrical equipment distributors, building operators and end users. Residential Ensuring comfort and safety while simplifying communication In the Residential market, products and services solutions for single-family homes and apartment buildings cover: ? electrical distribution (protection and installation systems), ? monitoring and safety, ? home automation and data exchange systems based on advanced technologies (Voice-Data-Image landline, Power Line Communication technology, radio). Growth opportunities A dependable, steady market in which renovation accounts for 50% of demand. Substantial growth opportunities linked with the development of new technologies and the immense housing needs of emerging countries. Main customers Architects, building owners, developers, building contractors, electricians, electrical equipment distributors, DIY superstores and end users. Source: Schneider Electrics, e (2007) Business; Markets, Schneider-Electrics, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ Appendix V Key figures of Schneider Electric. On 5 years 2004 and 2005: IFRS standard 2001, 2002 2003: French GAAP Sales as of December 31 (million euros) 2005 11,679 2004 10,349 2003 8,780 2002 9,061 2001 9,828 2005 Sales by business 62% 25% 13% Electrical Distribution Automation Control Growth Platforms 2005 Sales by geographic region 48% 26% 18% 8% Europe North America Asia Pacific Rest of the world 2005 number of employees by geographic division Total: 88,670 people (Average number of permanent and temporary employees) Europe 49.2% North America 24.5% Asia Pacific 19.6% Rest of the world 6.7% Operating income as of December 31 (million euros) 2005 1,565 2004 1,286 2003 1,007 2002 1,040 2001 1,116 Source: Schneider Electrics, f, (2007) Group; Key Figures, Schneider-Electrics, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ Appendix VI Figure 1 Main competitors of Schneider Electric: ? ABB ? Alstom ? Cuttler Hammer ? General Electric ? Rockwell ? Siemens Source: Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw (2004) Transnational Management Text, Cases Readings in Cross-Border Management, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin Figure 2 Example of the strategy used by Schneider Electric’s competitors. Source: Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw (2004) Transnational Management Text, Cases Readings in Cross-Border Management, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin Figure 3 Article from PTC (2007) detailing business partnership to ensure competitiveness: â€Å"Schneider Electric Optimizes Its Global Product Development Processes With PTC Product Development System Leading French manufacturer of power control equipment partners with PTC Global Services to quickly realize value from its single PLM platform strategy . NEEDHAM, MA – January 30, 2007 PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), the Product Development Company, today announced that the world’s leading power and control specialist Schneider Electric selected PTC as its technology and services partner to improve the efficiency of its globally distributed product development processes. Schneider Electric’s strategic business initiative includes the shift to a single Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform powered by PTC Windchill ® and the deployment of processes to support key product development strategies such as product modularization and the implementation of a Web-based IT architecture in a distributed engineering environment. As a result, Schneider Electric chose PTC Global Services as the preferred partner to realize a fast roll-out and a return on investment for the PTC Product Development System (PDS) including Pro/ENGINEER ® and Windchill. â€Å"PTC is not only delivering best-in-class technology for our global PLM initiative but has also proven to be a important service partner for implementing and optimizing its solutions, based on a clear implementation roadmap .† said Michel Catry, EIS Manager, Schneider Electric. â€Å"The fast roll-out of a single and integral Product Development System will substantially support our organic growth and the capability to cooperate with Global Competency Centers based in Mexico, India and China†. Schneider Electric has launched a global product development initiative to reduce time to market for new products while lowering product development costs. As a single, Web-based technology platform, the PTC Product Development System implemented by the Global Services team is well suited to support these initiatives and lower the total cost of ownership for Schneider Electric’s Research Development IT infrastructure. The new PLM backbone will enable Schneider Electric’s global product development teams to work with common methods and processes, and share and reuse mechanical, electrical and software information more efficiently to free up product development capacity. The PDS replaces existing legacy systems in different departments and allows Schneider Electric to keep a single source of all relevant information, which can be shared internally and externally throughout the extended enterprise, including the suppliers, partners and distributed technical centres in Chi na, India and Mexico. The overall change process is managed in Windchill PDMLinkâ„ ¢, and the exchange of information with participants both inside and outside the company is provided by Windchill ProjectLinkâ„ ¢ in a seamless, integral change management environment â€Å"The power and control industry is under significant competitive pressure to reduce cycle times and costs by sharing and reusing more mechanical, electrical and software data on a global scale† said Barry Cohen, Ph.D., executive vice president, Strategic Services and Partners, PTC. â€Å"This requires a Web-based PLM infrastructure which can be easily rolled out on a global scale, but it also requires a deep knowledge about the product development process. Schneider Electric’s decision to partner with PTC demonstrates that we are providing leading technology combined with the services expertise to help our customers realize long lasting business value.† About PTC Solutions for Electronics High Tech PTC solutions for electronics high tech are designed to meet the product lifecycle management requirements of electronics manufacturers. These solutions include product development process and data management, electronic verification and collaboration, environmental regulatory compliance (RoHS, WEEE, etc.) and 3D mechanical design. PTC has over 3,000 high tech customers, including the top 30 electronics manufacturers across the globe.