The Birth of Swatch Essay Example for Free

The Birth of Swatch Essay The Swatch was well-known watch in the history of the watch industry. When it came out at first, it was quite sensational, resulting in more sales than it expected. Since the Swatch had grown strong in the watch industry, it could maintain its reputation and there were more opportunities to success in this industry. In order to find out its success strategies or factors, the following shows its Strengths and opportunities. In addition, its weaknesses and threats could reflect considerations on this future forward. SWOT analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| * High Consumer loyalty * A clean price * Unique designs * Innovations in automation and assembly * Promising designers were adopted * Good reputation * High quality | * Late entry in a quartz watch market * * More rooms for growth in markets * Still has a name value * Has unique messages and ads| * Numerous numbers of competitors in low-price sector in the watch industry * In the mid-price sector, consumer price sensitive is higher and compete against a number of Hong Kong companies For several reasons, the Swatch was successfully entered the new watch industry with its effective strategies and unique products. Firstly, it committed to vertical integration, building and assembling the low-priced quartz watch in Switzerland. The designing proprietary production techniques helped to reduce the production cost. On top of that, the Swatch tried to deliver the unique message to the consumers, making Swatch more than a commodity and adding genuine emotion to the products. One of the main strengths of the Swatch is its unique design. The various designs of watches were created by the artists, architects, and industrial designers. It introduced new products or lines every time with no repetitions. It led loyal consumers to purchase several Swatch products in different lines. Moreover, the Swatch had a reputation for special innovation. For instance, it introduced the scented, youthful, and unpredictable watches at the reasonable prices so that it could keep high customer loyalty. Swatch spent approximately 30% of the retail price of its watches on advertising as its marketing plan. This was about two times high compared with the industry average. They also were able to use unique marketing events and advertising schemes to promote Swatch, emphasizing on below-the line activities. It also had decentralized marketing and centralized manufacturing systems. Additionally, the company created the Swatch collectors Club for its loyal consumers. The Swatch street journal, a magazine that included all information about Swatch in trends, was produced. It also chose a nontraditional retail approach, creating unexpected points of purchase. For example, it launched the Veggie Swatch line in fruit and vegetable market. SMH pursued shop-in-shop systems or miniboutiques so that consumers could only focus on the Swatch products, not displaying its products with other watches. Those strategies helped Swatch lead this market in the watch industry, selling 26 million swatches in 1992 and reversing SMH’s fortunes. Despite its success, there are some concerns whether the success of the Swatch would continue. Still, the world watch market was highly fragmented except Citizen, Seiko, and SMH. There were numerous watch competitors in Switzerland, Asia, and Unite states. The market share of Swatch was still relatively low in the single digits due to highly-fragmented low price sector. It competed with a growing number of watches manufactured in Asia. Besides, the weakest segment of SMH was the mid-price sector. The consumers in this price range were so sensitive at the prices of watches that it was pretty difficult to compete with the Hong Kong manufacturers. Although there were several limits of SMH, there were so many strengths of its strategy that could lead this market. The Swatch had grown continuously by offering radical innovations in design, durability of the products, and unique marketing plans. SMH had its own technology to manufacture the best quality of watches. In addition, its unique designs created by various designers in different areas were quite competitive and appealing to consumers. If it tried to keep tracking the trends in the watch industry, and reflect what consumers want and changes, there would be more opportunities to continue its success.

Araling Panlipunan Essay Example for Free

Araling Panlipunan Essay 1.How does the Bible view the family? Just like how God created people in his own image and likeness, He also wants us to have a family that is similar to the holy family. The bible says that each member of the family has a role. The father, as the head of the family, should stand strong for his family. The mother on the other hand, acts as the guide. Not only has God asked them to imitate the holy family to provide proper parentage, but He has also placed big responsibilities upon their shoulders. The children’s role is to do their best to respect their parents for it is stated in the fourth commandant to â€Å"Honor thy father and thy mother†. 2.Give 5 examples of factors that attack the family. Explain. a.Disparity of religion – Parents of the children may have different religions and this may affect their faith and their worshipping. They will have a problem raising their children in one belief. b.Cultural differences – The traditions may affect the family because one person might be doing something out of tradition that is not proper for the other’s culture. c.Instability of marriage – The instability of the marriage of parents can affect the family greatly, because from this, the family might result to becoming a broken family. d.Domestic abuse – Abusing a member of the family may cause them to have strained familial relationship. It will be hard to trust one another after the abuse, and trust is very important because it’s one of the foundations of a strong relationship. e.Infidelity – Parents fight over little things, but infidelity is a different story. This may cause not only problems within the family but outside things may al so be affected, like the studies of the children and the emotional, mental and physical health of each family member. 3.What is the stand of the church against RH Bill? The church is against the RH Bill because they see it as an anti-life bill. They believe that overpopulation, which the government says is the main cause of poverty, is not the real reason but corruption. 4.What is your stand against the RH Bill? I believe that the RH Bill must be imposed. I don’t think that the RH Bill promotes anti-life. It is merely for protection of the population growth. Population growth may not be the cause of poverty but it is surely killing the Philippines. Our country, especially in Metro Manila, cannot hold more people. If the RH Bill is rejected, the Filipinos, being innovative, will try and find ways to look for alternatives for contraception. They might also start illegally producing contraception which will earn Filipinos more criminals which is the last thing the society needs right now. 5.How does the state protect the family? The state does not promote divorce in the country. It is illegal for couples to separate except for some circumstances which can be considered. The state also does not approve of abortion. This can save many lives. The state also has programs which are against child abuse, sexual harassment and other things that help protect the right of a human being. With these, we can trust that the relationship of every Filipino family is safer.

