Enzymes Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Enzymes - Lab Report Example Following addition of iodine to a solution of glucose, the only color observed was red or yellow (iodine color). Therefore, the faster the blue color is lost, the faster the enzyme amylase activity. The enzyme amylase can’t hydrolyze starch if it is inactivated, so the starch-iodine complex blue color will persist. The presence of glucose in the samples was tested using Benedict’s reagent. When blue solution of Benedict’s reagent is added to a glucose solution the color changes to green (at low concentrations of glucose) or reddish-orange (at higher concentrations of glucose). Starch can’t react with Benedict’s reagent, therefore the solution remains blue. The aim of the experiment was to look at how enzyme amylase activity is affected by pH, temperature and concentration of the enzyme. Introduction Enzymes are proteins in nature; they are catalysts for biological reactions. Like all catalysts, they speed up reactions by lowering the reactionâ€℠¢s activation energy without themselves being used up. Enzymes catalyze all biochemical reactions. They can be denatured in a variety of ways since they are proteins in nature, Therefore they work optimally under mild conditions. At body temperature and at a neutral pH, most of them have optimum activity. Enzymes also are known to be very specific; they act only on a specific substrate or one type of similar substrate molecules. This is because the enzyme active site is complementary to the polarity and shape of the substrate. Only one kind of substrate will â€Å"fit† into the active site. (Abu et al, 2005) Methods and Materials Preparation: Water baths of constant, low and high temperature were used in the experiment. A large water bath was set to 37 °C.For low temperature bath, a 250-mL beaker, was half filled with tap water, and some ice was added to the water to attain between 0 and 5 °C temperature. High temperature water bath was made by filling a 250-mL beaker to two-thirds full then heated to boil. The temperature of the bath was close to 100 °C. 1% starch solution was used for every experiment part. Iodine reagent for each experiment was also used. Commercial amylase solution, clean droppers and a white spot plate were also needed in the experiment. For starch testing, few drops of starch were transferred to one well of the spot plate. One iodine reagent drop was added. Iodine and Starch was reacted to form a deep blue-black complex. For glucose testing, 1% glucose solution of 3 ml was added in a test tube. 2 ml of Benedict’s solution was added and heated in a boiling water bath for 3-4 minutes. The reaction formed a red-orange solid. Experiment 1: Effect of Enzyme Concentration Five test tubes were labeled as 1-5. 4 ml of 1 % starch was placed in every first four test tubes. 4 ml of amylase solution was placed in the fifth tube. All of the tubes were placed in water bath (37 °C) for 5 minutes. 5 clean droppers were obtained the n labeled from 1 to 5.Separate dropper were used for each mixture to avoid contamination. Tube 1 was the control and it never had any enzyme. The tubes were momentarily removed from the water bath and quickly 3 drops of the warmed amylase solution was added to tube 2, to tube 3, 6 drops of amylase was added and in tube 4, 10 drops of amylase was added. The tubes were mixed quickly by shaking gently then later put immediately back into 37 °C water bath. The time at which the enzyme was added was

Representations of Gigantism in Art and Architecture Essay

Representations of Gigantism in Art and Architecture - Essay Example While the office of the Presidency was supposed to come with a great deal of prestige, it had far less privilege and entitlement associated with it than the inherited titles of royalty that were, in the early 1800’s, the most common form of government.  One word that is used to refer to a particular degree of size is â€Å"gigantic.†Ã‚   Small children use this word when they see blimps up close, or skyscrapers, or magical characters in cartoons.   Objects (and beings) of such excessive size are beheld at once with wonder and fear, a combination which sometimes is described with the word â€Å"awe.†Ã‚   There are several ways in which the concept of the gigantic can engage the senses.   As was referenced in the opening anecdote, there is always a sense of comparison that goes on in defining the gigantic – and this sense is always accompanied by a stark sense of contrast between the size of the viewer, and the normal objects with which the viewer is g enerally familiar, and the size of the object in question.   The idea does not have to refer to a static object, of course:   the ways in which the genie Aladdin assumes such gigantic proportions in the popular Disney movie has much more to do with the swirling, undulating motions that the genie makes, than with the actual size that the genie ends up having.   It can have to do with the scope of a story, not just the size of a particular painting’s frame. When it comes to architecture, the idea of the gigantic goes back almost as far as recorded human history itself.   The Old Testament refers.

