Non Human Primates, Essay -- Chimpanzees

NON HUMAN PRIMATES Non human primates’ social organization can provide useful information how human social evolution occurs. We will go over main points of how similar and different non human primates such as chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas’ society are compared to ours, humans. Chimpanzee Social Organization and Communication Chimpanzees (Figure 1) are the closest living relatives to us, and they share 99 percent of our DNA (1). Chimpanzees have distinct group territoriality. Male chimpanzees â€Å"patrol† near the boundary between the two ranges, at that time they move very carefully and quietly, and they can cease to listen and observe the range of their neighbors. Patrolling individuals are likely to face cruel and violent attacks, injuries, and even deaths. Intense excitement and aggressive display can occur if the two parties of two communities encounter each other. Usually, the larger group holds its ground, and interaction between different chimpanzees communities may also lead to gang attack. Expanding the community range is necessary to their social organizations, the males cooperation can defend the territory and increase the reproductive rates of the resident females by excluding female and male competitors. Body contact is common in their social life such as grooming (1). Usually, ch impanzees groom each other as a way to show harmony and solidarity in their society (Figure 2). Grooming each other demonstrates the deep bonds and close relationship between them. In addition, they can even hug, hold hands, touch, kiss each other as a way of emotional expression (2). In order to show off how powerful one chimpanzee is, the male can swing, pull down the trees, drag them, throw sticks and stones, and stomp on t... ...higher and more complicated degree. More research done about non human primates can help us understand more our social, ecological, and cultural roots. Reference 1) B.M.de Waal, Tree of Origin: What Primate Behavior Can Tell Us about Human Social Evolution. Havard University Press: Massachusets, 2001. 2) Chimpanzees Communication. Retrieved Mar 20 from 3) Galdikas, M et al.Great Ape Odyssey. Harry N. Abrams Inc., Publishers. 2005. 4) Chimps Behavior. The Jane Goodall Institute of Cananda website. Retrieved Mar 20 from 5) Vergano, D. Scientist scratch the surface of chimp communication. USA Today. April 6. 2006. Retrieve Mar 20 from

Frankenstein Essay example -- essays research papers

What qualifies a creature to be a monster? When the movie Frankenstein came out, monsters were usually big and scary animals that terrified everyone that walked in their path. They were creatures that generally behaved monstrously, doing things that were against society norms and had no consideration for the safety of others. Perhaps looking beyond the physical appearance of a â€Å"monster† and just looking at their actions one might see Dr. Frankenstein as a monster himself. Frankenstein was a story about a man who created an individual which led his life to failure and death, because of his desire to play which nature, and attempting the role of God. The movie Frankenstein explores the consequences of what happens when man tries to play God and chases his ambition blindly. Victor Frankenstein became very involved in his work to create a being out of dead body parts. The doctor had the desire to achieve something that no scientist has ever done before: to give life to a being through science, not human nature. With this pursuit of knowledge, not only did Victor isolate himself from society but also from those who loved him, such as his fiancà ©e Elizabeth and his father. However, it is with this knowledge and ambition, that winds up destroying him and those closest to him. His project he felt would better human kind and possibly make a name for himself, which is ironic because he brought only evil to society and death to his name. Frankenstein is so caught up in his work and his yearning to be remembered for all time that he does not think about what will happen after life is breathed into this being. After his creation comes to life, he refuses to accept his obligation as the creator to his creation. He does not care for it, shelter it, provide it with food or love, nor teaches the creation. When realizing how to actually make his creation work he found out just how evil and strong his â€Å"monster† truly was. By bringing this creation to life; a destructive being that he had no control over, he doomed his own life and his intentions. Dr. Frankenstein was blinded by the fact that he was unable to foresee the effects that a creature could never be fully accepted into the human race. He was ultimately haunted by his own creation. Yet is it his monster’s fault that he doesn’t know right from wrong, or is it Dr. Frankenstein’s fault? Frankenstein is called the creato... ... just a phase, hoping he could get over his work and forget about his creation and all the havoc he had caused. But unfortunately he couldn’t, the monster haunted him and eventually ruined him. What was once a sought after dream, was now a nightmare. There would be only one solution;to kill the monster. But was the creation really the monster? To the society and Victor he was but to the viewer, he was only a helpless creator who lost his way. Victor Frankenstein shows that experimenting with the work of God or nature is immoral and will only end in corruption. No one can play God. The movie shows that a person who chases notoriety for his or her own personal intentions may find the consequences of their actions to be truly demoralizing, causing him to become the monster more than his creation. His faults in his creation lead to his demise. Work Cited 1. Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Penguin Group. London, England. 1992. 2. Frankenstein. Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. Perf. Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, and John Boles. Universal Pictures. 1931. 3.Gods and Monsters. The Flick Filosopher. AF 100:#87 http://www.flickfilosopher.com/flickfilos/archive/004q/frankenstein.html

