Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The relevance of Training and Development’s strategic Essay Example for Free

The significance of Training and Development’s vital Essay Presentation One of the most significant elements for reliably high performing substances is the nearness of an incredible human asset the executives (HRM) framework. A board level Human Resource technique backs the improvement of the HRM frameworks in any association. A decent HRM strategy helps address the issues of the representatives by imparting work, setting up channels for worker sees, take into account their requirements of sense of pride, thusly propelling them, and guarantee the arrangement of components that help in scholarly/aptitudes headway. Where HRM establishes an incoherent and a prejudicial action or where quality individuals to deal with these frameworks are not accessible, almost certainly, HRM may neglect to convey agreeing its actual potential. HR go back to the early agro based-civic establishments. The current day human asset thought developed toward the beginning of the twentieth century. While Taylor contended for most extreme productivity dismissing the social component included, the human relations development was set up by a gathering of clinicians and individuals masters in 1920. Starting from the USA, this gathering refuted the Taylor’s hypothesis, which saw laborers as a product that needed mental needs. (Craig, 1987) The ascent of this gathering was slow and consistent all through the only remaining century. There thoughts depended on experimental proof that key fixings in the achievement of business elements were HR, which whenever drove successfully could bring about a unified power. Be that as it may, the productivity focal point of Taylor never lost ground and the 1960’s saw various exceptionally numerically based philosophies attempting to invalidate the human asset idea. Be that as it may, HR are comprehensively perceived as a fundamental component inside an association. What is Human Resource? In the cutting edge period, substances utilize the words â€Å"human resources† to feature the administrative help exercises of the faculty area blended in with intelligent assignments including modern arranging, setting targets, observing and control and specialist relationship the board. The phrasing has its underlying foundations in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. (Richard and Elwood 2001) What is a human asset relies upon the point of view wherein we talk about it. While old style financial aspects classes it as an elements of creation, advanced use alludes to the laborers in the substance when all is said in done and specifically the particular arrangement of individuals who manage laborers, from joining to leaving. In wide terms, HR organize the accomplishment of the best yield from reserves spent on the laborers while simultaneously decrease any unfriendly conditions that may hurt the element in money related terms. Morals, proficient lead and maintainability of the two are central for human asset supervisors. Human asset the board includes the accompanying exercises: Long haul arranging concerning employing of human capital. The enrollment procedure Enlistment Procedures Guidance and abilities improvement. Surveying accomplishments. Professional success Managing work turnover and resultant issues. Laborer Relationship Management Laborer Data Management. Compensation and different issues identified with financial perspectives. Advising or potentially consultancy to help laborers in defeating issues at work. Human Resource Development Managers don’t need to enlist laborers that sometimes fall short for the models for the activity. Therefore, it is basic that human asset supervisors can coordinate the desires for the substance with the pertinent candidate. Laborer employing is subject to both inside and outside reasons. While the outside segment manages the earth wherein the element works and considers macroeconomic issues and along these lines needs authority over them, the inside part manages controllable instruments like the way of life as well as the chain of command of the substance itself. The blend of guidance, auxiliary and scholarly progression attempts is called Human Resource Development (HRD). The thought is to raise effectiveness at each degree of the substance. HRD utilizes composed examination systems that guide in the making of required aptitudes and devices that help laborers to complete their assignments successfully. Another significant system used is groups that help present and oversee new procedures and structures. Generally, HRD exercises contain checking of professional success, guidance, preparing in the field of deals, advertising and customer connections to guarantee great set of accepted rules and expert conduct, offering help to newly recruited laborers through an essential association 101 course of study and making mindfulness among workers as to wellbeing and security dangers. Vital Human Resource Management System is long haul arranging and in this way vital human asset the board alludes to the future desires and plans of the firm as to human capital. It takes a full scale financial perspective on the firm’s targets and the necessary human money to assist them with accomplishing them, paying explicit respect to the qualities, standards and culture of the firm itself. SHRM remembers every one of those endeavors for benefit of the administration that utilize a game-plan for the slow enrollment and proceeded with proficient improvement of human capital and the utilization brain research to adjust specialist interests with key goals. (James, 2005) Be that as it may, tragically the differentiation between human asset the board and human asset advancement isn't so obvious. While the contention is that administration and advancement of HR are two particular exercises and ought to be kept isolated, with HRD being re-appropriated, numerous associations today have human asset divisions that manage the authoritative customary capacities just as taking care of proceeded with proficient turn of events. Joining of HRD into the HRM Programs Vital arranging is worried about achieving and continuing a long standing serious lead on the contenders of the firm. HRD is a significant device in this regard as it helps in the creation and sustenance of the necessary abilities that help in the accomplishment of key targets. HRD might be depicted as drawing out the best out of each specialist through deliberate guidance and proceeded with proficient turn of events and consequently making cooperative energies at each degree of the substance layers. As the years progressed, HRD has been known to target preparing and guidance, basic training and professional success. While these are basic fixings to progress the extent that human asset the executives goes, different instruments are additionally similarly vital. In the cutting edge business condition, a balanced arrangement of expert methods are vital for powerful HRM. Be that as it may, HRD guidance and expert improvement assume a significant job towards the accomplishment of the entitys vital vision. Preparing and Development At all degrees of human asset the board and improvement, the significance of preparing and advancement can't be precluded. Masters taught in the field of preparing and advancements are important to complete projects managing guidelines and expert improvement for laborers. (Beeby and Rathborn, 1983) The demeanor of the board towards preparing has been changing throughout the years. Today preparing is seen as a significant and successful component which helps in raising the nature of the workforce and acquires economies the utilization of abilities. This aides in the accomplishment of the entitys key goals. Preparing is viewed as a support of the specialist. In any case, since it receives rewards for the element itself, its significance as a key instrument can't be disposed of. The advancement of a business or a business association is identified with the preparation and improvement (T D). The plan and the result of the trainings performed at an establishment corrects and amends the presentation of the organization. Subsequent to recruiting of workers at an association, the following conspicuous and possible advance is the preparation and improvement of the group to clean their aptitudes and break the ice among them to co-ordinate. It is proverbial that a portion of the new recruited representatives won't be knowledgeable about the work so they would require phenomenal preparing to bring their guts out in this way, they can act and work efficientlyâ in the new condition. Various associations held opposite trainings and advancement programs as per their expected assets and necessities. On the contrary side the most significant certainty is that the preparation and advancement programs assists with forefending the administrative out of date quality. Authoritative difficulties either large scale or small scale can be comprehended by these trainings. These projects assume a crucial job in bringing off the progressions in hierarchical structure brought about by combines, amalgamations, gigantic development, assimilating and off shoring. Worker Training and Development: Reasons and Benefits Being reasonable is the answer for continue onward. Preparing and building up the representatives, keeping them inspired to impel and progress further and refreshed with the business and the up and coming and present advances is fundamental to accomplish the plans and objectives. Preparing is any movement where ability and awkwardness is united and circles of aptitudes and skill stream from the master to the undeveloped laborers. Then again, a multi pronged procedure for pushing the general degree of the entitys execution to another level or achievement is alluded to as improvement. Ordinary Reasons for Employee Training and Development Ordinarily, elements take part in preparing and improvement so as to overcome any issues between real work and desires as recognized by execution examinations. Different reasons may incorporate building up an inward benchmark for wanted execution levels, proceeded with proficient turn of events, to alleviate progression hazard, to fill in as a device for testing execution the executives or to give significant working instru

