The Relationship Between Religion and Morality Essay

The Relationship Between Religion and Morality - Essay Example This paper approves that A man is not strong enough to resist the feeling of fear. Instead, the absence of friendship and universal virtues are closely connected with low morals and fear of people to be abandoned by God. In this case, killing of enemies deals with self-preservation of people. It means that a person could easily lie in order to avoid punishment even if it is resulted in the death of other people. When one person's actions begin to affect another person, we have moved from personal ethics to social ethics and often have to place some limits on human behavior. So, neither of the facts mentioned above can be interpreted as goodness and moral. So, it is possible to say that God and religion is not moral. The main problem caused by human sacrifice ritual is that people had no choice: they had to commit suicide in order to please their God. This essay makes a conclusion that historically, the mixing of morality and religion is not accidental. It helps to strengthen power and gain personal economic benefit. It is equally wrong for religion to impose morals on others by force. In either case the religious arena becomes a battleground, between right and wrong morals, so about right and wrong dogmas. So, fundamental values are denied humans are turned into corpses at astounding rates. At the more basic level, religion is an attempt to legislate morality. The distinction between religion and morality creates a space for freedom, in which an individual can feel free. In many cases, followers need emotional support for their morality, and this can come only from religion.

Lessening Secondhand Smoke on Children Research Paper - 2

Lessening Secondhand Smoke on Children - Research Paper Example e deaths around the world and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has some adverse effects on the people adoption of strategies to reduce this form of some would include the following interventions. Creating smoking bans and restrictions within certain places. This would involve implementation of policies and regulations which are aimed at limiting or controlling the use of tobacco within designated areas (Mills, White, Pierce, & Messer, 2010). These approaches are strongly effective based on scientific evidence regarding exposure to ETS. This also has some effects on reducing the amount of smoke within the environment since some people become deterred from smoking (Mons, Nagelhout, Allwright, Guignard, Putte, Willemsen, & Breitling, 2010). Conducting community education among the parents and teachers about the relevance of reducing smoking. This will be undertaken in seeking to create awareness on the various individuals, including children, regarding the positive outcomes of reduced smoking. The education interventions will motivate individuals to modify their smoking behaviors in the effort to reduce the ETS. Tobacco use initiation is described as the behaviors by individuals, who are non-smokers to begin smoking. Different interventions can be undertaken to reduce these initiations and they include the following. Increasing the price of tobacco products – this is a legislative measure which seeks to increase the price so that people become deterred from using these products (Hiscock, Bauld, Amos, Fidler, & Munafo, 2012). Although these are various factors which affect the possibility of people smoking, the cost factor plays a fundamental role to which effect since people must consider their costs. Mass media campaigns – these can be combined with other interventions, like education to the general public. These campaigns are focused at providing information to the general public regarding the importance of living a tobacco free lifestyle (Martens,

Qualitative Research or Quantitative Research Essay Example for Free

Qualitative Research or Quantitative Research Essay Both qualitative and quantitative research methods have their specific qualities which make them useful to a researcher, however in the course of this short essay I will explain why, for several reasons, qualitative research is better. As both methods operate within different assumptions, it is important to stem criticism for each methods respective theoretical base in order to adequately judge them. In the course of this essay I will highlight each methods theoretical assumptions and then I will assess each method by pointing out their positive and negative factors. The underlying assumption behind qualitative research is that the entire subject needs to be examined in order to understand the phenomenon. Quantitative research however, places importance in collecting and analyzing data from parts of a trend and in so doing, can miss important aspects which could lead to a complete understanding of the whole phenomenon. Theres no such thing as qualitative data. Everything is either 1 or 0(Fred Kerlinger: 1999)Unlike quantitative research, there is no overarching framework for how qualitative research should be conducted; rather each type of qualitative research is guided by the particular philosophical stances that are taken in relation by the research to each phenomenon (Miles Huberman: 1994, p. 40) This enables qualitative research to be more involved with the subject at hand whereas quantitative research has the same rules which it applies to every subject matter, thus making it easier to overlook important evidence. As the researcher using qualitative methods becomes entirely immersed in the data collection phase of the project, he himself actually becoming the data collection tool as opposed to the questionnaires and equipment used by quantitative researchers, it allows him to gain a better understanding of the subject matter as a whole and observe the subject in its own environment:Human behaviour is significantly influenced by the setting in which it occurs; thus one must study that behaviour in situations. The physical setting  ¬e.g., schedules, space, pay, and rewards  ¬and the internalized notions of norms, traditions, roles, and values are crucial contextual variables. Research must be conducted in the setting where all  the contextual variables are operating. (Marshall Rossman: 1980)Quantitative research disregards these valuable contextual variables as most of the work is done in a laboratory with the researcher using the principles of impartiality and an objective portrayal of t he subject. In conclusion, qualitative research is better than quantitative research because it places emphasis upon the subject itself by studying it in an in-depth manner and becoming involved with it on a personal level. Quantitative research keeps a level of impartiality with the subject matter thus making it neglect important contextual factors crucial to the research itself. 1.Using British Election Study data for example, why is it problematic to do quantitative research on ethnic minorities?It is problematic to do quantitative research on ethnic minorities because the standard deviation is so small, thus the observations are spread out over a very small sample which would not accurately represent the entire ethnic group. There is such a small valid percent that subjects would need to be targeted as they are unlikely to be caught during random sampling. 2.Providing either hypothetical and/or published examples, how accurate is it to label content analysis as a quantitative method?It is quite accurate to label content analysis as a quantitative method for several reasons. The comparisons of their theoretical patterns are numerous and therefore it has more in common with quantitative than qualitative methods. In the course of this short essay I will explain why it is accurate to label content analysis as a quantitative method by using an example of research employing content analysis and pointing out the similarities between the two. Content analysis has been described as:Any technique for making inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of messages (Holsti: 1969 p. 14)Compare this with a definition of quantitative research:The aim is to classify features, count them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed. It is objective seeks precise measurement analysis of target concepts. (Miles   Huberman: 1994, p. 40)Both of these definitions contain the term objective, which shows that both of the methods share the core aspect of non-interference with subjects:Content analysis is often referred to as an unobtrusive method'(Bryman: 2008, p. 289)This key concept lies at the heart of both content analysis and quantitative research methods, it is an obvious similarity. In Shephards study of the dynamics between the party, candidates and constituencies he used content analysis on party leaflets to spot recurring trends. His method (content analysis) bears a striking resemblance to quantitative research, for example both methods begin with hypotheses and theories, Shephard choosing to ask whether emphasis in leaflets matches the profile of the constituents. He then made two hypotheses stating that -the higher the unemployment rate the higher the emphasis on jobs and job creation and the higher the home ownership, the higher the emphasis on interest rates and mortgages. Quantitative research methods also start off with hypotheses and theories; therefore it is clear to see that content analysis could be labelled quantitative due to this fact. Furthermore, both methods of research have a high level of transparency because they are both highly structured and systematic in their approach. Shephard stated that to conduct his analysis objectively and systematically (two quantitative features) that he had to identify his sample, sample period, text/images and what words and images to count. This shows that both content analysis and quantitative research share epistemologically grounded beliefs about what constitutes acceptable knowledge (Bryman: 2008, p. 155)In conclusion, it is accurate to label content analysis as a quantitative method due to the fact that it shares many features in common with quantitative research. These include, maintaining objectivity during the study, transparency and a systematic approach to research. These features indicate that content analysis is grounded in the same theoretical processes and philosophy as quantitative research. 3.Providing examples of focus group research from the literature, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of focus groups. Focus groups are a highly useful method of data collection but they have many advantages and disadvantages. I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of focus groups in this essay and also consider real-life examples of focus group research to illustrate this. Focus groups can provide an insight into the way in which people organize and interpret knowledge as well as how people construe information. This is especially useful in the study of audience reception- how audiences receive different kinds of television and radio programmes, etc. Such a study was conducted by Morley in 1980 into how Nationwide, a popular television programme at the time, was received by specific groups of people. He noticed that different groups had different interpretations of the programmes which they had watched, which indicated that the meaning of the programme was based in the way it was watched and interpreted not in the programme itself. (Bryman: 2008, 475) This provides more information that a simple interview because the interviewee has the choice to respond to fellow participants and argue with them, leading the researcher to gain a greater insight into why they hold such beliefs and how strongly they feel about them. Another advantage of focus groups is that they can provide a more open environment to respond to questions by the way in which they are selected prior to the event. For example, Kitzinger notes in her research on HIV that any attempts at discussions about risks for gay men were blocked out by strong homophobic clamouring amongst homophobic men. (Kitzinger: 1994b in Bloor, et al: 2001, p. 20) Therefore focus groups consisting of specific groups such as male prostitutes, retirement club members, etc, provided a more relaxed environment in which views could be openly discussed without fear of being criticised for ones beliefs. In addition to this, organising groups consisting of only HIV positive people meant that disclosure of a potentially stigmatising status could be overcome. (Bloor: 2001 p. 23)However focus groups also have their disadvantages, the most prominent one being the role of the researcher within the discussion- the way in which the focus group is designed, the participan ts selected to take part, where the meeting takes place, how the questions are worded and delivered and who the instigator is may affect the responses which are obtained. This raises  the question over the validity of the results as the researcher has less control over a focus group than he would over a one on one interview with respondents possibly talking amongst themselves on irrelevant issues, or the simple fact that they may get bored or have personality issues with other members of the group. (Walvis: 2003 p. 405)Another disadvantage of focus groups is the tendency of researchers to (either consciously or subconsciously) pick groups so that they align with pre-determined beliefs about a subject. One famous example of this was when Coca-Cola launched New Coke in 1985 despite the fact that the focus groups had made it explicit that they would not like to see the traditional coke removed from the shelves. (Pendergast: 1993 and Greising: 1998) The taste-tests however had proved positive, but they had not been asked the vital question about how they would feel if traditional coke was removed from the shelves, this positive response was more in line with how the CEO of Coca-Cola felt about the product and it was launched based on the back of poorly conducted focus groups. The subsequent product was a massive failure and lost Coca-Cola a large share of the market; it was obvious that Coca-Cola had spent too much time and money on the plan to dismiss it on the results from focus group research at the last minute. One final disadvantage of focus groups is their limited spread of views; Morgan (1998) suggests that the average size of a group should be around six to ten people. This clearly cannot be representative of the population as a whole- Stephen Fisher and Robert Andersen (2005) state that in order to have a representative sample for one million people you would need, with a margin of error of 5%, 384 participants. Bibliography †¢Bloor, M. et al. (2001) Focus Groups in Social Research (London: Sage). †¢Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods (2nd Ed.) (Oxford: Oxford University Press). †¢Greising, D. (1998) Id Like the World to Buy a Coke: The Life and Leadership of Robert Goizueta (New York: Wiley)†¢Holsti, O.R (1969) Content Analysis for the Social Sciences and Humanities (Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley)†¢Kerlinger, F. Foundations of Behavioural Research (Nova York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston 1965)†¢Marshall, C., Rossman, G. (1980). Designing qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. †¢Miles Huberman (1994, p. 40). Qualitative Data Analysis†¢Pendergast, M. (1993) For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The Unauthorised history of the Worlds Most Popular Soft Drink (London: Weidenfeld Nicholson)†¢Shephard, M. (2007) Multiple Audiences, Multiple Messages? An Exploration of the Dynamics between the Party, the Candidates and the Various Constituencies, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties†¢Walvis, T.H (2003), Avoiding advertising research disaster: Advertising and the uncertainty principle, Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 10, No. 6