the Firm Strategy Structure and Rivalry

the Firm Strategy Structure and Rivalry Sialkot is known as the export city of Pakistan. Out of many cottage and small scale industries, sports industry is one of the most prominent in the city. There are total 3559 sports goods industries in Pakistan out of which over 98 percent are located in the city of Sialkot and its suburbs.[1] Imported sports brands like Adidas (Germany), Puma (Germany), Nike (USA) and Slazenger (UK) started getting their products manufactured from the Sialkot sports industry. This international collaboration was a big achievement. In 1994, official soccer balls were required for FIFA football World Cup, USA 94. Sialkot sports equipment exporters were selected for this supply.[2] However, the industry is now experiencing loss of market share because of lack of modernization that is latest technology usage, poor information infrastructure, competition with China, India and Japan, low capital for industry expansion, lack of technical education, innovation and international standards in production, frequent power outages, poor management skills and lack of coordination among related industries in the sports cluster. Using the Porters Diamond model for analysis, we can better understand the current situation of the sports industry (exhibit 1). Porters Diamond model[3] helps in understanding the role of clusters in competition and enables a government to gauge how an industry can become competitive on a global level. Demand Conditions: Sialkot sports industry had been generating major revenue by exporting sports wear and sports equipment to the international market. But there has been a recent downfall in the industry. The international market demands innovation in sports products, use of better technologies and international standards in production. Firm Strategy Structure and Rivalry: There is a strong competition with China, India and Japan. International brands like NIKE, Adidas etc. are getting their products made from these countries because of cheap labor and raw materials there. China specially is a big threat to the industry.[4] Factor Conditions: Small scale industries are run by a familys own savings. As savings are limited, expansion of industrial units is not possible and it could soon get exhausted. So, capital is a hurdle in advancement. Power outages are one of the biggest problems of Pakistan these days. It causes problems in the form of delays in production. Employees are not well equipped with the management skills. Because of obsolete technology usage, the industry is lagging behind the market. Infrastructure needs to be enhanced according to modern demands. Raw materials which are required include synthetic rubber, rubber, leather (pebble grained leather), wood, aluminum, nylon, gut etc. These are all locally produced. Related Supporting Industries: Despite the presence of big sports cluster including locally based suppliers of raw materials, the cooperation among the private-public partnerships seems to be low. Differences in prices are created because of lack of coordination among the related industries. Individuals are not well trained about the technology advancement. Entrepreneur fervor is there but innovation is lagging behind.[5] Analysis: Regaining markets share will require a number of changes. In order to analyze the importance of the sports industry and to judge whether there is really any need for upgrading the sports cluster, the SWOT analysis is carried out which shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by the sports industry of Pakistan (exhibit 2). According to it, the sports industry has sustained up till now because of the long history of exports which has enabled it to maintain active and reliable linkages in international markets. Though small in number, the labor force possesses multiple skills regarding production, for example, in the manufacturing of cricket bats, tennis rackets, and footballs which is keeping the industry functioning. However, sports industries are small-scale cottage industries with weak management capabilities of the employees and a tough price competition in the market, making their survival difficult. Moreover, absence of international standards and accredited testing laboratories is also adding to the weaknesses. Lack of product innovation and extensive power outages are also affecting it negatively. Furthermore, employees are not well trained about the latest technologies in the market and are thus reluctant in adopting them which is putting the industry behind day by day. Keeping the employees well trained about latest technologies will enable them to keep track of the latest trends in the market. Also, in small scale industries the investors are poor and illiterate so the production methods and machinery are outdated. Moreover, there are good opportunities for the sports industry to flourish like low rate of mark-up on working capital loans, very low income tax rates and better trade access in EU and USA. Some threats to the industry involve technical and environmental barriers to trade, licensing and international standards requirement by the international markets and producers of raw materials. Lack of education resulting in poor technology advancement has become a threat to the industry.