Theories argue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theories argue - Essay Example Three most important and frequently addressed theories related to the aging process are Theory of disengagement, Activity Theory and Continuity Theory (Bengtson, Silverstein, & Putney, 2009). This researcher finds that Activity Theory has defined the process of aging more effectively as compared to other two theories. The theory was developed in 1953 by an American sociologist Havighurst (Schulz, 2006). This theory holds that to remain lively and participate in societal activities are key factors of satisfaction for aging people. Physical and intellectual activities are important for successful aging. The theory proposes that in order to maintain a positive self-image, older members need to develop new interests, roles, hobbies, and relationships (Schulz-Aellen, 1997). This theory would explain adequately why aging people feel encouraged continue with their middle-age lifestyles by denying the limitations of old age and why they make attempts to sustain that lifestyle over a longer duration. According Havighurst activity is always preferable to inactivity since it increases the chances of the well-being of personality on a number of levels. This theory also explains why post-industrial society allowed its older members to participate in meaningful activities. The theory incorporates an improvement in the general health and prosperity of older people. In contrast to the Activity Theory, the Disengagement theory comes across as a more controversial theory. According to this theory aging is process of regular withdrawal between society and the subject aging individual. The theory holds that in growing older, withdrawal or disengagement can be considered to be a natural or universal process. In all cultures and societies this process is acceptable to elders. According to this theory there should be a social equilibrium that will promote self-reflection for elders. Old members of the society should be free from societal

Inequalities Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Inequalities - Speech or Presentation Example If an individual BMI is between 17 and 22, then his/her life span might be longer than the average. If an individual BMI is between 23 and 25, then the individual is probably not overweight. If an individual BMI is equal to or greater than 26, then he/she is probably overweight and statistically likely to have lower life expectancy. If an individual BMI is between 25 and 29.9, then the individual is overweight and if BMI is equal to or greater than the 30, then the individual is obese (Dugopolski, 2012). Therefore, an individual who has the same height as mine and who weigh above 180.3 pounds is obese and will face serious problems in their life. Although, this interval theoretically extends to positive infinity, however, the weight of a human is eventually self-limiting. Then S = {w | w > 150.25 and w ≠¤ 180.30} where w represents the weight of the individual. Because the weight is between 150.25 and 180.30 (including), ‘w’ has to be larger than the smaller number (150.25) and smaller or equal to the larger number (180.30). In interval notation, this would be written as follows: X = (150.25, 180.30]. Left side parenthesis ‘(‘ and right side square bracket ‘]’ is used because of the > and ≠¤ symbols from the inequality. This demonstrates that 150.25 is not included in the solution set, however, 180.30 is included in the solution set. In conclusion, inequality can be used for determining weight range for individual for being normal weight, overweight and obese based on the body mass index (BMI). An individual of height 65 inches who weigh between 150 pounds and 180 pounds will be considered as overweight and weight greater than 180 pounds will be considered as obese. Both of these scenarios could results in shorter life span than average for the

Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Gun Control - Essay Example Advocates argue that pro-gun control laws such as implementing a complete ban on possession of assault weapons can play a key role in limiting and/or restricting access to such weapons and hence ultimately result in reduction of violent crimes and attacks (Moorhouse and Wanner, 2003; Hemenway, 2006). Critics, however, disagree stating that no amount of pro gun-control laws can prohibit violent attacks and crimes involving assault weapons and that there is lack of literature substantiating the relationship between gun prevalence and violence (Carter, 2006). Regardless of the immense and widespread debates and controversies centered on the policy of gun control and the hysteria, panic, and terror accompanying the same generating varied emotions across diverse sections of the society, the fact that it still remains one of the most pressing issues in modern day America cannot be denied. This essay aims to discuss, analyze, examine and understand the issue of gun control against the vario us arguments in favor of as well as against it. The essay essentially argues in favor of passing of legislation that outlaws assault weapons. Gun culture in the U.S.: Overview and implications Firearms have off late risen to an elevated status commanding a central position as a critical public policy issue. The long-running debates and controversies related to firearms and it’s impact and implications on the American way of life demand a permanent and effective solution in order to end the chaos and restore the instability and dent caused in the