The Complexity Of Culture Cultural Studies Essay

The Complexity Of Culture Cultural Studies Essay So why is culture so complex? According to the popular writer Raymond Williams, culture is one of the most complicated words in the English language. The study of culture is far too complex to be studied only from the viewpoint of one specific scientific discipline, or to be based on one specific model. In a world as complex as ours, each of us is shaped by many factors, and culture is one of the powerful forces that acts on us. Culture is not a set of objects and behaviors, but a context, specific to a particular time and place, in which meaning is made (Geertz 1973) (Schall). Cultural contexts include important patterns, attitudes, and values such as language use and communication patterns, religious beliefs and rituals, the tools and artifacts of daily life, familiar relationships, gender roles, and many other characteristics. Because of the complex, multifaceted nature of culture, understanding a specific group, whether ones own or that of others, requires study from several dive rse perspectives. Although each perspective will shed light on the systems of meaning within that group, the different perspectives will not necessarily fit together into a neat, unified cultural portrait (Rosaldo 1989) (Schall). In order for a researcher to make sense of the complexity of cultural concepts, relevant prior knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of cultural variation is a prerequisite to effectively comprehending cross-cultural studies. According to Joe Novak, the creator of concept mapping, when concept maps are used, the material to be learned must be conceptually clear and presented with language and examples relatable to the learners prior knowledge. Concept maps can be helpful to meet this condition, both by identifying large general concepts held by the learner prior to instruction on more specific concepts, and by assisting in the sequencing of learning tasks though progressively more explicit knowledge that can be anchored into developing conceptual frameworks (Novak). In the following sections I offer up a series of approaches designed to aid a researcher in unraveling the complex nature of cultural variation and ways of simplifying cultural understanding. Gaining sufficient knowledge and understanding of culture can become a complex task in itself making it necessary for one to develop specific strategies and approaches to the problem. Any approach should encompass key terms, essential cultural concepts and principles, as well as multifaceted foundational theories. This should provide the knowledge necessary to understand and simplify complex models and studies designed for the purpose of illustrating culture differences across an array of situations. So where should one begin in developing their cross-cultural knowledge? Establishing a glossary of terms that define some of the significant concepts in one or more topics that lend themselves to research investigation using cross-cultural data is necessary. For the purpose of cross-cultural communication, cultural literacy should begin with the basic terms such as culture and communication. Culture can be defined as, a system of symbolic resources shared by a group of people. In every cross-cultural situation, groups of people with different systems of symbolic resources come in to contact by communicating with one another. Communication can be defined as, the practice of creating and exchanging meanings or symbolic resources. It is clear that culture and communication are interrelated, therefore, cross-cultural communication can be defined as a process of interaction between two groups of people with different systems of symbolic resources. ( Klyukanov) Understanding these terms wi ll enable one to see how and why people identify with each other and form cultures through the process of cultural identification. Cultural identification simply allows us to define our own cultural selves. Before embarking upon the quest for understanding of other cultures, it is necessary to break down and understand ones own culture. Anthropologists Kevin Avruch and Peter Black explain the importance of culture this way: Ones own culture provides the lens through which we view the world; the logic by which we order it; the grammar by which it makes sense. Everyone has a culture. No one can ever fully separate themselves from their own culture. While it is true that anyone can grow to understand and value a range of different cultures and communicate effectively in more than one, one can never overcome his own, or any other culture, to achieve an all encompassing perspective on culture. As was mentioned previously, it is necessary and important for one to gain knowledge in the study of cross-cultural communication. The nature of knowledge is very complex; however the complexity of the cross-cultural world can be exposed by combining two complimentary approaches: the objective (scientific) approach and the subjective approach. In the objective approach, knowledge is viewed as an object, the world consists of concrete variables and people behave in patterned and predictable ways. From an objective standpoint, all observers of a culture would see the same thing, knowledge is external to all people and the watchful observer captures this knowledge and characterizes it in meaningful fashion. The subjective approach represents the other side of the knowledge gaining process. This approach aims to interpret and understand interactions and cultural meanings that are internal to people. The combined implementation of these approaches highlights the methodical, relational, an d opposing nature of cross-cultural communication which includes an array of cross-cultural knowledge. Edward T. Hall, a respected anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher, identified Ten Primary Message Systems which he classified as Interaction, Association, Subsistence, Bisexuality, Territoriality, Temporality, Learning, Play, Defense, and Exploitation. From his ten primary message systems, Hall devised an interrelated Map of Culture. Halls map makes it easier for researchers to pinpoint complexities in understanding target cultures. The process of constructing a system of meanings known as cultural mapping explains how every culture develops ideas about the world and its place in it. The main types of meanings which form a culture map include: beliefs, attitudes, values, norms, mores, laws, and world view. It is important to understand that all of these ideas are interconnected. Culture maps provide structure and give rationality to universal knowledge established about people and the social world, providing expectations about typical patterns of behavior and the range of like ly variation between types of people and their characteristic actions and attributes. Understanding and applying these concepts can aid researchers in breaking down the complexities of cross-cultural variation. Another set of means that are typically presented are global cultural dimensions. These variables are very wide in scope, are related to all cultures, and can be used for the purpose of assessing cultures. Global cultural dimensions vary from researcher to researcher, this section attempts to identify and provide the most commonly discussed dimensions which include: Individualism/Collectivism, Power Distance, Masculinity/Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance, and High-Context/Low Context Communication. Researching several ethnographies and studying the approaches presented by anthropologists, philosophers, and writers whose work has laid the foundations for the field of cultural studies will provide further depth and understanding. Below are a few examples of theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. According to Hans Gullestrup the complexity of cross-cultural studies, as well as cultural studies, are especially related to the following observations or facts: 1. The relativity of each culture the cultural hierarchy 2. The co-incidence of the cultures the cultural categories 3. The changeability of each culture the cultural dynamic 4. The ethical problems related to cross-cultural studies A researcher will base his or her work on different paradigms and a differing understanding of culture depending on the situation and the purpose (Hans Gullestrup). For these reasons, Gullestrup argues that theoretical and analytical models are needed for cultural and cross-cultural studies formulated as frame models, or as a kind of framework, where each researcher or cultural actor can relate to one other with his own data, observations, and experiences when trying to create an understanding of a particular cross-cultural situation, according to his or her needs, as well as to the four factors mentioned above. As mentioned previously, anthropologist Edward T. Hall When we approach another culture, a tendency exists to generalize, placing experiences in wide-ranging categories or types. The best we can do is to make sure generalizations are as accurate as possible and avoid overgeneralizations, especially those beginning with All. When attempting to describe a certain culture, we must be careful and ensure that the culture we classify is the one that was observed. If we come across another culture and fail to notice obvious differences then the all we have done is stereotyped and our interaction with that culture has become extremely unreliable. To avoid stereotyping, it is necessary to test generalizations against the actual behavior and values of those being encountered in the observed culture. Cross-cultural communication is successful when our observations and reflections of people from other cultures are accurate. Two useful approaches for counteracting mistakes of oversimplification and generalization of a culture are Culture-General and Culture-Specific approaches. Concentrating on cultures broad characteristics, is macro and global in scope and defined as Culture-General. With over 200 national societies throughout the globe, over 5,000 languages, and endless subgroups interrelated by ethnicity, race, religion, common history, politics, and culture, it becomes virtually unfeasible to thoroughly sort out the full range of cultural practices found in each society. Culture-General ideas and frameworks are useful and provide researchers tools necessary to understand principles, categories of behavior and world views, ideas and values, how to learn another culture, and how to successfully and effectively navigate cultural boundaries. Culture-general approaches to interaction describe general contrasts that are applicable in many cross-cultural situations. For example, Edward T. Halls classificat ion of high-context low and low-context cultures is a culture-general comparison that implies a source of miscommunication between many diverse societies. This approach is based on more conceptual categories and generalizable skills, and represents the etic form of cultural knowledge. Etic knowledge is essential for cross-cultural comparison because such comparison essentially requires standard units and categories (Lett). General cultural characterizations can be narrowed by using a Culture-Specific approach, based on ethnographies, is an intercultural form of emic cultural analysis. Emic knowledge is essential for an intuitive and empathic understanding of a culture (Lett). Culture- Specific refers to the distinctive qualities of a particular culture. It can also be a means of studying cross-cultural communication when the culture characteristics of a particular culture are examined and used to explore the broad, general characteristics of the structure of cultures. At the culture specific level, differences between two particular cultures are assessed for their likely impact on communication between people of those cultures. Cultural observers must always be ready to modify existing conceptualizations when new experiences do not fit into the original universal category. Simply, one-size fits all conceptualizations are not effective in cross-cultural communications. Clifford Geertz, in his book The Interpretation of Cultures, attempts to simply cultural variation by saying, The concept of culture I espouse, and whose utility the essays below attempt to demonstrate, is essentially a semiotic one. Believing, with Max Weber, that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning. It is explication I am after, construing social expressions on their surface enigmatical. But this pronouncement, a doctrine in a clause, demands itself some explication.

