What Is EPS or Expanded Polystyrene

EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) or as many know by The Dow Chemical Companys trademarked name, STYROFOAM, is an extremely lightweight product that is made of expanded polystyrene beads. Originally discovered by Eduard Simon in 1839 in Germany by accident, EPS foam is more than 95% air and only about 5% plastic. Small solid plastic particles of polystyrene are made from the monomer styrene. Polystyrene is normally a solid thermoplastic at room temperature that can be melted at a higher temperature and re-solidified for desired applications. The expanded version of polystyrene is about forty times the volume of the original polystyrene granule. Uses of Polystyrene Polystyrene foams are used for a variety of applications because of its excellent set of properties including good thermal insulation, good damping properties and being extremely light weight. From being used as building materials to white foam packaging, expanded polystyrene has a wide range of end-use applications. In fact, many surfboards now use EPS as the foam core. Building and Construction EPS is inert in nature and therefore does not result in any chemical reactions. Since it will not appeal to any pests, it can be used easily in the construction industry. It is also closed cell, so when used as a core material it will absorb little water and in return, not promote mold or rotting. EPS is durable, strong as well as lightweight and can be used as insulated panel systems for facades, walls, roofs and floors in buildings, as  flotation  material in the construction of marinas and pontoons and as a lightweight fill in road and railway construction. Packaging EPS has shock absorbing properties making it ideal for storing and transporting fragile items such as wines, chemicals, electronic equipment, and pharmaceutical products. Its thermal insulation and moisture resistant properties are perfect for packaging cooked food as well as perishable items such as seafood, fruit, and vegetables. Other Uses EPS can be used in the manufacture of sliders, model planes, and even surfboards because of its positive strength to weight ratio. The strength of EPS along with its shock absorbing properties makes it effective for use in children’s seats and cycling helmets. It is also compression resistant, meaning that EPS is ideal for stacking packaging goods. EPS also has applications in horticulture in seedling trays to promote aeration of the soil. Why Is EPS Advantageous? High thermal insulationResistant to MoistureExtremely durableEasily recyclableVersatile in strengthEasily laminated with epoxy resinManufactured into different shapes, sizes, and compression materialsLightweight and portableHigh shock absorbency characteristicsCompression resistantBranded by printing or adhesive labeling. Drawbacks of EPS Not resistant to organic solventsCannot be used in combination with MPVC hydro-insulation foilsPreviously, EPS was made from Chlorofluorocarbons which damaged the ozone layerFlammable if oil paintedHealth concerns with styrene chemicals seeping into hot beverages or food placed in EPS cups Recycling EPS EPS is completely recyclable as it will become polystyrene plastic when recycled. With the highest recycling rates for any plastic and accounting for a non-substantial portion of municipal waste, expanded polystyrene is an environmentally friendly polymer. The EPS industry encourages recycling of packaging material and many large companies are successfully collecting and recycling the EPS. EPS can be recycled in many different ways such as thermal densification and compression. It can be reused in non-foam applications, lightweight concrete, building products and remolded back into EPS foam. Future of EPS With the considerable number of applications, EPS is being used as a result of its excellent range of properties, the future of the EPS industry is bright. EPS is a cost-effective and friendly polymer best for insulation and packaging purposes.

