Final Exam on Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Final Exam on Strategic Management - Essay Example Based on the information provided in this case, you are required to prepare and submit a report outlining the following in your application: Statistics of the revenue generated by various online movie rental organizations prove that the evolution of the industry has moved extremely high since the time DVDs were introduced in 1997 and phasing out of VHS. Most organizations in the business of DVD/rental of DVD's have witnessed predominant growth - eg. Netflix 74%, DVD sales 34%, apart from companies such as Blockbuster video, Wal-Mart, Movie Gallery, Walt Disney's movies on demand, have reported a highly positive trend of revenue, which confirms that the market size of the movie entertainment is rapidly growing, and expected to grow further at an international market level, however with positive technology advancements. It is predicted by Analysts that the market of online movie/video game rental is expected to grow more than $30 billion by 2006. a) The geographical areas of online movie rental companies are with a spread world wide, either with direct outlets, franchises, sales of DVDs, DVD recorders, or download from the internet, thereby resulting in global competition. i. b) Number of rivals: The rental of movies are available are through: Online rentals. Physical retail stores and stand alone outlets. Physical retail store rental outlets. Websites PC downloads Piracy of DVDs Sales of DVD recorders. c) Size of Competitors and services: The introduction of consumer electronic product being sales of the Digital Video disc, where movies are available through wide range of channels, following are the various size of competitors: i. Netflix one of the world's largest online movie rental service provider, founded in 1997 and successfully achieved a base of 1 million subscriber over a span of 3 years being half the time span achieved by AOL which is another online service provider. Netflix offers a choice of 15000 movies to its customers, with leading 15 distribution outlets, where DVDs reach more than 90 percent of its subscribers with generally one business-day delivery. It also offers personalized movie recommendations to its members, and also allows members to share and recommend movies to one another. It has reported a business growth of 74%. ii. Blockbuster video - an organization in business of video cassettes, DVD and video games, with most of its revenue from United States, with their innovative program of "pay-per-view" co-branded with DIRECTV. Blockbuster reported $5.5 billion in 2002 and grown to 8500 franchised stores. They offered 44 movie selection a day to subscribers. iii. Wal-Mart - One of the largest retailer, reported an income of $244.5 billion, established itself largely in the United States with 3200 facilities and 1100 facilities abroad, with 7 distribution centres. iv. Movie Gallery: An organization that had grown after acquiring "Mom-and-pop" video stores and with further

Analysis of Critical Thinking Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Critical Thinking Skills - Assignment Example Here the student only focused on the Christian perspective on the vaccination of their daughters. He does not compare this perspective to other perspectives. On the third critical thinking skill, I would grade the student as weak (0). He did not gather any additional evidence apart from the article. It appears that the student did not do further research on the subject or use his knowledge from other sources. On the fourth critical thinking skill, I would grade the student as partially developed (1). He only states the conclusion. The student does not offer any suggestions on how to improve the society’s current situation. On the first critical thinking skill, I would grade the student’s article as excellent (3). The student identifies both the problem at hand and the secondary problems that relate to it. The students also provide relevant solutions to the problem. Additionally, the student is well organized in how he discusses the issues raised. On the second critical thinking skill, I would grade the student as substantially developed (2). The student clearly identifies and compares different perspectives on the issue. He compares perspectives of different organizations, his gynecologist and from his own childhood experience. On the third critical thinking skill, I would grade the student as substantially developed (2). He analyzes the evidence from the article and compares it with evidences from other sources. He is not limited by the evidence provide in the article alone. He focusses on his childhood experience as well as his gynecologist’s medical perspective. On the fourth critical thinking skill, I would grade the student as excellent (3). The student puts his findings in the context of his community’s cultural understanding of the subject. He also provides relevant solutions on how to reduce HPV infections. This is through educating them about its vaccination. All the four critical thinking skills will be very

Nature Of Managerial Work Business Essay