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Radiographer Abnormality Detection Schemes

Radiographer Abnormality Detection Schemes Maariyah Iqbal  INTRODUCTION In this part, the foundation of the difficult will be introduced. This will be trailed by the examination issue just as the specific reason and question, explicitly featuring why the theme region picked is of extraordinary intrigue. 1.1 Background The National Health Service (NHS) gives social insurance to all residents inside the United Kingdom (UK) and it is financed by charges; the center standards of the NHS are to address the issues of everybody and it depends on a patients clinical need(s) and not on their capacity to pay (Slee et al., 2008). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2017 gives direction on the best way to advance great wellbeing just as counteraction and treatment of wellbeing. The NHS in England gets more than 1 million patients roughly at regular intervals, and this association utilizes over an expected of 1.5 million individuals making it to one of the best five universes biggest workforces (NHS Choices, 2016). Notwithstanding the accomplishment of the administrations of the NHS there is more work expected to keep on improving administrations and convey care (NHS Improvement, 2015). Subsequently, the NHS keeps on staying under tension as there are further increments popular for car e (NHS Improvement, 2015). This implies an expanded interest though wellbeing couldn't care less professionals, including Radiographers. The interest for administrations implies expanded holding up times, may prompt expanded work pressure. To improve administrations the division of wellbeing set a progressing standard for the NHS where the patient goes through four hours or less in the Accident and Emergency (AE) from appearance to affirmation or release (House of center, 2005). Nonetheless, a report from the Kings Fund (2016) shows that AE offices are taking off to 6,000,000 patients joining in, this is setting a colossal strain on administrations making it hard to meet this objective. Information from the instructions paper from Houses of Parliament (Appendix 1) show that in certain regions, for example, Greater London and Manchester there was 26-32% of patients that sat tight for over four hours. Expanded requests of work keep on leaving the NHS under tension as there are further increments popular for care, and issues with having the option to release therapeutically fit patients (NHS Improvement, 2015). Extricated from the quarterly information outline issue (2008), in England one of the principle issues encompassing releasing of patients is that they are as yet anticipating aftereffects of tests and release structures are not being finished in time (NHS England, 2015). Great arranging with respect to releasing is basic as it will improve persistent stream and good, and can likewise diminish the odds of patients being readmitted once more (Family Caregiver Alliance, 2016). The division of wellbeing advances ten working standards with respect to releasing, one of which is the multidisciplinary group cooperating to design care, and settle on choices on the procedure and timing of releasing (Nursing Standard, 2010). Experts can expand their jobs past their extent of training, and can be additionally prepared to add to releasing of patients which can ease weights of other staff in the AE office, for example, specialists. Research additionally taken from (Graysons, no date) indicated that a pursuit search by the NHS Litigation Authority for portrayals of disappointment/postpone determination or off base conclusion in 2014/15. The consequences of the reaction appeared, 183 notices of cracks. This featured error of pictures was likewise one of the components of deferred release. With regards to clinical imaging, radiographers giving an account of pictures is entrenched in the UK and it makes a significant commitment to clinical imaging administrations and commitment to multidisciplinary care (The Society of Radiographers, 2017). An examination was completed by Snaith (2007) whereby three detailing radiographers were prepared to release patients or allude to AE (Accident Emergency) for additional evaluation. The outcomes were noteworthy and indicated that that 1760 assessments were audits, 5% of these were released and 2% were alluded. In any case, the quantity of patients reviewed because of inaccurate understanding was diminished by 52% in those 4 months contrasted and the past 3 years information (The College of Radiographers, 2017). This shows Radiographers can broaden their job inside clinical imaging administrations, yet in addition outside of their area of expertise by adding to the administration of patients and diminishing the danger of radiographic error. At first, radiographers produce top notch pictures of the body, screen for irregularities and participate in careful assessments to distinguish and analyze injury and illness (The National Careers Service, 2016). In this way, having the option to recognize typical and unusual appearances that are clear on pictures is one of the norms that ought to be met by a radiographer (HCPC, 2017). The red speck framework is executed by radiographers in crisis divisions to feature intense variations from the norm. Radiography Abnormality Detection Schemes (RADS) is one of the manners by which radiographers decipher pictures delivered. They can make an underlying understanding on pictures got which gives them a proactive job in the indicative procedure, and helps specialists in the right translation of radiographic pictures (SoR, no date). Be that as it may, in spite of there being a set standard for radiographers to meet. Clinical imaging administrations are feeling the squeeze year on year as radiographers are required to upgrade the nature of the picture, efficiency, which is troublesome due to staffing levels (Beardmore, 2013). Furthermore, these hazardous regions can have a thump on impact on other critical zones inside the NHS, for example, management of recently qualified and understudies that are preparing there. After research, the creator has discovered that there is a variety in of preparing in medical clinics and college, as the time that understudies spend on clinical arrangement has seen as various. The University of Leeds (2017) half of the course is in clinical position, be that as it may, understudies at the Birmingham City University (2017) burn through 35% of their seminar on clinical arrangement. This features there is a variety in clinical situation and this could influence the new registrants that may not be similarly skillful once qualified or even meet a specific limit. Eventually, all understudies must fulfill explicit guidelines so as to get their Health and care callings committee (HCPC) enrollment to have the option to become and fill in as a recently qualified radiographer (the Society and College of Radiographers, 2017). The HCPC is a free controller, it manages 15 different callings other than radiographers, they are built up to ensure people in general by keeping up a register of every one of those that hold the secured title of social laborer, so registrants practice securely, lawfully and successfully (University of Bedfordshire, 2017). The HCPC set measures, endorse courses that fulfill those guidelines, register the individuals who pass the courses and clinical skills, and hold them to their norms. Comparable to symptomatic radiography, they set principles of capability for all radiographers which set out sheltered and successful practice, it covers territories inside and out; along these lines, all radiographers ought to have the option to keep up wellness and practice (Health and Care Professions Council, 2013), this is explained on further from on area 3 to 3.3 (Appendix 2). It is imperative that all norms that are talked about and referenced, are met so as to have the option to get the enrollment. Also, when qualified and enlisted under the HCPC; a recently qualified radiographer is upheld on their activity job by a time of preceptorship. Despite the fact that there is no characterized time of preceptorship it is support for those that have recently qualified. It is a time of adjustment to an occupation job, uniting information and aptitudes till the person can function as an independent radiographer. (The Society and College of Radiographers, 2017). In addition, as there is a deficiency of staff as the NHS staff