Throughout History, There Have Been Many Severe Attacks

Throughout history, there have been many severe attacks in the Unites States. On September 11th, 2001, the lives of many citizens and American history had been changed forever. The 9/11 attacks were administered by the Islam Extremist group, Al-Qaeda. These attacks were geared toward the decimation the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and unsuccessfully towards the White House. The 9/11 attacks are significant to present day change, and to improve security in buildings and airplanes along with other advances. 9/11 was an eye-opener to many Americans and still affects many people to this day. What happened on 9/11? The beginning of everything came from 4 hijacked flights. There were four flights involved in the 9/11 attacks. The†¦show more content†¦After the WTC South Tower burns for 56 minutes, it collapses, killing approximately 600 workers and first responders in the last 10 seconds. At 10:03am, Flight 93 crashes into a field in 1, PA. This city is 20 minutes from Washington D. C. In this flight before they went down, the passengers revolted trying to take the plane back. At 10:28am the North Tower collapses after burning for 102 minutes killing about 1400 people. 34 minutes later, Mayor Rudy Giuliani orders anyone south of Canal Street to evacuate Manhattan. After the events of that morning, everyone is scrambling for the rest of the day. Later on that night, the final event was WTC 7 collapsing from ancillary damage with nobody inside (Huffington Post, 9-11 Research). The planner of the 9/11 attacks was Islamist Extremist Group, Al-Qaeda. This group was developed by Usama bin Laden among others. This group was originally created in the 1980’s to support the war effort in Afghanistan against the Soviets. In around 1989, Al-Qaeda dedicated itself to further going against non-Islamic governments with force and violence. Usama bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia in 1957 on March 10, 1984. Al-Qaeda has been all over the Middle East fighting Non-Islamic governments. Some of these include, Yemen, New York, Somalia, Egypt, Kenya, And Tanzania are just a few of the places they have had uprising problems with (FBI Archives, The Guardian). 15 of the 19 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia.Show MoreRelatedInvestigation on NyQuil890 Words   |  4 Pagesconsumed more than recommended servings, severe symptoms may occur with an overdose. An overdose on NyQuil can induce general effects on the brain such as a feeling of anxiety, restlessness or nervousness, and perhaps dizziness and drowsiness as well (Busse). However, the two main ingredients of NyQuil, acetaminophen and dextromethorphan, are what induce the more severe effects. Respectively, consumption of large amounts of acetaminophen has been known to cause severe liver damage and other stomach complicationsRead More Rhetorical Analysis of President Roosevelts Pearl Harbor Speech1252 Words   |  6 Pagesnation’s safety. 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Not only did the Japanese hit the U.S. where they knew it would hurt the most, but it crippled the United States’ entire Pacific Fleet. â€Å"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States ofRead MoreEssay Panic Disorder1376 Words   |  6 Pagesdying, or am I just crazy? If you are crazy, then so are 2.4 million other people in the United States. Panic disorder, one of many anxiety disorders, is a serious and potentially debilitating illness. This illness is treatable, however, only one-third of those who suffer will actually be treated. What is panic disorder? Panic disorder is characterized by panic attacks, which are periods of intense fear, or discomfort, in which four or more of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reachRead MoreIrrational Fears: Agoraphobia Essay1305 Words   |  6 Pagespsychological disorders are abnormalities of the mind that result in persistent behavior patterns that can have an impact on daily tasks and life in general. 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Marketing Audit Of Nike Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Audit Of Nike organization. Answer: Introduction In todays business environment, each and every business organization needs to createmarketing plan to stay competitive in the industry. When they introduce anything new then they need to take the assistance of tis marketing plan to bring new products and services to marketplace. This report includes differentmarketing aspects about the Nike Organization that was chosen in the previous assessments. Nike is one of the most popular brands that offer a variety of sports shoes and products. The company is planning to diversify its product range with the introduction of new product i.e. Heating Boots. This report includes the mission and vision of Nike Organization. Moreover, marketing audit is conducted by the use of different marketing tools. At the end, a high level marketing plan is prepared in context to new product of Nike Organization. Company description, Mission and Vision Nike is a well-established company that was founded in United States of America in the year 1969. The organization is engaged in designing, manufacturing and developing the footwear, equipment, accessories and services. The major products of Nike are to provide athletic footwear, shoes and equipment (Deng, 2009). The organization is operating its business in various countries such as Japan, China, Europe, India, New Zealand and other emerging markets. The mission statement of this company has developed over the time to accurately show the position of business position. The mission statement of Nike is to bring innovation and inspiration to each and every person in the world. The mission statement of the company indicates the strategic objective of reaching out to the sport shoes and equipment (Dawes, 2009). This CSRs vision statement of the company is to assist Nike and its customers to prosper in a sustainable economy where profit, people and planet are balanced. Now, the organization needs to create and publish a formal vision statement to inform investors and employees about what the business purposes to be in the future in context to the international market for sports shoes and equipment (Datta, Ailawadi, van Heerde, 2013). To attain its mission and vision, Nike is implementing effective strategies and it is going to introduce a new product i.e. Heating Boots. Marketing Audit; Current Marketing Objective and Strategies The current marketing objective of Nike is to focus on offering higher quality products on low prices so that it can gain a significant market share in the industry (Ambat, et al, 2017). To attain this marketing objective, the organization has adopted effective marketing strategies which are given below: Product: Currently, Nike is focusing on sports and athletic shoes and apparel. The products of the company are designed in the factories which are situated nearby the raw material deposits so that they can reduce the costs of production (Chowdhury, 2013). Its current products are focused on Soccer, Tennis, Football, Basketball and other athletic uses. Price: Nike has created its pricing strategy to compete with other brands like Adidas and to offer affordable and quality shoes to the customers. Place: To distribute its products to the final customers, Nike has established more than 20,000 stores all over the world. It provides its products through auxiliaries, licensees and individual (Cwinkler, 2013). Promotion: Promotion is the most important part of companys marketing strategy. It uses different types of online media to promote its products. It includes online ads, commercials and its own website. It is also using brand endorsements to promote its products all over the world. External Environmental Analysis: PESTLE Analysis Political Factors In most of the major markets, stable political conditions offer various opportunities for Nike to grow its business. In addition to this, free trade policies assist the organization in better market penetration in foreign markets. Enhancing government assistance for infrastructure in developing nations provides Nike various opportunities to expand its operations in these markets. Economic Factors There are some developed markets like; United States which are stable that provide Nike a stable growth in these nations. In the high developing nations, the company may have opportunities to enhance its operations. But these markets are threatening Nike by increasing costs of labor. For example, economy of China has threatened the performance of Nike Company (Jain, Haley 2009). Social Factors Today, the people are adopting healthy life style and they prefer to buy the sports shoes and apparel for their Gym and exercise activities. It has improved the business of Nike significantly. Considering the needs of people, this company can implement new product development strategies to fulfill the needs leisure activities products. Technological Factors The competitors of Nike are making investment in research and development activities. Through this, they are adopting new and modern technology that has threatened the performance of Nike in global business environment. Nike can use updated technology to make advancement in its products and services. Legal Factors The company needs to comply with different laws and regulations in different countries. It creates a complexity for the organization. Changes in the employment laws have increased the cost of labor for Nike. This factor offers Nike an opportunity to implement higher standards of employment and labor (Westwood, 2016). Environmental Factors The organization is already engaged in environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility. By using these programs, the company can attract the people towards its products and services. Marketing Objectives By looking at the above analysis, it can be analyzed that Nike should establish a new marketing objective for future growth. Till now, Nike is operating its business by focusing on the sportswear and sports shoes (Deng, 2009). Under its new marketing objectives, the company will introduce a new product in the market i.e. Heating Boots. The company will establish some marketing objectives for its new products: To develop its customer base by the targeting new audiences for heating boots. To gain a significant profit margin in the first year of introduction of heating boots. To become more popular and trendy with heating boots that will serve the needs of every customer in the market. The company will introduce a new product in the market i.e. Heating Boots for travellers and other people (Sorrel, 2009). Ansoff Matrix Under Ansoff Matrix, the company will focus on two major strategic directions: Product Development From the beginning of its operations, Nike is using product development strategy. The company is continuously introducing new products to compete with rivals. Now also, the company should develop its product range by including Heating Boots for all groups like women, men and children. With this product, the major objective of the Nike will be to keep the feet of people warm in cool environment. So, it will target both senior citizen and young generation as well. In this way, it should add new products to its product portfolio so that it can grab the attention of more customers (Huang, Sarigll, 2014). Diversification Diversification is one of the most important options that Nike can choose for its new marketing objective. The organization will offer its new products in new and emerging markets so that it can enhance its brand presence all over the world. However, it will be risky for the company but it will be good if it works. Thus, the above strategies will assist the organization in approaching the mission and vision of Nike. It will help the organization to bring innovation for each and every person in the world. Marketing Plan: Customer Segments and target market Under this, Nike will identify its targeted customer by the use of different segmentation characteristics. Different characteristics of customers are stated below: Demographic Under this segmentation, Nike will target the customers on the basis of age, gender and income of people. For its Heating Boots, the company will primarily target the customers between the age of 10 and 60. It will manufacture the Heating Boots by targeting both male and females. The customers will be the people who will be able to give worth prices for its new and quality products (Lu, Liu, Rahman, 2017). Geographic The organization will use geographic segmentation to market Heating Boots in nations, cities, regions and populations in different manner. For instance, it will focus on tourists in Europe and Norway. In the winter season, the temperature of both places remains slightly above freezing. Thus, the company will primarily emphasize on the tourist places which are the coolest. Psychographic Under this segmentation, the company targets the people with specific personalities, interest and lifestyles. For its new products, the organization will target the people travels to the cool places for leisure activities. It will supply the Heating Boots during the winter season in America (Sorrel, 2009). Behavioral Under behavioral segmentation, Nike will consider the benefits sought and customer loyalty. The benefit expectations of companys new product are that Nikes products can make the peoples feet warn in the cold environment and winter season. The company seeks to create customer loyalty through its new products. Market Positioning With this new product, Nike will position itself as a premium brand that is going to introduce new and innovative product for the mass population i.e. Heating Boots. It will manufacture this product in an effective way which will fulfill the needs of niche market. The color and brand logo will entice the targeted audiences to purchase this product with the creativeness and confidence. It will create an effective positioning statement that will create a positive image in the mind of customers. Nike will offer Heating Boots which will keep the customers feet warm during their outdoor and leisure activities. In this way, the company will use functional positioning under which it will fulfill the needs or demands of leisure travellers (Peteraf, Gamble, Thompson, 2014). Market Mix for Selected Products For its new products, the company will implement new marketing strategies, which are stated below: Product As mentioned above, Nike is going to introduce its Heating Boots in the market. It will be an innovative and creative product in the footwear industry. The organization will incorporate updated technology in Heating Boots. There will be electric blanket in the boots which will be operating with battery system (Sorrel, 2009). This product will be able to fulfill the needs and demands of customers for heating their foot so that they can enjoy their trip in cold atmosphere. The product will definitely assist the Nike in attaining its mission and vision. Price Because of its exclusive style, design and advertising, Nike utilizes both competitive and skimming pricing. In the beginning, it will use skimmed pricing strategy (Gordon, 2012). As it is an innovative product in global footwear industry so company will give offers and discounts on purchasing of two pair of Heating Boots. Place Nike will offer its new products i.e. Heating Boots through retail outlets. In addition to this it will open its own stores which will sell its new products. By establishing extensive distribution channels, Nike will make efforts to approach more customers (Lu, Liu, Rahman, 2017). Promotion The company will use effective advertising and promotion strategies. It will use both offline and online media for promoting its products. Moreover, it will partner with the tourist agencies so that they can make the people aware about this new product. When the customers will contact these agencies, they can buy the Heating Boots for their trip to cool places (Westwood, 2016). IMC Plan In addition to above marketing strategies, the Nike will create an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) plan to communicate its brand message to the targeted customers. The company wants to state that we consider the health needs of our customers at the center of what we do. To advertise its Heating Boots, the company will use different media channels which are discussed below: Media Channel Benefits Social Media Nike can promote its new products on social media platforms such as Facebook Instagram Twitter as most of the people are active on internet. Television Television is the easily approachable media that can cover mass population. It is cost effective mode of advertising (Fine, 2017). Print media Nike can post the ads in newspaper and magazines which are read by the people who are not using social media sites. This is an effective way through which company can approach most of the leisure travellers. Events and sponsorships Events and sponsorships are the most effective way to reach the sports lovers and travellers all over the world (Keller, 2010). This IMC plan will assist Nike in approaching a large population all over the world and company can promote its products effectively. Under this IMC plan, the organization will focus on the actions where Heating Boots spread the awareness of the significance of heating blanket in cooling environment and winter season. Conclusion From the above analysis, it can be concluded that Nike is a leading player in the sportswear industry. The company is using effective strategies to market its products among targeted population. The above report includes different marketing aspects about the Nike Organization. The above report concludes that company can increase its customers base and market share by introducing this new products range of Heating Boots. References Ambat, L. M. C., Cabagnot, T. R., Flores, D. J. C., Tiong, R. C. F. (2017). A Study on Designing a Marketing Plan for a Start-Up Business in the Philippines. InAscendens Asia Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Conference Proceedings, 1(2). Chowdhury, P. P. (2013). Key strategies and issues of positioning: A review of past studies. American Academic Scholarly Research Journal, 5(1). Cwinkler. (2013). Nike vs. Adidas: Competitive Advantage, Retrieved from https://storify.com/cwinkler/nike-vs-adidas-competitive-advantage. Datta, H., Ailawadi, K. L., van Heerde, H. J. (2017). How Well Does Consumer-Based Brand Equity Align with Sales-Based Brand Equity and Marketing-Mix Response?.Journal of Marketing,81(3). Dawes, J. (2009). "Brand Loyalty in the UK Sportswear Market." International Journal of Market Research, 51 (1). Deng, T. (2009). Just Done It--- Nikes New Advertising Plan Facing Global Economic Crisis . International Journal of Business and Management , 4(3). Fine, S. H. (2017). Introduction to social marketing. InMarketing the Public Sector(pp. 1-12). UK: Routledge. Gordon, R. (2012) Re-thinking and re-tooling the social marketing mix. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 20(2). Harry, W. (2012)."Nike loses England rugby shirt deal to Canterbury".Telegraph. London. Huang, R., Sarigll, E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. InFashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors(pp. 113-132). New York: Springer. Jain, S. C., Haley, G. T. (2009).Marketing planning and strategy. US: South-Western Publishing Company. Keller, K. L. (2010). Brand equity management in a multichannel, multimedia retail environment. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 24(2). Lu, X., Liu, H. W., Rahman, M. (2017). The impact of corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty: a case of Nike and Adidas in China.Strategic Change. Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., Thompson Jr, A. (2014). Essentials of strategic management: The quest for competitive advantage. US: McGraw-Hill Education. Sorrel, C. (2009). E-chargeable, Self-Heating Boots Keep Toes Toasty, retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2009/10/rechargeable-self-heating-boots-keep-toes-toasty/. Westwood, J. (2016).How to write a marketing plan. UK: Kogan Page Publishers.

