Action Centred Leadership

John Adair – Action-centred Leadership John Adair (b. 1934) is one of Britain's foremost authorities on leadership in organisations. Before Adair and arguably still today people associated leadership with the so called ‘Great Man Theory'. One charismatic individual who used his or her personal power and rhetoric to mobilise a group. Adair approached leadership from a more practical and simple angle; by describing what leaders have to do and the actions they need to take. His model was figuratively based on three overlapping circles representing:- 1.Achieve the task. 2. Build and maintain the team. 3. Develop the individual. This creates a clear distinction between leadership and management. Creating charismatic ‘Great Man' leaders is difficult and cannot be relied on. You cannot guarantee that such a person can be developed and, once developed, that they will be reliable. Adair's theory is more practical and shows that leadership can be taught and that it is a tran sferable skill. The three circles in Adair's model overlap because:- 1. The task needs a team because one person alone cannot accomplish it. 2.If the team needs are not met the task will suffer and the individuals will not be satisfied. 3. If the individual needs are not met the team will suffer and performance of the task will be impaired. Leadership Functions Adair lists eight Leadership Functions required to achieve success. These need to be constantly developed and honed to ensure success. 1. Defining the task: Using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Constrained) to set a clear objective. 2. Planning: An open minded, positive and creative search for alternatives. Contingencies should be planned for and plans should be tested. . Briefing: Team briefings by the leader are a basic function and essential in order to create the right atmosphere, foster teamwork and motivate each individual. 4. Controlling: Leaders need self-control, good control system s in place and effective delegation and monitoring skills in order to get maximum results from minimum resources. 5. Evaluating: Assess consequences, evaluate performance, appraise and train individuals. 6. Motivating: Adair identifies eight basic rules for motivating people* in his book Effective Motivation (Guildford: Talbot Adair Press, 1987).Adair also created the 50:50 rule which states that 50% of motivation comes from within a person and 50% from his or her environment and particularly the leadership they encounter. 7. Organising: Good leaders need to be able to organise themselves, their team and their organisation. 8. Setting an example: The best leaders naturally set a good example. If effort needs to be made it will slip and a bad example is noticed more than a good example. Motivating Your Team The eight rules for motivating people:- 1. Be motivated yourself. 2. Select motivated people. . Treat each person as an individual. 4. Set realistic but challenging targets. 5. Un derstand that progress itself motivates. 6. Create a motivating environment. 7. Provide relevant rewards. 8. Recognise success. John Adair's work is in line with motivational theorists such as Maslow, McGregor and Herzberg. He emphasises the need for development of the team and team building. This can be achieved through team building events and using theories such as that of Belbin. Where Adair identifies the need, Belbin provides one of the tools.

CRM at Minitrex Essay

Implementation of CRM at Minitrex Introduction: Customer Relationship Management is a strategy to develop strong relationships with the customer and to know more about the customer needs. Stronger relationships with the customers will help in the development of the business. CRM helps in understanding the needs of the customers by gathering the information about the customers, and this helps to market and sell the company’s products. CRM makes the use of technology and human resources for the development of the business. By implementing CRM Better customer service can be provided. Sales staff can work effectively. Can discover the new customers and retain the existing ones. For the effective functioning of a CRM, first the organization should understand about their customers and should know their value for the life time. They should also know what their customer’s needs and should develop a strategy to meet those needs. The organization must look after how the information will be saved in the form of data and how it can be used. The stored information can be used for marketing purposes like mail campaigns, sales staff working for selling products, customer service calls etc. CRM links up all those details. Company analysts will look after each aspect and identifies the area that needs better services (Wailgum, 2014). CRM at Minitrex: Minitrex is a company with two major departments involving finance and insurance. George Degas is the director of sales at Minitrex. He appointed Harold Blufmen as the VP of insurance division and Mariella Hopkins as the head of the finance division. Credit administration system that works on the billing and payments of the customers and, General Management system that keeps track of the customers are the two back end systems for the insurance division. A management business centre application was developed by the Finance division in order to help the customer service representatives to track the sales and to provide support to the customers by providing online services like statements and applying for loans through online. Jon Bettman who is appointed as the VP of sales and marketing has created a customer contact system which schedules periodic calls to the customers, feeds data regarding the customers in the insurance and the finance division(Smith, H.A., et al., 2005). The problem at the Minitrex is that customers are receiving the calls multiple times from different sections of the company. In order to prevent this, Customer Relationship Management should be developed which stores all the data from different divisions. A business analyst should be appointed to look after all the data and he should look after the defects of the organization and should develop a strategy to overcome those problems. Sales man must be supported with the guidance by providing training on how to track sales and tracking the new leads of the sales. Team work should be maintained between all the members of the organization starting from the sales man to the head of the organization. All the contact information with the customers should be noted using the technological methods contact system management. Following these guidelines will help the company in implementing the CRM at Minitrex. REFERENCES: Jamalzadeh,M.M., Behravan, N.N., Markhali, A.,& Jouya, S. (2013). Customer Relationship Management Constructs Initiating Successful e- business Strategy for Service- based Companies. Journal of Applied Sciences, 13(1), 60-69. doi: 10.3923/jas.2013.60.69 Smith, H.A., and J. D. Mckeen. â€Å"CRM at Minitrex,† #9-L05-1-002. Queen’s School of Business, January 2005. Reproduced by permission of Queen’s University, School of Business, Kingston, Ontario. Wailgum, Thomas. â€Å"CRM Definition and Solutions.† CIO. Www.CIO.com, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

Stages of Critical Thinking

Stages of critical thinkingHow to move to the next stageObstacles to moving to the next stage EXAMPLE: The Unreflective ThinkerExamine my thinking to identify problems that affect my thinking. Deceiving myself about the effectiveness of my thinking The Challenged ThinkerFiguring out that my thinking is causing me serious problems. Realizing that my thinking is not as perfect as I believe and develop awareness of how thinking operates for good or bad. The Beginning ThinkerMaking attempts to better understand how I can take charge of and improve my thinking.Recognizing and changing the problems in my thinking to and ways to develop as a thinker. The Practicing ThinkerActively analyzing my thinking in a number of ways. Develop awareness of the need for systematic practice in thinking. The Advance ThinkerHaving significant insight to problems at the deeper levels of thought. Developing understanding for systematic practice thinking and insight to deep levels of problem in thought, consis tent recognition. The Accomplished ThinkerContinually monitoring, revising and rethinking strategies for continual improvement in my thinking.To make the highest levels of critical thinking intuitive in every part of my life. Write a 150- to 200-word explanation of your current stage of critical-thinking development and explain why you placed yourself at that stage. Format your paragraph consistent with Associate Level Writing Style Handbook guidelines. Strategies to Develop Critical Thinking Now that you identified your current stage as a critical thinker, it is necessary to adopt strategies to develop your thinking. Of the nine strategies you read about this week, choose three that you can begin to practice.Identify the strategies and describe how you can implement each strategy in your daily life. EXAMPLE Strategy: Deal with my emotions. Implementation Plan: When I am faced with a decision, I will examine the positive and negative emotions associated with my decision. This will h elp me limit the influence of my emotions on my decisions. Strategy 1: Reshaping your character Implementation Plan: When having a discussion I need to be more open minded to other ideas. I tend to assume I know better than some people and will dismiss their ideas as good before I even hear them out to make an educated decision.Strategy 2:Analyze group influence Implementation Plan: It is easy to get caught up in a group decision and have to deal with group speak (for lack of a less political term) regardless of what the situation is. Having a better stance or backbone to make the right decision against the popular decision is imperative to good critical thinking. Strategy 3: Redefine the way I see things. Implementation Plan: I see things that are always my way. I need to open up and look at it in someone’s perspective. I need to be able to see it in someone’s eyes so I know what it feels like.

The Meeting Technologies In the Copenhagen Accord Essay

The Meeting Technologies In the Copenhagen Accord - Essay Example The primary objective of the accord is to minimize greenhouse gas emitted by human activities that is already affecting climate change. While no specific action plans were agreed to in that session, it has set the stage for a series of conferences and treaties to implement its primary objective. The most recent of conferences related to this global initiative was held last December 2009 at Copenhagen, Denmark (United Nations). It was attended by 15,000 delegates from government and non-government institutions of various countries. Assembling such a huge number of participants to meet and exchange opinions entail technology that will facilitate such meeting into a successful agreement. While there are already 15,000 delegates on site to attend the conference, some countries need more participation. Individuals are able to participate in the conference without travelling to the site by viewing a webcast. A webcast is broadcasting over the internet. It is a medium of distributing a media file, say a digitally recorded video of the proceedings of a conference or the actual live video of the conference, over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers (Webcast). A webcast is such a powerful tool to use to capture a wider audience at virtually anywhere in the globe where the Internet is accessible. Having access to the conference from the home country will help delegates even be effective contributors to the conference by getting essential feedback from their country almost instantaneously while the conference is going on. And how do delegates attending the live conference obtain such feedback from their host countries, which could be thousands of miles from where they are sitting That is the power of the Internet. Today, having connectivity to the Internet is as essential as having a pen and paper in attending a meeting. Of course connectivity is only a piece of the set-up: a personal computer and software is required to effectively be connected. When connected to the Internet, the delegate has access to a wide variety of information: both public and private to the conference. Conference-exclusive information may include documents that are being shared and discussed in the conference will not need to be printed out, instead is shared over the Internet for exclusive viewing of the delegates. The delegates may have access to a chat tool where one can privately contact a co-delegate via short messages while the meeting is going-on (like small chats, but not voicing out but writing) or chat with a small g roup, say delegates from the same region or continent who most-likely share the same concerns. Public information is accessible through search engines that help find articles in the public Internet related to any topic being searched (Search Engine). Lastly, there is the e-mail, short for electronic mail, which instantaneously sends a message to anywhere in the world to elicit an immediate reply into one's message (E-mail). Such electronic connectivity save money in printing and communication costs vs. traditional means. Conclusion With the use of these vital technologies in such a global

