Oedipus Rex Motifs And Symbols - 1319 Words

Oedipus Rex Motifs and Symbols The paths (3 crossroads): Expressed three independent ways Oedipus could have chosen to continue his life, and Oedipus chose the inferior road. Oedipus’s legs: Oedipus’s damaged legs and feet symbolize his painful upbringing. As well as this, it represents his mental health, which is damaged just like his feet. Vision: Oedipus can actually see, while Tiresias is actually blind. Yet, even though he can see, Oedipus is blind enough to not recognize that he killed his own father and has married his own mother. On the other hand, Tiresias predicts and can see the future of Oedipus. Character List and Significance Oedipus: The Protagonist and King of Thebes who killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus virtually and physically causes trouble in Thebes. Jocasta: Oedipus’s mother and his wife, who marries Oedipus completing the â€Å"prophecy† Creon: Jocasta’s brother as well as the Prince of Thebes. Creon is always determined to gain power. Tiresias: A Prophet and the instigator of a prophecy, which determines Oedipus and his life. Shepherd: A servant who saved Oedipus and his life by delivering him to the King and Queen of Corinth. Priest: Tries to save Thebes by trying to get rid of the problems introduced by Oedipus. In order to do so, he tries to involve the Oracle. Chorus: Carries and helps develop the story by exaggerating and displaying each characters emotion as well as questions certain events throughout the story.Show MoreRelatedComparison Between Oedipus Rex and Street Car Named Desire1268 Words   |  6 Pages‘Oedipus Rex’ and ‘Streetcar’       | Similarities | Contrasts | Clever Points | Actions / Events | ï‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both ‘Oedipus Rex’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ have scenes where a character’s past is revealed, whether it is to other characters or to the audience (e.g. Oedipus’ parentage or Blanche’s past). This shows an underlying tone that they cannot fully escape their past, whether it is an eventual surfacing (in A Streetcar Named Desire) or an abrupt revelation (in Oedipus Rex). This is linkedRead MoreOedipus Rex, Or Oedipus The King972 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King, has been translated thousands of times from the original ancient Greek version to English of varying recency. Consequently, each work varies incredibly in its meaning and its presentation of Oedipus and the tragedy surrounding him. Two translations of Sophocles’ ancient play, one translated by Robert Fagles and the other by J.T. Shepherd, are perfect illustrations of this concept. Alth ough these two works share several similarities, they vary greatly in their presentationRead MoreOedipus Rex, A Symbol Of Fate1517 Words   |  7 PagesThe most famous scene in Sophocles’, Oedipus Rex, is when Oedipus gouges out his eyes. But that’s not the only example of sight and blindness in this play. In Sophocles world, eyes play a big part in society, as the theme of vision invites the audience to look at the action with a double perspective, through own eyes and through the eyes of those on stage ( Mastronarde pp. 179-182). Considering eyes as an essential piece, it places them as a motif of the play. Within Greek literature, scholars focusRead More The Effective Use of Imagery in Hemingways The Old Man and the Sea2796 Words   |  12 Pageswith the Christian acronym , or Ichthus (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior): it is inconceivable for one as widely read and travelled in fishing and Christian circles as was Hemingway . . . not to have become familiar with the fish as a God-Man symbol (142). When Santiago finally kills the fish, he thrusts the harpoon into the fishs side just behind the great chest fin (94), thus reminding us of Christs side being pierced while on the cross. Finding insightful commentary on the Santiago-as-Christ

Debatable Decisions by the Wife of Bath Essay - 1120 Words

Questionable Decisions by the Wife of Bath In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer creates a wonderfully complex character in the Wife of Bath. She exhibits many traits easily identifiable as virtuous--honesty, cheerfulness, and the desire to follow the teachings of the Bible. At other times she reveals traits easily perceived as negative--greed, cruelty, and promiscuity. By the end of her tale to the other pilgrims, more light is shed on her character when it becomes apparent that her tale parallels certain aspects of her own life. Understanding the Wife of Bath’s motivations for her actions through the tale provides an explanation, and, from a sympathetic point of view, an excuse for her negative behavior. Through the voice of the†¦show more content†¦The knight must choose between a â€Å"loyal, true, and humble wife†, albeit â€Å"old and ugly†, or a â€Å"young and pretty† wife that carries the chance of unfaithfulness and falseness (291). The Wife of Bath would have been on the opp osite side of this quandary, having to choose which type of wife she would become. She shows a basic understanding of the teachings of the Bible on marriage, when referring to Paul the Apostle: No sooner than one husband’s dead and gone Some other Christian man shall take me on, For then, so says the Apostle, I am free To wed, o’ God’s name, where it pleases me. (259) Her statements are very close to what is actually said by Paul: â€Å"A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord† (Cor. Book 1, 7:39). Although she often mixes her biblical quotes with irony and humor, or sometimes twists them to her own means, this knowledge should be reflected in her decision-making and behavior. Ironically, the Wife of Bath repeatedly chooses to be the less-than-humble wife and to carry on with questionable behavior, despite her religious knowledge. This shows a failure of her morality, certainly. In the context of the Middle Ages, her actions might have been shocking. But Chaucer, being ahead of his time, understands the difficulty of achieving social and economic advancement for a common woman. The other women in â€Å"The Prologue† toShow MoreRelatedJudith Butlers Perception of the Female in the Modern Era: Gender Identity and the Act of Becoming in Cindy Shermans History Portraits6698 Words   |  27 Pages(2008) states, Some female artists began to use their work as a means of re-representing female identity and deconstructing prevailing cultural expectations of femininity. Whether Cindy Sherman was consciously attempting to be such an artist is debatable but the work stands on its own and its meaning is open to interpretation. The portrayal of the self especially of the female self had been under a Freudian assault since Edward Bernays began using sex in advertising (Jones, 2000). Nephew of SigmundRead MoreFor Against by L.G. Alexander31987 Words   |  128 Pagespreposterous! The arguments that men put forward to exclude women from these fields are all too familiar. Women, they say, are unreliable and irrational. They depend too little on cool reasoning and too much on intuition and instinct to arrive at decisions. They are not even capable of thinking clearly. Yet when women prove their abilities, men refuse to acknowledge them and give them their due. So much for a man s ability to think clearly! The truth is that men cling to their supremacy because ofRead MoreInvestment and Economic Moats46074 Words   |  185 Pagesyou’re about to find out, Pat has a rare ability to explain investing in a clear and entertaining way. flast.indd xiv 2/1/08 12:56:30 PM F O R E WO R D [xv] In the pages that follow, Pat explains why we think making investment decisions based on companies’ economic moats is such a smart long-term approach—and, most important, how you can use this approach to build wealth over time. You’ll learn how to identify companies with moats and gain tools for determining how much a stockRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesdeveloping countries www.elsevier.com | www.bookaid.org | www.sabre.org Contents Preface Overview of the book’s structure 1 Introduction 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Learning objectives The nature of marketing The management process Strategic decisions and the nature of strategy The marketing/strategy interface Summary xi xiii 1 3 3 7 11 19 37 41 43 45 45 50 53 70 71 75 77 79 79 80 81 86 88 89 101 102 104 107 109 Stage One: Where are we now? Strategic and marketing analysis 2 Marketing auditingRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesunderstanding and provided the field with an imaginative resource to address the dynamics between theory and practice. Dr Susanne Tietze, Bradford University, UK The key to success for managers is not only to be result oriented but also to be wise in their decision making. This requires that they have a deeper than superficial understanding of management and organization issues. McAuley et al. helps student and managers understand organizational performance without having to go through extensive reading. ItRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesonly the broad global economic patterns and their local ramifications but also the fact that most migrations around the world were organized locally, through networks based on village, neighborhood, and particularly kinship relations. Migration decisions everywhere were taken mainly in the context of family rather than individual strategies. These strategies aimed to augment the family’s resources through higher earnings at destination, remittances, assistance for other kin to migrate, and eventual

The Future of Nursing - 966 Words