Nature Of Managerial Work Business Essay The verb manage comes from the Italian maneggiare to handle especially tools, which in turn derives from the Latin manus (hand). The French word mesnagement (later mà ©nagement) influenced the development in meaning of the English word management in the 17th and 18th centuries.[1] Some definitions of management are: Organization and coordination of the activities of an enterprise in accordance with certain policies and in achievement of clearly defined objectives. Management is often included as a factor of production along with machines, materials and money. According to the management guru Peter Drucker (1909-2005), the basic task of a management is twofold: marketing and innovation. Directors and managers have the power and responsibility to make decisions to manage an enterprise when given the authority by the shareholders. As a discipline, management comprises the interlocking functions of formulating corporate policy and organizing, planning, controlling, and directing the firms resources to achieve the policys objectives. The size of management can range from one person in a small firm to hundreds or thousands of managers in multinational companies. In large firms the board of directors formulates the policy which is implemented by the chief executive officer. [edit] Theoretical scope At first, one views management functionally, such as measuring quantity, adjusting plans, meeting goals. This applies even in situations planning does not take place. From this perspective, Henri Fayol (1841-1925)[2] considers management to consist of six functions: forecasting, planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. He was one of the most influential contributors to modern concepts of management. Another way of thinking, Mary Parker Follett (1868-1933), defined management as the art of getting things done through people. She described management as philosophy.[3] Some people, however, find this definition useful but far too narrow. The phrase management is what managers do occurs widely, suggesting the difficulty of defining management, the shifting nature of definitions and the connection of managerial practices with the existence of a managerial cadre or class. One habit of thought regards management as equivalent to business administration and thus excludes management in places outside commerce, as for example in charities and in the public sector. More realistically, however, every organization must manage its work, people, processes, technology, etc. to maximize effectiveness. Nonetheless, many people refer to university departments which teach management as business schools. Some institutions (such as the Harvard Business School) use that name while others (such as the Yale School of Management) employ the more inclusive term management. English speakers may also use the term management or the management as a collective word describing the managers of an organization, for example of a corporation. Historically this use of the term was often contrasted with the term Labor referring to those being managed. [edit] Nature of managerial work In for-profit work, management has as its primary function the satisfaction of a range of stakeholders. This typically involves making a profit (for the shareholders), creating valued products at a reasonable cost (for customers) and providing rewarding employment opportunities (for employees). In nonprofit management, add the importance of keeping the faith of donors. In most models of management/governance, shareholders vote for the board of directors, and the board then hires senior management. Some organizations have experimented with other methods (such as employee-voting models) of selecting or reviewing managers; but this occurs only very rarely. In the public sector of countries constituted as representative democracies, voters elect politicians to public office. Such politicians hire many managers and administrators, and in some countries like the United States political appointees lose their jobs on the election of a new president/governor/mayor. [edit] Historical development Difficulties arise in tracing the history of management. Some see it (by definition) as a late modern (in the sense of late modernity) conceptualization. On those terms it cannot have a pre-modern history, only harbingers (such as stewards). Others, however, detect management-like-thought back to Sumerian traders and to the builders of the pyramids of ancient Egypt. Slave-owners through the centuries faced the problems of exploiting/motivating a dependent but sometimes unenthusiastic or recalcitrant workforce, but many pre-industrial enterprises, given their small scale, did not feel compelled to face the issues of management systematically. However, innovations such as the spread of Arabic numerals (5th to 15th centuries) and the codification of double-entry book-keeping (1494) provided tools for management assessment, planning and control. Given the scale of most commercial operations and the lack of mechanized record-keeping and recording before the industrial revolution, it made sense for most owners of enterprises in those times to carry out management functions by and for themselves. But with growing size and complexity of organizations, the split between owners (individuals, industrial dynasties or groups of shareholders) and day-to-day managers (independent specialists in planning and control) gradually became more common. [edit] Early writing While management has been present for millennia, several writers have created a background of works that assisted in modern management theories.