The Basics of Socialism and Communism Essay -- Government History Soci

The Basics of Socialism and Communism The radical political essay, Communist Manifesto- written by the German revolutionary philosopher Karl Marx, addresses numerous sociological problems of the 1800’s. In it, Marx basically calls for a proletariat, or working class, revolt and the installation of communism. Communism, also known as â€Å"scientific socialism†, like the latter name points out, is derived from socialism. These two complicated theories both yield a government that as autonomous political system has the responsibility to govern its country with the people's best interest as the priority. The Communist Manifesto and these ideas, however, can be best understood with an explanation of socialism and communism. Socialism, which preceded communism, began in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Utopian socialists such as Charles Fourier, Robert Owen, and Charles Dana were some of the founders of socialist thought. These visionaries had notions that human society could be organized into ideal communities of all the different occupations, including capitalists in some cases. They thought these communities would be stable and self-sustaining.[i] In addition, socialism calls for â€Å"state ownership and control of the fundamental means of production and distribution of wealth, to be achieved by reconstruction of the existing capitalist or other political system of a country through peaceful, democratic, and parliamentary means.†[ii] It also promotes protecting public welfare with the national government. One of the significant differences between socialism and communism is that along with state corporation ownership, socialism allows and encourages smaller business es to be owned privately. The ultimate goal of... ...s well. Notes [i] Bruno Leone. Socialism: Opposing Viewpoints, (Minneapolis: Greenhaven Press, 1978), 6. [ii] Michael Harrington. Socialism: Past and Future. (New York: Arcade Publishing, 1989), 51. [iii] Leone, Socialism, 19. [iv] Bruno Leone. Communism: Opposing Viewpoints, (Minneapolis: Greenhaven Press, 1978), 2-3. [v] Karl Marx, â€Å"The Communist Manifesto,† The Avalon Project of Yale Law School, (11 March 2002). [vi] Marx, â€Å"The Communist Manifesto.† [vii] Leone, Socialism, 6. [viii] Andrew Linklater. Beyond Realism and Marxism. (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1990), 113. [ix] Harrington, 39. [x] Leone, Communism, 63. [xi] Harrington, 230-234.

Motivation Solution Essay

Motivation is the real driving force of a company that culminates the entire work force of a company into one tireless engine that runs on towards success. However, it is easier said than done to achieve that flow of motivation in a company – because it takes relentless effort from the management to keep every component of the organization motivated. Therefore, I felt really happy as an organizational consultant, when the CEO of â€Å"The Altitude Corporation†, Mr. David had sought my assistance to assess and recommend ways and means to improve the state of LOB (Leadership and Organizational Behavior) in his esteemed company. It made me happy on another account that I could successfully pinpoint the problem areas and specific solutions for them and I’m sure that the application of such solutions would definitely make a difference to the future performance of the organization. Therefore, this paper is presented to â€Å"The Altitude Corporation† as part of the blueprint of the detailed, employee-based analysis, which deals with motivation problem of the company. Here I’ve embedded the nuances of motivation with the problem areas to provide an enhanced understanding of motivation and its relation with the company. However, the brief of the problems found in the motivation sector is placed below: The Problem An exhaustive study on the motivational state of the 350 employees of the organization is showing that there is serious lack of motivation among the employees, which is the cumulative effect of various factors.   These factors have been mentioned along with possible solutions and detailed discussion in this report, besides discussion on the topic to enhance better understanding about the problems of the company. What is Motivation? Background: Altitude Corporation is a budding company with 350 employees on its roll at present, where most of the departments are interdependent in executing the various levels of operation. Therefore it is necessary to understand the key concepts of motivation to apply them towards motivating the employees. Motivation is the guiding spirit behind the execution of a chosen action, where it helps to achieve the desired result out of that action. Now this guiding spirit is actually backed by some grand essentials of happiness – which form the core of all living being’s reasoning for survival or to develop – as the management guru Shiv Khera says, motivation is a â€Å"drive that encourages action or feeling. It is a force that can literally change your life† (Khera 2004). Motivation Philosophy in Workplace Environment It may seem that motivation is an automated process, and humans have nothing to meddle into it – but it is the degree of its intensity that determines the level of one’s achievement and from this perspective motivation is a very important factor in human life, which is multidimensional