Going global means new frontiers Essay

Introduction On the 19th Sep. 2014, the world’s largest initial public offering (IPO) was successfully completed in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), U.S., and the total IPO amount has reached up to $25 billion (Chen. Mac. Solomon. 2014). Alibaba, the miracle creator, used only 15-year’s development to take the seat in the Wall Street and build an e-commercial empire. The NYSE’s IPO is the signal to tell global investors and competitors that Alibaba is ready to join the global market competition. For Alibaba, going global means new frontier, however, the new frontier could be either a barren cliff or cornucopian grassland. In this essay, we will mainly discuss that why Alibaba want to expand global markets, and how Alibaba is going to make the global strategies to against global competitors in overseas market. by avoiding direct competition, targeting similar market as China and increasing firm size in the global market environment to step into a â€Å"grassland† mar ket for persistent development. Alibaba — the world’s largest online and mobile commerce company, was established in 1999 by the group of 18 people led by Jack Ma in Hangzhou, China. There are three main sites in Alibaba China, including T-mall, Taobao and Alibaba.com along with numbers of other companies to support Alibaba’s ecosystem development. Moreover, Alibaba also has Alibaba.com and AliExpress.com to provide worldwide online shopping services (Pressman 2014). Until 2013, Alibaba has more than 2 million merchants across more than 190 countries and regions. In 2013, there was amount of $248 billion transactions went through Alibaba’s online sites which is more than the total of eBay and Amazon. Furthermore, after the NYSE’s IPO, Alibaba’s market cap has reached up to 215 billion dollar, which only followed behind Microsoft, Google and Apple among the global tech firms (Lajoie & Shearman. 2014). Global Market Expansion (convention path: from domestic to overseas) Why Alibaba want to expand global market?  Alibaba is a typical Multi-national corporation, since Alibaba set up the headquarter in the China and operate e-commerce businesses in other  countries. in As a typical multi-national corporation, going global to exploit new distant market, to merge into larger and more efficient units and to exploit better social capital is an irresistible process for Alibaba. As the dominator in the China’s online shopping market, Alibaba has already controlled 80% of the market share, thus Alibaba needs new distant markets for persistent development. Moreover, For Alibaba, both the internal capabilities and external environment allows Alibaba to make the global market expansion decision. For the internal capabilities, Alibaba is a mature Internet corporation, which has controlled 80% of the China’s online shopping market. China’s market profits could constantly provide enormous capital support for Alibaba’s long-term market expansion. Moreover, after the NYSE’s IPO, Alibaba has won the trust from global investors and acquired sufficient capital for early market expansion. However, the challenges always exist during the process of the market expansion, especially from the local e-commercial corporations. Despite of the competition, high cost for setting up facilities, cultural shock, and different government policies would also be main concerns before the decision was made. Thus, I have listed three main strategies below to demonstrate Alibaba’s global market expansion. Avoiding direct competition Instead of â€Å"face to face† competition with those locally dominant e-commercial corporations, Alibaba decided to operate their business around the market edges and move partial of e-commercial businesses to cross-country trade. In 2004, The America’s largest e-commercial corporation–eBay entered the Chinese market by merger with a Chinese e-commercial corporation—EachNet. In order to against eBay, Alibaba decided to launch Taobao, one of the main sites under Alibaba for C2C (customer to customer) business model, compete with eBay. Because of Taobao’s preponderant business model and domestic advantages, eBay finally failed in China’s e-commercial market expansion (Wang, 2010). Right now, Alibaba faced the same challenge in the America’s market, but Alibaba will not make the same mistake as eBay did. In order to avoid direct competition with eBay and Amazon, Alibaba has launched AliExpress for cross-country trade wholesale by offering quality products at factory prices. As the advantages, Chinese  products have unbeatable prices to attract American customers; also Chinese customers have strong demands for American high quality products (like Cherry Farmers and Fisherman). Although it’s too earlier to claim the final result of Alibaba, to avoid direct competition is always a good way to enter a new market without too much pressure from local competitors. Finding similar market as China Alibaba’s global strategies are more likely targeting the large and potential e-commercial market as China’s market. For instance, Brazil, as one of the largest developing economy in the world, the economy status and e-commercial structure in Brazil is really similar as in China. ALthough, eBay and Amazon has already settled down in the Brazil’s market, it’s always not too late for Alibaba overtakes the dominance. In 2013, Alibaba set up a Portuguese e-commerce site to allow Brazil buyers directly purchase goods from Chinese wholesalers. Just in a year, Alibaba has became the third largest e-commercial website and took 20% of market share after Ebay and Amazon. In this July 12 millions of Brazilian customers visited the Alibaba.com, which is ten times than last year (Sciaudone, 2014). Moreover, in Brazil’s market, Alibaba wisely used the local sub-contractor to reduce investment and improve service quality, which subcontracted the online