Glaxowellcome

Case 21 †¢ The Headaches of GlaxoWellcome comply with regulations, and selling it to the end users while making a pro? t. In addition, there is a tariff for the import of candelilla wax into Japan of 3. 8 percent; this is for either ? rst or second re? ned candelilla wax. FUTURE OF THE CANDELILLA WAX INDUSTRY ? According to executives of Ceras Deserticas, the future of this market is promising. They expect growth in the future, although they they have not made public the actual estimated growth for the market. They are worried about the best path to take advantage of this growing and competitive market. The industry is consolidating and if Ceras Deserticas does nothing, it will either die or be taken over. As mentioned before, there are several joint ventures in which U. S. companies are investing in Mexico to guarantee a steady supply of candelilla wax. Both Ceras Nacionales de Mexico and †¢ 735 Multiceras have established joint ventures with American companies. They are p ursuing research and development to try to create a synthetic wax that can replicate the characteristics of candelilla wax and meet the requirements of end-users.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Of the three options options presented at the beginning of ? the case, what should Ceras Deserticas do? 2. Why would Mitsuba Trading Co. be interested in a joint ? venture with Ceras Deserticas? 3. What would be the advantages and disadvantages for Ceras ? Deserticas of a joint venture? ? 4. What strategy must Ceras Deserticas follow in approaching joint venture? C ASE 21 THE HEADACHES OF GLAXOWELLCOME Migraine medicine is a key growth area for Glaxo Wellcome Inc. Glaxo); a Britain-based pharmaceutical company with global operations. 1 Glaxo’s primary business is to market prescription products to physicians and healthcare providers. Glaxo was the ? rst pharmaceutical company to manufacture and market a revolutionary new class of prescription migraine medications called ‘‘triptansà ¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Triptans, which Glaxo launched in 1993, are a class of medications that work speci? cally on the 5HT-1 receptor sites, which are believed by doctors to be the primary cause of migraine headaches.In mid May of 1997, Sir Benjamin Palmer, the general manager of Glaxo’s CNS/GI Metabolic division, sat at the head of the conference table in room G-1 of the Glaxo Wellcome global headquarters in Stockley Park West, England. A group of 6 marketers (3 from the ‘‘Professional’’ team and 3 from the ‘‘Commercial’’ team) were staged in front of Palmer and two vice presidents of sales (East and West). The three of? cers listened attentively to the ? nal marketing presentation that more than 60 marketing team members had worked on for the past 19 months.The issue: How to launch Naramig, Glaxo’s new (second generation) prescription migraine medicine, in the U. K. In the back of Palmer’s mind were the following considerations: – Although Naramig was considered by Glaxo to be a better triptan than Imigran, in reality, there were some attributes of Naramig that were inferior to those of Imigran. – It was not as if Imigran had not been successful: Glaxo had captured 91 percent of the prescription medication market share (in ? s) for migraines in the U. K. – Glaxo expected the approval and launch of its competitor, Zeneca’s ? st triptan medication (Zomig) prior to that of Naramig, and likewise, expected Zeneca to market Zomig as a 2nd generation triptan. 8 1 Months Later 2 Early in February of 1998, a similar scene to that of 8 1 months 2 ago, in room G-1 of the U. K. headquarters, was taking place in a conference room located at the U. S. home of? ce in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Mark Glackin, U. S. General Manager of Glaxo’s CNS/GI Metabolic Division, considered several marketing options presented by the team for the U. S. aunch of Amerge, Glax o’s second-generation triptan that had been marketed in the U. K. as Naramig. 2 Although Glackin had several considerations to keep in mind, various factors and events gave Glackin a much different perspective than 1 that of Palmer 8 2 months earlier: †¢ How would U. K. hospitals and doctors react to Glaxo’s promotion of Naramig? †¢ Glaxo was apprised of the marketing strategy chosen by the U. K. for Naramig and its short-term results. †¢ What was the best product positioning of Naramig with respect to Imigran? This case was prepared by Jared Fontaine, Aaron C.Lennon, and Robert Moscato of the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University under the supervision of Professor Masaaki Kotabe for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective management of a situation described (2001). 1 Today the company is known as GlaxoSmithKline, which was formed in January 2001 as the result of a merger between GlaxoWellcome and S mithKline Beecham. †¢ Zeneca’s Zomig had in fact been approved and launched in the U. K. prior to that of Naramig. The effects of Zomig on the success of Naramig and Imigran were therefore available for analysis by Glackin. Just as in the U. K. , Glaxo U. S. expected the approval and launch of Zomig in the U. S. prior to that of Amerge. 2 Like Amerge/Naramig, Glaxo’s research indicated that the name Imitrex would fare better than Imigran in the U. S. market. 736 †¢ Case 21 †¢ The Headaches of GlaxoWellcome EXHIBIT 1 The Businiess GW Portfolio: 1998 ?1,027m (+9%) ? 432m (+5%) ? 1,971m (+24%) Respiratory Viral Infections CNS ? 688m (? 44%) ? 749m (+1%) ? 1,209m (? 4%) ? 1,089m (+31%) (Migraine ? 645m) Migraine Bacterial Infections Gastro-intestinal Oncology Others % of Sales 28 17 15 9 10 10 6 14Total sales ? 7,165m increase of 2% †¢ Glaxo U. S. had launched the marketing promotion of Product Lines: Migraine Depression Gastrointestinal Imitrex (the U. S. brand name of U. K. ’s Imigran)3 Nasal Spray 5 months earlier. on pharmaceutical marketing, Glaxo U. S. could use directto-the-consumer (DTC) advertising to promote Amerge. †¢ Unlike the U. K. , which has stricter government regulations †¢ Allergy/Immunology/Respiratory Division Product Lines: Allergy/Immunology Asthma COPD COMPANY BACKGROUND GlaxoWellcome Inc. was formed in 1995 when U. K. based Glaxo Pharmaceuticals, a relatively young company, acquired U. K. pharmaceutical company Burroughs Wellcome in a corporate takeover. The acquisition made Glaxo Wellcome Inc. one of the top three pharmaceutical ? rms in the world with approximately 4 percent of the worldwide prescription pharmaceutical market. International Organization GlaxoWellcome Inc. is based in the U. K. with its Worldwide Headquarters located in Stockley Park West. As of 1997, Glaxo Wellcome Inc. had 22 local operating companies (LOCs) in 9 countries of which Glaxo U. S. was one. Although based in the U.K. , the U. S. market made up approximately 40 percent of worldwide sales, while the U. K. only accounted for 7 percent. Due to the rigid guidelines of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Glaxo’s products are generally introduced ? rst in one of the other 8 LOCs before gaining approval in the U. S. The majority of R&D and production for Glaxo takes place in the U. S. , U. K. , France, and Italy, each having both an R&D unit and manufacturing plants. Organizational Structure/Product Lines The organizational structure of Glaxo Wellcome in both the U. K. and the U. S. s based around its 3 divisions and the product lines within each of those divisions: †¢ HIV/Oncology Division Product Lines: HIV Cancer Glaxo sells prescription medications that fall into one of these three product lines. As of 1998, the migraine product line made up just over 9 percent of total Glaxo sales worldwide. The CNS/GI Metabolic division, of which migraine makes up 60 percent, grew 31 perc ent from 1997 to 1998 (see Exhibit 1). THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY Pharmaceuticals are generally classi? ed into two categories: over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications.As of 1998, there were no OTC drugs speci? cally formulated for migraine. After a pharmaceutical medication has been developed, there are two stages: approval and marketing. Approval In order for a pharmaceutical company to market and sell any medication that they have developed, the product must ? rst be approved by the respective regulatory body of each country (FDA in the U. S. , MCA in the U. K. ). On average it takes 12 years for an experimental drug to travel from the lab to the medicine chest. Only ? ve in 5,000 compounds that enter preclinical testing make it to human testing.One of these ? ve tested in people is approved. Although each country has †¢ Central Nervous System/Gastrointestinal Metabolic Division (CNS/GI) 3 Market research showed that U. S. consumers would be more responsive to t he brand name ‘‘Amerge’’ than that of ‘‘Naramig. ’’ Case 21 †¢ The Headaches of GlaxoWellcome its own particular set of guidelines and speci? c procedures for approval, new medicines are generally developed and approved as follows: 1. Preclinical Testing—This is the exploratory process where a pharmaceutical company identi? es compounds through in vitro (test tube) testing.The deliverable at the end of this process are compounds that can enter Phase One of Clinical Testing. 