Effects of Home Work on Students Today Research Paper

Sociology research methods are very important as they allow sociologists to have a better understanding of sociological phenomena and to answer various questions regarding social issues. The ultimate aim of this paper is to explain how the topic ‘Effects of Home Work on Students Today’ can be investigated using sociology methods of research. A research method will be chosen and the research design will also be described in detail. The most suitable method for studying the question will be identified and explained. Possible weaknesses in the chosen method will be enumerated and explained. Key terminologies such as constructs and indicators, sample size and selection, ethical guidelines of special significance, measurements, data collection plan and any special challenges that conducting the research may present will be explained. The reliability and validity of the results will also be considered. First, it is important to note that sociological research is based on the use of empirical data to substantiate concepts, theories and test hypothesis (Sociology 1). Therefore, there is need to first develop some concept, theory or hypothesis to be tested (Sociology 1). In order to conduct some research on the above topic, it is imperative that a hypothesis be developed first. The hypothesis will be Doing homework increases the chances of a student getting higher grades. Here, the Dependent Variable (DV) is grades obtained by students while the Independent Variable (IV) is doing homework (McManus 34). Research Design Now that a hypothesis exists, the discussion will shift to the design of the research. First, a level of analysis has to be determined (McManus 35). The unit of analysis, which refers to some particular social entity about which information is collected and empirical claims made, will be individuals since the study focuses on the effect of homework on students today (Sociology 10). There are many methods of conducting research that can be utilized. However, the most suitable method that can be used to answer the question at hand is the use of surveys. A survey is a poll in which the researcher gathers facts or attempts to determine the relationships among facts (Kendall 32). Most sociologists utilize surveys in their research missions. In fact, surveys are the most widely used research method in the field of social sciences (Kendall 32). The reason for this is the fact that sociology usually involves studying phenomena that cannot be observed directly. For instance, sociological stud ies may involve unraveling peoples feelings and beliefs about certain things. Studying sociological phenomena may also call upon the researcher to study a very big and diverse population of people. It may not be possible to observe such kind of a population directly. Therefore, surveys may come in handy in such situations. This method involves selecting a group of people from the population being studied and asking them questions pertaining to the research question. The selected group of people is known as the sample while the people themselves are called respondents. The selection of the sample should be done carefully as the sample should be representative of the entire population being studied (McManus 40). Since the entire population of students, parents and teachers cannot be questioned in an endeavor to answer the research question, a sample that reflects the whole population should be chosen. The aim of the study is to establish the effects of home work on students today. Though not explicitly stated, the term student refers to all students in USA. This is a very big population and the sample has to be selected carefully. Further, it should be noted that there are different categories of students. There are those who attend public schools and those who attend private schools; there are those who live in poor neighborhoods and those who live in posh estates; there are those who are disabled and those who are a hundred percent physically and mentally fit; there are white students and students of other races. Since the research has to capture the situation in the entire country and the effect of homework on all these diverse categories of students, the selection of the sample is of paramount importance. The respondents will not only be students. Teachers will also be questioned as well as parents. The sample size for each category of respondents (students, parents and teachers) will be 2000. In other words, 2000 students, 2000 parents and 2000 teachers will be questioned. To decide how these respondents will be selected to meet the representation criteria discussed above, it is important to first decide on a method in which all or most Americans have an equal or known likelihood of being selected (â€Å"How are Polls† 2). The most convenient method that will achieve this objective is the use of landlines and mobile phones. Almost every American owns at least one cellular phone. A computer program that utilizes a routine called Random Digit Dialing (RDD) can then be used to select the sample (How are Polls 3). RDD first generates a list of all possible landline and mobile phone numbers in America and then selects a random sample of 2000 landline and mobile phones (How are polls 3). Each phone number can then be called and a request made to speak with a student, parent or teacher in the household. If several of these people (for instance, there may be two students in the home) exist in the household, the one who celebrated his or her birthday most recently is chosen. Measurements and data collection will simply be via questioning. A questionnaire with questions whose answers can be analyzed and help verify the hypothesis should be formulated. Here, it is important to understand concepts related to constructs and indicators (McManus 33). Evaluationspringboard.org explains: A construct is a concept that can be measured. Turning evaluation questions into answers requires that you first parse the question into measurable units or constructs. On the other hand, an indicator is a measure of success. (Constructs and Indicators 1) The questions directed at student respondents that can be included in the survey include: Do you believe doing your home work has improved your grades? Do you like doing your home work? Questions that can be directed to teachers and parents include: Have you ever noticed any remarkable improvement in your students grades whenever you give them (or they are given in the case of parents) adequate home work to do? Do you believe that doing homework improves the overall grades of students? The answers to these and other questions that can be formulated effectively form the data to be analyzed. However, it should be noted that this method poses various challenges and has several weaknesses. One of them is the fact that not all respondents that have been randomly selected will be willing to answer the questions. The random sample chosen cannot precisely reflect the opinions of all Americans. This is a weakness that is usually explained by giving reasonable margins of errors. Further, it is possible for the respondents to supply incorrect information either knowingly or unknowingly. This might lead to inaccurate results and conclusions. Other challenges may include sourcing funds to conduct the surveys since human resources (e.g. trained interviewers) have to be employed and phone calls cost money. Other expenses may accrue and this calls for adequate funds before conducting the survey. There are several ethical considerations that should be considered when undertaking the research. First, it is important to for the respondents to give their consent before they are interviewed (McManus 42). Further, they should be guaranteed that the information they supply is confidential and will not be released to other parties neither will it be used for any other purposes except those specified under the primary objectives of the research. The respondents should also be guaranteed of their privacy (McManus 45). It is also important to ensure that the interviewers remain neutral and independent during the entire process. The researchers should also take into consideration the various laws that exist and ensure that they follow them while implementing the survey. If the researchers follow the plan discussed in this paper, then the results are likely to be valid within minimal margins of error. Works Cited Constructs and Indicators. Evaluationspringboard.org. 2006. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. http://www.evaluationspringboard.org/documents/Constructs%26IndicatorsFile.pdf. How are Polls Conducted? Gallup. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. http://www.gallup.com/poll/File/125927/How%20Are%20Polls%20Conducted%20FINAL.pdf. Kendall, Diana. Sociology in our times: The essentials. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Sociology: Sociological Research Methods. Sparknotes.com. 2009. Web. 8 Dec. 2010. http://sparkcharts.sparknotes.com/gensci/sociology/section12.php. McManus, Stephen. Research in Sociology. Sebastopol: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers, 2003. Print.