The Future of Nursing In 2010 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJK), a subsidiary of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), issued a report on nursing called, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, (http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursig-Leadership-Change-Advancing-Health.aspx). According to the IOM official website, (http://www.iom.edu/), â€Å"†¦the IOM provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policy makers, health professional, the private sector, and the public. The IOM advises Congress on important health questions, from the quality of medical care to conflicts of interest in medical research†. The IOM also states that they make honest calls and request that the highest standards be†¦show more content†¦I currently am not enrolled or a part of any nursing organization. To improve my nursing practice I now feel that being a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA) is a wise choice. The ANA provides an environment for nurses to learn from one another and are advocates for change. Information provided by the ANA is all aimed at improving the quality of health care. I often get so busy at work I will let some major projects sit by the way side that are patient and nurse based, focusing rather on managerial duties asked of me by my hospital administration; I need to reprioritize my list of duties. My managerial duties are important and directly impact the nurses working daily that provided direct patient care. I need not only focus on reports and answering for overtime, but look at ways to increase time management, cost effective care, implement policies that are evidence based and provide as many educational opportunities to my staff, all with the intent of meeting today’s health care needs. References American Nurses Association. (2013). Making a Difference and Let Your Voice be Heard. Retrieved from www.nursingworld.org/ Institute of Medicine. (2010). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change,Show MoreRelatedThe Future of Nursing999 Words   |  4 PagesFUTURE OF NURSING * SUTHA FERNANDO – DATE: 12-23-2012 GRAND CANYAN UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT The Institute of Medicine has thoroughly analyzed the Future of Nursing and submitted report. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is a nonprofit organization that works independently, provides unbiased and authoritative advice to general public as well as government. In this essay we would discuss about the significance of report and recommendations of IOM. In 2010 the IOM has advised the GovernmentRead MoreThe Future of Nursing940 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ The Future of Nursing Grand Canyon University Professional Dynamics NRS-430V The Future of Nursing Looking back over 150 years ago, the nursing profession has changed drastically. Even just the uniform of nurses changed from the white dresses with panty hose and a white cap to scrubs with pants. 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We are in the vanguard of health care progress, shaping health policy around the world through our expertise, the strength of our numbers, the alignment of our efforts, and ourRead MoreThe Future of Nursing834 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Running head: The Future Nursing The Future Nursing The Future of Nursing The Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) will have a great effect on nursing. According to this article nursing will have to change it role in the ACA and the three main categories that need to be changed and redeveloped is transforming practice, education and leadership. â€Å"The ACA outlines some new health care arrangements, and with these structures will come new opportunities for new rolesRead MoreThe Future of Nursing1181 Words   |  5 PagesThe Future of Nursing Grand Canyon University NRS-440V 3.24.13 Introduction This paper will discuss various aspect of the future of health care focusing on the future of how nursing will play an ever-important role in the reformation of health care. Presentation regarding, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the future of nursing, at the Institute of Medicine report entitled, â€Å"Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health,† will help set the stage for this paper. 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Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag Free Essays

Historical background of the business Today Merck Co, Inc. is one of the most recognizable companies in the pharmaceutical industry. When asked about Merck, most people think that it is and always has been a US company. We will write a custom essay sample on Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the company’s history can be traced all the way back to the 1600’s where it was started in Darmstadt, Germany. Friedrich Jacob Merck purchased a local store in 1668 where he prepared and sold medicines. The store was called â€Å"At the sign of the Angels† and would remain in the Merck family for many generations (Merck co. , 2000). In 1827, Heinrich Emmanuel Merck and renamed E. MERCK AG transformed the store into a drug manufacturer. The pharmacy was so successful that by 1855 E. Merck AG was selling medications worldwide. It was at this time that Merck decided to send a company officer to the United States to set up a sales office. Once in the U. S. in 1899, Heinrich’s grandson George Merck bought one hundred and fifty acres in Rahway, New Jersey. A couple of years later, in 1903, Merck started production in its new U. S. headquarters. By this time Merck was not just producing drugs, it was also starting to produce different types of chemicals and there was also a research lab. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, George Merck, fearing that Germany would win the war and take over his company, sold all of his stock to a US company named Alien Property Custodian (Merck Co. , 2000). This ended all of Merck’s ties to Germany. After the war, George Merck regained a controlling share of the company in 1919 and from that day forward Merck has always been a publicly owned company. George Merck continued to grow the company until his death in 1926 at which time his son, George W. Merck took over. In 1926, George W. Merck decided to merge the company with Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten, which was a Philadelphia, based pharmaceutical company. In 1927 the company was officially incorporated and renamed Merck Co. Inc. This merger gave George W. Merck the capital he needed to recruit new chemists and biologists, which lead to the discovery of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 was a huge success, but because the war had been over for several years, new foreign companies were continually underselling Merck. With no new products in sight, George W. Merck decided to merge with a Baltimore company by the name of Sharp Dohme, Inc. This merger was believed to have saved Merck from going under; it gave Merck new marketing facilities and a new distribution network, which it desperately needed. By the time George W. Merck died in 1957, the company had hit the one hundred million dollar mark. Not only was the dollar mark significant, George’s death marked the last time a Merck family member would ever be in control. From the 60’s on, Merck continued to raise its market share taking advantage of its research and development, which continually produced new and popular drugs every year. Today Merck employs over fifty five thousand people and produces some of the most well known pharmaceutical products on the market. With profits totaling a little fewer than six billion dollars and annual sales of over twelve and half billion dollars, Merck is considered one of the best pharmaceutical companies in the world. Products Throughout the years, Merck has made itself a reputation for developing high quality products that consumers know will work. The drugs are developed to help with all different types of problems. Some medicines are used for every day symptoms like a stuffed up nose and some are used for more serious illnesses like the treatment of HIV. Since Merck Co. , Inc. was founded; it has always made a point to have an above average research and development program so that it could appeal to a wide variety of consumers no matter what symptoms they were trying to cure. Some of the first products ever distributed by Merck in the 1820’s were morphine, codeine and cocaine. These three products allowed Merck enough revenue to begin research on other types of products. In 1933 Merck scientists discovered vitamin B12 which was, at the time, used as a therapeutic drug. The sales from B12 alone were enough to carry Merck into the next decade. Although Merck scientists discovered cortisone, which is a steroid, and streptomycin, which is used to treat tuberculosis, the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s were fairly slow periods for Merck. Other products such as Aldomet, which is used to treat depression, Indocin and Clinoril which are anti-inflammatory drugs, were developed but none of them had the impact on revenue that Merck was used to. It was not until the mid to late 70’s that Merck came out with some new products that really connected with consumers. It was at this time that Timoptic and Enalapril were invented. Timoptic is a hepatitis vaccine that helps with the treatment of glaucoma and Enalapril is a high blood pressure medication. Sales from these two drugs were well over a half a billion dollars by the early 1980’s. Things only got better for Merck from the 1980’s through 2000. During this time Merck produced over twenty new drugs. Some of the more popular drugs include Cosopt, used in the treatment of glaucoma, Propecia, which is used to treat hair loss, Maxalt, which is used for migraine headaches, and Singulair, which treats cases of asthma. Although all of these medications worked out very well for Merck’s profit, there were three drugs that stood above the rest. Vasotec was a treatment for congestive heart failure and Merck’s first billion dollar a year drug. That was followed by Vioxx which is a pain medication used to treat arthritis and also a billion dollar a year seller. The most popular drug Merck ever produced was Zocor. Zocor is a cholesterol-fighting drug that was introduced in 1992. Not only was zocor a multi-billion dollar a year drug, it was one of the most successful selling pharmaceutical drugs ever (Merck Co. , 2000). Zocor accounted for over four billion dollars in worldwide sales in 2004 alone. With products like these and a continued dedication to research and development, Merck will be a major player in the pharmaceutical industry for many years to come. Company Locations Merck and its subsidiaries have locations all over the world. Their main headquarters is currently located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Merck takes pride in being a global healthcare leader. According to their website they currently have 83,000 employees worldwide (Merck. com). In 2009, Merck merged with competitor Shering-Plough, which extended Merck’s reach into the global economy. According to Muse (2011), Merck has over 75 locations, â€Å"Drawing from its locations in 77 countries, Merck’s worldwide sales for 2009 were $27. 