2. Clinical Trials, Phases—There are three mandatory phases of clinical trials. These clinical trials study the medicine’s safety pro? le, how it is absorbed and distributed, the duration of its action, its ef? cacy, and side effects. 3. Application—Following the completion of all three phases of clinical trials, the company analyzes all of the data and applies for approval in the respective country if the data successfully demon strate safety and effectiveness. The application contains all of the scienti? information that the company has gathered. At this point, the regulatory body may request further information. 4. Approval/Refusal—Once the regulatory body completes the professional assessment of all relevant information, it either approves the application and the new medicine becomes available for physicians to prescribe, or, if unsatis? ed, refuses to grant approval. There is one important distinction between the U. S. and the U. K. in the approval stage of pharmaceuticals. In the U. S. , every medication must be approved by the FDA before it can be marketed and sold.However, because of the existence of the European Union (EU), it is possible that a medication may be approved in member nations without being professionally assessed and analyzed by each country’s respective regulatory body. This means that if one member nation’s (e. g. Sweden’s) regulatory body approves a medic ation, the applying pharmaceutical company can either ask the other EU member nations to ‘‘recognize’’ Sweden’s approval or apply to each member nation separately. If one member nation approves a medication, then all of the countries in the ‘‘Mutual Recognition’’ procedure have the same prescribing information.However, if a medication receives independent approvals, then the prescribing information will be unique in each country. The difference can have an effect if applying in each country separately produces slightly different results in the trial phases (e. g. , perhaps the trials show that a medication is more effective for its desired indication during trials in the U. K. as compared to similar trials performed in Sweden). Marketing In general, products are marketed and advertised solely toward the ? nal consumer. This makes sense since it is the ? al consumer that ordinarily has the ? nal say as to whether he/she will actually purchase the product. However, pharmaceuticals are marketed to physicians and hospitals that in turn decide if they will prescribe the medication to their patients. U. S. vs. U. K Although it is illegal for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products directly to patient/consumers in the U. K. , †¢ 737 in the U. S. (as of 1997) direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is permitted. Research has shown that DTC advertising in the U. S. has a large impact on sales.The research shows that patient’s requests for speci? c medications marketed by speci? c pharmaceutical companies affect the companies’ sales to physicians and hospitals. The other major difference in the pharmaceutical industry between the U. S. and the U. K. is the extent of governmental coverage. In the U. K. , the health care system is socialized. Doctors are paid by the government with an additional payment per patient. Everyone is entitled to free medical care under the plan, which is fun ded by the National Treasury and Health Insurance Tax. The U. S. on the other hand, has not employed socialized medicine, although Medicare and Medicaid cover a signi? cant part of the population. Instead, the U. S. health care system follows an insurance-based coverage scheme whereby individuals buy insurance from a company, which in turn pays for their medical costs. HEADACHES AND MIGRAINES Doctors classify headaches into three main types: †¢ cluster headaches †¢ tension-type headaches †¢ migraines Cluster headaches are the most painful type but also quite rare and hence have not offered pharmaceutical companies a suf? cient market potential to pro? ably develop and market a medication speci? cally focused on curing these headaches. Tension-type headaches, while the most prevalent, are generally capable of being combated with over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen and hence, likewise do not offer Glaxo a pro? table market for which to develop a p rescription product. Migraines, on the other hand, are suffered by an estimated 26. 3 million people in the U. S. , 5 million people in the U. K. , and at the time of Glaxo’s launch of Imigran/Imitrex, were not effectively treatable with over-the-counter medications.Migraines are complicated combinations of intense pain (usually on one side of the head) and neurological symptoms like visual problems, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound, which often reduce the sufferer’s productivity and concentration and in some cases render the sufferer bedridden. In the U. K. about 18 million working days are lost to migraine sufferers a year. In the U. S. approximately 10 million migraine sufferers were bedridden for more than 3 million days per month and experienced 74. 2 million restricted activity days per year (as of 1989). Such statistics translate to lost workplace productivity ranging from $5. billion to $17 billion annually in the U. S. and sick pay and repl acement personnel costs of ? 750 million in the U. K. annually. Hence, in the early 1990s, Glaxo took advantage of the market potential for migraine-speci? c prescription drugs. 4 4 At the time of Glaxo Wellcome Inc. ’s entrance into the market for prescription migraine medicines, although doctors were prescribing drugs for migraines, these drugs were not migraine-speci? c but rather were drugs that were developed for general pain relief. 738 †¢ Case 21 †¢ The Headaches of GlaxoWellcome IMIGRAN/IMITREX In 1993, Glaxo Pharmaceuticals introduced in the U.K. and the U. S. , the ? rst medication (triptan) speci? cally formulated for the acute treatment of migraine. 