Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) Collection, Preparation and Uses

Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) Collection, Preparation and Uses Samuel Good Fresh Frozen Plasma Introduction Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) is the name for the liquid portion of human blood, which has been frozen and preserved. It is taken by blood donation and is stored until needed for blood transfusion. FFP has been available since 1941 (Hoffman, et al, 1990), it was used initially as a volume expander (Erber, et al, 2006), but is now used for the â€Å"management and prevention of bleeding in coagulopathic patients† (Ho, et al, 2005). The term FFP is confusing as the plasma cannot be frozen as well as fresh at the same time. What the term implies is that the plasma was frozen rapidly after it was taken and therefore can be considered fresh. The plasma, from a transfusion aspect, contains essential components such as fibrinogen, albumin, globulin and coagulation factors. These allow for specific individual components to be transferred to a recipient who is in need. The most efficient and effective way to make optimum use of blood which has been donated, is to separate it into its individual components. This process allows for a â€Å"wider availability of blood products† (Spence, et al, 2006) and also reduces the risk patients are exposed to â€Å"transfusion-related risks† (Erber, et al, 2006). The use of FFP and its individual products has increased tenfold since its first introduction (Hoffman, et al, 1990). One reason for this may be the declining availability of whole blood because of the trend to use component therapy (Spence, et al, 2006). Collection and Storage When a donor gives a unit of whole blood, the blood is then separated into several components parts. These include; packed red blood cells (pRBC), platelets and FFP. If required the FFP can be further divided into cryoprecipitate and something called cryo-poor plasma. Cryo-poor plasma is rarely used as a therapeutic response (Lauzier, et al, 2007). As mentioned previously, plasma is the non-cellular, liquid part of the blood. It is made up of; water, electrolytes and proteins. The proteins include the clotting factors and intrinsic coagulants (Murray, et al, 1995). The plasma is separated from the blood after donation and then frozen. For the plasma to be considered ‘fresh’ it must be frozen â€Å"within eight hours of collection† (Murray, et al, 1995) and stored at a temperature of minus 18 degrees centigrade or lower. If this fails to happen, the product is known just as ‘frozen plasma’, which like cryo-poor plasma, is rarely used for therapeutic means. However, to maintain coagulation factors to optimum levels the plasma should be stored at minus 30 degrees centigrade (Lauzier, et al, 2007). FFP can be prepared by separation from whole blood or via plasmapheresis. Plasmapheresis is the name given to a â€Å"broad range of procedures† where â€Å"extracorporeal separation of blood components† (Erber, et al, 2006) results in a plasma which is filtered. Preparation To summarise, FFP is collected in citrate-containing anticoagulant solution, frozen within 8 hours and stored at minus 30 degrees centigrade for up to a year. Although every protection is taken to ensure sterility, it is quite possible for the donor to have an asymptomatic bacteraemia at the time of donation (Stanworth, et al, 2004). The bacteria will have its proliferation down-regulated by the plasma being frozen. However, FFP can still sometimes transmit infectious diseases. Therefore, screening and pathogen inactivation may be performed to reduce the risk. FFP contains no RBC’s and also no WBC’s. As there are no WBC’s the plasma is referred to be as being leucodepleted. This is an indication as to why FFP can transmit said diseases. As mentioned pathogen inactivation can be performed and this is done by using either Methylene blue or a solvent/detergent process. The Methylene Blue Technique Methylene blue is a dye that has been shown to be very effective in the inactivation of pathogens. It binds to nucleic acids and, on illumination with white light, singlet oxygen is formed. This then destroys viral DNA and RNA, therefore viral replication cannot take place. Solvent/Detergent Technique This technique is used for the preparation of factors viii and ix as well as immunoglobulins. First, a solvent is added to the plasma which removes the lipid viral envelope. After this is complete, a detergent is added which inactivates the viral contents. The solvent and detergent are then removed by a physical separation technique, in which they are dissolved in oil. Column chromatography can then be used to isolate factors viii and ix. Once any treatment that is required is complete, the FFP is ready for use. It is an accepted practice that FFP is thawed before use (Ho, et al, 2005). The required units of FFP are placed in a water bath set at 30 – 37 degrees centigrade for approximately 20 – 30 minutes. Von Heyman, et al investigated the effects of 2 different thawing machines and running warm water of 43 degrees centigrade, on the activity of clotting factors, inhibitors and activation markers in FFP. They discovered no significant differences in the activity of coagulation markers over a 6 hour period post thawing. However, a major conclusion found was that, if FFP is immediately transfused after thawing, the product remained rich in clotting factors. Also, if the plasma is left, the activity of said clotting factors decline gradually and therefore FFP should only be maintained at room temperature for up to 4 hours. If thawed FFP is not used within 24 hours it becomes a separate product known as ‘thawed plasma’ (Murray, et al, 1995). Most clotting factors are stable in thawed plasma, however some labile factors, such as v and viii are not. Their degradation actually accelerates whilst the plasma is in a liquid state (Lauzier, et al, 2007). The only main advantage of having thawed plasma readily available, is that it can be transfused rapidly if a severely injured patient requires it. FFP Blood Type Specific It is widely accepted that O negative is the universal donor for pRBC’s, however for FFP this isn’t the case. A and B antigens of the blood are located on the red cells themselves. Type O individuals are devoid of these proteins on their red blood cells. Plasma does not contain RBC’s, but it contains antibodies to the corresponding absent protein. An example of this is: Type A individual has Anti-B antibodies in their blood. Type O plasma has both Anti-A and Anti-B