social structure. However the solutions offered so far appear bleak at best, largely because the issue of gun control is difficult to deal with given that the gun-culture is an inherent part of the American society. The politics of guns: The proponents of gun control have persistently and vehemently defended the right to bear firearms citing their democratic rights to do so, granted by the U.S. constitution. Ownership of gun has come to be the fundamental democratic right of citizens in the U.S over the years (Burbick, 2006). The National Rifle Association who are the staunch supporters and defenders of the possession of firearms have consistently defended the right to bear firearms and continues to do. In a recent move by the NRA, the association once again launched full-fledged efforts to counter President Obama's bold gun control plans (The Guardian, 2013). Various new laws have been passed over the years granting the citizens an exclusive right to hold concealed firearms as a response to cater to the epidemic-level fears and anxiety among the citizens concerning their safety. Such favorable laws have escalated the access to firearms to the common public which in turn paved way for the development of a lucrative firearms manufacturing market that are now found to strongly lobby against any policies aimed at restricting or banning the possession of firearms. Such efforts on the part of the pro-firearms and ant i-gun control lobbyists have essentially blunted the political efforts bringing the political momentum to a temporary halt (Squires, 2012). The gun control policy is perceived by the opponents as a conflict between the rural hunters and shooters of NRA and other pro-gun organizations versus the government and law enforcement officials (Bruce and Wilcox, 1998). Critics argue that the consistent efforts by such pro-gun organizations have made access to firearms easier, particularly among the children, youth and the mentally unstable sections

Challenges and situations Essay Example for Free

Challenges and situations Essay In our day to day activities, we face different challenges and situations that demand our attention. In order to handle such challenges in a morally acceptable manner, without intentionally causing harm to all the partners involved, we have to be well informed about what morality expects of us. Fundamentally, almost all decisions raise ethical questions that demand ethical answers. Knowledge of ethics hence comes in handy, enabling us to deal with such challenges accordingly. These two situations are part of the dilemmas we face that deserve moral attention to address them. Use of drugs at workplaces is not morally acceptable. Being a friends liaison, I would consult the boss at the workplace and propose that testing for drug use be undertaken. Legally, the employers have a duty to provide safe working environments for all (National Conference of Legislatures, 2009) and owing to the fact that the business world be at stake with regard to production and insecurity, she would be willing to undertake the procedure. Use of drugs at the work place has various implications. One of the major one being that it would lead to in appropriate decision making which would cost the company lots of money. Other effects to the individual would include reduced performance at the work place due to sluggishness or absenteeism which greatly lowers production, financial losses as a result of compensations and health complications, increased incidences of violence at the work place and accidents especially if the culprit is operating machines. This poses danger both to the drug user and the other workers. Ethicists do argue that an action or decision is morally right if it has the greatest good for the greatest majority. This clearly shows that drug use is unethical because at the end of the day, it amounts to pain and suffering. Besides, use of drugs in the country is an illegal affair and ethically, it would be wrong to let other people face the legal consequences and suffer while the same would have been avoided. However, testing of drug use may not be so easy because of the ethical concerns involved. Hence, the boss would in conjunction with all the stakeholders involved, agree on the need to conduct the procedure. Several consultative and informative campaigns, meetings and workshops organized for the same and above all, assurance that the results would be confidential would to a great extent contribute to a positive perception and ultimate agreement by all stakeholders. Legally, the National Conference of Legislatures (2009) recommends that a drug test be conducted by all the employers before employment. Further, it permits for random testing of the employees for drug use at least monthly or every week. This would make the drug users avoid the work place. In addition, it stipulates that the results from testing be kept confidential. With this at hand, the boss then has the legal permission to conduct the test to the employees and apparently, the suspect would be apprehended and the required legal procedures undertaken against him or her. The National conference of Legislatures (2009) also gives the employer a legal right to deny the drug using employee all the benefits that come with job termination. Ethics approve of this as it implies justice; any person should be responsible for the consequences of his or her actions. In addition, in an effort to address the problem at the workplace, the law stipulates that all employers should have a written substance