Strategic Analysis of SingTel Telecom

Strategic Analysis of SingTel Telecom Introduction Singapore Telecom (Singapore Telecommunications Limited, referred to as SingTel, AFP) was established in 1879, is a wholly-owned by Singapore government-owned company, it is Singapores largest telecommunications companies. Singapore Telecom to increase strongly in markets outside of Singapore, and a partial stake in the operator, including the Australian carriers Optuss 100% stake in 2000, the British Cable and Wireless Optus, and other shareholders of the shares. Singapore Telecom a majority stake is controlled by Temasek Holdings, the Chairman is Lee Hsien Yang (the second son of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his younger brother). Products and Services SingTel is Asias leading telecommunications company, with across wireless and Internet platforms for voice, data services, service-oriented business, as well as home two areas. Singapore Telecom has long been committed to providing customers with the Asia-Pacific regions most high-quality service. Now the focus is on the Internet service providers, mobile phones and fixed telephone communications services above. Company History Over the past decade, Singapore Telecom has successfully completed their high efficiency to the worlds leading operator changes. The company offers a wide range, the price is quite competitive telecommunications services, and global 5000 companies from different countries to provide telecommunications services. Singapore Telecom has already built a large scale in Singapores domestic telecommunications network, and the annual investment of 1 billion new coins update the network. In order to enhance competitiveness at home and abroad, the company offers intelligent fixed telecommunications services. At present, the company has been in the world, 15 countries, 23 cities and regions set up operational organs, including China, the United States, Britain, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Hong Kong and Taiwan. It has a glorious history of 120 years. SingTel aims to be a new era of pan-Pacific region bears the brunt of the true sense of the telecom operators. To this end, Singa pore Telecom will continue to expand with other Asian countries in telecom peers, and the scope of cooperation. SingTels Group CEO is Chua Sock Koong and CEO is Allen Lew. Business strategy Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. owns 7800 million as the users SingTel is Asia Pacific region, excluding China, the largest mobile Internet operators. 1992 companies from the former government monopoly privatized, SingTel in 2003, when the postal service from its opening, the focus is now on the Internet service providers, mobile phones and fixed telephone communications services above. Hopes through a comprehensive and sophisticated international leading-edge technology, and gradually get rid of the public color, sharply turned into a full private sector. Goal is to build a world-class institutions, not only to win the international community for its recognition of science and technology and technical expertise, and quality service and products provided by domestic users have also been positive. Logo New corporate logo by a simple, symbolic of the ellipse, with the two squares. Designed to highlight the companys innovative technology, international affairs and services-oriented. Elliptical lines out of Singapore Telecoms global vision, the two squares on behalf of the emerging digital technologies, while the red and black of a stable and reliable dissemination of messages. The new visual corporate identity and enhance Singapores telecommunications as a global industry leaders pivotal position. From the above mentioned, we understand that SingTel Group is a leading company in the telecommunication industry in the region, due to successful business strategies. Thus, it is important that all organizations understand their strengths and weaknesses before implementing strategies. They should first analyze their goals and operations to see if the current practices are working towards the mission and vision. A companys vision and mission is crucial to an organization, as it paves the way for where the company is headed and what it assumes to provide for its stakeholders. At the beginning of strategic management process, the organization needs to develop its vision statement and mission statement. A vision statement is what the organization wants to become and describe how the future will look if the organization achieves its mission. A mission statement explains what the organization does, for whom and what the benefit is. The vision, mission statements and core values of SingTel are shown in table 1 as follow: Prior to the development of strategy and marketing plans, they should evaluate both the external and internal factors. Hence, the corporate world usually utilizes various strategic tools like the SWOT Analysis that may influence the implementation of plans. Below is the SWOT Analysis of SingTel: SingTel SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is the overall evaluation of a companys Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The external analysis looks at opportunities and threats created by the environment while the internal analysis looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the company. In strategic planning, the company matches its capabilities with available opportunities and takes action to minimize threats. (Kotler, Bowen and Makens, 2006) SingTel Group is the leading integrated communications service providers in the Asia Pacific region and their core business operations are located in Singapore and Australia. The company has business in a number of sectors of the telecommunications market in the Asia Pacific region (http://home.singtel.com/investor_relations/default.asp , 2009). Internal Environmental Analysis (Strengths Weakness) Strengths are resources and capabilities that allow the firm to complete important tasks. Resources can be the tangible and intangible assets held by the firm, and capabilities result when the firm integrates several different resources to complete a task or a series of related tasks. (Hoskisson/ Hitt/ Ireland, 2009) Weaknesses are those actions a company is not doing well or resources a company are lacking. Most importantly each business needs to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses periodically. Strengths and Weaknesses of SingTel are as follow: Strong cash flow Singapores Top Ten Brands 2009 ranked number 6 Exclusive contract with Apple 2008 Right to broadcast the next three seasons of the English Premier League (EPL) Lack of feasibility of a universal set-top box Lack of contents for local pay TV market Strengths Most of SingTels strategic, operational and financial dynamics are currently improving. This is an indication that the companys current business strategies are proving to be successful. SingTel has a diverse spread of geographical operations. The companys main business activities are focused in Singapore and Australia and partners located in India, Belgium, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia. The spread of geographical operations will benefit the company, as it will become less depend on the local market to generate revenues. Most of their businesses are experiencing double-digit revenue growth over the past year (http://home.singtel.com/investor_relations/default.asp , 2009). SingTel captured the exclusive contract with Apple last year, and has since brought in more than 100,000 iPhones, thus increasing the companys revenue, the average spending per customer for mobile data (http://home.singtel.com/investor_relations/default.asp , 2009). Taking sixth position for the Superbrands Survey, which identified over 500 of Singapores consumers favorite brands across 93 categories of consumer products and services demonstrated the consumers choice and trust in SingTels products and services (www.marketing-interactive.com/news/11875). SingTel outbid StarHub to score the coveted rights to broadcast the next three seasons of the English Premier League (EPL) from 2010 to 2012. With the rights to broadcast the EPL, there will be a great potential that sports incline customers from StarHub will switch to SingTel (The Straits Time dated 11 November 2009). Weaknesses As a leading telecommunication company in Asia, the customer service in SingTel has rooms for improvement. Under the current extreme competitive environment, all the companies not only need to provide unique products but also good customer service. Thus, employee training program could be provided in order to handle customers problems effectively. With acquire of the Pay TV license in the domestic market in Singapore, Singapore needs to look at the feasibility of a universal set-top box that will best benefits consumers and align with the government strategic direction. SingTels cable television subscribers complaining about the hassle of having two set-top boxes may be a challenge that SingTel need to overcome (The Business Times dated 4 November 2009). External Environmental Analysis (Opportunities Threats) Opportunities are conditions in the firms external environment that may help the firm reach its vision (Hoskisson and Hitt, 2009). A marketing opportunity is an area of need in which a company can perform profitably. Opportunities can be listed and classified according to their attractiveness and the success profitability. (Kotler, Bowen and Makens, 2006) Threats are conditions in the firms external environment that may prevent the firm from reaching its vision (Hoskisson and Hitt, 2009). An environmental threat is a challenge posed by unfavourable trend or developments that would lead, in the absence of defensive marketing action, to sales or profit deterioration. Threats can be classified according to their seriousness and probability of occurrence. (Kotler, Bowen and Makens, 2006) Opportunities and Treats of SingTel are as follow: Global opportunities in mobile communication Rights to broadcast the World Cup 2010 Potential merger of StarHub and MobileOne (M1) Australian market strong competition Opportunities Africa and Vietnam are markets in the emerging mobile space, which is definitely worth our interest, and SingTel is actively taking the lead to explore the untapped emerging telecom market. (Harry Suhartono, Nov 11,2009) Singapore and Australia accounted for 54 percent of the groups EBITDA , earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and more opportunities for further growth. With SingTel outbid StarHub to score the coveted rights to broadcast the next three seasons of the English Premier League (EPL), there will be great opportunities to expand the customer-base for PayTV customers (http://home.singtel.com/investor_relations/default.asp , 2009). Moreover, with the exclusive right to broadcast the next three seasons of EPL, F1, the next opportunity for SingTel is Word Cup 2010. With clinch of the World Cup 2010, SingTel will dominate the Sports channels in the region. Treats With StarHub and MobileOne obtain licenses to sell Apples popular iPhone and their launched on 9 December 2009, SingTel lost the 15th months monopoly. Thus, will likely to face tougher competition in the local market. Potential merger of StarHub and MobileOne will be a big treats to SingTels Number One position in Singapore for mobile market in Singapore. SingTels subsidiary Optus is facing strong competition with their competitors in the Australia and maybe affects their leading position and revenges. With the competitive market, SingTel will have to fight against StarHub and MobileOne through price, promotions, and advertising since all three companies main business are in the provision of mobile plans and the sale of mobile phones. Perhaps, SingTel may need to improve the customer service further to create a superior customer service that tag to their brand With the winning of the broadcast rights for the English Premier League, it is expected that loyal football fans will switch from StarHub over to SingTel, especially with the low rate offered by SingTel. Hence, competition is intense and SingTel would need to take on actions to further enhance its Strength whilst working on its Weaknesses. After evaluating the external and internal factors, SingTel started to develop strategies such as launching of Mio TV, which is able to capture more market share and ultimately enhancing SingTels market position. Mio TV is a new technological product in the current market, thus, it is necessary for the company to assess the product life cycle (PLC). Product Life Cycle According to Kotler, every product has its life. The product life cycle concept allows marketer to plan their marketing strategies to manage their product or service through various phases of their product life cycle. The purpose of this concept to establish which phase of its life cycle is and select the best fitting marketing strategies for the product in that phase. Base on Kotler (2000) the product life cycle can be divided into four distinct phases those are introduction, growth, maturity and decline phases. Furthermore, Kotler also provided the following marketing characteristic, marketing objective and marketing strategies within its of the product life cycle phases. Characteristic: according to Kotler, there are existing different characteristic sales, cost, profit, competitors and customer for its stages in the product life cycle. Those can be described as follow Sale characteristics: sales are low in the introduction stages, rapidly increase in the growth stages, peaking in the maturity stages and decreasing in the decline stages. Cost characteristics: the cost per customer will be high in the introductory stage, average cost per customer in the growth stage, and low cost per customer in the maturity and decline stage. Profit characteristic: profits can be none or negative in the introductory stage, increase in the growth stage, and high in the maturity stage and reducing in the decline phase. Competitors characteristic: there is existing only few competitors in the introductory stage, increasing in the growth stage, stable in the maturity and decreasing in the decline stage. Customer characteristic: in the introductory stage has only few customers who call innovators are testing the product, early adopter trying the growth stage, a middle majority testing product in the maturity and the laggard trying the product in the decline stage. Marketing objectives: Kotler also provides differences kinds of companys marketing objectives which linked to four stages of product as below Introductory stage: to make awareness and trial by using an intensive advertising and promotion campaign. Growth stage: to maximize the market share Maturity stage: maintaining market share while profits can be still maximize Decline stage: reducing marketing expenditure of the product during this stage while the aim will be to milk the product. Marketing strategies: the alternative marketing strategies was given by Kotler are related to various stage of the product life cycle as below: Product strategy: a basic product will be offered in the introductory stage, product extensions and warranties will be offered during growth stage, brand and individual product item will be diversified in the maturity stage and the weak model will be phased out during decline stage. Price strategy: the cost plus price will be changed during introductory phase, price will be set to penetrate the market during the growth phase, the price will be set to meet competitive price during the maturity phase while price will be cut during the decline phase. Distribution strategy: distribution will be built selectively during introductory phase, it will be intensive during growth phase, distribution will be further developed during the maturity phase and it will be more selective during decline phase. Advertising strategy: building awareness of product among early adopter and dealers in the introductory phase, building awareness and interest in the mass market during the growth phase, stressing brand differences and benefits during the maturity phase and reduce the advertising level needed to retain hard core-loyal customers in the decline phase. Sale promotion strategy: using heavy promotion to entice trial during the introductory phase, reduced promotion to take advantage of heavy customers demand during the growth phase, increase promotion to encourage brand switching in the maturity phase and reducing promotion to minimum in the decline phase. Limitations of the Product Life Cycle Concept The term life cycle implies a well-defined life cycle as observed in living organisms, but products do not have such a predictable life and the specific life cycle curves followed by different products vary substantially. Consequently, the life cycle concept is not well-suited for the forecasting of product sales. Furthermore, critics have argued that the product life cycle may become self-fulfilling. For example, if sales peak and then decline, managers may conclude that the product is in the decline phase and therefore cut the advertising budget, thus precipitating a further decline. Each customer is more or less free to adopt products for their own needs; this is sometimes called the shopping caddy approach to product adoption. However, in order to attract customer, not only should SingTel understand the PLC, it is also necessary for SingTel to analyze the competition and to be proactive to beat competitors in the current highly competitive market. Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and business strategy development developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. It uses concepts developing Industrial Organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_five_forces_analysis) SingTels Competitive Rivalry Singapore Telecommunications Limited is considered as the biggest telecommunication company in Singapore. Singtels services provide for customers with ISP (SingNet), IPTV (Mio TV), fixed line telephony and mobile phone. The second largest in mobile operator and cable television is StarHub, its also the biggest competitor of SingTel in Singapore. The recently moves of these two companies in cable television services have made the impacts on them. This also pointed out the effective strategy that SingTel approached over its competitors StarHub. StarHub used to be right holder of English Premium League, Champion League and it had to pay around US $150 million for the current 2007 to 2009. StarHub has provided attractive packages of television cable that includes so many sport and entertainment channels. Its really an advantage competitive of StarHub to increase its market shares over SingTel. StarHub actually has surpassed SingTel in this area and been really a big challenge of SingTel. However, a fantastic move of strategy from SingTel recently has changed things differently. StarHub has been beaten on bid and SingTel has won the right to be the holder of English Premium League and Champion League for its Mio TV. The ESPN Star Sports channel of StarHub cable networks will belong to SingTel in the middle of 2010 as well. The rights of ESPN Star Sport include English FA Cup, Formula One motor racing, Wimbledon tennis, US Open, Australian Open and US Open golf. These channels are going to Singtel, and this factor will definitely make increasing number of Singtels subscribers. The failure of StarHub in bidding racing is not the end of its Television cable services. StarHubs platform still can present the English football with delayed telecasts matches on Goal TV 1 and Goal TV2 channels for its subscribers at present and future seasons. For Singtel, with the advantages in being the new holder of those channels, Singtel will have a contract of three years period. The contract will start in August 2010 and include mobile and internet rights as well as Television cable services. One thing is considered as promotion of Singtel, it will guarantee to keep the current payment of StarHubs subscribers and will not change anything. It will be Singtel, the company will deliver the English Barclay Premium League matches to Singapore. The ways of viewing live football matches on Television, on mobile phones and internet will be improved by Singtel. It will bring the best services to its football fans. On the other hand, SingTels competitor, StarHub still tries to maintain the best quality sport content to its customer. It now focuses more on shareholders expectations in terms of profits. StarHubs bid for Barclay Premium League was really aggressive. So now they look forward to the time when they can get back to right of being the holder. And StarHub is always a big challenge of SingTel. It could approach the opportunities anytime and get over SingTel in the future. Implication Analysis Impacts on viewers Most of viewers from StarHub will not be happy when they have to change to SingTels Mio TV service for sports channels. The situation will be worst for the customers, who have signed the contract of two years with StarHub for sport package. The English Premium League and other sports content will now not be able to be viewed by them. The subscribers of StarHub need to sign up with SingTel as an addition if they would like to view sports content. When the viewers sign up for Mio TV service of SingTel, they also need to install a SingTel fixed line in advance. SingTel has promised with the consumers to keep the pricing of sport content as the current StarHub rates and will not increase anything. It can be seen that, SingTel is giving a special promotion with special package for sports fans. The customers could subscribe to English Premium League and sports packages only of SingTel if they would like. Impact on Singapores Pay TV landscape SingTel has taken a new step in TV cable service. Now its holding the right of English Premium League and other sports channels, and this will be a very important factor in competing more strongly with other TV providers, especially StarHub. Its really dominance of StarHub when it owns 85 % of market share of Singapore. However, SingTel now will be the only one that brings English Premium League and other sports content to Singapores football fans. Therefore, SingTel is expected to be the number one in providing TV cable services in the future. Impact on Starhub Since the IPTV of SingTel appeared in 2007, it has been a big challenge of StarHub. The development of SingTels IPTV has made StarHubs growth rate decrease to 4% year on year. StarHub had 530 thousand TV subscribers in the first half of 2009 and 250 thousand of them belong to the sports package. So being the winner of the right holder of English Premium League, SingTel will affect StarHubs subscribers so much. Specially, SingTel will attract the attention of football fans directly. However, it is not complete ending for the StarHubs TV cable. StarHub still has other premium content like: Star World, HBO, AXN and so on. The customers also need to sign up with StarHub if they wish to view this content. Among 250 thousand of sports package, 36% of them are expected to switch from StarHub to SingTels service. The rest subscribers are expected to sign up for SingTels sports package and still keep their StarHub service for premium content. Impact on SingTel Twenty three months since 2007, SingTels Mio TV service had grown so quickly, 100 thousand subscribers is the number of SingTel has reached in June 2009. SingTel has captured over 15% Singapore TV cable market. From April 2008 to March 2009, it has expanded its subscribers over its rival StarHub by 79%. Together with the competitive advantage of being the winner of English Premium League and other sports channels, a number of 348 thousand new subscribers will be set for SingTel as an objective to achieve at the end of 2010. This objective will help SingTel to increase up to 42% share of Singapore Pay TV market. However, with the expensive bid like that, its also a long-term plan for SingTel to make IPTV business profitable. SingTel now is holding English football sports and US content pack, but its still not complete. SingTel need to keep its speed of growth and try to take over the premium content of StarHub. It could be the core factor, which can build the SingTels Mio TV cable ser vices perfectly. In the competitive market place, having a competitive advantage means that the firm is using its resources, capabilities, and core competencies in ways that create more value for customers compared to the value competitors products create for those customers. (Hoskisson/ Hitt/ Ireland, 2007) By launching the Mio TV, SingTel is able to gain a competitive edge, the reasons are as follow: Competitive Advantages One of telecommunication suppler SingTel provides national fixed-line services, mobile services, broadband, IP and internet access, and international telephone services more than 20 countries. SingTel still continue invest in strategic regional markets, including India, Indonesia, The Philippines, Thailand and Bangladesh for long term growth. According to the Singapore Telecommunications Report that pay-TV subscriber base around 45,000 mioTV customers in June 2008. Over the quarter, there were some 2,000 net additions. The operator has continually expanded its range, they had further agreements with three Hollywood studios includes Disney-ABC International Television, News Corp units Twentieth Century Fox and Time Warners Warner Bros International Television to raise mioTV channel offering from 20 to 50. It is important for a company to develop their own distinctive competitive advantages. It must be unique, hard to imitate by competitors in the same industry and its create value to customers and benefit to the company. The Singapore-base telecommunication company Singtel has introduced pay-TV services called MIO TV. It has 33-channel mio TV and customers can select and pay what channel they want to watch. Features like the TV program list channel guide let viewers glance program in advance for 30 days. The mio TVs picture-in-Picture feature that viewer wont miss out other channel showing and remain current channel as well. The viewer can preview any video before watching from library of HD movies and video and make pause, rewind and fast-forward all depend on customers. The viewer can enjoy high HD quality playback and control your favorite shows to watch and record just click of a button, you can record your favorite shows even when you away with Remote Digital Video Recording. The viewer can easy to search the favorite program by input keyword through remote control or via the virtual keyboard on the Television, the intuitive search engine offer intelligent results. The viewers can watch Channel NewsAsia, Mom-on-Demand and KBS world and some other available channels on the new mobile service, including the ads on Mio TV, as well as on mobile phone that SingTel selected Nokia phones to offer this service. The competitive advantage should be benefit to company increase shares of market and revenue returns and create value to shareholders, owners and customers. However, the competitive advantage may be imitate by competitors or create different advantages to more value to customers. One of the competitors of Singapore-base telecommunication company Starhub, they provide cable TV as well. But the exclusively offer by SingTel had been rewarded to broadcast UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League from 2009 to 2012. Subscribers can watch live matches broadcasting in Dual Sound both in English and Mandarin. Furthermore, SingTel had picked up a right to broadcast Barclays English Premier League matches and ESPN STAR Sports on Mio TV. According to director of Mio TV Low Ka Hoe said Sport content is an important part of our offering, and this move signifies our ongoing efforts to expand and improve our selection of quality content for our viewers, The world wide service of SingTel is a opportunity for the firm continually invest and expansion in core overseas market of Indonesia, India and new market such as Vietnam and Pakistan and beyond Asia Pacific. Overseas investments are an essential part of SingTel strategy especially in saturated domestic market of Singapore. According to Singapore Telecommunications Report SingTel in June 2008 and its foreign associates shared a total of 197.714 mn, representing an increase of 45% over the year and 8.2% during the quarter. Evaluate strategy base on competitive advantage The firm should create non-replace and valuable competitive advantage through create strong core competencies. Base on competitive advantage, Cliff Bowman and Richard DAveni use Strategy Clock to further explain Michael Porter s generic strategy. The strategy clock represents different positions in a market where customers have different requirements in terms of value for money. The organization may have unique resources that others cannot imitate or obtain, for example, long-term established brand; be a cost leadership by apply price-based strategy or lower-priced strategy. However, in small domestic saturated market like Singapore, managers may take Differentiation strategy or hybrid strategy that provides unique or slightly different products and services from others to customer by pricing slightly higher. The strong and well-established competitive advantages can strength companys capability and strategy decision making. Therefore, Conclusion In account of analyzing the strategy of Singtel, it surly gave the reason that why the Singapore Telecom is Singapores largest telecommunications company. This company has nearly 130 years of operating experience in the successful completion of this period to the worlds leading high- performance carrier changes. In business, SingTel seek a breakthrough innovation, development of local public sentiment for the internationalization of the business to treat the inability to adapt. Of course, these innovations are also based on SingTels own existing resources, it is an international network. More than that, Singtel not only in China for the global 5300 companies in different countries offer a wide price quite competitive telecommunications services, but also SingTel has built its domestic large-scale telecommunications networks, and the annual investment of 1 billion new coins to be updated in order to enhance domestic and international competitiveness. SingTels overseas investment is a long-term strategy. Currently, SingTel has expanded to 20 countries and regions, their overseas operations include not only the traditional fixed, mobile phone networks and the Internet, voice data, but also related to satellite communications, submarine cable systems. In the past 10 years, strong adaptability and technical advantages SingTels international strategy is to promote time and time again to be successful. Opportunities always favor those who prepared. SingTels long-term development plan formulated by it can, and be good at the right time, choosing the right investments. The use of a merger or investment to enter unfamili

