Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Human Resource Management Practices Essay

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Human Resource Management Practices - Essay Example Organizational support With talented employees Mandarin Oriental Bangkok provides them with an opportunity to experience working aboard at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. Work environment There is a locker room with toilet and shower for both male and female employee.Uniforms and suits are provided by the hotel. There is laundry service for all employees’ uniform and suits. All restaurant equipment provided by the hotel.There are employees’ areas to hang out there before/after work or during break-time, which consist of cafà ©, library, computer room, sitting areas and flat screen TV with Play Station 4 in the living area. Thai customs are applied throughout the hotel, which is the purpose of showing respect between employees. Flexibility The hotel understands employees who have children and allows them to have adjustable work hours to meet their preferred time or have split shift if they needed to. The hotel allows employees to use their public holiday and annual vacatio n usually this depending on the seasonality. In some serious or important the case HR manager will decide upon the case and will inform the employee of the result. Internal and External Factors Analysis The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is a multinational organization that invests in and manages a chain of luxury hotels, resorts as well as residences all over Europe, Asia, and America. This paper analyses and evaluates both internal and external factors in relation to the Human Resource Management practices at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

Marketing analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing analysis - Essay Example Information provided mainly helps a firm to make decisions on fields such as purchases, expansion or contraction of work force, inventory, promotional activities and expansion of facilities among other important fields that require decision making process in an organization. From this perspective, market analysis is useful to any organization because it acts as a guide through to how activities will be carried out in the firm. Without this process of analyzing the market, a company is not in a position to make decisions and know what products to distribute in the market. It is the demand in the market that guides firms on what to produce this means market analysis is of importance to every firm since the aim of a firm is to make sales and earn profits rather than experience loss. Marketing research is important in decision making as it plays some roles in the system of marketing. Marketing research is part of the intelligence feedback procedure of marketing. This research process hel ps to provide information used by decision makers to help them make necessary changes in regards to the situation of the market mix. Marketing research also acts as a means for carrying out exploration of new opportunities. In this case, new product research and segmentation research help to identify the most profitable opportunities in the market place (MacDaniel, 5). It is therefore; clear that market research is useful as managers of different companies undertake this process so that they can make decisions on how to run their daily activities. This is a process that provides information on the situation of the market making it possible for managers to know the changes of demand in the market for them to change their supply rates. This implies that companies that use market research technique as a guide are able to avoid surplus production meaning they always produce what is needed in the market and in the correct amounts to avoid wastage and loss. There are various dimensions th at are usually included in the nature and content of analyzing a market. According to Aaker these dimensions are: Submarkets that are emerging The definite and prospective size of the market and submarket. The growth of markets and submarkets. Profitability of the markets. The structural cost. Nature of distributing systems. Changes in developments and trends, The major success factors. The major success details. These are the dimensions that are mostly used in the modern society market to identify opportunities, strategic uncertainties and threats that are there in the markets so as to control production for the betterment of the company (Aaker, 61). BIOTOP is an Austrian company offering Natural Swimming Pool services. These services were initiated in Austria and have with time been extended to other parts including nations outside Austria. There has been significant growth in this industry since it was initiated, as many companies offering the same type of services have been deve loped. With the development of these other companies it is clear that this BIOTOP Company faces competition. This essay will major on providing information on analysis of competitors of BIOTOP companies in the Unites States market. The two major competing companies that will be discussed in the essay are BioNova and Gartenart companies. One among the many companies that compete against BIOTOP

An Environmental Analysis Of eBay

An Environmental Analysis Of eBay The eBay is involved in internet auctions; it has been the most successful company in electronic auction that hosts more than 25 million sellers all over the world. Due to its reputation as a leading e-commerce company, it is the most competitive company. This company has come a long way since its inception by Pierre Omidyar in 1995, it was originally known as Auction Web, it faced a big challenge from its first sale of a broken laser pointer but now its web page leads in advertisements of diverse array of goods. This is a comprehensive business strategy for eBays e-business initiative in a detailed report form for the eBays CEO. It explains the value proposition and analysis of the company, on top of core competences that the company posses. The report continues explaining about the analysis of markets and evaluation trends of business in terms of competitive forces of potters five forces. The study explains the challenges that are faced within information and communication globally, as eBay business becomes global with certain stresses on the main processes of business, and systems like customer relationship customers, acknowledgement that is already in systems of legacy. Nevertheless, ICT infrastructure, efficient use integration of B2B, on top of security and standards. The risks that are involved during development stage, mainly concentrates on technical development of product requirements, as well as problems dealing with finances. The chances of market monopolization due to factors like customer test change amongst others. The major objective that the business might have included; keeping owners comfortable, raising the sales growth for the business survival; enabling the survival of the market at the beginning of and during the hard moments. Another objective might be maximizing the profits, to ensure that the business is supported. The critical success factors that the study found were: raising quality of products and production rates; promoting products and efficient service delivery and designing advanced strategies of advertising for revenue boost via increasing the sales. The study found that, the costs incurred by the business at the start of the business includes; cost for