[4] [edit] Sun Tzus The Art of War Written by Chinese general Sun Tzu in the 6th century BC, The Art of War is a military strategy book that, for managerial purposes, recommends being aware of and acting on strengths and weaknesses of both a managers organization and a foes.[4] [edit] Chanakyas Arthashastra Chanakya wrote the Arthashastra around 300BC in which various strategies, techniques and management theories were written which gives an account on the management of empires, economy and family. The work is often compared to the later works of Machiavelli. [edit] Niccolà ² Machiavellis The Prince Believing that people were motivated by self-interest, Niccolà ² Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 as advice for the city of Florence, Italy.[5] Machiavelli recommended that leaders use fear-but not hatred-to maintain control. [edit] Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations Written in 1776 by Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher, The Wealth of Nations aims for efficient organization of work through Specialization of labor.[5] Smith described how changes in processes could boost productivity in the manufacture of pins. While individuals could produce 200 pins per day, Smith analyzed the steps involved in manufacture and, with 10 specialists, enabled production of 48,000 pins per day.[5] [edit] 19th century Classical economists such as Adam Smith (1723-1790) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) provided a theoretical background to resource-allocation, production, and pricing issues. About the same time, innovators like Eli Whitney (1765-1825), James Watt (1736-1819), and Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) developed elements of technical production such as standardization, quality-control procedures, cost-accounting, interchangeability of parts, and work-planning. Many of these aspects of management existed in the pre-1861 slave-based sector of the US economy. That environment saw 4 million people, as the contemporary usages had it, managed in profitable quasi-mass production. [edit] 20th century By about 1900 one finds managers trying to place their theories on what they regarded as a thoroughly scientific basis (see scientism for perceived limitations of this belief). Examples include Henry R. Townes Science of management in the 1890s, Frederick Winslow Taylors The Principles of Scientific Management (1911), Frank and Lillian Gilbreths Applied motion study (1917), and Henry L. Gantts charts (1910s). J. Duncan wrote the first college management textbook in 1911. In 1912 Yoichi Ueno introduced Taylorism to Japan and became first management consultant of the Japanese-management style. His son Ichiro Ueno pioneered Japanese quality assurance. The first comprehensive theories of management appeared around 1920. The Harvard Business School offered the first Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) in 1921. People like Henri Fayol (1841-1925) and Alexander Church described the various branches of management and their inter-relationships. In the early 20th century, people like Ordway Tead (1891-1973), Walter Scott and J. Mooney applied the principles of psychology to management, while other writers, such as Elton Mayo (1880-1949), Mary Parker Follett (1868-1933), Chester Barnard (1886-1961), Max Weber (1864-1920), Rensis Likert (1903-1981), and Chris Argyris (1923 ) approached the phenomenon of management from a sociological perspective. Peter Drucker (1909-2005) wrote one of the earliest books on applied management: Concept of the Corporation (published in 1946). It resulted from Alfred Sloan (chairman of General Motors until 1956) commissioning a study of the organisation. Drucker went on to write 39 books, many in the same vein. H. Dodge, Ronald Fisher (1890-1962), and Thornton C. Fry introduced statistical techniques into management-studies. In the 1940s, Patrick Blackett combined these statistical theories with microeconomic theory and gave birth to the science of operations research. Operations research, sometimes known as management science (but distinct from Taylors scientific management), attempts to take a scientific approach to solving management problems, particularly in the areas of logistics and operations. Some of the more recent[update] developments include the Theory of Constraints, management by objectives, reengineering, Six Sigma and various information-technology-driven theories such as agile software development, as well as group management theories such as Cogs Ladder. As the general recognition of managers as a class solidified during the 20th century and gave perceived practitioners of the art/science of management a certain amount of prestige, so the way opened for popularised systems of management ideas to peddle their wares. In this context many management fads may have had more to do with pop psychology than with scientific theories of management. Towards the end of the 20th century, business management came to consist of six separate branches, namely: Human resource management Operations management or production management Strategic management Marketing management Financial management Information technology management responsible for management information systems [edit] 21st century In the 21st century observers find it increasingly difficult to subdivide management into functional categories in this way. More and more processes simultaneously involve several categories. Instead, one tends to think in terms of the various