abuse policy. Friends and especially best friends are more often than not basically helpful in almost all aspects of our lives. Somebody can only be a good friend if he or she is genuine and mutually helpful, as well as if the person loves and makes as happy and fulfilled in our lives. Then, it would be the highest level of hypocrisy to let a friend suffer in any way, whether physically or emotionally. We often find ourselves going an extra mile to stand up for the friendship shared on several occasions. This then would not be an exception. In that position, I would tell my friend about what I overheard and urge her to move on and take up the offer at my work place. Aristotle (1976) argues that friendship does occur between two people who are good in themselves and do well for the sake of their friends. In this case, telling my friend about the incident would be for her own good because she would venture further in to other options as her promotion in that particular company is elusive. Besides, telling her well in time would psychologically prepare her for what lies ahead and may make her re-evaluate herself and identify the areas that she might not be performing satisfactorily. Then she would be able to improve on the same, all for her own good. Going an extra mile and informing my friend about the present job offer at my work place implies that I truly care about what happens to her, even as her dreams of getting a promotion are shattered. This option, if better than what she was initially getting, will be beneficial to her as it would mean some better pay and consequent improvement in her lifestyle. Besides, waiting a little longer may make her loose the job offer as the position might be taken up by other applicants. Telling her about this in advance would help her make her application in a timely manner. Friendship also demands that we care for each other. Caring for my friend would mean that I become concerned about what happens to her, including her feelings. Aristotle (1976) affirms this by arguing that perfect friendship entails deep concern, sympathy and care for each other, being able to put the feelings of our friends before our own. No where else would this be demonstrated if I fail to warn my friend about what awaits her in the near future. The above situations, however challenging can be well addressed, without hurting anybody, and for the good of everybody, courtesy of ethics. Morality, by helping us solve our problems, not only helps us avoid problems with the legal officials, but also helps us to stay in harmony with each other. Word Count 1074

Effect of Need Based Grand Eligibility on College Attainment

Effect of Need Based Grand Eligibility on College Attainment The education system in the United State is considered as the best in the world , but this status is started to fall. According to the OECD report(2012) it has been seen that the bachelors degree attainment rate rise substantially in other countries over the last couple of decades, but the trends in the US are move slightly. Educational researchers such as Turner(2004),Bound, Lovenheim Turner( 2007) showed that students who admitted in bachelor degree program take more time to complete it. The national educational statistics also indicate a considerable variation in graduation time at the state level. Statistics from the 2009 census indicate that roughly 17 percent of those born in the lowest-ranked state of Southeast of US (age 25 and older) had attained a bachelor’s degree which is below the national rate of 24 percent, and compared to the U.S. average from the late 1970s(Goal 2025,2014). According to Bailey and Dynarski ( 2011) only 18 percent of college entrant complete a bachelor degree within four years and 36 percent within six years. In the past, educators and researchers tried to find out the reasons why so many college entrants fail to complete a degree, or fail to complete on time. Previous researchers such as Clayton(2009) argued that students financial constraints and academic preparation and motivation are correlated with time to complete a degree. Baum, Ma, Payea (2010) showed that only 55 percent students of low income quintile background who graduated high school in 2008enrolled in college compared with 80 percent of students in the highest income quintile. Ellwood Kane(2000) proved that low-income students have a lower probability of enrollment than do more affluent students when controlling for academic achievement. The gaps in college degree attainment by socioeconomic status are even more concerned (Haveman Smeeding, 2006). These concerns may explain the increasing popularity of programs offering large financial incentives for co llege achievement. The United States government currently provides more than $132 billion per year need based financial assistantships to mitigate the effect of rising college costs on the postsecondary decisions of students from low-income families (Baum and Payea 2011).The largest of these grants is the federal Pell Grant, a need-based grant awarded to low- and moderate-income students pursuing a college education at an accredited institution. Researchers always wanted to know whether these grants lead to improvements in students’ college outcomes. A vast majority of research examined the causal effect of need-based grants on college access. However, a very little research has examined the effect of need-based grants on whether students persistent, accumulate more college credits, and ultimately complete a degree. The proposed study will