Analysis of Blade Runner by Ridley Scott Essay -- Papers

Analysis of Blade Runner by Ridley Scott Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and based on Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, is a Sci-fi slash Noir film about a policeman named Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) in a decrepit 2019 Los Angeles whose job it is to "retire" four genetically engineered cyborgs, known as "Replicants". The four fugitives, Pris (Daryl Hannah), Zhora (Joanna Cassidy), Leon (Brian James), and their leader, Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), have escaped from an off-world colony in order to find their creator and bully him into expanding their pre-determined four-year life span. This film originally flopped when it came out in 1982, but since has become a widely acclaimed cult classic with a director's cut to boot. A large part of the success that this movie has received can be attributed to its ability to operate on many different levels. Blade Runner focuses around the adventures of Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter, whose prey are the replicants, androids who are virtually indistinguishable from humans. The story is set in downtown Los Angeles, in the year 2019. This is a post nuclear holocaust world, where the sun is darkened by the fallout and acid rain continually falls. Six replicants of the Nexus 6 generation, the most advanced, have escaped from their off-world colony, where they were being used as slave labor. The leader of the replicants, Roy Batty, is on a mission to find more life for himself and the others, for they only have a four year life span and are on the verge of death. Roy is a military style replicant, so he has killed many people in inter-galactic wars and continues to ki... ...s out. "Should the replicants kill to gain moral life? Should Harrison Ford be killing them simply because they want to exist? These questions begin to tangle up Deckard's thinkingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦especially when he becomes involved with a female replicant himself." The ultimate relevance of Blade Runner lies in its challenge of what it must mean to be human. It raises the eternal gnawing doubt as to our own humanity or lack of it. These are the same issues raised by the great religions and philosophies of the past. And it goes to how we respond to the pain of those around us. Do we reach for the one downed by the crushing perplexity of modernity or do we merely pass by, forgetting about that grizzled human lying on the sidewalk who is drowning in the gutter created by the disintegrating and dehumanising post-modern existence?

The Cause And Effects Of Acid Mine Drainage Essay -- essays research p

The Cause and Effects of Acid Mine Drainage INTRODUCTION Imagine going fishing on a cool Autumn day, the trees are all different shades of orange, brown and red and the birds are singing their beautiful songs, but their is a serious problem because when you arrive at the river all plant and animal life are gone. This is by no means a recent phenomenon. This is due to the effects of acid rock drainage (ARD). This is a problem that has been occurring since ancient times, but it was not until the 1800's when fast growing industrialization and heavy mining that it caught alot of attention. Acid rock drainage is the term used to describe leachate, seepage, or drainage that has been affected by the natural oxidation of sulfur minerals contained in rock which is exposed to air and water. The major components of ARD formation are reactive sulfide minerals, oxygen, and water. Biological activity and reactions is what is responsible for the production of ARD. These reactions make low pH water that has the ability to mobilize heavy metals contained in geological materials with which it comes in contact. "ARD causes a devastating impact on the quality of the ground or surface water it discharges to. (Ellison & Hutchison)" ACID MINE DRAINAGE Within the mining process there are several sources that cause ARD. No matter what activities occur, ARD usually occurs when certain conditions are met. These conditions are the factors that limit or accelerate the release of ARD. The initial release of ARD can occur anywhere from a few months to many decades after the sulfide containing material is disturbed or deposited. ARD has been associated with mines since mining began. When ARD occurs due to the effects of mining it is called acid mine drainage, or AMD. The coal mining industry here in the eastern United States has been associated with a major source of AMD for decades. When water comes in contact with pyrite in coal and the rock surrounding it, chemical reactions take place which cause the water to gain acidity and to pick up iron, manganese and aluminum. Water that comes into contact with coal has a orange-red yellow and sometimes white color. The metals stay in the solution beneath the earth due to the lack of oxygen. When the water comes out of the mine or the bor... ...ansform organic material and nutrients.(Bastian 1993) Natural and constructed wetland have been used to treat wastewater. The first one that was ever constructed was in 1982. There are over 200 systems in Appalachia alone.(Bastian 1993) Even though this is safer for the ecosystem it is found that at most sites, chemical treatment is still necessary to meet efficient standards, but the costs of chemical treatment is greatly reduced with the initial biological treatment. Most operators find that the costs of the construction of the wetlands are made up within one year due to the money saved on chemicals. CONCLUSION In conclusion, acid rock drainage is a big problem all throughout the world due to alot of industrialization and mining. This is not only a serious problem around the world, it touches home here, especially here in Appalachia, but it seems to be under or getting under control with all the new regulations and standards the EPA is setting. Low pH and a high acidity level is harmful to us our wildlife and our plants. With the help of more education and more research it will not have to be a problem for our future.