† Source: PTC (2007) Schneider Electric Optimizes Its Global Product Development Processes With PTC Product Development System, PTC, accessed 08 March 2007 ptc.com/appserver/wcms/standards/textsub.jsp?im_dbkey=44302icg_dbkey=21 Figure 4 Schneider Electric’s Competitor Defence Strategy Source: Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw (2004) Transnational Management Text, Cases Readings in Cross-Border Management, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin Appendix VII Figure 1 Distefano and Maznezski (200) state that there are three steps to creating value in a global team: Map, Bridge Integrate. Successful teams interact according to the three principles of mapping, bridging, and integrating (MBI). To map, they describe the differences among members and the impact of those differences in objective, measurable ways. To bridge, they communicate in ways that explicitly took the differences into account. Integrating directs them to create team-level ideas by carefully monitoring participation patterns, resolving disagreements, and creating new perspectives. By applying these principles in a dedicated and committed way, any global team can be successful. Mapping to Understand Differences The principle of mapping requires a commitment to understand the underlying characteristics affecting each member’s approach to the team. In a multinational team it may seem obvious that members will have different perspectives, but deliberately mapping these differences develops an appreciation of how they affect teamwork. There are three steps to the mapping principle: selecting which characteristics to map, describing members’ characteristics, and identifying their impact. Bridging to Communicate Across Differences Bridging, or communicating effectively across the differences to bring people and ideas together, is the next important principle in the MBI approach. Effective communication is â€Å"sending and receiving meaning as it was intended.† We are all too familiar with miscommunication, especially in situations marked by diversity. Those stories can be humorous, but they tend to have unfortunate endings. The key to bridging is to prevent miscommunication. There are three steps to building a strong bridge in a diverse team: Prepare, Decenter, and Recenter. Integrating to Leverage Differences Although good bridging is critical, understanding each others’ perspectives doesn’t guarantee that the group can bring everything together and come up with good decisions. For that, the team needs to integrate, our third principle of managing diversity well. Integrating is where understanding (from mapping) and communicating (from bridging) get converted into productive results. There are three important steps to integrating: ? managing participation ? resolving disagreements ? building on ideas All three require good mapping and bridging. Creating value in diverse teams: the MBI approach. Source: Distefano, J.J. and Maznezski, M.L. (2000) Creating Value with Diverse Teams in Global Management, Organizational Dynamics, 29, 1, pp. 45–63. Figure 2 â€Å"Schneider Electric knows that it must increase the investment in the development of employees and their competencies in order to capitalize on opportunities Global communication is critical and a common language essential. At the heart of Schneider Electric’s human capital development program are communication skills. In a survey of employees, 81 percent said that English skills are â€Å"required† or â€Å"important† in their current jobs. Seventy-six percent of employees said they use English on the job at least once a week. In addition, Schneider Electric identified two key business drivers that required improved English communication skills globally. First, the company is a global organization and must be dedicated to global customers who demand consistent service around the world. Second, as a global company, Schneider needs to share and capitalize on expertise and best practices, regardless of where they operate geographically. Schneider then closely examined its communication capabilities. It found that 85 percent of â€Å"high-need† employees reported that they had been told by their managers to improve their English skills; their progress would be regularly monitored or evaluated during their performance reviews. Ninety-four percent said they needed to improve their English skills within two years. And 70 percent said that English skills were â€Å"required† or â€Å"important† in order for them to get a promotion in the global organization. The company also had explicit goals to achieve cost savings. Previously, English language training was purchased locally, with each region determining its own solution, vendor, and expenditures. With this decentralized approach, it was difficult to determine and control costs, ensure consistent quality of the training, and measure results to determine effectiveness. To overcome these problems, management directed that 80 percent of English learners should use e-learning. The global learning team knew that maintaining fewer vendors would mean fewer internal resources to manage. Also, a larger contract could provide significant cost savings. More than 3,000 â€Å"high-need† and â€Å"high-potential† employees from all regions enrolled in the GlobalEnglish Corporate Learning Serviceâ„ ¢. The need for English training cut across all functions within the organization, and participants represented nearly all departments in the company, including RD, HR, communication, sales, marketing, IT, client support, quality, manufacturing, finance and accounting, logistics, purchasing, and legal. Flavio Scuccimarra, Project Director, Schneider Institute of Management stated; â€Å"Schneider measured the impact the program has had on strategic goals and money saved. What we discovered was that, with the GlobalEnglish program, we were able to train more people, our employees became more efficient and effective in communicating with each other and customers, and we have lowered our overall cost for training because we have better ways to learn and higher usage.† â€Å" Adapted from source: Global English (2005) Case study: Schneider Electric, GlobalEnglish, accessed 9 March 2007. globalenglish.com/corporate Figure 3 Taken from Schneider Electric’s website. Strategy â€Å"new ² in action† In January 2005, Schneider Electric introduced its new ² company program, which reaffirms their commitments to stakeholders and ambition to be: ? A great company to do business with ? A great place to work ? A great investment ? A great world partner. new ² focuses on three priorities for which have been identified to have significant potential for improvement: ? Speed growth and innovation, ? Enhance operating efficiency, ? Develop our people and promote employee involvement. Our top priority: customer satisfaction Understanding our customers needs To stay fully abreast of our customers requirements, 60 centers in 25 countries have been set up, specializing in applications such as elevators, packaging, textiles and data centres. The goal is to develop the most effective solutions with customers to meet their specific needs. Innovating for users To get a handle on users expectations, weve re-created their daily environment in the laboratory. Thanks to these innovation platforms, we are able to respond much faster with solutions based on observation that are often very simple, but always effective. Spreading the word To forge close contacts with customers and present the extremely diverse range of solutions offered by Schneider Electric and its partners, private professional trade shows called Initi@tive were launched in 2005. The shows feature main products and solutions, as well as those of partners, and an â€Å" la carte† schedule of conferences. In 2005, Initi@tive shows were held in Seville, So Paulo, Mexico City, Santiago, Istanbul and Bangkok. Promoting growth Targeted acquisitions and new businesses Schneider Electric have brought in a number of new activities that complement the core electricity and automation management business and provide new momentum. During the year 2005, five acquisitions were made in five strategic areas: ? Energy management, with Canadas Power Measurement Inc., a leader in comprehensive systems for managing energy consumption. ? Building automation and security, with ABS EMEA (Advanced Building Systems Europe and Middle East), which is now part of TAC, Schneider Electric’s skills centre for building management and monitoring systems. ? Industrial automation with Germanys