technology, technological development costs, consultation fee expenses, piloting training costs, running costs self advancement cost, among other costs. The benefits enjoyed include; improved cash flows, revenue increase, communication among other advantages mentioned in the report. The current situation has exposed the business to a very much competitive market with other e-commerce companies like the Amazon, followed by a decrease in the customer preferences with most customers preferring for goods with fixed prices rather than auctioned goods. The eBay auction company has therefore to make efforts to maintain its initial position in the market. The eBay company has major achievements that when restructured will help it to propel further and achieve its former glory. In 2008 its marketplace segment managed to generate over $ 5.5 billion as compared to 4.8 million which was generated a decade back in 1998. It has thousands of people that depend on it for their merchandise. The three year revival plan that was aimed at creating an array of comprehensively structured marketplaces to effectively capture the customer demand by locating them at one online spot. The adjustment of the fee structure to accommodate those sellers with fixed prices. The adjustment of the search ordering system to enable first appearance of the highly rated merchants. Embracing of new technologies such as Skype to increase communication over the internet. The efforts towards expansion of the services through the acquisition of websites such as the stubHub that is involved in ticket selling and the prostores that enables creation of the online stores. An Environmental analysis of eBay Company Analysis and Value Proposition The eBay company has been operating internet auction for a long time. The company has risen to higher height following the internet action business. It made it t mushroom to a very big company dealing with electronic marketing over the world. Pierre Omidyar found it in 1995 and at that time, it was known as Auction Web, deriving its name from its function. It now sells a wide range of goods and it has risen to the top clime of the business world to become on of the most recognizable and well-known web sites. The company has found its revenue grow ten times in a decade in the United State rising from $4.8 million to $5.5 billion between 1998 to 2008. This was realized from selling merchandised goods. This represents a great growth meaning the company has a great market share. The company has made very many people to support themselves by selling through the eBay while a couple of them use the business service to supplement their income (Reaves, 2003). Its value to people is seen by getting the way it has been visited. It emerged to be the most visited site at 2008 on the web. Value Proposition The company is able to embrace change to ensure that it realizes its goals. For example, the company in 2009 first quarter revenue went down and required a great intervention. The customers preferring fixed priced retailers brought made the eBay company to lose badly. Most of the customers opted a more simple buying technique that did not involve such things as bidding that took most of their time. They also experience a great pressure from their competitors, as there emerged so many online sellers making most of the buyers to consider the auction technique obsolete. Therefore, in pursuit of reviving their business they decided to uphold change brought by the customers demand. They started an online fixed price sale and started coming out of the auction part. They also made this more competitive by centralizing the sale system by ensuring comprehensive market place array through their systems (Tatnall, 2007). The company also was able to embrace change by moving its business by joining secondary market that offers overstock method. The Companys Core Competencies Finance The company has a very strong background. This is generated from the revenues it collects from its daily functions. The company collects a lot of revenue from fees and commissions associated with sales made. The revenues come from the direct advertising site while others are from the end to end service providers. The finance e gotten is made to expand the company globally with a lot of ease. This makes the company to stand at a competitive edge in carrying their daily services that requires finance. Advanced Technology The company has provided the small scale retailers with end to end service using PayPal that enhances business transaction through the eBay. This site helps to impose several types of fees on these sellers that include posting and collection fee of unsold items. They also adjusted their eBay search ordering system to ensure that the highly rated merchants were the one who appears first to ensure that they receive more exposure. The system used a very complicated formula that ensures item price is linked with the buyer and offered them a place to rank the seller according to the customers satisfaction. The technology they have has seen their smaller sellers of unique goods that have in the past successive. The investor supported the move very much making the company to have a great move to the right direction as far as expansion is concerned. Provision of Incentives The company adjusted their payments towards the provision of their service to their sellers. This move was made to cut across the board with no group benefiting than the other. The is made the company to gain more popularity as more sellers were able to access the market through the service provide by the company, hence fast expansion. Market analysis and trends Evaluation of the business in terms of Porters competitive forces model. According to the company, the market analysis can be made by use of the five porters forces. The analysis assumes that there five forces that are important in determining the competitive power of the business (Mindtools, 2010). The first one is the supplier power. The company has inclined their services to the fixed price suppliers ensuring that they narrow their suppliers to small group thus ensuring that they have stronger business suppliers. They have used the technology that they have to ensure that they are able to connect the suppliers with the customers. The suppliers are made to have power as they are made to choose between the prices that have been placed for the marketing purposes. The next one is the buyer power. The company are able to help the buyers to get in touch with the suppliers and to made then to have a platform that ensure them they are able to rate the sellers according to the price of the item they offer. This helps the suppliers to lower the prices of the products that they are selling trough the buyers intervention. Therefore, the company is able to control a wide market range through this process. Competitive Rivalry The eBay company has experienced competition rivalry from different company that offers the same service thus making them to have a decrease in the market share. They have tried to counter this by providing the services that the customers require after ensuring that they have realized this. They have changed their business target by introducing a fixed price platform to ensure that apart from the auction system, they are capable of having another faster means of business. This has made the company to start being revived. Threat of substitution is another force that the company has to deal with to ensure that the customers are not a threat to them by providing similar service. The