overview led in 2013 that indicated that the staff expressed that they felt under tension and over worked, as they were working additional hours expanding from 69.7% to 70.5% from the earlier year (UNISON, 2014). This features preparing understudies, or in any event, supporting staff inside an association can be troublesome as staff can be troublesome due to shortages on help and work pressures. Nonetheless, from inquire about the creator has discovered that an expansion of patients will mean an increment in the range and capacity of clinical pictures which will resulting requirements of preparing radiographers to securely broaden their jobs. In addition, introductory preparing whereby it prompts either job expansion, or proceeding with proficient advancement are fundamental to radiographic practice (The Society of Radiographers, 2017). Radiographers are relied upon to expand on their postgraduate capabilities and clinical chiefs are urged to implant this utilization of learning instrument in radiographers self-improvement surveys (The Society of Radiographers, 2017). In setting, of this radiographer can broaden their jobs by Radiographer Abnormality Detection Schemes (RADS). RADS permits radiographers to red spot pictures which put a blemish on the picture recommending there is a variation from the norm present (Carver and Carver, 2012). In this way, making it simpler for the clinician/referrer to see when giving an account of it. Having the option to execute RADS can assist with diminishing mistakes and improve exactness (Chan, 2007). The point of this framework is to help crisis divisions, particularly when there is a lack of staff, for example, radiologists that do the revealing which helps area of the anomaly to be remarked on sooner (Coelho and Rodrigues, no date). The premise of the issue around RADS will presently be additionally examined, which will have the option to give an understanding of the motivation behind this examination. 1.1 Research Problem R

Friday, July 31, 2020

Ecstasy (MDMA) Myths, Effects, Risks, and How to Get Help

Ecstasy (MDMA) Myths, Effects, Risks, and How to Get Help Addiction Drug Use Ecstasy/MDMA Print What to Know About Ecstasy Use By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on September 03, 2019 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD on September 03, 2019 Diverse Images / Getting Images More in Addiction Drug Use Ecstasy/MDMA Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery In This Article Table of Contents Expand What Does Ecstasy Do? Common Side Effects Signs of Use Myths & Common Questions Addiction & Withdrawal How to Get Help View All Back To Top Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), better known as ecstasy or molly, is a synthetic drug derived from amphetamine.?? People tend to use it recreationally because of the host of effects it can produce within an hour or so after taking a single dose, such as feelings of mental stimulation, decreased anxiety, and enhanced sensory perception. However, as with any street drug, using MDMA also comes with notable risks. Ecstasy became popular during the 1970s and 1980s when it became a mainstream street drug associated with music festivals, raves, concerts, and clubs. BZP (benzylpiperazine) is now also being used as a legal form of ecstasy. In 1985, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)  placed MDMA on the list of Schedule I drugs, meaning that it isnt used to treat any medical condition and it has a high potential for abuse.?? Also Known As: Other common names for MDMA include Adam, Beans, Clarity, E, Hug, Love drug, Molly, Roll, Scooby snacks, Snowball, X, or XTC. Drug Class: Ecstasy acts as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen. Common Side Effects: Some of the more common side effects of ecstasy include nausea, blurred vision, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and involuntary teeth clenching. How to Recognize Ecstasy Ecstasy usually comes in a small, colored tablet that may have a brand logo or cartoon character stamped on it. It can also come in a capsule, liquid, or powder form. It usually has a bitter taste. MDMA pills frequently include other dangerous substances such as meth, cocaine, ketamine, or LSD, so it is difficult to know exactly what the tablets contain. What Does Ecstasy Do? MDMA works by boosting the activity of three brain chemicals called neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.?? These chemicals play a part in a variety of functions such as mood, energy level, appetite, trust, sexual activity, emotions, and sleep. People who use ecstasy report feelings of euphoria, warmth, openness, and clarity as well as heightened sensations of touch, sound, and smell. Some people report feeling energetic and uninhibited. The effects typically begin within 30 minutes of taking the drug and last for three to six hours. What the Experts Say One five-year study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that only 60% of the ecstasy tablets they tested contained any MDMA at all.?? Those that did contain the drug were frequently mixed with other substances, most often bath salts (aka fake cocaine). In nearly a quarter of the samples tested, researchers were not even able to determine what substances the pills contained. The researchers suggested that offering on-site pill-testing stations at concerts and other social events where ecstasy is commonly consumed might reduce risks to users.     The fact that most ecstasy pills contain unknown substances is dangerous because people taking the drug dont know for sure what they are ingesting or how their body will react. Another danger is that potential interactions can occur between the ingredients as well as any other substances people use with MDMA such as alcohol, medications, or other drugs.?? The drug is often taken at social events such as raves and concerts due to its energizing effects. The problem is that it is impossible to know if these effects are due to the drug itself or the presence of other stimulants that ecstasy is often mixed with. Off-Label Uses MDMA was originally developed in 1912 as a pharmaceutical compound to help synthesize medications to control bleeding. During the 1960s and 1970s, for example, a small number of psychiatrists started giving MDMA to their patients as a way to facilitate psychotherapy. Despite the fact that MDMA was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these doctors believed that it lowered their patients inhibitions, causing them to talk more openly and honestly. While MDMA is still on the list of Schedule I drugs, studies are being conducted to see if its effective in treating anxiety in people with a terminal illness, as well as those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).?? Common Side Effects Ecstasy can produce the positive effects that people seek in as little as 15 minutes, but it can also cause a variety of negative effects. MDMA isnt a harmless drugâ€"there are serious risks involved with taking it, including hyperthermia, cardiovascular effects, impaired mental capabilities, risky behavior, and overdose. Positive Effects Mental stimulation An increased sense of well-being Emotional warmth Empathy Feeling less reserved Decreased anxiety Increased energy Enhanced sensory perception Negative Effects Nausea Chills or hot flashes Sweating Teeth clenching Muscle cramping or stiffness Loss of appetite Disorganized thinking Dehydration Restless legs Agitation The Effects of MDMA on the Brain Hyperthermia: MDMA is often used during high-energy activity, such as dancing at clubs or music festivals. However, it limits your bodys ability to regulate your temperature, so when you engage in vigorous activity for long periods of time, youre at a higher risk of developing hyperthermia, a condition in which your body temperature becomes too high.?? Thankfully, hyperthermia is rare, but it needs to be treated immediately because it can quickly lead to muscle breakdown, which can then result in kidney failure and heart disturbances. Cardiovascular Effects: If you use it regularly, taking MDMA can cause your heart to stop working efficiently, an especially dangerous effect if youre also engaging in strenuous activity. Impaired Mental Ability: In the hours after youve taken ecstasy, there are significant impairments in your mental abilities such as processing information, memory, concentration, and your capacity to judge motion.?? This underscores how dangerous it is to engage in activities like driving while youre under the influence of MDMA. Risky Behavior: Because MDMA lessens your inhibitions and causes feelings of trust and emotional warmth, youre more likely to engage in unsafe sexual activities that may result in getting (or giving) a sexually transmitted infection (STI) like hepatitis or HIV. Your risk of engaging in unsafe drug use, such as injecting yourself with a dirty needle, is also higher. Signs of Use Some of the common signs that someone might be using ecstasy include: The presence of drug paraphernalia (e.g., pills, tablets, powders)Dilated pupilsMood changesHigh and long-lasting energy levelsChanges in sleep habitsTeeth clenchingMuscle tensingChills or sweatsConfusionSensitive emotionsHigh levels of euphoria Ecstasy use can also lead to an accidental overdose. Using other drugs or alcohol with MDMA increases this risk. Overdose Signs to Watch For High blood pressureFeeling faintPanic attacksLoss of consciousnessSeizuresYou should contact emergency services immediately if you suspect someone has overdosed or is having a negative reaction to ecstasy. Myths Common Questions One common ecstasy myth is that it is a safe party drug with few long-term effects. However, many people still feel anxious, restless, irritable, and sad up to a week after using MDMA. People also sometimes have memory and concentration problems and experience lack of pleasure from sex. Similarly, increased anxiety, impulsive behavior, aggression, sleep issues, loss of appetite, and heart disease have been observed in regular MDMA users.?? Its not clear if all of these effects are strictly from MDMA use. Some of them may be related to other drugs that people often use along with MDMA. These effects may also be attributed to the other (often unknown) ingredients found in MDMA. Ecstasy (MDMA) Facts and Myths Tolerance, Dependence, and Withdrawal Some research, as well as anecdotal reports, suggest that people do develop a tolerance to ecstasy after repeated use. When tolerance occurs, people must increase the amount of the substance they take in order to feel the same effects that they initially experienced.   