Factors of Acute Kidney Injury

Factors of Acute Kidney Injury 1. Introduction: Kidneys are the important two paired organs of our body that function normally under the physiological limits. Kidneys may lose its normal functioning under certain circumstances paving way to a disease state of kidney. These kidneys as termed filter units of the body function to excrete waste substances from the body. Similar to the other diseases of the body, kidney diseases result in life threatening dilemma of the society, with inclusive pathological causes and related social norms. In following section various aspects of acute kidney injury (failure) are discussed in detail. 2. Acute Kidney Injury: Studies related to ‘’acute kidney failure (ARF)’’ were jeopardized for over past decades due to the conflicting definitions and varied diagnostic criteria of the disease by different investigators, though, all reached to an agreement that a decline in renal function for over the time of hours to days is the distinct characteristic feature of ARF. In the year 2005, an initiative has been taken by Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative and the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) for replacing the term ‘’Acute Kidney Failure’’ to ’Acute kidney Injury (AKI)’’ (Mehta et al, 2007).However, this definition was further improved in the year 2007, which is mostly accredited to as the RIFLE criteria (Risk-Injury-Failure-Loss of function-End stage renal disease). Moreover, elevated serum creatinine level and deceased urine output are included in the diagnostic criteria. The first three stages of AKI including stage 1 – r isk, stage 2 – injury and stage 3 failure with diagnostic criteria are shown in the Figure 1 (Kellun et al, 2005). Acute renal failure (ARF) is defined as a rapid and reversible decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ranging from few hours to weeks,that can occur in the setting of previously normal renal function (‘classic’ ARF) or in a patient with pre-existing chronic renal disease (‘acute-on-chronic’ renal failure). Clinically, ARF is further subcategorized in two distinct types, firstly on the basis of being oliguric (urine output 500 ml/day), and secondly on being dialysis dependence (Schrier et al, 2004). Patients are classified in three categories depending on their risk of renal dysfunction, type of kidney injury, and the degree of kidney failure, which is further associated with two clinical outcomes: Loss and End-stage renal disease (RIFLE). ARF (Loss) is defined as the requirement of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for a period of more than 4 weeks, whereas end-stage renal disease is defined as dependence on dialysis for a period of more than 3 months. Patients with acute renal dysfunction without presenting a baseline measure of renal function are evaluated for the presence of chronic renal disease. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula is used to predict ‘normal’ GFR is there is no evidence of chronic renal disease, which thus is helpful in assessing the severi ty of the ARF episode (Lameire et al, 2006). 2.1. Incidence of Acute Kidney Injury: Evaluation of theaccurateand factual epidemiological characteristics of ARF is hinderedby various reasons such as, lack of a generally accepted definition, gender disparity, issue of lacking consult with a doctor, financial issues in transplantation and treatment and delayed treatment, especially in developing countries, which all together contribute in hampering proper assessment of incidence of acute kidney injury (Cerdà ¡ et al, 2008). Furthermore, deviation in catchment populations and methods used for case ascertainment also result in difficulties for ARI evaluation. The rate of acute kidney injury holds difference in the general population, designated differently as three groups, community-acquired acute kidney injury, the hospitalized patients and critically ill patients of intensive care unit (ICU). 2.1.1. Community Acquired Acute Kidney Injury: Generally, ARF occurs rarely in community settings. After exclusion of those who suffered chronic renal failure, ARF was found developed in 172 adults per million people (pmp) per year in an unselected population(Singbartl et al., 2000).The incidence ranged between 17 pmp/year and 949 pmp/year for adults (less than 50 years of age) and those aged between 80 years and 89 years, respectively. Acute dialysis was administered to 22 pmp(Liano et al) and it was foundin a research study conducted for over a period of 9 months at 13 tertiary care hospitals in Madrid, Spain that the overall incidence of ARF is about 209 cases pmp. Moreover, it has been reported that community-acquired ARF in the US account for 1% of hospital admissions(Schnermann, 2003). Pre-renal ARF and acute-on-chronic renal failure have been reported to be associated with dehydration particularly in elderly people, use of drugs such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers in highrisk patients, and heart failure(Schnermann, 2003). Also, 0.69% of admissions of African Americans were accounted for de novo ARF. The incidence of community acquired ARF in this population was 3.5 times more than that of hospital-acquired ARF; with several patients having underlying medical conditions(Noiri et al., 2001).Disasters in particular earthquakes, many other causes of crush syndromes such as accidents, rhabdomyolysis resulting from infections, coma, and seizures, usage of drugs particularly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, and vascular events such as thrombosis of vessels are associated with community-acquired ARF. Furthermore, hemolytic uremic syndrome secondary to infection with Escherichia coli or Shigella is a common cause of ARF, as is poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis in children. Diarrheal diseases, hemolysis, tropical and non-tropical infections, and snake bites are causative factors of ARF in tropical areas such as India and Africa. The overall incidence of obstet ric-related ARF has declined for over many years (Melnikov et al., 2001; Wang et al., 2003). Medicines that are prescribed by traditional healers which mostly comprise mixture of herbs and unidentified chemicals for oral administration or as enemas constitute a distinct class of nephrotoxins in Africa and Asia(Jha V and Chugh2003) 15. Venoms of sea snakes, viper snakes and stinging insects, and raw gallbladder and bile of carp and sheep are present in common animal-derived nephrotoxins. Moreover, common edible plants such as djenkol beans, and mushrooms and medicinal herbs including impila, as well as cat’s clawcomprise botanical nephrotoxins (Melnikov et al., 2001).Nephrotoxicity which is caused by different chemicals can be due to accidental exposure to chemical such as chromic acid in industrial work places or due to use of chemicals such as copper sulphate, ethylene dibromide or ethylene glycol with suicidal or homicidal intent. 2.1.2. Hospital-acquired: The incidence of hospital acquired ARF surpasses that of community-acquired ARF by 5–10 times, being 0.15–7.20% in hospitalized patients (Nash et al., 2002). Surveysthat are used for hospital-acquired ARF under estimate the true incidence, as cases that include terminal patients are not either referred for treatment for ARF or are not screened for ARF. Out of 311 unselected hospitalized patients with ARF, 22% were referred to a nephrologist in an assessment in unselected patients. Age and comorbidities of patients at presentation influenced the referral(Zuk et al., 2001) and by different referral patterns to the site of care including district general hospital, tertiary referral centre, general ICU, and cardiothoracic ICU. In a prospective hospital-based study of ARF, the estimated incidence with need for RRT was reported to be 203 pmp/year, having patients with acute-on-chronic renal failure inclusive (Metcalfe et al., 2002). A significant elevated level in the inciden ce of hospital-acquired ARF has been observed over the period of past decades. The US National Center for Health Statistics National Hospital Discharge Survey reported that the number of hospitalizations with a diagnosis of ARF has increased dramatically, from 35,000 in 1979 to more than 650,000 in 2002, depicting an yearly rate of increase of over 13% which may be due tovarious comorbidities of the hospitalized population, increasing age of the population, increased occurrence of risk factors for ARF including chronic kidney disease and diabetes, and furtherprevalent use of intravenous contrast agents for imaging and cardiovascular techniques. Ischemic and/or toxic acute tubular necrosis (ATN) are marked the main causes of hospital-acquired ARF. Most of the time, there involves multi factorial causes including, encompassing postsurgical ATN, chemotherapy-induced ARF, ARF secondary to sepsis, contrast agents or drugs such as antibiotics, allopurinol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories and proton-pump inhibitors, and ARF due to a clot or atheroembolism. In spite of the shift in the etiology of hospital-acquired ARF over last few decades, prerenal conditions having manifestationsuch as reduced rates of renal perfusion stays to be leading causative factor of ARF (about 40% of cases). The trend in developed countries towards an elevated incidence of ARF in hospitalized patients due to drugs, different infections and surgeries has been observed in China(Wang et al., 2005)as well as in India (Prakash et al., 2003). 2.1.3. ARF in critically ill patients admitted to the ICU Patients in ICU, exhibit ARF many times associated with multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (JoannidisMetnitz, 2005). The findings of a multinational epidemiological study of ARF presented results that showed occurrence of ARF in 1,738 (5.7%) patients during their stay in ICU out of total sample size of 29,269 patients in ICUs of 54 study centers in 23 countries(Uchino et al., 2005), with period prevalence ranging from 1.4% to 25.9% in all study centers. 1,260 (4.2%) of the patients out of overall patients with ARF were treated with RRT. Many ICU patients were considered for ATN in the setting of multi-organ failure (Mehta et al., 2004). 2.2. Pathogenesis: The pathogenesis of acute kidney injury most importantly comprises two mechanisms that include loss of autoregulation and increased renal vasoconstriction. In experimental animals, acute ischemic injury is found associated with a considerable loss of renal autoregulation (Abuelo, 2007). Also, in case of decrease in renal perfusion pressure, there occurs normal autoregulatory renal vasodilation, evidence has been reported exhibiting renal vasoconstriction in case of ischemic kidney. Moreover, acute ischemic insult has been found associated with rise in the response to renal nerve stimulation (Abuelo, 2007). The increase vasoconstrictor response has been observed to the exogenous norepinephrine and endothelin, in the acute ischemic kidney (Basile, 2007). These vascular anomalies experienced during ischemic kidney are related to the resultant elevation of cytosolic calcium observed in the afferent arterioles of the glomerulus. The pathogenetic role of elevated cytosolic calcium concentr ation in the afferent arteriole of the ischemic kidney is supported by the observation that intrarenal calcium channel blockers can reverse the loss of autoregulation and the subsequent rise in sensitivity to renal nerve stimulation (Abuelo, 2007). The mitochondrial calcium build-up in the ischemic kidney is found to be reversed by calcium channel blockers administration (Starkov et al., 2004). Moreover, calcium channel blockers have been shown to lessen renal dysfunction and toxicity associated with the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine following cadaveric renal transplantation, when administrated prior to the ischemic insult (Starkov et al., 2004). 2.2.1. Outer medullary congestion: The outer medullary congestion of the kidney is yet one of the vascular hallmark of acute renal ischemia. Previous research studies have proposed that the outer medullary congestion of the kidney further worsens the relative hypoxia in the outer medulla and subsequently the hypoxic injury in the S3 segment of the proximal tubule and the thick ascending limb of the Henle loop (Heyman et al., 2010). Up-regulation of adhesion molecules termed related to outer medullary