companies are able to work with very high technology to ensure that the customers are not able to imitate them. They also have centralizing their business system to ensure that they are able to control their business and their top company secret kept a bay from the customers access. Threat of a new entry is another force that the company has to fight with to ensure that people do not interfere with the market. They have strengthened their technology making their market share a little bit firms. Technology and ICT System The companys ICT sector has done well as they are able to change it with a lot of ease. The interaction between the businesses to business has been working well as their are able to interact very well. The suppliers very easily making their ICT sector to be the best when it was started in 1995 have assimilated the technology that they have made over the years. The company has made sure that the security of the buyers and the sellers are entitled through the proper use of security (Quickmba, 2010). They have been able to maintain this over the years through a complex and multiple technology use. By integration of such technology, they have been very competitive. Value Proposition The company is able to embrace change to ensure that it realizes its goals. For example, the company in 2009 first quarter revenue went down and required a great intervention. The customers preferring fixed priced retailers brought made the eBay company to lose badly. Most of the customers opted a more simple buying technique that did not involve such things as bidding that took most of their time. They also experience a great pressure from their competitors, as there emerged so many online sellers making most of the buyers to consider the auction technique obsolete. Therefore, in pursuit of reviving their business they decided to uphold change brought by the customers demand. They started an online fixed price sale and started coming out of the auction part. They also made this more competitive by centralizing the sale system by ensuring comprehensive market place array through their systems (Tatnall, 2007). The company also was able to embrace change by moving its business by joining secondary market that offers overstock method. Business Plan Risks The risks during the development stage will usually center on technical development of the product, marketing, personnel requirements, and financial problems. By identifying and addressing each of the perceived risks during the development period, you will allay some of your major fears concerning the project and those of investors as well, (Dictionary, reference. 2011) The Opportunities and Objectives Opportunities The opportunity to monopolize the market by influencing the Changing customer tastes. The Liberation of customer preferences to increase the number of stable and potential customers. Utilization of the Technological advancement to expand the business through acquisition of more internet service delivery. Utilization of the Change in customer preferences to improve the eBay reputation. Objectives To enable the market survival at the initial start up time and during the hard times like the market or at a time of crisis. The aim of the owners and the shareholders to maximize the Profits to be supported. To keep the owners comfortable by making enough profit. To increase the sales growth to enable the survival of the business Critical Success Factors Increase in Product quality and production rates Improvement on the Distribution channel s. Setting of fair and competitive Prices Promotion of the products and the services delivery. Design the advanced Advertisement strategies to boost the revenues through increased sales. Cost and benefits (ROI) Cost Costs for technology produce an e-commerce website which requires high speed connections onto the Internet, develop a web server, and its software.  The costs of the payment systems is among other costs that are relevant, This is irrespective of whether it is by taking the online payments directly from the Societys web sites or from an alternative third-party agent such as the Pay pal or from a more expensive service like the use of an online bank. The technological development Costs. This might involve several programmers who can be able to make an interpretation of eBay functional requirements and the programs or create the companys website.   The Costs incurred for the consultancy support through design and the implementation the services of specialists in e-commerce will be required in especially in the design and the implementations to guide the eBay management through this process. Costs due to the organization for the piloting training. In the process of the technological development of the website, it is a good idea for one to allow the administration staff to be using the system on almost a daily basis to pilot the systems as part of a training initiative. The Running costs These are mainly the upkeep of the web server and its maintenance costs. The Running costs for change process This involves the costs which factors in for the employees of eBay company to train and adapt to newly introduced technology, mainly some of the strategies that will be used to make the changes as smooth as possible. Self Advertisement. In addition to the eBay chance to be on the Internet it would result in the familiarity to the responses to the emails, the queries, and the complaints that requires the instantatious or very quick responses as it is opposed to the replies to the Customer/Client via letters. To successed online, the eBay company must address the issue of Change Management so that it incorporates into its business, processes which will enable the guiding of the company so that it can successfully maximize its Internet effectiveness.   The Financial Benefits Improve Cash flow The Online payments results into the lead-time in receiving the payments for the memberships within the same day of application.   E-enabling all the membership processes is not always on the reengineering processes which makes it quicker than before, it results in a very complete overhaul to the previous ways of managing membership.   The E-enabled application and payments are always made online.   On the completion of the application, the documentation is quickly sent via the email to the members therefore adding on the value by cutting down the waiting time. It also saves when it comes on the printing and the postage for the Society.   Even if when the member has no email address, the documentation is still available for downloading for those registered members on the web site. The Increase in the Revenues The Internet increases the volume of the members thereby increasing on the total revenues that are collected as fees or commission on goods that are sold. Non-financial benefits Communication The direct email marketing incurs very little or no costs when it is compared with the traditional direct mail marketing.   The direct email marketing always allows for the flexibility of sending the companys message either day or night, as they want. Transparency The Website for Information Management allows the membership process to be completely transparent.   Management will be in a position to know: The total number of members Members in need of renewing their membership Members with arrears on membership fees   The Total number of the members and the accredited members The Forecast towards the expected revenue to be generated in advance by looking at the historic monthly revenues that have been generated. Exposure The availability of the Internet implies that eBay becomes a global Business as a result of the exposure.   