antibodies and is incompatible with about 55 percent of the population. An individual with type AB blood has neither Anti-A nor Anti-B antibodies. This makes the AB plasma ideal for universal use when the blood type of the patient is unknown. The Rh status is irrelevant because any plasma with Anti-D is destroyed at the manufacturing stage. Recipient blood Acceptable blood groups of donor plasma O O,A,B,AB A A,AB B B,AB AB AB The major problem with blood type AB is that the percentage of the population which has it is only 4 percent. Therefore it is better to use FFP which is blood type compatible, which will be determined at the blood bank. Usage There are very few actual specific needs for the use of FFP (Spence, et al, 2006). Usually FFP is used to treat â€Å"deficiencies of coagulation proteins where specific factor concentrates are unavailable† (Hoffman, et al, 1990). Coagulation deficiencies can occur in a variety of different clinical situations. These include massive blood loss, surgery, and infection or acquired multiple coagulation factor deficiencies. Examples of FFP usage: Replacement of isolated factor deficiencies Reversal of Warfarin effects Massive blood transfusion Antithrombin III deficiency Treatment of immunodeficiency Treatment of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura Treatment of Disseminated intravascular coagulation Replacement of isolated factor deficiency FFP can be used to heat deficiencies of factors II, V, VII, IX, X and XI. It is only chosen as a treatment when no specific component therapy is available. Certain factors require a different haemostatic level, for example; severe factor X deficiency only requires a factor level of about 10 percent. Therefore FFP has a range of success when treating factor deficiencies. Reversal of Warfarin effect If a patient is being treated with Warfarin, they have been shown to be deficient in â€Å"functional vitamin K dependent coagulation factors II, VII, IX and X† (Spence, et al, 2006). Usually vitamin K will be administered, however anticoagulated patients will be actively bleeding, and therefore FFP can be used. Massive blood transfusion The use of FFP as a treatment on massive blood transfusion has increased over the decades. Massive bleeding is defined as â€Å"the loss of one blood volume within 24 hours† or as â€Å"50 percent blood loss within 3 hours† or a â€Å"bleeding rate of 150 ml/minute† (Lauzier, et al, 2007). It is indicated for use in patients who have documented blood clotting abnormalities after large blood loss and who are in need of urgent treatment. This is due to the fact that in most emergency situations it is unacceptable to wait hours for lab results to be returned. Antithrombin III deficiency FFP is sometimes used as a source of Antithrombin III in people who are deficient of this inhibitor. Especially if the patients are undergoing surgery or who use Heparin to treat thrombosis. Treatment of Immunodeficiency FFP has been used in children and adults with a humoral immunodeficiency as a source of immunoglobulin. It is also sometimes used for infants when parental nutrition is lacking, and they are suffering with severe protein losing enteropathy (Erber, et al, 2006). Treatment of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura The treatment recommended for this condition is a daily plasma exchange (Murray, et al, 1995). Prompt intervention is indicated if development of neurological abnormalities start to appear. This plasma exchange usually continues for at least 2 days after remission (Ho, et al, 2005). Treatment of Disseminated intravascular coagulation Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a syndrome where the control of the coagulation system becomes disturbed and out of control. This is usually due to pro-coagulants being dispersed into circulation (Stanworth, et al, 2004). Most of the time this happens secondary to a disease or disorder, such as cancer. In the presence of DIC, fibrinogen, platelets and coagulation factors V and VIII become rapidly depleted. FFP is given as treatment to prevent further problems or progression. Treatment usually involves a patient being infused with a single line of FFP and then coagulation tests performed to assess the clinical benefit (Stanworth, et al, 2004). There are also some conditional uses where FFP can be used but is not the first choice treatment, such as liver disease and Paediatric use. If patients have an abnormal coagulation profile and are suffering from liver disease, they can be treated with FFP. There is varying success and treatment must be monitored by regular transfusion coagulation tests. Clotting times of infants have been shown to be longer than that of adults (Murray, et al, 1995), and even longer in premature babies (OShaughnessy, et al, 2004). Vitamin K deficiency is the most common cause of neonatal bleeding (Murray, et al, 1995). FFP can be used to counter the effects if required. In the case of babies suffering from haemorrhagic disease of the newborn, FFP can be used as treatment. But only if the â€Å"chance of bleeding is greater than the risk of harmful reactions† to the treatment with FFP (Lauzier, et al, 2007). Risks As with any transfusion there is a risk of infection, the main risks identified include: Disease transmission Excessive intravascular volume Anaphylactoid reactions Alloimmunisation Transfusion related acute lung injury The risks associated with viral infectivity of FFP are similar to that of whole blood and RBC’s. As mentioned earlier this risk can be countered by photochemically treating the plasma. Allergic reactions that occur in response to FFP transfusion vary in severity from â€Å"hives to fatal non-cardiac pulmonary oedema† (Stanworth, et al, 2004). Transfusion relate acute lung injury (TRALI) is defined as a â€Å"new episode of acute lung injury within 6 hours of complicated therapy† (OShaughnessy, et al, 2004). It manifests as severe respiratory problems, including hypoxia and other symptoms linked to pulmonary oedema. Symptoms will usually subside 2 days after ceasing FFP treatment (Stanworth, et al, 2004). Alloimmunisation can occur if Anti-Rh antibodies are formed after treatment with FFP. To counter this, plasma containing Anti-D antibodies should not be given to an RhD-positive recipient. There has also been reported incidences of post-transfusion Hepatitis, and depends on a number factors, including donor selection. Also with any intravenously transfused fluid, there is a chance of hypervolemia which could lead to cardiac failure, therefore administration of FFP should not be given in excessive