[6] China/ East Asia production is also posing serious threat to the industry. Recommendations: In order to improve the export conditions of the sports industry, the following Five Year Plan needs to be implemented. Five Year Plan: The Five Year Plan would focus on: Addressing barriers (poor information infrastructure, lack of technical know-how, less capital, power outages, illiteracy, poor management skills, lack of modernization) Sports products innovation and diversity Educating entrepreneurs about advanced technology Labor skills enhancement to bring innovation and diversity in products Overarching Strategy: To enhance and strengthen the existing sports cluster and move it towards competitive advantage To bring reforms which would enable the sports industry to overcome the market share losses Year 1 A Cluster Monitoring Cell comprising of dedicated departments would be established by the government which would monitor the activities of the sports industry cluster and would try to bring reforms to the industry. Existing employees would be educated about the latest technology trends prevalent in the market. Technical centers would be setup under governments educational programs, launched and funded by the Education Department to provide adequate training to the employees. Workshops for counseling regarding investment and other matters would be provided to the new comers in the business. This would be taken care of by the Training Department. Research Department would point out industries in the cluster which justly require funds. Funding Department would then collaborate with the government to provide loans and easy installment facilities to the owners in order to reduce the risk of going out of business. The information infrastructure needs to be improved by the Information Resource Bureau for proper flow of information across the multiple industries in the sports cluster. Government intervention plans would be made and implemented in order to reduce threats. The Research Department would indentify when intervention is required. Human Resource Department would set criteria for hiring employees. Government would launch scholarship and exchange programs under the Education Department of Cluster Monitoring Cell in order to overcome the reluctance of employees in getting educated. Year 2-3 In continuation to Year 1 Plan: In order to cater to the needs of a wide range of markets, diversity in production would be introduced. Responsible organizations like Cluster Monitoring Cell and Government would focus on capacity building so that better advantage could be taken of opportunities available to the industry. Issues regarding World Trade Organization would be overcome through proper seminars, trainings and workshops which would be conducted at least four times a year at different locations. Strict laws would be implemented, violation of which would result in penalties. Export services provided by the government would be strengthened. Solar, wind and hydel power generating units would be installed at the industry by the government to deal with power outage problem. Year 4-5 In continuation to Year 2-3 Plan: A comprehensive national level strategy plan will be made which would involve all the stakeholders. Focus would be on sustainable development of the industry. For that, reliance on subsidies and monetary support will be discouraged. Government would intervene to limit the ever increasing number of industries by allowing only those industries to export that have a certain capacity for capital investment. Conclusion: Sports industry is one of the most revenue generating industries of Pakistan. There is an urgent need to adopt the above recommendations before it is too late. These would help in bridging the gap between the various related industries in the sports cluster. Technical know how, information about WTO issues and latest technologies need to be infused in the minds of the entrepreneurs so that they could help in better running of the industry. Government needs to intervene in the industry matters at the right time in order to control the situation before industries are met with market shares losses. Bibliography: Ghani, Dr. Jawaid A. SIALKOTS ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, No.96-10 (September, 1996). Karim, Yasir,Sports Industry in Pakistan Porter, Michael E., Chapter 7, Clusters and Competition: New Agendas for Companies, Governments and Institutions in On Competition, (Boston:Harvard Business School Press,1998). Web Resources: DAWN Media Group (29th August, 2009) Pakistan set to recapture football market, available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/business/09-pakistan-set-to-recapture-football-marketszh-06, accessed 17th March, 2010. Sialkot Export (no date) Sports Wear, Sports Goods in Sialkot, available at http://www.sialkotexport.com/sports.aspx, accessed 17th March 2010. Dr. Jawaid A. Ghani, SIALKOTS ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, No.96-10 (September, 1996), p.7 Sialkot Export (no date) Sports Wear, Sports Goods in Sialkot, available at http://www.sialkotexport.com/sports.aspx, accessed 17th March 2010. Michael E. Porter, Chapter 7, Clusters and Competition: New Agendas for Companies, Governments and Institutions in On Competition, (Boston:Harvard Business School Press,1998), p.211 DAWN Media Group (29th August, 2009), available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/business/09-pakistan-set-to-recapture-football-marketszh-06, accessed 17th March, 2010. Porter, Chapter 7, Clusters and Competition: New Agendas for Companies, Governments and Institutions , p.210-213. Yasir Karim, Sports Industry in Pakistan, pp.9-10 Yasir Karim, Sports Industry in Pakistan, p.11 Porter, Chapter 7, Clusters and Competition: New Agendas for Companies, Governments and Institutions , p.211 Karim, Sports Industry in Pakistan, pp.9-10

Scarlet Fever :: essays research papers