Elau, the world leader in automation solutions for packaging machines. ? Customized sensors for application positioning and monitoring systems, with US-based BEI Technologies. ? Ultra terminal electrical distribution, with Juno Lighting, Americas leading manufacturer of track and recessed lighting. Over a full year, new activities represent revenue of around â‚ ¬5 billion. Promoting efficiency Rebalancing and globalizing Schneider Electric has initiated more than 700 projects to rebalance and optimize purchasing, as well as the manufacturing base and supply chain. Productivity enhancement measures were stepped up in all countries. A major project was launched to optimize and unify their IT systems at the global level so they could be even more efficient and effective. Cultivate commercial excellence Provide exceptional customer service All Schneider Electric team members, at all levels and in all functions are encouraged to become partners in enhancing customers growth and performance. Satisfaction surveys are conducted in all countries to measure the progress. Promoting our people new ²s three paths for promoting employee growth and commitment are enhancing workplace safety, developing talent and unleashing entrepreneurship. An aim has been set to reduce the number of days lost due to work accidents to 20%. To achieve these goals, three-year competency plans have been implemented in each unit, collecting 360 degree feedback for all managers, and enlarging Schneider Electric Universitys curriculum to new areas. A promise has been made to inform all employees quarterly about the progress plans put into place in response to employee satisfaction surveys. In addition, the company has promised to spotlight corporate social responsibility by reviewing social and environmental performance every three months. Source: Schneider Electrics, c, (2007) Groups; Strategy, Schneider-Electrics, accessed 13 March 2007 schneider-electric.com/wps/portal/corp/ Appendix VIII Figure 1 Three of Schneider Electric’s partner’s in ensuring its resources and Global Account Management is utilised optimally: ? PTC – product development system. Refer to figure 3 appendix VI for details. ? HP SAP Solutions and Services for manufacturing utilized for Schneider Electric’s Enterprise Resource Planning at its new Hong Kong logistics hub. ? SAS – supplier relationship management Sources: ? PTC (2007) Schneider Electric Optimizes Its Global Product Development Processes With PTC Product Development System, PTC, accessed 08 March 2007 ptc.com/appserver/wcms/standards/textsub.jsp?im_dbkey=44302icg_dbkey=21 ? HP (2005) Schneider Electric: A new regional logistics hub.A centralised data centre. A more adaptive IT platform., HP, accessed 13 March 2007. hp.com ? CRM Today (2004) Schneider Electric streamlines SRM with SAS, crm2day, accessed 12th March 2007. crm2day.com Figure 2 A reflection on Schneider electric’s Global Account Management success â€Å"Frost Sullivan Commends Schneider Electric’s Outstanding Competitive Strategy Leadership London, 10th July 2006†¦.The 2006 Frost Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy Leadership is presented to French power and control giant, Schneider Electric. The company’s exceptional strategic thinking and creative vision have facilitated its rapid organic growth in the highly competitive European building automation and controls market (BACS). â€Å"With sales growth of 13 per cent and a 22 per cent increase in its operating income in 2005 as against single-digit overall market growth, Schneider Electric has demonstrated its ability to grow in mature markets based on its sound strategy and innovative thinking,† says Frost Sullivan Research Analyst Manoj Kumar S. â€Å"The company is currently positioned fourth in the overall European BACS marketplace and has emerged an important participant in many new markets across the world.† A strategy based on selective acquisitions has enabled Schneider Electric to strengthen its core electrical distribution and industrial automation-related businesses, while broadening its product line and sales presence in many targeted regions including the emerging markets of Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. While the company generates nearly half of its sales in Europe, it has also been exploring new geographic opportunities and acquisition plans in contiguous industries as part of its strategy to achieve accelerated competitive growth. The acquisition of TAC and Andover Controls has allowed Schneider Electric to consolidate its position in the building automation and control systems market. Moreover, the recent addition of Advanced Building Systems (ABS), which constitute United Kingdom’s leading Satchwell brand and other popular brands such as Atmostech, Controlli and Messner, has enabled Schneider Electric to boost its like-for-like sales in the BACS market by 30 per cent in 2005. â€Å"Schneider Electric respects the culture of the acquired companies as well as their brand values,† comments Mr. Kumar. â€Å"It has around ten different brand names for its BACS solution, which is uncommon in the industry.† Globally, the acquisitions of PMI, Elau, ABS EMEA, Juno Lighting and BEI Technologies in 2005 and that of Andover Controls and Kavlico in 2004 have contributed to sales worth $538.7 million, besides helping the company gain expertise in new areas. Driven by its acquisitions in Europe, the market share of Schneider Electric increased by 10 per cent in 2005. â€Å"The structure of competitors in the European BACS market has been revolutionised by the Schneider group’s recent acquisitions,† notes Mr. Kumar. â€Å"By changing the competitive landscape, the company has dramatically increased the visibility of French companies in the previously neglected BACS market.† In order to offer its customers innovative solutions, Schneider Electric invests 5 per cent of its sales revenues in RD, which is a relatively high spend for an automation company. At the same time, it has also carried out innovative structural re-organisation aimed at facilitating new development strategies. Frost Sullivan’s Competitive Strategy Leadership Award is presented to the company whose unique competitive strategies have yielded significant gains in market share. Often, the recognised company has taken advantage of recent market changes to introduce unique methods of capturing and solidifying market presence or has executed an innovative strategy within the existing competitive landscape to gain the competitive edge. Frost Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry. About Frost Sullivan Frost Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The companys industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit www.frost.com. Source: Frost Sullivan (2006) Frost Sullivan Commends Schneider Electric’s Outstanding Competitive Strategy Leadership,Frost and Sullivan, accessed 8 March 2007 frost.com/prod/servlet/press-release-print.pag?docid=74616675 Figure 3 Schneider Electric – Aggressive French Giant, an article by Jim Pinto â€Å"With 85,000 employees, operations in 130 countries, and 13,000 distributor outlets, France-based Schneider Electric is high on the world list of major automation companies. 2004 revenue was about $14 billion, with growth of 18% (organic growth 8.5%) – significant growth in a flat world economy. For the first half-2005 (June 30, 2005) revenue increased by 6.4% and the 2005 outlook was revised upwards. All operating numbers showed significant growth over the comparable period of 2005. The strategy of selective acquisitions continues. Here is a list of major acquisitions dating back to 1984. Several other smaller acquisitions have not been listed. 