doses. Below is a suggested dosage breakdown: Volume of 1 Unit Plasma: 200-250 mL 1 mL plasma contains 1 u coagulation factors 1 Unit contains 220 u coagulation factors Factor recovery with transfusion = 40% 1 Unit provides ~80 u coagulation factors 70 kg X .05 = plasma volume of 35 dL (3.5 L) 80 u = 2.3 u/dL = 2.3% (of normal 100 u/dL) 35 dL In a 70 kg Patient: 1 Unit Plasma increases most factors ~2.5% 4 Units Plasma increase most factors ~10% Figures taken from (http://reference.medscape.com/drug/ffp-octaplas-fresh-frozen-plasma-999499) Conclusion In conclusion, FFP can be used as an effective treatment for a number of different clinical issues. It also does not come without risk and therefore FFP should be collected, stored, prepared and used in an efficient and safe manner. Below I have summarised the administration of FFP. FFP (Fresh Frozen Plasma) Volume: 240-300ml (mean 273ml) Storage: designated temperature controlled freezer. Core temperature -30 o C Shelf life: 24 months (frozen) Must be ABO compatible, but Rh is not necessary to be considered for transfusion and no anti D prophylaxis is required if Rh-D negative patients receive Rh-D positive FFP. Prior to the transfusion FFP must be thawed under controlled conditions using specifically designed equipment. Thawing usually takes approximately 15-30 minutes Once thawed, FFP must not be re-frozen and should be transfused as quickly as possible. Post-thaw storage results in a decline in the quality of coagulation factors. If stored at 4 degrees centigrade post thawing (in a designated temperature controlled refrigerator), the transfusion must be completed within 24 hours of thawing. Pooled solvent-detergent treated plasma is also commercially available Dose: typically 10-15ml/kg. This dose may need to be exceeded in massive haemorrhage depending on the clinical situation and its monitoring (BCSH 2004) Typical infusion rate 10-20ml/kg/hr (approximately 30 minutes per unit) Rapid infusion may be appropriate when given to replace coagulation factors during major haemorrhage. There is anecdotal evidence that acute reactions may be more common with faster administration rates. (http://reference.medscape.com/drug/ffp-octaplas-fresh-frozen-plasma-999499) REFERENCES Erber WN, Perry DJ: Plasma and plasma products in the treatment of massive hemorrhage. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol 2006, 19:97-112 Hewson JR, Neame PB, Kumar N, Ayrton A, Gregor P, Davis C, Shragge BW. Coagulopathy related to dilution and hypotension during massive transfusion. Crit Care Med. 1985;13(5):387-391. Ho AM, Karmakar MK, Dion PW. Are we giving enough coagulation factors during major trauma resuscitation? Am J Surg. 2005;190(3):479-484. Hoffman M, Jenner P. Variability in fibrinogen and Von Willebrand factor content of cryoprecipitate.  Brief Sci Rep. 1990;93(5):694-697. Lauzier F, Cook D, Griffith L, Upton J, Crowther M: Fresh frozen plasma transfusion in critically ill patients. Crit Care Med 2007, 35:1655-1659. Leslie SD, Toy PT. Laboratory hemostatic abnormalities in massively transfused patients given red blood cells and crystalloid. Am J Clin Pathol. 1991;96(6):770-773. Murray DJ, Olson J, Strauss R, Tinker JH. Coagulation changes during packed red cell replacement of major blood loss. Anesthesiology. 1988;69(6):839-845 Murray DJ, Pennell BJ, Weinstein SL, Olson JD.Packed red cells in acute blood loss: dilutional coagulopathy as a cause of surgical bleeding. Anesth Analg. 1995;80(2):336-342. OShaughnessy DF, Atterbury C, Bolton Maggs P, Murphy M, Thomas D, Yates S, Williamson LM, British Committee for Standards in Haematology, Blood Transfusion Task Force: Guidelines for the use of fresh-frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate and cryosupernatant. Br J Haematol 2004, 126:11-28. Spence RK: Clinical use of plasma and plasma fractions. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol 2006, 19:83-96. Stanworth SJ, Brunskill SJ, Hyde CJ, McClelland DB, Murphy MF: Is fresh frozen plasma clinically effective? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Br J Haematol 2004, 126:139-152 Tieu BH, Holcomb JB, Schreiber MA. Coagulopathy:its pathophysiology and treatment in the injured patient. World J Surg. 2007;31(5):1055-1065 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_frozen_plasma http://www.psbc.org/therapy/ffp.htm http://reference.medscape.com/drug/ffp-octaplas-fresh-frozen-plasma-999499 http://ccforum.com/content/14/1/202

Good Advice :: Psychology Advising Essays

Good Advice I consider good advice to be a balanced combination of many things. To me, the most important is that when I receive advice, it must not be forced onto me. When advice is truly sincere, it is given to me in the hopes that I might take it, but it should never make me feel guilty if I don't. A perfect example of a forced piece of advice, is article A that we read about contractions. To me, this article didn't advise the reader about what not to do, but it told them. It pretty much said that you "can" do this and you "can't" do that. Good advice should just throw another opinion up in the air, and let the advisee choose what to do with it. The whole idea behind giving advice, is that it allows the advisor to state their opinion about something concerning the advisee, and hope that it is of some use to them. Advice involves two people, the advisor (giver of advice), and the advisee (taker of advice). Both people play an equal role in the giving and taking of advice. Someone can give me all of the advice that they want to, but if I choose not to take the advice, then the cycle is incomplete. However, it doesn't mean that the advice is worthless, because it may be of use at a later date. My job is to determine what I want to do with the advice given to me. If I believe it is good, then I will put it to use, probably in the near future. If I don't agree with it, then I may disregard it totally. Another thing that constitutes good advice is that it should be honest. If I give someone advice that I wouldn't take, were I put in the same situation, then it most likely isn't good. If I know that the advice clearly isn't going to work, but it "sounds good," then that isn't good advice at all. Don't give it if you wouldn't take it. Good advice must also come from a reliable source. When I ask someone for advice I should trust that he/she won't lead me in the wrong direction. The information (advice) that they give me should, in no way, be of any benefit to themselves over the me and my situation. A perfect example of this is the advice that Earl gave to Jackie.