payment services to Boleto and delivery services to Brazil’s state-owned postal service (Pressman, 2014). To make it even better, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Chinese President Xi Jingping have signed the agreement to open the â€Å"Green Channel† to support Alibaba’s business between two countries (Chao, 2014). All in all, the success in the Brazil’s market indicated that to find the similar market is a feasible strategy for future development. Increasing the firm size As a typical multi-national corporation, Alibaba effectively applied the law of increasing firm size, ‘which have rapidly growth in the representative size of the firm, culminating in the MNC, and the parallel growth in organizational complexity’ (Hymer, 1970). E-commercial is the fundamental business for Alibaba’s long-term development, but not the only business Alibaba does or will do. As the range of investments show below, Alibaba  made plenty of investments in smart phone, video websites, telecommunication and so on. Some of them are complement businesses to support Alibaba’s e-commercial, like Juhuasuan, Alipay and Alibaba pictures; and some of them are potential businesses for long-term development, like Kabam, Peel, and Tango. Like Jack Ma has said in the Stanford Business School’s presentation, Alibaba would always follow the market’s path, where is the market, where is the Alibaba. Alibaba believed those investments are the future market and opportunities. On the global market expansion, Alibaba’s strategy is to pursue dynamic, diversified, sustaining development. Impacts on global market and host region With the development of Alibaba, the global e-commerce businesses will absolutely more competitive than before. There will be more and more cheaper and quality products flow into global market from China. Other e-commercial corporations, like eBay and Amazon, have to find the way out to against Alibaba’s expansion. On the other hand, Alibaba’s global market expansion will provide more opportunities and channels for China’s manufactories and factories to enter into a larger market. As Alibaba’s mission said, ‘to make it easy to do business anywhere.’ Alibaba help China’s merchants to do business much easier and more efficient. Conclusion It is indeed that Alibaba made a great success in 15-year development, but some concerns still exist from investors. Some investors even thought it’s possible that Alibaba is too big to be expropriated by Chinese government (Crovitz, 2014). However, It’s a totally misunderstanding, Chinese government always encourage and support China’s corporations to exploit overseas market and welcome foreign investment. Furthermore, investors also consider the instability to an Internet company. Unlike other industries, such as auto or manufacture industry, Internet Company is highly volatile. Internet Company could create billions of fortunes overnight, but also could lose everything instantly. In this case, it’s a significant mission for Alibaba to keep investors’ trust and faith. Up to now, Alibaba’s steady-state growth and expansion is the best response to investors’ trust and support. For 15-year development, Alibaba completely followed the conventional path from serve domestic market to operate businesses overseas. Eventually, Alibaba has successfully built an e-commercial businesses bridge between China and overseas market. Alibaba will continue to grow, and it will continue to change China and change the world. As William Kirby, and expert on Chinese business in Harvard’s business school, demonstrated that Alibaba is ‘a private company that has done more for China’s national economy than most state-owned enterprises (Economist, 2013).’ References Chen, Liyan; Mac, Ryan; Solomon Brian. Alibaba Claims Title For Largest Global IPO Ever With Extra Share Sales. Forbes. Web. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2014/09/22/alibaba-claims-title-for-largest-global-ipo-ever-with-extra-share-sales/ [Accessed on: 14/11/2014] Crovit, Gordon L. 2014. Alibaba: Too Big to Expropriate? The Wall Street Journal. Web. Available from: http://online.wsj.com/articles/gordon-crovitz-alibaba-too-big-to-expropriate-1411339239 [Accessed on: 14/11/2014] Hymer, Stephen. 1970. Lecture notes distributed in Global Business Environment at The University of Birmingham U.K. on November 2014. INC. 2014. How Alibaba’s Jack Ma Conquered China. INC. Video. Web. Available from: http://www.inc.com/jack-ma/alibaba-jack-ma-reveals-his-global-strategy.html [Accessed on: 14/11/2014] Osawa, Juro. Alibaba Isn’t the Amazon of China. The Wall Street Journal. Web. Available from: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/10/16/alibaba-isnt-the-amazon-of-china/ [Accessed on: 15/11/2014] Pressman, Aaron. Alibaba a threat to eBay, Amazon outside the U.S., not within. Yahoo Finance. Web. Available from: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/alibaba-aims-at-ebay-and-amazon-outside-of-the-united-states-173757037.html [Accessed on: 14/11/2014] Sciaudone, Christiana. 2014. Alibaba in Brazil Challenges EBay-Amazon Market Grip. Bloomberg. Web. Available from: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-05/alibaba-in-brazil-challenges-ebay-amazon-market-grip.html [Accessed on: 14/11/2014] Shearman, Nick; Lajoie, Marc. 2014. What is Alibaba?. The Wall Street Journal. Web. Available from: http://projects.wsj.com/alibaba/ [Accessed on: 14/11/2014] The Economist. 2013. The World’s greatest bazaar. The Economist. Web. Available from: http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21573980-alibaba-trailblazing-chinese-internet-giant-will-soon-go-public-worlds-greatest-bazaar [Accessed on: 20/11/2014] Wang, Helen H. 2010. How eBay Failed in China. Forbes. Web. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/china/2010/09/12/how-ebay-failed-in-china/ [Accessed on: 20/11/2014] http://www.cnbc.com/id/102008330#.