6 Imitrex/Imigran when initially launched in March of 1993 was produced in injection form. In 1995 and 1997, Glaxo followed up the marketing of Imitrex/Imigran by introducing line extensions in the forms of tablets and nasal spray, respectively (see Exhibit 2). Imitrex/Imigran5 uncomfortable injecting themsel ves). Sales of Imitrex/Imigran worldwide grew from less than $350 million in the year of its introduction to more than $1 billion in 1997.Imigran/Imitrex SWOT Glaxo considered the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Imigran/Imitrex to be the following: Strengths—Imigran/Imitrex was the ? rst medication marketed toward speci? c migraine relief. Hence, Imigran/Imitrex had a strong brand image as the market leader, and in fact played a signi? cant role in the development of the migraine market. Imigran/Imitrex was also a potent medication with a proven ef? cacy; it was in fact very successful in relieving the pain of migraine headaches. Although there were some side effects associated with the medication, Imigran/Imitrex has a proven safety pro? e. The fact that Imigran/Imitrex is offered in 3 different line extensions offers Glaxo a ‘‘portfolio’’ of relief to offer to various patients. Weaknesses—The fact that Imigran/Imitrex is a potent medication has its downside as well. The medication proves to be too powerful for some patients, which therefore limits its use. Moreover, Imigran/Imitrex is expensive relative to OTC products that were used to ? ght headaches. This weakness of being expensive is exacerbated by the fact that the medication has a high rate of recurrence (a patient may need to take the drug more than once during a migraine).Although Imigran/Imitrex is proven to be safe, because of the side effects (e. g. , tightening of the chest), there is a perception by some that the medication is not safe. Opportunities—Glaxo felt that having 3 product line extensions opened up the opportunity to perhaps exploit Imigran/Imitrex as a medication that is right for every kind of migraine sufferer. The biggest opportunity for Glaxo and Imigran/Imitrex is the fact that the migraine market was completely underdeveloped. EXHIBIT 2 Line Extension Injection Tablet Nasal Spray U.K. 3/1993 5/1995 5/1997 U. S. 3/1993 7/1995 8/1997 These line extensions were spurred by the fact that only a small percentage of the total 26. 3 million migraine sufferers had ever tried Imitrex/Imigran in injection form. Hence, Glaxo, even 2 years after the introduction of Imitrex/Imigran injections, viewed the potential market as wide open. The injection formulation of the product provides the fastest relief—as early as 10 minutes; the nasal spray—as early as 15 minutes; and the tablet—as early as 30 minutes.Hence, Glaxo has been successful marketing the injection form of Imitrex/Imigran using a strategy of ‘‘quick-relief’’ (an aspect that is very important to severe migraine sufferers) and successful marketing the tablet and nasal spray forms of the drug using a strategy of ‘‘easy and painless administration’’ (an aspect that is important to migraine sufferers who are 5 The launch of Imigran/Imitrex came prior to the Glaxo Pharmaceutic als’ acquisition of Burroughs Wellcome, Inc. 6 Glaxo used the brand name Imitrex in the U. S. nd the brand name Imigran in the U. K. for the same product. Market research showed that the name Imitrex would fare better with U. S. physicians and hospitals. EXHIBIT 3 GlaxoWellcome Worldwide Migraine Franchise $m 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 1993 Injection 1994 1995 Tabs 1996 1997 1998 Nasal Spray Case 21 †¢ The Headaches of GlaxoWellcome Threats—The two main threats to Imigran/Imitrex are that of competition and cannibalization. Glaxo was aware that Zeneca was close to marketing a competitor triptan called Zomig. SinceImigran/Imitrex had been on the market for over four years, Glaxo felt that Zomig would be marketed as a ‘‘second-generation’’ triptan (an improved version of Glaxo’s ? rst-generation Imigran/Imitrex). Imigran/Imitrex had also experienced some cannibalization effects between its 3 line extensions (see Exhibit 3). The Un derdeveloped Migraine Market As of 1997, the fact of the matter, was that approximately 90 percent of migraine sufferers were not being medicated with a triptan (see Exhibit 4). This meant that many people were still taking ineffective OTC drugs to combat their migraine pain.Accordingly, Glaxo considered the market for ‘‘triptan’’ drugs to have great potential. †¢ 739 Exhibit 5 shows how Naramig/Amerge speci? cally compared to Imigran/Imitrex as a migraine medication. EXHIBIT 5 Imigran vs. Naramig MEASURE Speed of onset Peak efficacy Consistency of response Tolerability Incidence of chest pain Incidence of recurrence ORDER (best first) Imigran > Naramig Imigran > Naramig Imigran > Naramig Naramig > Imigran Naramig < Imigran Naramig < Imigran EXHIBIT 4 Migraine market = underdeveloped 48 million migraine patients 586 million migraine attacks/yearNaramig/Amerge SWOT Glaxo considered the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Naramig/Amerge to be the following: Strengths—Although not as powerful as Imigran/Imitrex, Naramig/Amerge was effective in relieving migraine pain. Its biggest strength, relative to Imigran/Imitrex was its mildness; the side effects caused by Naramig/Amerge were substantially less compared to Imigran/Imitrex, which gave it ‘‘user friendly’’ image. Its long duration of pain relief gave Naramig/Amerge a low rate of recurrence; 67 percent of patients require only one dose of Naramig/Amerge over a 24-hour period.Naramig/Amerge was able to be marketed as a true second-generation triptan (an improvement on the ? rst) since Glaxo was the company that had introduced the ? rst triptan medication. Weaknesses—The major weaknesses of Naramig/Amerge were twofold. First, it had a slow onset of action. This of course would turn off patients looking for fast relief. Second, Naramig/Amerge had only been developed in tablet form and therefore lacked marketability in terms of line extensions. Opportunities—The market opportunity for Naramig/ Amerge was quite obvious.At the time of Naramig/Amerge’s approval, only 10 percent of all migraine attacks were being treated with triptan drugs. This meant that 90 percent of migraine sufferers were either not being treated at all, or treated with relatively ineffective medications. Threats—Like Glaxo’s ? rst-generation triptan, Naramig/ Amerge’s biggest threat came from Zeneca’s Zomig. Although it was unclear how successful Zomig would be in stealing Glaxo’s market share and expanding the market through sales to the untapped 90 percent, what was clear was that Zomig was likely to be approved in both the U.K. and the U. S. prior to Glaxo obtaining approval for Naramig/Amerge. COMPETITION 60 Triptan Rx = 10% 526 Million Attacks Since its introduction in 1993, Imitrex/Imigran had clearly played a role in de? ning patient expectations. However, combining its awareness th at Zeneca was in the process of developing Zomig and the fact that Glaxo, as a company, was always looking to bring new medications and improvements to the forefront, Glaxo had worked on developing a secondgeneration triptan of its own.Company research revealed that for a new triptan product to be successful, patients and doctors would require it to be as effective as Imitrex/Imigran but with a longer duration of pain relief and a lower side effect pro? le. NARAMIG/AMERGE Naramig/Amerge, Glaxo’s second-generation triptan, was actually being developed prior to the launch of Imigran/ Imitrex. 7 Amerge/Naramig, only available in tablet form, tested to have both a longer duration and a lower side effect pro? le than Imigran/Imitrex.Although Naramig/Amerge was considered by Glaxo to be a better triptan than Imigran/Imitrex, in reality, there were attributes of Naramig/ Imigran that were inferior to those of Imigran/Imitrex. 7 Glaxo, as with Imigran/Imitrex, used the brand name Nar amig in the U. K. and the brand name Amerge in the U. S. for this new ‘‘triptan’’ drug. This decision was once again a product of market research. When Glaxo Pharmaceuticals acquired Burroughs Wellcome in 1995, they had already launched Imigran/Imitrex (1993). 740 †¢ Case 21 †¢ The Headaches of GlaxoWellcome However, Burroughs Wellcome was also developing a triptan of its own.When the takeover took place, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) forced Glaxo Wellcome to divest one of its triptan formulations because of antitrust implications (i. e. , monopolization). Having already successfully marketed Imigran/Imitrex, Glaxo Wellcome of course chose to divest the triptan that Burroughs Wellcome had developed. (Burroughs only completed about 55 percent of the clinical trials. ) Zeneca purchased the rights to this incomplete triptan and ? nished the further development and application process of what came to be Zomig.Glaxo had the following assumptions a bout Zomig: powerful means of maximizing market share, Palmer was unsure of the logistics of such an approach and worried about the ethical considerations of focusing the promotion of their product in areas based on factors such as socioeconomic status. Also, Palmer considered the fact that such a strategy may overlook patient needs. 