Symbols and Symbolism - The Letter A in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Symbolism of the Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Authors sometimes use symbols in their novels to represent different objects, people or ideas.   One example is the S on Superman's uniform, which symbolizes him being supper.   In "The Scarlet Letter" Nathaniel Hawthorne creates the symbolism of the letter "A" to have different meanings.   As the novel unfolds, the meanings of the letter "A" on Hester Prynne's bosom changes, from adultery to able to angel.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of the novel, Hawthorne describes the letter "A" that lies on Hester's bosom as a symbol of adultery.   Hester is made to wear the letter "A" once the town's people see, that she committed adultery by bearing a child by some other soul than her husband Roger Chillingworth. Since she has worn this letter, she now has a label on her that she is sinful.   She is brought out in public to show everyone what is embroidered on her chest.   The narrator shares, "When the young women- the mother of this child-stood fully revealed before the crowd...On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourshes of gold thread..."(50-1).   Many people there to see her when she reveals the "A" on her chest.   Most of the town people are astonished and startled on her beauty still shone.   Even though the big red letter on her chest stood for adultery.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the novel progressed the meaning as the "A"" made a change for the better in Hester's life.   In chapters before of the novel the letter "A" on Hester's bosom had negative meaning, but this time Hawthorne turns the meaning around in the story to mean able.   Now that she has given many hours of time and service to the sick, poor and troubled she began to gain respect from some of the town's people who once looked down on her.   This time the author shares, "Such helpfulness was found in her-so much power to do and power to sympathize-that many people refused to interpret the scarlet "A" by it's original signification.   They said that it meant " Able"...(158).   Hester still held up her head and did not appear to be down.   She was trying to become herself again slowly.   Once again the letter on

Ecstasy, the Brain, and the Media :: Drugs Drug Chemistry Essays

Ecstasy, the Brain, and the Media Ecstasy has been glorified by countless Brit-pop drug anthems, condemned by staunch anti-drug foundations and even caused a controversial media debate when the post-mortem picture of eighteen year old Lorna Spinks was splashed across every newspaper in the United Kingdom, her Ecstasy-related death rendered in full gruesome color. The long-term effects and temporary consequences of Ecstasy have been a subject of heated debate in the past ten years as the pill has seen a surge in popularity. What exactly does Ecstasy do to the brain? What creates the euphoric effects? Why has it been used in therapy? And does the media's portrayal of Ecstasy rely on the facts of the drug, or skew the information to instill a sense of fear into citizens, parents, and teenagers? Ecstasy (Methlenedioxy-methamphetamine, MDMA for short) is a synthetic, psychoactive drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties. It shares a chemical structure with methamphetamine, mescaline, and methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), drugs known to cause brain damage (1). MDMA, in a simple explanation, works by interfering with the communication system between neurotransmitters. Serotonin is one of a group of neurotransmitters that carries out communication between the body and the brain. The message molecules travel from neuron to neuron, attaching to receptor sites. This communication activates signs that either allow the message to be passed or prevent the message from being sent to other cells. However, when MDMA enters the nervous system, it interferes with this system. After serotonin is released, the neurotransmitters are retrieved into the nerve terminal where they are recycled. MDMA hinders this process so that the serotonin is not drawn back in. This allows for an accumulation of serotonin, and also an increase in serotonin synapses (2). This surge of serotonin creates an emotional openness in the Ecstasy user. A sense of euphoria and ecstatic delight envelop the user. Some users report thinking clearly and objectively, and often claim to come to terms with personal problems or various other skeletons in the closet (3). This is the reason Ecstasy resurfaced in the 1980s (after being developed in Germany in 1912 as a dieting drug due to the fact that amphetamines are appetite suppressors) as a tool in experimental psychotherapy, particularly regarding relationship and marital problems (4). In 1984 the drug was declared illegal in the United States after it started being used for recreational purposes. However, in June of 1999, Swiss courts ruled that dealing Ecstasy is not a serious offence.