and is not limited to manage just a living for a good number of years. Thus, at the primary level motivation is essential for existence, and in its secondary level, it is essential to develop further on aesthetic, emotional or esoteric plane of existence. Likewise, one might have many goals spread out at various levels of his/her existence and thus requires all of his/her power of body and mind. Here motivation would be that essential catalyst to synchronize the body and mind power of that individual, which would heighten the emotion and passion to achieve all such goals. In this context, motivation philosophy is an extremely important in workplace, because all or most of the primary or secondary goals of the employees are either directly or indirectly attached to the success of his/her workplace, which is totally dependent on the motivated action of the employees themselves. Thus it will be pertinent to incorporate motivation theories that have evolved out of workplace environment and I have chosen four such theories for better understanding of the subject from various angles, besides showing the correlations among them and the proceedings of the Altitude Corporation. Motivation Theories Theory 1: Hierarchy of Needs This theory of Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)[1] provides an outline of human needs that a manager should know and exploit to motivate the employees, because motivation is guided by unfulfilled needs. Thus Maslow’s model of ‘needs’ is invaluable to systematically pursue the needs while keeping the flow of motivation intact. Maslow’s model (Abraham, 2006) divides the human needs into five broad based categories and they are: 1. Physiological Needs: Air, Water, Nourishment and Sleep – these are the basic needs of humans and a company should take care that the employees are having all these in proper measure. It’s only after meeting this need, humans can look towards sustenance, and thus arrives the need like Safety need. 2. Safety Needs: This need covers the issues of safety in both living and in workplace, medical insurance, job security and financial backup. Company should try to contribute in all of these areas with the view that the problem in any of these areas takes away the focus of the employees. This provides much needed mental space and time to the employees, where they can afford to pursue another vital need like Social Need. 3. Social Needs: Group activities, socialization, or enhanced interpersonal communication are the elements that fulfill the social needs and which are well within the ambit of a company to imbibe in the employees, where they form a sense of belonging, which paves the way for the next need, that is Esteem Need. 4. Esteem Needs: At this stage humans turn their focus on esteem that involves recognition and social status, at the outer world and self-respect or sense of achievement in one’s own mind. This creates the platform to pursue the self-realization process, which is a unique and endless process, where one can bask in the endless discoveries about oneself. Maslow had named this ultimate need of humans as Self-actualization. It is thus understood, that an employee would reach his/her highest point of regard about the company, if it can help him/her to reach this state. 5. Self-actualization: Every human life is ideally poised to pursue this need where one can delve deep within and keep on discovering oneself from many perspective both on mental and physical plane – it is something like playing in one’s own garden – in Maslow’s words, â€Å"Self-actualized persons have frequent occurrences of peak experiences, which are moments of profound happiness and harmony† (Maslow’s, 2008).

Production of Acetone

5. 1 MANUFACTURING PROCESSES: Acetone is produced directly or indirectly by propylene. Early processes for the manufacture of acetone were based on the thermal decomposition of calcium acetate or the carbohydrate fermentation of corn starch or molasses. The ready availability of propylene in the 1960s led to routes based on the dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol or cumene peroxidation. (1) By Cumene Oxidation (Hock Process). Propene is added to benzene [71-43-2] to form cumene [98-82-8], which is then oxidized by air to cumene hydroperoxide, and cleaved in the presence of an acid catalyst like zeolite. Phenol [108-95-2] and acetone [67-64-1] produced in the process are recovered by distillation. Ratio of phenol to acetone is 1:0. 6. (2) By Dehydrogenation of 2-proponal The hydration of propene [115-07-1] gives 2-propanol [67-63-0], which is then dehydrogenated to acetone. In the United States a C3 stream containing 40 – 60 % propene is used for the manufacture of 2-propanol. A large number of catalysts for 2-propanol dehydrogenation have been studied, including copper, zinc, and lead metals, as well as metal oxides, e. g. , zinc oxide, copper oxide, chromium-activated copper oxide, manganese oxide, and magnesium oxide. Inert supports, such as pumice, may be used. CH3CH=CH2 CH3CH(OH)CH3 CH3COCH3 +H2 (3) By catalytic oxidation of Propene (Wacker-Hoechst). The process is analogous to the oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde by theWacker process. The catalyst solution typically contains 0. 045M Palladium (II) chloride, 1. 