processes, tasks, and objects subject to management. Branches of management theory also exist relating to nonprofits and to government: such as public administration, public management, and educational management. Further, management programs related to civil-society organizations have also spawned programs in nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship. Note that many of the assumptions made by management have come under attack from business ethics viewpoints, critical management studies, and anti-corporate activism. As one consequence, workplace democracy has become both more common, and more advocated, in some places distributing all management functions among the workers, each of whom takes on a portion of the work. However, these models predate any current political issue, and may occur more naturally than does a command hierarchy. All management to some degree embraces democratic principles in that in the long term workers must give majority support to management; otherwise they leave to find other work, or go on strike. Despite the move toward workplace democracy, command-and-control organization structures remain commonplace and the de facto organization structure. Indeed, the entrenched nature of command-and-control can be seen in the way that recent layoffs have been conducted with management ranks affected far less than employees at the lower levels. In some cases, management has even rewarded itself with bonuses after laying off level workers.[6] According to leading leadership academic Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, its almost inevitable these days that there will be some personality disorders in a senior management team.[7]

War :: essays research papers fc

The ground that was once the place of many crucifixions is once again being covered in blood. In Jerusalem, the year is 637AD, and the world is about to witness the beginning of its own corruption. Jerusalem is the most holy of all cities in the world; it is where the Christians believe Jesus was crucified then buried and the place where Muslims believe Muhammad, the founder of Islam, ascended to heaven in company of the angel Gabriel (Wilkins 97). This place of sanctity, important to all men who believe in a higher power, is the only place on Earth that will never hold peace. The city is being surrounded by a massive army of Arab descendants, an army of the Islam religion ready gain the city unofficially under Christian control. After a year of holding out, Sophronius, the Christian bishop of Jerusalem, is forced to surrender his city. The leader of the invading force, Caliph Umar, who held the title â€Å"Commander of the Faithful† is not there to take the city to destroy C hristianity but to save the city from total disregard of its holiness with Islam. This battle of just one year is the very beginning of what will soon be a 30-year war named the Crusades; however, in truth the Crusades will never truly end. â€Å"Glory be to Islam who took the city of Jerusalem,† or so they thought. The first Crusade began in 1076 as the Muslim Turks invaded the city and took over. The Turks shunned Christian pilgrims who visited the holy land, making a holy war between Christians and Muslims. From all over Europe great nobles, clergy, and peasants began preparing for the trip to fight for Jerusalem. Over the next 30 years, Christians and Muslims made a ping pong game out of Jerusalem. The whole Eastern Hemisphere was now involved in the long, overdrawn Crusades. It had long passed the point of being a political crusade to being the People’s Crusades (Child 16-44). War is the one thing that people try to prevent; however, every generation since the wri tten time of man, people have found themselves fighting for something they believe in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  War is a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between two or more political units; it is usually fought by a militia but can and has been fought by civilians (â€Å"War†). Sometimes a war can turn into total war; this involves everybody and everything; a war in which countries or nations use all of their resources to destroy another organized country’s or nation’s ability to engage in war.

Psychology and clinical psychology Essay

Abnormal psychology and clinical psychology deals with the disorders of mental health. Anxiety disorders, cognitive disorders, depressive disorders, communication disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, mood disorders and personality disorders. All these disorders are abnormal which are reflections of a very serious and concerned situation. Q. 1. What happened to one’s mind when one is woken-up by a strange or scaring noise? Ans: A normal person whose sleep is disturbed by a scary or a strange noise, wakes up with in a disordered mood. First of all a good night sleep is disturbed and mind starts thinking to find out what is wrong in the vicinity and nearly in about less than five minutes, sleepy mood disappears and instead awakens one’s mind to find out what went wrong at that moment. Men seldom feel threatened by scary noises and instead are successful in finding the realities in that situation. This is again dependent on the mental health and physical tiredness of a person as to how one’s mind reacts to these strange noises. However, a common view is that strange noises certainly wake up people from sleep and generally minds search the