1984 Magrini Galileo 1987 Federal Pacific 1988 Telemechanique 1991 Square D, Federal Pioneer 1993 Merlin Gerin (note: year of acquisition differs to case study) 1996 AEG Schneider Automation, Modicon 1999 Lexel, Veris Industries, MITA, Infra+ 2000 Crouzet, Bergher Lahr, Crompton Greaves, Conlog, Nu-Lec 2001 Prosyst, WA Brown, Inari, Think Do, PDL 2002 Digital Electronics 2003 Clipsal, TAC, MGE-UPS, Hyde Park 2004 Andover Controls, Kavlico, Elau, Abacus, Magnecraft, Dinel 2005 (First half 2005): Power Measurement Inc, ABS EMEA , Juno Lighting, BEI Technologies Strong growth objectives Schneider has an ambitious corporate mission to support a strategy of faster, more competitive growth, beyond its own geographic and cultural limits. To stay competitive, RD percentage is above 5%, relatively high for an automation company (most typically invest only 2%-3%). Schneider operates in three sales regions: Europe (52%), North America (24%) and International (rest-of-world, which includes Japan and China) generates 24%. Electrical Distribution 63%; Automation 26%; Growth platforms 11% Schneider Corporate Culture According to senior managers, here is what makes Schneiders business culture different: ? Diverse culture: Schneider is very open to any type of culture. This is probably due to the fact that the group was built on acquisitions over the past 20 years. One way or another, all companies in the group share a common beginning they were all acquired by Schneider. As a consequence, there is not such a thing as a predominant culture. It is very difficult to spot a real true Schneider original employee; there are not more than a few. The diverse cultures have probably been helpful in successful integration of very diverse companies such as Digital in Japan, and Clipsal in Asia. ? Local cultures: Because of the many acquisitions, Schneider is very respectful of the local cultures of the countries where they work. They have far fewer expats (French transplants) than any similar companies, and rely more on the growth of local people in the operations. Schneider prides itself on being very local. ? Brand names: Schneider recognizes the value of the business acquired. When it makes sense, they keep the brands in the company portfolio there are 70 different brand names, unusual for any company. ? Sales Channels: Schneider is more partner and distributor orientated than most of their competitors. ? Corporate focus: Schneider is focused on Automation and Electrical distribution, by choice. It does not diversify into businesses such as Medical, Telecom, or Financial services. ? Management team: Schneiders 11-member executive management team includes 4 non-French members. Of the industrial automation majors, perhaps only ABB is more internationalized at the top. The corporate management program is designed by top management (about 100 people in various companies). ? New product development: The RD budget is decided at the corporate level. New products come from RD centers located in France, US, UK, Singapore, China, Sweden, Japan etc. ? Incentive plans: There are good bonuses for the management (approximately 40% of staff level employees), and stock options for the top managers. Schneider is a focused, well-managed, growth-orientated, global corporation. Look for continued aggressive acquisitions of large and small companies that fit its focused strategy in target markets. American Subsidiary (Modicon) view of Schneider Many people are surprised at how so many acquisitions have not only survived, but thrived, as part of this giant French company. Well, here is the view from a well-known major US subsidiary – Modicon. Paul Hamilton [paul.hamilton@modicon.com] from North Andover, MA, USA provided this feedback: It’s important to get a sense of the people and the environment at Schneider, to understand how the company manages toward the future. Every 3 years the company organizes around a growth and productivity initiative that drives the behavior and objectives of all groups and divisions for the following 3 years. We are just starting the 4th such program that I am aware of. This one is a 4 year program as opposed to the previous 3 year programs. As this is the 4th generation of this type of program the company is becoming more efficient and more organized around developing and implementing goals and objectives. It is well organized and it strongly drives focused behavior and results. You can find this NEW2 program on the Schneider web site, finance section under new company program. Relative to the people and environment: Yes the 12 member executive team includes 4 non-French personnel as you mentioned. However, what is not so obvious is: 9 of these members are new to their positions in the last 1 to 2 years thus highly energized and motivated to achieve results. 8 have held senior expatriate positions in other countries prior to joining the staff. These assignments include China, USA, Africa, and other Asian and Europeans countries. This is a team with a real global view from personal experience as opposed to the typical fly-in-fly-out experience of many senior management teams. Moving a large company forward is about change. As you recognize, change is disruptive and creates some amount of discontent. I am sure, like every big company, we will have our share of people that are not happy as the company finds it way to the next level of results. However, there is a difference at Schneider. Management is engaged with the business and encourages people to express and act on their opinions if it brings real benefit to the company objectives. You can be an entrepreneur and you can make a difference if you choose. People are rewarded for this behavior. Management is clear and goal driven. Schneider’s NEW2 plan describes a simple set of objectives around people, growth, and efficiency that everyone in the company understands and has integrated into their own goals at a department or group level. These goals were not developed in a vacuum but developed with strong participation from the top 100 global managers. In 1Q05 NEW2 was cascaded to 600 top managers and subsequently to every employee in the company. The results, progress and issues are reviewed every month by the COO and cascaded down throughout the company. All this creates an environment of clear performance minded people focused on achieving results consistent with company goals. The company cares about people, the environment, and the community. Seldom have I seen a company that consistently encourages everyone to always try to make a difference in the places they live and in the world. Community programs are always in the highest level goals of the company. Schneider Electric employees expect this and respond to this though local programs or corporate programs such as our recent tsunami relief efforts. The company is always striving and driving to be at the forefront of Environmentally friendly behavior such as RoHS (reduction of hazardous substances) and Eco design programs. In summary: Schneider is a diverse company that thrives on and encourages local cultures to develop and grow in their own way in each country. Yet, at the same time, and without destroying this value, Schneider has been able to create an environment where everyone understands and is focused on the same goals for global growth and efficiency. This is the real value and culture of Schneider Electric. And that is why we will continue to succeed. Continued