Child Beauty Pageants Should Be Banned

Child beauty pageants should be banned Child beauty pageants should be banned because they cause children, especially little girls, to use artificial means to boost their self esteem. People were not born with makeup, spray tans, big hair, and false teeth. Beauty pageants set false rules on beauty. They make children believe they have to wear make-up, jewelry, wigs, fake nails, and other acessories to be beautiful. Every child is beautiful in their own way. Their beauty is natural and they shouldn't have to have anyone's opinion on the way they look.Beauty pageants can also cause serious mental and health issues. They can lead to depression, anorexia, suicide, and many other serious issues. Children might starve themselves to lose which could lead to eating disorders. Beauty pageants can cause depression, and depression may later lead to a suicide Children shouldn't be forced to be in pageants. Mothers try to live their dream through their children. Children shouldn't get their lives taken away from them.They only get one childhood, they don't get it back after it's over. Any parent placing their child in these types of pageants, based solely on looks, is giving their child the attitude that appearance can get you anywhere in life. It is wrong to teach children that looks are the most important asset to possess. I am not stating that children shouldn't be encouraged to develop a talent or skill, and compete with that talent or skill, I am stating that competing over looks is sending the wrong message to children.

It’s a Wonderful Life

Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life is considered one of the sentimental favorites of our time and a staple of the Christmas television season. The movie was considered something of a failure at the time, since it failed to earn a profit when stacked up against the expenses of filming. However, it is now recognized as one of the most important films made to date. Part of the appeal may lie in the timing – the film’s initial release came on the heels of World War II. After years of bloodshed in Europe and Asia, the sentimentality of a hopeful Christmas story might have been what resonated with the American public. (A man, suicidal and depressed on Christmas Eve, is approached by an angel for a walk through the moments of his life – the classic â€Å"darkest before dawn† theme that has always struck a chord with audiences may have been especially poignant after the end finally came in the long war. Though the movie might have been considered a flop at the time, the small moments of beauty have helped it become an enduring classic, such as the little things that changed while George, the main character, was not living but busy walking down memory lane with Clarence the angel – the difference in the wind is appreciated not only by George, but by those in the audience. I would recommend this movie to friends or classmates; it is an important part of iconic cinematography and serves as both a forerunner and a counterpoint to some subsequent â€Å"modern classics†, such as American Beauty, a much more sinister film that nevertheless impresses upon its audience the importance of appreciating all the small blessings one has been given in life, no matter how dour the outlook might be at a particularly dark time. Because of its place in the collective consciousness, It’s a Wonderful Life definitely deserves a mention in the Top 25.