New Jersey Pine Barrens :: essays research papers

Plants make up most of the Pine Barrens. For instance, pine trees such as the short needles, pitch pines, jack pines, long needles, yellow pines, and many others make up most of the pine forest in the Pinelands. Other trees include the pine oaks and the cedar trees. Due to the roots of these cedar trees, water in the Pine Barrens appears a brownish red color. This happens because the roots emit pigments of red color into the soil which then runs into the water. Even though the amount of red pigment released is very little, due to the large amount of cedar trees in the Pine forests, the water is affected. The main crops of the Pine Barrens include blueberries and cranberries. There are also many rare plants that can be found in the Pinelands. One of these is the pitcher plant which is related to the Venus Fly Trap. Plants such as these have an influence on how nitrogen is depleted in the Pine Barrens and also on how the Pine â€Å"Barrens† got there name, nothing like vegetables grow there. The pitcher plant helps prevent pollution from entering the lakes as well as help in preventing flooding. The lakes in the Pine forest are home to the tree frog. These forests are also home to many other animals like cranes, water snakes, turtles, salamanders, and other frogs. There are many dangers facing the Pine Barrens today. The most dangerous is the effect industrialization has on it. Many industries contribute to the mass pollution of water, land, and air. This greatly impacts the ecosystem of the Pinelands and the animals that live in it. Industrialization also leads to the building of more houses that are detrimental to the Pinelands because the Pinelands are being destroyed little by little every day. This ecosystem is too precious to waste, it needs to be preserved. Pollution has caused over forty species of birds to become endangered. Acid rain also causes the extinction of many species. Acid rain is the term used to describe the chemicals that are deposited through the rain. These chemicals travel through the soil and affect many plants and animals. Acid rain is a world-wide problem that concerns all ecosystems; acid rain needs to controlled by limiting the amount of pollution let out into the air. Another major issue affecting the Pine Barren s is forest fires. There are as many as four hundred forest fires per year. New Jersey Pine Barrens :: essays research papers Plants make up most of the Pine Barrens. For instance, pine trees such as the short needles, pitch pines, jack pines, long needles, yellow pines, and many others make up most of the pine forest in the Pinelands. Other trees include the pine oaks and the cedar trees. Due to the roots of these cedar trees, water in the Pine Barrens appears a brownish red color. This happens because the roots emit pigments of red color into the soil which then runs into the water. Even though the amount of red pigment released is very little, due to the large amount of cedar trees in the Pine forests, the water is affected. The main crops of the Pine Barrens include blueberries and cranberries. There are also many rare plants that can be found in the Pinelands. One of these is the pitcher plant which is related to the Venus Fly Trap. Plants such as these have an influence on how nitrogen is depleted in the Pine Barrens and also on how the Pine â€Å"Barrens† got there name, nothing like vegetables grow there. The pitcher plant helps prevent pollution from entering the lakes as well as help in preventing flooding. The lakes in the Pine forest are home to the tree frog. These forests are also home to many other animals like cranes, water snakes, turtles, salamanders, and other frogs. There are many dangers facing the Pine Barrens today. The most dangerous is the effect industrialization has on it. Many industries contribute to the mass pollution of water, land, and air. This greatly impacts the ecosystem of the Pinelands and the animals that live in it. Industrialization also leads to the building of more houses that are detrimental to the Pinelands because the Pinelands are being destroyed little by little every day. This ecosystem is too precious to waste, it needs to be preserved. Pollution has caused over forty species of birds to become endangered. Acid rain also causes the extinction of many species. Acid rain is the term used to describe the chemicals that are deposited through the rain. These chemicals travel through the soil and affect many plants and animals. Acid rain is a world-wide problem that concerns all ecosystems; acid rain needs to controlled by limiting the amount of pollution let out into the air. Another major issue affecting the Pine Barren s is forest fires. There are as many as four hundred forest fires per year.