growth plans In the fast-changing business environment of a new century, Schneider continues to adapt, change and pursue innovation with its own corporate governance. The companies Board of Directors will be proposing the transformation of its own corporate mode of governance at the Shareholders Meeting on 3 May 2006, to ensure the smooth succession of its leadership and the pursuit of its development strategy. During the next years, look for Schneider to emerge as a clear leader in several key industrial automation target markets through strong organic growth, as well as a continued aggressive acquisition program. Its interesting to note that Schneider made a strong ($60 million) acquisition offer for Australia-based CITECT in Oct. 2005. The offer was pre-empted by Thoma-Cressey, a US based venture capitalist, which acquired CITECT in January 2006. Clearly Schneider is now in the market to acquire another similar systems/software company for strategic reasons. Schneider will continue to acquire key parts of ailing automation conglomerates, as well as strategic small and mid-sized companies that are poised for new growth. Right now, the aggressive French giant seems unstoppable. â€Å" Source: Pinto, J. (2006) Schneider Electric – Aggressive French Giant, an article by Jim Pinto, Automation, accessed 8 March 2007. automation.com/sitepages/pid2247.php Figure 4 Reinforcement of the success of Schneider’s GAM is reflected in the appointment of recently retired Senior VP/General Manager of SGBD Chicago, Bernard L. Quancard, as President and CEO of the Strategic Account Management Association, detailed in the following article. â€Å"The Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA) today announced that its board of directors has named Bernard L. Quancard to serve as the associations President and Chief Executive Officer. He comes to SAMA with significant Consulting, Senior Executive and Global Strategic Account Management experience. Bernard started his career in 1969 with The Boston Consulting Group in the Boston and Paris offices. He joined Telemecanique (Schneider Electric Group) in 1975 as Vice President, Corporate Strategy and became VP/General Manager of the Switch Gear division in 1978 and of the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) division in 1988. In 1994, he joined the management board of AEG Schneider Automation (Schneider Electric Group) as Executive VP, Worldwide Sales and Marketing. Bernard moved to Chicago in 1997 for Square D/Schneider Electric as Senior VP/General Manager of Schneider Global Business Development (SGBD), the entity managing global strategic accounts (GSAs) for Schneider Electric worldwide. That year, SGBD was managing 24 GSAs, driving $180 million of consolidated sales. By 2001, the entity was managing 74 GSAs with over a billion dollars of consolidated sales. The compounded growth of Schneider Electric sales at GSAs was twice the average growth rate of the total company. Strategic Account Management at Schneider Electric was recognized by the organization and its competitors as a major competitive advantage. Bernards wealth of knowledge, experience and engaging style will be a true asset to SAMA and under his leadership we look forward to a bright future, states Rosemary Heneghan, Chairperson of the Board. Retired from Schneider Electric since March 2005, Bernard is president of the French American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, a permanent Chicago resident and also a native of France. Bernard holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from the University of Paris and an MBA from the University of Chicago. About the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA) Founded in 1964, SAMA is a non-profit organization devoted to developing and promoting the practice of customer-supplier collaboration. SAMA is dedicated to the professional development of the individuals involved in the process of managing national, global and strategic customer relationships, enabling firms to create greater customer value and to achieve competitive advantage accordingly. Based in Chicago, the association has earned a reputation for being the strategic account management professions knowledge leader, providing members with the high-quality resources, training and networking opportunities needed to succeed. Source: PR Newswire (2006) Strategic Account Management Association Announces Its New CEO, prnewswire, accessed 10 March 2007. prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104STORY=/www/story/10-18-2006/0004454084EDATE .. Research Papers on Schneider Electric Global Account ManagementAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfDefinition of Export QuotasThe Project Managment Office SystemMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneTwilight of the UAWNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice

IT Database Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT Database - Research Paper Example ns† (Microsoft Dynamics), and one wants these activities not to create long backlogs which may hinder with the operation of new asynchronous activities. Separating server roles reduces time for new activities to take place. 3. The N organization must secure its database through strong passwords so that it is made sure that no unauthorized person accesses the database and misuses or steals the stored information. The administrator should take care of where that password is stored and must use encryption classes to protect it. Passwords are a strong obstacle to hackers and harmful operations. 4. Grant, Revoke and Deny are user permissions which are the statements â€Å"to give or take away permissions from a user or role† (Chigrik). The GRANT statement assigns permissions to statements and objects; the DENY permission denies access to the security accounts from inheriting permissions; and, the REVOKE statement removes the GRANT or DENY permissions from user roles. 5. When a flaw is observed in the database, a security patch is used to remove it. Keeping the system patched and up-to-date is the only solution that prevents vulnerabilities. Patch softwares must be regularly updated to receive automatic and critical patch updates. Windows Update website must be visited regularly, and tools like Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) must be used to scan and identify vulnerabilities. 6. Virus protection has become very crucial to ensure data protection in the database. Virus scanners must be installed in the system (Strebe 141) to protect the database from vulnerable virus attacks. Just purchasing a CD is not enough. Most companies want the user to subscribe with them to receive regular updates which are necessary to counter new viruses. 7. It is important to maintain regular backups of the back-end database so that the data can be retrieved in case of physical security damage, virus attack, data stealth, and other such harmful activities which result in total