Family and Medical Leave Act Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Family and Medical Leave Act - Research Paper Example A1. Addressing the Question of whether it matters that a parent literally had nothing to do with a biological child in order for the child to take advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for that parent FMLA provides that every eligible employee is entitled to take up to 12 weeks of work leave to take care of a parent suffering from a medical condition. This leave is usually unpaid and the employee’s job is protected during this period1. A parent is defined by the FMLA as a foster, step, biological or adoptive parent, including any individual who represented loco parentis to the employee while he or she was a child2. Loco parentis, means where an individual takes the responsibility of caring for the child with which he has no legal or biological connection. However, the FMLA does not cover leave for parents- in- law, whereas the military has its own provisions as pertains to the definition of a family3. With reference to the case scenario illustrated, the employe e qualifies to take a FMLA leave to take care of his or her biological parent even if the parent did not take care of him as a child (United States Department of Labor, 2010). However, in the cases of a loco parentis the FMLA outlines other individuals whom an employee is allowed by law to go and see in case of illness or accident. These are individuals who acted as proxy for the child in the absentia of his parents and, thus, qualify to be their parents more than their biological parents. In this case scenario, if the loco parentis and the biological parent to the employee happen to be ill, the law provides for the cover of loco parentis unlike the unavailable parent because this is the person who took care of the employee. However, the employee needs to provide documented evidence that ascertains that the loco parentis actually took care of him or her during childhood (United States Department of Labor, 2010). A2. A Discussion as to Whether the size of the business can have any ef fect on whether employee is eligible for family leave under the FMLA A company that has 50 or more employees is required by the FMLA regulations whether the company is non- profit or profit making; private or public. This is since small businesses have been documented to have employees who are less than 50 during a specific period of time. However, in case the company has had 50 employees in the past 20 weeks prior to the current slope in employee number, FMLA requires that the company complies with the FMLA regulation. In case the company has not had 50 employees, the 20 week factor of having a continuous 50 employee is the consideration factor (United States Department of Labor, 2001). Consequently, whether a company has full time or part time workers determines the application of the FMLA. A company that has part time workers is required by the FMLA to provide 12 weeks unpaid leave for an employee either for medical or family reasons on condition that the employee has worked for at least 1250 hours. This excludes time off and the part time employee needs to have worked for more than 12 months to qualify for this recommendation. Though the leave of part time workers is unpaid, FMLA expects that the company will continue providing health care benefits for the employee on leave, and consequently restore him or her to his original position once their leave is over (United States De

Cigarette taxes comments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cigarette taxes comments - Essay Example He is assessed, for example, 10 cents as tax for each box. Since he purchased ten boxes, he is supposed to pay a dollar for taxes. Now since he does not want to pay that much tax, he falsifies the receipts, erase the 0 to make it appear that he only bought 1 box, instead of 10. Then he only pays 10 cents. This is tax evasion. And it is illegal. Tax avoidance on the other hand is when a person chooses legal means to pay less tax. For example, New York City charges 10 cents per box of cigarettes. However, in Austin, Texas, for example, the cigarette tax is only 1 cent per box. A person avoiding tax would rather buy cigarettes in Austin than in New York City. This is legal. He does not falsify anything. He does not under-declare amounts. Now it is understandable that people avoids tax. People want to save money. They would look for places where they can buy things less expensively. That is but natural. And they could not be faulted for that. They cannot be blamed if they look for places who charges lower taxes and buy their cigarettes there. And they cannot be blamed if they choose methods to limit the taxes they pay as long as they do it legally. Now, with the problem of the city losing revenue, I think it can be addressed by formulating better regulatory policies. They could promote effective prevention of smuggling of cigarettes, limit mail-order purchases. They could also be stricter in enforcing licenses and they could punish unlicensed vendors and those that violate the law. With respect to those who avoid tax by buying from out-of-state retailers, I don’t think they can do anything about that. It would be too costly to put check points on state boundaries. If the cigarette is bought in another state within the US, it would be difficult to prevent it from entering another US state. This is also the same or people who buys cigarettes in duty free shops. In sum, although I agree that

University education should be free Research Paper

University education should be free - Research Paper Example ss amount of money per public college student and state funding of the students and universities has been lowered or even cut to half as in California. â€Å"Education has long been seen as a principal source of economic mobility. But for years now public education, and especially public higher education has been under attack† (Reiff). Several educational reforms and financial planning could be carried out to make university education free for the students, because it would not only facilitate the students but also help in lowering the overall cost of educational budget. The fees for tuition, boarding have been inflating for the past 20 years, inspite of that the public universities have to make cuts in the various services and educational programmes in order to compensate for the deficiencies in the budget. Free university education for every person would be a possible solution to the current inflation and economic dearth. â€Å"Not means-tested, not cheap, not subsided, but free. For everybody† (Reiff). This could be made possible by implementing the tax payment, hypothetically 6 percent to the university which would provide the undergraduate degree. Those who earned more would pay more and who earned less would have to pay less, but at the end every person would have the privilege of having an undergraduate degree. Students will not have to work long hours in order to finance their university education, which not only affects their performance but also puts them under large debts they cannot pay (Reiff). Inability of United States to provide free higher education proves to be a downfall when compared to other developed countries which provide free university education. University education is not only an important determinant of the economic progress but also determines the employment rate in the state. â€Å"Currently, only 30% of Americans who start college or university end up graduating, and this represents a huge waste of time and money† (B. Samuels). If as