Cosby Park :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

Cosby Park The Great Smoky Mountains is one of the most famous parks in the United States. The park is known for its beautiful mountains and streams, clean air, and frequent rain. My local part of the park is Cosby, located in the Great Smoky Mountains eighty-two miles west of the East Tennessee State University campus (www.nps.gov.grsm.prcoscg.htm). The park is a wonderful, activity-filled stop for any student wanting to get away for a few days. The drive to Cosby passes by quickly because of all the interesting sites along the way. For example, Newport is home of the Thai Kitchen which has the best food I have ever tasted for only about $8.00 per person. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes such as chicken fried rice, spicy chicken basil fried rice, beef and broccoli and the excellent appetizers of egg rolls and crispy wontons. After stopping for dinner at the Thai Kitchen, you can travel 11 miles west to the Kyle Carver Orchard. The Kyle Carver Orchard was established in 1942 and spreads for over 75 acres. The orchard is known for its fresh cider and delicious apple pies that are fresh baked throughout the day (Heritage Tour 1). After eating your dessert at the Kyle Carver Orchard, you can travel the remaining seven miles to the park. Cosby is nestled in a prime spot located thirty minutes from Douglas Lake, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Dollywood. The park has a large picnic area that is known for its frequent visits by the bears that love to snack on the tourists' picnic lunches. The park also offers year-around camping with a special camping area designated for those people with horses. The park has 175 camping sites, so the camping areas are very plentiful for any student wanting to camp for a few days (www.nps.gov/grsm/prcoscg.htm). Personally, my favorite things about the park are its hiking trails, the Low Gap and Appalachian Trails. The Low Gap hiking trail passes through the freezing Cosby Creek and continues along a beautiful scenic path. The paths are for hikers of any age because of their moderate trail grade. The paths host a variety of unusual flora and fauna including deer, snakes, and bears. In fact, I have never been on the trail without seeing a snake slithering along its path swimming in the creek. My favorite attraction along the Low Gap Trail is the natural spring that is piped down from the mountains.

Ethical Leadership Essay

Introduction The topic Ethical Leadership is more complex than meets the eye. It means leadership that knows what is right and acting based on those guidelines. The question that should be asked then is â€Å"what is right?† Once the ethical course of action is determined the leader must then have the integrity and fortitude to proceed with that course of action. In addition to decision making ethical leadership also implies that a leader must be ethical in their attitudes and interactions. This essay seeks to inform about the practice of ethical leadership and its value to an organization The Practice of Ethical Leadership In order to understand the practice of Ethical Leadership it must be broken down to its constituent terms; Leadership and Ethics. Leadership is defined as a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others to accomplish a common task (Chemers, 1997). Ethical leadership is when the leader demonstrates integrity and trustworthiness to convince employees to buy his vision (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002). In order to demonstrate his integrity and trustworthiness the ethical leader is a people-oriented person (Resick, et. al, 2006) who motivates people towards accomplishing the goals of the group instead of personal benefit. Ethical leader must look within himself and upon reliable sources for guidance in determining what is ethical. Laws, Culture, Religion, and even personal upbringing can be sources of the framework for ethical leadership. The reason why the sources are so varied is because the ‘right’ in doing what is right is not always fixed in stone. While some ethics are immutable, such as lying to a business partner or stealing company materials, other are less so. For example, dissent or talking back to superiors is strictly taboo in  Oriental cultures but it calm disagreement is tolerated in western organizations. In order to have a clear set of ethical guidelines it is often preferable to have well-known company ethical standards. These standards can often be gleaned from a company’s mission vision statement. But it would be best practice if they were clearly spelled out and publicly available. Means of publication can include printing with the company handbook and / or placing copies of company ethics in frequented areas such as the pantry or reception. By making the ethical standards clear and ubiquitous it will be difficult for leaders to derogate from them without consequences. The practice of ethical leadership requires that the leader adheres to the ethical standards of the company at all times even when no one is looking. If the leader is unable to follow ethical practices and his subordinates learn of this he will be viewed as a hypocrite and his attempts to impose ethical leadership will fall on deaf ears. A leader’s integrity must be beyond reproach if he is to expect his subordinates to follow his example. Value of Ethical Leadership to an Organization Recent events like the Enron scandal, the Sub-prime mortgage crisis, and the financial meltdown that followed are just a few examples of what happens in the absence of ethical leadership. In those circumstances the desire for profits overpowered ethical considerations. Of particular noteworthiness was that during the sub-prime crisis people who were likely not responsible enough to make housing loans were pressured to contract such loans by predatory leaders who were merely trying to meet their quota. Then the Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) were sold to a public that was not sophisticated enough to understand what the CDOs really were. Enron was scandalized beyond repair. The largest banks in America continue to bear the stigma of the subprime crisis. Their brands have been permanently afflicted. Had their leadership been ethical then they would not have consented to such actions. A reputation for integrity and ethical leadership can only build up an organization’s brand. Known ethical acts can also increase the popularity of a brand in the eyes of the public such as when Costco pays its workers better than minimum wages. On a more down to earth level an ethical leader is respected by his subordinates and will be better able to coax performance from them. Subordinates are less likely to do unethical acts if their  leaders are ethical. Hence, even just one ethical leader in the chain of command can have a ripple effect upon his fellow workers. Conclusion In conclusion ethical leadership is difficult because knowing the right and ethical course of action is difficult. Worse, the temptation to take the expedient or easy path that is unethical can be very strong. The lucrative and unethical is always an attractive choice for anyone engaged in business. But an ethical leader can have a multiplier effect upon his organization and help build its reputation to those around it. References Chemers M. (1997) An integrative theory of leadership. Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership: Meta-analytic findings and implications for research and practice. In Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 611- 628. Resick, C. J., Hanges, P. J., Dickson, M. W., & Mitchelson, J. K. (2006). A cross-cultural examination of the endorsement of ethical leadership in Journal of Business Ethics, 63, 345-359.

