Evaluate and revise A Strategy for Scottish Tourism Essay

Evaluate and revise A Strategy for Scottish Tourism - Essay Example It was evolved primarily based on the views that the overseas target markets showed declining performance, there was considerable increase in short tours and also the expenditure was exceeding budgets as per the targets set. The new strategy was the result of a consultation document from Henry McLeish MSP, Honorable Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning in 1999. The consultation document provided the broad items that could go to make for the new strategy, viz., optimal use of IT, tourism promotion to remote and rural areas, assuring quality, identifying future markets, domestic as well as overseas, extending the tourism season, improving training, improving accessibility of areas for tourism interest in Scotland, ATB functioning, as well as making tourism sustainable in the long term. It is therefore in this context that the strategy was examined. Acknowledges are due and hence conveyed in all earnestness to the university professors, fellow students as well as the different authors and experts who have permitted quoting their works in this report. In particular, mention needs to be made of JRB Ritchie and GI Crouch, whose painstaking work The Competitive Destination: A sustainable tourism perspective, 2003, has afforded this study to be made on the basic of fundamental strategy and tourism concepts outlined by these eminent authors. The study examined the new Scottish Tourist Board (STB) strategy according to the principle that tourism development needs to both competitive and sustainable in the long term. Sustainability means conserving the natural resources of Scotland and protecting its heritage structures. The strategy recognizes the natural advantages of Scotland in its scenic beauty and varied landscape and also highlights efforts to be undertaken like technology adoption, customer focus, service quality assurance, lifelong learning, training, better coordination among public bodies and greater involvement of

Grand foods, Ltd Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Grand foods, Ltd - Case Study Example The product managers now bear the greatest responsibility of coming up with the best solution that could look into the matter. The discussion sparked some other issues that may be behind the poor performance. These issues include; the pricing structure, sales promotion, cooperative advertising and food distribution in market. Jessica Walters, the marketing manager isn’t against the solutions raised but is concerned with the possible effects that this would have on the company’s policies and its structure. Background Grand Foods Limited is a Canadian company and has its international headquarters in Minneapolis, in Toronto. The company has its subsidiary branches all over Canada and also in the U.S. Quebec and Ontario are the main largest markets of the company, where it accounts for 69 percent of the $350 million sales in Canada. The worldwide sales of the company in 1991 were more than $2 billion. Jessica Walters is the marketing manager of the company and has been in the position for four years. His efforts towards the success of the company are tremendous and this has seen an overall improvement in the company’s sales. Products from the Grand Foods Ltd are enjoyed by the people in the entire Canada and Quebec province. These products include cake mixes, pie fillings, puddings, and frozen dinners among others. To do away with monotony of the food preference, the company has introduced six new products into the market in the last six years. These products were gladly received by the consumers. Problem statement In the previous month, the company saw poor performances in some of its products. The main region hit by this problem is the Quebec province, which is largely dominated by the French. This means that the consumers did not buy the products and the reason behind this is subject to thorough investigation and coming up with necessary recommendations. According to Marie Lemans, a product manager, the problem was with the marketing of the products. Quebec, as stated before is largely dominated by the French speaking people. Leman suggested that this region should then be treated differently from the rest of the Canada population. This then would be done by coming up with an appropriate marketing plan for the French-speaking people. The company’s products would therefore be advertised in the French language in the Quebec region and in English in the rest of Canada. Jessica Walters needed to have a closer look and a bit of analysis on the implications of the matter before implementing it (Canada Business Network, 2012). Food distribution across the Quebec province is another problem discussed by the managers. They argued that most of the bigger supermarkets and big stores had low market shares. The only advantage that the company has on food distribution in Quebec province is that the products are stored on best selling stores. The managers raised concerns on including the big supermarkets in selling these item s since they have more customers. This, they said will help raise the sales. The company has also done less in boosting attraction of customers in the discount policies and pricing structure of the products. The prices need to be reviewed and at least introduce some discounts. This issue has made the customers to shun away and hence the drop in the amount of sales. Jessica Walter is the major player here since he is the manager. The issues raised might look simple and easy to implement but the effects that it will have on