8M Copper (II) Chloride, and acetic acid. The reaction usually is carried out in two alternating stages. In the first stage, air is used to oxidize the metal ions to the +2 oxidation state. In the second, air is removed and propene added. Palladium (II) oxidizes propene, and the resulting Palladium (I) is reoxidized by the pool of copper (II). Besides propionaldehyde, chlorinated carbonyl compounds and carbon dioxide also are formed. Acetone and the byproducts are removed from the catalyst solution by flash evaporation with steam and separated by fractional distillation. A mixture of acetone (92 % selectivity) and propionaldehyde (2 – 4 % selectivity) is produced. CH3CH=CH2 + ? O2 CH3COCH3 + CH3CH2CHO (4) By oxidation of p-Disisopropyl Benzene (Goodyear Process). Acetone is coproduced with hydroquinone [123-31-9] from p-diisopropylbenzene [100-18-5] in a process analogous to the phenol – acetone production from cumene. In the Goodyear process p-diisopropylbenzene is oxidized by oxygen in the presence of caustic. The p-diisopropylbenzene dihydroperoxide [3159-98-6] formed is crystallized and washed with benzene. It is then dissolved in acetone and cleaved to hydroquinone and acetone in the presence of sulfuric acid. Next the acid is neutralized with ammonia and the ammonium sulfate formed is filtered. Acetone is recovered by distillation from the reaction mixture. 5) By distillation of Calcium Acetate. Manufacture of Acetone from Acetate of Lime, etc. – Acetone is produced commercially by the dry distillation of various acetates, calcium acetate (commercial grey acetate of lime) or barium acetate being generally used. The single acetate is usually employed, although mixtures of two acetates have been recommended. Grey calcium ace tate usually contains about 80 per cent calcium acetate, the remaining 20 per cent consisting of water and various impurities, including small quantities of calcium formate and propionate as well as salts of other organic acids. Calcium acetate when heated at a temperature of about 380Â ° C. decomposes, giving acetone and a residue of calcium carbonate, but at the same time the accompanying calcium salts present as impurities also react and acetaldehyde and various higher ketones are formed together with the condensation products. In addition other impurities (such as dumasin) and tar-like bodies are formed. Ca(CH? -COO)? CH? -CO-CH? + CaCO? (6) By fermentation of Corn Products by selected Bacteria. The process was started during World War II to provide acetone needed for the manufacture of cordite. The last operating plant in the United States (Publicker Industries) closed in 1977. The fermentation of cornmeal or molasses by various members of the Clostridium genus yields a mixture of 1-butanol, acetone, and ethanol in 2 % overall concentration. The products are recovered by steam distillation and then fractionated. 5. 2 SELECTION OF PROCESSES: Sr NoProcessesParameterCatalystAdvantages/ Disadvantages 1Cumene OxidationYield:- 40% Selectivity:- 90% 1)For Cumene hydroperoxide Temp:- 120 0C Pressure:- 1 atm 2) For acetone Temp:- 60-65 0CAcid catalyst like zeoliteAdvantage:- Valuable main product phenol Disadvantage: – ) Higher operating cost. 2) Acetone is as a byproduct. 2Dehydrogenation of 2-proponalYield:- 90% Selectivity:- 98% Temp:- 300-500 0C Pressure:- 3 atm Dehydrogenation Catalyst:- ZnO, CuAdvantages:- 1) The primary advantage of this process is that the acetone produced is free from trace aromatic compounds, particularly benzene. 2) Less operating cost 3) Valuable byproduct Hydrogen which is 99% pure. 4) High Yield 3Catalytic oxidation of PropeneYield:- 97-99% Selectivity:-92% Temp:- 140 0C Pressure:- 14 atmPalladium Chloride – Cupric ChlorideAdvantage:- 1) Single stage Disadvantages:- 1) High capital & operating cost. 2) Corrosion problem. 4Oxidation of p-Di-isopropyl BenzeneYield:- 20% Temp:- 80-90 0CSulfuric acidDisadvantage: – 1) Higher operating cost. 2) Acetone is as a byproduct. 3) Lower yield 5Distillation of Calcium AcetateYield:- 75% Temp:- 380 0C Disadvantage: – 1) Higher operating cost 2) Lower yield 6Fermentation processYield:- 28-30% Temp:- 35-450CClostridium Madisonii VacteriaDisadvantages: – 1) Lower yield. 2) Higher processing cost due to increase in price of petrochemical feedstock which is used for extracting the acetone. On the above discussion between various methods we are choosing the IPA route to produce Acetone. 5. 3 PROCESSES DESCRIPTION: The production of acetone is divided in two parts. 1)Production of IPA through Feed drum is a kind of tank used for the mixing of the recycle stream and feed stream. Recycle stream concentration was assumed to be same with the feed stream. The temperature of the feed stream is assumed to be 25 0C at 2 bar pressure, which is assumed to be constant. The temperature of recycle stream was calculated as 111. 5 0C. The temperature of the leaving stream was calculated as 32. 9 0C, by the energy balance around feed drum. In the vaporizer molten salt was used for heating. The temperature at the entrance of the unit is the temperature of the mixture leaving the feed drum, which is 32. 89 0C. And the leaving temperature is the bubble point temperature of the mixture, which is 109. 5 0C. The pressure is 2 bars, and assumed to be constant. Since the temperature leaving the vaporizer is not enough for the reaction a pre-heater was used. The unit is working at 2 bars, and assumed to be constant. The entrance and leaving temperatures are 109. 50 0C and 325 0C. The reactor was the starting point for the calculations. The temperature values for the entering and leaving streams were found from literature, which are 325 0C and 350 0C, respectively. The reaction taken place inside is endothermic, for this reason the reactor has to be heated. For heating, molten salt was used. The pressure is 1. 8 bar, and assumed to be constant. The entrance temperature of the cooler is 350 0C and leaving is 94. 70 0C. For cooling, water was used. Instead of water a refrigerant may be used. Better results may get. But since it costs too much, it wasn’t chosen as the cooling material. From the temperature values it’s easily seen that the load is on the cooler not on the condenser, for this process. But in reality the unit cannot cool that much, and the load is mostly on the condenser. In this process, the mixture cooled down to its dew point. The pressure is 1. 