Research also suggests that ecstasy does have some dependence potential. Dependence means that people have to keep taking the drug in order to avoid experiencing the negative effects of withdrawal. In the case of ecstasy, the risks of physical dependence seem to be less likely than those of psychological dependence. How Long Does Ecstasy Stay in Your System? How long ecstasy lasts and stays in your system depends on a number of factors including metabolism, body mass, hydration levels, and food intake. The effects of the drug usually start within 30 minutes of consumption and the high lasts from three to six hours. MDMA is usually detectable by urine drug tests for one to four days after taking the drug. The detection window can also be influenced by how much of the drug was taken.   How Long MDMA Stays in Your System Addiction The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that there has not been conclusive research indicating whether or not MDMA is addictive.?? Ecstasy impacts many of the same neurotransmitter sites that are targeted by other addictive substances.  Animal studies have found that animals will self-administer the drug, but the research suggests that this effect is less pronounced than it is with other addictive drugs such as cocaine.   Withdrawal When you use MDMA, your brain releases a flood of neurotransmitters that bring on the uplifting effects of the drug.?? Afterward, you may find it difficult to achieve the same levels of happiness because your brain has depleted these neurotransmitters. This can lead to withdrawal symptoms like: AnxietyConfusionInsomniaPoor memoryFatigueDifficulty concentratingDepression These symptoms of withdrawal can sometimes cause people to continue using in order to avoid feeling these unpleasant effects. How to Get Help If you feel that you have a problem with ecstasy use, its crucial that you get treatment. This will help you learn how to stop using MDMA, avoid substituting it with other drugs, and improve your mental health. Treatment options usually focus on behavioral therapies that help people change the underlying thought patterns that contribute to substance use.?? Cognitive-behavior therapy, individual counseling, and support groups are approaches that might be utilized in either outpatient or residential settings. If you are concerned about your ecstasy use, talk to your doctor about your treatment options or call the toll-free SAMHSA national hotline at 1-800-662-4357 to locate treatment services in your area.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Exploring and analyzing the exchange of derivatives - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3044 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Derivative is a financial asset which derives its value from specified underlying asset. A derivative does not have any physical existence but emerges out of a contract between two parties. It does not have any value of its own but its value, in turn, depends on the value of other physical assets which are called underlying asset. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Exploring and analyzing the exchange of derivatives" essay for you Create order These underlying assets may be shares, debentures, tangible commodities, currencies, or short term or long term financial securities. Securities Contracts (regulation) Act, 1956 defines a derivative as a security derived from a debt instrument, share loan and contract which derive their value from price or index of prices of underlying securities. The value of derivative may depend upon any of these underlying assets. The parties to the contract of derivatives are the parties other than the issuer or dealer in underlying asset. Some of the basic features of derivatives are: As the derivatives are not the physical assets, the transactions in the derivative are settled by the offsetting/squaring transaction in the same derivative. The differences in the value of the derivative is cash settled There is no limit on number of units transacted in the derivative market because there is no physical asset to be transacted. The derivative markets are usually the screen based computerized exchanges as against the trading markets for physical asset. Derivatives are only secondary market securities and cannot help in raising funds to a firm. In fact derivatives arise only when the shares and debentures are already issued by the companies. The derivative market is quite liquid and transactions can be effected easily. The derivatives provide a hedging of price risk of financial transactions over a certain period. It is a contract to be settled in future, by cash payment of difference in price. A derivative price must be distinguished from the underlying assets though the value of derivative and the underlying assets are related Types of Derivatives Commodity Derivatives and Financial derivatives: Derivatives contracts may be entered into for different type of commodities such as sugar, jute, pepper, jiggery, castor seeds etc. on the other hand the derivatives in currencies, gilt edged securities, shares, share indices etc are known as Financial derivatives. These are transacted all over the world. In India Stock Index futures, Stock Index Option, Stock Options, and Stock futures can be traded at BSE and NSE. Basic Derivative and Complex Derivative: The basic derivative are derivatives on underlying assets. Futures and options are two basic derivatives. However there are certain other derivatives such as swaps which may be classified as complex derivatives. Participants in Derivative Market In the derivative market, different types of parties participate. The derivatives are the hedging instrument participants with the objective also trade in the derivatives. Various participants may be classified into: Hedgers: derivatives have come upto the needs of the hedgers. Derivatives help both the parties to hedge. In case of commodity future contract farmers want to lock in the price for their produce and the merchants want to lock in the price they want to pay for the produce. Futures contract enable both the parties to hedge. Hedgers can use option contract also. Option protect the hedgers against the price movements while still allowing them to benefit from favourable price movements. So the hedgers have risk exposure which they offset by a derivative. Hedgers seek to protect themselves against price changes in an asset in which they have an interest. Speculators: Speculators are participants who are ready to take a risk for some return. They take position in the market either by betting that price will go up or by betting that the prices will go down. A participant will can speculate in futures or options. Speculators potential gain or loss is very large in case of futures, however loss may be limited and gain will be unlimited in case of options. Speculators are major player in derivative market. Arbitrageurs: Arbitrageurs are another group of participant in the derivative market. The arbitrage refers to locking in to risk less profit by simultaneously entering into two transactions in two different markets. The profit opportunities appear because of differences in price of the same asset in different markets. Types of Financial derivatives Forwards: Transaction agreements in assets can be broadly classified as Steady or Ready delivery contracts: where the asset is to be physically delivered immediately or within few days and payment is made in cash Future Delivery Contract: where the physical delivery of the asset is slated for the future date and the payment to be made as agreed. The futures delivery can be further classified as: Non transferable future delivery contract, where the contract must be performed by the parties as per the terms and condition mentioned. Transferable future delivery contract, when the parties to the contract can transfer the rights and obligation under the contract to the third party. The first one is known as forward contract and the second one is known as future contract. A Forward contract is agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a future date at an agreed price today. Futures: A future is a contract to buy or sell the stated quantity of a commodity