Ryanair Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses

Ryanair Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses Michael Porter defines Strategy as a combination of the goals for which the firm is striving and the means and policies by which it is seeking to get there. According to him the Strategy is about competitive position, about differentiating yourself from the point of view of the customer, about adding value through a mix of activities different from those used by competitors. Kenneth Andrews defines Corporate strategy as the pattern of decisions in a company that determines and reveals its objectives, purposes, or goals, produces the principal policies and plans for achieving those goals, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue, the kind of economic and human organization it is or intends to be, and the nature of the economic and non-economic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities.. Background Currently, the commercial world and its borders are changing more rapidly with regard of terms of size and speed. Travelling all around the world is no longer a luxury but a requirement for many of the population. In the past only rich people could afford to travel, in nowadays with the increasing movement of the technology, students as well as people with average profits can benefit. Due to this fact, in the past decades the number of airlines worldwide has been increasing significantly and respectively in early70s a new type emerged for the first time in the U.S.: the low cost airlines. The first low cost airline was Southwest Airlines which began operations in 1971 and was profitable only in 1973 (Oliveira and Huse, 2008). After twenty years after the Americans (Beigbeder, 2007) due to the fact of the deregulation of European skies in early 1990s, the phenomenon appeared in Europe. One of the first low-cost airlines which emerged was Ryanair (Ireland) and Easy Jet (UK) and they keep being still among the most active on the market. Companys history, development, and growth Ryanair is one of the Worlds favorite airlines and operates more than 1,400 flights per day from 44 bases and 1100+ low fare routes across 27 countries, connecting 160 destinations. Ryanair operates a fleet of 250 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with firm orders for a further 64 new aircraft which will be delivered over the next 2 years (www.ryanair.com). Ryanair is a innovator among LCA (Low Cost Airline) companies in Europe. They were among the first and they are still today the most active LCA on the continent. This business is increasing fast and from the beginning has passed through very significant phases. Ryanair was founded in 1985 by the Ryan family in Ireland. In 1988 and during only one year due to financial losses, the company launches a business class service and a frequent flyer club for customers, neither of which prove particularly successful. This change has meant that Ryanair has changed its generic strategy. Indeed, the company since the early 90s pursuing a cost strategy. Ryanair now offers the lowest fares in every market, high frequency flights, moving to a single aircraft fleet type, scrapping free drinks and expensive meals on board. These decisions have significantly reduced ticket prices for customers. In order to reduce again costs, Ryanair decided also to narrow down traveling lines from 19 to 6 routes between 1990 and 1992. With this new policy the Irish firm carry over 1 million passengers in one year for the first time in 1993. On 29th May 1997 Ryanair becomes a public company for the first time with a successful flotation on the Dublin and NASDAQ (New York) St ock Exchanges. In March 1999, Ryanair accepts the delivery of five new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft. Those new aircrafts began operations from the main base at London Stansted, and their impact allowed Ryanair to operate with significantly lower seat costs and to offer much lower airfares, but with better reliability and a fantastic new customer product (www.ryanair.com). Communication between customers and the company is always a priority. In 2000, Ryanairs website (www.ryanair.com) became the largest booking website in Europe with more than 50.000 bookings each week. This source of information allows also customers to avail of the lowest car hire, hotel accommodation, travel insurance and rail services. At that time, Ryanair was the only LCA which developed interactive useful internet services for customers. Ryanair was in 2003 in the category most popular brand the fifth most searched website in the world (http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2003.html). The Irish airline became also the first LCA to sponsor a program on television in order to gained more customers. The company decided to sponsor Skynews Weather reports. Following this effort in communication, 1 million people traveled for the first time in during a month with Ryanair in august 2001. According to R. OBrian (mail communication, 15 April 2009) in order to be closer to custome rs, they build also the first continental base at Brussels Charleroi Airport in Belgium between 2001 and the end of 2002. In 2002, the company selected Frankfurt Hahn as the second Continental European base and launched in April with 10 routes. German customers flock in their millions to avail of the lowest air fares to and from Frankfurt according to J. Meier (personal communication, 15 April 2009). To accommodate this growth, Ryanair announced the largest ever aircraft order by an Irish airline by increasing their aircraft order with Boeing from 45 to 125 firm aircraft, with a further 125 options. The value of this order exceeds