5 bar, and assumed to be constant. The temperature of the entering stream is the dew point and the leaving temperature is the bubble point of the mixture. In the condenser water was used as cooling material. In the calculation of the dew and bubble points Antoine Equation was used. Trial and error was used with the help of Excel. The mixture includes acetone, i-propyl-alcohol, water and hydrogen. But hydrogen was not taken into consideration in the calculations. Since the condensation temperature of hydrogen is very low, it is not condense in the condenser. It stays in this for this reasons it has no effect on bubble and dew point calculations. Also since it does not affect the temperature calculations it’s not taken into consideration on mole and mass fraction calculations. The leaving and entering temperatures are 94. 70 0C and 81 0C, respectively. The pressure is 1. 5 bar, and assumed to be constant. Flash unit was assumed to be isothermal, for this reason temperature was not changed. It is 81 0C in the entrance and exit. The pressure is 1. 5 bar, and assumed to be constant. By trial and error method, (V / F) value was found to be 0. 2. The entrance temperature of the unit is the bubble point of the mixture, but if it was its dew point the (V/F) value would be much higher. Scrubber was assumed to be adiabatic. The temperature of water entering the unit was assumed to be 25 0C. The temperature of the off gas, including hydrogen and a very little amount of acetone, was assumed to 70 0C. But this assumption is too high, a lower temperature should have been assumed, since a lot of water is used in the unit. It should have been around 40 0C – 50 0C. The temperature of the leaving stream was found to be 28. 10 0C. The pressure of the unit is 1.. 5 bar, and assumed to be constant. The streams leaving the scrubber and flash unit are mixed together before entering the acetone column. The temperature leaving the flash unit and scrubber are 81 0C and 28. 10 0C, respectively. The temperature of the mixture was found to be 45 0C. This result was getting by using energy balance around the mixing point. The acetone column is used to separate the acetone from the mixture. The entrance temperature is 45 0C. The leaving temperatures for the top and bottom product are 102. 3 and 105, respectively, which are the bubble and dew points. Top product of the unit includes acetone i-propyl-alcohol and 99wt% of the product is acetone. This amount is assumed to be the desired acetone production rate, which is 115000 ton/year. From the bottom i-propylalcohol water and a very little amount of, 0,1 %, acetone is discharged. The pressure is 1. 1 bar, and assumed to be constant. In the distillation column, i-propyl-alcohol and water are separated. The entrance temperature is 105 0C. The leaving temperatures of the top and bottom products are both 111. 50 0C. The top product is recycled to the feed drum. For this reason it’s assumed to have the same concentration with the feed stream. But in reality a very little amount of acetone exists in the stream. It’s calculated but neglected on the recycle stream calculations. The bottom product is assumed to be pure water and it’s thrown away. Since its temperature is very high it cannot be recycled to the scrubber. But if a cooler is used, a recycle can be used. The pressure is 1. 1 bar, and assumed to be constant.

Cases of AIDS in the Workplace

Aids is now the second leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 25-44. More than 50% of the workforce is in this age group. 16% of large businesses have been impacted by the Aids epidemic, while 1 in 16 small businesses have been impacted by Aids. Severe stress (caused by work or home) may hasten the progression of the early stages of HIV. This is why the workplace should be prepared to deal with these types of situations. There are two organizations that deal with Aids in the workplace: The Business Responds to Aids and the Labor Responds to Aids Resource Services is centralized information and referral service that links callers from businesses and labor with resources designed to help them prepare to manage issues related to HIV/AIDS in the workplace. The service was developed in conjunction with workplace education experts and business and labor leaders. Aids-in-the-workplace specialists answer questions, distribute materials, make referrals, and identify resources for callers from small and large organizations throughout the country. They also provide assistance to help workplaces set up effective HIV/AIDS programs. A comprehensive program is made up of five components: 4) Education for Employee's Families 5) Community Service and Volunteerism Crimes of violence such as murder, rape and assault, stand at the core of any criminal code. All these crimes involve significant harm to others. The culpable transmission of the HIV virus to an â€Å"innocent† individual, or acts involving significant risk of such transmission, must be seen at least prima facie is at that core too. After all, to contract Aids is to suffer significant harm. Therefor, prevention of the culpable transmission of Aids to innocent individuals is prima facie, a proper concern of the criminal law. If we lived in a world in which everyone behaved in a morally responsible manner all the time then we could expect that the incidence of AIDS, in the advanced western nations at least, would soon begin to fall. Unfortunately, however, we do not live in such a world. Individuals cannot be relied upon to always act in a way that will minimize the risk of transmitting Aids to previously uninfected individuals.