Best Snacks Problem Solution

Running head: PROBLEM SOLUTION: BEST SNACKS INC. Problem Solution: Best Snacks Inc. Taleish M. Daniels University of Phoenix Problem Solution: Best Snacks Inc. â€Å"Best Snacks, Inc. , a 150-year-old company which has been held publicly for more than 100 years, has traditionally held the number one or two positions in the snack market, providing an excellent and stable investment for stockholders. But in the past several years, Best Snacks sales have been slipping, market share has decreased and, particularly in the past two years, stock prices have taken a dive. This year, the company will finish a very weak second, and with several smaller competitors emerging as major players in the snack industry, Best Snacks is in danger of losing its long-held premier standing in the snack market,† (University of Phoenix, 2010,  ¶ 2). In addition to these issues, the employees at Best Snacks are unsettled and feeling as if management does not value their opinions and has not done a good job of promoting innovation. In order to succeed, Best Snacks must tackle the challenges of its failing product line as well as find a way to bring the internal climate with employees back to a state of resolution. Describe the Situation Issue and Opportunity Identification Best Snacks is facing a number of issues. Declining sales, complacency, and a lack of motivation within the employees due to the absence of manager support have all contributed to the current state. By taking a close look at its competitors and studying other successful organizations the leadership at Best Snacks can retain some of its previous success. Capitalizing on the new changes in leadership, Best Snacks has the opportunity to restructure their organization in a way that will foster an environment of creativity and innovation. As stated, both sales and market share at Best Snacks has seen a decline. The opportunity presented is for the leadership at Best Snacks to evaluate the organization’s current process to determine how they can keep up with the competition. A radical innovation is a significant change that simultaneously affects both the business model and the technology of a company. Radical innovations usually bring fundamental changes to the competitive environment in an industry, (Davila, Epstien, & Shelton, 2006, p. 51). Contributing to the declining sales is the fact that there have been no product or service innovations in the past five years; instead, previously successful marketing methods have been improved or extended. Successful organizations tend to become complacent and conservative in order to preserve their core competencies—those things that lead to their success. This is logical and largely advantageous in the short-term. Paradoxically, the things that led to their success could be the very things in the long-term that pull them into failure, (Davila, Epstien, & Shelton, 2006, p. 239). By designing new marketing methods that are completely different from anything that has been done before, Best snacks can return to their customer base with a fresh approach that will draw people to their products. A learning organization is an organization that purposefully designs and constructs its structure, culture, and strategy so as to enhance and maximize the potential for organizational learning (explorative and exploitative) to take place, (Jones, 2004, p. 377). Currently many employees at Best Snacks do not understand the importance of innovation and have forgotten how to develop and implement creative ideas. Most of this stems from the fact that managers do not support creativity and innovation, another issues facing Best Snacks. Employees believe that they are not supported in their ideas and independent thinking. One of the key roles of the CEO is to make innovation part of the culture of the company. The CEO needs to make certain that collaboration occurs and becomes part of the culture. Steve Jobs works this critical cultural angle at Apple by being the clear leader of innovation and pushing hard to ensure that there is effective collaboration between the technology and business folks, (Davila, Epstien, & Shelton, 2006, p. 58 & 259). The leadership at Best Snacks should use this opportunity to support and encourage organization learning, developing culture that is ripe for innovation through leading by example and pushing for employees to come up with new ideas. Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas Though Best Snacks is facing a number of issues, three main stakeholder perspecti ves and ethical dilemmas have been identified. The first is between Best Snacks and the competition. Both Best Snacks and its competing businesses have a vested interest in their individual corporations. Each would like to be the number one holder of sales and market share in their industry. In their quest to be number one, it is the responsibility of each organization to utilize fair business practices, and conduct themselves with honesty and integrity. Another stakeholder perspective is the leadership of Best Snacks versus their employees. The employees at Best Snacks feel that leadership does not value their opinions and has not created an environment open for innovation and creativity. Though management sees the need for employees to develop a creative mindset, they are unsure about the best ways to utilize those skills. Both management and the employees need to be honest about what they’re needs and expectations are. Opening the door to communication will allow them to work together as a unit. Management has the responsibility to treat employees with fairness and respect, understanding that although their titles may be lower in rank, their opinions and desire to grow the organization is what will ultimately lead Best Snacks into their next phase of success. The last ethical dilemma that was identified is Best Snacks versus itself. As a corporation, Best Snacks is rightfully concerned that they are seeing a significant decrease in sales. In their quest to retain success, Best Snacks must be careful to not violate any copyright infringement laws while studying their competition and creating their own new products. Frame the â€Å"Right† Problem Best Snacks will become a leader in the snack industry once again by promoting creative and innovative learning within the organization that will inspire a new product lines and allow them to compete with the competition. Describe the â€Å"End-State† Vision Best Snacks held on to its top position in the snack industry by promoting innovation within their organization. Though the industries may vary, the characteristics of innovative organizations are often similar. Studies have shown that innovative workplaces share six cultural characteristics: context rich, customer close, confidence building, curious, challenging, and collaborative, (Daniels, 2010). Innovative organizations have leaders that cultivate creativity by allowing employees to be themselves and encouraging the development of new ideas. Brainstorming and team building activities play a large part in how these companies create, (Daniels, Watts-Holley, Mobley, & Rauschenbach, 2010). Capitalizing on these traits, Best Snacks was able to energize their employees and push for organizational learning, and team building that enabled them to create new product lines, modernize the previous products therefore maintaining their previous customer bases as well as