or a financial claim at a specified price at a future specified date. The parties to the future have to buy or sell the asset regardless of what happens to its value during the intervening period or what shall be the price on the date for which the contract is finalized. The futures are transferrable future delivery contract. Both the parties to the future have the right to transfer the contract by entering into an offsetting futures contract. It is not transferred until the settlement date then they have obligation to fulfill the terms and condition of the contract. Futures are traded on the exchanges and the terms of the futures contract are standardized by the exchange with reference to quantity, date, unit of price quotation, minimum change in price etc. futures can be of commodities such as agricultural products, oil gas, gold, silver etc. Or of financial claims such as shares, debentures, treasury bonds, share index, foreign exchange etc. Option: these are contracts which provide the holder the right to sell or buy a specified quantity of an underlying asset at a fixed price on or before the expiration of the option date. Options provide a right and not the obligation to buy or sell. The holder of the option can exercise the option at his discretion or may allow the option to lapse. As the option provide the right to buy or sell, these are the two types of option: The Call Option: A call option provides to the holder a right to buy a specified assets at a specified price on or before a specified date. The Put Option: A put option provides to the holder a right to sell specified assets at specified price on or before a specified date Swap: A swap is a contract in which two parties agree to exchange their respective cash flows. These are private arrangements between the parties to exchange cash flows accordingly to some pre arranged terms. The parties to the swap contract are known as counter parties. In swap one party agrees to exchange his set of pre-determined cash flows with the pre-determined cash flows of the other party. The swaps are of two types: Currency Swaps: A currency swap is transaction between two parties in which one promises to make a series of payment to other party at a specific date in exchange for a payment from the other party in different currencies. So in swaps the cash flows of different currencies are swapped Interest Rate Swap: these are the agreement between two parties in which each party makes a series of interest payment to the other party at pre-determined dates. At least one the interest rate is variable, i.e. floating rate in the sense that at which the interest payments will be made at the later date is known. The most common interest rate swap is known as Plain Vanilla swap in which one rate is fixed and other rate is floating History of Derivatives The history of derivatives is quite colorful and surprisingly a lot longer than most people think. Forward delivery contracts, stating what is to be delivered for a fixed price at a specified place on a specified date, existed in ancient Greece and Rome. Roman emperors entered forward contracts to provide the masses with their supply of Egyptian grain. These contracts were also undertaken between farmers and merchants to eliminate risk arising out of uncertain future prices of grains. Thus, forward contracts have existed for centuries for hedging price risk. The first organized commodity exchange came into existence in the early 1700s in Japan. The first formal commodities exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), was formed in 1848 in the US to deal with the problem of credit risk and to provide centralized location to negotiate forward contracts. From forward trading in commodities emerged the commodity futures. The first type of futures contract was called to arrive at. Trading in futures began on the CBOT in the 1860s. In 1865, CBOT listed the first exchange traded derivatives contract, known as the futures contracts. Futures trading grew out of the need for hedging the price risk involved in many commercial operations. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), a spin-off of CBOT, was formed in 1919, though it did exist before in 1874 under the names of Chicago Produce Exchange (CPE) and Chicago Egg and Butter Board (CEBB). The first financial futures to emerge were the currency in 1972 in the US. The first foreign currency futures were traded on May 16, 1972, on International Monetary Market (IMM), a division of CME. The currency futures traded on the IMM are the British Pound, the Canadian Dollar, the Japanese Yen, the Swiss Franc, the German Mark, the Australian Dollar, and the Euro dollar. Currency futures were followed soon by interest rate futures. Interest rate futures contracts were traded for the first time on the CBOT on October 20, 1975. Stock index futures and options emerged in 1982. The first stock index futures contracts were traded on Kansas City Board of Trade on February 24, 1982. T he first of the several networks, which offered a trading link between two exchanges, was formed between the Singapore International Monetary Exchange (SIMEX) and the CME on September 7, 1984. Options are as old as futures. Their history also dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. Options are very popular with speculators in the tulip craze of seventeenth century Holland. Tulips, the brightly coloured flowers, were a symbol of affluence; owing to a high demand, tulip bulb prices shot up. Dutch growers and dealers traded in tulip bulb options. There was so much speculation that people even mortgaged their homes and businesses. These speculators were wiped out when the tulip craze collapsed in 1637 as there was no mechanism to guarantee the performance of the option terms. The first call and put options were invented by an American financier, Russell Sage, in 1872. These options were traded over the counter. Agricultural commodities options were traded in the nineteenth century in England and the US. Options on shares were available in the US on the over the counter (OTC) market only until 1973 without much knowledge of valuation. A group of firms known as Put and Call brokers and Dealers Association was set up in early 1900s to provide a mechanism for bringing buyers and sellers together. On April 26, 1973, the Chicago Board options Exchange (CBOE) was set up at CBOT for the purpose of trading stock options. It was in 1973 again that black, Merton, and Scholes invented the famous Black-Scholes Option Formula. This model helped in assessing the fair price of an option which led to an increased interest in trading of options. With the options markets becoming increasingly popular, the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX) began trading in options in 1975. The market for futures and options grew at a rapid pace in the eighties and nineties. The collapse of the Bretton Woods regime of fixed parties and the introduction of floating rates for currencies in the international financial markets paved the way for development of a number of financial derivatives which served as effective risk management tools to cope with market uncertainties. The CBOT and the CME are two largest financial exchanges in the world on which futures contracts are traded. The CBOT now offers 48 futures and option contracts (with the annual volume at more than 211 million in 2001).The CBOE is the largest exchange for trading stock options. The CBOE trades options on the SP 100 and the SP 500 stock indices. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange is the premier exchange for trading foreign options. The most traded stock indices include SP 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq 100, and the Nikkei 225. The US indices and the Nikkei 225 trade almost round the clock. The N225 is also traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Derivatives in India (Now) At present Derivatives Trading has been permitted by the SEBI on the derivative segment of the BSE and the FO segment of the NSE. The nature of derivative contracts permitted are: Index Futures contracts introduced in June 2000 Index Option introduced in June 2001 Stock Option introduced in July 2001 Currency Futures and options introduced in 2008 Interest rate futures introduced in August 2009 The minimum contract size for a derivative contract is Rs 2 Lakh. Besides the minimum contract size, there is a stipulation for lot size of a derivative contract. The lot size refers to number of securities underlying in one contract. The lot size of the underlying individual security should be in multiples of 100 and fractions. Commodity Exchanges In India there are 25 recognized future exchanges, of which there are three national level multi commodity exchanges. After a gap of almost three decades, Government of India has allowed forward transactions in commodities through Online Commodity Exchanges, a modification of traditional business known as Adhat and Vayda Vyapar to facilitate better risk coverage and delivery of commodities. The three exchanges are: National Commodity Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX) National Multi-Commodity Exchange of India Limited (NMCEIL) All the exchanges have been set up under overall control of Forward Market Commission (FMC) of Government of India. National Commodity Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) National Commodity Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) located in Mumbai is a public limited company incorporated on April 23, 2003 under the Companies Act, 1956 and had commenced its operations on December 15, 2003.This is the only commodity exchange in the country promoted by national level institutions. It is promoted by ICICI Bank Limited, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE). It is a professionally managed online multi commodity exchange. NCDEX is regulated by Forward Market Commission and is subjected to various laws of the land like the Companies Act, Stamp Act, Contracts Act, Forward Commission (Regulation) Act and various other legislations. Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX) Headquartered in Mumbai Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX), is an independent and de-mutulised exchange with a permanent recognition from Government of India. Key shareholders of MCX are Financial Technologies (India) Ltd., State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Bank of India and Canara Bank. MCX facilitates online trading, clearing and settlement operations for commodity futures markets across the country. MCX started offering trade in November 2003 and has built strategic alliances with Bombay Bullion Association, Bombay Metal Exchange, and Solvent Extractors. Association of India, Pulses Importers Association and Shetkari Sanghatana. National Multi-Commodity Exchange of India Limited (NMCEIL) National Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (NMCEIL) is the first demutualized, Electronic Multi-Commodity Exchange in India. On 25th July, 2001, it was granted approval by the Government to organise trading in the edible oil complex. It has operationalized from November 26, 2002. Central Warehousing Corporation Ltd., Gujarat State Agricultural Marketing Board and Neptune Overseas Limited are supporting it. It got its recognition in October 2002 Research Methodology Correlation Analysis Correlation analysis is a statistical technique used to measure the magnitude of linear relationship between two variables. Correlation analysis cannot be used in isolation to describe the relationship between variables. It can be used along with regression to determine the relationship between two variables. Thus it can be used as the basis for further analysis. There are two prominent correlation coefficients i.e. Pearson Product Correlation Coefficient and Spearmans Rank Correlation Coefficient. But in this report we have used the Pearsons method to compute the correlation. Pearson Product Correlation Coefficient It measures the strength of the linear relationship between two variables. This is also known as simple correlation coefficient and is denoted by r. The r value ranges from -1 to +1. If the r value is -1 than it indicates that there is the perfect negative relationship between the two variables. If the value is +1 than it indicates the perfect positive relationship between the two variables. If the value is 0 it indicates that there is no relationship between the two variables. It can be calculated as follows https://mathbits.com/mathbits/tisection/statistics2/IntroS7.gif Where r = correlation coefficient for the variables X and Y Regression Analysis Regression analysis is another statistical tool for measuring the association the between the two variables. It is the technique used to predict the nature and closeness of relationship between two or more variables. This method is different from correlation analysis. It helps to evaluate the causal effect of one of the dependent variable based on the information about one or more independent variables. Regression analysis that involves two variables is termed bi-variate linear regression analysis. Regression analysis that involves more than two variables is termed as multiple regression analysis. The bi-variate linear regression involves analyzing the straight line relationship between the two continuous variables. The bi-variate linear regression can be expressed as: Y=  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¡ + ÃÆ'Ã… ½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ²x Y represents the dependent variable X represents the independent variable  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¡ and ÃÆ'Ã… ½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ² are the two constants which are known as regression coefficients ÃÆ'Ã… ½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ² is the slope coefficient i.e. ÃÆ'Ã… ½Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ² is the change in the value of Y with the corresponding change in 1 unit of X.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

The Growing Issue With Childhood Obesity - 1237 Words

The Growing Issue With Childhood Obesity Carmen Solivan- Amengual American Public University The Growing Issue With Childhood Obesity Although childhood obesity is a serious issue, there has been a great decrease over the past decade, thanks to research on childhood obesity and programs that help decrease the number of children and adolescents who are overweight. Childhood obesity can have long term and lasting effects on the overall well-being of a child, including cardiovascular disease, high risk for development of diabetes, and other health issues for children and adolescents. Over the years, there have been several research done on childhood obesity and because of the research, several programs have been developed, so that childhood†¦show more content†¦The consensus on how to improve childhood obesity, is to increase the time spent daily on physical activity and to improve healthy and nutritional eating habits in children and adolescents. One research that focuses on reducing the number of children who are obese, is called The Childhood Research Demonstration Project (CORD). CORD’s main goal, on how to prevent childhood obesity, is to find out if interventions between the pediatric health care and the community, can reduce obesity in children and adolescents. CORD’s ultimate goal is to find out if children and adolescents can loss weight by increasing their physical activity and by eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking healthier beverages. Programs Already Available to help Prevent Childhood Obesity There are several programs available to help prevent childhood obesity. Programs like Fit Kids, Just for Kids, and Action for Healthy Kids are good programs that focus on helping children and adolescents stay healthy and increase their physical activity in school and childcare settings. Fit Kids is an afterschool program that promote healthy and active lifestyles, among children and adolescents, through youth fitness groups and with nutrition advice. According to fitkids.org, â€Å"By offering increased opportunities for physical activity among children, we hope to inspire an early love of sports and fitness that will serve as the foundation for a healthy

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

How Can Men and Woman Communicate More Effectively Through Technology Free Essays

How can men and women communicate more effectively through technology? * Women are more expressive when they type or text, on the other hand men aren’t as expressive . EX: women may use more punctuation or emoticons * Men should try to be expressive so that it doesn’t like they don’t care or to let the woman know they are listening and caring about what they have to say * Or, women should try to tone it down a bit with the seriousness of everything when everything doesn’t have to be so critical or over exciting for no reason * When communicating through texts or email, since women tend to be more expressive they tend to max out the the160 character message limit (news wise) * Men would probably listen more if they didn’t have to read such lengthy texts. Women should probably try to fit what they have to say in few words that still get their point across. We will write a custom essay sample on How Can Men and Woman Communicate More Effectively Through Technology or any similar topic only for you Order Now * The best ways of communication would obviously be face to face but next to that, technology like chat rooms and instant messaging and social networking sites make it easier for opposite sex to talk to each other. (eCommunications) * Takes away the stress and pressure of talking in person. If these are the ways men and woman communicate, they need to make sure that they think about the misinterpretations that could happen. To avoid the misinterpretation, men and woman should both understand that technology isn’t a real serious way of communicating just in case the whole misinterpretation gets in the middle of things and starts drama. * Sources: * â€Å"When Texting, Eligible Women Express Themselves Better.   Newswise: News for Journalists, Press Release Distribution for Public Relations. Indiana University. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. lt;http://www. newswise. com/articles/when-texting-eligible-women-express-themselves-bettergt;. * â€Å"Best Ways to Communicate Through Technolog y. †Ã‚  ECommunications. ECommunications. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. lt;http://efunsoft. com/best-ways-to-communicate-through-technology. htmgt;. How to cite How Can Men and Woman Communicate More Effectively Through Technology, Papers

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Street Pizza Essay Example