à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 6 billion and signals Ryanairs ambition to continue to be the largest LCA in Europe. Ryanair became also the number one in Europe of customer services beating all other European airlines for punctuality, fewer cancellations and least lost bags (www.ryanair.com). Meanwhile according to the company respondent communications to customers have not stopped. In 2004, Ryanair is named the most popular airline on the web by Google, as the website continues to be the most searched travel one in Europe. These performances continued and now more than 98% of all Ryanair bookings are made through the website and Internet customer services. During 2005 and 2006, Ryanair used communication tools in order to try to be different from other airlines for customers. First, they made a big communication called no fuel surcharge guarantee. Following the statements by the respondents , this was a new communication for customers because many full service airlines such as British airways, Air France or Lufthansa continue even today to supplement already high fares fuel with surcharges in case of extra costs. Second, Ryanair became The Worlds Favorite Airline because they carried more customers than British Airways and all other airline and LCA firms. Third, Ryanair was and is still the most punctual company in Europe with more than 90% of flights who arrived on time and respect schedules. Many radio advertising were made with this information. Finally, in order to attract new customers, they offered 100.000 seats for 1à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ for the 20th birthday of the Irish brand. From 2006 until now, a new customer service was launched . According to the respondent This is a web check-in service giving passengers the opportunity to check-in online across Ryanairs entire route network. The company is also the first airline worldwide to carried more than 5 million travelers in a month and created plan for a new customer service: onboard mobile. For the moment, Ryanair has 830 low fare routes all around Europe and across 26 different European countries. They produced customer services from their 31 European bases. Ryanair currently has a team of more than 8,000 people and expects to carry approximately 73.5 million passengers in the current fiscal year (www.ryanair.com). Strategy Ryanair strategy remains the same from the beginning of the 90s and since then it continues to act as the European LCA leader and continues the expansion in order to attract more customers. Ryanair aims to offer low fares that generates increased passengers traffic while maintaining a continuous focus on cost-containment and operating efficiencies (Ryanairs annual report from 2008). Business Model Full Service : Low Cost: Using HubSpoke network, Congestion during peak hours Delay of only a few inbound flights Will spill over across large portions of the network Low average daily utilization of aircraft, higher costs per seat mile Enormous transaction costs Complex fare structure Non-stop point-to-point services High seating density and load factors, Uniform aircraft types (usually the 737-300) Direct booking (internet/call centre no sales commissions) No frills such as free food/drinks, lounges or air miles Simple systems of yield management (pricing) Use of secondary airports to cut charges and turnaround times The main components of their strategy are low fares, customer services, frequent point-to-point flights on short-haul routes, low operating costs, high maintaining productivity, high personnel productivity, low customers costs, airport access fees, taking again a better advantage of Internet in order to serve the customer, commitment to safety and quality maintenance, enhancement of operating results and ancillary services and focused criteria or objectives for growth (Ryanairs annual report from 2008). Passengers may trade-off price savings against service reductions but anyway Ryanairs market success shows that the product/price trade-off is broadly in line with customers requirements so far. One of the key to the success of Ryanair was that they adopted the decision to build a powerful brand and as an example in 2003 the company was declared the fifth most searched website in the world. This confirms Gilbert ´s (1996) assumptions that branding is becoming increasingly important when it comes to product differentiation. In the case of LCA`s building brand recognition can be seen as another effective tool to be prepared for the competitive environment. These assumptions will be tightened through the argumentation by O ´Connelly and Williams (2005) that for LCA ´s who are offering a strong alternative to full service airlines it is from special relevance to build a strong brand around the company, but with the addition of customer loyalty and satisfaction. During the years the airline has stated clearly the product and stayed rigidly to that model with over 180 routes and 17 bases. In order to maintain the low fares the company has decided to eliminate the amount of travel agents and marketing costs and to sell tickets per internet. This strategic decision had a positive impact and as a result the number of the customers has increased because the clients prefer to avoid the agency and to check, compare and buy the tickets themselves. Since the implementation of internet booking in 2000, passenger numbers has grown rapidly. The growth rate increased from 15,7% (in 1999) to 30,7% (in 2000) and to over 40 % in the following years. Ryanair stimulated the passenger growing by focusing on price and not on service. Thinking on long terms this can arouse problems when another new airline