Profile of Coca Cola Ghana Essay

The Coca Cola Bottling Company was first established in 1886 by Dr. John Styth Pemberton in the United States of America (Atlanta) and has since been enjoyed in over 200 countries worldwide including Ghana who started its operations in 1995. The company believes that to be successful in the changing world we need to continue to thrive as a business over the next twenty years and beyond, we must get ready for tomorrow today that’s what our 2020 vision is all about. Our Mission To refresh the world To inspire moments of optimism and happiness To create value and make a difference Our vision We serve as the frame work for our roadmap and guide every aspect of our business by describing what we need to accomplish in order to continue achieving sustainable, quality growth. People: be a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be. Portfolio: Bring to the world a portfolio of quality beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy people’s desires and needs. Partners: Nurture a winning network of customers and suppliers, together we create mutual and enduring values. Planet: be a responsible citizen that makes a difference by helping build and support sustainable communities. Profit: Maximize long-term return to shareholders while being mindful of our overall responsibilities Productivity: Be a highly effective, lean and fast-moving organization. OBJECTIVES Increase sales by 100% by the end of 1st year. To be able to cover the whole country by the end of 2nd year. in non alcoholic beverage in future.

What I Didn’t Learn in Business School by Jay Barney Paper

MG 69016 MG 69016 What I Didn’t Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World A Book Report By: Kaitlin Bauer What I Didn’t Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World A Book Report By: Kaitlin Bauer 08 Fall 08 Fall 1.What lessons do you learn from Justin’s experience in terms of the limits of some of the core strategy frameworks you learned in theory (examine for example, Michael Porter’s Five Forces and the challenges Justice faced in applying it, value chain analysis, the Resource Based View) Some of the concepts/models that are applied to strategic problems vary in meaning depending on the setting one is in whether it be in the actual real world or in the classroom.These concepts applied like the five forces framework or present value analysis are just â€Å"tools† and its up to the individual to determine how it should be used. As senior director, Ken McCombs states, â€Å"You can use a hammer exactly the wa y it’s designed to be used, but instead of building something beautiful or durable, you can build a pile of junk. It’s not the tool, it’s how the tool is used; it’s the skills, interests, and motives of the person using the tool that determine whether the outcome of an analysis is reasonable. † (Barney 53).Basically, these â€Å"tools† have to be applied appropriately in order to identify and develop an effective final strategy/overall result. An example of this would be in regards to the concept of core competency. In business strategy courses, this term is used in so many different ways, its actual meaning gets lost. Justin has a difficult time throughout the book adapting his understanding of business concepts to their real-world application. In a way, he looks more into situations as if he were â€Å"cracking the case† opposed to figuring out real world situations.This seemed to be a theme of the book that Justin uncovers as he con tinues on his journey with HBS. According to Justin, the more valuable, rare, and difficult to imitate the activities your involved in are, the more likely those activities would contribute to a firms core competencies as seen within the VRIO framework (81). By being able to do this shows a huge breakthrough point for Justin because towards the beginning of the book, he was struggling to determine whether core competencies allow firms to expand and navigate through new potential markets.As the book progresses, it starts to show how Justin is now able to determine what the real definition of core competency is as well as other concepts he had learned in school. To Justin, understanding the true meanings behind concepts was a breakthrough in thinking. â€Å"Core competence wasn’t just a buzz word for Justin now. VRIO or the other concepts was no longer just a lecture he has heard but are now tools that can be used to examine real-world strategies† (81).As many say, he is now applying the knowledge he acquired from business school and is now applying those concepts to everyday business situations. An example of this situation is closely embodied in Justin and Vivek’s conversation in regards to how technologies alone are not considered core competency but it's the actions taken to exploit these technologies that make them considered a core competency. If these technologies are considered rare and hard to imitate, they can sometimes be a source of sustained advantage (146).As you can see through this example, Justin has learned the true meaning behind the word of core competency and how it is used within the real world. Throughout the business school, we have learned the importance of utilizing strategy frameworks, which have been drilled into our heads in order to evaluate potential business decisions. The frameworks like Michael Porters Five Forces Analysis, NPV analysis, and VRIO among many others have deemed to be extremely useful and benef icial in organizing and arranging information provided for situations that can eventually lead to a recommendation in the end.This book is a prime example of how certain situations like we’ve read in the many case studies; don’t really depict the true nature of the situation in the real world. Justin’s situation expresses to the reader that the real world isn’t easy and how case studies don’t really prepare you, as they should in the end. Justin has learned that in order to evaluate new markets, putting to use these frameworks is necessary but he has also learned that there is more to it then just applying these methods. First, Porter’s Five Forces analysis method is used as an â€Å"initial step† in evaluating new markets.This method is first introduced in the book during Justin and Scott Beckett’s, VP and General Manager of Oil and Gas division at HGS, meeting in which they discussed their analysis of the men’s white d ress shirt industry. Beckett goes as far as using the Five Forces model to describe how all kinds of threats are high (Rivalry, Buyer Power, Substitutes, Entry, and supplier Power). Justin quickly buys into Beckett’s argument and how the men’s white dress shirt industry is not a viable option for Plastiwear to enter.This is an example of Justin deterring from his original views and altering them to agree with the other party, which cannot be necessarily correct in the situation regarding Beckett’s view. As senior director, Ken McCombs states, the most attractive industries according to the five forces approach would have no rivalry, no close substitutes, no threats, and no powerful buyers or suppliers. This type of industry makes us go with lower risk markets, which are considered a monopoly, and is not likely to be a viable option for a firm.As the book progresses, Justin learns that this framework is only an â€Å"initial step† due to the limitations it offers. Despite these limitations, both managers and consultants often use it in strategy development. Justin realized that HGS wouldn’t have many opportunities in any of its businesses given the highly competitive nature of the industries in which they compete. Although this is used in evaluating the competitive threats in an industry, it should be noted that it is not to be used to estimate the overall attractiveness of an industry which therefore doesn’t tell you very much about strategic choice.This put Justin in an â€Å"uncomfortable position† in regards to HGS’s situation because he was still thinking there was one clear solution waiting at the end; he just had to â€Å"crack the case†. Second, Net Present Value analysis (NPV) is a popular calculation to find what the expected returns on a project in question would be using information on things like past product extensions or market entries. From that calculation, its gives an individual a feel for the riskiness of a new project which are then incorporated into casework which we have done repetitively throughout the MBA program.However, Justin experienced the limits of the NPV framework that we have learned in theory through his meeting with Shirley Rickert, CFO at HGS. Through this meeting, he learned that NPV calculations in the real world aren’t as cut and dry as they are when used in the classroom. Since these calculations are based on past activities especially in the area of innovative products like Plastiwear, it didn't really offer much guidance for future activities in these areas. Most of the time, the data is either not sufficient or overly sufficient in which you don’t need the analysis.Rickert also states that even though NPV is a powerful tool for objective strategic analysis, there is often managerial biases baked into the analysis that could either be intentionally but it is often done unintentionally. An example of this would be through Beckett’s negative NPV calculations, which would therefore depict an overly risky project. Again, this framework can be used as one of the â€Å"initial steps† in the overall strategy formulation process. As Rickert states, â€Å"present value techniques-even when you are evaluating relatively straightforward investments-are just a way of keeping track of the financial implications of a strategy.NPV is one way to keep score in the game but it’s not the game. NPV is no substitute for having a strategy† (32). Third, the VRIO framework is finally used by Justin, which helps him be able to determine the viability of the Plastiwear business. The VRIO framework is used to determine whether or not a certain strategy was likely to be a source of a sustained competitive advantage, which depends on the answer to four questions. First, Justin needs to discover ways that the Plastiwear strategy is valuable. Without value, it’s noted that a strategy canâ€℠¢t be a source of competitive advantage for the firm.Second, HGS would need to posses unusual skills or other assets that this Plastiwear strategy must utilize. In other words, the strategy must contain â€Å"rarity† in order to have a point of difference for the firm. So â€Å"if many firms all have the ability to execute the same strategy, then that strategy will probably not be a source of advantage† (76). hence, the need for a firms strategy to be rare and different. Third, Justin looks into the possibility of whether or not a strategy can be imitated and if so, how long before other firms are likely to begin imitating pieces of the strategy?Justin has â€Å"learned that firms strategies can be difficult to imitate for several reasons. Some strategies can rely on assets that may be protected by patents, some required skills are needed that took firms years to develop, trusting relationships among a firm’s managers or between firm and supplier/customer which can end up being difficult and time consuming and lastly, it is often difficult for competing firms to describe why a particular firm has an advantage. Therefore, that is why firms implement valuable, rare and costly to imitate strategies because this is what makes it possible for firms to gain more sustainable advantages† (77).The last question Justin raises within this framework focuses on the organization and whether it has the ability to execute and protect its sources of advantage. Justin reflects that within the classroom, he learned that certain structure and controls enabled a firm to realize the full potential of its strategies. However, by answering the first three questions enabled him to â€Å"crack the case† so this last question didn’t require an answer. However, this framework led to the same conclusions that Livia had come to.For example even if there was demand for HGS’s shirt concept, there was no reason to believe that HGS embodied any special shirt-manufacturing skills. In other words, there was nothing rare in this area for HGS. Overall, Justin created his own matrix using the VRIO framework and through that he discovered the amount of information he didn’t know about Plastiwear as well as the types of opportunities that might exist within the different stages of the Plastiwear value chain. Overall, these strategy frameworks finally gave Justin the clarity to organize his thoughts into a more comprehensive structure for analysis.Especially in regards to the VRIO framework, Justin was finally able to see that the decision to implement Plastiwear was not dependent on the retail shirt market at all. He was finally able to see that the decision about Plastiwear was more about HGS’s ability to exploit its competencies throughout the value