What is scarlet fever? Scarlet fever is a term used for strep throat with a rash. Strep throat is a throat infection caused by a type of streptococcal bacteria. What causes scarlet fever? Scarlet fever is caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria, the same bacteria that cause strep throat. There are many different strains of strep bacteria, some of which cause more serious illness than others. The type of strep that infects the throat and causes scarlet fever is called group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABS). What are the symptoms of scarlet fever? Symptoms that may occur before the rash include: ? Fever of 38.5Â °C (101.3Â °F) or higher. ? Sore throat and difficulty swallowing. ? White or yellow spots or coating on the throat and tonsils. ? Swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Other symptoms, especially in children, may include general body aches, headache, stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, or listlessness. Scarlet fever usually doesn't occur with cold symptoms, such as sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, or cough. Red spots begin to appear on the roof of the mouth (palate) about 2 to 3 days after symptoms first appear. Bright red spots may appear on the tongue, giving it an appearance called "strawberry tongue." The most noticeable symptom of scarlet fever is a rough, red rash that feels like fine sandpaper. The rash begins on the chest and abdomen and then spreads over the rest of the body within 24 hours. The rash and redness are more apparent in skin folds, especially in the groin, armpits, and elbow creases. It usually fades in about a week, and at that time the skin may begin to peel. Treating Scarlet Fever If you have a rash and the doctor suspects scarlet fever, he or she will usually take a throat culture (a painless swab of throat secretions) to see if the bacteria grow in the laboratory. Once a strep infection is confirmed, the doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic for your child to be taken for about 10 days. How Scarlet Fever is passed from one person to another The bacterial infection that causes scarlet fever is contagious. A child who has scarlet fever can spread the bacteria to others through nasal and throat fluids by sneezing and coughing. If a child has a skin infection caused by strep bacteria, like impetigo, it can be passed through contact with the skin.

How Do people make economic decisions Essay

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how decision-making affects the economy and people. It is obvious that free markets perform much better than communist markets. The decision making principals, according to this there are four decision making principals. In the first principal people will trade off, they will give something up for another thing they want. Making decisions means people will have to trade one goal for another. The second decision is giving up something when they already had one thing. People make trade off according to the economy. People have wants and needs therefore they need to choose carefully how to spend their income and resources. Choosing and item will benefit and cost, it will also mean that the person will not have the benefit of the item he or she gave up. Third the margin is thought of in this step. When considering the margin people will take into consideration the marginal benefit and only then if it exceeds the marginal cost. Last, people will react to incentives. People will react to price and benefits associated with their decision. My example of purchasing my first home was based on marginal cost and marginal benefit. I was renting an apartment in California and rents seem to be going up because the economy going down. People were losing their homes due to foreclosure and had to live somewhere. House prices were going down and rents going up, there was no telling when they were going to stop. I did the math and figured my mortgage would be the same if not lower with some money down. The marginal cost would be greater up front in the form of cost associated with purchasing a home. However, my marginal benefit in the long term would be even greater. Therefore, if rent was cheaper now, I would have to pay more the longer I stay in that apartment. The marginal benefit to purchasing a home would be the same for the following 30 years. The only incentive that would have led me to make a different decision is if they guaranteed my rent for the next 30 years. The economics related to the decision making and the working of the economy can be demonstrated by me purchasing a tool for my job. When I purchase tools I get the benefit of making money based on my ability to fix the customers gas turbines. The economy benefits the store where I purchase the tool makes money. When I fix a gas turbine it allows the customer to pump and produce millions a dollars a day, and they sell the product and make money, in turn they sell the gas to customers which, get to work and make money. A market economy is a type of economic system in which the trading and exchange of goods, services and information takes place in a free market (Market Economy, 2010). These types of markets are governed by supply and demand. A centrally planned economy like Cuba and North Korea decision are made by the government. Mixed economies rely in the state and the private sector to make decisions on the market economy and economic system. In a free market people purchase and sell services and goods. In this type of market people are free to interact. In a communist economy, such as Cuba and North Korea the government decides what needs to be produced and where to work. Decision can be based on marginal cost or marginal benefit; there is no doubt that they are a huge part of the consumer’s decisions to purchase goods. Whether it is the cost of buying a home or just a simple meal people will always weigh the cost of goods.