Marketing Emotiv

Emotiv Case BACKGROUND: By October 2007, Emotiv Systems Inc. had developed a mind reading device called EPOC, which had the ability to process brain signals in order to measure 30 different mental states. Founded in 2003 (with $1 million in startup money from four partners and $17 million in additional financing mainly from Technology Venture Partners and Epicure Capital Partners), the company's research and development team incorporated existing electroencephalography technologies to introduce a relatively inexpensive and effective cognitive and emotional recognition system.Management at Emotiv believed that video gaming applications represented a solid opportunity for the EPOC technology. EPOC would allow gaming users to move onscreen objects or support secondary features using their thought patterns. With the product ready to launch, the company had to decide how to market EPOC. Emotiv wanted to launch the product in 12 to 14 months, in time for the 2008 holiday season.Although it s new product was generating much interest across the gaming industry, it had yet to secure a partnership for the sale and marketing of EPOC with one of the three major video gaming consoles (Sony PlayStation3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii). The Nintendo Wii seemed like a perfect fit. The Wii was established to provide interactive movement games for casual users. Thought games seemed like the next natural step for Nintendo. In addition, Wii had a leading 42. 1% share of the gaming market in the United States. Partnering with the leader would certainly give Emotiv more exposure.However, the Wii was not compatible with the EPOC system because it lacked the computational power the run the advanced EPOC system. It would also have made sense for Sony to jump on board with Emotiv, as it was attempting to turn around plummeting sales. However, poor interorganizational conflict within Sony slowed talks between the two companies. Sony's European division did offer Emotiv a contract f or a dumped down version of EPOC, but that was never really a viable option for Emotiv (it would have hurt Emotiv's image and consumer perceptions of EOPC).Microsoft was highly interested, but did not want to be a first mover on the new technology. It wanted to wait for the EPOC to prove its popularity and worth. To further add to Emotiv's problems, there were no games incorporating EPOC yet. It would be very expensive for Emotiv to produce games internally, and the Electronic Arts (the leading gaming manufacturer) had a wait-and-see approach similar to that of Microsoft. It was now time for Emotiv to make decisions on its marketing strategy. Should it wait until it locked in a major gaming partner to launch EPOC?Or should it launch in the PC gaming market? Emotiv also faced many questions related to the price, distribution, and promotion of EPOC. Their choice and the success of the marketing plan would affect the future profitability of the company. RECOMMENDATION: My recommendatio n would be for Emotiv to initially enter to PC gaming market. Even though it was less lucrative than the console gaming market (only a fifth of the size) and continuing to lose market share, the PC market was easier to enter because games featuring EPOC would be relatively simple to produce.By merely releasing compatibility codes, independent users could easily build EPOC applications into new or existing games, representing a stark difference from the cumbersome game development process in the console market. The wide availability of titles would help promote adoption of the new technology and add to customers' perceived value of the product. Even if the company was able to immediately find a console partner, sales may be low due to a scarcity of games for EPOC. I believe Emotiv should price EPOC at the highest price point advised by retailers, which was $399. Emotiv should create an exclusive product and brand.From its price to its distribution to its positioning statement, the co mpany should portray that EPOC gives users a high customer value. On the distribution front, EPOC should be sold on its own website and at specialty electronics retailers such as Brookstone, which is known for offering the latest and most innovative high-tech gizmos. I think a positing statement that would indicate high value and resonate with consumers is â€Å"Imagine the Unimaginable. † (See Exhibit 1 for the ad containing this positioning statement). The statement conveys that EPOC offers a unique experience.This is important because a distinct user experience is the key point of difference that separates EPOC from other products. Brand value is often created through usage and the customer's overall experience. Thus, I would suggest Emotiv produce one game showcasing the best that EPOC has to offer. The game could be bungled in the sale of the EPOC, giving users an initial application and tutorial for the device. The company had a $2. 