Essay question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Question - Essay Example agricultural plantations (coffee, sugar, tobacco, cotton, and cocoa fields), in silver and gold mines, in the shipping and construction industries, and as house slaves. These Africans work without pay as indentured servants (euphemistically termed as apprentices for life). Certain kinds of work determine the gender of slaves sold and transported. For jobs in textile factories or in the home and large plantations (the Brazilian term for this is fazenda); for example, textile factories required more men than women slaves, while the fazenda needed more female slaves due to the large amount of spinning and weaving work; most fazendas were in northeastern parts of Brazil (van Voss et al. 96). Slaves in rural areas were treated much worse, tranforming them into beasts as conditions were very bad indeed it was considered as a living hell for slaves (Conrad 71). City slaves in Brazil were thrown into mass graves, without any individual identification. Africa became a wasteland as many men and women were forcibly taken from their families; this in turn led to a marked decline in African culture as people lost contact with their heritage and traditions. Additionally, whole tribes and societies were practically wiped out, especially those Africans living near th e coastal areas, although white traders penetrated to the interior also to capture additional black slaves. Most of the Founding Fathers acknowledged the inherent conflict between slavery and ideals of liberty and equality; however, they were also realistic in their views that America cannot survive without slave labor, especially in the large plantations of the South. It was a compromise they reached to preserve the integrity and independence of the new nation. A crucial provision for emancipation passed during the Continental Congress was abandoned and rejected to appease the Founding Fathers from the South who were slave owners. Manifest Destiny was an attempt by the American politicians to formulate a foreign

The Summary of Economic Bubbles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Summary of Economic Bubbles - Essay Example Economic bubbles are formed because the investors respond positive to the increasing price, i.e., they buy more with the increasing prices. This may be due to greed or a desire to become rich by selling those assets at an even higher price in the near future. In other words, buyers tend to assume that they will be able to find another buyer (sometimes referred to as â€Å"a greater fool†) who will pay them even more than they paid for the asset. These bubbles cause a little or no economic damage because usually the â€Å"greater fools† get wiser by learning from their failure and the sellers get a lot richer. However, its effects can be felt if owners of inflated assets assume themselves as rich and start spending unwisely by getting more bank loans against their overpriced assets as securities. So when the prices of the overpriced assets fall, both the loan recipient and the bank could bankrupt and suffer huge losses. On a macro level several banks may fail and lesser money is available for investments to recover the economy. Similarly when this happens due to speculation of the share prices of the company, the stock markets may eventually

Civilised Life and the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Civilised Life and the Environment - Essay Example This brings in conflicts between the desire to have a civilized life and the maintenance of the innate environment. While mechanisms applied by engineers could likely help in handling continuous resource competition, no solutions are offered to the running out ecological services. Most critical ecosystem services such as watershed filtration, climate stability, and soil fertility are not valued and thus as these natural resources are threatened, no technological ability is put in place to substitute ecological services at the costs and volumes needed. Life is increasingly surrounded and tied down by Technological schemes. Although modern science helps people to understand, control, and reform nature, the inappropriate use and development of technology lead to major negative impacts such as resource depletion, environmental pollution, and ecological destruction. Modern technology enriches improves living conditions and enriches material life, but its rapid and strong power can result in ethical controversies like genetic modification, cloning, and nuclear weapons. These complicated matters are inevitable and challenge the current environmental maintenance. While all tend to consent that technology creates civilization and must be continually developed, opinions differ as to the way technology should be related to the environment. The idea that technology destroys the environment should not destruct our attention from the reality that developed and civilized countries are still major movers in environmental processes and have continuing responsibilities concerning the issue. Many of the most critical environmental problems faced by the modern world are not caused by industrialized countries. Additionally, emerging civilized artifacts and processes have a chance to shape the future of the environment as compared to the previous days. China for instance, is emerging as a new center of recycling. It seems aware of the opportunity they posses to initiate new technolo gy under various conditions. Thee most pressing worldwide environmental problems are not of their making; yet they have a valid way to undo these issues by bending the recognizable curve that illustrates the relationship between technology and environmental degradation. Technology has been the one of the key drivers of environmental processes. For example, transport technologies have made the world more global and smaller planet, but have also led to new environmental stress, particularly through the raise in atmospheric carbon concentrations. Though the civilized processes have sped up prosperity in most cases, it has also permitted the extraction of natural resources such as timber, fish, metals, and minerals at unexpected rates. On the other hand, technological advances have allowed reduced environmental problems. Research shows that China’s economic advancements go hand in hand with a comparatively lesser emissions than the earlier rates in North America and Europe becaus e China has utilized technologies that are much cleaner than the other two were using at the same stages of creation. Automobiles are an important area when looking into the conflict between technological advances and environmental maintenance. Automobiles at present are cleaner in environmental terms than they were 30 or 40 years back. The