EasyJet Airline Company Limited Essay

EasyJet Airline Company Limited (easyJet) is a low-fare airline company based at London Luton Airport. easyJet is one of Europe’s largest low-fare airlines and operates domestic and international scheduled services. easyJet flies on 307 different routes to 80 different European cities. easyJet has a Type A Operating License from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority allowing it to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats. (Wikipedia, 2007) EasyJet’s business model and communication plan mimics that of the American based Southwest Airlines which has aided easyJet’s growth over the last ten years. asyJet was founded by Stelios Haji-loannou on October 18, 1995 and began operating on November 10, 1995 with two Boeing737-200 aircraft leased from the Independent Aviation Group Limited. In the beginning easyJet only flew from London Luton Airport to Glasgow and Edinburgh. In 1998, easyJet purchased a 40% stake in TEA Switzerland. By 1999, easyJet had over three million passengers and was traded on the London Stock Exchange in October 2000. In 2002, easyJet acquired Go Fly, a London based airline, and in December 2003 easyJet opened a new hub in Berlin, Germany at Schonefeld Airport. In May 2004 easyJet increased its service from two routes to eleven routes. In 2004, FL Group began purchasing stock in easyJet and a rumor of a takeover ensued. However, by 2006 FL Group sold its shares in easyJet and the takeover never occurred. In November 2005, easyJet CEO Ray Webster stepped down and was replaced by Andy Harrison. Under the leadership of Andy Harrison, easyJet expanded its fleet to 122 aircrafts, 262 routes, and 74 airports in 21 countries. In 2007, easyJet reported carrying over 37 million passengers. asyJet’s success can be attributed in large part due to its website and internet presence. Between 1995 and 1997 easyJet reservations could be made only via the telephone. Travel agents would not book easyJet reservations because they would not receive a commission. In 1997, easyJet developed a website in order to take reservations, and bookings skyrocketed by over 98% in 7 years. â€Å"Easy† Brand The communications culture of easyJet begins with the founder, Stelios Haji-loannou. easyJet and the â€Å"easy† brand are two separate entities. asyJet is owned by EasyJet Airline Company Limited whose largest shareholder is Haji-loannou. Haji-loannou is also the sole owner of the â€Å"easy. † Haji-loannou licenses his â€Å"easy† brand to his airline as well as to other easyGroup corporations. easyGroup corporations pay a fee to Haji-loannou for the use of the name. However, easyJet does not have to pay to use the â€Å"easy† brand name. This arrangement and communication style is important because if a company tries to initiate any type of hostile takeover, the â€Å"easy† brand would be protected. This arrangement displays the type of protection, culture, and loyalty Haji-loannou has in his company. Southwest Airlines easyJet has developed its culture of communication to mimic that of American based Southwest Airlines. Both easyJet and Southwest Airlines are low-fare airlines. Southwest Airlines is the largest airline in the United States and the second largest airline in the World by number of passengers carried (Wikipedia, 2007). Southwest began its operations in 1967 and flew to three cities. In the early 1970s, Southwest faced some financial turmoil. Similar to the issues faced by easyJet, Southwest was searching for a way for consumers to book low fare flights directly with the airline. In 1995, Southwest launched its website allowing consumers to book flights directly without the use of a travel agent. Southwest maintains its personal communications with its consumers by only allowing its tickets to be sold on its website and not through any sort of travel agent or travel site. Southwest also allows customers to change reservations without additional costs, however it does not allow passengers same day standby travel on a different flight without paying for an upgrade. While this may seem harsh to those passengers who need a standby ticket, it drastically reduces the number of passengers who lose their seats due to standby passengers. Another feature Southwest offers its passengers is to allow them to bring three pieces of luggage to check in instead of two like most airlines. Even though the aircrafts that Southwest operates are not as comfortable as other airlines, the additional amenities and low-fares have paid off. The United States Department of Transportation ranked Southwest Airlines as the number one passenger preferred airline for 2006. Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher believes it’s as simple as seeking out exceptional employees, treating them with respect, and giving them the latitude and encouragement necessary to do their jobs better than anyone knew possible (Stodder, 1997). Excellent communication with customers starts at the executive level and from within the corporate culture. If communication is effective within a corporation that culture of communication can be handed down to the customer. Execution of a Communication Strategy  By following Southwest Airline’s example, easyJet has employed a solid communications strategy with its customers. The majority of businesses in the world today neglect The People Process (Bossidy and Charan 141). In their book, Execution, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan discuss how to create a strategy of execution in order to create a successful business that focuses on the people and having the right people in the right places. A robust people process does three things. It evaluates individuals accurately and in depth. It provides a framework for identifying and developing the leadership talent-at all levels and of all kinds-the organization will need to execute its strategies down the road. And it fills the leadership pipeline that’s the basis for a strong succession plan (Bossidy and Charan 141). In order to develop a successful communications strategy, a good leader needs to consider the people/employees who will have to execute this strategy. easyJet takes reservations directly from its consumers via its website. When hiring employees, easyJet must ensure that these employees have the skills necessary to work within this type of communication culture. Every easyJet employee needs to be aware of the communication culture and strategy maintained by the corporation in order to deliver that same style of communication to the customer. Rewards and Recognitions Due to easyJet’s communication culture and strategy it is one of the most frequently cited examples of a mainstream company which has exploited the shift from multi-layer distribution to direct business to consumer transactions. easyJet is a forward thinking corporation and as such launched its direct to consumer website prior to the mass adoption of the Internet. This marketing strategy catapulted easyJet into a top market position in its industry. In June 2006, easyJet’s website was awarded the Best Airline Website Award by TravelMole Web Awards beating out rivals including British Airways. The judges stated that the website was user-friendly and pleasing to the eye. Innovation and Future Growth Even though the airline industry has experienced a decline, low-fare airlines have created a new growth market. easyJet has an extensive opportunity to continue growing within this growth market. There are four main types of innovations for growth markets: Disruptive innovation, application innovation, product innovation, and platform innovation (Moore 74) In order for easyJet to maintain its market position, it must introduce one of these methods of innovation or it will fail to keep up with the rest of the industry. Disruptive Innovation correlates with the early market phase of the technology-adoption life cycle (Moore 74). The low-fare airline industry has been around for a long time, but new technologies and global affairs have paved the way for a new type of market within this industry. There are two types of disruptive innovations: one that favors complex-systems models and one that favors volume operations (Moore 75). Like its American mentor, Southwest Airlines, easyJet should focus on economizing on every process and function of running a successful airline. Southwest Airlines redesigned its corporation and gained market capitalization that is equal to the sum of all of its competitors combined (Moore 80). easyJet needs to analyze its employee compensation, pricing, reservation procedures, equipment, and airport selection to ensure that it can keep up with future changes and growth within its market. asyJet has already started the process of innovation by hiring Site Confidence to monitor its website. According to an article published by M2 Presswire in September 2006 The 24/7 monitoring service will ensure that easyJet customers can book tickets without the threat of downtime, outages or slow download speeds. This new system has produced results for easyJet. According to Airline Industry Information easyJet reported an 11. 