Does Sí, Se Puede Mean Yes, We Can

Sà ­, se puede  is a common rallying cry heard at pro-immigration events across the United States, and it is often used at other political events. Most of the news media have translated the phrase as meaning Yes, we can — even though theres no we verb form in the slogan. The phrase gained an uptick in popularity in both English and Spanish when Yes, we can, was adopted as the primary slogan used by the Obama presidential campaign leading up to President Obamas election in 2008 and reelection in 2012. History of the Phrase Sà ­,  se  puede  is the motto of the United Farm Workers, a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. The phrase was the rallying cry attributed in 1972 to Mexican-American  farm worker Cesar Chavez, an American labor leader and civil rights activist. He popularized the cry during a 24-day hunger strike protesting farm labor laws in Phoenix, Ariz. that restricted laborers rights. In 1962, Chavez  co-founded the National Farm Workers Association. The association later became known as the United Farm Workers. Is the Usual Translation of Sà ­, Se Puede Accurate? Is Yes, we can an accurate translation? Yes and no. Since theres no plural verb nor a first-person verb in that sentence, the typical way of saying we can would be  podemos, from the verb poder. So Yes, we can is not a literal translation of sà ­, se puede. In fact, we do not have a good literal translation of the phrase. Sà ­ clearly means yes, but se puede is problematic. It can comes close to its literal meaning but leaves out the vague sense of emphasis and intention  that se provides here. So just what does se puede mean? Out of context, it would be translated loosely as it can be done. But context matters, and as part of a group chant, the translation of yes, we can is entirely appropriate. Se puede is a phrase of empowerment (puede is a close cousin of el poder, a noun meaning power), and we can conveys that thought well even if not a literal equivalent. Other Places the Phrase Has Been Used Use of Sà ­, se puede has spread beyond its original context. Some other examples: Sà ­ Se Puede! (note the lack of an opening exclamation point) was the title of an album by the rock group Los Lobos. Proceeds from album sales were to the United Farm Workers.Sà ­ Se Puede has been used as a slogan for the Colorado-based Law School ... Yes We Can program, which encourages students from that state to consider a legal career. ¡Sà ­, se puede! is the Spanish title of a 2002 bilingual book about a fictional janitors strike.The slogan has been used as a chant at sport events featuring Spanish-speaking athletes.Belisario Betancur, president of Colombia from 1982 to 1986, used the slogan in his campaign.A political coalition in Spain used the slogan Unidos sà ­ se puede during the 2016 elections. Unidos means united.The airline Aeromexico faced legal challenges when it used the phrase con Aeromà ©xico sà ­ se puede in its advertising. (Con is a preposition usually meaning with.) Principles of Translation Some of the best advice for translating to and from English and Spanish is to translate for meaning rather than to translate words. Review the  principles of translation; usually, there is not much difference between the two approaches.

A Very Brief Biography of Alexander the Great - 677 Words

Alexander the great’s death was the cause of the fall of the Macedonian empire. Four of the reasons that prove this are, Alexander’s last words were â€Å"to the strongest†. He was an amazing leader. He knew about military since he was young. Alexander had a great father to look up to. Alexander the great was born in 356 B.C. His mother was Olympia’s, and his father was Philip, although Olympia said to Alexander that his real father was Zeus. â€Å"When Alexander was 13, the famous Greek philosopher Aristotle became his tutor† 2 Alexander didn’t get to see much of his father. â€Å"He saw little of his father, who as both king and general, was constantly away on some military campaign.†6 When Alexander was 12, he impressed his father. â€Å"At age 12 showed his equestrian skill to his father and all who were watching when he tamed Bucephalus, unruly stallion horse, unable to be ridden and devouring flesh of all who had tried.†5 No one noticed that the horse was afraid of its own shadow. â€Å"When the horse was led onto the exercise field, Alexander turned it around, so it faced the sun and its shadow fell behind. Then he jumped onto its huge back and galloped across the field. King Philip was so proud of his son he burst into tears.†(9) 1 Alexander the Great died at the age of 32 in 323 B.C. â€Å"shortly before beginning of the planning Arabian campaign, he contracted a high fever aft er attending a private party at his friends Medius at Larisa. As soon as he drank from the cup he ‘shrieked aloud asShow MoreRelatedFounding Brothers : The Revolutionary Generation Essay1261 Words   |  6 PagesEllis, American historian and novelist has written many awards winning novels. One of his most recognized, â€Å"American Sphinx†, winner many prestigious awards such as the National Book Award for Non-Fiction in 1997, and the Ambassador Book Award for Biography in 1998. His Pulitzer Prize winning novel, â€Å"Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation†, talks about the founding fathers’ interactions with each other in the decades that followed the Constitutional Convention of 1787. 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Organisational Behaviour - 1320 Words

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Swot Analysis in Pharmaceutical Industry Free Essays

string(42) " will fall into four distinct categories\." History of SWOT In the 1960’s and 70’s, Albert Humphrey is said to have developed this strategic planning tool using data from the top companies in America at the time. A SWOT Analysis looks at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that are relevant to an organization in a new venture. A SWOT Analysis is a tool which allows users to look at the direction a company or organization may wish to move towards in the future. We will write a custom essay sample on Swot Analysis in Pharmaceutical Industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now A SWOT Analysis is a useful tool, which in conjunction with others can help make informed decisions. Definition of SWOT Many people see SWOT as synonymous with strategic planning. In fact, a SWOT analysis is only one of many tools that can be used in an organization’s strategic planning process. SWOT is short for â€Å"Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats†. By specifying clear objectives and identifying internal and external factors that are either helpful or not, a short and simple SWOT analysis is a useful resource which may be incorporated into an organizations strategic planning model. Strengths Internal attributes those are helpful to the organization to achieving its objective Weaknesses Internal attributes that are harmful to the organization to achieving its objective Opportunities External factors that help the organization achieve its objective Threats External factors those are harmful to the organization to achieving its objective. After identifying the SWOT’s, identification of the factors and their interdependence helps clarify the steps needed to achieve the ending objectives. Internal and External Factors The aim of any SWOT analysis is to identify the key internal and external factors that are important to achieving the objective. SWOT analysis groups ey pieces of information into two main categories: * Internal factors – The strengths and weaknesses internal to the organization * External factors – The opportunities and threats pre-sented by the exter-nal environment. HelpfulTo achieve objectives| HarmfulTo achieve objectives| Internal origin| strengths| Weaknesses| External origin| opportunities| threats| The internal factors may be viewed as strengths or weaknesses depending upon their impact on the organization’s objectives. What may represent strengths with respect to one objective may be weak-nesses for another objective. The factors may include all of the 4P’s; as well as personnel, finance, manufac-turing capabilities, and so on. The external factors may include macroeconomic matters, technological change, legislation, and socio-cultural changes, as well as changes in the mar-ketplace or competitive position. The results are often presented in the form of a matrix. Purpose of swot analysis A SWOT analysis is designed to help an organization understand how it relates to its external environment. In other words, to act as a way of seeing if the organization is aligned with the world going on around it. Workshop sessions * Brainstorming * meetings * Problem solving * Product evaluation * Strategic planning * Competitor evaluation * Personal development planning By focusing on the key factors affecting your business, now and in the future, a SWOT analysis provides a clear basis for examining your business performance and prospects. This briefing outlines: Typical strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and how to identify them. How to use SWOT analysis to drive your business forward. 