3. An Alternative: Whereby Glaxo would market Naramig as an alternative to Imigran/Imitrex, (e. g. , superior; different; similar). The pros of the ‘‘Alternative’’ strategy were that it could detract from competitor noise, and could in fact devalue the image of the econd-generation triptan. This latter aspect may be an effective way to combat Zomig. The biggest drawback of this strategy was the idea that if there were no clear message (in terms of the medication that was best for migraines) it could lead to confusion and hence hurt Glaxo’s image. 4. Replacement: Whereby Glaxo would discontinue the marketing of Imigran an d focus solely on Naramig. This option ? t well with the overall concept that Naramig was an overall superior drug to Imigran. It would also allow Naramig to gain all the bene? s of a new compound: ‘‘secondgeneration,’’ safety, and low recurrence. However, Palmer worried about the confusion that would accompany such an approach and if a ‘‘Replacement’’ strategy would devalue Glaxo Wellcome in the eyes of physicians and hospitals. 5. Don’t Launch: Whereby Glaxo would only continue to market Imigran and never launch Naramig. Although this strategy might class all triptans as the same, negating Zomig as a second-generation, Palmer had already made up his mind that not launching Naramig was a waste of an opportunity and of resources that went into developing the medication.There was also the consideration that Zeneca would still be able to accomplish marketing Zomig as a second-generation triptan and leave Zeneca with an open ? eld. Naramig in the U. K. Palmer and his team chose a ‘‘Replacement’’ strategy for Naramig. This involved ceasing all promotion of Imigran (except to the extent of sales for patients who were already using Imigran) and positioning Naramig as the recommended starting place for migraine patients. Palmer felt that replacement was the best way to attract triptan-na? atients and ? ve capture the untapped market. Glaxo focused the promotion around Naramig as a ‘‘patient-friendly’’ medication providing patients with the best relief on the market. The results showed that the replacement strategy met Glaxo U. K. expectations. Naramig proved to be effective for migraine headaches in the majority of patients. In terms of the 90 percent untapped market, Naramig was preferred by 67 percent of previous non-triptan users. Exhibit 6 shows worldwide sales of Glaxo Wellcome’s two triptan drugs.It is clear that the replacement strategy thwarte d the growth of Imigran, and that Zomig and Naramig were both successful in expanding the market. PRODUCT POSITIONING: U. S Mark Glackin was now faced with the same decision that Palmer was faced with 8 ? months earlier. What was the best strategy to market Amerge with respect to Imitrex in the U. S. †¢ Like Naramig/Amerge, Zomig had a lower recurrence rate than Imigran/Imitrex. †¢ Zeneca would be successful in marketing Zomig as a secondgeneration triptan even though it was the company’s ? rst triptan. This was simply an issue of timing. Zomig’s ef? cacy was comparable to Imigran/Imitrex. †¢ Zomig would be launched in both the U. K. and the U. S. prior to Naramig/Amerge gaining approval in both markets. PRODUCT POSITIONING: U. K Sir Benjamin Palmer sat in his of? ce weighing all the information he had just learned in the marketing meeting. There was only question to be considered; the considerations were complex; the answer to that question was crucial: the success of a major product line of Glaxo Wellcome hung in the balance. How should Glaxo Wellcome U. K. , position its new triptan Naramig?Palmer wondered how U. K. hospitals and doctors would react to Glaxo’s promotion of Naramig when Imigran had been the ‘‘gold standard’’ for the past 4 years and had captured 91 percent of the prescription migraine medication market share. Palmer’s bigger concern was how to position Naramig with respect to Imigran in order to capture the 90 percent of the market that was untapped (see Exhibit 4). Although Naramig was considered to be a better triptan than Imigran, perhaps there were new patients who would be partial to the characteristics of Imigran.Just as important was what positioning strategy would be the most effective in ? ghting off the attack of Zeneca’s Zomig that Palmer expected to be launched in the U. K. prior to that of Naramig. Palmer had been presented by the marketing team with ? v e positioning strategies for Naramig: 1. Based Segment: Whereby Glaxo would target its marketing efforts toward different patient types. (e. g. , adolescents; elderly; chronic migraine; Imigran/Imitrex nonresponders; and patients who do not tolerate Imigran). Using such a strategy would allow Glaxo to promote Naramig where Imigran was weak to increase market share.At the same time, though, it was not clear as to how the market should be segmented, or how able physicians would be to identify such segments. If in fact physicians had trouble identifying the different patient types, the effect may be to confuse the prescribing process. 2. Distribution Based Segment: Whereby Glaxo would segment the market based on distribution channels. (e. g. , hospitals only; clinics only; private channels; less wealthy areas). Although Glaxo considered this option to be a Case 22 †¢ Benetton †¢ 741 EXHIBIT 6 Sales (? m) 700 600 500 400 300 200 194. 04 100 35 0 8 6054 282. 588 362. 346 539. 4 51 Triptan Revenue 662. 12 671. 797 would have to consider this difference along with the differences in the respective health care systems. Would Glaxo U. S. be successful in using DTC advertising to offer a portfolio of migraine medication to various types of migraine patients, or should the U. S. follow a similar replacement strategy as the U. K. and position Amerge as the best migraine medication available. Glackin considered the same 5 options for Amerge positioning as Palmer had considered 8 ? months earlier for Naramig: 1.Clinical/Patient Based Segmentation 2. Distribution Based Segment 3. An Alternative to Imitrex 4. A Replacement for Imitrex 5. Don’t Launch Amerge at All DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1993 1994 Imigran 1995 1996 Zomig 1997 1998 Naramig market? Glackin had several considerations to keep in mind including the results of the ‘‘Replacement’’ strategy chosen in the U. K. , and the effect of Zomig as a competitor. As was the case in the U. K. , Imitrex had largely de? ned the market for migraine medication and had been quite successful in capturing customers.Glackin also expected that Zomig would be launched in the U. S. prior to that of the approval of Amerge. The U. S. had recently legalized DTC advertising. Glackin 1. Why is GlaxoWellcome introducing a second migraine medication? 2. How should GlaxoWellcome position Naramig in the U. K.? 3. Was the actually chosen strategy (option #4) the best decision? 4. How should GlaxoWellcome position Amerge in the U. S.? C ASE 22 BENETTON COMPANY BACKGROUND Benetton was founded as a single shop in Italy in 1965. Three years later the company expanded into France.Eventually, Benetton spread throughout Europe and by 1979 it was established in the United States. Benetton Group S. p. A is a unique global group that is a part of a larger organization known as the Edizione Holding Group. This is the holding company through which the Benetton family has ownership in many different b usinesses including hotels, publishing, and real estate. The Edizione Holding Group as well as the Benetton Group was founded by the Benetton family, which is made up of four siblings: Luciano, Chairman; Gilberto,Deputy Chairman and Joint Managing Director; Carlo, Director; and Giuliana, Director, who own and run the company as shown in Exhibit 1. Luciano’s son, Alessandro, is also one of the eight Directors. This global Benetton Group specializes in designing and manufacturing of clothing within the textile-apparel sector of industries, and combines this know-how with the strong identity and image of world-leading sports brands that have been incorporated through the acquisition of the Benetton Sportsystem