Internet Advertising Essays - Internet Marketing,

Internet Advertising Internet Advertising There are two primary ways to advertise on the Internet: 1.Register your Web site with major search engines so Internet visitors can find you. 2.Place an ad banner for your site on another Web site that has a lot of traffic (viewers). Ad banners allow viewers to link to your site when they click on the banner. Internet Advertising Advantages Relatively cost-effective. The costs can also be independent of the size of the audience. For example, a Web presence will cost the same regardless of how many viewers your site has. (You will, however, need to make sure your Internet Service Provider can handle the volume of viewers you anticipate having.) Advertisers can target specific types of viewers by positioning an ad banner on related Web sites. For example, if you're targeting people seeking information on a specific topic, you can purchase ad space on Web pages that are related to this category in the major search engines (Yahoo, Infoseek, Lycos, WONET - The Women's Online Network, etc.). So, an organic herb farmer selling through mail order might advertise through the organic foods or gourmet cooking category. The indexing structure of these sites allows you to target your audience by geographic location and related interest area. Messages can be timely because editing the content is often easy and instantaneous. Ads on the Internet can be interactive. You can request viewer feedback, take orders or answer questions instantly. Ad banners can run with as much frequency as you choose. The Internet is constantly available! Internet advertisers can potentially reach a global audience. Aside from language barriers, anyone at any location in the world can access information about your products or services. Internet Advertising Disadvantages Internet advertising should not be approached in a vacuum. Instead, it should be one component of a comprehensive Internet Marketing strategy. Although the popularity of the Internet is rising remarkably, it is difficult to gage the impact of advertising on the Internet. The range of costs to advertise on the Internet can vary greatly. It is best to compare a number of highly-frequented sites to determine the best way to spend your advertising dollars.

Sonny Terry and His Harmonica Teaching People to Laugh Again

Sonny Terry and His Harmonica Teaching People to Laugh Again People rarely expect this kind of an instrument and this kind of a performer on stage, and the U.S., caught in the grip of the Great Depression, amidst the I and the II World Wars, could hardly believe that a plain Georgian man with a plain harmonica would win over the hearts of his audience in a millisecond.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sonny Terry and His Harmonica: Teaching People to Laugh Again specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sonny Terry, however, did not expect anything, either; he just did what he could do best – he simply told his Southern blues stories to the accompaniment of his harmonica. Surprisingly enough, his songs were exactly what America of the post-WWI depression needed. Although traditional commonplace phrases also occurred in Terry’s songs, most of his repertoire consisted of his observations of the United States at the verge of a major change, which made these songs documentarie s of the U.S. of the 1930ies. I’m a Stranger Here might seem a weird choice for a song that will make the audience feel happier about their lives. Indeed, the song tapped into the pace that was set by Guthrie, Moses Asch, and many other musicians of the decade. However, even with a song title that sounded no merrier than knell, Terry still managed to jazz the tune up a bit by introducing an upbeat rhythm and an optimistic â€Å"Woo-yes!† (Terry and McGhee). More to the point, the song represents the needs and wishes of the people of the epoch, therefore, serving as a documentary of people’s emotions: â€Å"I’m gonna write home to daddy, / send me my railroad fare† (Terry and McGhee). It is truly amazing how both economical (â€Å"railroad fare† (Terry and McGhee) and social (â€Å"write home to daddy† (Terry and McGhee) aspects of a documentary are intertwined in a single line. Despite its title, Mean Ole Frisco does not harp on the e conomical, racial or financial issues of the city, but, in fact, allows seeing the U.S. with the eyes of a person, who used to live in a happier place and, thus, makes one feel the loss of this place all the stronger. Although technically, the song does not render any obvious economical or social issue, when taking a closer look at the lyrics, one will be able to see what lies beneath the surface and read an idiom of men and women losing their homes, hopes and each other as they roam to larger cities in search for a job to earn some pennies into the image of a girl luring the leading character into San Francisco.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, the girl in the song appears to be a metaphor, which stands for a more promising fate, which the residents of the U.S. were so mercilessly ripped off. The â€Å"ole dirty† (Terry and McGhee) San Francisco does n ot have much to offer, either, which tells the audience that for most Okies, the search for the â€Å"Promised Land† did not end well. However, Terry still manages to add more vivacity into the gloomy context of a seemingly silly song. One of the songs that Sonny Terry is known best for, Born and Livin’ with the Blues might not sound as happy as one would expect it to, given some of his early and more upbeat performances; however, it still hit the chord with the post-WWI American audience, who wanted to hear about the family values, the strength of a community, faith in God, and the rest of the unshakeable elements of the life that they strived for. On the one hand, the song appeals for the numerous Okies, who abandoned or, more probably, lost their property due to the economical disaster: â€Å"I’d use my guitar for my pillow† (Terry and McGhee). On the other hand, it shows people the glimpse of hope that they wish they could see: â€Å"From my childhoo d, where I am now, / I ain’t gonna worry, I’ll get by somehow† (Terry and McGhee). While seemingly describing his childhood, starting, properly enough, from the time when he was a kid, to the point when he grows up into a disappointed adult: â€Å"Just look at what a hole I’m in† (Terry and McGhee), Sonny obviously refers to the situation that the entire South, predominantly â€Å"Okies,† was trapped in. Classified as a mix of a social documentary and a traditional one, the song provides an account of both the historical events (though in a metaphoric way) and the emotions of the people who suddenly lost everything. With Sonny Terry on stage, the darkest times of the American history did not seem as gloomy as they were. While other musicians of the era explained though their songs that it was all right to cry, Sonny Terry showed that it was fine to laugh – and the audience smiled as soon as the first chords of his songs started ringing .Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sonny Terry and His Harmonica: Teaching People to Laugh Again specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While remaining a striking contrast to what most artists of the epoch preferred to perform on stage, Terry’s songs gave people lust for life, which was truly a breeze of fresh air for the United States of the 30ies, when every single citizen was caught in the Dust Bowl, with no ray of sunshine getting through. Terry, Sonny and Brownie McGhee. â€Å"Born and Livin’ with the Blues.† YouTube. 1 Mar. 2009. Web. Terry, Sonny and Brownie McGhee. â€Å"Mean Ole Frisco.† YouTube. 2 Jun. 2010. Web. Terry, Sonny and Brownie McGhee. â€Å"I’m a Stranger Here.† YouTube. 28 Jun. 2010. Web.

Women of the Eighteenth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt

Women of the Eighteenth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt Hatshepsut was not the first queen regent in the Eighteenth Dynasty. It is possible that Hatshepsut knew of several reigning Egyptian queens before the Eighteenth Dynasty, but there is no evidence of it. There were some images of Sobeknefru that survived into Hatshepsuts time. But she surely knew of the record of the women of the Eighteenth Dynasty, of which she was a part. Ahhotep The founder of the dynasty, Ahmose I, is credited with re-unifying Egypt after the time of the Hyksos, or foreign, rulers. He recognized publicly his mothers central role in holding power until he could reign. She was Ahhotep, sister and wife of Taa II. Taa II died, probably fighting against the Hyksos. Taa II was succeeded by Kamose, who seems to have been a brother of Taa II, and thus an uncle of Ahmose I and brother of Ahhotep. Ahhoteps coffin names her as Gods Wife the first time this title is known to have been used for the wife of a pharaoh. Ahmes-Nefertiri (Ahmose-Nefertari) Ahmose I married his sister, Ahmes-Nefertiri, as Great Wife, and at least two others of his sisters. Ahmes-Nefertiri was the mother of Ahmose Is heir, Amenhotep I. Ahmes-Nefertiri was given the title Gods Wife, the first time its known that the title was used during a queens lifetime, and implying a major religious role for Ahmes-Nefertiri. Ahmos I died young and his son Amenhotep I was very young. Ahmes-Nefertiri became the de facto ruler of Egypt until her son was old enough to rule. Ahmes (Ahmose) Amenhotep I married two of his sisters, but died without an heir. Thutmose I then became king. Its not known whether Thutmose I had any royal heritage himself. He came to the kingship as an adult, and one of his two known wives, either Mutneferet or Ahmes (Ahmose), could have been sisters of Amenhotep I, but the evidence for either is slim. Ahmes is known to have been his Great Wife, and was the mother of Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thutmose II, whose mother was Mutneferet. After Thutmose Is death, Ahmes is shown with Thutmose II and Hatshepsut, and is believed to have served as regent for her stepson and daughter early in Thutmose IIs short reign. Hatshepsuts Heritage of Woman Power Hatshepsut thus came from several generations of women who ruled until their young sons were old enough to take power. Of the Eighteenth Dynasty Kings through Thutmose III, perhaps only Thutmose I had come to power as an adult. As Ann Macy Roth has written, women effectively ruled Egypt for almost half of the approximately seventy years preceding Hatshepsuts accession. (1) Hatshepsut in assuming the regency was following in a long tradition. Note: (1) Ann Macy Roth. Models of Authority: Hatshepsuts Predecessors in Power. Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh. Catharine H. Roehrig, editor. 2005. Sources consulted include: Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton. The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt. 2004.John Ray. Hatshepsut: the Female Pharaoh. History Today. Volume 44 number 5, May 1994.Gay Robins. Women in Ancient Egypt. 1993.Catharine H. Roehrig, editor. Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh. 2005. Article contributors include Ann Macy Roth, James P. Allen, Peter F. Dorman, Cathleen A. Keller, Catharine H. Roehrig, Dieter Arnold, Dorothea Arnold.Joyce Tyldesley. Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt. 2006.Joyce Tyldesley. Hatchepsut the Female Pharaoh. 1996.