4 billion (Muse p. 251). † These locations stretch across the continental United States from New Jersey to San Francisco. The worldwide locations include factories in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Japan. Merck’s revenues continue to climb with their global growth. The revenues recorded in various regions by Merck in 2012 include, â€Å" |2012 Revenues |United States | |(By Geographic Region) |$20. 4 billion | | | | | |Europe, Middle East and Africa | | |$13. billion | | | | | |Japan | | |$5. 1 billion | | | | | |Other | | |$8. billion (Merck. com). † | | | | Merck is seen as a leader on the stage of global expansion. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Merck continues to grow and expand its influence in an effort to provide their vaccines and medicines across the globe. Their recent merger will allow them to test markets that they have not had experience in before, and help increase their profits globally. Style of International Business Merck has been on the forefront of International Business and is one of the leaders at adapting to new employees in diverse geographic locations. The company has maintained a policy of progressiveness in their workplace. According to Muse (2011) Merck is one of the leaders in this field. They have been ranked among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity and the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List (Muse p. 251). † Merck makes diversity one of their top priorities and it is well documented on their website. They have created a voice for the different diverse peoples within their company. It is a new way to maintain communication with the feelings and thoughts of various groups in different regions throughout the world. Merck calls these Global Constituency Groups. According to their website, â€Å"We’ve taken an innovative, global approach to our diversity strategy through the creation of Global Constituency Groups. These groups represent the diverse constituencies in our company, our customers and society, in general. The members represent different geographies, cultures and areas of expertise. Together they reflect Merck employees and customers globally†. Merck. com) With this process, Merck is able to keep up with the problems and successes within the different constituencies throughout the company. Merck’s plan to achieve diversity within their company begins from the leadership positions. Filling these positions with people mindful of diversity has allowed the company to continue to keep its place among the most diverse companies in the worl d. According to Merck, â€Å"Diversity and inclusion are integrated into our leadership model, and are considered an essential leadership skill for all of our employees (Merck. com). Merck preaches this diversity not only to their employees, but their suppliers as well. â€Å"At Merck, we believe that having a diverse supplier base helps us better understand and anticipate the needs of the people we serve (Merck. com). † This creates a positive culture throughout the company of acceptance and tolerance towards others. It is a progressive policy that allows Merck to continue to flourish and it is a model style of International Business. Strategic Alliances Merck has made many strategic alliances throughout the years to help improve their products or supply them to a wider range of people. In the late 80’s Merck made an alliance with one of the biggest companies in the United States, Johnson Johnson. According to the International Directory of Company Histories (2000), â€Å"In 1989 Merck joined with Johnson Johnson in a venture to develop over-the-counter (OTC) versions of Merck’s prescription medications, initially for the U. S. market, later expanded to Europe and Canada (encyclopedia. com)†. This helped Merck products become more easily available to consumers throughout the world. At the time this alliance was hailed as a blockbuster deal that would create growth for both companies. This deal lasted over twenty years and was very profitable for both parties. When Merck sold their stake in the deal in 2011, they received $175 million for it. The largest alliance Merck has made recently is the acquisition, or reverse merger, of their rival Schering-Plough. The $40 billion deal was made in an effort to keep up with other companies in the pharmaceutical market, especially Pfizer. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger would join pharmaceutical companies that had combined sales of $46. 9 billion last year (p. 1). † This alliance expanded Merck globally and allowed it to tap into Schering-Plough’s resources. These resources ranged from new drugs for Merck to market, to a bigger pipeline to promote their own drugs. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger gives it access to successful brand-name Schering products with much longer patents, like the prescription allergy spray Nasonex. And Merck could capitalize on Schering’s investments in promising biotechnology drugs (Singer p. 1 ). † This alliance helped Merck continue to be a formidable competitor in the global pharmaceutical market. With this deal happening only a few short years ago, Merck continues to grow and utilize its new resources in the market today. Exports Merck’s exports consist of various types of pharmaceuticals. Some of their most profitable exports include Singulair, Fosamax, Nasonex, and Vytorin. Singulair is used to treat seasonal allergies like other drugs such as Claritin and Allegra. It can also be used to prevent asthma attacks. It has been very profitable for Merck in the past. Yet, sales began to dramatically fall when media reports about the disturbing side effects of Singulair began to surface. The worst of these side effects included depression and suicidal thoughts. Still, even in spite of Singulair’s profit drop, Merck continues to make large amounts of money off of the export. Nasonex and Vytorin are two products that were a result of the Merck and Schering-Plough merger. Nasonex is a nasal spray used to treat seasonal allergies in adults and children. It has proved to be a positive part of the merger, becoming one of Merck’s most profitable products. Vytorin was already part of a joint effort between Merck and Schering-Plough even before the merger. Vytorin is a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin used to treat cholesterol levels. They created and marketed the product together. After the merger, Merck continued to sell and market Vytorin. Fosamax is another popular export of the Merck Company. It is used to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Fosamax was previously one of Merck’s best selling drugs. Yet, because of patent problems, they have lost large amount of money. According to Singer (2009) â€Å"Merck’s former blockbuster bone drug Fosamax has gone generic, and in a few years the same thing will happen to its best-selling allergy and asthma drug Singulair (pg. 1 ). † These exports have been Merck’s main products in the past. In the future, with their recent merger, they should be able to develop new products that can help them rebound from the losses they took from products like Fosamax and Singulair. Transportation In order to effectively and efficiently deliver their products throughout the world, Merck has contracted UPS to deliver them. As of June 2011, the joint venture known as MSD has announced that it would include and take care of Merck’s logistics and distribution around the world, which till now only managed Merck’s distribution, warehousing and transportation in North America (Berman, 2011). According to Willie A. Deese, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division,â€Å" This expanded agreement with UPS allows us to focus on our core business as a global healthcare leader that looks for innovative ways to bring our medicines and vaccines to patients in emerging markets and markets around the world† (businesswire, 2011). The collaboration, which began in early 2003 with UPS just taking care of the transportation and delivery of products over time, has extended to North American distribution, warehousing and multi-modal transportation services (businesswire, 2011). Merck now entrusted UPS with taking care of their logistics in countries like China, Brazil as well as Latin America among others. UPS also stated that it would establish proper facilities in order to store goods and vaccines so in order to ensure quicker and efficient delivery system (Berman, 2011). Merck believes that this extended partnership with UPS would result in being cost effective in the long run. Although Merck does rely on other logistic companies as well, but they rely more heavily on UPS and this current agreement will only further increase the company’s trust in the logistics firm (businesswire, 2011). Ethical Standards The code of ethics from Merck’s website (2013) states: Being a good corporate citizen means that we comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Also, we serve our society, from the local communities in which we operate to the national and international levels, by supporting a number of programs, including those that improve health and promote environmental sustainability. All of our activities are guided by our corporate responsibility principle of â€Å"Helping the World Be Well†. (p. 1) Ethical Violations Merck Co. ave developed some great products that have helped many people. They have even done some amazing humanitarian work that follows their mission