This attracts the potential members internationally.   The use of the Web to sell eBays products eliminates the physical boundaries the customer base.   The Customers all over the world can easily search, find out and purchase the products on the eBay products online. Wider Considerations During the signing up process of the prospective members for membership, personal data is being provided.   The provided data includes; the members name, the full address, and the credit card details.   Implementation Plan Objectives Secure a stead market and be to carry out the business global within a year. Sign up more than 3 million customers all over the world within the first three years of operations. To increase the number of business websites to 10 within the first year. Tasks Secure new markets worldwide- general sales manager. Obtain licenses and permits legal executive. Set up regional blog on the websites project manager. Begin recruiting customers sales manager. Create marketing collateral marketing manager. Solicit referrals from clients relationship manager. Tasks Resource allocation Time allocation Progress Secure new markets worldwide. sales manager 3 months 100% Obtain licenses and permits. legal executive I month 100% Set up regional blog on websites. project manager 6months 50% Begin recruiting customers. sales manager 1 year 20% Create marketing collateral. marketing manager 1 year 20% Solicit referrals from clients. relationship manager I month 100% Strategies for assessing the e-Business initiative Balanced Scorecard for eBay Scorecard Balanced Areas for Measures Strategic Objective Measure Metric Target Year 1 Financial a)Raise the customer retention. Business ability to retain the customers. Customer. high b)Grow the business by focusing on customers. Bring in more revenues from each customer Customer. high c)Increase profitability range. Improve the overall profitability range of the company to over 70%. profitability range. ↑70% d)To increase competence level of the business. competitive level of the business will be raised to the highest level. competence level. high Customer value perspective a)To prioritize customer needs and value. The customer needs and value will be highly appreciated. customer needs. High appreciation b)To raise the customer retention/turn over. The customer retention ability of the business will be raised to the maximum of 90%. customer retention ability. ↑90% c)Enhance the customer satisfaction. Satisfaction of loyal customers to be enhanced customer satisfaction. Enhanced Process or Internal operations perspective. a)Initiate a strong measure of process performance Initiate a strong measure of process performance to increase overall efficiency by 80% this financial year. process performance 80% b)To increase productivity. Formulate policies of the business to increase productivity. Productivity. increased c)To improve the operation metrics of the business Operation metrics of the business will be improved to the highest standards within the consecutive series of three years. highest standards. high Learning and growth perspective. a)Increase the technological innovations Increase the technological innovations of the employees to by encouraging experimentation and creativity. experimentation and creativity. Increase b)Optimize the company s workforce Optimize the workforce by reducing the overall turnover from 17 to 13% by the end of the financial year. Overall turnover. ↓17% c)Mentor organizational culture. organizational culture will be mentored towards increment of the productivity by implementing SMART goals. Increment of the productivity Increment Major revenues are derived from the fees and the commissions obtained from the sales transactions, partly the advertisements on the sites and the end t end kind of service provision as that of paypal. The eBay requires heavy financial investments in the range of over $100 that should enable it maintain a stable position over the market place and gain the advantage over its competitors like the Amazon retailers who have successfully gained monopoly of services such as the sale of goods with fixed prices, which is advantageous over the traditional means such as auctioning. The required finances can be sourced from the financial institutions in the form of a loan. These finances can be used to upgrade the achievements of the business. Web site Analysis of eBay EBay needs to develop the analytics for analyzing web site performance. This will be used for the purpose of taking measurements, gathering, analysis and reporting internet data for the reason of optimizing the web usage. Apart from being a tool of being measuring website traffic, it can also be used both in business and market research. Their application can enable eBay to take out come of traditional print campaign of advertising. It wills also helping traffic elimination to the web to the change of website after launch of advertising campaigns that is new. It will provide eBay with data on the number of visitors page views and so on, that is used to gauge popularity and traffic trends which help when carry out market research., (Sterne, 2002) Being one the analytics categories, off-site web measurements and analysis regardless of being ones own or for the web maintains, takes them 5 weeks. Among them, is the measurement potential audience website; visibility or share of voices; and lastly the buzz or comments that is happening as a whole on the internet. On the other hand, on-site web analytics can be used to measure the journey of visitors refer to the web site. This involves the conversions and drivers in the contexts, for example, the landing pages that provide encouragement to people to buy. On-site we analytics measure the performance of eBays website in a context that is commercial. Typically this data is compared against indicators of key performances for performance analysis. In addition, it is used in improving a site on a web, or audience campaign response. In the history, web analytics have been used to refer to on-site visitor measurement. On the other hand, in the past recent years, this factor has been blurr ed, mainly because; vendors are ending up producing tools the both categories get spanned, (Srinivasan, 2001). Analysis Recommendations EBays Web Site Redevelopment, EBay Company needs to redevelop its web to brand, market and sell well in the market. As an effect, it is much imperative for eBay to redesign its web, to attract new leads and product sale. The company needs to use new software tiles as well as tools of programming for the enhancement of functionality and look web pages. It needs to incorporate AJAX programming technology, or in other words, the technology suits. This technology incredibly creates responsive web pages that tend to be dynamic. This in addition combines valuable tools of programming and languages for the formation of one mega-tool that enables smoother communication between end users and the servers of the web. This program in general will provide the following advantages; this will make eBay enjoy almost zero delay services between user interface and web servers, as it eliminate the need of page refreshing. In the process of minimizing communication between user interface and web server, it saves server bandwidth whi le enhancing server functioning. As an effect, it reduces the workload on the server. This takes them 1 month.