5 million offer from Demiurge Studios to develop a PC game to give the user a demonstration of the capabilities of mind-controlled interactivity.The game would feature a martial arts master lifting rocks or walking on water using the user's thoughts. Once the company had its EPOC headset and game ready to launch, it should begin to distribute these items to various influential opinion leaders. Distribution to employees at tech magazines and tech television stations would be ideal. Favorable reviews by sources such as PC Magazine as well as G4 TV and Tech TV would quickly spread word about EPOC. Advertising could also be done using these same mediums. The niche hard-core gamers segment routinely follows these media outlets.Therefore, it would make sense to concentrate on these sources. EPOC also had favorable reviews at industry tradeshows. To gain more exposure, I would advise Emotiv to continue to appear at various tradeshows across the nation, and maybe even host their own conference. The high-profile 2008 Game Devel oper's Conference was five months away. Emotiv should use the event to demonstrate their breakthrough product and create enthusiasm by announcing a launch date. The holiday season would be strategic time to launch, as discretionary consumer spending increases during that time.Management's plan was to release EPOC for the 2008 holiday season, and I would encourage Emotiv to stick with that idea. As the company generates attention and increases awareness for EPOC, it will likely gain a partnership with a major console as they had been seeking. At that time, Emotiv could move from the niche hard-gamers segment to a mass marketing strategy that would also target casual gamers that play for entertainment and fun. The inroads created by their initial strategy can help the company achieve this goal. BASIS FOR RECOMMENDATION: The PC gaming market provides a solid first step or the company. There are significantly fewer barriers to entry in this market. Customers in the PC gaming market tend to be hard-core gamers that spend thousands of dollars upgrading their computers. As such, hard-core gamers would likely be the early adopters of EPOC anyway. In fact, the prospect of a brain computer interface was already creating buzz and generating excitement in online hard-core gamer blogs. I feel that the hard-core gamer segment is a strong target segment, and natural first step for EPOC. Gaming for hard-core users is a lifestyle.They use video games and peripherals for the experience and seek as much reality as possible. EPOC fits this group's needs perfectly, and provides substantial customer value. Thus, a high price tag would be warranted. The price skimming would give Emotiv more flexibility as it eventually moves into the mass market. From a cost benefit standpoint, the move is an optimal strategy. The PC market generates higher margins because the company does not have to pay royalties to console partners. The fee in the console market is usually between 3% and 4% of sa les.Selling the EPOC in Brookstone is a good strategy to target customer looking for the next cool gadget (Brookstone would attract this type of customer), but the company would also be able to negotiate much better terms than the 35% margins that Best Buy demands. Emotiv should be able to exploit hard-core gamers due to the concentrated nature of that market. Adverting costs would be kept minimal, as ads in tech magazines and on television stations command much lower rates than would primetime placements to target the mass market.At a price of $399, the company would need to sell 213,399 units by the end of 2009 in order the breakeven (See Exhibit 2 for a full breakeven analysis). This seems like an attainable sales level for the company. With time, I believe EPOC will become popular enough to move to the mass market. Following the successful launch of EPOC, Microsoft, Sony, and Electronic Arts would be more willing to work with Emotiv. The pace at which the industry adopts EPOC de pends on many factors. An opportunity for the company to accelerate the conversion from niche to mass markets would be a partnership with an influential company like Apple.Their products are widely recognized as being highly innovative. An iPad app that supported the EPOC system could drive sales, making EPOC mainstream quicker. (See Exhibit 3 for a full SWOT analysis for Emotiv). Once the EPOC technology is adopted by the major consoles, I believe its growth can be similar to that of Guitar Hero. Like Guitar Hero, EPOC is an add-on device that creates an interactive experience for the user. The video game industry is rapidly changing, and casual fans are increasingly demanding the kind of games that EPOC can provide.An optimistic sales forecast once the EPOC reaches the mass market could be estimated with an analogy to Guitar Hero (See Exhibit 4 for an optimistic EPOC sales forecast by analogy to Guitar Hero sales). Once EPOC becomes mainstream, sales could quickly increase to more than one million units annually. Although advertising expenses, distribution costs, and royalties paid to console and video game manufacturers would increase, the company would realize a cost savings for manufacturing. After one million units, the incremental cost per unit drops from $110 to $60.ASSUMPTIONS AND UNCERTAINTIES: In the breakeven analysis, I assumed that Brookstone would receive a 20% margin on the sale of EPOC, significantly lower than the 35% margin that Best Buy demands. I am assuming that hard-core gamers will pay an elevated price for a product that provides mainly secondary features, as hard-core gamers usually play fast-paced shooting games that have less of a need for EPOC in the main features of the game. There is also a huge assumption that EPOC will be successful enough to encourage a console maker to adopt the technology.Finally, comparing EPOC to Guitar Hero would be the best case scenario for Emotiv. Casual gamers are harder to reach than hard-core gamers . They could be highly price sensitive (EPOC will be priced at $399 compared to Guitar Hero's $99 price) and expensive to attract (because they are more fragmented and ad space on primetime television would be more costly). EPOC will also have to compete with demand for newer versions of Guitar Hero, which could cut into its sales. ACTION STEPS: Emotiv should immediately contact Demiurge Studios, so it can have the tutorial game ready as soon as possible.Emotiv should showcase EPOC at the 2008 Game Developer's Conference in March 2008. At this point, it should distribute the headset and game to influential