capturing a new audience. Identify the Alternatives and Benchmarking Validatio Based on the opportunities given, three main alternatives have been identified. First, instead of promoting organizational learning, management can select a few employees for individual learning. Managers would select employees to serve on special teams. There’s team members would then go through a series of individual and group learning to implement programs within the organization. Another alternative is for previous marketing methods to be revisited in an effort to appeal to the standard customer base. Leadership at Best Snacks can attempt to capture their previous success by reconnecting with their audience through an analysis of what has worked in the past. The third alternative identified is to make no radical changes, choosing to stick with incremental or semi-radical innovation. By utilizing incremental innovation, Best Snacks can wring out as much value as possible from existing products or services without making significant changes or major investments. Semi-Radical Innovation on the other hand involves substantial change to either the business model or technology of an organization—but not to both, (Davila, Epstien, & Shelton, 2006). Evaluate the Alternatives In Table three there were two goals that were ranked at a number five. The first goal, design new marketing methods that are completely different from those of the past was chosen to stimulate creativity within the organization. Best Snacks has already spent and ample amount of time redeveloping ideas of the past and needs a fresh approach to capturing their audience. The second goal that was ranked at a number five is for the management to promote organizational wide learning. One of the reasons Best Snacks is in the position they’re in is because at some point the organization stopped learning. Management began to discourage the innovation and creativity that once the key to the company’s success. As a result, the entire team at Best Snacks; employees as well as management need to go back to square one in learning the organization, its customers and products. Narrowed List of Alternatives The best alternative chosen are to revisit the previous marketing methods to capture some of the past product success, and to implement semi-radical change. Although it is clear based on the goals that it would be best for Best Snacks to make a complete 360 degree turn around with their business structure and approach to marketing, the cost of doing so could defeat take a toll on the company’s finances due to its declining sales. As a result, it may be better for the organization to take things slow implementing only a semi-radical change program and revamping some of the previous marketing methods. Due to the fact that the organization was highly successful not too long ago, it may be worth taking a look at some of the processes that were in place during that time, examining whether or not success can be generated by reinventing the wheel as opposed to starting over completely. Identify and Assess Risks The remaining alternatives; select a few employees for individual learning and implement incremental change have been identified as having too many risks to utilize in the future plans of Best Snacks. In selecting just a few employees, the leadership does not tackle the real issue of ensuring that innovation is stimulated on an organizational wide scale. It seems that an incremental change approach is what put Best Snacks in the position that they are in now. In only considering the bottom line while ignoring the significant changes that needed to be made in the product lines and processes has cost the organization in sales. With both alternative, Best Snacks runs the likely chance that no changes will be made, leaving the organization to continue its decline. Make the Decision Best Snacks will utilize radical innovation to develop customized, strategic marketing plans for their current product lines and formulate teams within the organization to design new products. Management and employees will work together to energize not only each other but the customer with anticipation of what’s to come. Creative advertising campaigns, team building exercises, and consistent attention to employee needs by management will position Best Snacks in the upper echelon of the snack industry. Founded in 1998, Google has obtained success by being one of the most innovative internet search engines in the world. The company name, Google is in fact a play on the word â€Å"googol,† the mathematical term for a 1 followed by 100 zeros. The name reflects the immense volume of information that exists, and the scope of Google's mission: to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful, (Google, 2010). With over 150 domains in different names and languages, advertising applications, and a phone, and its own internet browser, Google Chrome, the leadership and employees at Google are constantly coming up with new ideas on how to make their existing products better and challenging themselves to create new products that will speak to their consumer needs. Google’s philosophy is embedded with a number of approaches to the principles of their organization and how they will conduct business. Specifically when it comes to design the company believes: 1. Focus on people – their lives, their work, and their dreams. . Every millisecond counts. 3. Simplicity is powerful. 4. Engage beginners and attract experts. 5. Dare to innovate. 6. Design for the world. 7. Plan for today's and tomorrow's business. 8. Delight the eye without distracting the mind. 9. Be worthy of people's trust. 10. Add a human touch, (Daniels, Watts-Holley, Mobley, & Rauschenbach, 2010). In capitalizing on the success of organizations such as Google and the competing snack corporations, as well as returning their focus back to the people, Best Snack will move into the future retaining their top slot as an industry leader. Develop and Implement the Solution In order to develop and implement the solution, Best Snacks must be strategic in their next steps. To take place immediately, Elizabeth Fairchild must devise a conflict management plan for employees and managers to have better communication. In order for innovation to thrive employees must first iron out the issues they have amongst each other as well as management. Getting the problems out on the table will be the first step to opening the door to communication needed for innovation and creativity. Within the next ninety days, Sabrina McKay will develop a plan for team brainstorming. Working with Elizabeth Fairchild, a plan for organizational learning will be put into place to stimulate the employees and get them thinking about what’s next for the organization. Within six months, new product lines should be developed. These lines will be a culmination of the ideas of each person from the management team as well as the employees. Evaluate the Results External success for Best Snacks will be measure by evaluation of the next quarter sales and earnings. Because the ultimate goal of the organization is to increase sales and market share in an effort to remain competitive in the industry, short term review goals are deemed best for a clear understanding of whether newly implemented marketing ideas and approaches are working. There are certain marketing elements every (startup) entrepreneur should track to grow and become more profitable. The