1. Self-analysis Use SWOT analysis as part of a regular process of reviewing your business performance. You may also want to carry out a SWOT analysis in preparation for raising finance or before bringing in consultants to review your business. 1. 1 Decide who to involve. Key participants are likely to include the managing director and heads of department. Involving others will give a fuller picture and help to gain their commitment to the process. Find out what customers think using a customer satisfaction survey. Consider bringing in sympathetic outsiders who know your business and market (eg customers and suppliers). Many businesses find a consultant most useful for their first SWOT analysis. 1.2 Brainstorm the issues. Ask everyone to identify any strengths or weaknesses they feel the business has, and any opportunities or threats they think the business faces. Encourage participants to make suggestions without trying to judge how important the issue is. Concentrate especially on identifying weaknesses and threats. Be aware that lack of honesty is a common problem. For example, most people find it easier to identify strengths and opportunities, particularly if the performance of key people (including yourself) is one of the weaknesses. You may want to use checklists to prompt further suggestions Organize related ideas into groups. Recording suggestions on Post-it notes or cards that can be moved around and rearranged makes this easy. 1. 3 Evaluate the significance of the issues that have been identified. To help you, use relevant data from your own and similar businesses. Update your conclusions from any previous SWOT analysis. For example, a strength may no longer exist (e. g. if last year’s cutting edge product is now obsolete). Assess whether your strengths (or weaknesses) give your business a significant competitive advantage (or disadvantage). For example, your strong research and development programme is useless unless you have the resources to exploit the results. Do not be surprised if certain factors crop up as both a strength and a weakness. 1. 4 Create a simple, clear action plan. There is no point holding a SWOT analysis if it does not result in action. Set out what will be done to address weaknesses, capitalise on opportunities and deal with threats . This includes the steps to be taken, the personnel who will be involved, the timeframes and the budget. Involve key personnel in drawing up the action plan to get their commitment. 1. 5 Keep the SWOT analysis and action plan to hand for review before important decisions. For example, as a reminder of what you should be looking for when recruiting a new employee. 2. Strengths Your strengths are usually easy to identify, through your continuing dialogue with customers and suppliers. Your records (e. g. sales) will also help to indicate areas where you are particularly strong (e. g. rising sales for a Particular product). For most businesses, strengths will fall into four distinct categories. You read "Swot Analysis in Pharmaceutical Industry" in category "Essay examples" 2. 1 Sound finances may give you advantages over your competitors. Important factors might include: Positive cash flow. Growing turnover and profitability. Skilled financial management, good credit control and few bad debts. A strong balance sheet. Access to extensive credit, a strong credit rating, and a good relationship with the bank and other sources of finance. 2. 2 Marketing may be the key to your success. For example, your business may enjoy: †¢ Market leadership in a profitable niche. †¢ A good reputation and a strong brand name. †¢ An established customer base. †¢ A strong product range. Effective research and development, use of design and innovation. †¢ A skilled sales force. †¢ Thorough after-sales service. †¢ Protected intellectual property (eg registered designs, patented products). 2. 3 Management and personnel skills an systems may provide equally important underpinnings for success. These may include factors such as: * Management strength in depth. The ability to make quick decisions. Skilled employees, successful recruitment, and effective training and development. Good motivation and morale. Efficient administration. 2. 4 Strengths in production may include the right premises and plant, and good sources of materials or sub assemblies You may benefit from: Modern, low-cost production facilities. Spare production capacity. A good location. Effective purchasing and good relationships with suppliers. Be aware that strengths are not always what they seem. Strengths may imply weaknesses (for example, market leaders are often complacent and bureaucratic) and often imply threats (for example, your star salesman may be a strength — until he resigns). 3. Weaknesses Your weaknesses are often known but ignored. A SWOT analysis should be the starting point for tackling underperformance in your business. 3. 1 Poor financial management may result in situations where: Insufficient funds are available for investment in new plant or product development. All available security, including personal assets and guarantees, is already pledged for existing borrowings. Poor credit control leads to unpredictable cash flow. 3. 2 Lack of marketing focus may lead to: Unresponsive attitudes to customer requirements. A limited or outdated product range. Complacency and a failure to innovate. Over-reliance on a few customers. 3. 3 Management and personnel weaknesses are often hard to recognize, except with hindsight. Familiar examples are: Failure to delegate and train successors. Expertise and control locked up in a few key personnel. Inability to take outside advice. High staff turnover. 3. 4 Inefficient production, premises and plant can undermine any business, however hard people work. Typical problems include: Poor location and shabby premises. Outdated equipment, high cost production and low productivity. Long leases tying the business to unsuitable premises or equipment. Inefficient processes. 4. Opportunities External changes provide opportunities that well managed businesses can turn to their advantage. 4. 1 Changes involving organizations and individuals which directly affect your business may open up completely new possibilities. For example: Deterioration in a competitor’s performance or the insolvency of a competitor. Improved access to potential new customers and markets (e. g. overseas). Increased sales to existing customers, or new leads gained through them. The development of new distribution channels (e. g. the Internet). Improved supply arrangements, such as just-in-time supply or outsourcing non-core activities. The opportunity to recruit a key employee from a competitor. The introduction of financial backers who are keen to fund expansion. 4. 2 The broader business environment may shift in your favor. This may be caused by: Political, legislative or regulatory change. For example, a change in legislation that requires customers to purchase a product. Economic trends. For example, falling interest rates reducing the cost of capital. Social developments. For example, demographic changes or changing consumer requirements leading to an increase in demand for your products. New technology. For example, new materials, processes and information technology. 