chain where they could gain and sustain an advantage. One of the most important points made throughout the entire book, â€Å"If you ask the wrong question, about the wrong industry, it doesn't really matter what the answer is† (80).Justin discovers that in order to â€Å"crack the real world business case†, you need to be asking the correct questions about the correct industry. He learns that since real life situations are not cut and dry like traditional business case studies done within the classroom, there tends not to be case questions at the end. However, it is Justin’s responsibility to figure it out. This can be tied back to Justin’s first client meeting as well as interviews. Justin learned that by knowing what questions to ask is key, which will help, lead you to the answer you need.Lastly, to touch on some of the struggles that Justin had experienced throughout the book was that of teamwork. As we have learned in the classroom, teamwork is a crucial and valuable method used within the real world, especially in business. It seemed to me that since Justin was a recent MBA graduate, he was still stuck in  "school mode† in which he treated his new job as if it were a case analysis he was doing within the classroom. He quickly learned that in the real world, it is vital that a team works together to ensure that the analysis is completed in the correct way, all the way through.As a new member of a team, working with and learning from the other members is extremely important to personal development and growth. It is also important to note that it was probably extremely difficult in this scenario because all these members of the team have never worked together before. Having the ability to understand that it really takes time to be able to learn each member’s personal strategies in completing the task at hand is critical. It difficult though in certain scenarios, like this one when there is a short time span to reach a final conclusion.Being able to really learn the traits and personal strategies of your team can be hindered due to certain set time spans. 2. Which key organiz ational and human level factors can you identify as obstacles to implementing the strategy formation process the way it appears in theory? [Hint: Consider individual motives, personal interests, stakeholder interests and political behavior]. Having the ability to implement the strategy formation process the way is appears in theory is deemed to be a very rare occurrence.The real world is filled with individual motives, personal interests, stakeholder interests as well as political behavior. In regards to individual motives and personal interests, different individuals of an organization might have different motives about the future of the companies given their role and this difference leads to different outcomes. In regards to stakeholder interests, Justin learned this through first-hand experience at HGS. Understanding and learning whom the key stakeholders are is both critical to Justin and the rest of the team hence a â€Å"team interest†.Supporting stakeholders and strate gy makers is an essential component of strategy implementation. According to Livia, she realizes that in order to successfully move ahead with whatever recommendation they think is best, they will have to make sure to address the interests of the key players in the company. To do that, knowing the difference between interest and influence is critical (6). Also, by knowing who the key players are in the company gave the team â€Å"the ability to figure out who could either help implement HGS’s recommendation or who could stop them from being implemented† (6).This was huge for the team. Having a good sense of the political landscape is critical because the â€Å"goal here is to use both the overall analysis and change management skills to transform those parties that are likely to resist recommendations into becoming supporters†(6). Some of these factors can intertwine in a way in which political behavior and personal interests have the possibility in clashing. An example of this is seen in Justin’s meeting with Shirley in which she describes how some of the strategy frameworks used can be manipulated to enhance someone’s already existing point of view.In organizations, personal benefits might come ahead of organizational benefits depending on the situation. In looking at both ends of the spectrum, optimists might be seeing a strategy as an extension of their current businesses whereas pessimists might not since their view is based on the department’s benefits and not the organization’s. An example is discussed during Justin and Shirley’s meeting on defining the importance of NPV in the real world.She stated that the most optimistic calculations view for NPV were done by the scientists involved with the invention of Plastiwear in comparison to the most pessimistic calculations view for NPV which were determined by the department heads who would be losing funding if the project went through. An example of th is view is discovered during the meeting between Justin and Scott Beckett. As you can see, really â€Å"cracking the case† and coming to a conclusion is a bit more difficult then what we have learned in the classroom.Real life scenarios have an infinite number of figures that can be found, and therefore, the personal interests of the people doing the research influences what numbers are used within the calculations. Lastly, both the optimistic and pessimistic views seemed to put into question an individuals motivation in regards to decision making. This was just distasteful to Justin which made him both confused and a little naive that the motivation of personal interests could overpower organizational interests in the decision making process. Later on when Justin meets withJerry Tucker, scientist credited for the invention of Plastiwear, he discusses how pleased he is that Plastiwear could be a huge success. However, he points out that â€Å"problems with modern companies i s that we really aren’t managed for owners but we’re managed to make the lives of the managers comfortable† (102). I found this point pretty interesting because this would mean the managers are in a way contradicting the importance of why knowing who the key stockholders are and why that is such a critical factor to know within your team if in the end. the managers are looking out for their self-interest and self-motives.Also, I think it is important to note in regards to the end all goal in regards to both organizational and human level factors, Jerry states that â€Å"truly innovative leaders must take the gamble of whether or not their product is a success or failure and if you aren’t willing to be risk loving, you can never know true excellence† (102). 3. How would you have navigated some of the minefields that Justin and his team faced? I thought this was very beneficial to read because as soon to be MBA graduates, we too will be navigating thr ough similar minefields that Justin faced personally as well as the minefields his team faced.I can closely relate to Justin’s drive and commitment to succeed throughout the course of this book because I to want to apply everything that I have learned in the classroom and make it happen out in the real world. However, it very interesting to read that the frameworks we have learned don’t lead you to the final conclusion which is what we learned while in school. They are more of â€Å"stepping stones† in the process. I can especially relate to Justin’s experience in trying to understand the difference between what is learned in the classroom and what is learned out in the real world.Going into the workforce with an open mind I believe will help the transition phase go smoother than Justin’s. He was focused on â€Å"cracking the case† and when he couldn't, he got frustrated. It is also important to be able to separate passion without the need o f emotion. Someone once told me that this concept is like a double edge sword. You must be able to show the passion for your work without letting emotion come into play. Justin was viewed as a â€Å"total rookie† because since he put a lot of effort and work into the presentation, Ken and Livia did not let him present his findings because it was evident of his emotional attachment (193).A more specific example of this concept would be when Justin showed his passion in trying to â€Å"crack the case† to figure out a solution but he let his emotion come into play when he allowed himself to get frustrated. Another example that new graduates can relate to is when you are going for a job interview for your dream job. During the interview, you want to show your passion and why you want this job by giving off confidence and desire for that role. However, even if you want this job so bad, you let your emotion get involved hence you get emotional during the interview.This doesn ’t project the professionalism you need to have within the business environment. By knowing the difference between the two and being able to keep those two factors separate is a key takeaway before going out into the real world. 4. What key lessons do you learn about strategy from the novel? How â€Å"neat† is the process in real life? In What I Didn’t Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World, it clearly explains that strategy is not neat in the real world, it actually is more complex.As an MBA student, we complete numerous amounts of case studies on a daily basis and are usually supplied with questions to consider toward the end of each case. Its not that simple in the real world although many wish it were. In order to develop the questions that need to be analyzed further in order to â€Å"crack the case† or to even develop some solution that could be a possibly good strategy, an extreme amount of work and analysis goes into determ ining and creating this.From those questions, as MBA students we usually then determine what the recommendation is and how we are going to implement that into the existing business environment. In the real world, its more complicated in that it goes beyond answering the questions, which will lead to making a final recommendation, which then leads to how you are going to do it. In the real world, you need to embrace a complete strategy, not just a small segment focus. I also learned that strategy is about the large scope of things.It not just about evaluating one or two potential decisions and deciding which one is best in regards to the situation. Strategy formulation needs to consider all interests of both the players and the firm’s core competencies in order to be successful. When Justin realized that â€Å"he wasn’t just trying to crack the case but how he was actually helping to shape the future of a corporation-and all those who depended, or who might depend†(150) is a prime example of how during strategy formulation, interests of both the players and the firms core ompetencies were considered and recognized by members of the team which would in the end deem them to be successful. 5. Should organizations engage in the sort of formal strategy formation processes we study in Business School? With a complete and focused formal strategy formation processes, organizations won’t be successful. They will be deemed not successful because they lack the vision and direction needed in order for future growth.Real world strategy implementation might not be as simple as what we do in business school, but the concept is basically the same. In the classroom, the curriculum is designed in a way that with the frameworks learned can also be applied out in the real world. As discussed in one of the previous questions, being able to understand the difference between what is learned in the classroom to what is learned out in the real world is criti cal because when in the real world, things are not as cut and dry like they are in a traditional case study analysis.To answer the overall question whether an organization should engage in this process, I think it is extremely beneficial for businesses to have because not only does it provide a clear vision and direction but it also helps to create a clear understanding of the core competencies a company has. Even though the process that us MBA students have studied in school doesn’t directly apply to that of the operating business environment in the real world, I think of it as a good â€Å"stepping stone† that is helping prepare the young incoming workforce prior to them even entering into the real world.By giving business students years of practice in this semi formation process will help them when they eventually enter into the real world. It will minimize the amount of overall shock and even possibly some change as well. Overall, it provides a framework and outlin e for things to consider in strategy building. Work Cited Barney, Jay B. , and Trish Gorman. Clifford. What I Didn't Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World. Boston: Harvard Business Review, 2010. Print.