cause and the place where from the strange noise is heard. Q. 2. How could panic or fear interfere or disrupt with normal decision making or thinking. Ans: Panic leads to anxiety disorder which makes a particular situation to go beyond control. For instance, all of a sudden, a lion enters a home, the owner is in great panic and is out of power in decision making. It takes time to regain normal thinking in order to make a plot to cage lion in home. Some of the symptoms of anxiety are faster heart beat, heavy perspiration, stammering, hands and feet turning cold, extreme discomfort and restlessness. In both the above instances, there is a severe symptom for nervous breakdown or any abnormal disorder which may be either psychological or physical. Q. 3. Does the reaction time differ when one if fully awake and awaken by strange noise or sound? How? A fully awake person immediately researches about the issue and considers necessary steps whereas for a person who awoke from sleep, reacts slowly to the problem. For instance, a brick from a construction apartment falls on a car which is parked nearby, makes a huge sound and car owner reacts immediately and files a case against contractor. The same incident takes place in the middle of the night, car owner awakes from the middle of the sleep and finds car is broken, it takes time to react and to verify the facts of incident. Therefore the reaction time varies between a person who is fully awake and the person who is awakened by strange noise. 4. How does the environment or circumstances affect our behaviors or the way of thinking? Thinking is often lead by environment that a person resides in. Thinking at home is quite relaxed, thinking in office is quite fast, thinking in a situation is quite stressful and thinking in bed is again in a relaxed mood by reading a magazine or a newspaper. The pattern of thinking differs. For instance, behavior and thinking pattern in trains and airplanes is different such that passengers are all seat-belted, relaxed and at times doze off to sleep until destinations are reached. In panic situations, pattern of behavior changes such that yelling in anxiety, scream when in danger and calling out for help and assistance are some of the abnormal behaviors that outbreak among people. 5. Is there any sort of training that you would recommend that would prepare staff mentally who might be sleeping during high cries at the middle of the night (e. g. crisis intervention or crisis management). For instance, military personnel improve their reaction time and decision making through training allowing them to be able to get ready within 5 minutes from sleep and be able to make sound judgment or decisions. How can we compare military person vs. a regular person? Training about crisis management is quite a practical approach to staff. For instance, a burglar enters apartment and is immediately caught by the residents who acted with great courage. The essential technique that can be practiced is to predict crisis and have a pre-designed plots to attack crisis or risk situation. For instance, diffusing an explosive is a technique and requires skill, similarly, to counter-attack any situation, one has to be prepared in advance going by the environment one is placed in. A military person can never afford to be in a relaxed mood whereas an analysis has to be made each time, about the positive threats that creep in from enemy or from any unlawful forces. By and large there is a huge difference between a military person’s sleep and a regular person’s sleep basing on the activity and exercise that varies between the two. A military person is constantly on a low or high degree of stress and tension whereas a regular person carries a minimum risk depending on the regular activity that is being performed as daily chore of office-going. Conclusion Everything is a matter of acceptance as to how one reacts to a situation, whether by self-management or by seeking the guidance and help of other sources. This depends on the status of mind that one has both during the awakening time and sleeping time. The degree of panic is initially high, a person always possesses enough capacity to react to the situation in order to control and handle the issue effectively. References Alan Carr Abnormal Psychology http://books. google. com/books? id=oJEeqztJbCsC&pg=PR5&lpg=PP1&ots=oGW7hdXntJ&dq=abnormal+psychology&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=2LkIWZZY7o2cbp7M0bS7JRSpm7M Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach By David H. Barlow, Vincent Mark Durand http://books. google. com/books? id=TFHmCOYKkgcC&pg=PR11&lpg=PR9&dq=abnormal+psychology&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=hhIEwNgvnRWqpJN2MtNDwdut-GQ

Integumentary System