5 Threats Threats can be minor or can have the potential to destroy the business. ? Compare both strengths and weaknesses by benchmarking key areas with those in other businesses. 5. 1 Changes involving organizations and individuals that directly affect your business can have far-reaching effects. For example: Improved competitive products or the emergence of new competitors. Loss of a significant customer. Creeping over-reliance on one distributor or group of distributors. Failure of suppliers to meet quality requirements. Price rises from suppliers. Key personnel leaving, perhaps with trade secrets. Lenders reducing credit lines or increasing charges. A rent review threatening to increase costs, or the expiry of a lease. Legal action (e. g. being sued by a customer). 5. 2 The broader business environment may alter to your disadvantage. This may be the result of: Political, legislative or regulatory change. For example, new regulation increasing your costs or requiring product redesign. Economic trends. For example, lower exchange rates reducing your income from overseas. Social developments. For example, consumer demands for ‘environmentally-friendly’ products. New technology. For example, technology that makes your products obsolete or gives competitors an advantage. 6. Action The results of SWOT analysis — and the action needed — will be different for every business. 6. 1 Capitalize on opportunities that play to your strengths. Opportunities that match your strengths may prompt you to pursue a strategy of aggressive expansion. The SWOT analysis may also suggest other strategic options. For example: Diversifying away from areas of significant threat to more promising opportunities. Focusing on turning around weaknesses in areas of significant opportunity (see 6. 2). Taking defensive measures in areas of threat where you are weak (see 6. 3). 6. 2 Address your weaknesses. Decide which weaknesses need to be addressed as a priority. Other weaknesses must be acknowledged and respected until time and resources allow a solution. Some weaknesses can be turned into strengths or opportunities. For example, it might be possible to turn a shortage of production capacity into scarcity value for your product. Some weaknesses have a clear solution. For example, financial weakness might be solved by raising further funds and management shortcomings by recruiting new personnel. Some weaknesses will take time and money to address. For example, you may need to start a programme of improvements through training, or quality management. 6. 3 Protect yourself against threats. For example: Build relationships with suppliers and customers. Foster good employee relations. Ensure you have clear and reasonable contracts with suppliers, customers and employees. Take out insurance cover against obvious potential disasters. Draw up realistic contingency plans to cope with potential crises. Introduce the right types of service contracts for key personnel. Invest in legal protection for your intellectual property. Take advantage of low fixed interest rates to move your overdraft to long-term loans. Successful businesses focus on capturing market niches and creating ‘barriers to entry’ to reduce potential competition. Indian Pharmacy Industry: SWOT analysis It is often said that the pharmacy sector has no cyclical factor attached to it. Irrespective of whether the economy is in a downturn or in an upturn, the general belief is that demand for drugs is likely to grow steadily over the long-term. True in some sense. But are there risks? This article gives a perspective of the Indian pharmacy industry by carrying out a SWOT analysis (Strength,  Weakness,  Opportunity,  and Threat). Before we start the analysis let’s look a little back in the industry’s last six years performance. The Industry is a largely fragmented and highly competitive with a large number of players having interest in it. The following chart shows the breakup of the growth (YoY) Indian pharmaceutical industry  in last six years. *Volume growth of existing products The SWOT analysis of the industry reveals the position of the Indian pharmacy industry in respect to its internal and external environment. Strengths: 1. Indian with a population of over a billion is a largely untapped market. In fact the penetration of modern medicine is less than 30% in India. To put things in perspective, per capita expenditure on health care in India is US$ 93 while the same for countries like Brazil is US$ 453 and Malaysia US$189. 2. The growth of middle class in the country has resulted in fast changing lifestyles in urban and to some extent rural centers. This opens a huge market for lifestyle drugs, which has a very low contribution in the Indian markets. 3. Indian manufacturers are one of the lowest cost producers of drugs in the world. With a scalable labor force, Indian manufactures can produce drugs at 40% to 50% of the cost to the rest of the world. In some cases, this cost is as low as 90%. 4. Indian pharmaceutical industry posess excellent chemistry and process reengineering skills. This adds to the competitive advantage of the Indian companies. The strength in chemistry skill helps Indian companies to develop processes, which are cost effective. 5. Cost competitiveness due to lower labour cost and production cost 6. Well-developed industry with strong manufacturing base 7. Well established network of Laboratories and R ; D infrastructure for new drug discovery and development 8. Access to pool of highly trained   and skilled scientists, both in India and abroad 9. Strong marketing and distribution network in domestic as well as international market 10. India is second largest country in terms of population in world with rich biodiversity 11. Expertise in reverse engineering and development of new Chemical process made Indian pharmaceutical industry as one of the strongest generic industry Weakness: 1. The Indian pharmacy companies are marred by the price regulation. Over a period of time, this regulation has reduced the pricing ability of companies. The NPPA (National Parma Pricing Authority), which is the authority to decide the various pricing parameters, sets prices of different drugs, which leads to lower profitability for the companies. The companies, which are lowest cost producers, are at advantage while those who cannot produce have either to stop production or bear losses. 2. Indian pharmacy sector has been marred by lack of product patent, which prevents global pharmacy companies to introduce new drugs in the country and discourages innovation and drug discovery. But this has provided an upper hand to the Indian pharmacy companies. 3. Indian pharmacy market is one of the least penetrated in the world. However, growth has been slow to come by. As a result, Indian majors are relying on exports for growth. To put things in to perspective, India accounts for almost 16% of the world population while the total size of industry is just 1% of the global pharmacy industry. 4. Due to very low barriers to entry, Indian pharmacy industry is highly fragmented with about 300 large manufacturing units and about 18,000 small units spread across the country. This makes Indian pharmacy market increasingly competitive. The industry witnesses price competition, which reduces the growth of the industry in value term. To put things in perspective, in the year 2003, the industry actually grew by 10. % but due to price competition, the growth in value terms was 8. 2% (prices actually declined by 2. 2%) 5. Low investment in innovative Research ; Development 6. Lack of resources to compete with MNCs for New Drug Discovery Research and to commercialise molecules on a worldwide basis 7. Lack of strong linkages between industries and academia 8. Lack of culture of innovation in the industry 9. Low   per capita medical expenditure and healthcare spend in country 10. Inadequate regulatory standards 11. Production of spurious and low quality drugs tarnishes the image of industry at home and abroad Opportunities 1. The migration into a product patent based regime is likely to transform industry fortunes in the long term. The new patent product regime will bring with it new innovative drugs. This will increase the profitability of MNC pharmacy companies and will force domestic pharmacy companies to focus more on R;D. This migration could result in consolidation as well. Very small players may not be able to cope up with the challenging environment and may succumb to giants. 