Street Pizza Paper While driving to his office in Cabanas-e-Insist, Phase 6, Tanager Hussy was thinking about the good old days when he started 14th Street with his two best friends Invigilated and Maximum. Despite the amazing response that they initially got, the ship now seems to be quite in a bit of a lurch. Started by three best friends, 14th Street was supposed to be the next big thing. Being the pioneers of the 20 pizza they intended to knockout the pizza giants like Pizza Hut and Dominos and they were successful initially. But then woo of the partners, Navigated and Maximum jumped ship and went to Dublin to look after their other business and became the sleeping partners at 14th Street. Tanager now looks after all the operations alone and he is smart enough to know that things are not going as smoothly as he would like them to be. He is unable to control his costs and therefore he is forced to sell his pizza at a higher price than his other counterparts but he does not have much choice. Knee deep in payable he is unable to come up with a solution as to how to reduce his cost or justify the high price. We will write a custom essay sample on Street Pizza specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Street Pizza specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Street Pizza specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer He expanded his business to there major areas of Karachi thinking that that will help him in increasing his revenues but even that didnt work out as well as he expected due to growing number of pizza joints that offer similar product as 14th Street such as California, Broadway, and New York Pizza. The competition is really tough and the switching cost for the consumer is practically zero. So why should they buy, high priced, 14th street Pizza when they can easily go for a cheaper and similar brand? Adamant to not compromise on the quality of Pizza, Tanager is now looking for options that he can choose from to get back on firm grounds. He has assigned this task to his 6, highly qualified and motivated employees to come up with solutions to help this sinking ship get out of the thunderstorm and back on calm seas. They will be presenting their recommendations today and he is quite hopeful that their recommendations will be worth his time. Background Evolving from a traditional family recipe, 14th Street Pizza Co. Has come a long way. It was launched in Karachi, on 14th February 201 1 by three friends Tanager Hussy, Invigilated, and Maximum as partners sharing 40%, 30%, and 30% respectively. Two years before launching 14th Street Pizza, the friends had bought a franchise Of subway located at Shabby commercial DAD Karachi. The franchise is still up and running and has earned the reputation of the best franchise of subway all over Pakistan. 14th street pizza was the first brand in Pakistan to introduce 20 inch thick pizza, which was enough to serve maximum 8 people. They were also the Satirists joint to introduce customization of each slice of pizza. Before the launch of 14th Street Pizza, for 20 years, people only had few other options such as Pizza Hut and Dominos. People loved 14th Street Pizza and they got amazing response, more than they could handle. Initially 14th Street only got delivered in DAD and Clifton but after the amazing reviews and positive response they started their delivery operations in major areas of Karachi. Recently they have also started franchising. It was very hard to keep up with the thriving demand soon after its launch. Thats when the real test began, but they faced the challenge with gusto and were soon back on the table with a better team and a bigger kitchen. Today, more than three years later, 14th Street Pizza still tanks tall. The pioneers of the 20-inch pizza in Pakistan, 14th Street Pizza Co. Has grown from being a corner pizza delivery place in Karachi to one of the most recognized pizza delivery places, operating branches at 5 prime locations of Karachi: Cabanas-e-Shabby, Cabanas-e-Insist, KID, SMS, North Amazonian. 14th Street Pizza also operates in the Blue Area Of Islamabad and also recently launched in Manual. The first thing you notice about their pizza is the size. But thats just not it. Their motto is to use crust to give you fuller taste and an unforgettable flavor. Their aim is to use premium laity ingredients to give you a pizza that not only looks and tastes great but is also up to the highest standards of freshness and quality. They believe in providing their customers with an exceptional customer service and believe that their customers are their driving force and would like to make sure that they are 100% satisfied with their products. A passion for pizza and an unending devotion to keep delivering the biggest, yummiest pizza in town, fuelled by the love, encouragement and feedback of their fans, gives 14th Street Pizza co. He power to expand beyond belief. Pakistani Pizza Market Pakistani food industry has witnessed an exceptional growth over the years. Food industry in Pakistan shares 17% of the total GAP. A major chunk of this growth is coming from the local pizza market which includes big multinational names such as Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Broadway, as well as local pizza brands such as 14th street pizza, California pizza, Pizza next, Pizza point etc. Trends in the Industry The pizza trend has entered into mainstream. It all started when Pizza Hut introduced its business in Pakistan in 1993. Pizza hut is considered as the pioneer in the pizza market and has remained a dominant player since. To penetrate into the market further they have tailored their menu to local taste by introducing flavors such as chicken tike, shakable etc. After Pizza Hut, Dominos Pizza and Papa Johns entered the pizza business and things psychoanalytically. Five to eight years later if we talk about the growth of pizza business in Pakistan there were only two established names in the business that were both multinational chains, Pizza Hut and Dominos. However, the market developed significantly in the last few years and to cater to the appetite of pizza lovers many new local players have launched their operations. Market statistics According to a recent statistics fast food industry is the second largest in Pakistan, with approximately 16. 9 million consumers. The consumption level of food mainly depends upon the number of consumers and their income level. Pakistanis total population is growing with a yearly population growth rate of 1. 67%. Out of the total population of Pakistan 37% are the urban and 63% rural with different income classes. Exhibit Shows the size of different classes In the urban population. About 17 million people are in the upper or upper middle class who can actually afford fast food. The average person spends 47. 7 percent Of his or her household budget on food consumed at home. Only less than 2% of Pakistanis total population spends on fast foods regularly. Current Market Situation We have recently seen the success ventures of food portals like EAT EYE and FOOD PANDA. The food portals have made the life of consumers very easy by providing them with both the discounts as well as quick delivery. Pizza companies got a huge benefit through this as consumers get more attracted towards their product. Country like Pakistan is still following the incept of cooking the food at home, if we observe countries like US and KICK their fast food market is far bigger than us because of the fact that their busy households now prefer to eat outside rather than cooking food at home. Slowly and gradually Pakistanis urban population is also adopting the same trend and this is the reason why these fast food chains earn massive profits with an even higher future revenue forecasts. STOW Analysis Strengths Weaknesses The high quality of the ingredients that are used in making 14th street pizza. Pioneers of the 20 Pizza category in Pakistan and have managed to build a potable brand name. High focus on customer service and on time delivery of Pizza. Highly customized slices to cater to the different tastes of the consumers. They dont have any service restaurants like Pizza Hut, Dominos and California Pizza. Lack of awareness about 14th street as it is still not a very known brand in some parts of Karachi. Opportunities The reads Opening kiosks in shopping malls and food courts. Open up service restaurants to attract consumers who want to dine out. Add more variety to their menu such as pasta and lasagna. Continuous innovation in tastes and sizes to keep the customers interested y offering them something new. Introduce customer loyalty program for brand loyal 14th Street lovers. An increase in the trend of online ordering because of food portals like Food Panda and Tattoo. Poor economic conditions forcing people to dine out less. Increased prices Of ingredients, which subset intently increases the cost Of product thus reducing the profit margins. Low switching cost for consumers between brands. Availability of Cheaper substitutes. Rise in number of competitors offering the same product. Competitors Analysis Competition for pizza takes into account direct competitors as well as indirect motorists (substitute products like burger, steaks,pastas etc. ). Pizza market has developed considerably in a last few years and several local and international players have come into play. 4th street pizza in the first few years of its business