key indicators are leads generated, leads converted, average dollar per transaction and average number of transactions per customer. Though the notion of tracking may feel like overkill, focus and improvement spring from the habit of constant measurement. In creating a baseline, it will be much easier to focus the strategies and actions on the right areas of the business, (Jantsch,  2009). Internal measurements for determining success will be to administer another company-wide survey and small focus groups. Leadership must remain in constant communication with the Best Snack employees to ensure that most, if not all needs are being met and that satisfactions with encouraging innovation and creativity amongst employees is felt. Conclusion Best Snacks has the potential to maintain its position in the snack industry. Though the situation looks bleak, it is not as bad as it seems. The main issue for Best Snacks is that they’ve never been in this space before. As long as management uses this opportunity to grow and learn the ills of complacency the organization should be able to avoid being placed in this position again. References Daniels, T. , Watts-Holley, J. , Mobley, A. , Rauschenbach, L.. (2010). Best Snacks Benchmarking Worksheet. Retrieved from MMPBL550 – Creativity, Innovation, and Organizational Design website. Davila, T. , Estien, T. J. , & Shelton, R. (2006). Making Innovation Work: How To Manage It, Measure It, and Profit From It. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing. Jantsch, J. (2009). 4 Metrics For Measuring Success: 4 key metrics can help you determine if your brand-building is working. Retrieved from http://www. entrepreneur. com/magazine/entrepreneur/2009/february/199732. html Jones , G. (2004). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. University of Phoenix. (2010). Best Snacks Scenario. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, MMPBL550 – CREATIVITY, INNOVATION, AND ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN website. Table 1 Issues and Opportunities Identification | | | |Issues |Opportunities |Reference to Specific | | | |Course Concept | |Best Snacks sales have been slipping, market|Evaluate the organization’s current |A radical innovation is a significant change that | |share has decreased |process to determine how they can keep up |simultaneously affects both the business model and the | | |with the competition. |technology of a company. Rad ical innovations usually | | | |bring fundamental changes to the competitive | | | |environment in an industry, (Davila, Epstien, & | | | |Shelton, 2006, p. 51). |There have been no product or service |Design new marketing methods that are |Successful organizations tend to become complacent and | |innovations in the past five years; instead,|completely different from anything that |conservative in order to preserve their core | |previously successful marketing methods have|has been done before. |competencies—those things that lead to their success. | |been improved or extended | |This is logical and largely advantageous in the | | | |short-term. Paradoxically, the things that led to their| | | |success could be the very things in the long-term that | | | |pull them into failure, (Davila, Epstien, & Shelton, | | | |2006, p. 239). | |Not many people seem to understand the |Management can promote learning within the|A learning organization is an organization that | |importance of innovation. Worse, they seem |organization. |purposefully designs and constructs its structure, | |to have forgotten how to develop and | |culture, and strategy so as to enhance and maximize the| |implement creative ideas. |potential for organizational learning (explorative and | | | |exploitative) to take place, (Jones, 2004, p. 377). | |Employees feel that creativity/innovation is|Management can develop a culture that is |One of the key roles of the CEO is to make innovation | |not encouraged and that their ideas are not |ripe for innovation through leading by |part of the culture of the company. The CEO needs to | |supported by management. |example and pushing for employees to come |make certain that collaboration occurs and becomes part| | |up with new ideas. |of the culture. Steve Jobs works this critical cultural| | | |angle at Apple by being the clear leader of innovation | | | |and pushing hard to ensure that there is effective | | | |collaboration between the technology and business | | | |folks, (Davila, Epstien, & Shelton, 2006, p. 258 & | | | |259). | Table 2 Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas | |Stakeholder Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas | | | | | |Stakeholder Groups with Competing | | | |Values |The Interests, Rights, and |The Ethical Dilemma Based on the Competing | | |Values of Each Group |Values | |List: Group X | | | |versus Group Y | | | |Best Snacks vs. the competition |Both Best Snacks and the competition have a vested |It is the responsibility of each organization | | |interest in their individual corporations. Each would |in their quest to be number one to do utilize | | |like to be the number one holder of sales and market |fair business practices, and conduct themselves| | |share in their industry. |with honesty and i ntegrity. | |Best Snacks Leadership vs. he |The employees at Best Snacks feel that leadership does |Both management and the employees need to be | |employees |not value their opinions and has not created an |honest about what they’re needs and | | |environment for open innovation and integrity. Though |expectations are. Opening the door to | | |management sees the need for employees to develop a |communication will allow them to work together | | |creative mindset, they are unsure about the best ways |as a unit. Management has the responsibility to| | |to utilize those skills. treat employees with fairness and respect, | | | |understanding that although their titles may be| | | |lower in rank, their opinions and desire to | | | |grow the organization is what will ultimately | | | |lead Best Snacks into their next phase of | | | |success. | |Best Snacks vs. tself |As a corporation, Best Snacks is rightfully concerned |In their quest to retain success, Best Snacks | | |that the y are seeing a significant decrease in sales. |must be careful to not violate any copyright | | | |infringement laws while studying their | | | |competition and creating their own new | | | |products. | Table 3 Analysis of Alternative Solutions [pic] Table 4 Risk Assessment and Mitigation Risk Assessment and Mitigation | |Alternative |Risks and Probability |Consequence and Severity |Mitigation Techniques and Strategies | |Select a few employees for |By selecting only a few employees |The organization may find itself | Instead of managers randomly selecting| |individual learning |for individual learning, Best Snacks|in the same position as right now,|employees, they could ask for | | |leadership will have only barely |it is clear that not enough |volunteers, or use a mixture of | | |touched the issue of many not |employees understand the process |experience and tenure to make the | | |understanding creativity and |of innovation to a point where |selection | | |innovation. |they can move the company forward. | | | |Also, in selecting only a few | | | | |employees issues of favoritism and| | | | |feeling left out could occur | | | | |amongst workers. | | |Implement Incremental change |Though incremental innovation