McDonaldization of American Society and World

If you have ever had a meal in a restaurant (fast-food/formal dining), used an ATM in a bank, spent your vacation at an amusement park or simply browsed through a mall, you have been exposed to McDonaldization. McDonaldization is â€Å"the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of America society as well as the rest of the world† (Ritzer, 1996, 1). Nearly ever aspect of today†s society has been affected by McDonaldization including the restaurant business, education, work, healthcare, travel, leisure, dieting, politics and the family (Ritzer, 1996, 1). I observed three East Side Mario†s Restaurant†s establishments while the dinner menu was being served on Saturday evenings between 6pm and 8pm to evaluate the ways in which McDonaldization has affected their company. On January 29th I visited East Side Mario†s in London, Ontario, on February 19th I visited East Side Mario†s in Plano, Texas (I used to hold a job as a server at this location) and on February 26th I visited East Side Mario†s in Orange, California. With the diversity of locations I was able to observe, I compared and contrasted many angles of the East Side Mario†s concept. East Side Mario†s Restaurants Inc. is one of the millions of business† that has implemented the four principles of McDonaldization, which are: efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control. With the assistance of Bernard Platt, Vice President of Marie Callender†s Pie Shops, Inc. , former Vice President of East Side Mario†s Restaurant, Inc. , I will offer a condensed presentation of East Side Mario†s history to get you familiar with the business. East Side Mario†s Restaurants, Inc. , is a wholly owned division of Marie Callender†s Pie Shops, Inc. In 1987 a partnership of restauranteurs developed the ESM (for the remainder of this case study I will us the initial ESM to refer to East Side Mario†s Restaurants, Inc. ) concept in North Miami, Florida featuring the excitement and energy of a New York City street festival, a blend of outstanding American and Italian food, a place where families felt welcome and comfortable offering exceptional value. Today operating as a separate division of Marie Callender†s Pie Shops, Inc. , there are a total of 38 American restaurants – 11 corporate and 27 franchise – and there are over 80 ESM restaurants in The United States and Canada. Efficiency is the first dimension of McDonaldization and â€Å"the optimum method for getting from one point to another† (Ritzer, 1996, 9). The parking lot allows ample amount of parking space for customers, including handicapped spaces directly in front of the building for efficient accessibility. The restaurant offers delivery to those who would like to spend their dinner in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. There is a small server to customer ratio to provide the best service expected throughout a customer†s meal. A kid†s bambino menu is offered for children to enjoy less expensive meals that suit their size, along with a separate lunch menu that offers smaller portions for a lighter meal. Happy Hour items are offered at certain hours for a quick snack fix, providing just enough time to satisfy your thirst with a favorite drink. Customers can pay with cash or credit card, whichever is more convenient for them. To streamline the process of the kitchen work ESM simplified pasta dishes (their biggest items) to take only minutes to cook very large quantities. All employees have specialized jobs to divide the work load/streamline, including: host†s/hostess†, bartender†s, server†s, cook†s, dishwasher†s, salad bar attendant†s, cleaning staff, cocktailer†s and management. To simplify the product the menu is limited and specializes in American/Italian food. They offer easy, quickly made finger food appetizers and unlimited soup/salad and bread which is prepared in just seconds. ESM puts you, the customer, to work the minute you walk into the restaurant. Their may or may not be a host/hostess at the front. In the place of service staff you will definitely find a horn on a taxi stand so that a customer may call for service to the front immediately when they would like to be seated. Take-out boxes are available for the customer to take any leftovers home with them. However there is a catch, the box is merely dropped by the table and the customer is expected to put away their own leftovers. The employees and customers of ESM function efficiently together to produce a profit for the business and satisfy the customer. The second dimension of McDonaldization, calculability, is â€Å"an emphasis on the quantitative aspects of products sold (portion size, cost) and service offered (the time it takes to get the product)† (Ritzer, 1996, 9). Servers are paid $6. 85/hr in Canada and $2. 15/hr in The United States. The rest of their money comes from tips so if they expect to take home cash they will have to work to their greatest ability and place their wages in the hands of the customers. Management usually recruits minorities to work the back of the house because they will work hard for little pay. Emphasizing quantity over quality is an important aspect of calculability. With any entree unlimited homeloaf and soup or salad is offered. For the bar flies free peanuts are always out in buckets for all to enjoy. Specials and promotions occur seasonally, like 15-cent wings on Tuesdays. Bigger is seen as better and ESM has conformed to this idea, establishing this illusion with many of its menu items. Large plates are used to serve most meals and give the idea of large portions, with options of three different sides on dinner items. Customers expect quick and accurate service, which ESM has provided by reducing the processes of production to numbers. To promise quick service, the server will initially take a drink/appetizer order to ensure that you as a customer receive prompt service immediately. The bread is brought out before the meal to snack on and give just enough time for transition to the main course. Customers do not like to sit in a restaurant without something in front of them. Each item on the menu has a preparation time, which is followed by the staff so customers can expect their food to be promptly served. ESM has successfully involved an emphasis on quantification. As the third dimension of McDonaldization, predictability, gives â€Å"the assurance that their [a company†s] products and services will be the same over time and in all locales† (Ritzer, 1996, 10). ESM has