The Integumentary System Basic Structure of the Skin 1. Complete the following statements by writing the appropriate word or phrase on the correspondingly numbered blank: Epidermis The two basic tissues of which the skin is composed are dense irregular 1. _____________________________ connective tissue, which makes up the dermis, and 1 , which forms the epiKeratin dermis. The tough water-repellent protein found in the epidermal cells is called 2. ____________________________ 2 . The pigments melanin and 3 contribute to skin color. A localized Carotene concentration of melanin is referred to as a 4 . 3. _____________________________ Freckle 4. _____________________________ 2. Four protective functions of the skin are a. b. Protection ____________________________________________ Temperature regulation ____________________________________________ c. d. Prevents water loss _________________________________________ minor excretory system _________________________________________ 3.Using t he key choices, choose all responses that apply to the following descriptions. Key: a. b. c. stratum basale stratum corneum stratum granulosum d. e. f. Stratum Lucidum Stratum corneum & stratum lucidum papillary layer dermis as a whole epidermis as a whole stratum basale stratum corneum stratum spinosum dermis as a whole stratum basale stratum basale papillary layer stratum lucidum stratum spinosum papillary layer g. reticular layer h. epidermis as a whole i. dermis as a whole 1. translucent cells in thick skin containing keratin fibrils 2. dead cells 3. ermal layer responsible for fingerprints 4. vascular region 5. major skin area that produces derivatives (nails and hair) 6. epidermal region exhibiting the most rapid cell division 7. scalelike dead cells, full of keratin, that constantly slough off 8. mitotic cells filled with intermediate filaments 9. has abundant elastic and collagenic fibers 10. location of melanocytes and Merkel cells 11. area where weblike pre-keratin filamen ts first appear 12. region of areolar connective tissue 45 4. Label the skin structures and areas indicated in the accompanying diagram of thin skin.Then, complete the statements that follow. Hair Shaft Stratum Corneum Stratum granulosum Stratum Spinosum Epidermis Layers Stratum Basale nerve endings hair follicle Sebaceous gland Melanocytes Arrector pili muscle Dermis Reticular layer Sweat gland Blood vessel Subcutaneous tissue or Hair Root Hypodermis Vein Adipose cells Pacinian Corpuscle (deep pressure receptor) a. Lamellated granules extruded from the keratinocytes prevent water loss by diffusion through the epidermis. b. c. Glands that respond to rising androgen levels are the sebaceous & apocrine lands. d. Phagocytic cells that occupy the epidermis are called langerhans cells . e. A unique touch receptor formed from a stratum basale cell and a nerve fiber is a merkel disc f. What layer is present in thick skin but not in thin skin? stratum lucidum g. 46 Fibers in the dermis are produced by fibroblasts What cell-to-cell structures hold the cells of the stratum spinosum tightly together? demosomes Review Sheet 7 . . 5. What substance is manufactured in the skin that plays a role in calcium absorption elsewhere in the body? Vitamin D 6.List the sensory receptors found in the dermis of the skin. free nerve endings, messiners corpuscles, pacinian corpuscles 7. A nurse tells a doctor that a patient is cyanotic. Define cyanosis. What does its presence imply? tissues near the skin surface are low on oxygen 8. What is a bedsore (decubitus ulcer)? Why does it occur? blue or purple color to the skin or mucous membranes localized area of tissue necrosis increased pressure over bony areas restrict blood supply to the area Accessory Organs of the Skin 9. Match the key choices with the appropriate descriptions. Key: a. . c. arrector pili cutaneous receptors hair sebaceous glands arrector pili sweat gland-apocrine hair follicle sweat gland-apocrine sebaceous glands hair & nail cutaneous receptors sebaceous glands nail d. e. f. hair follicle nail sebaceous glands g. h. sweat gland—apocrine sweat gland—eccrine 1. produces an accumulation of oily material that is known as a blackhead 2. tiny muscles, attached to hair follicles, that pull the hair upright during fright or cold 3. perspiration glands with a role in temperature control 4. sheath formed of both epithelial and connective tissues . less numerous type of perspiration-producing gland; found mainly in the pubic and axillary regions 6. found everywhere on the body except the palms of hands and soles of feet 7. primarily dead/keratinized cells 8. specialized nerve endings that respond to temperature, touch, etc. 9. secretes a lubricant for hair and skin 10. â€Å"sports† a lunula and a cuticle Review Sheet 7 47 10. Describe two integumentary system mechanisms that help in regulating body temperature. sweat glands- perspiration helps to reduce heat from the skins surface.Arter ioles dilate the skin, then the capillary network of the dermis becomes engorged with the heated blood, then heat is allowed to radiate from the skin surface. 11. Several structures or skin regions are listed below. Identify each by matching its letter with the appropriate area on the figure. C a. adipose cells b. dermis c. epidermis d. hair follicle e. hair shaft f. sloughing stratum corneum cells F E B D A Plotting the Distribution of Sweat Glands 12. With what substance in the bond paper does the iodine painted on the skin react? starch 13.Based on class data, which skin area—the forearm or palm of hand—has more sweat glands? Palm Was this an expected result? ______ Explain. Which other body areas would, if tested, prove to have a high density of sweat glands? 14. What organ system controls the activity of the eccrine sweat glands? soles of the fee, forehead nervous system Dermography: Fingerprinting 15. Why can fingerprints be used to identify individuals? epiderma l ridges found on your fingers are unique and unchanging throughout your lifetime. 16. Name the three common fingerprint patterns. Arches 48 Review Sheet 7 , Loops , and Whorls Integumentary System