Brave New World Conformity Essay

In Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, Huxley creates a futuristic world governed by conformity and submission to society. Citizens of this World State are conditioned to follow a set lifestyle determined at birth in order to create a stable civilization. However, there is still some form of individuality in each person, specifically in the characters Bernard, Lenina, and Linda. Within each of these characters, their difference in personality does not fit the norms of society, and they therefore try to suppress their own traits with unique methods such as soma. In times of sadness and despair, Bernard, Lenina, and Linda each give up a part of their own individuality and ideology, sticking to the conventions of the World State society which consequently adds to their struggle of trying to fit in with the rest of the world. Looking at Bernard, his physical appearance sets him apart from being a normal Alpha: â€Å"Bernard’s physique was hardly better than that of the average Gamma† (64). Along with his physical appearance, Bernard also has the capability to think differently than most citizens of the World State, apparent on his date with Lenina when he comments about the sea: â€Å"It makes me feel as though . . as though I were more of me . . . Not just a cell in the social body† (90). However, despite his different physical and personality traits, he doesn’t exercise his differences that would challenge the World State. For example, he strives to want to be like Helmholtz, â€Å"wishing . . . that he could have as many girls as Helmholtz did,† instead of embracing himself for who he is; Bernard continually falls into conformity and tries to follow an order than is not compatible with whom he is. Instead of exploring and questioning the world around him, he takes soma as his form of suppression to try to solve his problems of fitting into society. When Bernard gets humiliated in front of the Arch-Community Songster, he chooses to take soma which only delays his problem further and makes his condition worst: â€Å"The intoxication of success had evaporated; he was soberly his old self . . . the old self seemed unprecedentedly heavier than the surrounding atmosphere† (178). By setting aside his personal traits, he becomes another conformist to the conventions of World State. Similarly, Lenina possesses mental characteristics that do not fit into the World State. Lenina tends to be in a relationship with only one guy, rather than going out with many guys as conditioned by the World State. Once John comes to visit the World State, Lenina immediately falls in love with him and can not stop thinking about him, displaying human emotions that citizens should not have in the World State. Her human emotions are apparent during the evening when she waits for John to come out for the Arch-Community Songster: â€Å". . . she sat in a corner, cut off from those who surrounded her by an emotion which they did not share . . . † (173). From her personality, Lenina is fit for a love that involves emotion and connection, but Lenina decides to abide by her society and chooses to have a love surrounding by blind sex and no feelings. Through this decision, she conforms to the norm, actively contributing to the conditions of her society opposite of her true self. She goes further to take soma after John does not show up for Bernard’s presentation, which, similar to Bernard’s soma fix, only prolongs her problem: â€Å"But in the intervals I still like him. I shall always like him† (188). Through her usage of soma, she follows the methods of the World State, throwing away her individuality and causing herself more distress and conflict with her love affairs. Finally, Linda has unique characteristics due to her life spent in the Savage Reservation and giving birth to her son John. Linda, despite being conditioned to be horrified at the idea of having a baby, still loves her son John. This is apparent when John talks about his childhood experiences with Bernard, describing the time Linda was beating up John: â€Å"He opened his eyes again and saw that she was looking at him. He tried to smile at her. Suddenly she put her arms round him and kisses him again and again† (127). Since Linda has an emotional attachment to John, she has a personality different from the other citizens of the World State Society. However, despite the motherly connection that she could have continued with John, she chooses to sell her life to the drug soma. When Lenina lays dying in the hospital with John next to her, she unconsciously chooses her life of sex and soma she used to have over John: â€Å"She knew him for John, her son, but fancied him an intruder into that paradisal Malpais where she had been spending her soma-holiday with Pope† (205). In the very end, Linda suppresses her emotional love for John with soma and goes back to the principles and pleasantries of the World State Society. Bernard, Lenina, and Linda all have unique characteristics that set them apart from the regular citizens of the World State Society. However, all three of them have unknowingly fallen into the conformities of the state’s maladaptive rules, preferably choosing to emanate the state’s values that do not fit their own characteristics. The World State’s guidelines and regulations pull all the citizens of the World State, including Bernard, Lenina, and Linda, into one lifestyle of living through a domino effect of conformity: the more people that conform, the more harder it is to resist the urge to conform with them. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World shows the devastating effects of conformity – a force that strips away your individual potential and identity.

English Macbeth Essay

In this essay, I’m going to be comparing the presentation of Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5 with the filmed stage performance of the same scene by the Royal Shakespearean production, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and with Dame Judi Dench in the role of Lady Macbeth. In the Shakespearean play, Shakespeare gives little indication to the characters how to play the character when and where to move and how to say their lines. The readers have to make their own interpretation. There background was just black so was the costumes it was really plain and and economically cheap.However from the film we expected fancy costumes we imagined Lady Macbeth wearing an old fashioned dress we pictured her hair to be brown and we thought she would be much younger. In the film we expected her to be in her bedroom, as well as on some main lines such as ‘Hie thee hither ‘and ‘come you spirits’ we thought there might be powerful sound effects. In the letter scene we expected LM to be very different. In the play she starts reading the letter half way. However in the film, she starts with ‘Hail king that shalt be,' this shows us that she has read the letter before and she knows what the letter says. Hail King that shalt be' was repeated twice in the film this allows the audience to think she is obsessive about Macbeth becoming king and already she has ideas about killing the king. She reads the letter at a fast pace but, when she comes across the supernatural in the letter she stops and looks around this shows that she is very interested about the supernatural. In the play we expected her to be happy while reading ‘my dearest partner of greatness' the word ‘partner sounds very businesslike as well as it emphasises her love and affection towards Macbeth.However in the actual film she read it really casually it did not affect her. In the play we expected her to read the letter while she is in her bedroom however in the film she was pacing up and down as well as the background was plain black and she was wearing a black dress the colour black may represent the supernatural and the evil side of her. This enhances Nunn's interpretation of her as a fourth witch. In the first soliloquy after the letter Lady Macbeth says ‘ Shalt be what thou art promised' this quote shows that she is determined and really wants Macbeth to become the king.As well as in the play she says ‘too full o'th' milk of human kindnesses’ this gives the reader an impression that she knows her husband really well and she uses the word ‘milk’ for his pureness and kindness. ’ Further on in the soliloquy Lady Macbeth uses the line ‘Hie Thee Hither! ’ I expected her to shout that out because there is an exclamation mark at the end of the quote this indicated me that she was shouting. As well as the exclamation mark represents her excitement for the supernatural.I imagined the lights being off and maybe have the sound of a storm, I also thought she might be on her knees begging and talking through the window I expected her to have a voice similar to a witch. From the play it seemed like she is calling the evil spirits that quote proves that she is really evil and she wants the murder to happen. However in the film she had really effective eye contact, the camera zoomed in on her face to allow the audience to see that she is thinking really deeply. Her eyes were moving around (searching) she had an evil brief smile.When she said ‘Hie Thee Hither’ in the film she seemed very calm and took in a deep breath she seemed relieved and relaxed. In her second soliloquy, Lady Macbeth begins to reveal her true self. It seems that she will go through anything to persuade Macbeth to kill the king. Many critics argue that she appears to be the fourth witch. In the play Lady Macbeth talks directly to the spirits. In the quote ‘come you spirits. Murdering ministers ‘this leaves the readers thinking that she is praying to the evil spirits. By saying ‘come’ she uses verbs to call upon the supernatural.The quote ‘under my battlements’ tells us that Lady Macbeth intends to bear the knife herself this is the first time she openly talks about murdering Duncan. In the play Lady Macbeth asks the evil spirits to ‘unsex her’ she wants to get rid of her feminine identity, compassion and her humanity. She also says ‘direst cruelty’ it’s a male characteristics this shows that she wants her femininity to be take away from her due to the fact that she wants to commit the murder however a male should take on that role in this case her husband Macbeth.By asking the evil spirits to take her ‘milk for gall’ she is sacrificing her womanhood and identity for her husband Macbeth. The word ‘milk’ is used as an extended metaphor for womanhood. At the end of her second soliloquy she says ‘th at my keen knife see not the wound it makes’ suggests that she has to be the one that commits the murder. In the film when Lady Macbeth talks about the raven on half of her face there is light on the other half is dark. The light represents the good in her and the dark represents the evil and the ‘Raven’ is Duncan.In the film her eyes are darkened this may indicate that the evil spirits are near her. In the film she actually casts a spell. Before she starts calling the spirits there is a dramatic pause this shows that Lady Macbeth is composing herself she does a 360 turn that indicates a warning to the audience. Lady Macbeth bows down when she starts calling the spirits she looks very fearful. She whispers everything that she says and her hand starts trembling this may be a sign showing us that the evil spirit is trying to get into her. She says ‘cruelty’ in a very high pitched voice.Lady Macbeth runs into the darkness this allows the audience to thi nk that she is possessed and she can’t take the pain or she seen something fearful. The darkness may show her soul transfer. The darkness in her represents the witch side of her. From the darkness she comes back slowly as the fourth witch with a new identity. In the film when she says ‘murdering ministers’ you can see a possession in her. At the end of her second soliloquy when she says ‘Hold! Hold! ’ someone else is controlling her arms she seems physically accessible.When Macbeth enters, Lady Macbeth demonstrates rhetoric, linguistic abilities. Lady Macbeth uses her femininity to persuade Macbeth. In the play Lady Macbeth greets her husband by saying ‘Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor! ’ she is certainly determined for him. In the play we expect them to be very close to each other because they haven’t seen each other for a while. Lady Macbeth says ‘shall sun that morrow see! ’ The ‘sun’ represents light in th is case it is Duncan. 6 syllables dramatic pause, shocked moment both of them think about the murder.We expected Lady Macbeth to use her sexuality while trying to help him overcome his weaknesses. There is paradox between the serpent and the flower. When she says ‘serpent under’t’ we expect her to be harsh and forceful towards him. Lady Macbeth takes control and for the first time she mentions the murder to him ‘This night’s great business into my dispatch. ’ She is trying to tell him that she is capable of committing the murder, she also might of said that because she wants him to become like her evil.In the phrase ‘Which shall to all our nights and days to come’ she is trying to say that she is doing all this for both of them however we know she is doing it for herself (selfish. ) ‘We will speak no more’ ellipsis represents her interruption. At the end she says ‘Leave all the rest to me’ this allows the readers to think that she has hardly been listening to him and treats him like a child she is not really interested in what he says because she knows what he is going to say and she knows she is going to get it her way.In the film when Macbeth enters she is on her knees paying him respect. When Macbeth enters there is light the light represents goodness (Macbeth), paradox of light and dark. She runs to him hugs and kisses him passionately. This shows that they are in love and it emphasises their closeness. They continue to kiss through out, Lady Macbeth uses her femininity and sexuality to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan. When she says ‘shall sun that morrow see’ she removes herself from him and looks deeply into his eyes.She emphasises on the words ‘serpent’ and ‘my dispatch’ When she says ‘my dispatch’ she looks into his eyes trying to tell him that she is doing it for him. In the film she is very sexual towards him. Macbeth is almost hypnotised by her sexual passion and desire he’s almost forgot about everything because he is blinded by her love. She interrupts him and she speaks quickly to avoid him speaking further. Lady Macbeth smiles briefly this shows she was successful. In the film when she says ‘leave all the rest to me’ there’s darkness on her face, telling the audience she is up to something.