business.These sports brand names are encompassed under the Playlife label and include Rollerblade, Killer Loop, Prince, and Nordica. The clothing sector includes casual and sportswear, consisting of the Sisley, United Colors of Benetton (UCB), and Undercolors of Benetton brands, which are mainly produced and distributed by the Automated Distribution Center in Castrette, Italy, the factory that produces over 90 million items of clothing each year. There are production facilities in France and Spain as well. These ? ished and packaged products are the dominant production category for the company and are distributed directly to the Benetton Group’s 7,000 retail stores located in 120 countries, of which only 55 stores are owned by the company, with the remaining stores independently owned and operated. The second production category for Benetton comprises the sports equipment and performance-wear item and a third category encompasses items such as footwear, bags, and accessories. Benetton’s overall turnover amounts to about 4,000 billion lire.Recently, in 2003, the company initiated an effort to diversify away from its main clothing business by moving to acquire Italian highway operator, Autostrade. This case was prepared by Eunjung Jenny Chun, Juliet Freedman, and Nicole Parker and updated by Sonia Ketkar of the Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University under the supervision of Professor Masaaki Kotabe for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective management of a situation described (2003).

Unhealthy Lifestyles and Diet

An unhealthy lifestyle means more illness and more expense to treat those illnesses. This means a bigger burden on an already challenged healthcare system. Poor health also means more time lost at work, less quality recreational time, and even shorter lifespan. But the people in this modern day have a mindset that takes good health for granted. One can suffer from years of aches and pains, and would just ignore them, and then feel so surprised when one finds out one has developed a serious chronic disease.Majorities would usually leave their health to the hand of the doctors, relying on the advance medical technology, medical drugs when the fall sick. We have the choice to live a healthy lifestyle, but many chose to live just for today, enjoy life, and most of the time end up suffering in pain with chronic diseases and illnesses. Unhealthy Lifestyle There are many factors contributing to the degeneration of health among many people today. We live in a terribly polluted world.We are a ll exposed to thousands of toxins and chemicals every day at work, home, in the air, and in the food that we eat and water we drink. In addition, we are eating more processed foods than ever before in human history and we constantly abuse or bodies with pharmaceuticals We are constantly bombarded by fast food at every corner. And video games have led the majority of teens to spend countless hours in front of the television being sedentary.And, as a result of all of this, there exists a generation that is out-of-shape, overweight and obese. Many would spent hours on a couch in front of the picture box watching their favorite TV programs, together with several packets of snacks like potato chips and other junk food, and they don’t get up from your butt to move around for the next couple of hours, and that’s alright. Too much junk food being put into children's hands.Children were introduced to fast food restaurant at a very young age by their parent, having been brought up in this environment, they grew up spending long hours of their free time there ,chatting with friends, galloping burgers, French fries and cups of Coke, without thinking of how nutritionally deficient foods would intoxicate their body, But do children understand that junk food or snacks like potato chips, burgers and fries have high levels of fat, sugar or salt and are simply unhealthy? Junk food which contains saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and therefore increases your risk of heart disease and some cancers.Smoking and drinking are two big habits that can affect your health and the way you feel. Smoking, in particular, is one habit to quit if you haven't already because it greatly increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. Alcohol can be fine in moderation, but when you are with some good buddies in a party, you may drown yourself with glasses of them without realizing how intoxicated your body is, it also can contribute to sleep problems and suppress your appetite, preventing you from eating well. Life is full of stress.Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. Work can be a stressful place, whether in an office, a factory, or a school. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. Some stress is good, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But too much stress is bad, when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes.But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, incr ease the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.Public are generally dependent on medical drugs and are not aware that medical drug side effects are dangerous to their health. In the world today, Many people seems to think that they just want medicines and drugs to solve their health problems, they believe they can always seek medical assistance,. But what they are not aware of is that these pharmaceutical medications may have potential adverse reactions. Some of the most popular prescription drugs on the market are used for the treatment of arious conditions such as high cholesterol to depression to rheumatoid arthritis to sexual enhancement. Some of these pharmaceuticals drugs can cause serious problems such as liver damage, muscle pain and in some cases severe muscle breakdown and even death. When you go to a medical doctor and he gives you many packs of pills and capsules in various colours, shapes and sizes, drugs which are toxic to your liver and do crazy things to your health and metabolism, perhaps you obediently swallow those little poisons without considering what they are doing to your body. Polluted EnvironmentThe industrial revolution, technological advancement and modern transportation have seriously depleted oxygen levels in our atmosphere. Our obsession with carbon-based fuels for power generators, planes and automobiles consumes vast amounts of oxygen daily. Coupled with this is the huge reduction of our forested areas and all plant life as the need for timber and paper continues beyond our production capacity. At the present time, scientists have determined that our atmospheric oxygen concentration levels are being reduced by about 0. 8 percent every 15 years or so.Regrettably, at the moment, there is no reason to believe that this trend is going to change. Toxic stress, toxic chemicals and air pollution (all of which are becoming more prevalent in our industrialized cities), as well as increased use of antibiotics, emotional stress (which produces adrenaline and adrenal-related hormones that use more oxygen), physical trauma (reduces circulation and oxygen supply) and infections (the body uses oxygen to fight bacteria, fungi and viruses). Frequent use of drugs also depletes your oxygen supplies at the cellular level.A shortage of oxygen in the blood could very well be the starting point for the loss of the immune system and the beginning point of health problems like cancer, leukemia, AIDS, seizures, nerve deterioration and candida. Future research will clarify the links between poor oxygen levels and disease. Initial symptoms of oxygen deficiency may include overall weakness, fatigue, circulation problems, poor digestion, muscle aches and pains, dizziness, depression, memory loss, irrational behavior, irritability, acid stomach and bronchial complications.When the immun e system is compromised by a lack of oxygen, the body is more susceptible to opportunistic bacteria, viral and parasitic infections, colds and the flu. Oxygen deprivation can also trigger life-threatening diseases, as underscored by Nobel Laureate Dr. Otto Warburg’s assertion that cancer and