The Art in Great Britain Essay Example for Free

The Art in Great Britain Essay The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. The very idea of art has also been a matter of controversy. The philosophical usefulness of a definition of art has also been debated on. Contemporary definitions are of two main sorts. One distinctively modern, conventionalist, sort of definition focuses on arts institutional features, emphasizing the way in which art changes over time, modern works that appear to break radically with all traditional art, and the relational properties of artworks that depend on the works relations to art history, art genres, etc. The less conventionalist sort of contemporary definition makes use of a broader, more traditional concept of aesthetic properties that includes more than art-relational ones, and focuses on arts pan-cultural and trans-historical characteristics. 2.1. Painting According to Encyclopedia Britannica, painting is the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in a two dimensional visual language. The elements of this language —its shapes, lines, colours, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space, movement, and light on a flat surface. Earliest art †The oldest art in England can be dated to the Neolithic period, including the large ritual landscapes such as Stonehenge from c. 2600 BC. From around 2150 BC, the Beaker people learned how to make bronze, and use both tin and gold. They became skilled in metal refining and works of art placed in graves or sacrificial pits have survived. In the Iron Age, a new art style arrived as Celtic culture spread across the British isles. Though metalwork, especially gold ornaments, was still important, stone and most likely wood was also used. This style continued into the Roman period, beginning in the 1st century BC, and would find a renaissance in the Medieval period. The arrival of the Romans brought the Classical style of which many monuments have survived, especially funerary monuments, statues and busts. They also brought glasswork and mosaics. In the 4th century, a new element was introduced as the first Christian art was made in Britain. Several mosaics with Christian symbols an d pictures have been preserved. The  style of Romano-British art follows that of the continent, there are some local specialities, influenced by Celtic art; the Staffordshire Moorlands Pan is one example.†( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_art#Earliest_art) The Romantic period (in the second half of the 18th century in Europe) produced the very diverse talents of William Blake, J. M. W. Turner, John Constable and Samuel Palmer. The Victorian period saw a great diversity of art, and a far larger quantity created than before. In the 19th century publicly displayed religious art once again became popular, after a virtual absence since the Reformation ( the English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church). „What happens to the imagination in a society that distrusts images? What do artists do when their work has been outlawed? In the immediate aftermath of the Reformation painters and sculptors became refugees. Their main employer, the Church had dispensed with their services and their visions of dread and consolation had been exorcized. Now they would have to put the imagination to other uses and find other places in which to express it. They would have to adapt to new circumstances and find new opportunities if their skills and their capacity for dreming were to persist. Looking at British art of this period is like watching a house at night. Lights go out in some rooms and come on in others, sometimes where you least expect them.† ( A History of British Art, Andrew Graham-Dixon, published by BBC Worldwide Limited, 1999). The British contribution to early Modernist art (from the 1860s to the 1970s), was relatively small, but since World War II British artists have made a considerable impact on Contemporary art (art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II), especially with figurative work, and Britain remains a key centre of an increasingly globalized art world. 1. English Art over time: †¢ The Medieval period (10th–15th centuries) The painting and sculpture of this period was religious and sometimes had an international rather than distinctively national character. The Middle Ages and their legacy: â€Å"It is usual to regard English painting as beginning with the Tudor period and for this there are several reasons. When Henry VIII abolished  Papal authority in England in 1534 and ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 he automatically brought to an end the tradition of religious art as it had been practiced in the Middle Ages and in monastic centres. The break was so complete that painting before and after seem entirely different things, in subject, style and medium.†(A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). Painting was practised in England for many hundreds of years before the first Tudor came to the throne. â€Å"The development of linear design in which English artists have always excelled can be traced back to the earliest illuminations, which witness a great flowering of Christian art in the British Isles. It may be called an Anglo-Hibernian art, brilliantly evolved in Irish monastic centres and brought to Northumbria in the seventh century. The linear style took its way southwards. It was practised in the scriptoria of monastic studios of York, St. Albans, Glastonbury, Winchester, Canterbury. There was always a sort of influence between England and the Continent. England in the Anglo-Saxon period was influenced by a style of free outline drawing, ultimately derived from classical models. The Carolingian Utrecht Psalter of the early ninth century, once kept at Canterbury Cathedral, with its freely sketched pen groups became a model for English artists, especially of those of Winchester, long a principal seat of Anglo-Saxon and later of Gothic art.† (A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). In the development of Gothic painting, from the thirteen century, England and France came so close together that it is possible to speak of an â€Å"English Channel† School. In that period there was a tendency in wall paintings, in cathedrals such St. Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster, Eton College Chapel, the Norwich Cathedral. Portraiture was another element used in the Middle ages. It was especially in the form of royal iconography. A good example is the portrait of Richard II in Westminster Abbey by an unknown artist, still impressive in design though it has been much repainted. †¢ Tudor and Elizabethan: 15th–16th centuries The Italian sculptor Torrigiano introduced the Renaissance style in his tomb of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey (1512–18). In Elizabeths reign English painters developed a distinctive style in the portrait miniature.  Nicholas Hilliard and his pupil Isaac Oliver were the outstanding figures. Portraiture was to become one of English arts most enduring achievements. †¢ 17th century: In this period the English art was once again revitalized by foreign artists, in particular the Flemish painters Peter Paul Rubens, who visited England briefly, and Anthony van Dyck, who settled in England to become court painter to Charles I. †¢ 18th century: English art at last became robustly independent, with great achievements in portraiture and landscape. Portraiture was transformed by two outstanding figures, Gainsborough and Reynolds. Both brought a new subtlety and refinement to portraits, their images an expression of the wealth and confidence of English society. The Royal Academy was founded in 1768, and as its first president Reynolds was able to promote a classicism based on art of the Italian High Renaissance. Landscape painting was established in England by the work of foreign artists such as Canaletto. The first British artist to excel at landscape was Richard Wilson. †¢ 19th century: The Pre-Raphaelite movement, which was established in the 1840s, dominated English art for the rest of the century. Its members – such as Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and John Everett Millais – concentrated on religious, literary, and genre subjects, their style was colourful and minutely detailed. By the end of the century English art was being influenced by French artists, in particular Edgar Degas and the Impressionists. †¢ 20th century: In 1910 an exhibition arranged by the critic Roger Fry introduced English artists to post-Impressionism (a theory or practice of art originating in France in the last quarter of the 19th century that in revolt against impressionism stresses variously volume, picture structure, or expressionism) and fauvism (a movement in painting typified by the work of Matisse and characterized by vivid colors, free treatment of form, and a resulting vibrant and decorative effect). Important English Painters: William Hogarth (10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was the first great English-born artist to attract admiration abroad, best known for his moral and satirical engraving and paintings William Hogarth will be remembered as the father of satirical caricatures and moral paintings, a genre which would later develop into cartoons. His determination and stout middle-class values made him one of the most innovative artists of his generation and he brought art to the common man for the first time in history. The artist was heavily influenced by 18th century life, culture and his middle-class upbringing. He believed that art should have moral as well as aesthetic qualities and tried to bring this into all the work he produced. As Hogarth became a prominent figure in the London art scene he was influenced by a number of things. These included politics, art, literature and the theatre. â€Å"Hogarth lived and worked during the Rococo period in 18th century London. The Rococo style was popular in both England and France at this time and was embodied by flowing lines and intricate decoration. The London social scene that features in so much of Hogarths work ranged from super-rich aristocrats living flamboyant lifestyles to the incredibly poor working-classes with no money and little hope for a better life.†(The Englishness of English Art-an expanded and annotated version of the Reith Lectures broadcast in October and November 1955, Nikolaus Pevsner, Penguin Art Architecture). In the 19th century the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood was inspired by Hogarths use of symbolism and text to convey a moral message. However it is possibly the biggest testament to the artists skill and with that the new medium of the comic strip arose from his work, a genre which is still popular today. Important paintings: A Rake’s Progress, The Tempest, Captain Coram, Marriage-a-la-mode, The Good Samaritan, The Four Stages of Cruelty. Another important painter was William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) born in London, was an important poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, it took years before historians and critics discovered the importance of his work on the development of printmaking and fine art painting. Although Blake rarely travelled further than a day’s walk outside of London during his lifetime, his paintings and poetry demonstrate a diverse imagination and awareness of the world around  him. He is now considered an important figure in the history of both poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. â€Å"Blake was a Londoner and it was London, not some romantic place near a river in the countryside, that was the site of his visions. In his visions, he saw a different London than all those other people that ran through its streets. Blake saw London as a heavenly city; he saw angels, souls, prophets. Hence, to him, London was a â€Å"Heavenly London†, a â€Å"Jerusalem†, one of his best known poems.† (A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). Famous Blake paintings include: Songs of Innocence and of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, The Four Zoas, The Angel of Revelation, The Descent of Christ, Great Red Dragon, The Last Supper. Edward Kelly Edward Kelly (born 1946) is a contemporary English painter. He was born in Liverpool, England in 1946. He studied at Liverpool College of Art between 1963–67, during which time he studied in Italy. Edward Kelly paints from a wealth of knowledge of paint and form. In over 48 years of dedicated practice, study and struggle he has constantly explored new aspects and elements of painting, always pushing forward on the frontiers of painted expression. His techniques are precise from practice and intuitive from experience. He makes art with a passion. The paintings speak for themselves.