investigate the effects of need-based grant eligibility on college attainment. Specifically, we will focus on the impact of eligibility fo r the need-based Mississippi Tuition Assistant Grant(MTAG) on whether students enter, remain enrolled in, and graduate from college. The Mississippi Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board(MPEFAB) determined eligibility for the MTAG using the federal need based financial analysis calculation. According to that calculation freshman and sophomore students will get not more than $ 500 per academic year and in case of junior and senior students, the award shall not exceed $ 1000 per academic year. According to the MPEFAB, students who get less than the full Federal Pell Grant award shall receive an MTAG award in an amount equal to the difference between the maximum Federal Pell Grant award amount and the award amount of the Federal Pell Grant for which the student is eligible based upon the student’s EFC as determined by the FAFSA. A student may receive MTAG in addition to the Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant (MESG), unless the institution determines that receipt of both awards will cause the student’s financial aid package to exceed the institution’s established cost of attendance for the student. Problem Statement Previous researches related to financial aid highlighted the effect of financial aid on college attendance and college persistence, even though this two likely represent very different sets of decisions for individuals. Researchers always wanted to know whether these grants lead to improvements in students’ college outcomes. A vast majority of research examined the causal effect of need-based grants on college access. For instance, Deming Dynarski (2009 ) showed that for each additional $1,000 need-based grant eligibility can have a strong and positive effect on students enrollment in college, with the estimated probability of enrollment increasing by between 3 to 4 percentage on average. Several researchers such as Bruce and Carruthers(2011),Dynarksi(2008), Scott-Clayton(2011) examined the long-term effect of merit-based scholarships on whether students earn a degree. Recently, Bettinger, et al. (2012) suggested that helping students to apply for federal aid like the Pell Gr ant increase college persistence. However, a very little research has examined the effect of need-based grants on whether students persistent, accumulate more college credits, and ultimately complete a degree. Research Question The proposed study will investigate the effects of need-based grant eligibility on college attainment. Specifically, we will focus on the impact of eligibility for the need-based Tennessee Student Assistance Award Program (TSAA)on whether students enter, remain enrolled in, and graduate from college. As such, we will contribute to the literature by focusing on the longer-term effects of need-based financial aid. The proposed study will also contributes to the scant literature on the effects of financial aid, particularly need-based aid, on college persistence and degree completion. Additionally, the proposed study will examine the effects of increasing the size other need-based financial aid for example, the Pell Grant on college outcome as well as interaction between need based financial aid and merit based financial aid. A regression -discontinuity design will be used based on the information that determined whether students were eligible for more, or less, need-based grant aid to analyze the causal effect of TSAA eligibility on whether students entered, persisted in, and completed college level degree program. Literature Review Previous research shows that financial aid may influence the college-going decisions of low income students. According to Becker(1964), if the perceived present discounted value (PDV) of the benefits of higher education exceeds the PDV of the costs of going to college the students pursue a college education. Thus, government and other aid granting agencies provide financial aid to reduce the PDV of the cost of going to college. Previous research related to financial aid support this theory. Dynarski (2003) and Deming and Dynarski( 2009) showed that reduction in financial aid by $ 1000 led to roughly 4 % reduction in college enrollment. The research literature suggests that financial aid can impact initial college enrollment positively, while economic theory is reluctant about the effect of financial aid on success of college student. Is is well proved that financial aid have an indirect positive effect on academic success for students who have already admitted in college. In recent y ears, authors such as Dynarski (2008) analyzed the effect of government sponsored merit based scholarship programs on students long term success. Dynarski(2008) showed that the introduction of state merit scholarships in Arkansas and Georgia increase degree completion rate in each state. While,Scott-Clayton (2011) found that students who got West Virginia PROMISE scholarship were 6.7 percentage more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree within four years than other students. Similarly, Bruce and Carruthers (2011) exploited a cut-off in the ACT score that determines eligibility for Tennessee’s HOPE merit scholarship to examine the effect of the grant on students’ longer-term college attainment. In contrast to Dynarski (2008) and Scott-Clayton (2011), the authors found little evidence that Tennessee HOPE had a positive impact on whether students earned a degree.

Comparison of A Farewell to Arms and The Great Gatsby Essay -- Ernest

Comparison of A Farewell to Arms and The Great Gatsby The author’s style from Ernest Hemigway’s A Farewell to Arms differ from F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in many ways. Fitzgerald uses a more reflective style of writing meaning that he makes his characters reflect and the theme also includes reflection from the reader as well as the plot. On the other hand, Hemingway uses a more self-interest style with its theme, characters, and plot, meaning that he makes this book on his own personal experiences that cause the theme, plot and characters to differ in many ways. For example, the styles in which the characters are described are very different. Hemingway makes his characters less educated and from a lower social ranking than the characters from The Great Gatsby. Fredrick Henry, who is the main character in A Farewell to Arms, is less educated than Nick Carraway who is the main character in The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby also has a totally opposite theme than A Farewell to Arms because the them es that are employed by Fitzgerald’s book, are more about corruption of American youth and the education of young Americans while in Hemingway’s book, the themes are related to war and love. The plot from A Farewell to Arms is also very much different from the plot in The Great Gatsby whose plot is about five friends who meet this â€Å"millionaire† and all the time, he was lying about the money he had. H had said to be millionaire but wasn’t. In A Farewell to Arms, the plot is much more different emphasizing on a much more complicated problem. The plot is about Fredrick Henry who is an ambulance driver and deals with war issues during World War I. Fredrick Henry from Hemingway’s book is very different from Nick Carraway from Fitzgerald’s book. Henry is a young, ambulance driver that serves for the Italian army during the First World War. Henry is a very disciplined and courageous young European boy that discovers love with Catherine Barkley, an American nurse whose fiancà © was killed during a battle between Germany and Italy during World war I. Frederic Henry is an immature, troubled young man, caught in a terrible war. He is very much involved with drinking and picking up women only to have sex with them. On the other hand, Nick Carraway is a more centered young boy who went to Yale University and graduated with a major in business bon... ...In A Farewell to Arms, many upcoming events from the war lead the two happily united love partners to separate and take their own ways because of their jobs and then they reunite back together when Fredrick is severely injured by a bomb and is taken to a nearby hospital in which Catherine is the head, leading nurse and she takes care of him and they get married. In conclusion, The Great Gatsby is not related to A Farewell to Arms because of the ways the two aurthoprs express themselves. Fitzgerald uses a more reflective style of writing while Hemingway uses a more self-interest style with its theme, characters, and plot. The styles in which the characters are described are very different in both of the books. The Great Gatsby also has a totally opposite theme than A Farewell to Arms because the themes that are employed by Fitzgerald’s book, are more about corruption of American youth and the education of young Americans while in Hemingway’s book, the themes are related to war and love. The plot from A Farewell to Arms is also very much different from the plot in The Great Gatsby . These two books could never be compared due to their style in which the author has written them.

Iomega Corporation Data Storage

The purpose of this report is to examine the Iomega Corporation, based in Roy, Utah, for the BA 201 – Survey of Business course at Birmingham-Southern College. The company manufactures computer storage devices: the ZipTM and JazTM drives, the Clik! Storage device, and the BuzTM audio and video drive. 1 The leading supplier of data storage devices in Europe, and the third largest supplier in the world, Iomega has now strengthened its line of products with the Ditto tape backup device.2 The industry†s enthusiasm and public satisfaction with which these products were received is unprecedented in the computer industry, making Iomega an innovator among innovators. This report will discuss the following components of the Iomega Corporation: History of the corporation and its products Marketing strategies and product offerings Iomega was founded in 1980 with its flagship removable storage device, the Bernoulli drive. Though its original efforts are now more than antiquated, Bernoulli Optical Systems remains a subsidiary of Iomega. In 1983 Iomega was made public, and for the next twelve years, the company would see a period of experimentation and growth. While Iomega remained behind the major industry names of Apple and IBM, the late eighties and early nineties were integral to Iomega†s current success. The technical bases for the Zip and Jaz drives were built upon, leading to these products† 1995 release.2 Public response to the release of the portable data storage devices was enormous. Orders clogged the production component of Iomega before the disks were even released to the public, and by April 1996, barely one year after its introduction, Sony Pictures Entertainment entered into an exclusive agreement with Iomega for use of its Jaz disks.3 June of that same year would bring even greater response; Iomega entered into marketing agreements with IBM, NEC Technologies, Gateway, and Unisys.4 By the end of the summer of 1996, Iomega had formed partnerships with every major computer manufacturer in the United States. The media frenzy surrounding the release of the drives was further fueled by honors awarded by computing magazines PC Computing and Gadget Guru. The Jaz drive was named 1996†³s â€Å"Innovation of the Year† and â€Å"Most Valuable Product† by PC. Gadget Guru named the Jaz drive the â€Å"Best Computer Accessory of 1996.† These and other accolades pushed public familiarity of Iomega products higher and higher, boosting production and sales.5 In response to this domestic success, Iomega began a complete expansion of its foreign production and marketing in early 1997. European headquarters were set up in both the Netherlands and Switzerland, and their production site in Malaysia was expanded and modified. While the base of the company remained in Roy, Utah, Iomega†s presence in both Europe and Asia was fortified with a larger number of production jobs for Asians and Europeans. Coupled with a greater concentration of foreign marketing and advertising, Iomega emerged as the third largest producer of data storage devices in the world.6 The end of the 1996 fiscal year showed a 272% increase in revenue from the previous year.7 The introduction of the Jaz and Zip drives in 1995 was undoubtedly responsible for this success, which was followed in 1997 by new partnerships with Motorola, Apple, Kinko†s, and Hewlett Packard.4 By June of 1997, Iomega†s Zip drive shipments reached six million; it was then a standard in new Sony personal computers, Micron notebook computers, and in all Kinko†s store computers nationwide.8 The success of the Iomega drives remained rampant when the company announced the introduction of the Buz multimedia producer in late 1997. The Buz producer would allow consumers to capture movies, music, and photographs on their personal computers. While the success of the Buz drive still remains far behind that of the Zip and Jaz drives, this diversification allowed the company to remain on the cutting edge of computer technology. The Jaz drive was marketed as a companion piece to the Buz drive, lightly forcing consumers to purchase two products with one goal in mind.9 The approach was successful, leading to 1997 fiscal year earnings of 77%.10 May 1998, in the wake of the Buz release, brought about another important computer modernization, the Clik! drive. The Clik! drive revolutionized methods by which consumers could store digital information from handheld video cameras, computers, and cameras.11 Marketed with special Clik! disks, the drive itself brought the portable storage efforts of Iomega full circle, now having storage products for virtually every major computer product on the market. Iomega advertises in many different places. The web site www.iomega.com provides a simple way to find out about the company. It provides potential customers with many different sections geared towards answering their questions about Iomega and its products. The site allows potential customers the opportunity to gather information through press releases and news articles related to the company, and gives customers a chance to win free products in contests. More importantly, Iomega†s web site allows customers the opportunity to order its products online via a virtual shopping mall. Customers can receive Iomega†s products without ever stepping foot outside their front door. Iomega also advertises its products through other companies. Having Iomega Zip drives already installed in computers, such as Apple, Dell, and Gateway, allows customers the option of buying a Zip drive already installed in a computer of a well-established personal computer (PC) manufacturer. About 40% of Dell computers already have Iomega Zip drives installed in them. Due to all of the positive responses Iomega has received from forming partnerships with these PC manufacturers, it has decided to form a new partnership with Fujifilm. Fuji Photo Film Company Ltd. has recently started marketing branded Clik! disks. Fuji already markets Fujifilm branded Zip drives and has now signed with the forty megabyte Clik! disks. Said Steven A. Solomon, senior vice president of Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc., â€Å"We've had great success branding Iomega's popular Zip disks and we believe that we will have similar success with Clik! disks.† 12 Iomega offers customers a way to store large amounts of information on disks rather than saving them on the hard drive of their computer. The company offers 100MB Zip USB and now the new 250MB Zip drives. This option benefits both businesses and personal computer owners. Businesses profit from owning a Zip drive due to the convenience of saving large presentations or proposals on a disk and then carrying it to different places; for personal computer owners, the Zip drive allows everyone in the house to have their own disk, keeping children†s games separate from parent†s finances. The notebook Zip gives people with digital computers the ability to carry large amounts of information with them in a slim, low power design for easier storage and transportation. Iomega recently lowered the price on their external Zip 100MB SCSI and their 100MB Zip USB; the new prices are $99.95 and $129.95, respectively. Reducing the prices was â€Å"driven by the product†s universal adoption by the users of more than twenty-two million Zip drives,† said David J. Henry, vice-president and general manager of Zip/Jaz management at Iomega Corporation. 14 By lowering the price of the product, Iomega makes their products more affordable for their customers, attracting more potential buyers. Iomega Corporation announced in January 1999 that it is restructuring in hopes of increasing gross profit figures for the upcoming fiscal year. Although Iomega controls over 86% of the removable storage market, its gross profits have decreased to levels that have made public investors somewhat weary. Previously, Iomega†s structure was that of three decentralized product units which included the Professional Products, Personal Storage, and Mobile Storage divisions. The new structure will focus on eight business functions that include sales and marketing, product development, manufacturing and operations, corporate marketing, finance, legal, human resources, and corporate development and strategy. In addition, top management created a new functional group known as customer service and development which combines the existing customer service organization with a new group of applications engineers.15 Iomega hopes that these changes will ease the rise-fall-and-rise-again impression that the company has acquired since its entry into the removable storage market in 1980, thus spurring improved gross profits, consumer confidence, and an increased interest on Wall Street.16 In 1983, Iomega was on top of the Wall Street world. The searing property raised $21.7 million in public offerings due to the interest drawn by IBM PC users who were amazed by Iomega†s patented Bernoulli Box technology. The Bernoulli Box used a subsystem with stand-alone disk drives that rest beneath the monitor and provide unlimited data storage capability with removable cartridges. After several years of prosperity, the bottom fell out in 1986 and 1987 when computer makers began including relatively large storage hard drives as a standard part of the home PC. Demand for the Bernoulli Box technology waned, and Iomega experienced hard times that included an $8.5 million bank debt and enormous inventories. Michael Kucha took the reins as chief executive officer (CEO) and immediately made an impact on the struggling company. Kucha cut costs by trimming the workforce from 1,350 to 750 as well as utilizing substantial tax write-offs. In less then a year, Kucha helped Iomega gain an $18 million cash balance, cut the bank debt to zero, and slashed inventory by 50%.16 More importantly, Kucha stressed research and development during his leadership reign. The company was able to adapt its Bernoulli Box product for the Apple Macintosh computers and began benefiting from the increased demand for the Macintosh in the late 1980†³s and early 1990†³s. After a few years of slightly above average success, 1993 proved to be a disastrous year for Iomega. CEO Fred Wenniger, who replaced Kucha in 1989, departed due to shrinking margins and increased competition. The removable storage market had recently been flooded with Iomega clones that caused prices to decline, thus increasing competition. Analysts wondered if the company would survive the year.17 Leon Staciokas was named acting CEO as the company restructured during 1993 and 1994. In January 1994, Staciokas advocated a staff cut in hopes of reducing overhead expenses and freeing up extra cash. Eight percent of salaried positions were cut as part of the corporate wide restructuring.18 Later in the year, Kim Edwards replaced Staciokas and became permanent CEO of Iomega. Edwards first task was freeing up more money to invest in updating and improving technology. In July, Iomega cut 100 salaried jobs in a bold management move that would free up $4 million in overhead annually.19 Edwards† new management approach towards Iomega eventually transformed the company from a struggling business into the most successful removable storage manufacturer in the world. This approach was based on the idea of creating a product that the public would buy and use rather than simply admire. After meeting with top management and technical advisors in the early months of 1995, Edwards was able to lay the groundwork for the release of Iomega†s new Zip drive that would revolutionize the industry and reestablish the company as a major player in removable storage software. The creation and release of the Zip drive in late 1995, as well as wise financial management by Edwards, helped to increase Iomega†s operating budget from $141 million in 1995 to just over $1.2 billion in 1997. 20 Unfortunately, Iomega encountered more problems in late 1997 and early 1998. Edwards believed that opening a new product engineering and manufacturing plant in Milipitas, California, would yield greater productivity and allow for quicker response time to customer demands for new technology.21 And it did. However, in July 1998, Iomega acquired Nomai, another removable storage manufacturer, in hopes of shrinking competition and placing the company squarely in front of all competitors. This bold move hurt Iomega†s finances and caused a significant increase in operating expenses when paired with the upkeep of a brand new factory. This poor management decision by Edwards cost him his job. 22 Presently, Jodie Glore serves as president and CEO of Iomega. Mr. Glore is the permanent replacement for Kim Edwards after James Sierk served a brief stint as interim CEO. Glore hopes to reorganize and restructure Iomega; he wants to focus on the areas that the company has been criticized for in the past such as customer service and unsatisfactory product performance. Glore has already taken steps to alleviate these problems by ordering internal restructuring that will overhaul the previous system. The new system of eight business functions is a more elaborate, yet organized hierarchy. Glore hopes that it will allow a quicker response to customers, placing their needs as a top priority.15