2% increase in passenger numbers for November 2006 as compared to November 2005. Obstacles easyJet Has Had to Overcome asyJet faced an obstacle in 2006 by not abiding by EU-Law 261/2004 which states that passengers had the right to be reimbursed for the price of their tickets within one week due to airline cancellation. easyJet had difficulty refunding the tickets within the one week period. Effective communication by easyJet kept passengers at ease in the long run, and the passenger numbers continued to climb despite this obstacle. easyJet, although not the first low-fare airline or the first largest low-fare airline in Europe, paved the way for the boom in lo w-fare air travel at the turn of the century. Due to this high stake in market share, easyJet has been accused of contributing to global warming through the high carbon emissions of their aircrafts. The European Low Fares Airline Association has teamed with easyJet and other low fare airlines to argue that these airlines operate more fuel-efficient aircraft than most full service airlines, and that the point to point services offered by these low-fare airlines also use less fuel. However, the low-fares offered by these airlines have caused an increase in air traffic which has resulted in a negative effect on the environment. asyJet and other low-fare airlines have a policy of only operating new aircraft that produce lower emissions and are more environmentally friendly (with the exception of easyJet’s initial two aircraft). In order to overcome this obstacle, easyJet has been communicating with aircraft manufacturers to design more eco-friendly aircraft, and has even unveiled their own eco-friendly aircraft design. Future Eco-Friendly Aircrafts Across the globe nations are concerned with developing renewable energy sources that are more environmentally friendly. easyJet is no exception. As easyJet forges ahead into the new millennium, it will face having to replace or redesign its current fleet to be eco-friendly. According to Flight Daily News, Harrison is continuing to push Airbus and Boeing to produce eco-friendly aircrafts. easyJet has unveiled its own design for an eco-friendly aircraft that utilizes existing technologies that could halve carbon dioxide emissions and produce 75% less NOx by 2015. Biofuel technology has been proposed as a current solution, but Harrison expressed his doubts about the use of biofuel technology at the World Low Cost Airlines Congress (Kaminski-Morrow, 2007). The Alternative Fuels And Biofuels for Aircraft Development (Alfa-bird) project will investigate the economical performance and industrial consequences of switching from today’s kerosene-based fuels to biofuels and other alternatives. Based on the results a strategy for these fuels will be defined along with an implementation plan. Due to issues with biomass supply for biofuels, synthetic fuels are probably a better solution, the consortium’s proposal papers state. Current jet engine fuel efficiency is viewed as â€Å"near-optimal†, while air traffic is increasing at a rate of 4% a year, leading to any future efficiency-related fuel savings being consumed by the growth, the consortium says (Coppinger, 2007). Harrison agrees that biofuels are not an optimal alternative at this point, but did state that he is not against biofuel technology (Kaminski-Morrow, 2007). Developing eco-friendly aircrafts will be an obstacle that easyJet will have to overcome, as well as trying to replace their current fleet. EasyJet needs to work in conjunction with Alfa-bird in order to develop these new technologies and maintain their market position in the future. However, during this initial phase of development, easyJet and Harrison need to remember to utilize the communication style they utilize with their customers, be available and simple to understand and use. Dismissing any sort of proper communication while developing new technologies can change a corporation’s communication culture very quickly, even though it does not directly relate to communications with the customer. Developing a Communications Strategy In order to develop a communications strategy that can be integrated into the strategic planning process for the corporation, easyJet must decide what type of strategy to use. There are ten different types of strategy development (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand, Lampel, 1998): 1) The Design School; 2) The Planning School; 3) The Positioning School; 4) The Entrepreneurial School; 5) The Cognitive School; 6) The Learning School; 7) The Power School; 8) The Cultural School; 9) The Environmental School; and 10) The Configuration School. asyJet needs build on its current communications strategy by applying principles from the Design School, the Planning School, and the Configuration School. The Design School utilizes a step by step model for strategic communications planning. To begin the communications planning process, easyJet must do an internal and external appraisal in the form of a SWOT Analysis. A SWOT Analysis lists the internal strengths and weaknesses, and the external opportunities and threats of a corporation. Based on the SWOT Analysis, easyJet can determine the corporation’s distinctive competencies and key success factors. This information is used to formulate the communication strategy. The sole architect for the strategic plan, according to the Design School, is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Harrison must approve the final communication strategy, but