enters the market and this may adversely affect Ryanair`s market share and profitability. This assumption is mainly based on statement by Lawton (1999) where it is said that just having the focus on one strategy, for instance price leadership, will be unsustainable in the future. Mainly driven by the Ryanair will to expand it is certain to sustain its competitive advantage by setting the focus secondary. While the rate of price reduction in air fares charged by low cost airlines is likely to moderate the passenger demand for the Ryanair product is likely to remain high. Ryanair clearly satisfies the markets demand which indicates that the strong price reducing strategy attracts a high number of customers. We can suppose that this fact will remain the same as far as the clients dont change their preferences and their necessities, as long as they want just to move from one point to another and nothing more. The clients tend to keep and select the low cost airline especially for the low cost services provided by them. However the Ryanair is not really focused in the relations with the customers and are counting every penny in order to maintain them on the market. To give you anecdotal case experience I had with Ryanair: one of my Ryanair flight was cancelled so I ended with no communications at all, no change of the ticket, no accommodation provided. Writing numerous letters to Ryanair didnt get me not even a reply and only after writing to the European Commissions for Air Passengers Rights after 3 years Ive got my money back. The conclusion is that what is really important for the company is to keep the low cost as low as possible, no matter what is takes. Otherwise Ryanair could even however face the problem of cost cutting itself out of the market. What counts to the customers is to obtain fair services in direct rapport with the fair prices. The focus that Ryanair need to be focus is the importance of relationship building with its customers, otherwise it may risk losing its position. In case that the airline is capable to unite the low price with a special network of customer fidelity, only then the competitive advantage can be obtained. Strategies could be influenced directly by the numbers of travellers. According to the history of the Ryanair, in its initial stages the company wasnt very effective and after introducing the hard discount pricing strategy the firm became really successful and attractive for the clients. Companys internal strengths and weaknesses SWOT Analysis Strengths Low Cost Pioneer First in cost reductions 1stmover advantage Strong Brand Established market share Variety of supplementary services Weaknesses Week relations with customers Unpredictable customer relations Poor relations between employees Refused to recognize unions Reliance on Michael OLeary Unfriendly connection with competitors Opportunities Continuing development Advanced fee decreasing EU growth Traveller Destinations Rapidly developing competition New low cost entrants Alliance/Mergers between rivals Threats Industry criticism Alternative transportation(cars, trains) External environnement Analyzing the external environment we can define 4 categories of external factors that influence the strategy of Ryanair. Political and legal: Have an increased Trade-Union pressure, EU abolishment of Duty-free Sales, EU expansion Advertising and Marketing Campaigns Economic: Continuously price growth of fuel Depreciation of US dollars EU Commissions Decisions regarding: communication with passengers, cancelled passenger compensation, overbooking, getting illegal subsidies from airports. Sociocultural: The developing of new style of living by travelling, increasing demand of business with require travelling Increasing of new high-speed trains, better cars and other ways of travelling Technological: With Internet, and all the IT technology, everything is much simple you can book, cancel, buy easily a ticket wherever you like Competitors Ryanair now has a number of low-cost competitors. In 2004, approximately 60 new low-cost airlines were formed. Although traditionally a full-service airline, Aer Lingus moved to a low-fares strategy from 2002, leading to a much more intense competition with Ryanair on Irish routes. AirBerlin wich uses a Business model -instead of point to point connections, it offered guaranteed connections via its hubs, low fare alliances. Another new competitor is BNIBaby a subsidiary of BMI British Midband and leading low cost carriers in the Midlands and Nothern England. Alos is FlyBE which has an incorporated aspect of budget airline model. Airlines which attempt to compete directly with Ryanair are treated competitively, with Ryanair being accused by some of reducing fares to significantly undercut their competitors. In response to MyTravelLite, who started to compete with Ryanair on the Birmingham to Dublin route in 2003, Ryanair set up competing flights on some of MyTravelLites routes until they pulled out. Go was another airline which attempted to offer services from Ryanairs base at Dublin to Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. A fierce battle ensued, which ended with Go withdrawing its service from Dublin. [Quinn, Eamonn. No competitors for Ryanair in Dublin, says Cassani, 30 November 2003, at Tcm.ie. Retrieved 18 December 2006.] Ryanairs biggest competitor is EasyJet, announced routes to the Republic of Ireland for the first time, beginning with the Cork to London Gatwick route. Until then, EasyJet had never competed directly with Ryanair on its home ground. [Mulligan, John. Ryanair wins judicial review of decision over Knock route, 10 September 2008 at Independent.ie] External Analysis Porters Five