( Mybestratedwebhosting, 2011) Though their acquisition programs have proved to be much successful, they still have a responsibility of creating a synergy will intend and diversify will detract the eBay from the core business, auction. Though, the management is maintaining that this format of hosting fixed-price by retailers who tend to be reliable, makes shopping to be friendlier to customers and much predictable. However, the fact remains that, this format is diluting eBays brand and reputation as a flea market that is dynamic. As a fact, other than economic problems, its stock has tanked down. This will lead to an increase in eBays site traffic. Since the Skype business is not working well, the company needs to resale it. The objective of Skype was for buyers and sellers to chart about their transactions; however, the expectation was never realized. This is because, though eBay spend about $2.5 billion, it only collect only apportion of that initial cost. Outsourcing of ICT Infrastructure and Services Delivery eBay company needs to maximize savings through ICT use. This will make service delivery much efficient and effective. Under the raising pressure from the budget, back office departments that support PayPal service is supposed to cut their expenses for the preservation of front office services. Simultaneously, they are needed to provide extra solutions and services that tend to assist in unlocking savings across the company. The delivery of efficient services will reduce the operating expenses, add value from rationalize investment, greater accessibility to knew experiences and skills, and lastly, increasing efficiency of IT department will enable IT staff more under similar time frame. As an effect, this will lead to a conflict that will lead to the problem of altering main priorities, gaps ability, and directly influences core service delivery. When solving such like conflict, the needs to outsource back office departments, Swanson. 2007. This recommendation will take them one year due to contract applications this takes an approximate of 6 weeks A part from providing security, the outsourced company will provide management of ICT infrastructures. This will help eBay firm built reliability, confidence and trust much quickly. This is because; eBay will concentrate on their core business their customers. As an effect of outsourcing, the outsourced company will provide flexible services that will tent to meet eBays needs. Having deep technical expertise, eBay will also be provided with high standards of quality services that are based on respect and mutual respect. IT Staffing Requirements The company needs to come up with it staffing requirements to that will tend to support their new initiatives and its global expansion and online delivery. This is because; the IT staffing requirements are in most cases dictated by the responsibility of IT within the company. It should never base on region, size of the industry, industry among other metrics that are similar. The two most significant parameters are the technological complexity of the company, and the IT department scope. The IT staffing requirements was to be based on what will lead to effective and efficient performances of the individual procedure. In the current world, IT staffing requirements varies depending on local practices; for instance, federal, state, and locals. Generally, the standards have just been generalized that; the staff should be enough in number with far much appropriate training and supervision. Both education and training levels might also vary, including registered IT engineers, licensed practical engineers, as well as unlicensed practical assistance personnel. Support services for eBay The firm needs to develop support services for eBay and its world wide expansion and online delivery. The company is supposed to develop parts compatibility gatherings. This improves significance and freeing up of items, on top of explaining in details. The eBay product service support consists of product API and product Metadata products that help in listing support parts compatibility. The product information has calls that return product information. It assists in identifying products that have been associated with compatibilities. This product API gets application compatibility for products, based on their specification; they also find products for the category that is specified, and lastly, gets all available details of compatible details for the products described. On the other hand, eBay needs to implement product Metadata for the return of specified categories. It collects all possible values for multiple property compatibility, among other functions, (Developer program. 2011 ). International legal and ethical issues The company needs to consider international legal and ethical issues. eBay needs to notify users of their partnership with law enforcers. It is on blotter of p

Hamlet †its Universality :: The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays

Hamlet – its Universality  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   What secrets of dramatic genius underpin the universal acceptance of Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet so long after its composition?    Harold Bloom in the Introduction to Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet explains one very solid basis for the universal appeal of this drama -- the popular innovation in characterization made by the Bard:    Before Shakespeare, representations in literature may change as they speak, but they do not change because of what they say. Shakespearean representation turns upon his persons listening to themselves simultaneously with our listening, and learning and changing even as we learn and change. Falstaff delights himself as much as he delights us, and Hamlet modifies himself by studying his own modifications. Ever since, Falstaff has been the inescapable model for nearly all wit, and Hamlet the paradigm for all introspection. (3)    Another feature of the play is that the Bard presents characters which are lifelike and with whom the audience can identify. William Hazlitt comments in â€Å"Characters of Shakespear's Plays† on Prince Hamlet: It is we who are Hamlet.[. . .] he who has felt his mind sink within him, and sadness cling to his heart like a malady, who has had his hopes blighted and his youth staggered by the apparitions of strange things; who cannot well be at ease, while he sees evil hovering near him like a spectre; whose powers of action have been eaten up by thought, he to whom the universe seems infinite, and himself nothing; whose bitterness of soul makes him careless of consequences [. . .] -- this is the true Hamlet. (74-75)    Brian Wilkie and James Hurt in Literature of the Western World conclude that the Bard’s â€Å"sharply etched characters,† representing universal types, are the secret of his amazingly broad appeal (2155-56). The â€Å"sharply etched characters† involve a heterogeneity. Harry Levin in the General Introduction to The Riverside Shakespeare explains:      Universal as his attraction has been, it is best understood through particulars.[. . .] The book-learning that Shakespeare displays here and there is far less impressive, in the long run, than his fund of general information. His frame of reference is so far-ranging, and he is so concretely versed in the tricks of so many trades, that lawyers have written to prove he was trained in the law, sailors about his expert seamanship, naturalists upon his botanizing, and so on throughout the professions.