should receive input from the strategic planning team. By developing the communication strategy as a team, easyJet will also use aspects of the Planning School. The Planning School adopts the majority of the premises from the Design School. The Planning School uses an internal and external audit stage, which consists of a SWOT Analysis. The CEO gives the final approval for the communications strategy; however, he is not the sole architect. The Planning School provides for a team of strategists to develop the communications strategy. According to the Design School, in order to evaluate and choose the most effective and efficient communications strategy, the following framework should be used. This framework was developed by Dr. Richard Rumelt, DBA from the Harvard General Management group and professor at UCLA School of Management. The evaluation process, according to Rumelt, consists of a series of tests (explained in the form of questions). Is the communications strategy consistent with the goals and policies of the corporation? Does the communications strategy adapt to the external environment? Does the communications strategy provide for a competitive advantage? Does the communications strategy overuse available resources or create unsolvable problems? The last step in the communications strategy planning process, within the Design School, is to implement the plan. Implementation of the communications strategy will include educating the managers involved as well as the employees of the plan’s details. The plan should be simple and informal, just like the process of developing it. Managers and employees should be given a step by step guide on how to implement the strategy. The Planning School differs from the Design School in that it implements a formal step by step process for executing the plan. easyJet following the Planning School model should schedule each step of implementation by a specific date. In order to develop a communications strategy that can adapt to the global economy easyJet should also incorporate the six main premises of the Configuration School. The key ingredient is for the corporation to â€Å"sustain stability or at least adaptable strategic change most of the time, but periodically recognize the need for transformation and be able to manage that disruptive process without destroying the organization. † easyJet must be cautious not to incorporate the Power School into its communications strategy so much so that it allows a political agenda to override the main goals and vision of the corporation. Harrison must not allow the communications strategy planning process to become a process of bargaining and compromise among conflicting political groups and individuals. Utilizing this school of thought in planning a communications strategy can alienate customers and bring about undesired conflict. easyJet must remain cognoscente of the environmental concerns its customers may have regarding its aircraft. However, pushing an unwanted political agenda can drive customers away. Recommendations and Conclusions easyJet started off in the airline industry slow, but by adopting Southwest Airline’s model of communication, easyJet was able to become the market leader in low cost air fare in Europe. In order to keep up with technology, easyJet developed a website allowing customers to book reservations directly from the company without having to use a travel agent or pay a commission to a travel agent. To maintain that website easyJet hired European based Site Confidence to provide 24/7 support which resulted in an 11. 2% gain in passenger numbers a month later. Each of these strategies has allowed easyJet to forge ahead and stay one step in front of their competition. In order to remain a front runner in the market, easyJet must continue to utilize its communication style with customers, employees, suppliers, and political leaders. When developing a communications strategy for the future, easyJet must complete and internal and external appraisal in order to tailor the plan to the current trends and the desires of its customers. easyJet should develop a strategic planning team to develop a communications strategy and implement an employee educational program. If easyJet’s employees are unaware of its communication strategy and culture, its customers will also be unaware of its communications strategy and culture. asyJet should continue to invest in research and development for new eco-friendly technologies as well as encourage its aircraft suppliers to follow suit. However, Harrison must remember to utilize the communication culture of the corporation at all times as a representative of easyJet and not let the Power School of planning dictate easyJet’s communications strategy. If easyJet can maintain and improve its current communications strategy then passengers will continue to want to â€Å"com e fly with us. †