On Television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On Television - Essay Example He goes on questioning whether the television medium presents the topics accurately or imperatively. The problem of the journalists and the news field is focusing on the truth which has chances to get either approved or disapproved. Like what has been discussed in the argument that â€Å"television presentations almost automatically dumb down due to cultural –social and technological structures of the field†. But according to Bourdieu the documentary series or program takes a little time to reach the likeness or approval of the audience than the story telling session, or dramas. The reason he has analysed is that news reports will be concentrated towards emphasising the true incident which has brought changes in the television production of the news field in a cultural concept, and the relationship that exist between the intellectuals and the public or the political and the social community. The success of the journalism in television media seems to depend mostly on the responsibility that the intellectual takes to reach the political and the social community. He mainly argues the role and the impact of the journalistic field in a television media with the social and cultural structures. He looks at the solution form the perspective of an individual, and so he says that if an individual takes the role of organising a news documentary for a television presentation so cautiously keeping in mind the social and political expectation rather than obliging what the television industry has to impose on a cultural circle. The television has changed the role of the journalistic field, though it has all forms of technologies to present the information true to life, the journalistic media remains a decline among the public. This he finds due to many reasons one would be that television has all the powerful cultural means to present all the recent political as well as social and cultural issues more effectively than the print media, as a result the television industry and

Extreme Ice Essay Example for Free

Extreme Ice Essay In this documentary film, â€Å"Extreme Ice,† produced by PBS TV, 2009, James and scientists shows how glacier ice is melting. James Balog, a photographer, wanted to document and help scientists to understand mountain monumental changes. So he surveyed the ice and went to the places such as Alaska, Green land, etc. The project team which called â€Å"Extreme ice† discovered that there were very serious problems. The sun was the most reason of ice melting. But now, such as Industrial revolution and fossil fuels output green house gases alter the planet. For example, Columbia bay where is the fastest melting ice in the world, the ice is going to be collapsed faster than before. Scientists eventually discover about the mystery of the fast-melting ice at Columbia Bay. They announced that high temperature create more water and the water is melting ice because high pressure water cracked ice open and collapse. So Dr. Tad Pfeffer who is the one of the researchers suspected that if mountain glaciers are continuous melting, then people like living in Asia could not drink water. Frozen ice core record also support the reason. They have periodical ice in National Ice Core Lab in Colorado and it can distinguish between bubbles and pack of air. Late 1990s, Greenland is the hardest so far. But when they visited there, they figured out so many water drained out and it goes booming ice. Approximately 100million people will see to exist the melting ice on coastal countries such as Florida, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Thats because the film Extreme Ice might mean quickly disappearing the ice and land increasingly.

Child Abuse: Social Problem Definition and Analysis Essay -- Child Abus

Social Problem Definition and Analysis INTRO: Child abuse and neglect are a serious problem in the United States. Every day, many children’s well-being and safety are harmed by the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect that their parents and caregivers inflict upon them. DEFINITION: There have been and currently are numerous definitions of what constitutes child abuse and neglect and they vary across time and space. Up until the 1880’s, children were the property of their families and, as such, it was only up to the families to decide how to care for them and whether they would live or die. Today, although it is recognized that parents and caregivers have the right to raise their children according to their own views and beliefs, when those views and beliefs come in conflict with the protection of children from harm or access to basic needs, society has the right to intervene for the welfare of the minors. In the United States, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) provides the most basic and universal definition of child abuse and neglect. Under this definition, abuse is â€Å"any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation† and neglect is â€Å"an act or failure to act that presents an imminent risk or serious harm†. Under this definition, a child is anyone under eighteen years old who is not emancipated. Although there is a main federal definition of child abuse and neglect, other more in-depth definitions exist within states that, while having variation within them, also share some commonalities. Within these commonalities, child abuse and maltreatment is separated into 4 categories: physic... ...Child Abuse and Neglect. (2008, April). . Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Child Abuse Statistics | Childhelp. (n.d.). Web. 21 March 2015. http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics National Network to End Domestic Violence | Family Violence Prevention & Services Act. (n.d.). Web. 18 March 2015. http://www.nnedv.org/policy/issues/fvpsa.html PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: POLICY DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE. (2001). . Washington, DC: U.S. Government. PROTECTING CHILDREN, STRENGTHENING FAMILIES: REAUTHORIZING CAPTA. (2008). . Washington, DC: U.S. Government. Summary of Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (CAPTA Reauthorization). (n.d.). Web. 12 March 2015. http://www.naswdc.org/advocacy/issues/letters/070103_abuse.asp The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003. (2003, June 25). . Children's Bureau.

A Systematic Review on the Comparison of Avandia and Actos in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition that is characterized by a chronic rise in the glucose levels of the blood.   It can lead to changes of the blood vessels of the retina, nephron, heart, nerves, etc, causing a lot of complications.Individuals, who suffer from type 2 diabetes, may or may not require insulin (as the condition primarily occurs due to insulin resistance or improper utilization of insulin by the blood cells).   In many cases, people who suffer from type 2 diabetes, are ultimately given insulin, even though the drug is not very effective in control the high blood sugar levels (Ligaray, 2008).Studies conducted in the UK effectively demonstrate that 25 % of the patients who suffer from type II diabetes require insulin within 6 years of initiating therapy with oral hypoglycaemic agents (Edelman, 2005).In clinical practice, type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the commonest diseases that are seen.   The insulin levels may be low, defective in nature or the very utili sation of insulin by the fat, liver and the muscle cells may be hampered.   The individual may not depend on insulin for bringing back the blood glucose levels back to normal.   Ketosis seldom develops, but is common under stressful conditions (Inzucchi, 2007).Today, in the US, the screening for diabetes is usually performed in elders or high-risk individuals, and as such there may be several members of the general population who may be silently suffering from the disorder.The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the US is about 7 %, but in individuals above the age of 50 years, the incidence may be about 15 %.   