2. Large number of drugs going off-patent in Europe and in the US between 2005 to 2009 offers a big opportunity for the Indian companies to capture this market. Since generic drugs are commodities by nature, Indian producers have the competitive advantage, as they are the lowest cost producers of drugs in the world. 3. Opening up of health insurance sector and the expected growth in per capita income are key growth drivers from a long-term perspective. This leads to the expansion of healthcare industry of which pharmacy industry is an integral part. 4. Being the lowest cost producer combined with FDA approved plants; Indian companies can become a global outsourcing hub for pharmaceutical products. 5. Significant export potential to the developing as well as developed countries 6. Licensing deals and collaborations with MNCs for New Chemical Entities and New Drug Delivery Systems 7. Providing marketing operations to sell MNC products in domestic market 8. India can be niche player in global pharmaceutical R ; D by developing world class infrastructure 9. Contract manufacturing arrangements with MNCs 10. Potential for developing India as a centre for International Clinical Trials 11. Increasing aging world population 12. Increasing incomes and buying power of people especially in rural areas has opened the great opportunity for Indian pharma companies. Around 70% of the total population of India is residing in rural areas. 13. Growing awareness for health and increasing spending on health Threats: 1. There are certain concerns over the patent regime regarding its current structure. It might be possible that the new government may change certain provisions of the patent act formulated by the preceding government. 2. Threats from other low cost countries like China and Israel exist. However, on the quality front, India is better placed relative to China. So, differentiation in the contract manufacturing side may wane. 3. The short-term threat for the pharmacy industry is the uncertainty regarding the implementation of VAT. Though this is likely to have a negative impact in the short-term, the implications over the long-term are positive for the industry. 4. Significant export potential to the developing as well as developed countries 5. Licensing deals and collaborations with MNCs for New Chemical Entities and New Drug Delivery Systems 6. Providing marketing operations to sell MNC products in domestic market 7. India can be niche player in global pharmaceutical R ; D by developing world class infrastructure 8. Contract manufacturing arrangements with MNCs 9. Potential for developing India as a centre for International Clinical Trials 10. Increasing aging world population 11. Increasing incomes and buying power of people especially in rural areas has opened the great opportunity for Indian pharma companies. Around 70% of the total population of India is residing in rural areas. 12. Growing awareness for health and increasing spending on health SWOT analysis of some pharmaceutical industries in india ————————————————- 1. SUN PHARMA INDUSTRIES Sun Pharmacy Industries| Parent Company| Sun Pharma Industries| Category| Pharmaceutical| Sector| Healthcare| Tagline/ Slogan| Leadership through focused research| USP| Sun pharmacy fifth largest ; most profitable company in India| STP| Segment| Cardiology, psychiatry, neurology, gastroenterology, dibetology| Target Group| Healthcare professionals, pharmacists| Positioning| They are international specialty pharma company with strong presence in Indian ; US generics market| SWOT Analysis| Strength| 1. Strong growth in emerging market business2. Introduction of Pantoprazole ; Eloxatin in US market has very limited competition3. They have strong marketing ; sales force of over 12,000 employees4. They have successfully acquired Taro pharma which has further consolidated their position in Indian markets 5. Strong brand presence in India and US markets| Weakness| 1. Stiff competition from many Indian and other global brands means limited market share growth2. Limited presence in emerging markets and European countries| Opportunity| 1. They can leverage their acquisitions to further increase the growth2. They can increase their presence in contract manufacturing3. Increasing healthcare awareness in India| Threats| 1. There is growing competition in generics market2. Stringent patent regulations3. High price sensitivity of consumers| Competition| Competitors| 1. Cipla 2. Lupin pharmaceuticals3. Ranbaxy4. Dr. Reddy’s laboratories| 2. DR. REDDY’S Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd| Parent Company| Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd| Category| Pharmaceuticals| Sector| Health care| Tagline/ Slogan| Life. Research. Hope| USP| Strong vertically integrated portfolio of products, businesses geographies| STP| Segment| Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), Custom Pharmaceutical Services (CPS), generics, biosimiler, differentiated formulations and News Chemical Entities (NCEs)| Target Group| Healthcare professionals, retail outlets| Positioning| Committed to providing affordable and innovative medicines for healthier lives| SWOT Analysis| Strength| 1. Company launched Peg-grafeelTM, an inexpensive variety of pegfilgrastim, used to fight infection in chemotherapy where company has sold some 1. 5 million units of it. 2. Dowpharma/Chirotech acquisition provided proprietary chiral and biocatalysts technology 3. The acquisition of Beta pharma helped to introduce an array of generic products and show its presence in the European markets. 4. Has a strong workforce of over 15,000 employees| Weakness| 1. Discovery of drugs is a highly unpredictable business 2. Strict govt regulations and policies affects operational efficiency| Opportunity| 1. Leverage Biologics Cytotoxic Infrastructure to deal with the need of Oncology Market 2. New partnerships to develop Biosimiler business 3. Develop cost effective ways of new drug development to improve business in emerging markets| Threats| 1. Preliminary investment for Drug discovery is very high2. long gestational period for new drug development3. increasingly stringent regulations for new drug development| Competition| Competitors| 1. Sun pharma 2. Lupin 3. Cipla4. Ranbaxy labs| 3. AUROBINDO PHARMA Aurobindo pharma Ltd| Parent Company| Aurobindo Pharma| Category| Pharmaceutical| Sector| Health care| Tagline/ Slogan| Committed to healthier life! | USP| Among the largest ‘Vertically Integrated’ pharmaceutical companies in India, with a robust product portfolio| STP| Segment| CVS, Antibiotics, Gastroenterologicals, Anti-Diabetics , Anti-Allergic Anti-Retroviral and CNS| Target Group| Patients and doctors who seek good health| Positioning| They are global pharmaceutical company with great commitment to healthier life| SWOT Analysis| Strength| 1. A new drug Nevirapine discovered against the HIV infective disease has been approved by the US FDA, which will increase the market size and profits of the company. 2. Approval of generic version of Clopidogrel from FDA will boost revenue of company3. A greater growth in terms of sales in the US and Europe due to various US approvals4. Strong marketing network 5. Aurobindo exports to over 125 countries across the globe| Weakness| 1. Retirement of the three top most directors will have an impact on the functioning till new capable people join. 2. The company is not into mergers or acquisitions which will help it increase the product list3. Very low in the corporate social front4. Largely dependant on Indian market for revenue generation| Opportunity| 1. Increasing health awareness2. improving the RD section to expand the product pipeline3. Globalize and further break through into joint ventures and subsidiaries into China, Brazil and other Latin American markets. Threats| 1. The European crisis, which will have a great impact on the sales since major orders are from the Europe and US2. Depreciating value of currency will affect the export3. Peers post a major competition. | Competition| Competitors| 1. Cipla 2. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories3. Sun Pharma Industries4. Ranbaxy| | | | ————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ————————————————- 4. CIPLA Cipla| Parent Company| Cipla| Category| Pharmaceuticals| Sector| Healthcare Industry| Tagline/ Slogan| Caring for life| USP| Commitment to make medicines affordable and accessible particularly to cancer patients| STP| Segment| AIDS, respiratory disease, cancer cardiovascular disease, arthritis| Target Group| Customers of various flavors and fragrances, OTC products, prescription products, pesticides, agrochemicals, doctors| Positioning| They use latest technology to concentrate all their knowledge of over seven decades in developing life saving drugs| SWOT Analysis| Strength| 1. Cipla has developed good positive image by providing support to cancer patients by issuing drugs at low cost 2. Imminent commencement of the Fixed-Dose combination for treatment of uncomplicated  P. falciparum  malaria to tackle the 200+ million cases of malaria globally3. Initiation of ‘No Touch Breast Scan’ a step forward in the screening technology in India. 4. A foremost player in anti-infective and anti-asthmatic formulations. 5. Has a strong employee force of over 16,000| Weakness| 1. Strong competition from international and domestic giants means limited market share2. Cipla had faced problems during negative campaign by AHF| Opportunity| 1. It can venture into Alzheimer’s disease medication 2. They can use Viramune generic to achieve higher growth. 3. Increased investment in the budding markets, to push expansion in the global economy| Threats| 1. Constant price rises in the Indian country is taking its toll and compounding the problem 2. The Indian Rupee depreciated as compared to the US Dollar3. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates have a noteworthy impact on the Company’s operations and financial results. | Competition| Competitors| 1. Sun Pharmaceuticals 2. Dr. Reddy’s laboratories3. Lupine4. Ranbaxy labs| ————————————————- ———————————————— 5. RANBAXY | Ranbaxy| Parent Company| Ranbaxy| Category| Pharmaceuticals| Sector| Health care| Tagline/ Slogan| New boundaries, new Horizons; Trusted medicines healthier lives| USP| It is Indiaâ €™s largest pharmaceutical company| STP| Segment| Anti-Infective, Cardiovascular Diabetes, Dermatological, Neuro-Psychiatry, Pain management, Gastro-Intestinal, Nutritional| Target Group| Healthcare professionals, wholesalers, generic distributors, and hospitals| Positioning| A diversifies global healthcare company focused on patient’s needs| SWOT Analysis| Strength| 1. Top 10 Global Generic Company with a spread over 125 countries2. over 13,000 well trained Employees, over 50 nationalities3. Strong presence in the International market with a major share and a strong presence in India as well4. It has operations in nearly 50 countries and has 7 manufacturing plants| Weakness| 1. It is heavily dependent upon generics for its revenue generation2. Constantly regulated policies by the govt means operational efficiency is affected| Opportunity| 1. increasing health awareness2. Improvement in distribution network ; brand building3. They can leverage   Synriam, anti-malarial drug in brand building| Threats| 1. Increasingly stringent FDA Regulations2. Exchange rate fluctuations3. Global economic slowdown| Competition| Competitors| 1. Sun Pharma 2. Dr Reddys Labs3. Lupin pharmaceuticals4. Glaxosmithkline| ————————————————- 6. LUPIN | | | Lupin| Parent Company| Lupin| Category| Pharmaceutical| Sector| Healthcare| Tagline/ Slogan| Being lupin, enriching lives everyday| USP| Lupin is the world’s largest manufacturer of anti- tuberculosis drugs| STP| Segment| Anti TB segment, Cardiovascular, Oral and injectable, pediatric products API’s, Anti-Infective segment| Target Group| Healthcare professionals, doctors treating patients suffering from TB, respiratory   ;   cardiovascular diseases| Positioning| It is innovation led pharmaceutical company, which specializes in generic, API ; branded formulations for developed ; developing world. | SWOT Analysis| Strength| 1. World wide leader in Cephalosporin and Anti TB drugs   2. Considerable presence in market for drugs against Asthma, Pediatrics, Diabetes, and CNS boosts the sales 3. In the US and Japanese market it is the largest generic player 4. Acquisition of I’rom pharma helped to increase its product list and in turn sales5. Wide global footprint as it is present in over 70 countries| Weakness| 1. High dependence on global formulation business with 84% revenue coming from US market 3. Forecasting done on technological level is less4. It operates in low growth segments such CNS, respiratory diseases| Opportunity| 1. Increased health awareness2. Emerging technological trends in drug delivery3. Increasing prevalence of TB in developing countries| Threats| 1. Unsuccessful   assimilation of questions2. Rigid opposition both from locals and global company3. Soaring cost of discovering novel products| Competition| Competitors| 1. Sun pharmaceuticals2. Ranbaxy pharmaceuticals3. Dr. Reddy’s lab4. Cipla| Conclusion: A realistic recognition of the weaknesses and threats that exist for your effort is the first step to countering them with a robust and creative set of strengths and opportunities. A SWOT analysis identifies your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to assist you in making strategic plans and decisions. †¢SWOT is a simple yet comprehensive way of assessing the positive and negative forces within and without your organization, so you can be better prepared to act effectively. The more stakeholders you involve in preparing the SWOT, the more valuable your analysis will be. †¢Whatever courses of action you decide on, the four-cornered SWOT analysis prompts you to move in a balanced way throughout your program. It reminds you to: †¢Build on your strengths †¢Minimize your weakn †¢Seize opportunities †¢Counteract threats †¢A SWOT analysis will be most helpful if you use it to support the vision, mission, and objectives you have already defined. The SWOT will at least provide perspective, and at best will reveal connections and areas for action. References 1. Chapman, A. (2007). SWOT analysis. Retrieved October 10, 2007, from http://www. businessballs. com/swotanalysisfreetemplate. htm 2. JRC European Commission. (2007). SWOT (strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats) analysis. Re- trieved October 19, 2007, from http://forlearn. jrc. es/guide/2_design/meth_swot-analysis. htm 3. SWOT analysis. (2007). British Airways, PLC SWOT Analysis, , 5. 4. Tuckwell, K. J. (2007). Strategic planning principles. Integrated marketing communications: Strategic plan- 5. ning perspectives (2nd ed. , pp. 47-51). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada. Wikipedia. (2007). SWOT analysis. Retrieved October 20, 2007, from 6. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/SWOT_Analysis 7. www. bhpinfosolutions. co. uk 8. www. mbaskool. com/brandguide How to cite Swot Analysis in Pharmaceutical Industry, Essay examples