Forces Threat of new Entrants Medium Is somehow affected by new comers in the market Suppliers Bargaining Power Low Industry Competitors Competition Among existing Firms High There are several strong competitors fighting for the same clients. Buyers Bargaining Power Low Threat Of Substitute Products Medium There is a living style that makes EU people to travel during the weekend with, buses, cars, caravans, trails Ryanair Competitive Advantage In nowadays the company tries to position itself by providing a strong brand on the market and obtaining a good reputation. Driven by this, company has to adapt each time to the condition of the market following strategies that can improve their competitiveness. These include cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership and integrated cost leadership/differentiation. Ryanair restructured the model and they moved from conventional airline to the first European low fare. At the beginning it provided services only between Ireland and the UK. At the end of 1990 in spite of the increasing in clients, Ryanair faced losses of 20 mln IR pounds. At this period of time and directed by Michael OLeary the company decides to adopt the model of successful American Southwest Airlines. The problems encountered at this stage were that, Ryanair tried to concentrate and on costs and also on focus. At this stage, the competitors can invade the market, and without a proper strategy the compa ny cannot position themselves on a segment and survive. So they choose to go for Cost Leadership which proved to be a right choice. So how they do that: Fleet Standardization The company uses the most sold and used planes from the world Boeing 737. Maintenance costs are low, spares parts are chip and because of this, the Ryanair is capable to keep the low prices, New Aircrafts, Owns Own Fleet, Operations Denominated in Euro, Hedge Fuel Risk Airport Charges The company chose to avoid main airports and to use secondary or regional airport but closed to big cities, and respectively these airport charge lower taxes Limited Airport Transportation Employees and Productivity The company provides lower employment costs, but the staff can earn more money based on their performance Model Online Bookings, One Class Travel, Ticketless Boarding, Unallocated Seats, Point-to-Point Flying, No Frills, Reduced Turnaround Times, No Refund Policy Outsourcing of Services The company uses the third part services such as aircraft handling, ticketing. Highly Successful Ancillary Service Offering, Outsourcing of Services at International Airports, Marketing and Advertising The companys promoting is basically in newspaper, radio, television and their web site Advertising on Airplanes, In-house Marketing Basic Service on board Offers minimum standards of service and very low prices for point-to point short have flights, no extra such as in flight meals, advance seat assignment, free drinks and other services. Eliminating seatback pockets, No blankets or pillows, Airsickness bags distributed on request, Charges larger penalties for overweight luggage This strategy was a success and by 1997, Ryanair was floated on the Dublin Stock Exchange and on NASDAQ. Expansion strategy is another factor that enables Ryanair to position itself in the marketplace. The company has been known to be an airline which launches new routes since its operation begins. In addition, under the expansion strategy, company acquires Buzz in February 26, 2003. Such acquisition enables Ryanair to gain immediate access to11 new French regional airports and makes the company the largest airline operating at London Stansted Airport. In addition, the company continues to expand by opening two new Continental European bases with low-fare flights from Milan Bergamo and Stockholm. In the year, 2003, the company has been able to launch 73 new routes and carry over 2 million passengers in one month (July). In addition, the company website has been able to make the company position itself in the global market. Corporate Strategy High Global Strategy Transnational Strategy Low International Strategy Multidomestic strategy Low High Future of Ryainair Cutting costs: Race to bottom Ryanair, the Worlds favorite airline, today (9th  July) launched an online poll to ask if   passengers would stand on short flights if it meant they could travel for FREE, or pay 50% less than seated passengers.  Ryanair is gauging passenger demand for its vertical seating which will allow passengers to travel for free in a secure upright position on short flights of approximately one hour. Source:http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/news.php?yr=09month=julstory=gen-en-090709 Ryanairs Future Plans, Cutting the costs, No Window Blinds , No Reclining Seats, Leather Seats , Velcro Headrests , Carry-on Luggage Profit enhancement Satellite Television , Internet On-board , Rented In-flight entertainment Future plans Free tickets. In a decade or so, airlines will pay travellers to distribute people around Europe. The airline industry is Tesco, is Ikea, is network TV in the way viewers watch for free and advertisers Pay for access to them, is the internet in the same way that websites earn money for delivering click-through traffic or other sites. Michael OLeary ,Chief Executive Officer of the Irish airline Ryanair Issues at Ryanair Risks and Challenges Extra capacity building would create certaintly about the success of new routes and locations Fuel Prices Vulnerable to rising fuel prices Represents 35 % of the operating costs Compensation to passengers Regulation by the European Union Terrorism and security Added risks and Costs to the industry Expand into Central and Eastern