(What is happening with tobacco companies, that electronic cigarettes Research Paper

(What is happening with tobacco companies, that electronic cigarettes are becoming popular, Why is it rising)(Tobacco developing countries)(Electronic Cigarettes phenomenon - servicing a need) - Research Paper Example who have developed new varieties of cigarettes and have captured a huge market share across the globe. But over the last few years the increasing awareness of health care among people and also the governmental policies that are against smoking conventional cigarettes has grown up at a huge rate. This has affected the tobacco companies in a huge way in their sales and also in their financials. Because of this there is a continuous decline in their sales. The companies thus are looking for other options to start for not allowing their business from declining and also for the revamp. Companies like Lorillard and Philip Morris International are; looking to launch the new concept of electronic cigarettes in the market to capture the market share again and to attract more customers. Electronic cigarette is the new product that is been launched in the market for people who are looking to quit smoking but are not able to quit and also taking the health factor of the people in mind. The electronic cigarettes are not filled with tobacco instead they have a liquid containing nicotine which is b een diluted in glycerin or propylene glycol and water. The level of nicotine does vary based on the cartridges and they also have certain flavors added to them. In this research it can be seen how the market for the tobacco companies is going down with the increasing demand of electronic cigarette in the market using secondary research and understanding the impact of electronic cigarette over the tobacco industry in the global market. What is happening with tobacco companies, that electronic cigarettes are becoming popular, why is it rising and affecting in the Tobacco developing countries? What is the phenomenon behind the electronic cigarette and the need for service in this category? This research over the reasons for the decline in the demand for tobacco and also with the

Busniess Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Busniess Environment - Essay Example From the Olympic organizing committee Gurgaon-Based Luca Wines is set to toast the London Olympics. This is a good platform for advertisement of the firm considering their products will be supplied in restaurants and hotels. Besides, a public limited firm that will benefit from the London Olympics is the British Airways, which is the aviation transport industry. Many of the athletes are likely to use the reputable airline’s services to and fro the country. Going by the state of economy and the companies that fall in every category, GlaxoSmithKline plc is one of the firms that are set to be affected directly from the London, 2012 Olympics. The firm falls in the manufacturing sector under the pharmaceutical industry. The company produces a variety of products for common ailments such as virus control, infections, mental health, digestive condition and asthma. Notably, in the primary sector firms in the agricultural and fishing industry sector will have a lot to benefit due to th eir sensitivity in terms of food production and supply. The tertiary sector has various firms that will be affected by the London 2012 Olympics. In fact, the banking and other service sectors such as hotel management and hospitality sector. For example, Barclays bank has a lot to benefit from the London Olympics. ... They also include non-profit organizations, which may use it to offer services to the consumers. The cooperative businesses will be directly affected by the games. For example, the Banna Housing Cooperative is one of business that will be affected by the games during the Olympics. In addition, other cooperatives in the financial sector and housing sector are set to be affected directly or indirectly the games. Other Organizations Furthermore, it can be noted that the Olympics will affect other governmental organization and non-governmental organization either directly or indirectly. For instance, environmental agency that is concerned with protection of the environment will be indirectly affected through their duty to ensure a healthy and fresh environment of the participants. Therefore, there are potentials of possible pollution and the accompanying litigations that might occur consequentially. What’s more, some non-governmental organizations are also set to be affected. For instance, UNICEF, which is a non-governmental organization that cares for the rights of children. Various sponsors in relation to cooperate business firms will be involved in the support of the games. Purposes of organizations From the above discussion, it is clear that organizations such as Banna Housing Cooperative have a mission to grow and expand into a bigger firm based on the high demand for housing. The influx of visitors into the famous city calls for provision of shelter. Therefore, the housing sector has a main goal to provide room for everyone with comfort. In provision of good quality homes Banna Housing has intentions to build its reputation to the highest level to better the lives of members. On the other hand, the banking sector has

Machiavellis Premise Essay Example for Free

Machiavellis Premise Essay 1. Do you agree with Machiavellis premise that if given the choice between the two, the prince is better served by being feared than loved? How does Machiavelli make the case for his position (details, modes)? Are his arguments convincing? If you took the self-analysis on high-Mach or low-Mach, what were the results, and were you surprised by your score? 2. What is the thesis of Neil Postmans forward? Do you agree or disagree with his point of view? Provide support for your position. 1- The prince is better feared than loved, although striking a balance between the two would be best. As Machiavelli stated that the prince should do his utmost to escape hatred and too much fear would create hatred. The prince should try to balance love and fear based on his people and the situation at hand. 2- Both authors have different point of views; Orwell’s view is that we will be deprived of things by externally imposed oppression and by inflicting pain while Huxley’s view is that we will be distracted from our real goals with lust and pleasure. I agree to some extent on both points of views, except for the part that states that what we hate will ruin us. If you hate something that is bad then I don’t see anything wrong with it; I don’t think it can ruin us in any way. On the other hand I agree that lust and desire only lead to greed and other sins which corrupt us. Would time traveling be cool? Time travelling would not be cool. In fact many scientists have done a lot of research on black holes and time warps. Einstein did work on it as well as Stephen Sawking to no avail. Actually Stephen changed his theory on the black holes losing and retaining information twice. If time traveling was possible we would be open to endless opportunities and nothing would be a challenge. Life would be stale without surprises, discoveries and evolution.

Personal Narrative- The Wrong Crowd of Friends :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- The Wrong Crowd of Friends It was a cold October afternoon in 1996, and I raced down the stairs and out the front door, in an attempt to avoid my mother's questions of where I was going, with whom, and when I'd be back. I saw my friend Kolin pull up in his rusted, broken-down gray van, and the side door opened as Mark jumped out and motioned for me to come. I was just about to get in when my mother called from the front doorway. She wanted to talk to me, but I didn't want to talk to her, so I hopped in pretending I hadn't heard her and told Kolin to drive off. When we were out of my neighborhood I asked where we were going and Kolin said we were going to Dre's apartment first; afterwards we would take the Metro down to Northwest because he had to meet up with some people for a drug deal. Mark began to roll a joint and he said, "Look, I scored some KB off this idiot high-school kid who thought it was swag. It's my treat ladies." We rolled up to Dre's apartment, drank a little and hot-boxed the van. As we sat there smoking, Kolin, Mark, and Dre began to talk about the recent events. "That party last Friday was fucking stupid. I can't believe they gave you shit at the door," said Kolin. "Yeah it was almost a messy situation, but they backed off," replied Mark. "Who cares man, I got sixty-five for the stereo in that house. And the way I see it, it was all fair," remarked Dre. At this they all burst out laughing and even I joined in for a chuckle. The "KB" was in effect, and our spirits were raised, not to mention our "senses of humor." I leaned back and sat there smiling as they continued to reminisce about their other excursions. I loved to hear about it all, and it was fun learning about drugs and theft, and other things you could put into practice without "really" hurting anyone. I was unknowingly getting an education in "street smarts," and how to "rip people off." I enjoyed learning about it because it all seemed so fun and easy, and only the benefits, such as money, seemed tangible to me, not the consequences of my actions.

Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag

Historical background of the business Today Merck & Co, Inc. is one of the most recognizable companies in the pharmaceutical industry. When asked about Merck, most people think that it is and always has been a US company. However, the company’s history can be traced all the way back to the 1600’s where it was started in Darmstadt, Germany. Friedrich Jacob Merck purchased a local store in 1668 where he prepared and sold medicines. The store was called â€Å"At the sign of the Angels† and would remain in the Merck family for many generations (Merck & co. , 2000). In 1827, Heinrich Emmanuel Merck and renamed E.MERCK AG transformed the store into a drug manufacturer. The pharmacy was so successful that by 1855 E. Merck AG was selling medications worldwide. It was at this time that Merck decided to send a company officer to the United States to set up a sales office. Once in the U. S. in 1899, Heinrich’s grandson George Merck bought one hundred and fifty acres in Rahway, New Jersey. A couple of years later, in 1903, Merck started production in its new U. S. headquarters. By this time Merck was not just producing drugs, it was also starting to produce different types of chemicals and there was also a research lab.When the United States entered World War I in 1917, George Merck, fearing that Germany would win the war and take over his company, sold all of his stock to a US company named Alien Property Custodian (Merck & Co. , 2000). This ended all of Merck’s ties to Germany. After the war, George Merck regained a controlling share of the company in 1919 and from that day forward Merck has always been a publicly owned company. George Merck continued to grow the company until his death in 1926 at which time his son, George W. Merck took over. In 1926, George W.Merck decided to merge the company with Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten, which was a Philadelphia, based pharmaceutical company. In 1927 the company was officially incorporated and renamed Merck & Co. Inc. This merger gave George W. Merck the capital he needed to recruit new chemists and biologists, which lead to the discovery of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 was a huge success, but because the war had been over for several years, new foreign companies were continually underselling Merck. With no new products in sight, George W. Merck decided to merge with a Baltimore company by the name of Sharp & Dohme, Inc.This merger was believed to have saved Merck from going under; it gave Merck new marketing facilities and a new distribution network, which it desperately needed. By the time George W. Merck died in 1957, the company had hit the one hundred million dollar mark. Not only was the dollar mark significant, George’s death marked the last time a Merck family member would ever be in control. From the 60’s on, Merck continued to raise its market share taking advantage of its research and development, which continually produced new and popular drugs every year.Today Merck employs over fifty five thousand people and produces some of the most well known pharmaceutical products on the market. With profits totaling a little fewer than six billion dollars and annual sales of over twelve and half billion dollars, Merck is considered one of the best pharmaceutical companies in the world. Products Throughout the years, Merck has made itself a reputation for developing high quality products that consumers know will work. The drugs are developed to help with all different types of problems.Some medicines are used for every day symptoms like a stuffed up nose and some are used for more serious illnesses like the treatment of HIV. Since Merck & Co. , Inc. was founded; it has always made a point to have an above average research and development program so that it could appeal to a wide variety of consumers no matter what symptoms they were trying to cure. Some of the first products ever distributed by Merck in the 1820’s were morphine, co deine and cocaine. These three products allowed Merck enough revenue to begin research on other types of products.In 1933 Merck scientists discovered vitamin B12 which was, at the time, used as a therapeutic drug. The sales from B12 alone were enough to carry Merck into the next decade. Although Merck scientists discovered cortisone, which is a steroid, and streptomycin, which is used to treat tuberculosis, the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s were fairly slow periods for Merck. Other products such as Aldomet, which is used to treat depression, Indocin and Clinoril which are anti-inflammatory drugs, were developed but none of them had the impact on revenue that Merck was used to.It was not until the mid to late 70’s that Merck came out with some new products that really connected with consumers. It was at this time that Timoptic and Enalapril were invented. Timoptic is a hepatitis vaccine that helps with the treatment of glaucoma and Enalapril is a high blood pressu re medication. Sales from these two drugs were well over a half a billion dollars by the early 1980’s. Things only got better for Merck from the 1980’s through 2000. During this time Merck produced over twenty new drugs.Some of the more popular drugs include Cosopt, used in the treatment of glaucoma, Propecia, which is used to treat hair loss, Maxalt, which is used for migraine headaches, and Singulair, which treats cases of asthma. Although all of these medications worked out very well for Merck’s profit, there were three drugs that stood above the rest. Vasotec was a treatment for congestive heart failure and Merck’s first billion dollar a year drug. That was followed by Vioxx which is a pain medication used to treat arthritis and also a billion dollar a year seller. The most popular drug Merck ever produced was Zocor.Zocor is a cholesterol-fighting drug that was introduced in 1992. Not only was zocor a multi-billion dollar a year drug, it was one of th e most successful selling pharmaceutical drugs ever (Merck & Co. , 2000). Zocor accounted for over four billion dollars in worldwide sales in 2004 alone. With products like these and a continued dedication to research and development, Merck will be a major player in the pharmaceutical industry for many years to come. Company Locations Merck and its subsidiaries have locations all over the world. Their main headquarters is currently located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.Merck takes pride in being a global healthcare leader. According to their website they currently have 83,000 employees worldwide (Merck. com). In 2009, Merck merged with competitor Shering-Plough, which extended Merck’s reach into the global economy. According to Muse (2011), Merck has over 75 locations, â€Å"Drawing from its locations in 77 countries, Merck’s worldwide sales for 2009 were $27. 4 billion (Muse p. 251). † These locations stretch across the continental United States from New Je rsey to San Francisco. The worldwide locations include factories in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Japan.Merck’s revenues continue to climb with their global growth. The revenues recorded in various regions by Merck in 2012 include, â€Å" |2012 Revenues |United States | |(By Geographic Region) |$20. 4 billion | | | | | |Europe, Middle East and Africa | | |$13. billion | | | | | |Japan | | |$5. 1 billion | | | | | |Other | | |$8. billion (Merck. com). † | | | | Merck is seen as a leader on the stage of global expansion. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Merck continues to grow and expand its influence in an effort to provide their vaccines and medicines across the globe. Their recent merger will allow them to test markets that they have not had experience in before, and help increase their profits globally.Style of International Business Merck has been on the forefront of International Business and is one of the leaders at adapt ing to new employees in diverse geographic locations. The company has maintained a policy of progressiveness in their workplace. According to Muse (2011) Merck is one of the leaders in this field. They have been ranked among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity and the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List (Muse p. 251). † Merck makes diversity one of their top priorities and it is well documented on their website. They have created a voice for the different diverse peoples within their company.It is a new way to maintain communication with the feelings and thoughts of various groups in different regions throughout the world. Merck calls these Global Constituency Groups. According to their website, â€Å"We've taken an innovative, global approach to our diversity strategy through the creation of Global Constituency Groups. These groups represent the diverse constituencies in our company, our customers and society, in general. The members represent different geographies, cultures and areas of expertise. Together they reflect Merck employees and customers globally†. Merck. com) With this process, Merck is able to keep up with the problems and successes within the different constituencies throughout the company. Merck’s plan to achieve diversity within their company begins from the leadership positions. Filling these positions with people mindful of diversity has allowed the company to continue to keep its place among the most diverse companies in the world. According to Merck, â€Å"Diversity and inclusion are integrated into our leadership model, and are considered an essential leadership skill for all of our employees (Merck. com). Merck preaches this diversity not only to their employees, but their suppliers as well. â€Å"At Merck, we believe that having a diverse supplier base helps us better understand and anticipate the needs of the people we serve (Merck. com). † This creates a positive culture throughout the company of acceptance an d tolerance towards others. It is a progressive policy that allows Merck to continue to flourish and it is a model style of International Business. Strategic Alliances Merck has made many strategic alliances throughout the years to help improve their products or supply them to a wider range of people.In the late 80’s Merck made an alliance with one of the biggest companies in the United States, Johnson & Johnson. According to the International Directory of Company Histories (2000), â€Å"In 1989 Merck joined with Johnson & Johnson in a venture to develop over-the-counter (OTC) versions of Merck’s prescription medications, initially for the U. S. market, later expanded to Europe and Canada (encyclopedia. com)†. This helped Merck products become more easily available to consumers throughout the world. At the time this alliance was hailed as a blockbuster deal that would create growth for both companies.This deal lasted over twenty years and was very profitable for both parties. When Merck sold their stake in the deal in 2011, they received $175 million for it. The largest alliance Merck has made recently is the acquisition, or reverse merger, of their rival Schering-Plough. The $40 billion deal was made in an effort to keep up with other companies in the pharmaceutical market, especially Pfizer. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger would join pharmaceutical companies that had combined sales of $46. 9 billion last year (p. 1). † This alliance expanded Merck globally and allowed it to tap into Schering-Plough’s resources.These resources ranged from new drugs for Merck to market, to a bigger pipeline to promote their own drugs. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger gives it access to successful brand-name Schering products with much longer patents, like the prescription allergy spray Nasonex. And Merck could capitalize on Schering’s investments in promising biotechnology drugs (Singer p. 1 ). † This al liance helped Merck continue to be a formidable competitor in the global pharmaceutical market. With this deal happening only a few short years ago, Merck continues to grow and utilize its new resources in the market today.Exports Merck’s exports consist of various types of pharmaceuticals. Some of their most profitable exports include Singulair, Fosamax, Nasonex, and Vytorin. Singulair is used to treat seasonal allergies like other drugs such as Claritin and Allegra. It can also be used to prevent asthma attacks. It has been very profitable for Merck in the past. Yet, sales began to dramatically fall when media reports about the disturbing side effects of Singulair began to surface. The worst of these side effects included depression and suicidal thoughts.Still, even in spite of Singulair’s profit drop, Merck continues to make large amounts of money off of the export. Nasonex and Vytorin are two products that were a result of the Merck and Schering-Plough merger. Naso nex is a nasal spray used to treat seasonal allergies in adults and children. It has proved to be a positive part of the merger, becoming one of Merck’s most profitable products. Vytorin was already part of a joint effort between Merck and Schering-Plough even before the merger. Vytorin is a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin used to treat cholesterol levels.They created and marketed the product together. After the merger, Merck continued to sell and market Vytorin. Fosamax is another popular export of the Merck Company. It is used to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Fosamax was previously one of Merck’s best selling drugs. Yet, because of patent problems, they have lost large amount of money. According to Singer (2009) â€Å"Merck’s former blockbuster bone drug Fosamax has gone generic, and in a few years the same thing will happen to its best-selling allergy and asthma drug Singulair (pg. 1 ). † These exports have been Merck’s ma in products in the past.In the future, with their recent merger, they should be able to develop new products that can help them rebound from the losses they took from products like Fosamax and Singulair. Transportation In order to effectively and efficiently deliver their products throughout the world, Merck has contracted UPS to deliver them. As of June 2011, the joint venture known as MSD has announced that it would include and take care of Merck’s logistics and distribution around the world, which till now only managed Merck’s distribution, warehousing and transportation in North America (Berman, 2011).According to Willie A. Deese, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division,â€Å" This expanded agreement with UPS allows us to focus on our core business as a global healthcare leader that looks for innovative ways to bring our medicines and vaccines to patients in emerging markets and markets around the world† (businesswire, 2011). The collaboration, which began in early 2003 with UPS just taking care of the transportation and delivery of products over time, has extended to North American distribution, warehousing and multi-modal transportation services (businesswire, 2011).Merck now entrusted UPS with taking care of their logistics in countries like China, Brazil as well as Latin America among others. UPS also stated that it would establish proper facilities in order to store goods and vaccines so in order to ensure quicker and efficient delivery system (Berman, 2011). Merck believes that this extended partnership with UPS would result in being cost effective in the long run. Although Merck does rely on other logistic companies as well, but they rely more heavily on UPS and this current agreement will only further increase the company’s trust in the logistics firm (businesswire, 2011).Ethical Standards The code of ethics from Merck’s website (2013) states: Being a good corporate citizen means that we comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Also, we serve our society, from the local communities in which we operate to the national and international levels, by supporting a number of programs, including those that improve health and promote environmental sustainability. All of our activities are guided by our corporate responsibility principle of â€Å"Helping the World Be Well†. (p. 1) Ethical Violations Merck & Co. ave developed some great products that have helped many people. They have even done some amazing humanitarian work that follows their mission of their code of ethics, which is to help the people of this world be as healthy as they can. For example, After World War II, many people who were living in Japan could not afford the Merck developed drug streptomycin (Miller & Goldman, 2003). Streptomycin was the first drug to fight tuberculosis. Merck decided to sell streptomycin at a much lower cost in Japan so it could be distributed to those who nee ded it and could not afford it at market value.Merck is also one of the nation’s largest donors to UNICEF. One of the ways that Merck has partnered with UNICEF is by donating a drug called Mectizan. Mectizan is a drug that Merck has developed to fight river blindness, and Merck has teamed up with UNICEF in order to distribute Mectizan to anyone who needs it (Unicef, 2013). But the business strategies for Merck have not always been as ethically sound as it may appear. On September 30th 2004 the drug that Merck had created to treat arthritis and severe pain, Vioxx, was pulled off the shelves for good.The reason behind shutting down this drug was that it was found to have caused serious illnesses after long term use, including heart attacks and strokes (Kay, 2004). Vioxx was withdrawn only five years after being introduced, but in that short time had effected many, in those five years there had been over eighty million prescriptions for Vioxx (Kay, 2004). Dr David Graham, the as sociate director for science and medicine at the Office of Drug Safety, estimates that Vioxx caused between 88,000 and 139,000 heart attacks, of which thirty to forty percent have most likely died (Kay, 2004).But did Merck know of this threat before they started to market the drug? Before Merck released Vioxx in 1999 their own scientist conducted tests on Vioxx while developing it. In 1997 these scientist did a study and found that patients who were being tested on were six times more likely to have heart complications when using Vioxx compared to other arthritis drugs. But this study was never released and the data was never sent to the FDA (Culp & Isobel, 2007).Scientist also completed a VIGOR (Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research) test on the drug and found evidence that people who take Vioxx had a five times higher chance of having a heart attack (Cahana & Mauron, 2006). In 2001 Merck scientist had another test called â€Å"meta-analysis†. The meta-analysis tested 20, 000 patients, and again showed that these patients were twice as likely to have a heart attack while taking Vioxx compared to other drugs (Culp & Isobel, 2007). Not only did Merck know about these risks and kept the results to themselves, they also trained their sales people on how to dodge the subject.In order to train the sales force who were going to be selling Vioxx to doctors, Merck developed a card game called dodgeball. The purpose of this game was to teach the sales force different ways to dodge questions asked by doctors about the effects Vioxx has on the heart (Daily, 2005). This again proves that Merck knew of these risks caused by taking Vioxx, but was trying to make sure that information was kept in house. Another instance where Merck lacked good ethical decision making is when they decided to pay Elsevier to publish a magazine for them. Elsevier is a publishing company that focuses mainly on medical and scientific literature.Merck’s marketing team decided to pay Elsevier to publish a journal called The Australiasian Journal of Bone & Joint Medicine. This journal was made to look like any other peer-reviewed medical journal but it was far from it. Merck’s marketing department handpicked the articles that they wanted to put in this journal, with the purpose of trying to control what articles were chosen to be in the journal. They took advantage of this situation by picking articles that favored Merck products and disguising this marketing scheme as a peer review journal (Grant, 2009).For instance in the second issue twenty one of the twenty nine articles spoke about Merck’s products in a favorable way, nine of them positively talking about Vioxx (Grant, 2009). Merck also had an ethical downfall when management decided to change the prices of their product. Not only was Merck paying doctors to prescribe Merck medicine when patients were in the hospital, Merck also started to give hospitals a ninety two percent discount on their medicine; with the idea that after the patient was discharged they would want to stay on the same medicine (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008).The insurance company would pay full price for the drugs after the patient was discharged and that is where Merck would bring in their profit. An employee within Merck saw what was going on and didn’t approve. A lawsuit quickly followed and Merck ended up paying $671 million, including sixty eight million dollars to the whistleblower (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008). Even after settling Merck did not think they were in the wrong with this pricing, as Merck to pay whistleblower (2008) reported Merck making a statement saying they â€Å"stands by its pricing strategies but is keen to resolve the dispute† (p. 2). Unfortunately for Merck, Vioxx isn’t the only drug that has caused people to question Merck’s ethical decision making when it comes to their customers. As noted above, Merck released a drug called Propecia t o the public that helped men with baldness. The problem with Propecia is that men are starting to see a great increase in sexual problems. Merck says that only one out of fifty men will see significant sexual side effects, and those side effects will disappear after you stop taking Propecia (Thornton, 2011). But that doesn’t seem to be the case.A recent study by Micheal Irving showed that ninety percent of his test patients still showed signs of sexual problems forty months after being off of Propecia (Thornton, 2011). This is where ethics will hurt Merck the most. Not only have there been hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and settlements that will be paid out, but if Merck continues to keep making unethical managerial decisions, Merck will lose the trust of their customers. Even though there is no evidence yet that Merck knew that Propecia would harm people after they stopped taking the drug, it’s hard not to think of how the Merck management decided to handle Vioxx.The financial hit is a big blow that will slow present and future projects, but money is a lot easier to gain back than trust. References Berman, J. (2011, June). UPS and Merck extend relationship with a global supply chain focus. Retrieved February 2013, from http://www. logisticsmgmt. com/article/ups_and_merck_extend_relationship_witha_ global_supply_chain_focus/ businesswire. (2011, June). UPS and Merck Expand Their Distribution and Logistics Agreement. Retrieved February 2013, from businesswire. com: http://www. businesswire. com/news/home/20110628005271/en/UPS-Merck-Expand-Distribution-Logistics-AgreementCahana, A. , & Mauron, A. (2006). The story of Vioxx—no pain and a lot of gain: ethical concerns regarding conduct of the pharmaceutical industry. Journal of anesthesia,  20(4), 348-351. doi:10. 1007/s00540-006-0432-7 Culp, D. R. , & Isobel, B. (2007, August 6). Merck and the Vioxx       debacle. Retrieved February 13, 2013 from St. Johns University,       Web site: http://www. stjohns. edu/media/3/2c0778b7593f4a178b60354abc80bad8. pdf Grant, B. (2009, April 30). Merck published fake journal. Retrieved Febuary 12, 2013 from, Web site: http://www. the-scientist. om/? articles. view/articleNo/27376/title/Merck- published-fake- journal/ Daily, M. (2005, July 18). Merck used ‘dodge ball’ on Vioxx       questions-lawyer. Retrieved February 12, 2013 from, Web site:       http://www. redorbit. com/news/general/178738/ Kay, J. ( 2004, November 22). The Vioxx scandal: Damning senate       testimony reveals drug company, government complicity. Retrieved 2013, February 9 from , Web site: http://www. wsws. org/en/articles/2004/11/viox-n22. html Merck & Co. , Inc. International Directory of Company Histories. 2000.Retrieved February 19, 2013 from Encyclopedia. com:  http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-2843800076. html Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. , a subsidiary of  Merck & Co. , Inc. (2009-2013). Retrieved February 18 , 2013, from http://www. merck. com/index. html Merck to pay whistleblower. (2008). TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (801), 12. Miller, C. , & Goldman, K. (2003, October, 23). Merck, aids, and       Africa. Retrieved February 2, 2013 from New York University,       Leonard N. Stern School of Business Web site: http://pages. stern. nyu. edu/~lcabral/teaching/aids. pdf Muse, L.A. (2011). Flexibility implementation to a global workforce: a case study of Merck and Company, Inc. Community, Work & Family,  14(2), 249-256. Singer, N. (March 9, 2009). Merck to Buy Schering-Plough for $41. 1 Billion. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/03/10/business/10drug. html? _r=0 February 19, 2013. Thornton, J. (2011). A Hair-Raising Side Effect. Men's Health (10544836), 26(10), 102-105. Unicef (2013). Merck & co. , inc. Retrieved January 12, 2013 from, Partners Web site       http://www. unicefusa. org/partners/corporate/merck. html Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag Historical background of the business Today Merck & Co, Inc. is one of the most recognizable companies in the pharmaceutical industry. When asked about Merck, most people think that it is and always has been a US company. However, the company’s history can be traced all the way back to the 1600’s where it was started in Darmstadt, Germany. Friedrich Jacob Merck purchased a local store in 1668 where he prepared and sold medicines. The store was called â€Å"At the sign of the Angels† and would remain in the Merck family for many generations (Merck & co. , 2000). In 1827, Heinrich Emmanuel Merck and renamed E.MERCK AG transformed the store into a drug manufacturer. The pharmacy was so successful that by 1855 E. Merck AG was selling medications worldwide. It was at this time that Merck decided to send a company officer to the United States to set up a sales office. Once in the U. S. in 1899, Heinrich’s grandson George Merck bought one hundred and fifty acres in Rahway, New Jersey. A couple of years later, in 1903, Merck started production in its new U. S. headquarters. By this time Merck was not just producing drugs, it was also starting to produce different types of chemicals and there was also a research lab.When the United States entered World War I in 1917, George Merck, fearing that Germany would win the war and take over his company, sold all of his stock to a US company named Alien Property Custodian (Merck & Co. , 2000). This ended all of Merck’s ties to Germany. After the war, George Merck regained a controlling share of the company in 1919 and from that day forward Merck has always been a publicly owned company. George Merck continued to grow the company until his death in 1926 at which time his son, George W. Merck took over. In 1926, George W.Merck decided to merge the company with Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten, which was a Philadelphia, based pharmaceutical company. In 1927 the company was officially incorporated and renamed Merck & Co. Inc. This merger gave George W. Merck the capital he needed to recruit new chemists and biologists, which lead to the discovery of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 was a huge success, but because the war had been over for several years, new foreign companies were continually underselling Merck. With no new products in sight, George W. Merck decided to merge with a Baltimore company by the name of Sharp & Dohme, Inc.This merger was believed to have saved Merck from going under; it gave Merck new marketing facilities and a new distribution network, which it desperately needed. By the time George W. Merck died in 1957, the company had hit the one hundred million dollar mark. Not only was the dollar mark significant, George’s death marked the last time a Merck family member would ever be in control. From the 60’s on, Merck continued to raise its market share taking advantage of its research and development, which continually produced new and popular drugs every year.Today Merck employs over fifty five thousand people and produces some of the most well known pharmaceutical products on the market. With profits totaling a little fewer than six billion dollars and annual sales of over twelve and half billion dollars, Merck is considered one of the best pharmaceutical companies in the world. Products Throughout the years, Merck has made itself a reputation for developing high quality products that consumers know will work. The drugs are developed to help with all different types of problems.Some medicines are used for every day symptoms like a stuffed up nose and some are used for more serious illnesses like the treatment of HIV. Since Merck & Co. , Inc. was founded; it has always made a point to have an above average research and development program so that it could appeal to a wide variety of consumers no matter what symptoms they were trying to cure. Some of the first products ever distributed by Merck in the 1820’s were morphine, co deine and cocaine. These three products allowed Merck enough revenue to begin research on other types of products.In 1933 Merck scientists discovered vitamin B12 which was, at the time, used as a therapeutic drug. The sales from B12 alone were enough to carry Merck into the next decade. Although Merck scientists discovered cortisone, which is a steroid, and streptomycin, which is used to treat tuberculosis, the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s were fairly slow periods for Merck. Other products such as Aldomet, which is used to treat depression, Indocin and Clinoril which are anti-inflammatory drugs, were developed but none of them had the impact on revenue that Merck was used to.It was not until the mid to late 70’s that Merck came out with some new products that really connected with consumers. It was at this time that Timoptic and Enalapril were invented. Timoptic is a hepatitis vaccine that helps with the treatment of glaucoma and Enalapril is a high blood pressu re medication. Sales from these two drugs were well over a half a billion dollars by the early 1980’s. Things only got better for Merck from the 1980’s through 2000. During this time Merck produced over twenty new drugs.Some of the more popular drugs include Cosopt, used in the treatment of glaucoma, Propecia, which is used to treat hair loss, Maxalt, which is used for migraine headaches, and Singulair, which treats cases of asthma. Although all of these medications worked out very well for Merck’s profit, there were three drugs that stood above the rest. Vasotec was a treatment for congestive heart failure and Merck’s first billion dollar a year drug. That was followed by Vioxx which is a pain medication used to treat arthritis and also a billion dollar a year seller. The most popular drug Merck ever produced was Zocor.Zocor is a cholesterol-fighting drug that was introduced in 1992. Not only was zocor a multi-billion dollar a year drug, it was one of th e most successful selling pharmaceutical drugs ever (Merck & Co. , 2000). Zocor accounted for over four billion dollars in worldwide sales in 2004 alone. With products like these and a continued dedication to research and development, Merck will be a major player in the pharmaceutical industry for many years to come. Company Locations Merck and its subsidiaries have locations all over the world. Their main headquarters is currently located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.Merck takes pride in being a global healthcare leader. According to their website they currently have 83,000 employees worldwide (Merck. com). In 2009, Merck merged with competitor Shering-Plough, which extended Merck’s reach into the global economy. According to Muse (2011), Merck has over 75 locations, â€Å"Drawing from its locations in 77 countries, Merck’s worldwide sales for 2009 were $27. 4 billion (Muse p. 251). † These locations stretch across the continental United States from New Je rsey to San Francisco. The worldwide locations include factories in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Japan.Merck’s revenues continue to climb with their global growth. The revenues recorded in various regions by Merck in 2012 include, â€Å" |2012 Revenues |United States | |(By Geographic Region) |$20. 4 billion | | | | | |Europe, Middle East and Africa | | |$13. billion | | | | | |Japan | | |$5. 1 billion | | | | | |Other | | |$8. billion (Merck. com). † | | | | Merck is seen as a leader on the stage of global expansion. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Merck continues to grow and expand its influence in an effort to provide their vaccines and medicines across the globe. Their recent merger will allow them to test markets that they have not had experience in before, and help increase their profits globally.Style of International Business Merck has been on the forefront of International Business and is one of the leaders at adapt ing to new employees in diverse geographic locations. The company has maintained a policy of progressiveness in their workplace. According to Muse (2011) Merck is one of the leaders in this field. They have been ranked among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity and the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List (Muse p. 251). † Merck makes diversity one of their top priorities and it is well documented on their website. They have created a voice for the different diverse peoples within their company.It is a new way to maintain communication with the feelings and thoughts of various groups in different regions throughout the world. Merck calls these Global Constituency Groups. According to their website, â€Å"We've taken an innovative, global approach to our diversity strategy through the creation of Global Constituency Groups. These groups represent the diverse constituencies in our company, our customers and society, in general. The members represent different geographies, cultures and areas of expertise. Together they reflect Merck employees and customers globally†. Merck. com) With this process, Merck is able to keep up with the problems and successes within the different constituencies throughout the company. Merck’s plan to achieve diversity within their company begins from the leadership positions. Filling these positions with people mindful of diversity has allowed the company to continue to keep its place among the most diverse companies in the world. According to Merck, â€Å"Diversity and inclusion are integrated into our leadership model, and are considered an essential leadership skill for all of our employees (Merck. com). Merck preaches this diversity not only to their employees, but their suppliers as well. â€Å"At Merck, we believe that having a diverse supplier base helps us better understand and anticipate the needs of the people we serve (Merck. com). † This creates a positive culture throughout the company of acceptance an d tolerance towards others. It is a progressive policy that allows Merck to continue to flourish and it is a model style of International Business. Strategic Alliances Merck has made many strategic alliances throughout the years to help improve their products or supply them to a wider range of people.In the late 80’s Merck made an alliance with one of the biggest companies in the United States, Johnson & Johnson. According to the International Directory of Company Histories (2000), â€Å"In 1989 Merck joined with Johnson & Johnson in a venture to develop over-the-counter (OTC) versions of Merck’s prescription medications, initially for the U. S. market, later expanded to Europe and Canada (encyclopedia. com)†. This helped Merck products become more easily available to consumers throughout the world. At the time this alliance was hailed as a blockbuster deal that would create growth for both companies.This deal lasted over twenty years and was very profitable for both parties. When Merck sold their stake in the deal in 2011, they received $175 million for it. The largest alliance Merck has made recently is the acquisition, or reverse merger, of their rival Schering-Plough. The $40 billion deal was made in an effort to keep up with other companies in the pharmaceutical market, especially Pfizer. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger would join pharmaceutical companies that had combined sales of $46. 9 billion last year (p. 1). † This alliance expanded Merck globally and allowed it to tap into Schering-Plough’s resources.These resources ranged from new drugs for Merck to market, to a bigger pipeline to promote their own drugs. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger gives it access to successful brand-name Schering products with much longer patents, like the prescription allergy spray Nasonex. And Merck could capitalize on Schering’s investments in promising biotechnology drugs (Singer p. 1 ). † This al liance helped Merck continue to be a formidable competitor in the global pharmaceutical market. With this deal happening only a few short years ago, Merck continues to grow and utilize its new resources in the market today.Exports Merck’s exports consist of various types of pharmaceuticals. Some of their most profitable exports include Singulair, Fosamax, Nasonex, and Vytorin. Singulair is used to treat seasonal allergies like other drugs such as Claritin and Allegra. It can also be used to prevent asthma attacks. It has been very profitable for Merck in the past. Yet, sales began to dramatically fall when media reports about the disturbing side effects of Singulair began to surface. The worst of these side effects included depression and suicidal thoughts.Still, even in spite of Singulair’s profit drop, Merck continues to make large amounts of money off of the export. Nasonex and Vytorin are two products that were a result of the Merck and Schering-Plough merger. Naso nex is a nasal spray used to treat seasonal allergies in adults and children. It has proved to be a positive part of the merger, becoming one of Merck’s most profitable products. Vytorin was already part of a joint effort between Merck and Schering-Plough even before the merger. Vytorin is a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin used to treat cholesterol levels.They created and marketed the product together. After the merger, Merck continued to sell and market Vytorin. Fosamax is another popular export of the Merck Company. It is used to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Fosamax was previously one of Merck’s best selling drugs. Yet, because of patent problems, they have lost large amount of money. According to Singer (2009) â€Å"Merck’s former blockbuster bone drug Fosamax has gone generic, and in a few years the same thing will happen to its best-selling allergy and asthma drug Singulair (pg. 1 ). † These exports have been Merck’s ma in products in the past.In the future, with their recent merger, they should be able to develop new products that can help them rebound from the losses they took from products like Fosamax and Singulair. Transportation In order to effectively and efficiently deliver their products throughout the world, Merck has contracted UPS to deliver them. As of June 2011, the joint venture known as MSD has announced that it would include and take care of Merck’s logistics and distribution around the world, which till now only managed Merck’s distribution, warehousing and transportation in North America (Berman, 2011).According to Willie A. Deese, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division,â€Å" This expanded agreement with UPS allows us to focus on our core business as a global healthcare leader that looks for innovative ways to bring our medicines and vaccines to patients in emerging markets and markets around the world† (businesswire, 2011). The collaboration, which began in early 2003 with UPS just taking care of the transportation and delivery of products over time, has extended to North American distribution, warehousing and multi-modal transportation services (businesswire, 2011).Merck now entrusted UPS with taking care of their logistics in countries like China, Brazil as well as Latin America among others. UPS also stated that it would establish proper facilities in order to store goods and vaccines so in order to ensure quicker and efficient delivery system (Berman, 2011). Merck believes that this extended partnership with UPS would result in being cost effective in the long run. Although Merck does rely on other logistic companies as well, but they rely more heavily on UPS and this current agreement will only further increase the company’s trust in the logistics firm (businesswire, 2011).Ethical Standards The code of ethics from Merck’s website (2013) states: Being a good corporate citizen means that we comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Also, we serve our society, from the local communities in which we operate to the national and international levels, by supporting a number of programs, including those that improve health and promote environmental sustainability. All of our activities are guided by our corporate responsibility principle of â€Å"Helping the World Be Well†. (p. 1) Ethical Violations Merck & Co. ave developed some great products that have helped many people. They have even done some amazing humanitarian work that follows their mission of their code of ethics, which is to help the people of this world be as healthy as they can. For example, After World War II, many people who were living in Japan could not afford the Merck developed drug streptomycin (Miller & Goldman, 2003). Streptomycin was the first drug to fight tuberculosis. Merck decided to sell streptomycin at a much lower cost in Japan so it could be distributed to those who nee ded it and could not afford it at market value.Merck is also one of the nation’s largest donors to UNICEF. One of the ways that Merck has partnered with UNICEF is by donating a drug called Mectizan. Mectizan is a drug that Merck has developed to fight river blindness, and Merck has teamed up with UNICEF in order to distribute Mectizan to anyone who needs it (Unicef, 2013). But the business strategies for Merck have not always been as ethically sound as it may appear. On September 30th 2004 the drug that Merck had created to treat arthritis and severe pain, Vioxx, was pulled off the shelves for good.The reason behind shutting down this drug was that it was found to have caused serious illnesses after long term use, including heart attacks and strokes (Kay, 2004). Vioxx was withdrawn only five years after being introduced, but in that short time had effected many, in those five years there had been over eighty million prescriptions for Vioxx (Kay, 2004). Dr David Graham, the as sociate director for science and medicine at the Office of Drug Safety, estimates that Vioxx caused between 88,000 and 139,000 heart attacks, of which thirty to forty percent have most likely died (Kay, 2004).But did Merck know of this threat before they started to market the drug? Before Merck released Vioxx in 1999 their own scientist conducted tests on Vioxx while developing it. In 1997 these scientist did a study and found that patients who were being tested on were six times more likely to have heart complications when using Vioxx compared to other arthritis drugs. But this study was never released and the data was never sent to the FDA (Culp & Isobel, 2007).Scientist also completed a VIGOR (Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research) test on the drug and found evidence that people who take Vioxx had a five times higher chance of having a heart attack (Cahana & Mauron, 2006). In 2001 Merck scientist had another test called â€Å"meta-analysis†. The meta-analysis tested 20, 000 patients, and again showed that these patients were twice as likely to have a heart attack while taking Vioxx compared to other drugs (Culp & Isobel, 2007). Not only did Merck know about these risks and kept the results to themselves, they also trained their sales people on how to dodge the subject.In order to train the sales force who were going to be selling Vioxx to doctors, Merck developed a card game called dodgeball. The purpose of this game was to teach the sales force different ways to dodge questions asked by doctors about the effects Vioxx has on the heart (Daily, 2005). This again proves that Merck knew of these risks caused by taking Vioxx, but was trying to make sure that information was kept in house. Another instance where Merck lacked good ethical decision making is when they decided to pay Elsevier to publish a magazine for them. Elsevier is a publishing company that focuses mainly on medical and scientific literature.Merck’s marketing team decided to pay Elsevier to publish a journal called The Australiasian Journal of Bone & Joint Medicine. This journal was made to look like any other peer-reviewed medical journal but it was far from it. Merck’s marketing department handpicked the articles that they wanted to put in this journal, with the purpose of trying to control what articles were chosen to be in the journal. They took advantage of this situation by picking articles that favored Merck products and disguising this marketing scheme as a peer review journal (Grant, 2009).For instance in the second issue twenty one of the twenty nine articles spoke about Merck’s products in a favorable way, nine of them positively talking about Vioxx (Grant, 2009). Merck also had an ethical downfall when management decided to change the prices of their product. Not only was Merck paying doctors to prescribe Merck medicine when patients were in the hospital, Merck also started to give hospitals a ninety two percent discount on their medicine; with the idea that after the patient was discharged they would want to stay on the same medicine (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008).The insurance company would pay full price for the drugs after the patient was discharged and that is where Merck would bring in their profit. An employee within Merck saw what was going on and didn’t approve. A lawsuit quickly followed and Merck ended up paying $671 million, including sixty eight million dollars to the whistleblower (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008). Even after settling Merck did not think they were in the wrong with this pricing, as Merck to pay whistleblower (2008) reported Merck making a statement saying they â€Å"stands by its pricing strategies but is keen to resolve the dispute† (p. 2). Unfortunately for Merck, Vioxx isn’t the only drug that has caused people to question Merck’s ethical decision making when it comes to their customers. As noted above, Merck released a drug called Propecia t o the public that helped men with baldness. The problem with Propecia is that men are starting to see a great increase in sexual problems. Merck says that only one out of fifty men will see significant sexual side effects, and those side effects will disappear after you stop taking Propecia (Thornton, 2011). But that doesn’t seem to be the case.A recent study by Micheal Irving showed that ninety percent of his test patients still showed signs of sexual problems forty months after being off of Propecia (Thornton, 2011). This is where ethics will hurt Merck the most. Not only have there been hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and settlements that will be paid out, but if Merck continues to keep making unethical managerial decisions, Merck will lose the trust of their customers. Even though there is no evidence yet that Merck knew that Propecia would harm people after they stopped taking the drug, it’s hard not to think of how the Merck management decided to handle Vioxx.The financial hit is a big blow that will slow present and future projects, but money is a lot easier to gain back than trust. References Berman, J. (2011, June). UPS and Merck extend relationship with a global supply chain focus. Retrieved February 2013, from http://www. logisticsmgmt. com/article/ups_and_merck_extend_relationship_witha_ global_supply_chain_focus/ businesswire. (2011, June). UPS and Merck Expand Their Distribution and Logistics Agreement. Retrieved February 2013, from businesswire. com: http://www. businesswire. com/news/home/20110628005271/en/UPS-Merck-Expand-Distribution-Logistics-AgreementCahana, A. , & Mauron, A. (2006). The story of Vioxx—no pain and a lot of gain: ethical concerns regarding conduct of the pharmaceutical industry. Journal of anesthesia,  20(4), 348-351. doi:10. 1007/s00540-006-0432-7 Culp, D. R. , & Isobel, B. (2007, August 6). Merck and the Vioxx       debacle. Retrieved February 13, 2013 from St. Johns University,       Web site: http://www. stjohns. edu/media/3/2c0778b7593f4a178b60354abc80bad8. pdf Grant, B. (2009, April 30). Merck published fake journal. Retrieved Febuary 12, 2013 from, Web site: http://www. the-scientist. om/? articles. view/articleNo/27376/title/Merck- published-fake- journal/ Daily, M. (2005, July 18). Merck used ‘dodge ball’ on Vioxx       questions-lawyer. Retrieved February 12, 2013 from, Web site:       http://www. redorbit. com/news/general/178738/ Kay, J. ( 2004, November 22). The Vioxx scandal: Damning senate       testimony reveals drug company, government complicity. Retrieved 2013, February 9 from , Web site: http://www. wsws. org/en/articles/2004/11/viox-n22. html Merck & Co. , Inc. International Directory of Company Histories. 2000.Retrieved February 19, 2013 from Encyclopedia. com:  http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-2843800076. html Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. , a subsidiary of  Merck & Co. , Inc. (2009-2013). Retrieved February 18 , 2013, from http://www. merck. com/index. html Merck to pay whistleblower. (2008). TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (801), 12. Miller, C. , & Goldman, K. (2003, October, 23). Merck, aids, and       Africa. Retrieved February 2, 2013 from New York University,       Leonard N. Stern School of Business Web site: http://pages. stern. nyu. edu/~lcabral/teaching/aids. pdf Muse, L.A. (2011). Flexibility implementation to a global workforce: a case study of Merck and Company, Inc. Community, Work & Family,  14(2), 249-256. Singer, N. (March 9, 2009). Merck to Buy Schering-Plough for $41. 1 Billion. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/03/10/business/10drug. html? _r=0 February 19, 2013. Thornton, J. (2011). A Hair-Raising Side Effect. Men's Health (10544836), 26(10), 102-105. Unicef (2013). Merck & co. , inc. Retrieved January 12, 2013 from, Partners Web site       http://www. unicefusa. org/partners/corporate/merck. html