of their code of ethics, which is to help the people of this world be as healthy as they can. For example, After World War II, many people who were living in Japan could not afford the Merck developed drug streptomycin (Miller Goldman, 2003). Streptomycin was the first drug to fight tub erculosis. Merck decided to sell streptomycin at a much lower cost in Japan so it could be distributed to those who needed it and could not afford it at market value. Merck is also one of the nation’s largest donors to UNICEF. One of the ways that Merck has partnered with UNICEF is by donating a drug called Mectizan. Mectizan is a drug that Merck has developed to fight river blindness, and Merck has teamed up with UNICEF in order to distribute Mectizan to anyone who needs it (Unicef, 2013). But the business strategies for Merck have not always been as ethically sound as it may appear. On September 30th 2004 the drug that Merck had created to treat arthritis and severe pain, Vioxx, was pulled off the shelves for good. The reason behind shutting down this drug was that it was found to have caused serious illnesses after long term use, including heart attacks and strokes (Kay, 2004). Vioxx was withdrawn only five years after being introduced, but in that short time had effected many, in those five years there had been over eighty million prescriptions for Vioxx (Kay, 2004). Dr David Graham, the associate director for science and medicine at the Office of Drug Safety, estimates that Vioxx caused between 88,000 and 139,000 heart attacks, of which thirty to forty percent have most likely died (Kay, 2004). But did Merck know of this threat before they started to market the drug? Before Merck released Vioxx in 1999 their own scientist conducted tests on Vioxx while developing it. In 1997 these scientist did a study and found that patients who were being tested on were six times more likely to have heart complications when using Vioxx compared to other arthritis drugs. But this study was never released and the data was never sent to the FDA (Culp Isobel, 2007). Scientist also completed a VIGOR (Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research) test on the drug and found evidence that people who take Vioxx had a five times higher chance of having a heart attack (Cahana Mauron, 2006). In 2001 Merck scientist had another test called â€Å"meta-analysis†. The meta-analysis tested 20,000 patients, and again showed that these patients were twice as likely to have a heart attack while taking Vioxx compared to other drugs (Culp Isobel, 2007). Not only did Merck know about these risks and kept the results to themselves, they also trained their sales people on how to dodge the subject. In order to train the sales force who were going to be selling Vioxx to doctors, Merck developed a card game called dodgeball. The purpose of this game was to teach the sales force different ways to dodge questions asked by doctors about the effects Vioxx has on the heart (Daily, 2005). This again proves that Merck knew of these risks caused by taking Vioxx, but was trying to make sure that information was kept in house. Another instance where Merck lacked good ethical decision making is when they decided to pay Elsevier to publish a magazine for them. Elsevier is a publishing company that focuses mainly on medical and scientific literature. Merck’s marketing team decided to pay Elsevier to publish a journal called The Australiasian Journal of Bone Joint Medicine. This journal was made to look like any other peer-reviewed medical journal but it was far from it. Merck’s marketing department handpicked the articles that they wanted to put in this journal, with the purpose of trying to control what articles were chosen to be in the journal. They took advantage of this situation by picking articles that favored Merck products and disguising this marketing scheme as a peer review journal (Grant, 2009). For instance in the second issue twenty one of the twenty nine articles spoke about Merck’s products in a favorable way, nine of them positively talking about Vioxx (Grant, 2009). Merck also had an ethical downfall when management decided to change the prices of their product. Not only was Merck paying doctors to prescribe Merck medicine when patients were in the hospital, Merck also started to give hospitals a ninety two percent discount on their medicine; with the idea that after the patient was discharged they would want to stay on the same medicine (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008). The insurance company would pay full price for the drugs after the patient was discharged and that is where Merck would bring in their profit. An employee within Merck saw what was going on and didn’t approve. A lawsuit quickly followed and Merck ended up paying $671 million, including sixty eight million dollars to the whistleblower (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008). Even after settling Merck did not think they were in the wrong with this pricing, as Merck to pay whistleblower (2008) reported Merck making a statement saying they â€Å"stands by its pricing strategies but is keen to resolve the dispute† (p. 2). Unfortunately for Merck, Vioxx isn’t the only drug that has caused people to question Merck’s ethical decision making when it comes to their customers. As noted above, Merck released a drug called Propecia to the public that helped men with baldness. The problem with Propecia is that men are starting to see a great increase in sexual problems. Merc k says that only one out of fifty men will see significant sexual side effects, and those side effects will disappear after you stop taking Propecia (Thornton, 2011). But that doesn’t seem to be the case. A recent study by Micheal Irving showed that ninety percent of his test patients still showed signs of sexual problems forty months after being off of Propecia (Thornton, 2011). This is where ethics will hurt Merck the most. Not only have there been hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and settlements that will be paid out, but if Merck continues to keep making unethical managerial decisions, Merck will lose the trust of their customers. Even though there is no evidence yet that Merck knew that Propecia would harm people after they stopped taking the drug, it’s hard not to think of how the Merck management decided to handle Vioxx. The financial hit is a big blow that will slow present and future projects, but money is a lot easier to gain back than trust. References Berman, J. (2011, June). UPS and Merck extend relationship with a global supply chain focus. Retrieved February 2013, from http://www. logisticsmgmt. com/article/ups_and_merck_extend_relationship_witha_ global_supply_chain_focus/ businesswire. (2011, June). UPS and Merck Expand Their Distribution and Logistics Agreement. Retrieved February 2013, from businesswire. com: http://www. businesswire. com/news/home/20110628005271/en/UPS-Merck-Expand-Distribution-Logistics-Agreement Cahana, A. , Mauron, A. (2006). The story of Vioxx—no pain and a lot of gain: ethical concerns regarding conduct of the pharmaceutical industry. Journal of anesthesia,  20(4), 348-351. doi:10. 1007/s00540-006-0432-7 Culp, D. R. , Isobel, B. (2007, August 6). Merck and the Vioxx       debacle. Retrieved February 13, 2013 from St. Johns University,       Web site: http://www. stjohns. edu/media/3/2c0778b7593f4a178b60354abc80bad8. pdf Grant, B. (2009, April 30). Merck published fake journal. Retrieved Febuary 12, 2013 from, Web site: http://www. the-scientist. om/? articles. view/articleNo/27376/title/Merck- published-fake- journal/ Daily, M. (2005, July 18). Merck used ‘dodge ball’ on Vioxx       questions-lawyer. Retrieved February 12, 2013 from, Web site:       http://www. redorbit. com/news/general/178738/ Kay, J. ( 2004, November 22). The Vioxx scandal: Damning senate       testimony reveals drug company, government complicity. Retrieved 2013, February 9 from , Web site: http://www. wsws. org/en/articles/2004/11/viox-n22. html Merck Co. , Inc. International Directory of Company Histories. 2000. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from Encyclopedia. com:  http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-2843800076. html Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. , a subsidiary of  Merck Co. , Inc. (2009-2013). Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www. merck. com/index. html Merck to pay whistleblower. (2008). TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (801), 12. Miller, C. , Goldman, K. (2003, October, 23). Merck, aids, and       Africa. Retrieved February 2, 2013 from New York University,       Leonard N. Stern School of Business Web site: http://pages. stern. nyu. edu/~lcabral/teaching/aids. pdf Muse, L. A. (2011). Flexibility implementation to a global workforce: a case study of Merck and Company, Inc. Community, Work Family,  14(2), 249-256. Singer, N. (March 9, 2009). Merck to Buy Schering-Plough for $41. 1 Billion. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/03/10/business/10drug. html? _r=0 February 19, 2013. Thornton, J. (2011). A Hair-Raising Side Effect. Men’s Health (10544836), 26(10), 102-105. Unicef (2013). Merck co. , inc. Retrieved January 12, 2013 from, Partners Web site       http://www. unicefusa. org/partners/corporate/merck. html How to cite Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag, Essay examples Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag Free Essays Historical background of the business Today Merck Co, Inc. is one of the most recognizable companies in the pharmaceutical industry. When asked about Merck, most people think that it is and always has been a US company. We will write a custom essay sample on Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the company’s history can be traced all the way back to the 1600’s where it was started in Darmstadt, Germany. Friedrich Jacob Merck purchased a local store in 1668 where he prepared and sold medicines. The store was called â€Å"At the sign of the Angels† and would remain in the Merck family for many generations (Merck co. , 2000). In 1827, Heinrich Emmanuel Merck and renamed E. MERCK AG transformed the store into a drug manufacturer. The pharmacy was so successful that by 1855 E. Merck AG was selling medications worldwide. It was at this time that Merck decided to send a company officer to the United States to set up a sales office. Once in the U. S. in 1899, Heinrich’s grandson George Merck bought one hundred and fifty acres in Rahway, New Jersey. A couple of years later, in 1903, Merck started production in its new U. S. headquarters. By this time Merck was not just producing drugs, it was also starting to produce different types of chemicals and there was also a research lab. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, George Merck, fearing that Germany would win the war and take over his company, sold all of his stock to a US company named Alien Property Custodian (Merck Co. , 2000). This ended all of Merck’s ties to Germany. After the war, George Merck regained a controlling share of the company in 1919 and from that day forward Merck has always been a publicly owned company. George Merck continued to grow the company until his death in 1926 at which time his son, George W. Merck took over. In 1926, George W. Merck decided to merge the company with Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten, which was a Philadelphia, based pharmaceutical company. In 1927 the company was officially incorporated and renamed Merck Co. Inc. This merger gave George W. Merck the capital he needed to recruit new chemists and biologists, which lead to the discovery of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 was a huge success, but because the war had been over for several years, new foreign companies were continually underselling Merck. With no new products in sight, George W. Merck decided to merge with a Baltimore company by the name of Sharp Dohme, Inc. This merger was believed to have saved Merck from going under; it gave Merck new marketing facilities and a new distribution network, which it desperately needed. By the time George W. Merck died in 1957, the company had hit the one hundred million dollar mark. Not only was the dollar mark significant, George’s death marked the last time a Merck family member would ever be in control. From the 60’s on, Merck continued to raise its market share taking advantage of its research and development, which continually produced new and popular drugs every year. Today Merck employs over fifty five thousand people and produces some of the most well known pharmaceutical products on the market. With profits totaling a little fewer than six billion dollars and annual sales of over twelve and half billion dollars, Merck is considered one of the best pharmaceutical companies in the world. Products Throughout the years, Merck has made itself a reputation for developing high quality products that consumers know will work. The drugs are developed to help with all different types of problems. Some medicines are used for every day symptoms like a stuffed up nose and some are used for more serious illnesses like the treatment of HIV. Since Merck Co. , Inc. was founded; it has always made a point to have an above average research and development program so that it could appeal to a wide variety of consumers no matter what symptoms they were trying to cure. Some of the first products ever distributed by Merck in the 1820’s were morphine, codeine and cocaine. These three products allowed Merck enough revenue to begin research on other types of products. In 1933 Merck scientists discovered vitamin B12 which was, at the time, used as a therapeutic drug. The sales from B12 alone were enough to carry Merck into the next decade. Although Merck scientists discovered cortisone, which is a steroid, and streptomycin, which is used to treat tuberculosis, the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s were fairly slow periods for Merck. Other products such as Aldomet, which is used to treat depression, Indocin and Clinoril which are anti-inflammatory drugs, were developed but none of them had the impact on revenue that Merck was used to. It was not until the mid to late 70’s that Merck came out with some new products that really connected with consumers. It was at this time that Timoptic and Enalapril were invented. Timoptic is a hepatitis vaccine that helps with the treatment of glaucoma and Enalapril is a high blood pressure medication. Sales from these two drugs were well over a half a billion dollars by the early 1980’s. Things only got better for Merck from the 1980’s through 2000. During this time Merck produced over twenty new drugs. Some of the more popular drugs include Cosopt, used in the treatment of glaucoma, Propecia, which is used to treat hair loss, Maxalt, which is used for migraine headaches, and Singulair, which treats cases of asthma. Although all of these medications worked out very well for Merck’s profit, there were three drugs that stood above the rest. Vasotec was a treatment for congestive heart failure and Merck’s first billion dollar a year drug. That was followed by Vioxx which is a pain medication used to treat arthritis and also a billion dollar a year seller. The most popular drug Merck ever produced was Zocor. Zocor is a cholesterol-fighting drug that was introduced in 1992. Not only was zocor a multi-billion dollar a year drug, it was one of the most successful selling pharmaceutical drugs ever (Merck Co. , 2000). Zocor accounted for over four billion dollars in worldwide sales in 2004 alone. With products like these and a continued dedication to research and development, Merck will be a major player in the pharmaceutical industry for many years to come. Company Locations Merck and its subsidiaries have locations all over the world. Their main headquarters is currently located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Merck takes pride in being a global healthcare leader. According to their website they currently have 83,000 employees worldwide (Merck. com). In 2009, Merck merged with competitor Shering-Plough, which extended Merck’s reach into the global economy. According to Muse (2011), Merck has over 75 locations, â€Å"Drawing from its locations in 77 countries, Merck’s worldwide sales for 2009 were $27. 4 billion (Muse p. 251). † These locations stretch across the continental United States from New Jersey to San Francisco. The worldwide locations include factories in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Japan. Merck’s revenues continue to climb with their global growth. The revenues recorded in various regions by Merck in 2012 include, â€Å" |2012 Revenues |United States | |(By Geographic Region) |$20. 4 billion | | | | | |Europe, Middle East and Africa | | |$13. billion | | | | | |Japan | | |$5. 1 billion | | | | | |Other | | |$8. billion (Merck. com). † | | | | Merck is seen as a leader on the stage of global expansion. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Merck continues to grow and expand its influence in an effort to provide their vaccines and medicines across the globe. Their recent merger will allow them to test markets that they have not had experience in before, and help increase their profits globally. Style of International Business Merck has been on the forefront of International Business and is one of the leaders at adapting to new employees in diverse geographic locations. The company has maintained a policy of progressiveness in their workplace. According to Muse (2011) Merck is one of the leaders in this field. They have been ranked among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity and the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List (Muse p. 251). † Merck makes diversity one of their top priorities and it is well documented on their website. They have created a voice for the different diverse peoples within their company. It is a new way to maintain communication with the feelings and thoughts of various groups in different regions throughout the world. Merck calls these Global Constituency Groups. According to their website, â€Å"We’ve taken an innovative, global approach to our diversity strategy through the creation of Global Constituency Groups. These groups represent the diverse constituencies in our company, our customers and society, in general. The members represent different geographies, cultures and areas of expertise. Together they reflect Merck employees and customers globally†. Merck. com) With this process, Merck is able to keep up with the problems and successes within the different constituencies throughout the company. Merck’s plan to achieve diversity within their company begins from the leadership positions. Filling these positions with people mindful of diversity has allowed the company to continue to keep its place among the most diverse companies in the worl d. According to Merck, â€Å"Diversity and inclusion are integrated into our leadership model, and are considered an essential leadership skill for all of our employees (Merck. com). Merck preaches this diversity not only to their employees, but their suppliers as well. â€Å"At Merck, we believe that having a diverse supplier base helps us better understand and anticipate the needs of the people we serve (Merck. com). † This creates a positive culture throughout the company of acceptance and tolerance towards others. It is a progressive policy that allows Merck to continue to flourish and it is a model style of International Business. Strategic Alliances Merck has made many strategic alliances throughout the years to help improve their products or supply them to a wider range of people. In the late 80’s Merck made an alliance with one of the biggest companies in the United States, Johnson Johnson. According to the International Directory of Company Histories (2000), â€Å"In 1989 Merck joined with Johnson Johnson in a venture to develop over-the-counter (OTC) versions of Merck’s prescription medications, initially for the U. S. market, later expanded to Europe and Canada (encyclopedia. com)†. This helped Merck products become more easily available to consumers throughout the world. At the time this alliance was hailed as a blockbuster deal that would create growth for both companies. This deal lasted over twenty years and was very profitable for both parties. When Merck sold their stake in the deal in 2011, they received $175 million for it. The largest alliance Merck has made recently is the acquisition, or reverse merger, of their rival Schering-Plough. The $40 billion deal was made in an effort to keep up with other companies in the pharmaceutical market, especially Pfizer. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger would join pharmaceutical companies that had combined sales of $46. 9 billion last year (p. 1). † This alliance expanded Merck globally and allowed it to tap into Schering-Plough’s resources. These resources ranged from new drugs for Merck to market, to a bigger pipeline to promote their own drugs. According to Singer (2009), â€Å"The merger gives it access to successful brand-name Schering products with much longer patents, like the prescription allergy spray Nasonex. And Merck could capitalize on Schering’s investments in promising biotechnology drugs (Singer p. 1 ). † This alliance helped Merck continue to be a formidable competitor in the global pharmaceutical market. With this deal happening only a few short years ago, Merck continues to grow and utilize its new resources in the market today. Exports Merck’s exports consist of various types of pharmaceuticals. Some of their most profitable exports include Singulair, Fosamax, Nasonex, and Vytorin. Singulair is used to treat seasonal allergies like other drugs such as Claritin and Allegra. It can also be used to prevent asthma attacks. It has been very profitable for Merck in the past. Yet, sales began to dramatically fall when media reports about the disturbing side effects of Singulair began to surface. The worst of these side effects included depression and suicidal thoughts. Still, even in spite of Singulair’s profit drop, Merck continues to make large amounts of money off of the export. Nasonex and Vytorin are two products that were a result of the Merck and Schering-Plough merger. Nasonex is a nasal spray used to treat seasonal allergies in adults and children. It has proved to be a positive part of the merger, becoming one of Merck’s most profitable products. Vytorin was already part of a joint effort between Merck and Schering-Plough even before the merger. Vytorin is a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin used to treat cholesterol levels. They created and marketed the product together. After the merger, Merck continued to sell and market Vytorin. Fosamax is another popular export of the Merck Company. It is used to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Fosamax was previously one of Merck’s best selling drugs. Yet, because of patent problems, they have lost large amount of money. According to Singer (2009) â€Å"Merck’s former blockbuster bone drug Fosamax has gone generic, and in a few years the same thing will happen to its best-selling allergy and asthma drug Singulair (pg. 1 ). † These exports have been Merck’s main products in the past. In the future, with their recent merger, they should be able to develop new products that can help them rebound from the losses they took from products like Fosamax and Singulair. Transportation In order to effectively and efficiently deliver their products throughout the world, Merck has contracted UPS to deliver them. As of June 2011, the joint venture known as MSD has announced that it would include and take care of Merck’s logistics and distribution around the world, which till now only managed Merck’s distribution, warehousing and transportation in North America (Berman, 2011). According to Willie A. Deese, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division,â€Å" This expanded agreement with UPS allows us to focus on our core business as a global healthcare leader that looks for innovative ways to bring our medicines and vaccines to patients in emerging markets and markets around the world† (businesswire, 2011). The collaboration, which began in early 2003 with UPS just taking care of the transportation and delivery of products over time, has extended to North American distribution, warehousing and multi-modal transportation services (businesswire, 2011). Merck now entrusted UPS with taking care of their logistics in countries like China, Brazil as well as Latin America among others. UPS also stated that it would establish proper facilities in order to store goods and vaccines so in order to ensure quicker and efficient delivery system (Berman, 2011). Merck believes that this extended partnership with UPS would result in being cost effective in the long run. Although Merck does rely on other logistic companies as well, but they rely more heavily on UPS and this current agreement will only further increase the company’s trust in the logistics firm (businesswire, 2011). Ethical Standards The code of ethics from Merck’s website (2013) states: Being a good corporate citizen means that we comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Also, we serve our society, from the local communities in which we operate to the national and international levels, by supporting a number of programs, including those that improve health and promote environmental sustainability. All of our activities are guided by our corporate responsibility principle of â€Å"Helping the World Be Well†. (p. 1) Ethical Violations Merck Co. ave developed some great products that have helped many people. They have even done some amazing humanitarian work that follows their mission of their code of ethics, which is to help the people of this world be as healthy as they can. For example, After World War II, many people who were living in Japan could not afford the Merck developed drug streptomycin (Miller Goldman, 2003). Streptomycin was the first drug to fight tub erculosis. Merck decided to sell streptomycin at a much lower cost in Japan so it could be distributed to those who needed it and could not afford it at market value. Merck is also one of the nation’s largest donors to UNICEF. One of the ways that Merck has partnered with UNICEF is by donating a drug called Mectizan. Mectizan is a drug that Merck has developed to fight river blindness, and Merck has teamed up with UNICEF in order to distribute Mectizan to anyone who needs it (Unicef, 2013). But the business strategies for Merck have not always been as ethically sound as it may appear. On September 30th 2004 the drug that Merck had created to treat arthritis and severe pain, Vioxx, was pulled off the shelves for good. The reason behind shutting down this drug was that it was found to have caused serious illnesses after long term use, including heart attacks and strokes (Kay, 2004). Vioxx was withdrawn only five years after being introduced, but in that short time had effected many, in those five years there had been over eighty million prescriptions for Vioxx (Kay, 2004). Dr David Graham, the associate director for science and medicine at the Office of Drug Safety, estimates that Vioxx caused between 88,000 and 139,000 heart attacks, of which thirty to forty percent have most likely died (Kay, 2004). But did Merck know of this threat before they started to market the drug? Before Merck released Vioxx in 1999 their own scientist conducted tests on Vioxx while developing it. In 1997 these scientist did a study and found that patients who were being tested on were six times more likely to have heart complications when using Vioxx compared to other arthritis drugs. But this study was never released and the data was never sent to the FDA (Culp Isobel, 2007). Scientist also completed a VIGOR (Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research) test on the drug and found evidence that people who take Vioxx had a five times higher chance of having a heart attack (Cahana Mauron, 2006). In 2001 Merck scientist had another test called â€Å"meta-analysis†. The meta-analysis tested 20,000 patients, and again showed that these patients were twice as likely to have a heart attack while taking Vioxx compared to other drugs (Culp Isobel, 2007). Not only did Merck know about these risks and kept the results to themselves, they also trained their sales people on how to dodge the subject. In order to train the sales force who were going to be selling Vioxx to doctors, Merck developed a card game called dodgeball. The purpose of this game was to teach the sales force different ways to dodge questions asked by doctors about the effects Vioxx has on the heart (Daily, 2005). This again proves that Merck knew of these risks caused by taking Vioxx, but was trying to make sure that information was kept in house. Another instance where Merck lacked good ethical decision making is when they decided to pay Elsevier to publish a magazine for them. Elsevier is a publishing company that focuses mainly on medical and scientific literature. Merck’s marketing team decided to pay Elsevier to publish a journal called The Australiasian Journal of Bone Joint Medicine. This journal was made to look like any other peer-reviewed medical journal but it was far from it. Merck’s marketing department handpicked the articles that they wanted to put in this journal, with the purpose of trying to control what articles were chosen to be in the journal. They took advantage of this situation by picking articles that favored Merck products and disguising this marketing scheme as a peer review journal (Grant, 2009). For instance in the second issue twenty one of the twenty nine articles spoke about Merck’s products in a favorable way, nine of them positively talking about Vioxx (Grant, 2009). Merck also had an ethical downfall when management decided to change the prices of their product. Not only was Merck paying doctors to prescribe Merck medicine when patients were in the hospital, Merck also started to give hospitals a ninety two percent discount on their medicine; with the idea that after the patient was discharged they would want to stay on the same medicine (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008). The insurance company would pay full price for the drugs after the patient was discharged and that is where Merck would bring in their profit. An employee within Merck saw what