Europe Continue aggressive acquisition Overhaul the customer service Internet ticketing Develop the smaller operating base Increase the ancillary revenues-focus on after sales Future Conclusion Despite the fact that Ryanair is tied to low cost policy and doesnt care about the loyalty of the clients, the relations with the Clients, the service and with bad experience with them, the customers and myself will keep to buy their services, yes we will get the basic service but is cheap, is easy and after the exams I will fly with them in Portugalia. Ryanair rapid growth is due to: Low cost Airline Business Model that restructured European Aviation Industry Pioneer innovative cost reduction methods Creative alternative revenue generation free flights goal in next phase evolution Value segments consist of travellers interested to optimize comfort, time and price. This would mean a requirement for city-centric airports, and comfortable departure times. Competitors are catering to value market segment and have established slots at some primary airports, furthermore provide cost effective basic services. Acquisition of a similar airline would enhance expansion into value-orientated market segments without comprising its top position in the low-price segment. The key challenge for Ryanair in the next few years therefore is developing a successful strategy for not only winning the war in Low Price segment but acquiring solid position in the Value Segment and in new non-European markets. 5. ReferencesBelfast Telegraph. Finance crisis good for

Importance of the Night in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Importance of the Night in Romeo and Juliet Night can be seen in two contrasting ways. The first can be summarized as a time for celebration and love. The second, and most commonly associated with night, is a time of darkness and horror. Two shining examples of the different emotions and reactions brought on by darkness are the books Night by Elie Wiesel and Romeo and Juliet by well-known author, William Shakespeare. In Romeo and Juliet night has a positive image, a welcomed time for love, protection and exchanging of covenants, while in Night the image is portrayed in a negative way, a time for fear, suffering, and death. Night in the great romances is a greeted time of romance and in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet a time to hide from the harsh reality of the outside world. Juliet greatly yearns for the coming of night. "And bring in cloudy night immediately. Spread thy close curtain..." (Shakespeare Act III Scene ii:4-5) Juliet is very eager for night to come as she uses the word "immediately," which is very strong and demanding. Her true love, Romeo, is also associated with night. "Come, night, come Romeo, come thou day in night." (Shakespeare Act III Scene ii:17) Shakespeare uses night also as a time for exchanging of vows. "Lady, by yonder, blessed moon I vow, That tips with silver all these fruit tree tops -- -". (Shakespeare Act II Scene ii:106-107) After Romeo's vow Juliet later promises during the welcomed night to be loyal to him throughout his life. Under the cloak of darkness she is unafraid to pledge, "And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay, And follow thee my lord throughout the world." (Shakespeare Act II Scene ii:146-147) Night has a third important role of protecting Romeo at first when he trespasses to the Capulet Mansion and later when Romeo, then banished, meets Juliet for the final time. "I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes..." (Shakespeare Act II Scene ii:74) Night, although it can be a time of love and happiness, can also be the complete opposite --- fear, suffering, and death. Elie Wiesel uses stunning, vivid descriptions to show the readers the negative side of night,

Crohn’s Disease: a Patient Education Plan

Sarah is a bright, energetic 18-year-old high school senior. She leads a very active life playing soccer and lacrosse for her high school and excels academically. Recently, Sarah has been losing weight and has been less energetic. For the past few months she has been experiencing abdominal pain, cramping, and diarrhea. Her lack of energy has begun to show by recently missed practices and declining grades. Sarah's parents were concerned about their daughter's health so they brought her to the doctor's in which she was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Sarah lives with both parents and two younger brothers in suburban Maryland. It is noted that Sarah's maternal grandmother had irritable bowel syndrome. Sarah is planning on going to college in the fall and will need a large amount of education on nutrition, medications, and symptoms of the disease so that she can manage the disease independently. Sarah states that she learns best by reading. Crohn's disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, usually the colon, although it can be found anywhere in the digestive tract. There is no proven cause of Crohn's disease but according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease's (2006), â€Å"the most popular theory is that the body's immune system reacts abnormally mistaking bacteria, foods and other substances for being foreign† (Crohn's Disease, para 5), the intestines become inflamed and swell and ulcers form leading to diarrhea and gastrointestinal bleeding. Other symptoms associated with Crohn's disease include abdominal pain and cramping, bloody stools, ulcers, fever, reduced appetite and weight loss, arthritis, and skin problems. A diagnoses of Crohn's disease to an active 18year old girl can be devastating. At 18, girls are usually concerned with their image and outward appearance. Sarah