has received a great deal of fame and earned a name for itself mainly due to the ingenuity and uniqueness of their content. Let purely deals in home delivery and takeaway. Amongst local competitors its is the brand with highest market share but overall it ranks number 3 with 10% market share According to the CEO of 14th street pizza The daily intentions, the engaging interactions and t he high stakes giveaways are all proofs of the ways in which we seek to delight our customers and ensure that we stay the top of the mind brand when one thinks of ordering pizza. Pizza Hut Pizza hut first started its operations in 1958 and entered Pakistan in 1993. They are the pioneers of pizza in Pakistani market and are also the biggest player when it comes to dine in because of its delighting pizza and spacious restaurants with good ambiance and comfortable atmosphere. Being a pioneer it has got the largest share in market but its sales are plummeting cause of the prevailing trend of large pizzas. Their social media presence, stands at around 900,000 followers as compared to 14th Street Pizza reaching a million fans on their Faceable page in the same month. Since its inception Pizza hut is known to be the market leader even today it holds 35% of the total pizza market followed by another international brand, Dominos which stands at number 2 with 20% market share. Broadway Pizza It started its operations initially in Lahore after getting a positive response from there it recently launched in Karachi. With amazing sidelines, stirring labors and huge size Broadway is getting popular among scratchiest and the market share of Broadway pizza has reached 9% a little lower than that of 14th Street Pizza. It has got an active website and worth using Faceable page. It also offers the most lavish toppings. There is fierce competition been Broadway and Pizza Point, which also has a 9% of the total market share. The New York Pizza The New York Pizza is popular for its large thin crust foldable pizzas. They offer delicious toppings and sauces besides delivering Gingko pizza. New York is widespread and much known with much lower market share than Aziza hut and slightly lower than 14th street pizza. It has around 22,000 Faceable fans with 5% market share. California Pizza To know if California pizza is a good option one needs to go its main location that is next to Dominos in Abdullah. This outlet is always flooded withheld. It offers as big as 20 pizza and has good service restaurants besides having feasible rates. California pizzas user-friendly website and promotional activities on Faceable page with 1 90,462 likes helps surge its sales. In Exhibit ahoy can see the comparative prices of a standard large pizza of the competing brands. Comparison Between Competitors We took a sample size of 67th of which 29 were students, 30 jobholders, and 3 businessmen. After analyzing the results of our research, we found out that despite being a high priced product most of the respondents believe the price of 14th street pizza to be justified. We conclude that there are several reasons for this perception such as the quality, size, and taste of 14th street pizza. As an individual brand people have the following perception about dustsheet: 54% of the respondents think that the price of 1 4th street pizza is good, that is justified. % of the respondents think that the Quality of 14th street is excellent and 42% think it is good, which makes the majority of the respondent. 45% of the respondents think that the taste of 14th street is excellent and 37% think that it is good, which is again the majority of the respondents. 52% of the respondents think that their service is good, while 27% think that this it is excellent. We compared 14th street with the following pizza joints: Pizza Hut Dominos Broadway New York We compared these on the following attributes: Quality Price Taste Service Size And came to the following conclusion: QUALITY If we compare the result of 14th street with the rest of the Pizza joint we can clearly see that it surpasses all other brands in terms of quality according to the respondents. With Pizza Hut being the second best choice. PRICE At this the results were pretty much the same for all other brands but respondents believe that 14th street pizza is slightly high priced as compared to other brands as 31 % of the respondents ranked it at 4 and 22% of the respondents ranked it at 5 (5 being the highest). TASTE 14th Street got the highest ranking in terms of taste as 45% of the exponents ranked it 5 and 30% ranked the taste of 14th street at 4. While Dominos, California Pizza, New York Pizza, and Broadway Pizza got the highest ranking around 3, which signifies average taste. SERVICE 43% of the respondents ranked 14th street 4 for service and 30% ranked it 5 (5 being the highest). Again we can see that that Dominos, California, New York and Broadway got the highest ranking around 3, which signifies average service in comparison to 14th Street. SIZE From the result it is clear that when it comes to size, the first name that comes to people mind is 14th street. Although Broadway, New York and California pizza Offer the same product but 14th street got the highest ranking in comparison to all. Whats Wrong With 14th Street? 14th street pizzas biggest problem is their higher pricing compare to their competitors, and reason is not that it is a premium brand, but its because their food costs and their expenses are so high that they have to reflect some it in their prices. In Exhibit ewe kept their most selling product, which is Full 20 inch pizza as a benchmark, to estimate the rough impact of their costs on the prices. Currently the price of 20 full pizza is RSI. 899. By seeing Exhibit 3 one can infer that providing best quality of ingredients is the prime focus of 14th Street Pizza. Mozzarella cheese, which is the most expensive ingredient of all, gets 24% of the price. Mozzarella cheese is imported from France of the brand Aerial; it is one of the top used mozzarella brands all over the World. Even the chicken topping used in their Pizza is supplied by the top chicken quality providers KNs. The management of 14th Street is not at all in the favor of reducing the quality of the Ingredients they use in order to cut down their overall costs. Losing their current customer base as a result of using lower quality ingredients is something that they cannot afford. A brief detail of the rest of the monthly expenses can be seen in Exhibit 4. Number of Employees 14th street pizza currently has around 400 riders, 250 kitchen and commissary labors, and 30 professional employees. 5. Million rupees in monthly payroll is still a very high expense for a small local brand like 14th Street. Marketing Expenditure They are also keen on advertising their brand and products through appropriate channels they could use to reach to their target market, usually hey are spending on streamers, billboards, and most of all social media where their actual target market is present. Utilities Their utiliti es are supposed to be higher because big machineries like Pizza ovens and room size chillers, those all are running on electricity. Payable The other pressing problem for the management is their increasing payable. They owe their food suppliers around 25 million rupees and rest to equipment and oven providers. These payable also reflect on their pricing strategy. Outsourcers In order to make up for the lost revenues, 14th Street also started to outsource their marketing and IT services to other business. This might seem like a good move but can have long term implications. Recommendations In light of all the above-mentioned problems of 14th Street Pizza, the team of six came up with the following recommendations: 14th street needs to stop providing their services to other businesses as outsourcers. This will not only help them focus more on their own operations but it will also allow the top management to right size their business and only keep the employees who add value to the companys operations. This action will subsequently lead to a significant decrease in their monthly salaries, which is a massive burden on a company as small as 14th street. The management should clearly write down the objectives that they want to achieve through their pricing strategies. Since they are already selling their product at a loss, bringing down their prices is not an option that they can avail. The next best thing that they can do is to position their product as a premium Pizza brand. They can achieve this through proper communication and marketing strategies. According to Exhibit 2, the prices of the competitors such as New York and Broadway Pizza re exactly the same bringing the price any higher than this might result in loss of existing customer base since the cost of switching for a consumer is practically zero. Focus on market penetration so as to increase the entry barriers of new entrants. Make the most of the food delivery portals such as Food Panda and Tattoo to attract more and more customers towards their brand by offering different deals. Increase communication and communicate to the consumers why they should go for 14th street instead of Broadway, New York or California Pizza. Low-end Pizza joints such as Pizza Hut, Pizza Point, Pizza Max, etc. Are a serious threat. They are not only lower end but they also cater to a large population that cannot afford expensive pizza brands.