Amazon Case Syudy

AMAZON. COM Q. 1: A. Analyze Amazon. com using the competitive forces and value chain models. Five competitive forces shape fate of firm According to Porter's Five Forces Model, in my opinion, competition has increased overall as a result of the internet and e-Commerce. The internet and IT has made it possible to both focus on the top and bottom lines and market share is expanded and costs are cut. Many products and services exist just online, major companies have gone online to successfully augment the brick and mortar corporations, and the playing field is all the way to edges of cyberspace, wherever that is Traditional competitors Amazon has strong competitors like online retailing stores and a large number of physical stores(Books, Grocery,Electronics,Video games etc). Examples : Barnes & Noble, Inc. , Wal-Mart. com USA, LLC (privately held), Catalog & Mail Order Houses High – As search engines are becoming the first choice for consumers when shopping on-line e. g. Google. This increases the opportunities for other retailers. High – There is an increasing amount of dotcom companies due to the little capital needed to start up. Smaller niche affiliate online stores when combined create even more competition New market entrants Threat of new entrants is high when it is easy for new competition to enter the market. As the technology is increasing and facilitating the businesses more and more so it is becoming easier for any business to start online retailing operations. Low – For online established retailers a strong brand image generates consumer trust. Low – Economies of scale – Retailers that have refined technology and processes and are able to buy in bulk can offer the lowest prices. This is a major competitive advantage as there is much choice online. Low – Strong experience in the online retail industry gives e-retailers advantages in terms of cost and customer loyalty. High – Capital requirement entry is a low for online businesses’ as cost of lease premises is minimal. Substitute products and services High – Physical stores and touch, feel, hear factors. High – Renting products online instead of buying them is increasing in popularity. This is a major concern for Amazon in their book sales as online retailers such as Textbookflix. com and BookRenter. com are providing much cheaper options than buying. High – The internet is a â€Å"Global Market†, consumers can substitute any product by purchasing from companies overseas where products are cheaper, but of good quality. Low – Catalogue/mail order although not as popular still a substitute to online buying. Customers/Buyers High – There is a large variety of online shops and comparison websites to compare best prices. Buyer power is higher when buyers have more choices. Businesses are forced to add value to their products and services to get loyalty. Many loyalty programs include excellent services that customers demand on-line. Customers want to solve their problems and many times they are more successful on-line than on-phone. Also, we see internet savvy businesses springing up offering more valuable goods and services at lower costs. Now with the advent of eBay, many people are assuming roles as drop shippers. Individuals can have a thriving business selling goods of larger companies without having to carry inventory. Suppliers Low – For standardized products that are easily available supplier power will be low. High – Specialized products and brands increase switching costs for buyers so the suppliers have higher power. With Amazon products such as the Harry Potter books are exclusive from publisher. High – Online shops making it easier for publishers/ brands to sell directly to consumers without a third party (e. g. Blackwell’s), suppliers may not need Amazon. High – If there is a concentration of suppliers for certain products in the industry rather than fragmented. Low – Global shipping has increased the amount of suppliers available. Value Chain The value chain analysis undertaken examines the operational effectiveness of activities that enable Amazon. om to perform better than its competitors. Amazon. com configures its value chain activities to create unique value for customers, reduce its costs of carrying out these activities and reduce the cost of its customers’ transactions. SUPPORT ACTIVITIES Firm Infrastructure Huge central customer data warehouse available to all business units. Central planning function. Amazon. com has a single Technology platform wi th services being incrementally distributed to other worldwide locations, thus reducing costs by leveraging investments. Human Resource Management Amazon. om offers employees unique benefits such as medical, paid time off and stock grants and relocation allowances. Such a strategy means warehouses could be located in economically cheaper areas yet these benefits can attract highly skilled workers. For example in Kentucky, Amazon. com offers a decent rate of pay of about $11 – $12 thus reducing cost of labour. Amazon. com sources expertise from highly experienced workers from other competitors such as Walmart. Technology Development High investments in technology development to leverage new but unknown opportunities in digital sales of music, books and videos. For example being able to quickly digitize media for direct online sales/download or for â€Å"Search inside the book† service. Using standard hardware systems from HP to reduce cost of maintenance and compatibility Building an IT strategy, IT infrastructure and Data Centre on Linux open source software thus reducing cost of technology development. Renting computing resources to other companies reduce total cost of Ownership Procurement Using the Strategic Business Unit – BookSurge to keep a rich inventory of digital copies of books so as to make this readily available for customers through print-on-demand and reduce time of delivery. Specially built distribution centres, warehouses and fulfillment centres to increase the speed of order processing thus avoiding transaction costs. PRIMARY ACTIVITIES Inbound logistics Highly reduced returns to suppliers (such as unsold books and media) due to available accurate forecasting technology Laseter et al (2000). Efficiently gathering information about customer experiences to inform service inputs and inventory controls. Operations Easy and fast payment systems Online customer contact and feedback. 