would |Utilizing incremental change could|Instead of incremental innovation, Best| | |save the company money it would not |put Best Snacks back in the same |Snacks should utilize another approach | | |address the most important issue of |position. that would allow them to tackle the | | |stimulating creativity and | |core of the issues. | | |innovation within the employees. | | | | |This would cost the company in the | | | | |long run as they run the risk of | | | | |continuing the sales decline. | | | Table 5 Pros and Cons of Alternative Solutions Alternative |Pros |Cons | |Revisit previous marketing methods to capture |Methods used during the company’s most |These methods are old and no longer appeal to | |past success |successful times have a lready been tested |the target audience – the reason Best Snacks is| | | |in their current state | |Implement semi-radical change |Extreme change will be made to certain portions|Best Snacks is no longer in a position where | | |of the organization. |small changes are acceptable. They need fast, | | | |extreme change to catch up to the competition | Table 6 Optimal Solution Implementation Plan |Action Item Deliverable |Timeline |Who is Responsible | |Develop a plan for team brainstorming and innovation|90 days Sabrina McKay | |Create new product lines |6 months |Sabrina McKay, Bill Santoro, Jennifer | | | |Heartwell, Martin Hernandez, Dale Chin | |Devise conflict management plan for employees and |Immediately |Elizabeth Fairchild | |managers to have better communication | | | Table 7 Evaluation of Results |End-State Goals |Metrics |Target | |Management and employees will develop and |Employee survey |85-90% satisfaction | |maintain open communication. | | |Best Snacks increa se sale and market share. |Industry reports |70% increase | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Dub Turbo Download

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Real Beauty Sketches Essay

In April 2013, Dove launched a â€Å"Real Beauty† campaign after performing marketing research and discovering that only 2% of all women consider themselves to be â€Å"beautiful†. In an effort to boost self-esteem and moral, Dove introduced a television ad in the form, which incorporated a powerful and touching social experiment. In this commercial, several different women are asked to describe their physical appearance to a forensic sketch artist, who cannot see them as he sketches their physical descriptions. They are told to use neutral terms, and to â€Å"stick to the facts† when describing their own self-reflections. Next, the same women are described to the same forensic sketch artist by a complete stranger, whom they had only met the day before. The strangers are given the same instructions. At the end of this unknown experiment, both descriptions are drawn by the artist and then compared. Upon comparison, it is incredibly obvious that the stranger’s physical descriptions of the subject are more flattering, and more accurate depict the subject’s true appearance. The commercial sends a very inspiring, real message to the women: to be less critical of yourself, and to embrace the natural beauty of womanhood. After the experiment took place, one woman admitted, â€Å"I should be more grateful of my natural beauty. It impacts the choices and the friends we make; the jobs we apply for; how we treat our children; it impacts everything. It couldn’t be more critical to your happiness. † To the same point, another woman added, â€Å"we spend a lot of time as women analyzing and trying to fix the things that aren’t quite right, and we should spend more time appreciating the things that we do like. † The commercial ends with a powerful and honest message: â€Å"You are more beautiful than you think. † The â€Å"Real Beauty Sketches† ad resulted in widespread reactions worldwide- some positive, some negative. Many praised the commercial for its ability to acknowledge and accept natural beauty and what society may traditional deem as physical â€Å"flaws†. But there were many negative critics as well. Despite the good nature behind the commercial’s intent, many criticized the ad for its heavy emphasis on physical appearance. Critics claimed that Dove’s advertisement still focused too heavily on the physical appearance of woman, and its remaining influence as the single-most defining element of a woman’s worth; as opposed to her personality or personal achievements. Which led me to question: How could this advertisement be improved to focus on the â€Å"true beauty† and essence of a woman’s worth? The message is a refreshing change from the typical message that beauty supply companies often send; instead of shaming women into purchasing things to make them more â€Å"beautiful†, Dove takes a non-traditional approach by supporting the natural beauty, without the enhancement of material products. Although this may seem to counter-act their ultimate goal of selling beauty products, Dove gains seeks to gain more than just revenue- they seek to gain self-confidence and acceptance. But in order to overcome the heavy emphasis of a woman’s physical appearance as the defining element of a woman’s worth, I think it is important to emphasis how the woman achieved her â€Å"beauty lines†, wrinkles, or â€Å"flaws†. Perhaps pulling on the viewer’s emotional heartstring of laughter and love would prove to play a beautiful part in the development of a woman’s wrinkles around her eyes, or expression lines in her forehead. By approaching the beauty from this marketing angle, marketers are focusing on the internal beauty that a woman envelopes, and justifies their natural beauty with self-worth and personal accomplishment. By casting very â€Å"average† and â€Å"typical† looking women, marketers sought to appeal to the majority of women, in an effort to reflect a more realistic depiction of women. By refraining from using â€Å"traditionally† beautiful women, viewers and women find the message to be more relatable to themselves. Marketing Applications: In April 2013, Dove marketers applied a story-like short film to their Real Beauty campaign, in an effort to reveal each woman’s true natural beauty. Marketing Relevance: Marketing emphasis: to encourage the improvement of self-image and confidence among women worldwide. Dove marketers sought to prove that â€Å"we† are our own worst critics, and that our own self-image is often skewed and far less beautiful than our true natural beauty suggests. Intangible elements: Dove focused on producing a moral campaign that reflects the ideals and beliefs of their corporate personnel. In this powerful, thought-provoking message, Dove effectively used an emotional story to â€Å"make a culturally positive difference†. Marketers drew upon an emotional appeal in an attempt to attach these positive ideas to their own product line. In doing so, Dove successfully attached an extension of their own feelings to their product, as well as their corporate image. Many accredit the campaign’s success to its ability tap into deep-seated emotions and â€Å"hit on a real human truth for women. Many women undervalue themselves and also the way they look. † In this ad, Dove focused on the emotional appeal, rather than simply â€Å"communicating a particular product or service benefit. † As a result, consumers will be more likely to remember the positive emotions that the advertisement evoked, and thus, â€Å"associate them with Dove products. † Discussion Questions: