Balance Sheet For Microsoft Corporation Accounting Essay

Microsoft is the most outstanding engineering corporation in the universe that deals with computing machines, † With one-year grosss of more than $ 32 billion, Microsoft Corporation is more than the largest package company in the universe: it is a cultural phenomenon. The company ‘s nucleus concern is based on developing, fabrication, and licencing package merchandises, including runing systems, waiter applications, concern and consumer applications, and package development tools, every bit good as Internet package, engineerings, and services † . ( http: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.html ) hypertext transfer protocol: //www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/14/Microsoft-Corporation.htmlA A A A hypertext transfer protocol: //www.redciencia.cu/empres/Intempres2000/Sitio/Principal/Conferencias/CUBA_Inteligencia % 20Empresarial/victor/bcrc6.htm †The name of the celebrated individual – Bill Gates comes in one ‘s head with reference of the name of Microsoft. He is the laminitis of the company and is believed to be the smartest coders of all time. † ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bighistory.net/microsoft-a-short-history/ ) . Led by him, Microsoft had witnessed its flowers and has been able to hold its merchandise on about every personal computing machine in the universe, and in the procedure making criterions in the engineering industry every bit good as market re-definition. †Gates was foremost exposed to computing machines at school in the late 60 ‘s with his friend Paul Allen. At 14 ; Gates and he ‘s friend were composing and proving computing machine plans. In 1972 they established their first company, Traf-O-Data, which sold a fundamental computing machine that, recorded and analyzed traffic informations. He ‘s friend went on to analyze computing machine scientific discipline at the University of Washington and so dropped out to work at Honeywell, while Gates enrolled at Harvard. In 1975, Gates and Allen wrote a version of BASIC for the new Altair personal computer kit merely released by MITS Computer. Later that twelvemonth Gates left college to work full clip developing programming linguistic communications for the Altair, and he and Allen relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be close MITS Computer, where Allen took a place as manager of package development. Gates and Allen named their partnership Micro-soft † . ( http: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.html ) . The word Microsoft was developed from two different words, micro from personal computer and soft from package. The name was registered in New Mexico in November 1976. On November 1978, the first international office of Microsoft was established in Japan and its name was ASCII ( American Standard Code for Information Interchange ) . It is now known as Microsoft Japan. In January 1979 the company ‘s central office was moved to Bellevue Washington. ( http: //www.bighistory.net/microsoft-a-short-history/ ) . In the early 80 ‘s, Microsoft witnessed a period of great success when IBM contracted the company to develop an operating system for its personal computing machines ( Personal computer ) , which was underway. In the late 80 ‘s Microsoft issued IPOs ( initial public offering ) of over two million portions and in the infinite of one twelvemonth the monetary value or the portions tripled and in the procedure doing Gates a billionaire at about 30 old ages of age. Harmonizing to Richard B, McKenzie ( 2000 ) †Microsoft bases accused of seeking to widen its market laterality by bear downing the lowest of all monetary values for its browser Internet Explorer † . Nonetheless ; the company had tonss of other critics and legal instances against it from rivals and the likes. Microsoft success was further heightened by the tech bubble of the 2000 following the release of the Windowss XP, windows 2000, the acquisition of Visio corporation which stood as the largest acquisition in the life of Microsoft so far with dealing value of about One and half a billion dollars. The company besides spread its tentacles into the universe of bet oning with their popularly known X-BOX which has remained a success boulder clay day of the month. ( http: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.html ) .DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF MICROSOFT PERFORMANCE OVERTIMECardinal Dates:1975: Microsoft is founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen ; they sell BASIC, the first Personal computer computing machine linguistic communication plan to MITS Computer, Microsoft ‘s first client. 1981: Microsoft, Inc. is incorporated ; IBM uses Microsoft ‘s 16-bit operating system for its first personal computing machine. 1982: Microsoft, U.K. , Ltd. is incorporated. 1983: Paul Allen resigns as executive vice-president but remains on the board ; Jon Shirley is made president of Microsoft ( he subsequently becomes CEO ) ; Microsoft introduces the Microsoft Mouse and Word for MS-DOS 1.00. 1985: Microsoft and IBM forge a joint development understanding. 1986: Microsoft stock goes public at $ 21 per portion. 1987: The Company ‘s first CD-ROM application, Microsoft Bookshelf, is released. 1990: Jon Shirley retires as president and CEO ; Michael R. Hallman is promoted in Shirley ‘s topographic point ; the company becomes the first Personal computer package house to excel $ 1 billion of gross revenues in a individual twelvemonth. 1992: Bill Gates is awarded the National Medal of Technology for Technological Achievement. 1993: The Company introduces Windows NT. 1995: Bill Gates publishes his first book, The Road Ahead. 1996: The Company acquires Vermeer Technologies and its package application, FrontPage. 1997: The Justice Department alleges that Microsoft violated a 1994 consent edict refering licencing the Windows runing system to computing machine makers. 1998: The U.S. Department of Justice files two antimonopoly instances against Microsoft, avering the company had violated the Sherman Act. 2000: The Company acquires Visio Corporation, its largest acquisition to day of the month. 2001: Microsoft Windows XP is released internationally. 2003: Microsoft launches Windows Server 2003. 2007: Microsoft launches Windows view 2009: Microsoft launches windows 7 Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Microsoft-Corporation-Company-History.htmlBalance sheet for Microsoft Corporation as at 30th June 2010. ( Annually )Assetss [ + ] in Millions of Dollars06/201006/200906/200806/200706/2006Cash and Equivalents 5,505 6,076 10,339 6,111 6,714 Restrictable Cash–––––Marketable Securities 31,283 25,371 13,323 17,300 27,447 Histories Receivable 13,014 11,192 13,589 11,338 9,316 Loans Receivable–––––Other Receivables–––––Receivabless 13,014 11,192 13,589 11,338 9,316 Inventories, Raw Materials 172 170 417 435 465 Inventories, Work in Progress 16 45 31 148–Inventories, Purchased Components–––––Inventories, Finished Goods 552 502 537 544 1,013 Inventories, Other–––––Inventories, Adjustments & A ; Allowances–––––Inventories 740 717 985 1,127 1,478 Prepaid Expenses–––––Current Deferred Income Taxes 2,184 2,213 2,017 1,899 1,940 Other Current Assetss 2,950 3,711 2,989 2,393 2,115Entire Current Assets55,67649,28043,24240,16849,010Land and Improvements 526 526 518 428 362 Buildings and Improvement 8,187 7,824 6,030 4,247 3,146 Machinery, Furniture and Equipment 7,546 6,732 5,996 4,691 3,715 Construction in Advancement–––––Fixed Assets, Other–––––Fixed Assets, Entire 16,259 15,082 12,544 9,366 7,223 Gross Fixed Assetss 16,259 15,082 12,544 9,366 7,223 Accumulated Depreciation ( 8,629 ) ( 7,547 ) ( 6,302 ) ( 5,016 ) ( 4,179 ) Net Fixed Assetss 7,630 7,535 6,242 4,350 3,044 Intangibles 1,158 1,759 1,973 878 539 Cost in Excess 12,394 12,503 12,108 4,760 3,866 Non-Current Deferred Income Taxes–279 949 1,389 2,611 Other Non-Current Assetss 9,255 6,532 8,279 11,626 10,527Entire Non-Current Assetss30,43728,60829,55123,00320,587Entire Assetss86,11377,88872,79363,17169,597Liabilitiess [ + ] in Millions of Dollars06/201006/200906/200806/200706/2006Histories Collectible 4,207 5,008 4,034 3,247 2,909 Short Term Debt 1,000 2,000–––Notes Collectible–––––Accrued Expenses–––––Accrued Liabilitiess 3,283 3,156 2,934 2,325 1,938 Deferred Grosss 13,652 13,003 13,397 10,779 9,138 Current Deferred Income Taxes––––1,557 Other Current Liabilitiess 4,005 3,867 9,521 7,403 6,900Entire Current Liabilitiess26,14727,03429,88623,75422,442Long Term Debt 4,939 3,746–––Deferred Income Tax 229––––Other Non-Current Liabilitiess 8,623 7,550 6,621 8,320 7,051 Minority Interest–––––Capital Lease Obligations–––––Preferred Securities of Subsidiary Trust–––––Preferred Equity Outside Shareholders ‘ Equity–––––Entire Non-Current Liabilitiess13,79111,2966,6218,3207,051Entire Liabilitiess39,93838,33036,50732,07429,493Preferred Shareholder ‘s Equity–––––Common Shareholder ‘s Equity 46,175 39,558 36,286 31,097 40,104 Common Par 62,856 62,382 62,849––Additional Paid in Capital–––60,557 59,005 Accumulative Translation Adjustments–––149–Retained Net incomes ( 16,681 ) ( 22,824 ) ( 26,563 ) ( 31,114 ) ( 20,130 ) Treasury Stock–––––Other Equity Adjustments–––1,505 1,229 Entire Capitalization 51,114 43,304 36,286 31,097 40,104Entire Equity46,17539,55836,28631,09740,104Entire Liabilities & A ; Shareholder ‘s Equity86,11377,88872,79363,17169Closing monetary value = $ 25.51 Volume sold =25.16m Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.answers.com/main/dsdata? dsid=2940 & A ; templateid=0 & A ; cid=27590212 & A ; qm_page=30703. [ Accessed, 4 April 2011 ] . The balance sheet above gives a brief sum-up of the plus and liabilities of Microsoft at a glimpse, it is evident that Microsoft has been able to keep plus at a greater proportion than liabilities overtime. The company has a good mix of debt and equity, for every $ 1 owned it is borrowing less than 90 cents. This shows that the company is non excessively leveraged and less hazardous while besides basking some degree of revenue enhancement shield from the purchase. Microsoft has a good opportunity of go oning into a traveling concern in the nearest foreseeable hereafter because its capital construction shows more of a residuary ownership. With more descriptive statistics, we can besides analyze the public presentation of Microsoft on a monthly footing from the twelvemonth 1988- 2009 utilizing returns ( unit % ) See excel for descriptive statistics. Microsoft return ( unit % ) Market return ( unit % ) Mean 0.021622876 Mean 0.857870722 Standard Error 0.00618845 Standard Error 0.269942879 Median 0.022084196 Median 1.41 Manner 0.064221396 Manner 1.78 Standard Deviation 0.100359793 Standard Deviation 4.377737838 Sample Variance 0.010072088 Sample Variance 19.16458858 Kurtosis 1.421423202 Kurtosis 1.709578314 Lopsidedness 0.366537791 Lopsidedness -0.812673531 Scope 0.751310392 Scope 29.51 Minimum -0.343529412 Minimum -18.46 Maximum 0.40778098 Maximum 11.05 Sum 5.686816298 Sum 225.62 Count 263 Count 263 From the descriptive statistics above, Microsoft has a positive lopsidedness unlike the market whose lopsidedness is negative, this indicates that Microsoft has a better flow or return than the market. It could besides be noted that Microsoft is ( 1 ) criterion divergence off from its average whereas the market is ( 4 ) criterion divergence off from its mean, this means that the returns of Microsoft had non been excessively volatile over the old ages and return on stocks are less hazardous.COMPARISON OF MOCROSOFT PERFORMANCE WITH S & A ; P 500 ( MARKET ) USING T-TESTSee t-test on Excel H0: Microsoft did non surpass the market H1: Microsoft outperformed the market t-Test: Paired Two Sample for MeansAVariable 1 Variable 2 Mean 0.021622876 0.857870722 Discrepancy 0.010072088 19.16458858 Observations 263 263 Pearson Correlation 0.539530773 Hypothesized Average Difference 0 df 262 T Stat -3.136067434 P ( T & lt ; =t ) one-tail 0.000953757 t Critical one-tail 1.650690284 P ( T & lt ; =t ) two-tail 0.001907515 t Critical two-tail 1.969059657ADecision: From the t-Test above, since the t-stats is greater in value than the t -critical ( irrespective of the -ve mark ) , we need to accept the alternate hypothesis ( H1 ) which says that Microsoft outperformed the market and reject the Null hypothesis ( H0 ) which says that Microsoft did non surpass the market. We can besides deduce this decision by looking at the P- value, here we can see that the p- value is less than the significance degree of.05, therefore we need to accept the alternate hypothesis ( H1 ) .Analysis OF MICROSOFT PERFORMANCE WITH CAPMArrested development Statisticss Multiple R 0.258985259 R Square 0.067073365 Adjusted R Square 0.063498933 Standard Error 0.185690508 Observations 263 Analysis of varianceAdf United states secret service Multiple sclerosis F Significance F Arrested development 1 0.647027164 0.647027164 18.764764 2.11102E-05 Residual 261 8.999531777 0.034480965 Entire 262 9.646558942AAAACoefficients Standard Error T Stat P-value Lower 95 % Upper 95 % Lower 95.0 % Upper 95.0 % Intercept -0.32415329 0.011530623 -28.1123831 6.17385E-81 -0.346858177 -0.30145 -0.34686 -0.30145 X Variable 1 0.011371441 0.002625088 4.331831484 2.11102E-05 0.006202393 0.01654 0.006202 0.01654 CAPM: – Tocopherol ( R ) =RF+I? [ RM-RF ] By replacing the CAPM expression into the arrested development, we have Y= I ±+I?x+e Y = dependant variable I ± = intercept I? = co-efficient of independent variable vitamin E =error When x=0, I ± is an estimation of Y, so extra return of Microsoft would be given as: Excess return= -0.32415329+0.011371441+0.185690508 Adjusted R Square = 0.063498933 The adjusted R Square indicates that 6.3 % of the variableness in the extra return of Microsoft is explained by the market. I.e. for every per centum alteration of return in the market, Microsoft ‘s return alterations by 6.3 % .DecisionMicrosoft

Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy Essay

Why study consumer behaviour? †¢ By studying consumer behaviour we try to understand & gain insight into: – Consumer decision making processes – What we buy, how we buy, and why we buy †¢ Enables us to become better consumers and marketers Definitions of Consumer Behaviour †¢ The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use and dispose of products, services, experiences or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. †¢ The dynamic interaction of cognition, behaviour and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives (American Marketing Association) †¢ Those behaviours performed by decision-making units in the purchase, usage and disposal of goods and services (Kotler & Levy) †¢ The decision process and physical activity individuals engage in when evaluating, acquiring, using or disposing of goods and services (London & Della Bitta) Application of Consumer Behavior Marketing Strategy/ regulatory Policy/Social Marketing/Informed Individual Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Strategy Cross Cultural Variations in Consumer Behavior Culture is the most pervasive external force on an individual’s consumption behavior. It would be difficult to overlook the importance of culture as a motivator of consumer behavior. The attitude people possess, the values they hold dear, the lifestyles they enjoy and the interpersonal behavior patterns they adopt are the outcomes of the cultural settings. Failure to carefully consider cultural differences is often responsible for monumental marketing failure. The concept of Culture Culture is the complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society. ââ€" ª First, culture is a comprehensive concept. It includes almost everything that influences an individual’s thought processes and behaviors. ââ€" ª Second, culture is acquired. It does not include inherited responses and predispositions. Much of human behavior is learned rather than innate, culture does not affect a wide array of behaviors. ââ€" ª Third, the complexity of modern societies is such that culture seldom provides detailed prescriptions for appropriate behavior. Culture provides boundaries within which most individual think and act. ââ€" ª Finally, the nature of cultural influences is such that we are seldom aware of them. One think behave, feels in a manner consistent with other members of the same culture because it seems â€Å"natural† or â€Å"right† to do. The boundaries that culture sets on behavior are called Norms which are simple rules that specify or prohibit certain behaviors in specific situations Norms are derived from Cultural Value, widely held beliefs that shared standards of what is acceptable or unacceptable, good or bad, desirable or undesirable. Violation of cultural norms results in sanctions, or penalties ranging from mild social disapproval to banishment from the group. Variations in cultural values †¢ Cultural values are widely held beliefs that affirm what is desirable. A useful approach to understanding cultural variations in behavior is to understand the values embraced by different cultures. The classifications of cultural values 1. Other oriented[Individual/Collective, Youth/Age, extended/Limited Family, Masculine/feminine, Competitive/Cooperative, Diversity/Uniformity] 2. Environmental oriented [ Cleanliness, Performance/Status, Tradition/Change, Risk Taking/Security, Problem solving/Fatalistic, Nature] 3. Self-oriented [ Active/Passive, Sensual gratification/Abstinence, Material/Nonmaterial, Hard work/Leisure, Postponed gratification/immediate gratification, Religious/Secular] The use people make of space and the meaning they assign to their use of space constitute a second form of nonverbal communication. In America, the office space in corporations generally is allocated according to rank and prestige rather than need. A second major use of space is personal space. It is the nearest that others can come to anyone in various situations without feeling uncomfortable Symbols A symbol may be defined as the sign or representation of something moral or intellectual by the images or properties of natural things as† the Lion the symbol of courage†. Different studies on cultures identified two types of symbols used by people in communicating among them, they are 1. Referential symbol 2. Expressive symbol Relationship The rights and obligations imposed by friendship are another nonverbal communication variable. Americans, more so than most other cultures, make friends quickly and easily and drop them easily also. To most Asian and Latin Americans, good personal relations and feeling are all that really matter in a long term agreement. Americans negotiate a contract, the Japanese negotiate a relationship. In many countries, the written word is used simple to satisfy legalities. In their eyes, emotion and personal relations are more important than cold facts. Agreement Americans rely on an extensive and generally, highly efficient legal system for ensuring that business obligations are honored and for resolving disagreements. Many other cultures have not developed such system and rely instead on friendship and local moral, principles, or informal customs to guide business conduct. In many developed counties, prices are uniform for all buyers, but in some Asian and Middle East countries, the procedure is different Things The cultural meaning of things leadfs to purchase patterns that one would not otherwise predicts. The different meaning that cultures attached to things, including products, make gift giving a particular difficult task. Etiquette Etiquette represents generally accepted ways of behaving in social situations. Behaviors considered rude or obnoxious in one culture may be quite acceptable in another. Normal voice tone, pitch and speed of speech differ between culture and languages as do the use of gestures. For example, a Japanese executive will seldom say â€Å"No† directly during negotiations, as this would be considered impolite. Considerations in approaching a foreign market ââ€" ª Is the geographic area Homogeneous or heterogeneous with respect to culture? ââ€" ª What needs can this product or a version of it fill in this culture? ââ€" ª Can enough of the people needing the product afford it? ââ€" ª What values or patterns of values are relevant to the purchase and use of this product? ââ€" ª What are the distribution, political, and legal structures for the product? ââ€" ª In what way can we communicate about the product? ââ€" ª What are the Ethical implications of marketing this product in this country? http://www.somewhereinblog.net/blog/alihusainkaisar/29525858 http://www.somewhereinblog.net/blog/abdullah_muslim2010/29411963 ———————– OUTCOMES: Individual/ Firm/ Society CONSUMER DECISION PROCESS: Problem recognition/Information search/Alternative evaluation/Purchase/ Use/ Evaluation MARKETING STRATEGY: Product/Price/Distribution/Promotion/Service MARKET SEGMENTATION: Identify product related need sets/ Group customer with similar need sets/ Describe each group/ Select attractive segment(s) to target MARKET ANALYSIS: Company/Competitors/ Conditions/Consumers

Amazon’s Competitive Analysis Essay

Competitors are the firms that compete to serve the same customers in the same marketplace. Competitors can compete directly or indirectly. Competition happens on two levels: Product or service competition. Due to the shift of focus for Amazon, it has become the â€Å"Earth’s biggest anything store†. Its competitors have expanded from just online book retailers Barnes and Nobles and Borders to top audio retailers CDNOW.com and online auction house e-bay.com. Amazon has an overall lead of 40% market share against the other online retail firms. Their international business has more than doubled over the past 2 years Amazon’s primary value chain includes purchasing/sourcing, marketing, distribution and after-sales services, which includes returns and exchanges from unsatisfied customers. Their main focus is in the purchasing/sourcing and in the distribution of the products to the consumers. Their investments are therefore, geared towards warehouses in key points of high consumer demand areas and an efficient delivery and distributing system to service all its consumers. Thus, Amazon controls most of its distributing system that spans across borders. How does Amazon compete? Competes through Quality, service, and low price. How effective is each? Quality – they make sure that their product reach the customer with no damage and always serve their customer with the best product. Service – Amazon delivers the product within a week. Less lead time Low price – reasonable pricing. How powerful? Amazon is power because they were the first to start an online business. They have more customers due to this. The customers are loyal to Amazon and will do their shopping only at Amazon. Amazon is very profitable and is doing well currently. How aggressive? Amazon.com has remained on top of the online retailing business despite the entrance of giants such as Barnes and Nobles and Borders. Their success is attributed to two factors; timing and continuing to invest heavily into the inventory and distribution systems. Amazon, by being the first of its kind, has a big lead over the nearest competitors due to their experience and its reputation as the first movers. Their thrust remains on improving efficient delivery systems across borders and to build name recognition as the number one retailing firm in the Internet. They have also ventured into different retail options to keep that lead. Marketing, Innovative inventory and distribution systems, and name recall have helped Amazon build a sustainable competitive advantage. Will diversification into new markets finally turn a profit for Amazon.com before the dotcom godfather burns through the last of its savings? In five years Amazon.com has built the world’s biggest online store. However, despite generating expected $1bn ( £0.67bn) sales from the Christmas retail season alone, profit has proved elusive. Despite its profligate sales, business-to-consumer e-commerce’s pre-eminent player is not expected to enter the black until year-end, according to financial analysts’ most-optimistic forecasts. Meanwhile, a cost-intensive diversification strategy casts doubt on the prospect of the company ever turning a profit, according to a growing chorus of company-watchers. In order for any online retail company to remain prosperous and income generating, they must invest a lot of time and money into research and development of more efficient operations and distributions systems. This proved to be key for the Market Leader in online retailing, Amazon.Com. Conclusion – Many Amazon-watchers believe diversification will saddle the company with an unsustainable cost burden. â€Å"There is an incompatibility between its brand proposition of offering a dominant breadth of assortment and achieving profitability,† b. While the threat from dotcom upstarts has receded with their reduced ability to raise funds on the investment market, the challenge from bricks and mortar retailers adding online stores is getting fiercer. As well as wielding generous Internet war chests from established profitability, physical retailers will benefit from a maturation of the online market. The lunched of Amazon.com in July of 1995 was the creation of a new and bold way of doing business on the Internet. Amazon.com forced the traditional physical world brick and mortar retailer in the book industry to change the way they target the industry’s consumers and then epitomized Business-2-Consumer e-retailing. Although, Amazon.com started as an online bookstore, The bricks and clicks mantra revolves around the idea that the winning — and profitable — formula for electronic commerce success is leveraging the best of the physical and virtual worlds. In theory, it should give physical retailers venturing on to the Web an edge over pure dot-com e-commerce companies because they can efficiently extend their existing infrastructure and complement their real world stores. So far, the most successful retailers have been those that have taken an aggressive approach to the Internet like Amazon. The bricks-and-clicks model is gaining momentum as the e-commerce market matures. A growing number of retailers have finally gotten serious about doing business on-line, now that fast-moving dot-com players such as Amazon.com Inc., eBay Inc. and eToys Inc. have carved out market niches. By creating an independent on-line unit that has the freedom to develop its own merchandising and marketing strategies, Amazon has the freedom and flexibility to capitalize on opportunities. Toys â€Å"R† Us Inc. stumbled when  it decided to protect its stores and offer only a limited selection of merchandise on its Web site. That gave eToys and Amazon.com a window of opportunity to win customer loyalty and rapidly grow sales, while Toys â€Å"R† Us struggled to play catch-up. The Market is moving toward a system where it is no longer going to be only Internet or only bricks and mortar,† he says. â€Å"Amazon’s mandate is not focused on where the business was, but rather where the opportunities are.† Another model is being pursued by Peachtree Network Inc., which is creating an on-line grocery network across Canada. Rather than spend heavily to build warehouses and purchase delivery trucks, Peachtree offers a service to regional grocery chains that lets them provide consumers with an on-line ordering system. The grocers, which already have the infrastructure, process the orders and handle delivery. Amazon.com has parlayed its Internet expertise to compete very successfully against traditional â€Å"bricks & mortar† book retailers such as Barnes & Noble, and Borders; Price line has leveraged its e-commerce patents and business model to challenge the incumbent travel agent industry. Thus, the pure Internet plays are very well-positioned to leverage the Internet to overwhelm their incumbent competitors who are locked into their â€Å"bricks & mortar† channels. However this is not necessarily true for all industries. If an incumbent can update its business model and supporting organizational infrastructure, it can successfully leverage the Internet just as effectively. Companies that exist to engage in commerce in the Internet’s digital marketplaces are known as digital players. For example, Amazon.com exists as a digital player that uses digital processes to transact physical products such as books, and videotapes. By using the Internet as its sole marketing and support channel, Amazon.com has been able to avoid heavy â€Å"bricks and mortar† investments that weigh upon its physical competitors such as Barnes and Noble, and Borders. Incumbent competitors are beginning to establish their own websites so that they can continue to serve their clients who are already on the Internet, and also to serve new market segments. However the pure digital players, if they do not already have brand-recognition or are not affiliated with existing brand names, often have to invest significantly  in marketing and other promotional expenditures to gain consumer awareness. Market Entrants Leverage Disruptive Innovations Since market entrants by definition do not have established business models and distribution channels  with the related cost structures, they can exploit the strategic flexibility provided by disruptive innovations to devise business models and strategies to compete successfully in the emerging marketplace. Unlike the incumbents who have to work within the constraints of their existing business models, organizational structures, and cultures, these entrants can craft their business strategies based upon the unique enabling opportunities provided by the disruptive innovations.

International transport Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International transport - Essay Example So, International transport compliments the human activity of producing products perfectly, and this paper will look at their role in sending garments from manufacturing plants in India to the destinations in Netherlands. Garments, important necessity of people all over the world, are being manufactured from time immemorial as form of cover, protection, style, comfort etc. From casuals to formals, many garments have been manufactured in different parts of the world and one of the best known places for garments manufacturing especially knitted T-shirts is Tiruppur in India. T-shirts manufactured in Tiruppur are marketed throughout the world. â€Å"It is called the Knits Capital of India as it caters to famous brands and retailers from all over the world. Nearly every buyer of knitting in the world comes to Tiruppur†¦ Walmart, Switcher, Diesel, ARMY, Tommy Hilfiger, M&S, FILA, H&M, Pink Lemonade, HTHP, Whale, Reebok† (Wikipedia). After the garments or T-shirts comes out of the manufacturing plants in packed boxes, Tiruppur based logistics companies will take over it, for the shipment process. Logistics companies, contracted by the manufacturers, will have a fleet of vehicles or containers using which only, the packed T-shirts will be transported to the nearest port. Even though India is dotted with many ports on both its coasts, Port Cochin on the western coast is the preferable port for the Tiruppur garment manufacturers. As Cochin is in another Indian state of Kerala, the vehicles from Tiruppur (which is in Tamil Nadu) have to face some practical problems, which can prolong the normal duration of 6 hours. That is, the distance of 109 miles can be covered in 6 hours by the vehicles like the Lorries and vans, but it can get prolonged due to government check posts, other natural and artificial eventualities. As trans-state crossing needs some government

Nike Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nike - Case Study Example Maintaining a level of high innovation, operational efficiency, and driving the creative and wild spirit of the brand culture will continue to be the differentiating factor between Nike and their closest competitors in the marketplace. The major competitors for Nike are: Adidas/Reebok- Both are very established brands domestically and especially internationally with a loyal customer base. For Adidas their key demographics are especially the 35 and older crowd. Their grass roots presence and their history of amateur sports sponsorship especially in soccer has allowed the company to maintain its position as the number two performance apparel and footwear company of Europe. Reebok with their strong market presence, strong endorsement, and fashion focus has captured a significant portion of the market share. 1) Nike has grown from its humble beginnings back in 1962 when Phil Knight started Blue Ribbon Sports the precursor to Nike to become the world’s largest athletic footwear and apparel company. Nike as a brand became known for its edginess, innovation and cutting edge technology. The brand's focus on performance and true innovation has built a high level of consumer acceptance and brand equity from serious athletes and amateurs and as a direct consequence the general public alike. Through savvy marketing campaigns, key sponsorships of professional athletes, sport leagues, teams, and its tradition for continuous technological and operational improvements the company has maintained its leadership position in the industry both domestically and internationally. By shifting its focus towards the consumer and not just the product Nike succeeded in capturing and maintaining the largest market share in the industry. 2) Despite incredible success in the domestic market by the 1980's Nike passed Adidas as the number one domestic athletic shoe company. Nike faced a lot of difficulty getting a foothold in the European market with formidable competitors like Adidas an d Puma controlling over 75% of the athletic shoe and apparel market. By adapting its marketing campaign to suit its target audience and through savvy marketing and grassroots efforts Nike has developed its brand equity to become the market leader in the world. By becoming the world's largest athletic shoe and apparel company in the world Nike has had to face a lot of criticism for their unfair labor practices in their Asian manufacturing facilities. 3) Sponsorship deals with athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods were crucial to development of Nike's brand image as a whole. One of the key elements that helped Nike develop its brand equity domestically and internationally was through a marketing strategy where individual markets saw ads that featured local heroes and athletes and through direct financial support of local sport leagues and teams in the markets they served. Becoming an official sponsor for world renowned international sport events such as the Olympics places the brand in a unique position to increase the brand's goodwill, consumer confidence, and increases loyalty to the brand as a whole. 4) By becoming the number one athletic footwear and apparel company Nike is open to a diversity of operational factors and exposure that need to be constantly monitored. Nike's corporate image was negatively affected when allegations of unsafe work

The last year (1935) in the life of Huey P. Long (Louisiana Senator) Essay

The last year (1935) in the life of Huey P. Long (Louisiana Senator) - Essay Example Parker won the primary, and Long insisted that it was his doing. In that era before the advent of radio and electrical sound-amplifiers, a candidate's effectiveness was usually proportional to the lustiness of his voice at open-air rallies. Long's lungs were strong. Long perfected his oratorical technique in these campaigns. He spoke in terms of "we'": "We are a-goin' ter do this -- we done that." He eschewed polysyllabic words; he exaggerated his "hillbilly" accent; he reveled in the idioms of his native hills. Long's apologies were somewhat disingenuous. His formal education had been spotty, of course, but his ignorance was a pose. He was an able lawyer. Once when he was drunk, he uttered a franker appraisal of his own abilities. 1 Soon after the election, Long broke with the new governor, nominally because Parker was reluctant to levy higher taxes on Standard Oil. On August 30, 1923, his thirtieth birthday, Long announced his own candidacy for the governorship. The campaign began at once. Some opposition candidates might offer money for votes, Long predicted to his audiences. "So take the money and then vote for me." He cited his teachers as Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Almighty God. He assailed Governor Parker as "a damnable demagogue." He charged the New Orleans Item and the Times-Picayune with being journals of Wall Street. A heavy rain fell on Primary Day, January 15, 1924. Long's rural followers were kept at home. A second cause of his defeat lay in his inability to attract votes in the French parishes. The ambitious railroad commissioner soon found opportunity to appeal to Catholic Creoles and Cajuns of southern Louisiana. In 1926 United States Senator Edwin S. Broussard came up for reelection. Long set out to sell Broussard a French Creole Catholic, an advocate of a protective-tariff on sugar, and "as wet as Lake Pontchartrain" on the prohibition question to his Anglo-Saxon Protestant, low-tariff, "dry" followers in northern Louisiana. He stumped the state, told the Creoles that French blood flowed in his own veins, and referred to Broussard as "Couzain Ed." He assured his own disciples of his complete loyalty to the senator. Broussard squeaked through the primary with a 4,000-vote margin. Opposing Long in the gubernatorial primary of 1928 was Congressman Riley Wilson, candidate of the New Orleans "Old Regular" machine, which controlled much of the state through an alliance with the rural courthouse cliques. Long ridiculed Wilson as a "babe," although Wilson was twenty-two years older than himself and had already served seven terms in Congress. Governor O. H. Simpson also filed in the primary. Long's irrelevant and crudely humorous talk amused his followers. 2 Long provided his campaign with a slogan: "Every Man a King but No Man Wears a Crown." Long said he borrowed the vote catching words from that perennial Democratic-Populist seeker after the presidency, William Jennings Bryan. In a speech on "Imperialism," delivered in the campaign of 1900, the Great Commoner spoke of a "republic in which every citizen is a sovereign, but in which no one cares or dares to wear a crown." Henceforth, "Every Man a King" was to be Long's battle cry. Long's candidacy was considerably strengthened by

Causes of income inequality in the UK and evaluate the measures that Coursework

Causes of income inequality in the UK and evaluate the measures that could be used by the UK government to achieve a more equal distribution of wealth - Coursework Example income may involve engagement in jobs resulting to wages and salaries, self-employment, benefits accruing from welfares as well as incomes emanating from asset ownerships (Anderton, 2008, 38). On this perspective, it is significant to mention that there exists a notable difference in the structural division and distribution of income on global perspective. However, concerning the United Kingdom, it is evident that the issue of income inequality may feature in the poverty perspective. This involves absolute as well as relative poverty. The issue of income inequality in the United Kingdom has taken greater heights. There are several causes of such income inequalities evidenced in the United Kingdom. Some of these include the issues regarding employment of individuals in certain sectors of work in the United Kingdom. It is a fact that there exists a significant pay differentials amongst those people under employment schedules in all the countries in the world. This significant pay differential is also evident in the United Kingdom. This has led to difference in wages as well as salaries earned by the employees. This causes a significant inequality in income experienced in the United Kingdom (Anderton, 2009, 67). The difference in wages and salaries experienced by the employees follows the levels of differential in kills and expertise that each employee possesses. However, other reason that may lead to income inequality relevant to employment includes employee discrimination in the companies in which they are employe d. This leads to differences in payments thereby translating to income inequality. The other reason behind the inequality of income in the United Kingdom is associated with the differences in wealth amongst the individual members of the country (Harjes, 2007, 57). It is true that a wealthy person can rent his possessions to other prospective individuals and get huge amounts of income as opposed to the less wealthy individuals. This brings in the issue of

Introduction to Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Introduction to Economics - Essay Example This mainly depends on the type of the product or service offered. As such, this essay seeks to explain different factors that cause a monopoly market. It also seeks to discuss the benefits of a natural monopoly in the market with regards to the type of products offered. A monopoly market can be defined as a market environment where only one single supplier operates in that particular market and there is no close substitute to the products or services offered (Roos, 2008). A monopoly usually exists in electricity as well as postal services industry. In such kinds of industries, the government has power to control them to protect the interests of the consumers. A good example of a natural monopoly is Australia Post which offers different postal services as well as stationary to different customers. This industry is regulated by the government and it is responsible for setting prices for different products offered. In this case, it can be noted that the government is responsible for cr eating the monopoly in the postal industry so as to safeguard the interests of the people at large. Usually, confidential documents are conveyed to different destinations inside as well as outside the country hence there is need for this industry to be regulated by responsible authorities to avoid irregularities in handling different postal orders. In the event that some orders have been lost, it becomes easier to trace them given that there will be only a single player in the industry with clearly defined channels of delivering different postal orders. The other factor that may also contribute to the growth of the monopolist market is that this is a service industry which ought to meet the needs and interests of the people at a subsidised rate whereby the price of services offered will be determined by the responsible authorities. If there are many players in this particular industry, the competition that will arise can cause the prices to increase such that they will expensive to many people. The other aim is to maintain the quality whereby there will be few players in the industry. In most cases, it is the government which creates a monopoly market to satisfy the different needs of different consumers. There will be laws that are meant to guide the provision of certain products and services to the customers. A natural monopoly is usually regulated by the government to ensure that the industry conforms to the expected standards of operation. In some cases, a monopoly market can be caused by rising factors of production if it is a manufacturing industry. Information about some of the factors that give rise to a monopoly market can be viewed at . If the factors of production are very high, some players in the industry will be eliminated and only big organisations that are able to reap economies of scale from their operations are able to survive in that market which creates a monopoly. If other players are not able to meet the operational costs, the result is t hat they fold their business and only established organisations can continue to operate. The other factor that may cause a monopoly market is that certain products and services need to be regulated and controlled so that they conform to the expected standards by the regulatory authorities. In some cases, only one company will have great control of the supply of all the required material in

International retail marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International retail marketing - Assignment Example The country we have targeted for Iceland Food’s retail is Saudi Arabia. Saudi differs from United Kingdom in various aspects which include cultural, psychographic and demographic dimensions. The macro environment of the two nations is also different. The report focuses on what 7 P’s are needed by Iceland to establish themselves in Saudi Arabia and what should differ to what is already being done in the United Kingdom. When moving into a new country, the retail outlets also need to consider various ways of understanding the customer behavior and how they can improve the customer relationship to retain sales in the long term. Organization: Iceland, one of Britain’s most innovative and fastest-growing retailers is considered to be one of UK’s best companies. Its primary product line consists of frozen foods such as frozen prepared meals and also frozen vegetables. Iceland also launched what according to them was the first nationwide, free, online grocery shop ping service. Critical Evaluation of the role that marketing mix plays in the devising of the marketing strategy of a retail organization: Marketing Management decisions can be based on one of the four categories: product, price, place and promotion. These variables are known to be the 4 P’s of marketing or the marketing mix. In order to satisfy customers in the target market, these variables are controlled by marketing managers. This is in an attempt to generate positive response in the target market as these four marketing mix variables can be blended in an optimal manner. Product: It is the physical product or service which is offered to the consumer. When the physical products are offered, it can also refer to the services or the conveniences that are part of the product being offered. The decisions on products can include different aspects such as function, appearance, service, warranty and packaging. Price: The decisions on pricing of the product are made by taking into account the profit margins and the probable pricing response of the competitors. This not only includes the listed price of the product but also the discounts, financing and other options such as leasing in order to satisfy the customers in the best possible way. Place: The decisions on place (or placement) are the ones that are associated with the channels of distribution that provide the platform or the channels for getting the product to the target customers of that market. The system of distribution performs transactional, logistical and the facilitating functions. The decisions on distribution include the market coverage, the channel member selection, the logistics and the levels of service for the product to reach to the final consumers. Promotion: The decisions on promotions are the ones related to communicating and selling the product to the potential consumers. The costs of promotion are large in proportion to the price of the product; therefore, an analysis of break-even should be performed when making decisions of promotions. It is essential to know the value of a customer in order to determine whether the cost of acquiring additional customers is worth it

American Popular Culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Popular Culture - Assignment Example Like in case of Star Trek (Put Locker 0:10), this fictional film gives visual as well as audio information about the story. The advent of movies and television has enabled knowing what is happening around us and in the whole world. The use of visual images in movies and television provides additional information not readily available through reading or listening to radio. Television and movies also brought new ways to understand surrounding environment and society (Kellner 1). Visual images from movies or television are good learning tools to some scholars Reading culture in America has reduced to some extent due to influence of television ad movies. Acquiring similar information such as those in novels is now possible through watching an entertaining movie. In the movies, stars usually portray a culture that we unconsciously follow and start practicing (Media Literacy Project 2). In music videos, a dance style by a musician such as Michael Jackson’s break dance has influenced the current dancing styles. Considering for example Jackson’s music video of Moonwalk (Slake 2:00) has been copied unconsciously by most individuals not only in US but also in other parts of the world. Listening to radio provided information about news or music but left room for imagination of how the environment and events taking place. Using visual images on television news provide the information of the scene and make one unconsciously think that they are in the same scene. This has in turn reduces the number of people listening to radio to get informed. After watching, the conversation also differs compared to those who previously listened due to involvement of visual information about the scene and characters involved. Dressing cord and hairstyles has changed over time depending on influence of the images on television and characters that movie

Media Responsibility and the Privacy of Public Personalities Research Paper

Media Responsibility and the Privacy of Public Personalities - Research Paper Example Soon, the women were being interviewed by the tabloids, Anthony Wiener’s wife was being deluged by reporters, their family peace was shattered. Everywhere, one sees stories of the media trying to outscoop each other in scraping the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, and extracting information about, or even against celebrities, in order to profit. They then invoke the blanket right of press freedom and the Constitutional guarantee of free expression in order to absolve themselves from liability. Those who say that the media should be restrained give several examples of media irresponsibility. Indeed, it is extremely difficult to dispute examples of not only celebrities, but also ordinary people whose lives have been thrown apart by severe media incursions. Nothing is sacred anymore, privacy has become a value of the past. Even the most private confines of one’s home can become fodder for tomorrow’s newspapers. As a result, celebrity endorsements can be lost (Gorm an 1247). With Twitter and other social networking sites, it has become even worse. Everyone is a journalist, and it becomes easier for professional journalists to zero in on what is newsworthy. As stated by Felcher and Rubin (1577), this kind of publicity against real people can â€Å"disrupt their lives, hurt their feelings, or decrease their ability to profit from their names, likeness or other attributes.† However, this paper will argue that there are more disadvantages than advantages when one censors the media. Indeed, the costs of curtailing free speech outweigh the putative benefits of reining in abusive journalists and protecting the privacy of celebrities. This paper will talk about this on three levels. Firstly, this paper will consider it from the Constitutional principle of free speech, arguing that the freedom of expression of the press is one of the bedrocks of a thriving democracy. Secondly, it will argue that the media still remains to be one of the potent me chanisms against abusive public officials and that the risks of public officials abusing their office have greater damage on society than media professionals who abuse their profession. Finally, it will argue that there are corrective remedies to curb media wrongdoing that do not have to involve outright censorship. Free speech as the bedrock of democracy and human rights Free speech remains to be one of the firmest firmaments of democracy. It is usually the first to be taken away when a dictator wants to install himself into power as a free and healthy press is an important indicator of a free and healthy republic. According to Ira Glasser, who was the director of the American Civil Liberties Union, people often fail to realize that when government regulates speech, panoply of First Amendment issues comes to the fore. He states: â€Å"Liberals and Democrats have been the chief offenders in this scenario, favoring equity in the abstract but never seeing how the particular reforms t hey advocated made the problems they wished to remedy worse, and never seeing that giving the government the authority† (2). Free speech is not always the easiest thing to defend. In fact, in many circumstances, our gut tells us that it should be suppressed in favor of some other social policy. An example of this is the notorious case of Citizens United. By way of brief background, the case takes root in 2008 when a non-profit corporation, Citizens United, released a documentary entitled â€Å"

Importance of open book assessments Essay Example for Free

Importance of open book assessments Essay An open book examination is one in which examinees are allowed to consult their class notes, textbooks, and other approved material while answering questions. It is ideally suited to teaching programmes that especially aim at developing the skills of critical and creative thinking In order to appreciate the merits of open book examinations, it is first of all necessary to understand the nature of teaching programmes in general. Most conventional examinations test how much information the students have been able to store in their minds. In order to cope with this demand, students memorize the information in class notes and textbooks, and transfer it to answer books during the examination. In this type of examination, success depends on the quantity of information memorized, and the efficiency with which it is reproduced. Does this leads to creative thinking? Noooo This is where open book examinations come in. Open book examinations Provides a chance for students to acquire the knowledge during the preparation process of gathering suitable learning materials rather than simply recalling or rewriting it. It Enhances information retrieval skills of students through finding the efficient ways to get the necessary information and data from books and various resources Also it enhances the comprehension and synthesizing skills of students because they need to reduce the content of books and other study materials into simple and handy notes for examination A more important reason for using open book examinations is that they have a tremendous impact on promoting the right mental sets in both learning and teaching. The most immediate result on students will be that they will stop mugging or rote learning. Most students used to conventional examinations think of studying as the mechanical memorization of information in textbooks and class notes in order to reproduce it in examinations. Open book examinations will effect a fundamental change in this attitude. If textbooks can be consulted in the examination rooms, why bother to memorize them? Does this mean that students dont need to study for examinations? No. It implies that studying should not be equated with memorizing; instead, it should be of understanding concepts, and using these concepts (along with available information) to practice the skills of modifying and building knowledge, thinking critically, and solving problems. In acquiring the right strategies of studying, nothing is as effective as the shocking realization that mugging is of no use in the examinations. Given open book examinations, there will be no more mugging. Once the burden of mugging is taken away, education can be a pleasurable activity, not a painful drudgery. What is learnt with pleasure is learnt more effectively, and retained better.