24hour warehouse operations to meet customer demands. Outbound logistics Close proximity to motorways e. g. UK Fulfilment Centre in Bedfordshire located next to M1. Ability to aggregate orders bound for specific locations. Marketing & Sales Discounts and price reductions made available with suggested product mixes. Similar products recommended to customers interactively. Interactive shipping and parceling price calculations. Free delivery based on single transaction spend. Service Free returns policy within 30 days. Uses marketplace to increase channel and range of goods through 3rd parties and customers. Price comparison of new products with used products in marketplace shops. B. How has it responded to pressures from its competitive environment? They responded with a continuous innovation in business strategy and information systems. Its business innovations are all driven by huge investments in information systems. There were three million titles in print, and any one physical bookstore could only stock a fraction of them. A â€Å"virtual† bookstore offers a much larger selection of titles. Amazon. com was able to charge lower prices than physical bookstores because it maintained very little of its own inventory (relying instead on distributors) and did not have to pay for maintaining physical storefronts or a large retail sales staff. Amazon also introduced Amazon. com Auctions (similar to those offered by eBay), and zShops (online storefronts for small retailers). To service these new product lines, Amazon significantly expanded its warehouse and distribution capabilities and hired large numbers of employees. C. How does it provide value to its customers? In 1995, former investment banker Jeff Bezos took advantage of new business opportunities created by the Internet by setting up a Web site to sell books directly to customers online. Amazon. com provided online synopses, tables of contents, and reviews to help with selection. Amazon tried to provide superior customer service through e-mail and telephone customer support, automated order confirmation, online tracking and shipping information, and the ability to pay for purchases with a single click of the mouse using credit card and personal information a customer had provided during a previous purchase. This was called â€Å"1-Click† express shopping, and it made the shopping experience even more convenient. Q. 2: Describe Amazon’s evolving business strategy? Amazon has changed its strategy for the last 13 years. They started from a way to sell books over the internet directly to customers, They offered so many things with time as : a. A much larger selection and lower prices b. Great customer support via telephone and e-mail c. Customer’s ability to connect with real people d. The creation of â€Å"1-click† shopping e. In 1998 began selling music and video products They set a goal of being a biggest virtual retail company. Their scope includes lean inventories, low head count, and significant cost savings over traditional bookstores and other retail competitors. Also in early 2000 they lowered prices, gave free shipping, and offered e-commerce to customers in order to increase profit. They improved their efficiency and became a profitable corporation. Q. 3: Why did the company change its strategy? Amazon kept changing its strategy throughout its existence to compete better. To be a successful player in the market a company especially an online retailer needs to have the ability to adjust according the changing situation of the market. Due to continue adjustments in its business strategy Amazon was able to get profits in less than ten years and getting a continuous profit in the recent years. They changed their strategy timely and in order to keep the company growing they need to change the business strategy according the current market and by keeping in view the competitors. Q. 4: Do you think Amazon can continue to be successful? Explain your answer. Amazon is one of the biggest online retailing company and is famous for providing textbooks and reading materials for purchase. People do not surf on internet in great deal to find another online retailing company because the Amazon has created an image in the minds of the users and they are confident that they will get a great deal at Amazon. Personally I would gladly use Amazon as It has developed a trust level over the years. As for as the success of the Amazon is concerned I think Amazon will keep getting success in the future and they will continue to deliver for their investors. If the senior management is flexible and creative they will be able to adjust in any economic situation. There will always be a great number of students and other people who needs books and other reading materials. Amazon with a good history and good steady revenue and customers also support my point more solid in regards to their continual success.