Nokia Corporation Strategic Management

Nokia Corporation Strategic Management Introduction I have chosen Nokia Corporation as the company to write about in this assignment. Nokia Corporation is based in Keilaniemi, Finland and is, by far, the largest manufacturer of mobile instruments in the world. There are other fields that the company is engaged in, such as multimedia and networking.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nokia Corporation Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nokia Corporation has been in the telecommunications field since the last 50 odd years. But prior to venturing in the telecommunication field, Nokia had tried its luck in various sectors such as paper mill, rubber boots, car tyres, electricity, televisions etc. Presently, the company has its manufacturing facilities across the globe in various European and Asian countries. Nokia Corporation’s logo, ‘Connecting People’, is tantamount to its line of business. According to Datamonitor, Nokia â€Å"employs about 129,355 people. The company recorded revenues of â‚ ¬42,446 million ($56,363.6 million) during the financial year ended December 2010 (FY2010), an increase of 3.6% over 2009† (Datamonitor, 2011). Nokia Corporation can be considered as the pioneer in mobile technology. â€Å"On July 1, 1991, Finnish Prime Minister Harri Holkeri makes the world’s first GSM call, using Nokia equipment. And in 1992, Nokia launches its first digital handheld GSM phone, the Nokia 1011† (Nokia). In order to have a better understanding about the company, it is always better to do a SWOT Analysis. SWOT Analysis of Nokia Corporation Strengths of Nokia Corporation Well equipped research and development department. World’s first GSM call was made from a Nokia instrument. Largest manufacturer of mobile phones with manufacturing facilities in not less than 15 countries worldwide. Largest marketing network. Follows the ‘Diverse Workforce Management’ policy. Nokia products are marketed in not less than 160 countries worldwide. Nokia has a strong financial base. Better re-sale value as compared to other brands. Weaknesses of Nokia Corporation Profits of the company dropped by almost 40% in the year 2010. In spite of global presence, Nokia Corporation does not have specific presence in the United States of America. The same is the case in Japan though the reason is greater competition from local brands such as Panasonic, Sharp etc. In India Nokia has an appreciable presence but the after sales service is not up to the mark. Some of Nokia’s products are not compatible with the available software. Pricewise, Nokia mobiles are costly as compared to Chinese mobiles. Opportunities of Nokia Corporation Nokia Corporation entered into a joint venture with Germany’s Siemens and as such now there are greater opportunities for the company to expand in the hitherto neglected European markets. Nokia has specific presence in t he Asia Pacific region and it is encouraging that this particular market is one of the fastest growing ones. Nokia mobiles are stylish and colourful. This feature is liked by the younger generation. There is tremendous scope for Nokia in developing countries. There is an incessant growth in the telecommunication industry. Threats of Nokia Corporation Due to the launch of several Chinese brands, Nokia’s monopoly in the mobile market has started to diminish. Other brands like Apple etc. have introduced mobiles with better and more user-friendly software. Due to a variety of choices available in the market, customers have more and better options. Past, Present and Future Position of Nokia Corporation Nokia Corporation ruled the mobile market for about 14 years but due to its not paying attention to the emerging competition from brands like Apple and Samsung, there has been a drastic drop in its sales. Initially, Nokia provided its customers with value for their money. Nokia h andsets were considered to have the latest technology. When Apple introduced the Android phones, Nokia did not suffer much because the Android phones were meant for high-end customers whereas Nokia phones were meant for the masses. But unfortunately, the different models launched by Nokia had only some minor changes and since the customers wanted something different, Nokia started losing ground.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During this period, Samsung also launched its Android phone but with a difference and at a lesser price. â€Å"All these factors created an opening for Samsung which gave the public exactly what they wanted – variety of prices in the smart phone segment, with touch screens, with android and with fabulous marketing plan† (Bhasin, 2012). As a result, Samsung took over the number one position in mobile phones and it is expected to be there until Nokia Corporation comes up with some innovative features in its mobile phones. Following is a table depicting the comparison of sale of mobiles using different operating systems: â€Å"Looking at the present scenario, Nokia has started to make efforts to enter smart phone market by collaborating with Microsoft and bring its smart phones to the market, with Nokia Lumia 800 being the recent one in the stable† (Raina, 2011). Market share of Nokia According to Gartner, â€Å"Nokia’s share of the mobile phone market dropped to 25 percent in the first quarter of 2011, the lowest for 14 years, down from 30.6 percent at the same time last year† (as cited in Globaltimes, 2011). Talking about Nokia’s market position, Gartner further reported that â€Å"It is still ranking well ahead of second place Samsung, which holds 16 percent, followed by LG in third with 5.6 percent, Apple in fourth with 3.9 percent and RIM with 3.0 percent† (as cited in Globaltimes, 2011). Alex Webb reported that â€Å"Nokia, the world’s biggest mobile phone maker, reported that first-quarter profit fell as it continued to lose market share to competitors† (Webb, 2011). Target Market of Nokia Initially, Nokia did not pay much attention to the European and the US markets but as mentioned earlier in the paper, it entered into a joint venture with Germany’s Siemens and as such now there are greater opportunities for the company to expand in the hitherto neglected European markets. But the main area that Nokia is paying attention is the Asia-Pacific region, to be more specific, India and China. Both these are developing countries and as such there is a lot of potential in these markets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nokia Corporation Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Marketing Strategy and Strategic Marketing Plan of Nokia â€Å"Nokia has un veiled a ‘youthful’ and ‘revitalised’ marketing strategy, using the internal strap line ‘live adventure everywhere’ for the launch of its debut windows phone devices as it looks to reclaim its position at the top of the smart phone market† (O’Reilly, 2011). The following are the main points of Nokia’s marketing strategy (Source: www.authorstream.com). Focused on handset manufacture only Enhance product portfolio Increase distribution channels Adjust preferences for specific markets Customer satisfaction Focused on replacement Increase commitment to emerging market Improve collaboration on designs Ensure accountability and quality Aggressive pricing (Source: www.authorstream.com) Nokia’s strategy is to â€Å"Create irresistible solutions through vibrant ecosystems with our partners, user experience at the heart of all we execute, intensify pulse on consumer needs, bringing the best devices to all markets, smart cont ext aware services with people places† (Nokia, 2009). Analysis of Samsung and Apple â€Å"Midway through the fourth quarter earnings season, it’s becoming apparent that while Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) had a record breaking quarter with 37 million iPhone sales and Samsung did nearly as well, most other handset makers are struggling or facing stagnation† (Goldstein, 2012). Goldstein further suggests that â€Å"Analysts point to the unique attributes that have buoyed Apple and Samsung, including their access to components, scale, brand recognition and overall product execution† (Goldstein, 2012). One of the major advantages that these two companies have is that all the components are manufactured indigenously. Both the companies have invested huge amounts in their research and development programmes. Another advantage that these two companies have is the instant delivery of products in the markets. Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy range have creat ed a brand name of their own. Key competitive factors between Nokia, Apple and Samsung For comparison purpose, we shall consider the latest models of each company i.e. Nokia’s Lumia 800, Apple’s iPhone 4S and Samsung’s Galaxy S2. Factor Nokia Lumia 800 Apple iPhone 4S Samsung Galaxy S2 Winner Design Basic design of Nokia N9. The material used is polycarbonate that makes the body light weight. Almost similar to that of iPhone 4 but there have been major improvements in the downloading speed. Designed sleekly with only one button (the home key). Samsung Galaxy S2 Screen 3.7 inches, clear black OLED screen, Gorilla glass 4.3 inches, AMOLED plus technology 3.5 inches, retina display, Samsung Galaxy S2 and Apple iPhone 4S Camera 8 MP 8 MP 8.1 MP Samsung Galaxy S2 Processor Qualcomm MSM8255 Dual core A5 1.2 GHz dual core AARM Cortex A9 iPhone 4S Battery 1450 mAh. 265 hours standby with 2G and 335 hours standby with 3G Li-Ion Li-Ion 1650. 710 hours standby with 2G and 601 hours standby with 3G Samsung Galaxy S2 and iPhone 4S Price (without contract) $699 $749 $600 Samsung Galaxy S2 Conclusion The chart clearly shows that Samsung Galaxy 2S is the clear winner based on most of the factors. If Nokia wants to retain its top most position, it has to work hard on various aspects such as pricing, innovation, customer satisfaction, after-sales service etc. The management of Nokia Corporation has to evolve a long term business strategy and implement it religiously. It’s beyond doubts that Nokia is a giant company and can sustain the competition in a healthy manner.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The brand Nokia has been the favourite of consumers since long and an emotional bond has been created. It’s only that new and innovative products have entered the mobile market that people have diverted their attention. But if Nokia maintains the innovation that it has shown in Lumia 800, the time is not far when Nokia will retain the top-most position. The only thing required is positive approach and value for money to the end-users. References Bhasin, H. (2012). Nokia loses its top position after 14 years to Samsung. Retrieved from marketing91.com/nokia-loses-top-position-14-years-samsung/ Datamonitor. (2011). Nokia Corporation – SWOT Analysis. Retrieved from researchandmarkets.com/research/e2b6c5/nokia_corporation Globaltimes. (2011). Nokia’s share of market slips down to 25%: Gartner. Retrieved from globaltimes.cn/business/world/2011-05/657066.html Goldstein, P. (2012). Analysis: Why Apple and Samsung are killing it in the smart phone market. Retrieved from fiercewireless.com/story/analysis-why-apple-and-samsung-are-killing-it-smartphone-market/2012-01-27 Nokia. (2009). Nokia’s vision of the future. Retrieved from nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/About_Nokia/Company/Vision_and_Strategy/pdf/NokiaStrategy10.pdf Nokia. (n.d.). The Nokia Story. Retrieved from nokia.com/global/about-nokia/company/about-us/story/the-nokia-story/ O’Reilly, L. (2011). Nokia reveals youthful global marketing strategy. Retrieved from marketingweek.co.uk/nokia-reveals-youthful-global-marketing-strategy/3031339.article Raina, R. (23012). Why Nokia lost its market share. Retrieved from marketing91.com/nokia-lost-market-share/ Webb, A. (2011). Nokia profit declines as market share falls. Retrieved from telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/8466235/Nokia-profit-declines-as-market-share-falls.html