establishments across Canada and The United States and no matter where you go you can expect the same service and quality in each and every store. The logo is a familiar sign that represents a promise†¦. the same meal and experience you had at any other ESM. Every store that is built is a replicate of the previous one. The layout of each restaurant is similar, limiting the dining area to all non-smoking and only the bar area has smoking. The same colors are dominant in each store: red, green and white. The immediate feeling you will get when walking inside is that of a New York street with replica†s of the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Scallero Bros. and Costello†s Markets (trademarks of ESM). Interaction between the employees and customers is scripted and predictable at each visit to the restaurant. The customer is seated, informed of specials, drink/appetizer orders are taken, bread, soup and salad are brought before the meal, entrees are served with the offering of cheese or pepper, a desert menu is presented, dishes are cleared from the table and the check is presented and paid for. ESM provides each of its employees with a handbook that outlines server etiquette. The employees are expected to have the mindset of â€Å"the customer is always right† which should convince the customer with the notion â€Å"I†ll be back†. Employee behavior is predictably the same. The staff wears the same casual uniform at each restaurant with a rountinized order of operations. You can always expect to have your server offer you fresh ground pepper or parmesan cheese. With respect to birthdays a desert of choice is presented with the East Side Mario†s famous birthday song. The menu remains the same, introducing new items on promotion once in a while, producing the same predictable products. People expect to have the garlic homeloaf with unlimited soup and salad. The routine, uniformity and systematization of operations in ESM prove that predictability has been achieved. The fourth dimension of McDonaldization is â€Å"increased control and the replacement of human with nonhuman technology† (Ritzer, 1996, 101). ESM has integrated all forms of technology to better their establishment. From the fountain pop dispenser to timed broilers and appliances, every process is controlled by some sort of automation. Under control is both the product and process of the business. The menu continually remains the same, limiting the items for customers to choose from. The Micros system is used to input orders which will be sent to the back of the house, organize each table†s order and have the food out and arranged according to the server†s timing. Server†s and bartender†s are expected to id all customers who look as though they are under the age of 30 for alcoholic beverages. In regards to controlling customers, the guest is expected to honk the horn to get the attention of employees to serve them. If there is a wait a pager is given out to customers to be buzzed at the soonest opportunity a table opens up. When the customer is through with a meal, the check is brought promptly to encourage them to leave and allow the next table to be sat. A tip percentage is required for parties of 8 or more to ensure that the time spent on larger parties will be well rewarded in wages. Nonhuman technologies that have been implemented into ESM operations control the nature of the business. The irrationality of rationality is recognized as the fifth dimension of McDonaldization. This is the downside of McDonaldization emphasizing the basic idea that â€Å"rational systems inevitably spawn irrational consequences†, â€Å"serve to deny human reason† and â€Å"are often unreasonable† (Ritzer, 1996, 13). In regards to efficiency people will go to ESM in search of a relaxing meal to find they have an hour-long wait, congested waiting space and loud noise. The efficiency of spending a family meal in a comfortable atmosphere now becomes inefficient. People are unable to sit right away, asked to wait with their families in a smoke filled bar and expected to just be patient while they anticipating the buzzing of their pager number. Employees who are expected to deal with the impatient customers get irritable which reflects on their work and the restaurant as a whole. When ESM business is slow and employees are unable to make tips there is no longer an incentive to put out quality work. The efficiency of paying minimum wage is lost when workers quit because they do not make enough for tips. The cost of a nice dinner for an average size family of 4 at ESM could cost well over $60. In the long run this could be the cost of 3 home cooked meals. The profit a restaurant business makes on pop and such is huge compared to the production price. A family could just as well spend dinner at home, talking/interacting with one another in a much more comfortable, quit, atmosphere. ESM offers the illusion of fun to attract customers and have them coming back. The setting gives the feeling of a New York City street with all of the downtown memorabilia. â€Å"A taste of little Italy† is used to let the prospective guest know that traditional Italian food will be served with popular Italian/American music filling the dining room. The National Television Network, NTN, offers an interactive trivia game to be played in the bar area. Entertainment is brought in on special occasions and the server†s call out loud to the kitchen to fill the atmosphere with a feeling of excitement. The unreality, or illusion of reality, which often goes unheard of in the restaurant business, still exists. The reality is that you aren†t going to see the service staff singing and dancing with customer as they do in the commercial, in fact you†ll be lucky if you can flag them down as they run by your table at top speed. The streets of New York City are not resembled accurately by the miniature landmarks located throughout the restaurant and it†s unlikely a true Italian (person with Italian heritage) will serve your meal. All of this is not reality. Dehumanization recognizes a system that is destructive to human beings. This dehumanization recognized in society is evident through health and environmental hazards, the dehumanization of customers and employers, a negative effect on human relationships and homogenization. The increased concern for the human diet is strongly affected by eating out and Italian food is extremely fattening. A dish known as fettuccine alfredo has been given the nickname â€Å"heart attack on a plate†. To adapt to these