Assess Nietzsche’s idea of the “Will to Power” Essay

Throughout his works, Friedrich Nietzsche develops a fundamental foundation which forms part of all his other concepts – this is his â€Å"Will to Power.† Being very much the centre of his philosophy, it is an extremely complex concept that has connections to all areas of his ideas, be it ethics, metaphysics or aesthetics. However, it does have several flaws. First of all, it goes against Nietzsche’s perspectivism and outright rejection of metaphysics. Suggesting that an objective metaphysical concept such as the Will to Power exists is tantamount to admitting failure at the first hurdle. Nietzsche never addresses this issue. In addition, the Will to Power as the sole part of life itself seems entirely counter-intuitive. Is it not clear that other things affect our judgment than the desire to overcome all others? He never really explains how the Will to Power is meant to be the ultimate moral goal, either. His philosophy here falls victim to the fact-value gap. Just because life is the Will to Power, it does not necessarily follow that we ought to follow it as our only ambition. The Will to Power is complicated further by Nietzsche’s automatic division of people into â€Å"masters† and â€Å"slaves.† Clearly, the Will to Power can not apply to the slaves, as that would be a contradiction in terms. This makes it extremely difficult to justify that the Will to Power in fact is life itself for everyone. The Will to Power is notoriously hard to define on itself, as it is inherently defined by both its causal principles and the effect of the doctrine itself. Nietzsche describes, in Beyond Good and Evil, a hierarchy of â€Å"drives† which are the core of human existence. Each of these drives is attempting to gain dominance over the other. This relationally constituted structure is the Will to Power. Likewise, every living being is imposing their Will to Power onto others. From this, it would follow that all actions are, in themselves, products of the Will to Power, be it procreation, alimentation or any action at all. No other variables affect our judgment. This, I disagree with. How can Nietzsche explain actions performed against your natural instinct? Yes, I can admit that (in Nietzsche’s view) it is morally wrong, but there is no categorical barrier which stops me from breaking those morals. Clearly, then, all actions cannot be derived from the Will to Power. Nietzsche introduces the Will to Power primarily in opposition to the old Christian values of compassion and piety, which he believes must be â€Å"reversed.† According to Nietzsche, Christians reject the Will to Power and suppress it completely, which in itself seems to contradict his definition of it. Nevertheless, he posits the Will to Power as the ultimate end of any moral system, not just Christianity. All systems of morals are â€Å"a sign-language for the Will to Power.† From these, we can assume that Nietzsche believes that because the Will to Power is life itself, then obviously all morals must also be the Will to Power. This is erroneous. Hume famously illustrated the fact-value gap many hundreds of years before Nietzsche’s time, yet he still seems unable to escape it. It does not follow that because life is the Will to Power, we ought to follow it blindly. Nietzsche never addresses how this is meant to work as an ultimate moral goal – he assumes that life would lead us there. Realistically, I don’t think this is reasonable. Quite clearly, our instincts do not always tell us to follow the Will to Power religiously, even in the animal kingdom (where perhaps we observe a more pure form of the instinct) where creatures have shown to be compassionate and willing to submit. Drawing from the Will to Power, Nietzsche posits his philosophical ideas. These are positive expressions of the Will to Power: the rejection of objectivity; the â€Å"New Philosopher† who is the embodiment of the Will to Power; the doctrine of Eternal Return (which is the ultimate embrace of the Will to Power); and his ultimate master/slave society where the WtP governs all and keeps the strong strong (whilst weakening the weak). I accept that these can generally be inferred from the Will to Power if it is valid, but it is this conditional that causes problems. Maudemarie Clark argued that Nietzsche’s whole philosophy was based on this If, but she also points out that this implies causality – something which Nietzsche radically objects to several times. This picks him out as the dogmatic philosopher he spends the first part of Beyond Good and Evil criticising – merely projecting his own view onto others. The Will to Power, again, seems absurd. Leading on from this is Nietzsche conception of metaphysics and epistemology. Nietzsche detests the metaphysicists (Plato and the Christians in particular) and argues that they are denying the Will to Power, and, therefore, life itself, by looking for answers in another realm. They are, he states, blinded by a â€Å"Will to Truth.† However, isn’t the Will to Power a metaphysical concept? I believe that Nietzsche’s description of it as all-encompassing makes this a distinct possibility. Not only does this undermine the Will to Power, but also, once again, Nietzsche’s entire philosophical doctrine. Another of Nietzsche’s problems with past philosophers, which is connected to the above point, is their obsession with an objective truth. He says that all we have which we can call â€Å"truths† are our interpretation of our own perspectives. So how can the Will to Power be anything but an interpretation from Nietzsche’s perspective? It cannot possibly be objective – this is against his epistemological principles! It is impossible to accept this. However, another interesting point by Clark is her theory of â€Å"omniperspectivism,† where there can be a theoretical objective truth if one was to see a situation from all possible perspectives. This would give the Will to Power a theoretical grounding, but still fails to establish it as the practical device which Nietzsche advocates it as. One final point to make is about Nietzsche’s morality – master and slave morality. He suggests that in a perfect society, the strong would live for their own existence only, exploiting the weak not only for their benefit, but also as an exertion of power. This solves the problem of the relative term â€Å"power† (as power only exists in relation to something less or more powerful). But, if life itself was the Will to Power, shouldn’t the weak have it as well? Wouldn’t they be living according to the same rules? This illustrates clearly the practical problem of the Will to Power, even in Nietzsche’s own morality. These points I believe show that the Will to Power, although inspiring theoretically, is absurd and impossible in practice. Nietzsche does not offer enough explanation for us to accept it as a serious philosophical concept, and it eventually displays the weaknesses of Nietzsche’s entire philosophy.