was going on and didn’t approve. A lawsuit quickly followed and Merck ended up paying $671 million, including sixty eight million dollars to the whistleblower (Merck to pay whistleblower, 2008). Even after settling Merck did not think they were in the wrong with this pricing, as Merck to pay whistleblower (2008) reported Merck making a statement saying they â€Å"stands by its pricing strategies but is keen to resolve the dispute† (p. 2). Unfortunately for Merck, Vioxx isn’t the only drug that has caused people to question Merck’s ethical decision making when it comes to their customers. As noted above, Merck released a drug called Propecia to the public that helped men with baldness. The problem with Propecia is that men are starting to see a great increase in sexual problems. Merc k says that only one out of fifty men will see significant sexual side effects, and those side effects will disappear after you stop taking Propecia (Thornton, 2011). But that doesn’t seem to be the case. A recent study by Micheal Irving showed that ninety percent of his test patients still showed signs of sexual problems forty months after being off of Propecia (Thornton, 2011). This is where ethics will hurt Merck the most. Not only have there been hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and settlements that will be paid out, but if Merck continues to keep making unethical managerial decisions, Merck will lose the trust of their customers. Even though there is no evidence yet that Merck knew that Propecia would harm people after they stopped taking the drug, it’s hard not to think of how the Merck management decided to handle Vioxx. The financial hit is a big blow that will slow present and future projects, but money is a lot easier to gain back than trust. References Berman, J. (2011, June). UPS and Merck extend relationship with a global supply chain focus. Retrieved February 2013, from http://www. logisticsmgmt. com/article/ups_and_merck_extend_relationship_witha_ global_supply_chain_focus/ businesswire. (2011, June). UPS and Merck Expand Their Distribution and Logistics Agreement. Retrieved February 2013, from businesswire. com: http://www. businesswire. com/news/home/20110628005271/en/UPS-Merck-Expand-Distribution-Logistics-Agreement Cahana, A. , Mauron, A. (2006). The story of Vioxx—no pain and a lot of gain: ethical concerns regarding conduct of the pharmaceutical industry. Journal of anesthesia,  20(4), 348-351. doi:10. 1007/s00540-006-0432-7 Culp, D. R. , Isobel, B. (2007, August 6). Merck and the Vioxx       debacle. Retrieved February 13, 2013 from St. Johns University,       Web site: http://www. stjohns. edu/media/3/2c0778b7593f4a178b60354abc80bad8. pdf Grant, B. (2009, April 30). Merck published fake journal. Retrieved Febuary 12, 2013 from, Web site: http://www. the-scientist. om/? articles. view/articleNo/27376/title/Merck- published-fake- journal/ Daily, M. (2005, July 18). Merck used ‘dodge ball’ on Vioxx       questions-lawyer. Retrieved February 12, 2013 from, Web site:       http://www. redorbit. com/news/general/178738/ Kay, J. ( 2004, November 22). The Vioxx scandal: Damning senate       testimony reveals drug company, government complicity. Retrieved 2013, February 9 from , Web site: http://www. wsws. org/en/articles/2004/11/viox-n22. html Merck Co. , Inc. International Directory of Company Histories. 2000. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from Encyclopedia. com:  http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-2843800076. html Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. , a subsidiary of  Merck Co. , Inc. (2009-2013). Retrieved February 18, 2013, from http://www. merck. com/index. html Merck to pay whistleblower. (2008). TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (801), 12. Miller, C. , Goldman, K. (2003, October, 23). Merck, aids, and       Africa. Retrieved February 2, 2013 from New York University,       Leonard N. Stern School of Business Web site: http://pages. stern. nyu. edu/~lcabral/teaching/aids. pdf Muse, L. A. (2011). Flexibility implementation to a global workforce: a case study of Merck and Company, Inc. Community, Work Family,  14(2), 249-256. Singer, N. (March 9, 2009). Merck to Buy Schering-Plough for $41. 1 Billion. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/03/10/business/10drug. html? _r=0 February 19, 2013. Thornton, J. (2011). A Hair-Raising Side Effect. Men’s Health (10544836), 26(10), 102-105. Unicef (2013). Merck co. , inc. Retrieved January 12, 2013 from, Partners Web site       http://www. unicefusa. org/partners/corporate/merck. html How to cite Pharmaceutical Industry and E. Merck Ag, Papers

Failure of Appeasement free essay sample

However, Hitler had no intentions to be appeased from the very beginning and did not take it seriously. He had his own goals and he was determined to succeed in any way. Appeasement was just slowing him down. Agreeing to the appeasement was just for show and it ended up a failure as Hitler never serious about compromising his demands with Britain and France. Thus, I agree to a large extend that the failure of appeasement to prevent World War 2 was the result of Nazi aggression, but it also failed because Hitler never had intentions to compromise his demands in the very first place. Hitler’s determination to achieve a better Germany caused Nazi aggression which led to the failure of appeasement. The appeasement policy encouraged Hitler to act aggressively and each time he was appeased, it inflated his appetite and confidence to act aggressively to achieve his aims. At the same time, any act of appeasement stood little chance of satisfying him. He would always want more and the more he was appeased, he more aggressive he became to get what he wanted. The appeasement policy also made him more confident his is plans and it also made Britain and France look weak. Thus, instead of controlling peace and negotiating Hitler’s demands, the appeasement policy made Hitler more determined and confident causing him to act aggressively which attacking Poland. This destroyed the appeasement policy’s main aim of preventing a general war and thus it was a failure. After the treaty of Versailles, Hitler vowed to gain back all the land that Germany had lost; this caused the Nazis to act aggressively to gain back what they lost during WW1. Also when Hitler signed the Munich agreement, he did not get the whole of Czechoslovakia, which was what he wanted. However he broke the agreement within 6 months and conquered the rest of Czechoslovakia. Despite this, Britain and France did not do anything to stop him but just kept appeasing him in any way just to avoid war. These led him into thinking that Britain and France were pushovers and gave him the confidence to act aggressively when attacking Poland as he thought that Britain and France were not much of a treat to him. Instead of installing peace, the appeasement caused Nazi aggression which led to the failure of appeasement. As a result, the failure of appeasement was the result of Nazi aggression. Hitler was impossible to appease and he kept making aggressive new demands. This led to the failure of the appeasement. After WW1, the treaty of Versailles took a lot of land from Germany. Hitler was determined to win back all that Germany had lost. His foreign policy’s main aim was to achieve a greater Germany by slowly conquering the lands around it. When being appeased, he made many aggressive demands but at the same time he did not keep to the terms in the agreements. Due to Hitler’s stubbornness and aggressiveness, the appeasement failed as Hitler was impossible to appease. This is proven by the Sudetenland crisis when Hitler demanded for Sudetenland. Chamberlain came to Germany for peace negotiations and agreed to give Hitler parts of Czechoslovakia. However, Hitler was not satisfied and kept making more demands, each demand more aggressive than before. Eventually, he was forced to sign the Munich agreement, whereby he gets Sudetenland and leave the rest of Czechoslovakia untouched. However, Hitler did not keep to the agreement and within six months, he broke the agreement and conquered the rest of Czechoslovakia. Hitler did so because he was unsatisfied with the appeasement results and resorted to using aggression to meet his own demands, causing the failure of the appeasement. However, there were other factors which caused to failure of appeasement. One of which was Hitler’s main intentions was to achieve a greater Germany at any cost as stated in his foreign policy. He had no intensions to be appeased in the first place. When Hitler signed the Munich agreement, it was just for show and to satisfy Britain and France. He never took Britain and France’s negotiations seriously and appeasement meant nothing to him. Though he signed the agreement, he had no intensions to follow the terms but to just carry on with his plans of expanding Germany’s land. The appeasement would just buy time but not prevent war. After signing the Munich agreement, he broke it within six month and conquered the rest of Czechoslovakia. This shows that he did not even plan to follow the agreement and agreeing to it was just to satisfy Britain and France. As a result, the failure of appeasement was caused because Hitler had no intensions of taking the appeasement seriously in the first place. But even so, the appeasement would not have failed if Hitler had considered other alternatives to achieve his goals instead of using aggression. It was Hitler’s aggression in conquering Czechoslovakia which caused the failure of appeasement. In conclusion, Hitler’s strong determination to achieve a better Germany and the excessive demands he made caused Nazi aggression which led to the failure of appeasement. Though Hitler also had no intensions of being appeased by Britain and France, it was his aggression in later conquering Czechoslovakia which led to the failure of appeasement. Thus, I agree to a large extend that the failure of appeasement to prevent World War 2 was the result of Nazi aggression, but to a small extend it also failed because Hitler never had intentions to compromise his demands in the very first place.