other infections or diseases cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment. Poisonous agents from the household items. Our bodies are absorbing the harmful chemicals surrounding the environment today. It is thus imperative that we clean up our living environment as much as possible.Those regular detergents, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and perfumes that we uses today contain many chemicals which are toxic to our bodies, some even carcinogenic. Although we don't directly ingest them, these chemicals are absorbed by our skin, other harmful chemicals such as turpentine, arsenic, insecticides, paints, etc. Again, even though we don't ingest them, we are constantly breathing in their gaseous fumes . Lack of Exercise. You just put in a good 10 hour day in front of your computer screen, and the last thing you want to do is exercise.Let's see, exercise, and improve your fitness level, or sit down with a glass of wine and watch your favorite evening television show. What would you do? Seventy percent of individuals know they should exercise, but choose the wine and the television program instead. Do you know this simple daily decision can end up being detrimental to your health? Effects of irregular eating or skipping meals †¢ Mouth ulcers †¢ Acidity and heart burn †¢ Nausea †¢ Constipation †¢ Lowered blood pressure †¢ Elevated uric acid (kidney disease) †¢ stresses brain and body †¢ Fat StorageEating breakfast primes your metabolism and helps set its pace for the day, says Michelle A. Gordine, M. D. , author of the book â€Å"Reclaiming Our Health: A Guide to African-American Wellness. † By contrast, skipping breakfast puts your bod y in starvation mode, an energy conservation setting of your body's metabolic machinery that promotes fat storage and discourages calorie-burning. †¢ Blood Sugar Skipping meals, particularly breakfast, can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels. After fasting overnight, your blood sugar levels may be at their lowest ebb of the day.Skipping this meal can result in hypoglycemia — dangerously low blood sugar — which can cause you to feel dizzy or sleepy and overeat to compensate. A spike in blood sugar from a large afternoon meal leads to a late afternoon blood sugar drop, sending you on a blood sugar roller coaster, according to Roberta Larson Duyff, author of the â€Å"American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. † Instead, try cutting back on dinner and shifting the bulk of your calorie intake toward the first half of the day. You may find that eating this way gives you more energy when you need it the most.After doing this for a few day s you'll naturally become hungry at breakfast time. †¢ Malnutrition Older adults who experience decreased appetite as a function of aging may be in danger of malnutrition from skipping meals, according to nutritionist Sari Edelstein, Ph. D. , R. D. , author of the book â€Å"Life Cycle Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach. † Aging also brings with it decreased nutrient absorption. The combination of the two is a recipe for potential nutritional deficiencies. Early intervention can prevent weight loss and other serious health consequences, such as osteoporosis and decreased immune function. Brain Function Maintaining even-keeled blood sugar levels ensures that your brain and muscles receive a steady supply of glucose, their preferred fuel source. Eating regular meals results in better mental acuity, learning and memory, improved work performance and better strength and endurance. Your attitude toward work or school may also improve and you might find that your demanding boss or that irritating co-worker aren't as unreasonable as you previously thought. †¢ Blood Sugar Drops and Spikes One of the most important reasons that skipping meals is unhealthy is due to the affect this has on your blood sugar.When you eat a meal, your body breaks up the food. Some of this food is stored as fat, while other parts of it enter your bloodstream as sugar, and work to provide you with energy throughout the day. When you skip a meal, your blood sugar drops dramatically. This not only can make you feel sluggish and tired, but it can also wreck havoc with insulin in your body. If you chronically skip meals, you can be setting yourself up for the development of diabetes later in life. †¢ Inadequate Nutrition Another important reason why skipping meals is unhealthy is due to the fact that you are more than likely not receiving adequate nutrition.Eating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats helps not only to ensure that your bo dy functions properly, but can also help in the treatment and prevention of a number of serious conditions. Some conditions that can be improved with proper nutrition include cardiovascular disease, strokes, and some types of cancer. You may believe that you can skip meals and still achieve optimal nutrition by supplementing your diet with multivitamins. And while multivitamins do have their place, research has shown that these pills aren't as effective as real food at providing your body with what it needs.For good health, try to eat as naturally as possible. †¢ Altered Metabolism You  typically  skip meals for two main reasons. One,  you are ultra busy and don't have enough time to grab a quick snack, or two, you are trying to lose weight. If you are one of the people who are trying to lose weight, you may be actually sabotaging yourself by skipping meals. When you eat, your metabolism, which is one of your body's functions, works to break the food down into smaller, us able parts. When you skip a meal, your metabolism has nothing to do. In a way, your metabolism is like a muscle.You must use it, or you will â€Å"lose it. † When your metabolism does not have to work to break down food, it begins to slow down. Then, the next time you do actually eat something, your metabolism is not able to break the food down as quickly, and as a result the food is stored as fat. Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy weight (or even lose weight), it is essential that you eat regularly throughout the day. Recent research has found that five to seven small, regularly timed meals eaten over the course of a day works best when trying to maintain a healthy weight. The Effects of Sleep DeprivationNeurologic Effects Sleep deprivation mimics the effects of drinking alcohol — you may experience slurred speech and uncontrolled reflexive movements of the eye called nystagmus. You may also develop a slight shakiness or tremor in your hands. Some people even have a more pronounced droopiness in their eyelids, called ptosis. Various other neurological reflexes can change in sleep deprivation. These are unlikely to causes symptoms you would notice. However, if your doctor were to test them, you may have sluggish corneal reflexes, a hyperactive gag reflex, and hyperactive deep tendon reflexes.In addition, you may have a reduced threshold for seizures. As a result, people with epilepsy are at greater risk for seizures when they're sleep deprived. One thing that you may notice right away is an increased sensitivity to pain. Studies have shown our sensitivity to heat and pressure pain is especially enhanced when we don’t sleep enough. Also, there is reported to be an increased sensitivity to pain in our esophagus, as might occur in the setting of nighttime heartburn Vital Sign Changes Research studies have demonstrated that sleep deprivation may cause subtle changes in your vital signs.Vital signs are important physiological markers th at are often tracked as part of a general health assessment. These include: †¢ Body temperature †¢ Blood pressure †¢ Heart rate †¢ Breathing rate †¢ Reduced decision-making skills †¢ Poorer memory †¢ Reduced concentration †¢ Reduced alertness †¢ Shortened attention span †¢ Slower than normal reaction time †¢ Poorer judgment †¢ Reduced awareness of the environment and situation †¢ Reduced work efficiency smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and drinking too much increased the risk of dying by such a large degree that it was the equivalent to being 12 years older.