opinion leaders across the gaming industry. Hopefully this will create buzz for the release of EPOC. The release should be slighly ahead of the holiday shopping season, in early November 2008. As sales build, the company should continue to target a partnership with a console maker and game producer. By the beginning of 2010, they should have won a contract and be positioned to mas s market EPOC.At this point, their marketing strategy would change. The increased demand facilitated by the console market will give the company higher revenues and profits, giving it more financial flexibility to advertise on primetime television and distribute its products in Best Buy stores. In time, perhaps the company could use its talented research and development team to build even more advanced devices for the gaming market, or even expand the distribution of EPOC for other uses, including applications in the medical, military, market research, and business sectors. See Exhibit 5 for a complete time line for Emotiv). Exhibit 1. Print advertisement for EPOC using its positioning statement. Imagine the Unimaginable Emotiv's EPOC Exhibit 2. Breakeven analysis for years one (2008) and two (2009). Fixed Costs| | | Startup investment | | $1,000,000 | Additional financing used *** | | +$9,500,000 | Cost to produce video martial arts games| | +$2,500,000 | Expected operating expense s for 2008 | | +$11,086,000 | Expected operating expenses for 2009| | +$20,557,000 | Expected total fixed costs| | $44,643,000 | | | Contribution| | | Price | | $399 | Retailers Margins (Price * 20%)| | -$79. 80 | Emotiv's Revenues| | $319. 20 | Cost of Goods Sold| | | (Manufacturing Cost is $110 per unit for the first million units produced)| -$110 | Total contribution per unit | | $209. 20 | | | | | | | Breakeven (fixed costs/contribution)| | 213,399| | | | | | | ***| | | Additional financing raised | $17,000,000 | | Capital still on hand| $7,500,000 | | Additional financing used | $9,500,000 | | Exhibit 3. SWOT analysis for Emotiv.Strengths * Superior quality * Emotiv's EPOC was the best mind- reading device on the market * Technological leader * Its research and development team was highly experienced and innovative, giving the company the ability to continue to improve EPOC and perhaps develop another product in order to move into another gaming category or market segment| Weak nesses * EPOC could be inconsistent * The human mind works differently on different days and times, which can confuse the algorithm behind EPOC * The EPOC is not compatible with the Nintendo Wii, hurting its growth chances since Wii has a leading market share in the console market * No games are currently available for EPOC, which could slow adoption rates by decreasing the value customers receive from the product | Opportunities * Efficiently target hard-core gamers since they are a concentrated group that would likely have an high interest in EPOC and act as early adopters of the technology * Eventually target the mass market once gaming console companies realize the value of the EPOC, allowing the company to experience robust sales similar to those of Guitar Hero * Could increase penetration rate sooner if an innovative leader such as Apple accepts ts technology | Threats * Although EPOC was the most advanced mind-reading device on the market, Emotiv still faced the threat of com petition from other firms * NeuroSky and OCZ Technology were both developing mind-reading devices (although inferior to EPOC) that could be marketing for video gaming applications, which could cut into its market share * Consumers may have unjustifiably high expectations from EPOC (someone once asked if it could move objects in real space), which could lead to customer disappointment and bad reviews| Exhibit 4. Sales Forecast for 2011 once EPOC is mass marketed to all video game players. Under an optimistic scenario, sales of EPOC will mirror sales of Guitar Hero. Exhibit 5. Time line for Emotiv. OCTOBER 2007: Sign a $2. 5 million contract with Demiurge Studios to develop a PC game to be sold with EPOC that demonstrates the capabilities of mind-controlled interactivity. MARCH 2008: Appear at the 2008 Game Developer's Conference. Showcase EPOC and announce that it will be released in November 2008.APRIL 2008: Begin creating buzz for EPOC's launch by sending headsets and the accompany ing PC game to influential opinion leaders at Tech TV and PC magazine. OCTOBER 2008: Create more consumer awareness through advertisements. Target hard-core video game players by running ads on Tech TV and in PC magazine. NOVEMBER 2008: Launch EPOC in time for the start of the 2008 holiday season. Commence its distribution agreement with Brookstone. MARCH 2009: Wait for sales figure for the fourth quarter. Then resume talks with Sony, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts for a partnership to market EPOC. Show them sales statistics for EPOC, which could help demonstrate the success and popularity of the product. JANUARY 2010: Hopefully sign a contract with one of the major console makers.OCTOBER 2010: Prepare to release EPOC for a gaming console. Start advertising on primetime television to capture the mass market. NOVEMBER 2010: Release EPOC for a gaming console in time for the start of the 2010 holiday season. Expand distribution to include Best Buy. MARCH 2011: Conduct research on EPOC upgrades. NOVEMBER 2012: Introduce a new and improved EPOC 2 model. If consumers are satisfied with the first model, repeat sales volume will be high. MARCH 2013: Begin research to expand its product line beyond video games, perhaps for medical, military, market research, or business applications. NOVEMBER 2015: Launch a new product in a new sector. Similar essay: Reed Supermarkets: a New Wave of Competitors