Impact of Characteristics and Environment †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Impact of Characteristics and Environment. Answer: Introduction Activity-based costing (ABC) technique is advocated as a strategy of handling the logical distortions of conventional costing and for enhancing relevance in management accounting. Conventional systems report how money was spent and who spent the money, however as per the study conducted by (Ray, S., 2012) It fails to detail activity costs and costs of production. Several institutions in the manufacturing set up have implemented activity based costing technique and a number of them have indicated that the technique has two major purposes of ABC. It prevents cost distortion which transpires through the combination of all indirect expenses by the conventional costing techniques into one cost category. The study done by (Al-Saidi, S.H. and Gowda, H.N., 2015. ) indicated that Activity Based Costing prevents cost distortion by using a number of cost activities and cost drivers and its other rationale is to reduce wastage or activities that do not add value to the entity by implementing the use of a process examination. The study by (James, P.C., 2013) shows that ABC is aggravated in the belief that use of conventional accounting information is not useful to management who are concerned with the evaluation of the usefulness of capital allocation decisions in their businesses. Onat, O.K., Anitsal, I. and Anitsal, M.M., 2014 concluded that the conventional information is however used towards satisfying company accountants and stakeholders outside the company who are concerned in giving or relying on evidence of monetary accountability. Therefore, Managers should set up a useful technique that will enhance organizational transformation and success if the entity is to obtain benefits from the enhanced insights coming from an ABC implementation. The study by (Hughes Andrew, 2005) indicated in his research that ABC assists firms to concentrate on their activities and products; the technique traces cost-to-cost drivers. ABC information, by itself, does not invoke actions and decisions leading to improved p rofits and operating performance. Management must institute a conscious process of organizational change and implementation if the organization is to receive benefits from the improved insights resulting from an ABC analysis ABC technique is extensively advocated as a crucial instrument for enhancing the company, behavioral and accounting activities in an entity. A number of companies have realized that the pursuit of excellent performance can highly be realized by employing ABC techniques. Activity Based costing centers on costs connected with events, however it assesses whether those undertakingsenhance value, consequently providing a basis of understanding how costs are most efficiently reduced. On the other hand, applying ABC technique offersexecutives better means of managingcontinuing performance. The main objective of ABC techniques is improved product cost estimation, management of expenditures, optimum decision making and competitive advantage. On the other hand, several uncertainties have been conveyedconcerning the efficiency of ABC. A number of entities havenot managed to accomplish their Activity Based Costingplans and in some they have not achieve expected benefits in their ABC systems in p lace. The study by (Odendaal, M.M., Vermaak, F.N. and Du Toit, E., 2015) showed that Activity Based Costing is seen as an enabler to enhance the expansion of cost-effective designs of products and productionmethods. For instance accountants giving significant inputs into the design of the product and development resolutions, Activity Based Costing try to reflect the production process, inthat production worker and assembly managers certainly can evaluate design variations may change costs. Moreover, by spreading the idea of ABC through the assessment chain, accountants might give data regarding the relative expenditure of continued manufacturing problems and production design variations such that production managers can weighoptionswhile poor quality design arises, as per the study conducted by (Kaplan and Norton, 2001). Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2010 This Modern award comprisesof intermediate provisions that phase in every excess or decline in wage connected matters comprisingof lowest wages, fines, loadings and variousgrantsstarting with conditions relating to thepertinent pre-contemporary award, the below Wage Condition Guides should be read in relation with the this award. The wage and condition guidecomprisedataas regards the Contemporary Award including: individuals that the award covers;pay rates, comprising rates for casual workers, junior staffs, trainees andinterns. It also covers penalty tariffs for working at specific times or in relation to specific schedules; allowances; and, additional circumstances of service. expected sales units price total casual table 50,000 $600 $30,000,000 Deluxe Table 10,000 $800 $8,000,000 Production budget (in units) For the year ending 30 June 2017 Casual Deluxe Budgeted unit sales 50,000 10,000 Target ending finished goods inventory 11,000 500 Total required units 61,000 11,500 Deduct: beginning finished goods inventory 1,000 500 Units of finished goods to be produced 60,000 11,000 Direct materials usage budget (in units) For the year ending 30 June 2017 Direct materials usage budget (in units) For the year ending 30 June 2017 XX YY Direct materials required for Casual tables 600,000 300,000 Direct materials required for Deluxe tables 120,000 80,000 Total quantity of direct materials to be used 720,000 380,000 Direct materials usage budget (in dollars) For the year ending 30 June 2017 XX YY Beginning direct materials inventory XX 490,000 600,000 Purchased direct materials during the period 4,550,000 3,200,000 Direct materials to be used 5,040,000 3,800,000 Direct material purchases budget For the year ending 30 June 2017 Physical Units Budget XX YY To be used in production 720,000 380,000 Add: Target ending inventory 80,000 20,000 Total Requirements 800,000 400,000 Less: Beginning inventory -70,000 -60,000 Purchases to be made (in quantity) 730,000 340,000 Purchases in dollars 5,110,000 3,400,000 Direct labour cost budget For the year ending 30 June 2017 Output units produced Direct labour hours per unit Total hours Hourly wage rate Total Casual 60,000 4 240,000 20 4,800,000 Deluxe 11,000 6 66,000 20 1,320,000 total 71,000 10 306,000 40 6,120,000 activity-based budgeting Casual tables Deluxe tables Quantity of tables to be produced 60,000 11,000 Number of tables to be produced per batch 50 40 Number of batches 1,200 275 Setup time per batch 10 12 Total setup hours 12,000 3,300 Setup-hours per table 5 3.3 Unit Costs of Ending Finished Goods Inventory Cost per unit Casual input Total Deluxe input Total XX $7 11,000 $77,000 $5,110,000 $5,187,000 YY $10 11,000 $110,000 $5,110,000 $5,220,000 Direct labour $20 440,000 $3,740,000 $4,400,000 $8,140,000 Manufacturing overhead 14,620,000 18,547,000 Machine setup overhead $9,000,000 Total $46,094,000 Ending Finished Goods Inventories budget Quantity Cost per unit TOTAL Casual 11,000 600 6,600,000 Deluxe 500 800 400,000 Total 11,500 1400 7,000,000 Sensitivity analysis The change in the cost of raw materials indicates a loss in the operating income with a big margin. To solve this, management should increase the selling prices for both Casual and Deluxe type by 140% in order to break even? To get slight profit above breakeven point, the marginal costs should be decreased by 20% because profits are highly sensitive to changes in expenditure and changes in prices. At the same time the sales volume can be increased in order to increase the profit margin. Therefore, changes in either the increase in sales volume or prices will significantly change the profits. sales $431,200,000 variable cost $421,668,916 contribution margin 9511084 less fixed cost -2550000 operating profit 7,261,084 In this case, operating profit will increase from -386238916 to 7,261,084. Therefore, an increase in price will be appropriate for the company. References Kaplan, R. S. and D. P. Norton. 2001. "Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Measurement to Strategic Management: Part II." Accounting Horizons 15 (2): 147-160 Odendaal, M.M., Vermaak, F.N. and Du Toit, E., 2015. Cost estimation and management over the life cycle of metallurgical research projects.Southern African Business Review,19(Special Edition 2), pp.137-156 AlMaryani, M.A.H. and Sadik, H.H., 2012. Strategic management accounting techniques in Romanian Companies: some survey evidence.Procedia Economics and Finance,3, pp.387-396 Onat, O.K., Anitsal, I. and Anitsal, M.M., 2014. Activity based costing in services industry: A conceptual framework for entrepreneurs.The Entrepreneurial Executive,19, p.149. James, P.C., 2013. An analysis of the factors influencing the adoption of activity based costing (ABC) in the financial sector in Jamaica.International Journal of Business and Social Research,3(7), pp.8-18 Al-Saidi, S.H. and Gowda, H.N., 2015. Impact of Characteristics and Environment of the Company on the Adoption of ABC System in the Large Manufacturing Companies in Karnataka Ray, S., 2012. Relevance and Applicability of Activity Based Costing: An Appraisal.Journal of Expert Systems,1(3), pp.71-78