The True Authorship Of The Works Attributed To William Shakespeare Ess

The True Authorship Of The Works Attributed To William Shakespeare In 1564, a man was born by the name of William Shakespeare. He was born to a poor family, was given little education, and had no interaction with sophisticated society. Thirty-eight plays and over 150 sonnets are not attributed to this ignorant man. Those who believe that Shakespeare was the author have no definitive proof but instead point to Hamlets declaration: The plays the thing(Satchell 71). The true author, however, lies hidden behind he name of Shakespeare. Edward de Vere the premier Earl of Oxford is not only considered a great poet in history, but he may also be the great playwright who concocted the sonnets and plays which are now attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford, England. Edward de Vere was the Lord Great Chamberlain and the seventeenth Earl of Oxford. He was raised as a Royal Ward and from a very young age was educated in the sports and arts of nobility. Although disgraceful for a nobleman to waste time writing frivolous plays, Oxford as a young man wrote and staged the entertainment for the court. As an adult, he became engrossed in theatrical performances and frittered away his fortunes in support of several writers and actors (Friedman 13). During this time, De Vere also began writing several poems and plays. Much like Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the name of Mark Twain, Oxford adopted the pseudonym Shakespeare. Soon after plays appeared under the name of Shakespeare, poems by de Vere ceased (Russell 5). Coincidently, the coat of arms of Lord Bulbeck, a third title of Edward de Vere, is a lion shaking a spear (Ogburn 10). De Vere was also known by the people as the spear-shaker because of excellence at the tilts and at jousting (Russell 5). Many believe this pen name was for protection. Many of the plays said to have been written by Shakespeare explicitly describe the corruption in court politics and contain thinly veiled satires and parodies of politicians and courtiers. In addition, public theatres such as the Globe were laced with prostitutes, drunkards and criminals and because of the scoundrel audiences, playwrights were held in low esteem. Moreover, many scholars believe de Veres reasons for his pseudonym may be linked to the homoerotic threads in many of the Shakespearean sonnets and de Veres possible homosexual affair with his son-in-law. Using his identity would have been a dangerous game when such affairs were a high crime (Satchell 71). There are many allusions in Shakespeares plays which de Vere would have been particularly familiar with. As a child, de Vere was tutored by Arthur Golding, the translator of Metamorphoses. This literary work was alluded to several times in Shakespearean plays. De Vere also studied law and traveled across the continent, spending a great deal of time in Italy (Tweedale 12). Many references to Italian art and architecture are also alluded to in Shakespeares plays. William Shakespeare of Stratford, however, never left England (Friedman 10). The author of the Shakespearean plays had to possess a rare knowledge in several disciplines including physical sciences, medicine, he law, astronomy, and the Bible. Shakes of Stratford received no formal education with the exception of grammar school through the equivalent of third grade. De Vere, however, was taught by only the best tutors (Satchell 71). The Shakespearean plays were also written by one who has had interaction with the aristocracy and understood the workings of royalty from the inside out (Friedman 10). Although there is no evidence that Shakespeare moved freely about this society, de Vere was regarded as a brilliant ornament of Elizabeths court (Sachmartino 13) and as such would have understood what it as like to live in the aristocracy. De Veres very life is in many ways represented in the plays attributed to Shakespeare of Stratford. For example, in the play Hamlet, de Vere describes many of the details of his life. Like the main character Hamlet, de Vere is virtually a prince and also of Danish decent. De Veres cousins, Horance and Francis are strikingly similar in name and action to Hamlets two friends, Horatio and Francisco. The anguish Hamlet felt due to his mothers hasty remarriage after the murder of her

Overview of French Interrogative Adverbs

Overview of French Interrogative Adverbs Interrogative adverbs are used to ask for specific information or facts. As adverbs, they are invariable, meaning they never change form. The most common French interrogative adverbs are: combien, comment,  oà ¹, pourquoi, and quand.  They can be used to ask questions with est-ce que  or subject-verb  inversion  or to pose indirect questions. And some can be worked into to nimporte (no matter)  expressions. 'Combien (de)' Combien means how many or how much. When its followed by a noun, combien requires the preposition de (of).  For example: Combien de pommes est-ce que tu vas acheter ? How many apples are you going to buy?Combien de temps avez-vous  ? How much time do you have 'Comment' Comment means how and sometimes what. For example: Comment va-t-il  ?   How is he doing?Comment as-tu fait à §a  ?   How did you do that?Comment  ?   What?Je ne vous ai pas entendu.   Ã‚  I didn’t hear you.Comment vous appelez-vous ? What’s your name? 'Oà ¹' Oà ¹Ã‚  means where. For example:   Oà ¹ veux-tu manger  ?   Where do you want to eat?Oà ¹ est-ce qu’elle a trouvà © ce sac  ?   Where did she find this bag? 'Pourquoi ' Pourquoi  means why. For example: Pourquoi à ªtes-vous partis  ?   Why did you leave?Pouquoi est-ce qu’ils sont en retard  ?   Why are they late? 'Quand' Quand means when. For example Quand veux-tu te rà ©veiller  ?   When do you want to wake up?Quand est-ce que Paul va arriver  ?   When is Paul going to arrive? In Questions With "Est-Ce Que" or Inversion All of these interrogative adverbs can be used to ask questions with either est-ce que or subject-verb  inversion. For example: Quand manges-tu  ? / Quand est-ce que tu manges  ?   When do you eat?Combien de livres veut-il  ? / Combien de livres est-ce quil veut  ?   How many books does he want?Oà ¹ habite-t-elle  ? / Oà ¹ est-ce quelle habite  ?   Where does she live? In Posing Indirect Questions They can be useful in indirect questions. For example: Dis-moi quand tu manges.   Tell me when you eat.Je ne sais pas combien de livres il veut.   I dont know how many books he wants.Jai oublià © oà ¹ elle habite.   I  forgot where she lives. With 'N'Importe' Expressions Comment, oà ¹, and quand can be used after nimporte  (no matter) to form indefinite adverbial phrases.  For example: Tu peux manger nimporte quand. You can eat whenever / anytime. And the Literary Why: 'Que' In literature or other formal French, you might see an additional interrogative adverb: que, meaning why. For example: Quavais-tu besoin de lui en parler  ? Why did you have to go and talk to him about it?Olivier et Roland, que nà ªtes-vous ici  ? (Victor Hugo) Olivier and Roland, why arent you here?