Japanese Politics and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Japanese Politics and Culture - Essay Example Electoral System The Koenkai formed during the post war period and can be described as a personal support group for political candidates and those in office. They are formed by the candidates themselves and not the particular party and involve personal acquaintances of every nature and are maintained through the use of personal gestures such as cards and visits which can become expensive for the candidate. It is this expense that led to the creation of what are known as factions. Many actually inherit their koenkai and in 2011 72% of the hereditary candidates were elected to office with the benefit of their koenkai (Neary, p72). The koenkai formation represented an innovative and unique resolution in campaign strategy rather than relying on local politicians and community leaders. Politicians formed the koenkai in response to an inability of aforementioned politicians and leaders to gather enough votes to allow them to win the election. Local politicians are usually made officers of a candidates koenkai, local assemblymen serve as chapter presidents and these koenkai can easily include thousands of members with an example being Nakasone, whose koenkai numbers 50,000 (Curtis, p130). Local politicians give the koenkai a feel of democracy in a mass membership organization and when given titles such as federation chief it becomes more difficult for them to switch their loyalty to another candidate. Their primary function is no longer to gather votes but to add prestige to the koenkai. These koenkai will consist of many groups, including women and youth and other special interest populations. The idea is maintained that it is the will of the people who allow the official to become elected and helps to ensure equal distribution of wealth and income which Japan has... In 2007 political scandal resulted in the suicide of Matsuoka Toshikatsu, Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Though this is a rare occurrence corruption is a constant and prevailing factor in Japanese politics. As a member of the prior ruling liberal democratic party he was extremely influential and involved in bureaucrat led-bid-rigging and political donations from public works contractors to Diet members, allowing opportunity for political expenditures to be hidden used for activities such as vote buying. Shortly before his appointment to be questioned by the House of Counselors’ Budget Committee regarding the misappropriation of political funds Toshikatsu took his own life, followed the next day by associate Yamazaki Shinichi, directly connected to the bid-rigging scandal. Through multiple studies and suggestions there are many possibilities for the long running success of the LDP. Clientelism, the prior electoral system of SNTV/MMD, factions and koenkai, and the preference of the Japanese people to remain within groups may be all strong contributing factors. The Clientelism obviously has led to corruption and essentially makes it much easier to conduct bid-rigging and vote buying as suggested, which led to the suicide of Toshikatsu two years before the LDP lost political power. With the DJP in place it is too soon to know what successes they will create within the government or if they will be able to maintain their power. Naoto Kan, previous Prime Minister, was the sixth Prime Minister in a five year period to be replaced, after his mishandling of the Tsunami disaster that occurred in 2011 and the disaster occurring with the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

National industrial policy in America Research Paper

National industrial policy in America - Research Paper Example U.S. government subsidies can also be found in such areas as defense, energy, transportation, and home construction.† (Reich, 1991). The National Industrial Policy in US have been one of the hot and happening topics in the recent time and is subjected to mixed reactions from different corner. This paper will discuss about the cons of the Industrial policies in America and is set to provide sources supporting it. Let us take the instance of Soviet Union. Industrial policies have been used elsewhere in the world and have proved unsuccessful. The fall of the former Soviet Republic stands proof to this. An industry definitely require motivation to build up which can be achieved only when there is a competition. Also, a competitive market can be measured well unlike other market. According to (Grahame 1989), â€Å"The competitiveness of an economy can be a rather elusive concept since there are a number of ways in which it can be defined and measured†. National industrial pol icy (NIP) has been defined in different ways by many scholars. For instance Johnson outlines that "Industrial policy means the initiation and coordination of governmental activities to leverage upward the productivity and competitiveness of the whole economy and of particular industries in it." (1984, p. 8) while others referring to it as the â€Å"†¦.relationship between business and government on a microeconomic level† (Wachter and Wachter 1981).

The Risk of Using the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Risk of Using the Internet - Essay Example Following this, the safety of one's self is also given great importance. With the internet, there are no such physiological needs that need to be fulfilled and it follows that the next concern would be security (Lester & Resnick, 2003). Often, people question the safety of the internet in various aspects. Is the internet truly safe Before tackling this issue, it is necessary to have a background on the internet. The internet is not simply about browsing through sites in the World Wide Web. It is a global network of computers and electronic devices which provides an avenue for these devices to exchange information. In fact, any such device connected to the outside world through a network may be considered part of the internet. There is no doubt that most companies and even individuals use the internet in one way or another. Unfortunately, the widespread use of the internet also makes it suitable as an accessory for crime. Computers and the internet may make one's life more convenient but they may also put one's privacy in danger. Most people are unaware that their computers may be under attack from simply surfing the internet. Computer users are inclined to think that they are anonymous and their identities are completely secure. However, this is not always the case. As a matter of fact, each computer is actually assigned with a unique address referred to as an internet protocol (IP) address. It is similar to a home address in the sense that it may be used to locate a computer within the internet. In fact, a computer may be likened to a house which typically has a front and back door. While the occupants of the house almost always ensure the security of the front door, the other door may be neglected. Similarly, a hacker only needs to locate an open backdoor to break into a system. Computer users will not even notice that a hacker has established a connection to their system. A well-equipped hacker can do anything without the need to be in close proximity to his target (Branigan, 2005). Moreover, hackers can collect information from a computer within a short span of time. Personal information including passwords to secure accounts may be acquired, effectively compromising the privacy of the user. Even with the presence of a firewall to protect the system, there are several more ways to infiltrate a computer. These include the use of viruses and the exploitation of bugs present in some web browsers. Any downloaded content involves the risk of getting one's computer infected (Branigan, 2005). Programs which are acquired through the internet may be viruses or may contain viruses which then attack a computer. At the very least, these viruses may simply be annoying. However, in more complex attacks, these viruses can be used to collect private information from a computer which can then be used in malicious ways. Anti-virus software provides both preventive and active protection against such risks. However, as Branigan stated, the virus scanning software is only as effective as its virus definitions. It is therefore important to update the said software frequently. Unfortunately, despite attempts at improving the performance of such software, virus makers are able to produce more r esilient code. One of the most popular crimes over the internet is online fraud. Electronic mail is a fast way to communicate with other people and is quickly

Sociology- Egoistic Suicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sociology- Egoistic Suicide - Research Paper Example The sociologist’s contribution to our understanding of suicide â€Å"is the relationship between society and the person who commits suicide† (Holmes & Holmes 25). According to Durkheim, egoistic suicide is illustrated by the â€Å"greater rate of suicide among modern individuals in the liberal, more educated, more well-to-do classes† (Lemert 46). This type of suicide is caused not by knowledge and education itself, but by the individual becoming too individualistic as a result of modern society’s failure to integrate the individual and provide moral protection. Egoistic suicide is sometimes the outcome of a person no longer finding a basis for existence in life. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to examine Durkheim’s theory of egoistic suicide, identify the similarities and differences between egoistic suicide and other types of suicide, and discuss Durkheim’s theory on the rates of egoistic suicides. Emile Durkheim’s Theo ry of Egoistic Suicide In Durkheim’s (1951) book on suicide, the sociologist delineated the fundamental differences in rates and types of suicide between traditional and modern societies (Appelrouth & Edles 111). Egoistic suicide results from a pathological weakening of the bonds between an individual and the social group. According to Durkheim’s theory, the two explanatory variables are integration and regulation. In societies where integration is low egoistic suicide results; when integration is high altruistic suicide results; when regulation is low anomic suicide results; and when regulation is high fatalistic suicide results† (Breault & Barkey 321). The extent of regulation in society depends on the extent of its control on the emotions and motivations of individual members. Breault & Barkey (p.321) conducted a comparative cross-national test of Durkheim’s theory of egoistic suicide involving indicators of religious, family, and political integration; while excluding the theory of regulation. The results of the study showed that the relationships between religious integration and suicide, family integration and suicide, and between political integration and suicide are inversely proportional. Further, the relationships between the independent and dependent variables are strong and very significant. Together, the researchers’ indicators of relgious, family and political integration explain about 76 percent of the variation in international rates of suicide. Egoistic Suicide in Relation to the other Types of Suicide A similarity between anomic and egoistic suicide is that both spring from the individual’s inadequate engagement with society. In egoistic suicide there is a lack of interactions in society and collective or group activity in the person’s life, thereby causing an emptiness deprived of purpose and meaning. However, in anomic suicide, society’s influence on controlling an individual’s p assions is lacking, causing an absence of a check-rein (Lemert 47). Thus, in egoistic suicide life may have been unbearable because of excessive self-discipline, while in anomic suicide life may have been unbearable due to inadequate self-discipline (Broom & Selznick 30). Similarly, there is both likeness and difference between egoistic and fatalistic suicide, because in both types one of the components is a lack of integration with society as a result of which life becomes devoid of meaning. However, in fatalistic suicide the person suffers a trapped feeling, and believes there is no escape (Lemert 47). In egoistic suicide there is no cause the individual dies for, the most important factor is the individual. This person

Water Birth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Water Birth - Essay Example The first section will discuss the style of evidence which was used to fulfill the criteria of later sections, and how this is to be evaluated and used throughout the project. The second section covers the evidence, research and guidelines related to water births and how this is related to best practice. It covers several types of material to give a well-balanced overview of the topic from many angles, each of which is evaluated in depth with respect to water births. The third and final section explores the importance of communication in the relationship between mother and midwife, and how this professional responsibility informs the way that a midwife gives the mother informed consent and fair options about her own care and that of the baby. This information will be looked at in the context of the water birth and how this option fits into the broader practice of midwifery and neonatal care. The final section will comprise of a leaflet designed to present the information collected in the previous sections to assist women in making informed decisions about water births. Accessing and Evaluating Current Evidence Finding good quality academic evidence is important for informing decisions about nursing and for use in informing the public about the safety and applicability of certain medical procedures. These pieces of evidence are normally done by academics or research clinicians that have access to patients and records, and can be used to make deductions about and correlations between certain pieces of information (Steen & Roberts, 2011). These studies are usually conducted with several people and can involve several racial, age and health status groups to ensure that the information provided can be generalized to the population as a whole with respect to certain aspects of healthcare. There are many different types of evidence and research designs, many of which are suitable for discussing water births in the context of midwifery. Firstly, there are statistical s tudies that are quantitative (number-based), which are used to ascertain the proportion of women who have water births and the types of complication that they generally get (Steen & Roberts, 2011). This allows us to decide whether a practice has too many risks, particularly for the child. There are also psychological studies which are generally qualitative (response-based) which can be used to determine if there are any psychological benefits to the women who choose this method of birthing. Both qualitative and quantitative studies can be used to gauge the level of pain a woman has during various birthing techniques, which can also be useful (Wickham, 2009). Additionally, meta-analyses can be performed (Steen & Roberts, 2011). These look at a group of studies which are relevant to the topic and try to group the findings together to give more weight to the research than a single study would. This helps to improve the generalizability and can give an overview of what types of practice are generally relevant (Wickham, 2009). It is important to identify how research will be done when evaluating practice. In this project, two main databases will be accessed (PUBMED and Medline) to give a wide range of resources on the topic. To find the correct resources, I will be using search

Tradition and Dissent in English Christianity Essay

Tradition and Dissent in English Christianity - Essay Example Catholicism was the doctrine that God exists in three forms: the Father who created the world, the Son – Jesus Christ who saved it – and the Holy Spirit, who continued after the crucifixion to keep alive the belief that Christ died for us. The transmission and upholding of these beliefs were the prerogative of the clergy, and they were made accessible – if not understandable – by the creation of a familiar series of traditions enshrined in ritual: the sacraments, processions a fixed order of service based on a yearly cycle encompassing a succession of holy days, the belief that religion was central to the local community and, above all, a profusion of recognisable and reassuring objects: images of the Holy Family, the Saints, the altar, the rood and many others which were affectionately recalled by Roger Martyn and described by Dymond & Paine (1992). After the break with Rome events moved fast. In Henry’s time – despite the dissolution of the monasteries - there were few changes in church rituals which largely retained their traditional form. After his death in 1547 Protestantism was introduced, largely reinforced by the production by Archbishop Cranmer of a new â€Å"Protestant† order of service and the determination to remove Catholic rituals. When the young king Edward VI died in 1553 he was succeeded by his half-sister Mary who immediately moved to restore Roman Catholicism. This was vigorously resisted by those who had become convinced Protestants – including Cranmer who was burnt at the stake – who saw this move as dissent against the established religion. Others however with more old fashioned views welcomed the return of a traditional form of religion. However there were others who saw Roman Catholicism as fomenting dissent against Protestantism – being authoritarian, persecuting and antagonistic to England (Foxe 1563). Only five years later Elizabeth I became queen. Although a dedicated Protestant she was also an accomplished

Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie Review Example merican politics appears to be largely stage managed by the affluent sections of the society, in the climax it portrays a healthy picture of the American politics, where the leaders listen to the voice of their conscience and were the values like honesty, fairness, family bonding and justice manage to thrive over selfishness and untruth. 3. The lesson that this movie tends to convey is that essentially the American politics is value driven. The mechanics and the framework of the American politics and the public expectations are such that they tend to push back the fake and the selfish. Though at a superficial level, many a time it may seem that the privileged sections of the society have a greater say in the political setup, eventually it is the strong undercurrent of integrity and uprightness that always has a final say. 1. Thank You for Smoking, a 2005 film directed by Jason Rietman, is essentially about the exploits of a smooth and smart tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor who uses his public speaking skills to win support in the favor of smoking. The film depicts the ploys and schemes resorted to by Nick Naylor and his like minded friends to mould and influence the public and political opinion in favor of the causes that happen to be basically harmful to the public health. 2. The view of the American politics as presented in Thank You for Smoking is quiet negative and disturbing. In Thank You for Smoking the American politics comes out as a political system that is vulnerable to being managed and influenced by the people who are influential, powerful and deft public opinion managers. The American public is shown as an unsuspecting victim to the schemes of people who are not averse to lying and using faulty logic. 3. While State of the Union ends in the victory of the essential American values like honesty, integrity and justice, Thank You for Smoking tends to project the victory of the powerful and the unscrupulous over the desired political values and

Perspective on social sciences Essay Example for Free

Perspective on social sciences Essay Social science and social theory were to liberate the thoughts and thus aid social groups in deposing domination and repression. This formation of critical social science and social theory stands stridently at odds with the moderate positivist professionalism of mainstream sociology in the sense that it envisions human liberation as the highest rationale of intellectual commotion. Habermas has taken pains to argue that this decisive outset of social science and social theory is not opposed to what he calls the project of modernity, which commenced with the Enlightenment. Certainly, he contends that critical social theory, conceived as communication theory and ethics, accomplishes the project of modernity by further rationalizing social life in ways estimated but not completed by Weber. Though Habermas needlessly divides instrumental and communicative rationalities, much as Kant did, thus limiting the field of human liberation to communicative projects but leaving technology and its dominion of nature untouched, he masterfully reconceptualizes Marxism in ways that provide it empirical and political purchase in the present. Far from deserting modernism and modernity, Habermas argues that Marx was a modernist and that the project of modernity can simply be fulfilled in a Marxist way, although in terms that deviate drastically from the Marxist and Marxist-Leninist frameworks of the early twentieth century. Habermas supports the Enlightenments program of common liberation and rationality through (a reconceptualized) Marx. This assurance to the Enlightenment and modernity must absolve critical social theorists such as Habermas of the inductions that they are Luddites, antimodernists, anarchists. Far from inadequate academic life, including social science and social theory, to be abridged to didactic political education, Habermas wants to open academic life to genuine debate and diversity, which he theorizes in terms of his communicative ethics. though the characterization of left academics as bigoted supporters of political correctness is largely hype promulgated by eighties neoconservatives, many critical social theorists are especially hard on purveyors of multicultural identity politics, particularly those who derive from postmodernism. Professionalized liberal positivists, including numerous U. S. sociologists, conflate all theoretical heterodoxies, particularly where they argue that one should defend the disciplinary project of sociology against the wild men and women who would politicize sociology and social science at a time when reputable sociologists are fighting a rearguard action against budget slashing university administrators. These professional positivists marginalize all thought and research that do not kowtow to the strictures of supposedly value-free quantitative empiricism. This obliterates nuances: Habermas (1987a) takes postmodernism to task; Fraser (1989) urges Habermas and Foucault to be more overtly feminist. It also fails to distinguish that critical social theories hold rigorous analysis, objectivity, professionalism, even disciplinarily. Critical social theorists vary from professionalized positivist sociologists most sharply in arguing that the aim of knowledge is illumination and hence liberation, not the development of personal professional credentials or the progression of ones discipline. Critical social theorists snub Comtes model of the hard sciences as a symbol for their own work as they believe that positivism eradicated historicity and hence the possibility of large-scale structural change. Critical social theorists are unashamed to be seen as political, particularly when they agree with Horkheimer and Adorno in Dialectic of Enlightenment that the charade of freedom from values is the most invincible value position of all, taking up the present as a plenitude of social being and contradicting utopia. It is sarcastic that positivist sociologists in the United States who attempt to establish their discipline in the university by stressing its resemblance to the hard sciences, including both positivist quantitative process and grant-worthiness, also argue that sociology should eloquent what are called policy implications, particularly now that a Democrat is president. Applied sociology proposes state policies in realms such as health care, aging, social welfare, work and family, and crime. Positivist sociologists assert that sociology pays its own way by underlining its real-world applications suggested in the narrow technical analyses propagating in the journals. numerous positivist journal articles formulaically conclude with short excursuses on policy in this sense. This segue into policy investigation both legitimizes sociology in the state apparatus (e. g. , public research universities) and helps sociology evade a more fundamental politics the notion of policy implying moderate amelioration of social problems and not methodical change. As well, the discussion of policy enhances the grant-worthiness of sociological research, which has turn into a trademark of academic professional legitimacy. Thus, the shift from the sociological to the social on the part of significant social theorists who support interdisciplinary is intimidating to disciplinary positivists because it augurs the politicization of social theory and social science at a time while some believe sociology should put definitive distance between itself and its sixties engagements. The tired stand-up line of sociologys critics that sociology alliterates with socialism, social work, and the sixties symbolizes this preoccupation with the legitimating of sociological disciplinarity and explains why interdisciplinary approaches to the social are so threatening. The interpretive disciplines and sociology are moving in contradictory directions: Interpretive scholars and cultural critics acclaim the politicization of the canon, whereas positivist sociologists want to subjugate politics. Leading U. S. literary programs such as Dukes are awash in these new theoretical movements that hassle the obsolescence of canonical approaches to the study of literature and culture. In these venues, politics is not a afflict to be eliminated but an opening to new ways of seeing, writing, and teaching. Suddenly, with the invasion of these new European and feminist influences, traditional approaches to representation (depicting the world) in both art and criticism could no longer be trusted. Postmodern fictional and cultural theory blossomed in a post representational era, specifically the opposite of what was happening in positivist sociology, which clings more obstinately than ever to representation -achieved through quantitative method as the supposed deliverance of an embattled discipline. Not all versions of postmodernism are eligible as either social or critical theory. However, as Fredric Jameson (1991) has argued in Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, postmodern theory has the potential for new forms of neo-Marxist social and cultural investigation pertinent to late capitalism. Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, and Derrida make means for critical theories of the social, especially where they make possible the critical analysis of cultural discourses and practices that intimately resemble and deepen the Frankfurt Schools analysis of the culture industry. And postmodern theory has made it nearly unattainable for people in interpretive and cultural disciplines to approach texts as if the meanings of those texts could be revealed to presuppositionless, really positivist readings. Postmodernists drive home the point that reading is itself a form of writing, of argument, in the sense that it fills in gaps and contradictions in texts through strong literary practices of imagination and interrogation. Few today can approach the act of reading or writing concerning reading in the same secure way that they could read texts before postmodernism, before representation was quizzed as a severely theoretical and political project in its own right. A momentous number of sociologists and anthropologists (Richardson [1988, 1990a, 1990b, 1991a, 1991b], Denzin [1986, 1989, 1990, 1991c], Aronowitz [1990], Behar and Gordon [1995]) draw from postmodernism in reformulating both social science research and theory in light of postmodernisms influential challenge to positivist theories of representation, writing, and reading. However, it is clear that most American sociologists and others in neighboring social science disciplines not only distrust but deplore the postmodern turn for its alleged antagonism to science and hence objectivity, rigor, disciplinary legitimacy, quantitative method, and grant-worthiness. The new scholarship in humanities departments enlightens critical social science in that it reads cultural discourses and practices as ideological and commoditized and helps formulate more general hypothetical understandings of society. For example, the work of Jameson, the author of numerous vital books on cultural and social theory from Marxism and Form (1971) to Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (1991), clearly puts in to the project of critical social theory. Jameson is in dialogue with critical theorists and postmodern theorists. He develops a postmodern Marxism that learns from but does not give in to the detotalizing implications of postmodern theory. Although many of Jamesons references are from culture and literature whereas Habermass, for example, are from social theory and communication theory Jameson in effect does postmodern critical theory in his readings of works of literature, architecture, music, painting, and philosophy, presenting not simply close textual analysis but expanding his readings into oversimplifications quite similar to those of postmodern social theorists (e. . , Aronowitz, Luke) in social science disciplines. Cultural studies is intrinsically a pandisciplinary project in the sense that culture, as the Birmingham theorists conceptualized it, is not simply found in everyday life as well as in museums and concert halls but also disquiets a wide range of disciplines in the human sciences or human studies, broadly conceived. Almost no social science or humanities discipline falls outside of the potential purview of cultural studies, which could be seen as a theoretical perspective, a discipline, a corpus of writing, and even an investigative methodology. Like the Unit for Criticism at the University of Illinois, in which Cary Nelson, Lawrence Grossberg, and Norman Denzin had part-time faculty appointments, the CCCS at the University of Birmingham has brought together scholars from a variety of disciplines. Like interdisciplinary projects such as cognitive science, cultural studies is a perceptible interdisciplinary project collecting scholars who believe they cannot practice their interests in cultural studies within their home disciplines or who want to claim an individuality somewhat diverse from their disciplinary identities. By and large, scholars in humanities departments have been better able to do and teach cultural studies within their home disciplines, particularly where their home disciplines have embraced the new postcanonical, postcolonial, feminist scholarship. Social scientists have had a greater tendency to identify their interest in cultural studies outside of their disciplines proper, many of which have been indisposed to abandon their relatively narrow concepts of culture in favor of a more inclusive one or do not acknowledge the need to practice the study of culture outside of a discipline for which the study of culture has always been central, such as sociology and anthropology. This distinction between the ways that humanists and social scientists build up their identities, affiliations, and academic practices as cultural studies scholars is also replicated in their respective attitudes toward the matter of politicization. Although most scholars around the campus who do cultural studies are leftist and feminist, social scientists lean to position cultural studies as an empirical and theoretical contribution without close ties to politics, therefore legitimizing their work within fundamentally empiricist and objectivist disciplines. Humanists lean to embrace their close ties to politics, as the Birmingham scholars did, even arguing that curricular politics, including the politics of the norm and the resist to define and implement multiculturalism, is an important place for social change today. Cultural studies increasingly splits into politicized and apolitical camps, through the former group deriving from Marxist cultural theory and joining the influences of the Birmingham School, feminism, and Baudrillard. The latter group includes scholars who do not view cultural studies as a political project but somewhat as an occasion for deepening their own disciplines or working across disciplines. Much work on popular culture, such as that of the Bowling Green group mentioned, comes from this second group. Humanists are more probable than social scientists to belong to the first group. This is satirical in that left-wing and feminist cultural studies grew out of Marxist social and cultural theory and only later were modified by humanists such as Jameson to their own projects. In this sense, critical social theorists involved in culture tend to cluster in humanities programs, or if they work in social science departments, they are typically isolated among their colleagues. It is much more common to find gathers of culturally oriented critical social theorists outside the social sciences, for instance, in English and comparative literature departments and programs. Though these comparative literature students and faculty are more obviously and blatantly politicized than most of my erstwhile colleagues and students, they approach society through the text. This peculiarity is far from absolute. Nevertheless, much of the best critical social science and social theory is being done in humanities disciplines. Sociology, for instance, sought greater institutional authenticity by attempting to imitate and integrate the methods of the natural sciences. Disciplines such as English, comparative literature, womens studies, and media studies were concerned with culture as well as politics and thus were usual gathering points for faculty and students interested in the politics of culture. PART 2 Modern-day slavery breaches the basic right of all persons to life, freedom and the security of the person, and to be liberated from slavery in all its types. It weakens the rights of a child to grow in the protecting environment of a family and to be liberated from sexual maltreatment and abuse. Migration is some what Modern-day slavery that has become a main concern of government officials, political leaders, policymakers, and scholars, and many books and journal articles have been published on a diversity of topics related to migration comprising cultural change (Sowell, 1996), health (Loue, 1998), law (Weiner, 1995), mental health (Marsella, Bornemann, Ekblad, Orley, 1994), population movements and demographics, politics, urbanization, and the survival of human society. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is conceivably the most noticeable international organization concerned with migration. However, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Council of Churches, Refugees and Migration Services also have high visibility as policy, service, and research agencies. Other private agencies that have high visibility include Amnesty International, International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, and the U. S. Committee on Refugees.

Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) Literature Review on Treatment

Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) Literature Review on Treatment INTRODUCTION Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a major health issue in the western world and is a significant burden on health care; Americans spend $37 billion annually with a further $19.8 billion lost in absenteeism [1]. There is 58% life time prevalence of back pain in the UK, a 22-65% 1-year prevalence and 6-7% of all adults have constant back problems [2]. Although CLBP is usually benign ( Modern (Verum) acupuncture originates in ancient Chinese philosophy which claims pain and disease manifest because of imbalances in bodies forces of Yin and Yang. It is believed these forces flow through specific courses (meridians) and can be manipulated using specific acupuncture points to regain the balance. Acupuncture has evolved from the traditional Chinese application and some styles incorporating adjuncts such as electrical stimulation of the acupuncture needle [4], A recent systematic review of articles published between 1966 and February 2003 [4] concluded that the efficacy of acupuncture on CLBP was inconclusive due to the low methodological quality of selected studies. They found acupuncture had some short-term improvements in pain and function compared to control or sham but due to low methodological quality they concluded a need for higher quality studies. This review updates that study [4] by including articles published after February 2003 or studies that were published prior but were of high relevance and methodological quality. The objective is to provide firm conclusions about the efficacy of acupuncture therapy for CLBP. METHODS Study Selection Criteria Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) available in English and available free of charge were included. Search Strategy In October 2009 the MEDLINE database (period 1950 to date) was searched for RCTs published after February 2003 and matching the search string Chronic low back pain AND acupuncture OR dry needling OR Sham OR Placebo AND randomised controlled trial OR randomized controlled trial. Further searches using PEDro, Web of Science (using ISI Web of Knowledge) and Cinahl (period 1982 to date) (see appendix A). Each articles reference list was also used as a source of relevant publications. Participants For inclusion the studies participants needed to be =18-years old with non-specific CLBP. Non-specific CLBP was defined as pain between the 12th costal margin and the inferior gluteal folds =12-weeks. If radiating leg pain was present this must be secondary to the lumbosacral region pain. RCTs that included participants with specific pathologies as the root cause of their CLBP, such as malignancy, prolapse of =1 inter-vertebral disc or spinal fracture were excluded. Interventions Studies that investigated the effects of traditional (Verum) acupuncture, trigger-point acupuncture and dry needling were reviewed. RCTs were included regardless of hand of electro-stimulation. Studies investigating non-needle based acupuncture, such as laser acupuncture, were excluded. Control interventions included sham, usual care, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) or conservative orthopaedic therapy. Outcome measures There are four outcome measures considered to be important when assessing CLBP Pain intensity (e.g. visual analogue scale (VAS-P), numerical rating scale (NRS-P)) A global measure (e.g. Overall improvement, proportional recovery of patients) A back specific functional status measure (e.g. Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)) Return to work (absenteeism, speed of return) RCTs must include =1 of the above. The primary outcomes were pain and function. Study selection A total of 544 studies were found through the searches with 17 potentially eligible RCTs identified. Of these 5 were excluded due to study duplication (n=1), sole inclusion of participants with specific CLBP (n=2) or use of non-needle based acupuncture (n=2). The remaining 12 articles were reviewed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) to determine their methodological quality. CASP enables the systematic review of an RCT for validity, design, execution and reasoning. Assessment criteria included randomization and allocation of participants, blinding of participants and assessors, identification of potential observer bias, participant numbers at RCT start and conclusion, presentation and accuracy of results, and any identified limitations. Results were recorded and documented (Appendix B). RCT commonalities: Participants were excluded: if they exhibited contraindications to acupuncture, had received acupuncture for their CLBP previously, previous spinal surgery, infectious spondylopathy, malignancy, congenital spine deformity, compression fracture due to osteoporosis or spinal stenosis. No differences in demographic variables or baseline levels of pain and disability were detected between the groups at baseline (P >0.05). Randomization was computer-generated with random number tables. All participants gave informed consent. Each RCT received ethical approval Usual care is defined as a combination of drugs, physiotherapy and exercise. RESULTS [5] 298 participants with CLBP =6-months randomised to 12 sessions of acupuncture (n=146) or sham acupuncture (n=73) over 8-weeks, administering therapists had =140 hours training and 3-years experience, with a third delayed acupuncture group (n=79) who received no acupuncture for the initial 8-weeks followed by the acupuncture groups protocol. Outcome measures were VAS-P and back function using the validated German Funktionsfragebogen Hannover-RÃ ¼cken (FFbH-R) questionnaire. At 8-weeks VAS-P decreased from baseline in all groups; after 26 and 52-weeks the acupuncture groups results were better than sham however differences were not significant. Results from the delayed acupuncture group followed the acupuncture groups pattern. The trial had good methodological quality: outcome measures were assessed independently with participants completing questionnaires, attrition was reasonable (18%) but the acupuncture group was double the size of the others which may have influenced results. [6] 638 participants with CLBP =3-months randomised to standard acupuncture (n=185), individualised acupuncture (n=157), sham acupuncture (n=162) or usual care (161) groups. Acupuncture groups received 10 treatments over 7-weeks by acupuncturists with =3 training. The Primary outcome measure was RMDQ. Compared to baseline all groups showed improved function and pain at 8-weeks. Mean values for RMDQ were consistent up to 52-weeks with the usual care group having greater dysfunction than all acupuncture groups (P=.001). There was no significant difference between real and sham acupuncture groups (P>0.05). All forms of acupuncture had beneficial and persisting effects over usual care for CLBP treatment with clinically meaningful functional improvements. There were no significant differences between acupuncture groups. Outcome measures were gathered by blinded telephone interviewers and attrition was low (6%) resulting in good trial internal validity [7] 1162 participants with CLBP =6-months randomised to 5-weeks of twice-weekly acupuncture (n=387) or sham acupuncture (n=387), performed by acupuncturists with =140 hours training. A third group received usual care (n=387). Outcome measures were Von Korff Chronic Pain Grade Scale (GCPS) and Hanover Functional Ability Questionnaire (HFAQ). Results were presented as a percentage of improvement in function and pain at 6-month follow-up. At 6-months both acupuncture groups had significant improvements in pain and function compared to baseline and usual treatment. There was no difference between acupuncture groups (p=0.39). The trial was methodologically strong with good internal validity: the control group was an active multimodal conventional therapy, had high power with stated calculation, follow-ups at 1.5, 3 and 6-months, low attrition (4%) and balanced dynamic randomisation. This was a good, highly relevant, large, rigorous trial. [8] 35 participants, =65-years, with CLBP =6-months randomised to 1 of 3 groups receiving 2 3-week phases of 30-minute acupuncture sessions, with a 3-week interval between. Group A (n=12) received standard acupuncture, Group B (n=10) superficial trigger-point acupuncture and Group C (n=13) deep trigger-point acupuncture. Outcome measures were VAS-P and RMDQ score. Group C showed a statistically significant VAS-P and RMDQ reductions from baseline after phase 1 with VAS-P reduction persisting over 12-weeks. There was no significant reduction in VAS-P or RMDQ for either other groups. The RCTs methods are described well however small sample size, high dropout (27%), short-term follow-up and potential bias limited internal validity [9] 26 participants, =65-years, with CLBP =6-months randomised to 2 groups. Over 12-weeks each group received 1 phase of trigger-point acupuncture and 1 phase of sham acupuncture with a 3-week break between. Group A (n=13) received trigger-point phase first followed by sham, Group B (n=13) vice-versa. Acupuncturist had =4-years training and =7-years clinical experience. Outcome measures were VAS-P and RMDQ score. After phase 1 Group A had significantly lower VAS-P (P [10] 60 participants with CLBP =6-months randomised them to 6-weeks of 30-minute weekly sessions of either acupuncture (n=30) or placebo TENS (n=30). No details of administering therapists were given. The primary outcome measure was VAS-P. Although acupuncture showed highly significant differences in all the outcome measures between pre- and post-treatment, the differences between the 2 groups were not statistically significant. Generally the RCT was poor: therapists were not blinded, high noncompliance (23.3%), cointerventions might have influenced results, the dropout rate was not explained and there was no intention-to-treat analysis. [11] 131 participants 18-65 years old with CLBP =6-months were randomised to groups receiving 20 30-minute sessions of traditional and auricular acupuncture (n=40), physiotherapy (n=46) or sham acupuncture and physiotherapy (n=45), over 12-weeks. Outcome measures were VAS-P and pain disability index (PDI). After 12-weeks of treatment the acupuncture group showed significantly reduced pain and disability compared to the physiotherapy group but not compared to the sham group. At 9-months the acupuncture group was more effective than physiotherapy in reducing disability only and not different to sham. The trial was methodologically strong but short-term dropout was 24% and long-term 37%. The treatment scheduled was five-a-week for 2-weeks then weekly for 10-weeks which may not be clinically practical. [12] 55 participants =60 yrs, with CLBP =12-weeks were randomised to 2-weeks of twice-weekly acupuncture and electrical stimulation alongside usual care (n=31) or usual care alone (n=24). Primary outcome was RMDQ. At 6-weeks results indicate clinically and statistically significant improvements in the acupuncture group for pain and disability compared to control. Effects remained and only diminished slightly at 9-weeks follow-up. The trial was methodologically strong: balanced randomisation, clear methods, low attrition (14%). Participant inclusion criteria included prior imaging limiting generalisability. [13] 186 participants aged between 20 and 60 with CLBP =6-week were randomised to 4-weeks of usual care alone (n=60) or with either acupuncture (n=65) or sham acupuncture (n=61). Acupuncturists were experienced doctors trained in Beijing. Primary outcome measure was VAS-P. Immediately after treatment 65% of the acupuncture group reported a =50% reduction in VAS-P compared to 34% of the sham group and 43% of the usual care group. At 3-months 79% of the acupuncture group, 29% of the sham group and 14% of the usual care group reported a =50% VAS-P reduction. Methodological quality was high: balanced (stratified) randomisation and excellently described methods however there was 30% attrition at 3-month follow-up and data collection was from general practitioners leading to potential performance bias. [14] 241 participants, aged 18-65, with CLBP for 4 to 52-weeks were randomised to 10 sessions of acupuncture (n=160) or to usual care (n=81) over 3-months. Acupuncturists were training for =3-years and =12.8-years clinical practice. Outcome measures were SF-36 pain scores and Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire (ODI) taken at baseline, 3, 12 and 24-months. A power calculation stated a required 100 participants per group to detect a 10-point difference on SF-36 (90% power and 5% significance level). A 5 point difference in SF-36 was deemed significant. The number of participants in the acupuncture group was increased to 160 to allow for between-acupuncturist effect, usual care group decreased to 80 participants without power loss. Results were presented as point differences between randomisation, 12 and 24-months. At 12-months a 5.6 point intervention effect difference in SF-36 pain was found and 8 point at 24-months. No treatment effect was found for any other dimension o f SF-36 or ODI. Participants were representative of UK population, randomisation was balanced, methods were thoroughly documented and acupuncture treatments were individualised resulting in high methodological quality and generalisability. However 25% of participants were unaccounted for at conclusion reducing internal validity. [15] 11630 participants with CLBP =6-months were allocated to three groups. Group A were received 15 individualised acupuncture sessions with usual care as needed (n=1549). Group B received delayed acupuncture with usual care as needed (n=1544). Group C declined to be randomised but received 15 individualised acupuncture sessions with usual care (n=8004). Treatment was over 3-months. Outcome measures were FFbH-R and SF-36 pain scores. At 6-months the acupuncture group showed significant improvements in FFbH-R and SF-36 pain compared to routine care alone. The large sample size and broad inclusion criteria meant results were generalisable however groups were different at baseline and findings identified a degree of randomisation selection. [16] 52 participants with CLBP =6-months were randomised to 4-weeks of physiotherapy with daily 1-hour electro-acupuncture sessions (n=26) or standard physiotherapy (n=26). Outcome measures were pain (NRS-P) and function using the Aberdeen-LBP. There was a significant reduction in NRS-P and Aberdeen-LBP scores in the acupuncture group immediately after treatment and at 1 and 3-months follow-up. Methodological quality was limited by possible breach of blinding integrity due to lack of patient blinding and subjective outcome measures. DISCUSSION Acupuncture vs. no treatment Two high quality studies (11928 people) [5] and [15] found acupuncture more effective in short-term pain reduction and functional improvements than no (delayed) treatment. However both studies were weakened by insufficient blinding and participants were recruited from newspaper adverts [5] or an insurance company [15] limiting generalisability; both of which reduce results confidence. Acupuncture vs. sham Studies comparing acupuncture and sham acupuncture (2460 people) ([5], [6], [7], [11] and [13]) found both effective at reducing pain and increasing function compared to baseline measures; however no study found a clinically significant difference between groups With five methodologically sound trials all reporting similar results clinicians can have confidence in the effectiveness of acupuncture or sham-acupuncture in pain and functional improvements. However with no clinically significant difference between groups, placebo effect seems to be a substantial contributing factor. Acupuncture vs. usual care Five RCTs comparing acupuncture and usual care (12164 people) ([12], [13], [14], [15] and [16]) concluded that acupuncture was more effective at reducing pain. Increased function in the acupuncture group compared to control was reported in 1 RCT [12] at 6- and 9-weeks, [15] at 6-month and another [16] investigated effect immediately after treatment and 1- and 3-months follow-up; however 1 RCT [14] found no significant improvement in function in their longer-term study at 12 or 24-month. Unlike other papers reviewed, Thomas and colleagues used UK based participants who received treatments in private or GP clinics adding confidence to their conclusions when applied to the general UK population. From study findings clinicians can have confidence that the addition of acupuncture to their treatment of CLBP will be more effective than usual care alone. Acupuncture vs. deep and superficial trigger-point acupuncture One study ([8] 35 people) found greatest improvements in pain and function using deep trigger-point-acupuncture. However this study, while being methodologically thorough and having patient and assessor blinding, was limited by small size, high dropout (23%), short-term follow-up and possible centre bias leading to reduced clinical confidence. Acupuncture vs. TENS One RCT ([10] 60 people) found significant improvements using both TENS and acupuncture but no significant intergroup difference over 6-months. However, confidence in results are limited because participants also received usual care and exercise so may have improved regardless; furthermore the study had no therapists blinding, high noncompliance (23.3%), unexplained dropouts and no intention-to-treat analysis. Trigger-point acupuncture vs. sham In 1 cross-over trial ([9] 26 people) trigger-point acupuncture was found to be more effective than sham however small sample size, high attrition (23%), restricted to short-term follow-up and possible bias due to centre location (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Meiji University of Oriental Medicine) limit confidence in findings. LIMITATIONS Studies were commonly limited by being unrepresentative: of the 12 studies 2 were UK based ([10], [14]), six restricted participants by age ([8], [9], [11] [12], [13], [14]), 2 used participant recruitment methods which may have introduced expectation bias (newspaper adverts, [5], insurance company [15]) and five had underpowered sample sizes or non-stated power calculations ([8], [9], [11], [12], [13]). Without representative sample groups the outcome measures cannot be applied to the general population with any reliability. Discrepancies were noted in treatment frequency with control group participants receiving less attention than intervention participants [16]. Blinding was inconsistent across studies: 1 study ([5]) blinded participants in the acupuncture groups but not the delayed group, 1 study ([6]) blinded participants only, four ([7], [8], [9], [13]) blinded assessors and participant, 1 ([10]) blinded assessors only, 1 ([11]) blinded assessors and participants but not acupuncturists, three ([12], [14], [15]) had no blinding and 1 ([16]) blinded assessors but not participants. CONCLUSIONS There is some evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture for CLBP; compared to no treatment there was short-term ([5] 8-week and [15] 3-month) pain reduction and functional improvements. Compared to sham therapy both showed similar improvements in pain and function at short-term ([5] 8-week, [6] 8-week, [11] 12-week and [13] 3-month) and mid-term ([5] 6-month and 1-year, [7] 6-month, [11] 9-month) follow-up but no significant difference was detected between groups. Compared to usual care acupuncture showed significant improvements in primary outcome measures at treatment, short- ([12]6- and 9-week, [13]3-month, [16]1- and 3-month) and long-term ([15]6-month, [14]1- and 2-year) follow-up. Compared to superficial and deep trigger-point all treatments showed improvements but none were significantly different from each other. Both acupuncture and TENS were found to produce long-term ([10] 6-month) improvements but no significant difference was found between interventions. Comparing trigger -point therapy to sham, trigger-point was found to be more effective although benefits were not sustained. There is evidence that acupuncture alongside other treatments relieves pain and increases function better than individual therapies alone. Further research needs to be conducted to determine treatment frequencies and sustainability of treatment effects. Effective sham treatments need to be developed to establish placebo effect compared to acupuncture and other therapy types. Additional Resources Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D, Lipton R. (2003). Lost productive time and cost due to common pain conditions in the US workforce. JAMA;290(18):2443-2454. Maniadakis, N. and Gray, A. (2000) The economic burden of back pain in the UK. Pain, 84, 95-103. Koes BW, van Tulder MW and Thomas S (2006). Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. BMJ; 332, p1430-1434 Furlan AD, van Tulder M, Cherkin D, Tsukayama H, Lao L, Koes B, Berman B. (2005). Acupuncture and Dry-Needling for Low Back Pain: An Updated Systematic Review Within the Framework of the Cochrane Collaboration. Spine 2005;30:944-963 Reviewed Journals Brinkhaus B, Witt CM, Jena S, Linde K, Streng A, Wagenpfeil S, Irnich D, Walther HU, Melchart D, Willich SN. (2006) Acupuncture in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of internal medicine. 166: 450-457. Cherkin et al (2009) A randomized trial comparing acupuncture, simulated acupuncture, and usual care for chronic low back pain. Haake M, Muller H, Schade-Brittinger C, Basler HD, Schafer H, Maier C, Endres HG, Trampisch HJ, Molsberger A. (2007). German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for chronic low back pain- randomized, multicenter, blinded, parallel-group trial with 3 groups. Arch Intern Med. 167(17):1892-1898. Itoh E, Katsumi Y, Hirota S, Kitakoji H. (2006). Effects of trigger point acupuncture on chronic low back pain in elderly patients a sham-controlled randomised trial. Acupuncture in Medicine. 24(1):5-12 ItohK. Katsumi Y. Kitakoji H. Acupuncture in Medicine. (2004) Trigger point acupuncture treatment of chronic low back pain in elderly patients: a blinded RCT. 22(4):170-7, Kerr DP, Walsh DM, Baxter D. (2003) Acupuncture in the management of chronic low back pain: a blinded randomized controlled trial. The clinical journal of pain. 19: 364-370 Leibing E, Leonhardt U, Koster G, Goerlitz A, Rosenfeldt JA, Hilgers R, Ramadori G. (2001). Acupuncture treatment of chronic low-back pain a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial with 9-month follow-up. Pain 96 (2002) 189-196 Meng CF, Wang D, Ngeow J, Lao L, Peterson M, Paget S. (2003). Acupuncture for chronic lower back pain in older patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Rheumatology. 42:1508-1517 Molsberger AF, Mau J, Pawelec DB, Winkler J (2002). Does acupuncture improve the orthopedic management of chronic low back pain a randomized, blinded, controlled trial with3 months follow up. Pain 99 (2002) 579-587 Thomas KJ, MacPherson H, Thorpe L, Brazier J, Fitter M, Campbell M J , Roman M, Walters S J, Nicholl J. (2006). Randomised controlled trial of a short course of traditional acupuncture compared with usual care for persistent non-specific low back pain. British Medical Journal.doi:10.1136/bmj.38878.907361.7C Witt CM, Jena S, Selim D, Brinkhaus B, Reinhold T, Wruck K, Liecker B, Linde K, Wegscheider K, Willich SN. (2006). Pragmatic Randomized Trial Evaluating the Clinical and Economic Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain. American Journal of Epidemiology 2006;164:487-496 Yeung CKN, Leung MCP, Chow DHK. (2003). The Use of Electro-Acupuncture in Conjunction with Exercise for the Treatment of Chronic Low-Back Pain. The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine..2003:9:4:479-490

Netflix Business Model Analysis and SWOT

Netflix Business Model Analysis and SWOT 1 Introduction Netflix is the worlds largest online movie rental service with over 6.3 million members and a collection of more than 75,000 titles. They are known for both their excellent customer service and their convenient and user-friendly interface on their award-winning website. Though Netflix has received many criticisms, it has continually grown and thrived in the movie rental market. New technology has enabled Netflix to provide high quality streaming videos directly to their subscribers PCs. This service is being rolled out over the first six months of 2007, free of charge, to Netflixs current subscribers. In order to maintain its superior position in the in home filmed-entertainment, Netflix must enter the Video On Demand (VOD) market immediately. By entering the VOD market through offering streaming videos, Netflix will be able to differentiate itself from its competitors, and reduce the likelihood of price competition. Offering a movie streaming service as opposed to a movie downloading service will further aid it in differentiating itself. For the short run, Netflix needs to incorporate the service of streaming movies to complement its DVD rental service. In the long run, after the popularity of streaming movies has grown and the technicalities of this service are fixed, Netflix can separate the DVD rental and streaming movies services, offering two different sets of plans. Pursuing this strategy is vital to Netflixs future, because as new innovations in technology become popular, the DVD-rental subset of the home movie market will shrink, while the downloading and streaming of movies will eventually come to dominate the majority of this market. Therefore, the correct implementation of Netflixs entry into the VOD market, wi ll serve as a bridge strategy, aiding Netflix in its evolution from a DVD rental service to a distributor of digital entertainment. 2 A Closer Look at Netflixs History Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph founded Netflix in 1997. DVDs were a relatively new technology, with less than a thousand titles available at the time, but Hastings and Randolph believed it had potential to replace the VHS format. The company began operating in April 1998, offering 7-day rentals for about $6. Netflix, along with Magic Disc, DVD Express, and Reel.com, were the first few companies to rent DVDs by mail. Netflix differentiated itself by spending heavily in promotions. It created partnerships with companies selling the most vital complementary good, a DVD player. It offered free rentals with the purchase of DVD players from Toshiba and Pioneer and computers with DVD drives from HP and Apple. However, Netflix was in direct competition with Amazon.com in selling DVDs so they came to a compromise in December 1998: Netflix would stop selling DVDs in exchange for being heavily promoted on Amazons website[2]. Netflix began to partner with online movie information providers and promoted more features on its website to attract more customers. In September 1999, it began the Marquee Program, offering 4 DVDs rentals per month with no late fees or due dates for a monthly subscription fee[2]. In February 2000, it introduced CineMatch, a program that evaluates the rental patterns of customers, identifying which movies customers of similar tastes would enjoy[3]. Both programs were highly popular and soon Netflix did not rent out individual DVDs, relying fully on the Marquee Program. Continuing its aggressive marketing and networking campaign, Netflix signed a deal with major DVD produc- ers, such as Warner Home Video and Columbia Tri-Star. In exchange for cheaper prices on large quantities of DVDs, the movie studios received a portion of the rental receipts[2]. As the success of Netflix grabbed the attention of the media, competitors began to respond. In the summer of 2002, Blockbuster started its own unlimited rentals and no late fee subscription plan and bought out an online DVD rental company. Wal-Mart and Columbia House also tried to amass large volumes of DVD titles to compete with Netflix. However, Netflix already had a solid foothold in the market, fending off these major competitors. In re- sponse, it announced the opening of more distribution facilities. Five years after its debut, Netflix finally began to produce profits[2]. On January 16, 2007 Netflix issued a press release regarding a New Feature Will Be Included in Subscribers Monthly Membership at no Extra Charge. For every dollar a user pays for their subscription, they will be able to view one hour of streaming video from a selection of about 1,000 movies and TV series on their PCs. Netflix also announced that they plan to expand the technology to reach every Internet-connected screen, from cell phones to PCs to plasma screens[10]. 3 SWOT Analysis 3.1 Strengths Entry timing Netflix entered the market for DVD rentals at a time when there were few other competitors in the market, allowing them to establish their brand name and image for providing a unique service. They were the first to offer DVD rental by mail and this allowed them to offer a greater variety of DVDs to consumers as compared to their competitors at the time, as DVDs were relatively new to the market. Combined with its successful business model, Netflixs early entry has allowed it to maintain a high relative market share in the online DVD rental industry. Understands weaknesses of competitors: Customer Satisfaction From the start, Netflix understood what irritated many video rental store customers: late fees. Usually after renting and watching a movie from a store such as Blockbuster, the customer has to rush to return the movie on the subsequent day (before midnight) or pay a late fee comparable to the price of the rental. Although Blockbuster does get an estimated 18% of its total revenue from late fees, it leaves the customer annoyed, frustrated, and unsatisfied. On the other hand, Netflix lets the customer keep the DVD until the customer wants to see the next one in their queue, allowing the fredom to return the movie at ones convenience[1]. Networked connections with many partners and even potential competitors From the very beginning of its entry into the market, Netflix understood the importance of making partner- ships with the movie industry, the electronics industry, and retailers[1]. Netflixs name was spread widely through promotions with complementary products, such as DVD players and movie websites. When it saw Amazon.com as a competitor, it stopped selling DVDs to cease all tensions in exchange for being promoted on their website. Additionally, quality leadership has enabled Netflix to stay afloat despite the advent of powerful competitors like Wal-Mart. Not only was Reed Hastings able to fend off Wal-Marts attempt to bankrupt Netflix, he was able to convince Wal-Mart to encourage customers to switch to Netflix after the Wal-Mart service fell through[3]. By staying strong but cooperative, Netflix ended up profiting from many threats. Award-winning website Netflixs website boasts many features. Netflixs CineMatch implements an award-winning algorithm that can predict with surprisingly consistent accuracy what movies someone would prefer given their previous rental history, planned future rentals, and ratings of movies theyve seen in the past[4]. Furthermore, theyre constantly trying to improve the CineMatch program: Netflix is offering a prize of $1 million for a better algorithm[18]. Netflixs large subscription base has allowed a small type of network externality to take shape. More Netflix subscribers means more people rate movies, write reviews for movies, and recommend movies to one another. This also helps fine-tune the accuracy of the CineMatch program. Unique and very large selection of DVDs Netflix has the largest and most diverse collection of DVDs out of any competitor. They have more than 75,000 titles, including foreign films and independent films that are usually not carried by other distributors such as Blockbuster Video and Wal-Mart[7]. Foreign films such as those from Indias Bollywood are particularly successful at attracting customer attention[2]. This selection of movies taps into the underserved population of consumers who are solely with Netflix because the unique titles Netflix has to offer cannot be found for rent elsewhere in the United States. 3.2 Weaknesses Like most brick-and-mortar rental businesses, Netflix often has trouble providing enough copies of new, popular movies. As a result, a main cause of customer dissatisfaction is Netflixs inability to completely satisfy the initial rush for a new movie. However, the company knows it would be unprofitable in the long run to buy more copies just to serve the rush when a movie first becomes available, because the copies will not be rented with nearly as much frequency soon after the rush. Customers have caught on to the fact that Netflix only purchases a limited quantity of new releases right away, opting to wait a few weeks to buy the bulk of its supply at lower costs. While this might save Netflix money, it also has the tendency to drive away current and potential customers. Finally, Netflix does not have a direct connection to any movie studios so it must purchase its entire media through the consumer market[5]. One disadvantage of Netflixs rent-by-mail business model is that customers have to wait (often for several days) for the next movie on their queue to arrive in their mailbox. In many cases, by the time the subscriber receives the DVD, he or she may no longer be in the mood to see that particular movie. Likewise, a Netflix subscriber may feel like watching a movie on a night where all of the DVDs that are part of their plan are currently on route to or from a Netflix distribution center. In such a case, the customer will likely leave the home and rent a movie from a brick-and-mortar retailer, or perhaps order a movie from a service such as Pay-Per-View or iN DEMAND. 3.3 Opportunities Netflix is in a position to expand right now. Previously, sending movies to customers through the mail was a novelty in the rental industry. Now, delivering movies straight to computers of customers is likely to be the next revolution in how consumers view movies in their homes[6]. Luckily for Netflix, this service is only available as a per-viewing basis. Netflix can seize this opportunity if it is successful in efficiently providing streaming content to a customer on a time usage basis rather than a per-viewing basis. In addition, active management could possibly enable Netflix to absorb current providers of this service, such as Movielink, in a way similar to how it absorbed Wal-Marts DVD division. 3.4 Threats The clearest threat to Netflix is Blockbuster and other established rental businesses. Beyond this, customer satisfaction is the only aspect of this business that can make or break a company. If Netflix were to lose its wholesome, reliable image, it might not be able to retain enough of the market to survive. Also, companies like Apple can potentially harm Netflix if they are able to provide services through ones computer that can be easily ported to ones TV[6]. Netflix is less suited to compete with hardware innovations such as Apple TV because it has little to no experience in this area, though such innovations may eventually be complementary rather than competitive. Moreover, there is always the threat of entry by another firm, especially into the VOD industry, a closely related industry, which Netflix is about to enter. 4 Six Forces Analysis of the Video on Demand Industry By offering streaming movies through its website, Netflix is entering the Video on Demand (VOD) industry. This industry, along with DVD rentals (both from online providers such as Netflix, and cable services such as On Demand and Pay-Per-View), is part of the larger industry of watching movies in the home. However, since Netflix is already positioned in this market, with its online DVD rentals, we will examine the smaller portion of the market that is streaming online movies. This business is too closely related to the movie downloading service to be considered as a separate market. 4.1 Entry The Video on Demand industry requires a significant level of capital, so potential entrants face the large sunk costs of acquiring licenses to the movies they want to provide. Moreover, it is too expensive for a firm considering this market to merely test the waters. An established video rental retailer already has experience in marketing movies to people, giving them an experience advantage over potential entrants. Netflix, for example, invested over $40 million to launch its Watch Now streaming video service, shocking many shareholders[6]. These shareholders reactions only highlight the risk involved with such sunk costs. Netflixs Watch Now feature will be fully integrated with its normal online DVD rental website. A firm without the technological advantage of a website with movie-recommendation algorithms like Netflixs CineMatch program is at a significant disadvantage. Moreover, Netflixs website alreay has reams of user reviews and input, that a new firm would be unable to match for years. The technology to offer high-quality downloads is also a barrier to entry, but this barrier is small because such technology is available for licensing from third parties. In this market, product differentiation takes the form of varying quality in the downloaded movies, yet it should be noted that all firms will at least have to offer quality that is very close to DVD quality in order to ensure that discerning customers continue to use their service. Besides quality, differentiation exists in the type of service offered by a company: streaming movies, permanent downloads, or limited time downloads. In sum, this is an industry where entry is difficult for all but the most experienced firms with already established online movie rental/sale experience. These firms are more likely to thrive in this market due to their experience, reputation, and recognizable brand names. 4.2 Rivalry The movie download industry, like the online DVD industry, is not very concentrated[20], and so the few market leaders that share the market may engage in rivalrous price competition. A key example of this is Netflixs and Blockbusters recent price war[8], which lasted until both resolved to settle on a higher price through tacit collusion. A variety of services are being offered in the online movie industry. Amazon Unbox sells movies that one can download and keep on ones harddrive for one to two days[9]. Netflixs Watch Now feature ties in its streaming movie service with its online DVD rental service. Current Netflix customers will get this service for free, which will cost significantly less than Amazon Unbox. Because the product is not easy to differentiate, the competition focuses more on the services provided with the product than the price. An existing variety of movies is essential in this market because consumers will frown upon not finding a movie they want to see. The entry barriers mentioned in the previous section will prevent small and undifferentiated firms from entering the market, practically ensuring that the prices will not be competitive. With a low concentration of firms and emerging differentiation, this industry will not likely be especially rivalrous. 4.3 Supplier Power Netflix and its competitors buy their movies from the movie studios that create the films. The major studios have marginal supplier power in the online movie download market because they are the exclusive source of big name movies that customers desire. These highly popular movies have practically no substitutes in the rental market. However, buyer concentration in this new market is relatively high[20], so suppliers tend to want to sell their product to all of the companies in the market to maximize their revenue. This reduces competition for supply and therefore prevents supplier power from being very high. In this particular market, studios may be concerned with cannibalizing their own product[6]. By making inexpensive movie downloading available to customers, they may lose sales on the more profitable hard case DVD sales. Therefore, large studios may be more willing to withhold licensing agreements to movie download providers such as Netflix, thus strengthening their own supplier power. Overall, the suppliers to this market have only enough power to slightly control prices, but not enough power to influence the evolution of the market as a whole because they must sell their product to survive. 4.4 Substitutes The main substitutes to streaming movies are brick-and-mortar rental stores, online rentals, pay per view TV and theatres. Brick-and-mortar rental stores provide the same service with possibly a better selection of movies as compared to movies available for download by Netflix, but they do not provide the instant gratification of downloading or streaming them whenever a customer desires[3]. Furthermore, the streaming movies service provided by Netflix is more cost effective than these other substitutes because Netflix plans to allot its users a total amount of stream time. For instance, if a customer decides after 20 minutes of watching a movie that he does not want to watch it anymore, switching to another movie incurs no extra cost. Substitutes such as buying per download or traditional renting do not offer this convenience. For this reason, these are weak substitutes to streaming videos. 4.5 Buyer Power Buyer power is very low in this market because one customers decision to buy the service or not will not affect the overall market at all. Similarly, one customers dissatisfaction will not influence a significant amount of other customers. The source of dissatisfaction would have to be concerning an inferior product or service to incite such a widespread response. Clearly, this is not something an independent customer can control. There are substitutes for movie rentals, but these are weak substitutes. Buyers can rent movies from local brick-and-mortar businesses, but this is not nearly as convenient as the instant-gratification downloading of movies. In a broader aspect, a customer always has the option to not spend their free time watching movies, no matter what the source, so the price of rental services cannot climb much higher than they currently are. Overall, individual customers do not hold bargaining power over the price of products in this market; however, the prices themsel ves are regulated by the substitutes and preferences of customers as a whole. 4.6 Complements Technology is the main complement to streaming videos offered by Netflix. The basic complement required is high bandwidth. According to Netflix, a consistent bandwidth of 3 megabits per second is required[10] to watch streaming videos online at DVD quality. This bandwidth is already present in over 47% of US households, which means over 50 million households have broadband service available[14]. Because the required infrastructure is already well developed, Netflix has access to a large customer base. This figure is projected to grow to 55% by the end of 2007, making it a dependable complement. Apart from bandwidth, another possible complement is a product similar to AppleTV that allows users to watch streaming videos directly on their big-screen televisions[15]. Currently, users with S-Video capability can connect their desktops to their televisions but this does not provide the simple and elegant solution the average Netflix customer is looking for. With easy methods to view stream ing videos on the television, physical media (CDs, DVDs, etc.) would be much less functional in the movie rental industry. 5 Netflixs Entry into the VOD Industry via Streaming Movies In our analysis below we will examine Netflixs current business model to find that their business can suc- cessfully incorporate such VOD offering. Netflixs choice of providing streaming content as opposed to downloadable movies allows it to differentiate its service from others in the market, thus aiding Netflix in its strategic positioning. There are both advantages and disadvantages in tying in this new service with Netflixs current subscription plans as opposed to offering the services separately, but the two can complement one another at this early stage in Netflixs entry. These proposed strategies will place Netflix in a strong position in the newly developing market of VOD, and can act as a bridge to allow Netflix to leave the DVD rental industry as physical media becomes obsolete. 5.1 Business Definition The question arises, however, as to how streaming videos and DVD rentals can both fit within Netflixs business definition. There exist scale economies associated with the offering or bundling both of the services, as Netflixs good relations with the movie studios will help enable it to negotiate better prices for its streaming movies. Much of Netflixs existing infrastructure, including its award-winning website cited to be one of Netflixs keys to success, will also apply to streaming movies. The same page that allows one to add a movie to their queue will have a Watch Now button allowing the user to begin streaming the movie immediately. Moreover, a substantial proportion of customers who rent movies online will be open to watching streaming movies, as both are ways of watching movies at home. Streaming videos may be used as a way to sift through movies they are considering to watch on DVD. Since these two somewhat different services have a similar consumer base and share benefits in cost structure, they can both be successfully integrated into the same business model. On the downside, however, it should be noted that many of the elements that allowed Netflix to succeed in renting out DVDs via mail, will not carry over to the digital distribution market. For example, superior logistics in mailing out DVDs and processing receieved DVDs will not aid Netflix in addressing bandwidth problems. The business model will have to undergo some changes if Netflix decides to offer a stand-alone streaming plan in the future (see Tying-in DVD Rentals and Streaming Movies below). 5.2 Netflixs Choice of Streaming Video over Movie Downloads The Online Video on Demand industry has consisted of services such as Amazon Unbox and Movielink which allow users to download a movie for a fixed cost of about $3 and have 24 to 48 hours to view it. Recently, Starz launched Vongo, which allows users to download and watch movies for an unlimited amount per month, but are only allowed to choose from a catalog that is mostly representative of movies currently airing on one or more of Starzs cable television channels[11]. Therefore, Netflixs immediate entry into the VOD market will mark the arrival of one of the first monthly payment-based content providers that will allow viewers to watch their movies via streaming video files, similar to the format that has been popularized on websites such as YouTube and Google Video with higher quality. Perhaps the greatest advantage to streaming video is that it offers an even greater instant gratification incentive than downloadable VOD movies, as one can get the former up and running within a couple minutes with a modest connection speed, whereas a full movie download will often take about a half hour or more. A disadvantage of Netflixs business model has been the waiting times associated with the turn-around between DVDs. Netflixs competitors have been quick to make use of their infrastructure to exploit this disadvantage. Blockbuster frequently gives monthly in-store movie rental benefits to its online subscribers such as a speedier gratification bonus, where the customer can drive to the store and rent a DVD for free to watch for the night while the DVDs previously requested online are still in transit[12]. Now, Netflix can take the lead again in offering the fastest way to watch a movie in ones home. 5.3 One Subscription: Tying-in DVD Rentals and Streaming Movies Netflixs Watch Now will be available at no additional cost to all subscribes within the first half of 2007; there is no plan offering only the streaming download service without DVD rentals. The bundling of these two services is a necessary component of Netflixs strategy. By doing so, Netflix will differentiate its service from the services offered by its competitors and use these complementary goods to reinforce one another (as mentioned above in Business Definition). Netflix simply needs to consider this new bundled feature as just another method of delivering their product. Movie studios who supply films to Netflix are afraid that this Watch Now feature will contribute to cannibalization of their own DVD sales market. They are also concerned with the potential piracy of streaming and downloaded videos[6]. Due to the studios unusual supplier power in this particular matter, the catalog of movies that can be streamed with Netflix is much smaller than the size of their total DVD catalog. If Netflix offered a separate streaming plan, it would have a library of only about 1,000 films and television series to offer to its subscribers, making it difficult to satisfy a wide range of consumers. Variety of selection has always been one of Netflixs keys to success, so spinning off a half-hearted stand alone service could potentially harm its brand name. Tying the two services together allows consumers to see that Netflix is expanding its features since it offers it at no increase in price. It is providing existing subscribers a greater value and giving potential subscribers more incentive to try Netflixs services. By offering the new product as a tie-in, consumers are presented with a unique service that they can only get from Netflix. Consumers are given the opportunity to see a movie precisely when they want to, but can still order a DVD they feel like watching later. This gives consumers the opportunity to see more movies for a relatively lower cost than using only rental services or only temporary download services. The threat of price competition is reduced because the bundle of services makes Netflix appear to be less of a direct threat to download-only VOD services. The only firms able to replicate Netflixs bundling structure are those with an established DVD rental infrastructure. However, Blockbuster is such a firm capable of imitating Netflixs bundling model, especially as it has recently entered negotiations to acquire Movielink, a movie downloading service that offers both downloadable purchases and temporary downloads[13][20]. Blockbusters interest in Movielink suggests that it will more specifically attempt to integrate movie download rentals and sales into its online subscription plans[13], as opposed to streaming content. Should Blockbuster acquire Movielink, it will be able to offer a similar subscription plan to that being offered by Netflix. This apparently small difference reduces the threat of price competition because it will present consumers with a dilemma of preference, rather than an obvious choice of choosing the cheaper of two seemingly identical services. At this early stage in Netflixs attempts in the VOD industry, it is important that Netflix ties in its VOD offerings with its existing, time-tested DVD rental service. This ensures Netflix offers a unique and differen- tiated good, while not risking Netflixs brand name due to the lack of selection in the movies being offered, potential problems that may arise due to Netflixs lack of experience in the industry, and the relatively new and untested technologies being put to use to offer these services. 5.4 Positioning for the Future Over time, Netflixs bundling of DVD rentals with streaming movies will enable them to work out any kinks they have with their ability to distribute movies digitally, while continuing to build a large customer base of subscribers. Traditionally, Netflix has relied on a combination of word-of-mouth suggestions from their existing subscribers and an aggressive marketing campaign[1]. Should they continue to market their services effectively, their subscriber base will grow steadily, and Netflix will be able to collect more personalized user data and become even more proficient at being able to personalize [their] library to each subscriber by leveraging [their] database of user preferences[17]. Netflixs compilation of this data and their subsequent understanding of their customer base will serve a vital part in aiding their positioning in the coming future. However, the future of the DVD rental industry is very unclear as newer forms of media are developed. There are several factors that could hurt the industry that Netflix and other DVD rental outlets have been paying attention to. It is predicted that DVD and its successor formats (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD) will be more prevalent than digitally distributed movies in the short term[6][19]. Yet as complementary technologies grow that will allow for streaming of high definition movies directly to HDTV, VOD will continue to gain popularity and will eventually unseat DVD and other physical forms of media as the dominant format for watching rented movies at home[17]. Technology, however, is not the only barrier to the inevitable prevalence of VOD. As previously mentioned, the studios are wary of allowing the legal digital distribution of films to take place on a major scale, as they rely on DVD sales for a large portion of their revenues. Moreover, if the studios start reducing the window of time in which a movie is exclusively available on DVD after its major theatrical run or allow movies to be distributed in the home in other formats before they can be distributed on DVD, Netflix and other DVD rental firms will be adversely affected[17]. They will no longer have a significant advantage in allowing consumers to view new releases first through their services and more substitutes emerge for viewing those new releases (Pay-Per View, iN DEMAND, etc.). The fate of the DVD rental industry largely depends on factors outside of the hands of Netflix and its competitors. In order to prepare for the demise of the DVD industry, Netflix must make its streaming services available under a separate subscription plan of its own. This point will likely come at a time when the penetration of technology allowing for viewing streaming content on high-end TVs is substantially high. The technology already exists in some ways; the Apple TV is used to wirelessly connect to ones computer and retrieve movies downloaded from the iTunes store onto the computer, then play those movies on ones television[16]. However, it will be some time before this expensive technology is adopted by the mainstream population to such an extent that the digital distribution of movies onto those TVs will return large profits. It is also at this time that Netflixs experience with streaming under the previous tie-in structure will aid it in completely changing its business model toward eventually becoming a digital distributor of filmed entertainment as opposed to a DVD rental outlet. The o ne important factor it will maintain from its rent-DVDs-by-mail days will be the aforementioned personalized library available to its subscriber. Netflix will continue to benefit from the advantages associated with its superior understanding of its customer base through their databases, which they have acquired over the years and will continue to develop. Clearly, Netflixs competitors will be trying to do the same. As mentioned before, Blockbusters acquisition of Movielink only serves to signal that it is also pursuing a similar strategy in trying to survive beyond the death of physical media[20]. Yet, Netflix has historically been more adept at understanding its consumers and delivering easier to use cont