Graduation Speech High School - 958 Words

Throughout the years I have learned that life is not as simple as it is made out to be. It is filled with twists, turns, and challenges you never expected to face. If I were told a couple years ago that I would at UCF for my undergraduate, I would have not believed you. All my years of schooling have been those of great difficulty. Not only due to academics, but also mainly due to the fact in which I was bullied immensely. Being bullied not only took a toll on me mentally, it also hindered my ability to properly attend school, and do work efficiently. When I had first moved to Florida from the state of Ohio, I was excited and filled with joy. Little did I know the worst years of my life were to come. To this day I will never know if I would still have faced the same challenges from Ohio, but I have chosen to look at the challenges I have faced as ones that have made me stronger. Throughout elementary school, the bullying was minimal. It only truly began when I hit middle school. In 6 th grade I was teased for my race, and the way I looked. I was shunned for the food I would eat, and the customs I would follow. I distinctly remember kids sitting away from me, saying, â€Å"Ew you’re disgusting† if I brought home cooked food to school. This eventually caused me to beg and plead my parents for lunch money, just so I wouldn’t be perceived as different during lunchtime. Although I had conformed to the rest of my class, I was still made fun of. In Indian culture it is mandatory to wearShow MoreRelatedGraduation Speech : High School934 Words   |  4 Pageslife would be graduation. For many people, graduating from high school is an objective. It takes a lot of time, effort, and determination to accomplish that goal. For others graduation is the end of high school, and the beginning of a new chapter in life. When graduated people feel as if adulthood has begun. In the long run, graduating opens a lot of opportunities for people to thrive. I can almost reminisce the day as if it was yesterday. I was sitting in bed like any other school day. It seemedRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School852 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to a report from Thomas Nelson Community College website, 15.7 percent is the graduation rate in 2010. 84 percent of students failed to receive their degree. That’s beyond sad. College can be difficulty especially with everyday life is getting harder to main family life work and financials. Because college is challenging, I know that I have issues that I must overcome. I told myself the more patient s I have the better success I will have. Although college will be difficult my goal isRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Essay2254 Words   |  10 Pages The day I graduated from high school The High school graduation day is a life full of journeys for everyone, high school life is a memorable time for most people, for me as well. High school can be filled with lots of good memories for some people and it could be filled with bad memories, for me it was both I had good times and I had bad times. The High school Graduation day should definitely be the best day of your life because that means no more high school, no more having to wake up at 6Read MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation854 Words   |  4 Pagesfail High School graduation can be an exciting time in a student’s life. It is a time in their lives where they begin to experience the kind of freedom that comes along with growing up. This freedom allows students to choose the type of college or University they would like to attend. It is necessary that they understand how responsible they need to be with the freedom that is being offered to them. When choosing what college or university to attend it may be tempting to want to go to a school thatRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation1507 Words   |  7 PagesForest English 1010 9/9/2014 Graduation During our lives, most of us have hated getting up early. Whether we as humans enjoy mornings or not, we’re always looking forward to that unforgettable day. That special is high school graduation for me. Graduation is a ceremony that recognizes students that have excelled through school. Graduation was one of the best days of my life, perhaps even better than the day that I started college. There is no other day like graduation where there comes this feelingRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Graduation933 Words   |  4 PagesHigh School Graduation With regards to high school graduation, Balfanz, Herzog, and Iver (2007) followed 12,972 Philadelphia students enrolled in traditional middle schools from six grade (1996-1997) until 1 year beyond their expected graduation from high school (2003-2004) in order to understand what indicators would affect their projected graduation date. Unlike many of the early K-8 schools, the population Balfanz et al followed consisted of 64% African American, 19% White, 12% Hispanic,Read MoreGraduation Speech On High School Graduation851 Words   |  4 PagesThere Is No Success Without The Opportunity to Fail High School graduation can be an exciting time in a student’s life. It is a time when they begin to experience the kind of freedom that comes along with growing up. This freedom allows students to choose the type of college or University they would like to attend. It is necessary that they understand how responsible they need to be with the freedom that is being offered to them. When choosing what college or university they would like toRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School997 Words   |  4 Pagesup, I loved going to school and dreamed of one day attending college. Attending school every day and receiving good grades had become my top priority from K-12. I excelled from K-8th grade, but entering into high school was completely different than primary school. The atmosphere and environment was new to me, I was free to roam the halls or walk back out the door without any repercussions. This began my downward spiral in high school. My freshman year was by far the best school year for me becauseRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School897 Words   |  4 PagesHigh school was one of the most challenging moments in my life. Not only did I have to deal with the academic pressures and social issues from my peers I had external factors that were heavily impacting me as well. During my junior year my mom separated from her husband and me and my three little brothe rs ended up staying house to house with close relatives. Shortly after that time at the beginning of my senior year, my mom was sent to prison. In the midst of dealing with all of the demands thatRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School Essay1434 Words   |  6 PagesWhen I was in high school I had one goal, I would graduate top of my class and go to the University of Florida for pre-medicine, then onto their medical school. I never considered that I would want anything else, so I went to a specialty high school that would allow me to specialize in Biomedical sciences(STEM) and never even thought about the possibility of a life other than the one I had so precisely planned out for myself. When my nephews were born my sophomore year all of my priorities changed