Certain minority groups including the Hispanics, African-Americans, Native Americans, etc, are at a higher risk of developing the disorder.   The mean age of incidence of the disorder in high-risk populations usually occur at a younger age compared to the White American populations.   If we look at the prevalence of diabetes mellitus type 2 throughout the world, the incidence is high in Indians, Polynesians, Micronesians, Latin Americans, etc.In Australians, Africans, Aborigines, Asians, etc, the incidence is relative lower when they live in the native countries.   However, when they migrate to the US, the prevalence of the disorder is relatively higher, owing to the change in lifestyle, poor control over risk factors, etc.A great proportion of diabetic patients die from cardiac diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, etc.   Studies have effectively demonstrated that the risk for cardiac disease raises two-folds in men, and up to four folds in women (Ligaray, 2008).The main pathophysiology of diabetes is the rise in the blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia) due to the low insulin levels in the blood, improper utilisation of insulin by the cells, defective functioning of the insulin or resistance to insulin.   The pancreatic beta islet cells may not produce sufficient amounts of insulin required by the body or several groups of cells pres ent in the body such as the fat, muscle, liver, etc, may be resistant to the action of insulin.Studies conducted during autopsy have effectively demonstrated that the beta cell mass in type 2 diabetics are reduced to about half the normal size.   The body cells find it seemingly difficult to utilize glucose resulting in lower amount of glucose transportation to the muscles, greater production of glucose by the liver and greater breakdown of fat (Ligaray, 2008).Other causes of diabetes type 2 include production of substance by the body that hamper the action of insulin, glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity.   When the individual consumes carbohydrates, there are chances that the blood glucose level would raise further, as insulin is not available to control (Inzucchi, 2007).The ability of the body to use insulin immediately to control carbohydrate and sugar level following ingestion is difficult (Ligaray, 2008).   Studies may have shown that although the insulin deficiency may be mil d, the ability of the insulin to stop an immediate rise in the blood glucose level would be absent.   When the individual suffers from mild type 2 diabetes during the initial stages, there are chances that the insulin secretion would respond to other secretogogues such as amino acids.However, in severe type 2 diabetes, the condition does not respond to other secretogogues resulting in a severe deficiency of insulin.   In individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes, there may be deposition of an amyeloid-like substance in the beta-cells of the pancreatic islets.   The beta-cells begin to malfunction following the deposition of amyloid (Inzucchi, 2007).In some of the type 2 diabetics the insulin secretion may be defective in nature.   The ability of the cells to respond to insulin is reduced and the normal response is less.The cells may not be able to use the insulin effectively to ensure utilization of glucose by the cells.   In an environment of hyperglycaemia, the cells fi nd it very difficult to utilize the insulin and the glucose.   The body finds it difficult to produce glycogen from glucose in the liver and breakdown of fats, as a result of the decreased sensitivity of the insulin.The exact reason for the poor response of the cells to insulin is not understood clearly, but scientists suggest that it has to do with the defective mitochondrial functioning and the accumulation of free fatty acids in the cells that are usually supposed to respond to insulin.   The insulin receptors in such cells may be normal, but the insulin pathways that are related to the insulin receptors may go haywire.The functioning of the glucose transporting agent GLUT may become abnormal.   Scientists also feel that the defects in insulin use and glucose transportation may be due to a genetic defect.   Obesity also increases the risk of the individual developing resistance to insulin.   The presence of free fatty acids in the body would suggest greater amount of li pid deposition in the liver and the muscles thus playing a major role in developing insulin resistance (Inzucchi, 2007).When the blood glucose levels are high, the sensitivity of the cell to insulin and the ability of the cell to utilize glucose are seriously affected.   Besides, a rise in the lipids in the blood can affect glucose metabolism, causing a raise in hepatic gluconeogenesis, and raising the free fatty acid levels.   The pancreas functions abnormally and the muscles are unable to utilize glucose effectively (Inzucchi, 2007).It may be difficult to assert whether the primary defect in type 2 diabetics is due to insulin insufficiency or insulin resistance.   Studies have demonstrated that in high-risk populations, the initial defect is primarily due to insulin resistance and a decrease in the insulin sensitivity.However, diabetes would not occur only with insulin resistance alone.   Studies have shown that frequently due to the secretory defects, the beta cells seem to get exhausted.   It may also be that chronic stimulation of the beta-cells along with the genetic defects would result in insulin insufficiency (Inzucchi, 2007).Evidence strongly supports that genetics and environmental factors both play a major role in the development of diabetes mellitus type 2 (some even suggest complex genetic factors).   Most of the forms of type 2 diabetes mellitus have been polygenic in nature, whereas maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) has been monogenic in nature.   There is a clear familial linkage seen in diabetes mellitus type 2, but there seems to be no classical Mendelian inheritance (Inzucchi, 2007).Diabetes mellitus patients are at the risk of high mortality in case their condition worsens and complications develop.   Hence, one the keys to ensure a longer lifespan in diabetes patients is effective management using drugs and medications.Studies have clearly demonstrated that diabetes patients require an aggressive, intensive and e arly intervention that would be able to identify a rise in the blood sugar level and ensure that it is brought within normal range.   One of the most difficult complications of diabetes patients would be developing is heart disease.The mortality from heart disease is quite high (70 %) in diabetics.   Besides, the costs of managing a patient suffering from diabetes and heart disease are about three times higher (Unger, 2008).Diabetes mellitus is mainly diagnosed on the basis of the plasma glucose levels.   The fasting blood glucose level should be more than 126 mg per dl of blood.   The post prandial blood glucose level should be greater than 200 mg per dl of blood (typically taken 2 hours after a meal).   The impaired glucose tolerance levels include 140 to 199 post-prandially.In diabetes, a random blood glucose test should demonstrate reading above 200 mg per dl along with the presence of symptoms of diabetes.   For the individual to be classified as diabetic, the blood glucose tests should demonstrate consistent results.   Haemoglobin A-1c is also useful in demonstrating the retrospective glucose levels, but cannot be taken as standard as there are several potential errors that may be associated with this test (Buse, 2008).