would also be concerned about her independence and quality of life. Fitting in with her peers and feeling â€Å"normal† are a big concern. She may be concerned about having intimate relationships in the future or going out to eat with friends. There is no known cure for Crohn's disease so Sarah needs to focus on the things she can do to control the symptoms and educe the time between flare ups. There is obviously a lot of emotional stress that can go along with Crohn's disease. A young girl, trying to have a social life may find it difficult to go out in public for fear of having an attack of gas , pain or diarrhea, and not be near a bathroom. Knowing where the public bathrooms are before you go out can reduce anxiety. Special dietary needs may be restrictive when going out with friends. Figuring out the trigger foods and avoiding them is necessary. If surgery is needed, this can impact her self image. Talking with a doctor about possible surgical procedures may be helpful. Sarah will also have to be monitored for depression, which is common when living with a chronic disease. Sarah will need education on how manage her disease independently. Besides medication, there are many other things Sarah can do to manage her disease and improve her quality of life. Sarah will need to be taught about her nutritional needs. She should limit dairy products. Often people with Crohn's are lactose intolerant. Sarah should eat low fat foods. Fattier foods can worsen diarrhea. Drink plenty of liquids avoiding caffeine and alcohol. Eat small meals. Take a multivitamin. She should also pay attention to and avoid the foods that cause gastrointestinal upset. In addition to her dietary needs, Sarah needs to manage stress. Avoiding stressful situations or using exercise or yoga to reduce stress may help prevent flare-ups. Other educational needs for Sarah include teaching about the possibility of surgery if or when the medications and diet modifications cannot control the symptoms any longer. As stated on the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America website (2009), â€Å"Two-thirds to three quarters of patients with Crohn's disease will require surgery at some point in their lives† (About Crohn's Disease, para 24). Sarah will be provided with informational handouts and videos along with a list of website resources such as www. ucandcrohns. org and www. ccfa. org/kidsteens. Counseling will be provided for emotional support. Sarah's family will also be educated and taught how to provide support and acceptance. Sarah may believe her life will be very different but with education and support, she should be able to live a relatively normal life. Diagnoses with a chronic disease at any age is difficult. For Sarah, educational on how to best manage Crohn's disease and prevent flare-ups will decrease stress and help her live a normal life. Follow-up doctor appointments for medication management and updated disease information is important so she has current treatment options. Ongoing emotional support and guidance are needed to maintain a healthy attitude and lifestyle. References American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. (2008). Crohn's Disease. Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/crohns_disease/ Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. (2009). Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns Mayo Clinic. (2009). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/DS00104 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2006). Retrieved June 12, 2010 from http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/crohns/ University of Maryland Medical Center. (2010). Crohn's Disease. Retrieved June 13, 2010 from http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/crohns-disease-000043.htm

Character Study Essay

Manus is the son of Hugh, brother of Owen and a teacher at the hedge school. * At first there is a great contrast between the brothers, however, as the play progresses it is apparent that they have adopted each others characteristics. Manus has strong views on the re naming of Irish towns but they are very different to those belonging to Owen. Manus is angry with the English belief that the Irish town names are â€Å"incorrect† whereas Owen considers it to be â€Å"only a name† Manus is described as having a â€Å"zeal† for teaching and this supported by his relationship with Sarah. It is clear that Sarah has deeper feelings for Manus than a regular teacher and student relationship. â€Å"She smiles in shy, embarrassed pleasure. † (P. 3). Manus also appears to truly care for Sarah and it is debatable whether one of Manus’ reasons for leaving the hedge school was because he did not want his feelings for Sarah to progress. At the beginning of the play a relationship between Manus and Maire is indicated. As the play progresses this relationship deteriorates as Maire and Yolland (an English man) fall in love. When Manus finds out about this relationship he is severely hurt and this leads to him leaving the town of Baile Beag and running away from his problems. * There are many examples throughout the play when Manus makes sacrifices for the people from the people within the hedge school. One such example is when his father Hugh applies for a new job at the national school. Manus feels he can not apply (even though he would probably be better suited for the job) as he will be going against his father’s wishes. This angers Maire as Manus promised her he would go for the job. This is one of the first apparent signs of a strain being put on their relationship, which would eventually lead to its downfall. Words that describe Manus: optimist, kind, considerate, encouraging.