Nucleon Case free essay sample

Nucleon, Inc. is one of over 200 firms founded since the 1970s which are focused on developing biotechnological pharmaceuticals products. Biotechnology came about with the development in advances of molecular biology and immunology, hence the new field of RD is called â€Å"biotechnology†. Nucleons first product is CRP-1 (cell regulation ein-1) and after several years of experimentation the time was ready for human clinical trials, which was not going to be an easy hurdle to get over. Due to the fact that Nucleon did not have any manufacturing facilities which met the FDA requirements they had to figure out how to jump over the hurdles presented. One potion was to contract clinical manufacturing to an outside firm. Another option was to build a new pilot plant for clinical trials. Nucleons third option is to license the manufacturing to another biotechnology company. Risk was found in their options but they also came with rewards. We will write a custom essay sample on Nucleon Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page If Nucleon could establish a strong paten on a important molecule this could ensure capital for growth and development which could keep Nucleon alive for years. Recommendations: Although we see the benefit to investing in having their own production capability in house, we feel that in the short-term, Nucleon should not overextend itself on its very first drug venture before it is sure that it will be on the fast track to FDA approval. Furthermore, Nucleon would have to deal with the difficulty and costs of procuring the right talent to fill all the holes that will open up in its organizational structure with regards to maintenance, procurement, quality assurance, technical support, logistics, and other functions in order to operate the manufacturing plant. Nucleon’s management team feels strongly that their strongest core competencies are in the research and development of new therapies using cell-regulating factors. They are the leader in this arena of research and have relationships with top research programs and academia. What the company has working in its advantage is that very few other firms are focusing on developing drugs through this type of research and they have a very optimistic outlook to future ventures. Rather than trying to â€Å"hit a home-run† with this first drug, our group feels that it would be more prudent to go for the single in order to ensure that you can continue plugging away with more chances at bat. The company is not a strong financial situation given that it has already accepted over $6M of venture capital funding which has already been spent (and some) in preparing for the FDA filing. Pursuing the option of building its own production facility would add strain to their balance sheet and force Nucleon to further dilute ownership of the company by raising more financing, possibly through equity swaps. The $7M payout once FDA approval comes would be useful in getting Nucleon’s financial support of their backs so that they can go back to focusing on what they do best, developing new therapeutic drugs. Furthermore, with less focus on every dime in the bottom-line results they could funnel more research dollars into the top institutions with the hope of luring top research academia to their team for future ventures. â€Å"That’s why it’s so important for us to be at the leading edge of scientific research. This means not only attracting the best in-house scientists, but also maintaining close contact with universities. † With this being said, our group does not necessarily mean to convey that Nucleon should never pursue in-house production capability. We just feel that Nucleon should wait until they are in a stronger financial position and when the capital markets become friendlier to biotechnology financing. In a longer, 10-year manufacturing strategy outlook, we feel that Nucleon should transition from their current status as a boutique RD firm to a fully integrated manufacturing enterprise. Once the company is able to kick the tires on many more ventures it will be in a more strategic financial position to capitalize on more streams of revenue within the biotechnology sector. It should then pursue in-house production capability in order to move along their development much more quickly, in addition to possibly entering the market for contract manufacturing services. This would diversify Nucleon’s stream of revenues and allow the company to sustainably grow and leverage its capabilities into a brighter future. The main issue is that Nucleon has to be able to find enough cash in-flow not only for the founding of the clinical trials for CRP-1, but also for the further development of the two new cell regulating factors and of the mammalian cells fermentation technology. Therefore, by choosing its manufacturing strategy, Nucleon should not only focus on the percentage of the forecasted sales revenues, but also focus on the possible synergies. Our group believes that partnerships have to be part of this Nucleon business strategy: they can advance the development of its projects, by complementing and optimizing Nucleon technology platforms. Resource Based View: The VRIO Framework, is a good tool that helps us establish whether a resource is of competitive advantage or not. We can use VRIO to evaluate if the new product will benefit the company. Value: There’s definitely value in a successful drug for burn treatment; it also presents itself as a possible cure for other ailments as well (i. e. kidney failure) Rarity: Not many alternatives for burn victim treatment (assumption based on the case’s voice); large molecule research is still new and rare, tough to get into. Imitability: Not very imitable, especially if Nucleon can gain strong patent protection. Also, the slow development time means that even if another firm could mimic a similar drug, it would take time. Organization: Nucleon is currently not organized to begin trials and manufacturing of this drug. They also don’t have a significant amount of financial backing at this point. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths Tight links with the academic/research community Strong patent position on the CRP-1 molecule Promising pre-clinical trials of the CRP-1 molecule Technical capability to identify potentially therapeutic regulating factors Weaknesses Small size (22 employee) private held company Weak patent position on the genetic sequence Capital availability RD resources focused on the CRP-1 molecule Opportunities Mammalian cells fermentation Strong links with big pharmaceutical companies Other therapeutic applications of the CRP-1 molecule Two new cell regulators factors in early stage of development Threats Enormous cost of the drug development process Uncertain outcome of clinical trials Challenge of the patent by the competition Uncertain biotechnology patent law As a result, one of the big issues with Nucleon is that it is a small firm coming into an industry with several larger, well established firms. In this case, it was highly important for the company to focus on their core competency and quickly gain a solid reputation within the market through developing their competitive advantage, instead of attempting to build their own facilities or focusing energy on activities outside their core competency, among other things. Work Cited Al-Karmi, Ahmad. VRIO Framework. Arabianeurs. Arabianeurs: A Resource for Entrepreneurs in the Arab World. , 9 Oct. 2011. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. WebsiteLinkTagsEditDelete Chapman, Allan. Index Examples of Porters Five Forces. Michael Porters Five Forces Competition Theory Model. Businessball. com, n. d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013