concerns ESM has began to offer low fat dressings and deserts. The vegetables have to be used in good time, as does much of the inventory so that contaminated/old food is not distributed. Dishes must be cleaned thoroughly so that germs do not transfer to other customers. ESM provides a fairly environmentally friendly establishment with reusable dishes. The biggest concern is over styrofoam take-out boxes. Customers follow through with the same routine every time they enter a restaurant. ESM encourages the employees to follow script but at the same time get comfortable and act interested in the customer. But that†s just it†¦ an act. Servers really are not interested in the lives of every stranger who steps foot in the building. Scripting brings employees and customers down to a primitive dehumanizing level of interaction. Turnover rates at ESM are not as high as those in the fast food industry however it is unlikely that the same person will ever serve you. There is little, impersonal contact between people. ESM offers benefits for staying with the company, employee incentives, and employee events to encourage longer lasting relationships with the company and fellow workers, thus increasing the likelihood of establishing a relationship with customers. ESM is a chain with franchises and individually owned stores. With its diversity of location it gives people the opportunity to recognize a familiar place and limiting the appeal to ever try anything new. Because ESM is the same no matter where you go you could virtually enter one restaurant and not know whether you were in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, or Phoenix, Arizona, USA. This is limiting the diversity of our world and proves that McDonaldization is homogenizing every aspect of society into one. All of these dehumanizing effects of McDonaldization apply to ESM and add to the irrationality that actually exists. â€Å"As McDonaldization comes to dominate ever more sectors of society, it will become ever less possible to ‘escape† from it† (Ritzer, 1996, 143). In other words McDonaldization imprisons people into an iron cage. Max Weber referred to it as the â€Å"iron cage of McDonaldization† implying that the systems of society will become so inhuman that the systems will eventually have control of everything. To make it in a McDonaldized society higher profits and lower costs will continue to be the goals of all businesses. The best ways to reach this goal is to conform to McDonaldization and strive for efficiency, calculability, predictability and control. ESM increases profit by taking each of these steps so that it can keep up with the competition. People have come to value the individual dimensions of McDonaldization and insist on relating to them even if they are not rewarded with economic gains. ESM has fallen into the trap and chosen locations on busy street corners surrounded by its competitors where a huge concentration of McDonaldization resides. The process of McDonaldization is so desirable that it is pursued as an end to itself (Ritzer, 1996, 145). Fordism is the ideals Henry Ford projected into society. Mass production of a single product, using a simple assembly line process, standardized routines, deskilling, and more demanding and expanding markets have arisen as the result of Fordism. ESM came out of the woodwork with the idea of bringing New York City†s Little Italy to any city. They became part of the restaurant market and had to adopt Fordism principles in order to reach high profitability with low costs. Post-Fordism arose later on and is characterized by more customized/specialized products, smaller systems for specialization, technologies that will produce a range of products, requiring more workers, which in turn leads to diversity once again. ESM has also incorporated post-Fordism characteristics. They use one computer system to run the security systems, kitchen appliances, run credit charges and place orders. They cater to each individual customer, giving them what they ask for. Finally, postmodernism, the idea that we are entering a more irrational and flexible era. The spread of different cultures throughout all of society is a product of postmodernism. ESM brought Little Italy to all kinds of cities. In fact, this American/Italian restaurant does not even exist in Italy. This society is superficial; people pass through McDonaldized systems without even being phased by them. No one walks into ESM and thinks; â€Å"wow this is a superficial McDonaldized system†. Every product and service has been presented before. ESM doesn†t have the original calamari al† diavolo sitting in a glass case to display. We now live in an n impersonal world. Even though employees approach customers with interest and a smile, they do not have a personal relationship with them. There no longer exists much emotion or expression in the postmodern society. We have to work hard at impressing people these days, having to always find something new and exciting to keep a customer hooked. Events of the past and present blur together. It is hard to distinguish between each visit to a restaurant, eventually all the visits blur together. Reproductive technologies have taken over. Computers and TV†s dominate industry and the lives of every individual. In the restaurant business if the computers were to crash†¦. there goes the payroll, power, cash registers; the entire operation is over in the blink of an eye. Just like nearly all institutions in our society ESM is trapped in an â€Å"iron cage of McDonaldization†. I believe McDonaldization has invaded every sector of society and as someone who grew up with McDonaldization at every corner of my life I would have to say it†s been productive. It has allowed society to evolve. Every aspect of life has consequences and downfalls; it†s just a matter of dealing with them. I like moving at a fast pace. Why do people have to make friends with every person they encounter? It†s nice to have companionship but not from your server in a restaurant. McDonaldization has served as a directing force, another stage in our history. We adapt to every turn the world makes and change is good. When all of the aspects of McDonaldization are intertwined society runs smoothly. East Side Mario†s was an example of a company that followed all the rules, aimed for a goal and made it. I believe that†s all that it should take in anything you do in life to make it, just follow the rules and reach for your goals. McDonaldization is a positive contribution to society.