Red Bull Case Study Essay

1. What is the case all about? 2. What created Red Bull’s success? Where is the core franchise and benefit? Has the product’s positioning changed over time? What is the role of alcohol mixing to Red Bull’s success? 3. What is Red Bull’s success formula? For which kind of product/beverage categories will this formula work? How does Red Bull know when to turn on the advertising? What metrics would you use to make this judgment? 4. Why did the first U.K launch go awry? 5. What changes were made for the U.S market? Should other changes be considered? 6. Assume tough competition is coming. How can Red Bull protect its franchise? What actions would you recommend? 7. What should Red Bull’s competitors do? Coke? Pepsi? Anheuser-Busch? 8. If you were an investor in Red Bull, would you take your money and run or stay for the long haul? Needless to say, the brand has developed an image for power, speed, and recklessness1, and dominates the energy drink market all across the globe. As can be seen in Pricing Strategies, the energy drink is marketed as a premium product. Special ingredients like taurine and alpine spring water in addition to a high concentration of caffeine in a can half the size of other energy drinks are used to differentiate Red Bull from competitors Red Bull is known primarily for its dominating position in the energy drink business, selling its Red Bull Energy Drink. In Austria, the company has also started its own TV channel, called Servus. TV, and a cell phone service called â€Å"Red Bull Mobile†2 Red Bull sponsors not only many extreme sports athletes3, but also a Formula 1 racing team that won both the constructors’ and drivers’ championship in 2010 and 20114 Red Bull CEO Dietrich Mateschitz has also created the foundation â€Å"Wings for Life†, which seeks to support people suffering from paraplegia. The ultimate goal of the foundation is to make paraplegia curable5. Red Bull product was positioned not for specific occasions, but rather for a range of occasions. With the flexible brand positioning â€Å"Revitalizes Body and Mind,† Red Bull touted itself as suitable for such occasions such as when a long day is over, and a long night starts. On long sleep – inducing motorways. During intensive working days when the  date planner is filling up, and your energy reserves are emptying out.

Tips for Writing an Art History Paper

Tips for Writing an Art History Paper You have been assigned an art history paper to write. You would like to finish your assignment on time with a minimum of stress, and your instructor fervently hopes to read an engaging, well-written paper. Here are some dos and donts to guide you, written by an art history professor who has graded thousands of these papers ranging from the superlative to the good, the bad and the phenomenally ugly. Choose a Topic You Love Look through an art history book, slowly and leisurely.Look through our list of art history topics for ideas. Good starting points are our lists of movements, artists bios, and image galleries.Pick a topic based on eye appeal and compelling personal interest. Fill Your Brain with Information Remember: a car works on gas, a brain works on info. Empty brain, empty writing.Research your topic using websites, books, and articles.Read the footnotes in the books and articles - they can lead to creative thinking. Be an Active Reader Ask yourself questions while you read and look up what you cant find or dont understand on the page.Take notes.Search the internet with the words, names, titles you learn.Write down interesting facts and thoughts that come to mind while you read. Writing Your Introduction Compose a thesis statement. Declare that you have noticed something about the art, building, artist, architect, critic, patron, or whatever your focus is for your analysis.Then, frame your thesis. Tell your reader about discovering information that can help us understand the work of art/building better. (For example, the French artist Paul Gauguin moved to Tahiti late in life. Your thesis analyzes his late paintings in terms of his Tahiti lifestyle. Youve read his biography, Noa, Noa and other sources for ideas to support your thesis.)If you are focusing on artworks, remember to put the artists name/artists names, the title(s) of the work(s) and the date (s) in the first paragraph. You can refer to the title(s) alone thereafter. Describe and Point Out What You Want the Reader to Notice If you are going to include the artists/architects biography, begin with a short summary. Unless your paper is a biography of the person, most of your paper should be about art, not life.Make sure your arguments are constructed in a parallel fashion: Establish a sequence of information.Consider the paragraph a unit of information. Each paragraph should discuss one topic within the quantity of information you plan to cover.Ideas for units of information or topics: appearance, medium and technique, narrative, iconography, history, artists biography, patronage, etc. - whatever will help you support your thesis.Iconography might require more than one paragraph, especially if your whole paper is about analyzing the iconography of a work of art.Write about the connections between what you described in these analyses and what you declared in the thesis statementFollow the same sequence of ideas for the second artwork, building, artist, architect, critic, patron, etc.Follow the same sequence for the third artwork, building, artist, architect, etc. When you have analyzed all the examples, synthesize: compare and contrast.Comparison: Dedicate one paragraph to discussing what is the same about the artworks, the building, the architects, the artists, the critics, the patrons, etc.Contrast: Dedicate one paragraph to discussing what is different about the artworks, the building, the architects, the artists, the critics, the patrons, etc. What Do You Want Your Reader to Learn from Your Essay? Reiterate the thesis.Remind your reader about your findings in a summary sentence or two.Persuade the reader that you have demonstrated that your thesis is soundly based on your findings.Optional: state that your analysis is important in terms of understanding a larger picture (but not too large). For examples, the artists other work from that period, the artists work all together, the artworks relationship to the movement or the artworks relationship to that moment in history. The connection should not open a new topic, but simply offer the reader food for thought and then declare this investigation is beyond the scope of your paper. (It demonstrates that you thought of it, but youre not going to go there.)DO NOT write that art history is wonderful and youve learned a lot. You are writing to your teacher, and s/he is tired of reading that sentence for the umpteenth time. Leave a good impression and avoid being trite. Editing Be sure to footnote/cite your sources in the body of the paper when you use information or an opinion from a book, article, website, etc.Make a list of your sources at the end of the paper. Follow your teachers instructions and/or visit a website on citation style or bibliography style. Ask the teacher which citation style s/he prefers.Check for the following:Titles for works of art should be in italics: The Birth of VenusFirst and last names begin with a capital letter. Exceptions include place and familial indicators including da, del, de, den and van, among others, unless the last name begins the sentence. (Van Gogh lived in Paris.)Months and days of the week begin with a capital letter.Language, nationalities and country names begin with a capital letter.Leonardo is not called da Vinci. Above All Do not wait until the last minute to begin your essay.Start your research after midterms.Start to write at least one week before the paper is due.Take the time to EDIT, EDIT, EDIT - be concise and clear.Ask your professor for help and advice as you write your paper - s/he will enjoy discussing the topic with you.