On Limits Of Strategy Business Essay

On Limits Of Strategy Business Essay The Four Arena analysis and Four Lens analysis are based on a simplification of the dynamics of competitive interactions that breaks reality into it component pieces. In reality, the arenas are not quite so distinct, the progression is not quite so clear, and the nature of dynamic strategic interaction is not so predictable or easily labeled. DAveni, R.A. (1994, p. 180) Strategic management theories and methods are indispensable in todays economy. Regardless of their origin, dynamics or focus they are designed by scientific logic to understand the complexity of reality, to analyze the focused conditions (i.e. market, power, relative positioning and so on) and to cope with competition to achieve an advantage or to sustain the economic performance of a company. Combined with an insightful execution they strengthen the profitable existence of organizations within a competitive environment. However even the most successful companies which implement the most paradigmatic strategy methods by the rulebook fail. This raises the question of whether contemporary strategy can, in fact, provide such consistent insights for strategists or rather bias the perception of reality. This chapter is dedicated to a critical analysis of the predominant strategic research streams in order to locate their structural weaknesses. A symptomatic case study will introduce/illus trate the issue. The Textbook Example The Taiwan-based High Tech Computer Corporation (stylized as HTC) was founded 1997 as a producer of notebooks and became one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world in just over a decade. It is best known for its wide consumer smartphone portfolio ranging from mid- to high-priced models. With a market growth of nearly 100 percent in 2011 and a skyrocketing sales growth of 229 percent, HTC held the title of the most profitable stock at the Taiwanese stock exchange from 2007 until 2011 (cf. HTC Investor Relations; Bloomberg 2011). But as of today, the tables have turned on High Tech Computers Corporation. In the second quarter of 2012, the company had shown substantial revenue losses of 3.35 billion Dollars resulting from a slump in sales and profit in the first quarter (cf. Reuters 2012; HTC Investor Relations). Its stock plummeted from an all-time high of 35 euros (1300 Taiwan Dollars in April 2011) to now 7,5 Euros a share (277 TWD as of August 2012; this signifies loss es in the amount of more than 3 billion US Dollars). In conclusion, HTC cut its expansion program by closing its offices in Brazil and South Korea, and sold half of its stake in its main acquisition of high fidelity headphones (cf. Kan 2012). What began as a yearlong success story for the innovative smartphone manufacturer is turning into a failure, putting HTC in the same declining market share position as Nokia. But what went wrong? The answer might be found in the strategies and the business model adopted by the Taiwanese company to assert their place in such a dynamic industry as the smartphone market. According to the empirical analysis of the High Tech Computers Corporation by Chi-Ho Chiou (2011), its general corporate strategy was based upon a threefold approach. The first strategy, Development and Reconfiguration of Dynamic Capabilities, includes the implementation of both the core assertions of the first-mover advantage theory, as well as the methods of the Configurational school of thought. The concept of the first-mover explains the advantage a market pioneer can successfully live off, if he is the first one to establish himself in a niche (Robinson 1988, p. 92ff.). Through expanding the scope of the product, establishing effective response barriers for competitors, creating proprietary and innovative products, exclusive production skills, vertical integration and securing the best areal locations, a co mpany as a first-mover could create powerful entry barriers as well as high switching costs (MacMillan 1983, pp. 22-25). In addition to this proceeding, the Configurational school describes the relations between periods of stability and transformations a corporation might undergo to adapt to new environmental changes. To sustain equilibrium of its organizational characteristics (and therewith its success), there is the important need to acknowledge change and to embrace it through appropriate strategizing (Mintzberg et al. 1998, p. 305ff.). Thus HTCs strategizing originated with the early insight (presumably because of the production volumes of the Iphone) that consumer matched smartphones will induce a state of market change the company has to adapt to. Against this background, HTC, as one of the first manufacturers, switched the focus from business-tier phones to cheaper mid-tier handhelds, bundled its distinctive competencies of technological advancement and into the development of these products, and defended its advantageous position with the buy-in of skilled professionals. To enhance its performance within the state of reconfiguration, HTC incorporated additionally the strategy of Collaborative Networks which is essentially the optimization of the value chain and the domain of the Power school of strategic management. As mentioned before, the benefits of the early-mover might stem from the vertical integration of business units. This approach was elaborated and explained by Michael Porter within the Generic Value Chain. A company can be disaggregated into its primary and support activities which, taken together, generate the profit margin (cf. Porter 1998a, pp. 36-52). By optimizing the management of the value chain and an efficient expansion strategy, a company is able lower its production. These strategies go hand in hand with the principles of the Power school. This school of thought is divided by perspective. On the one hand, there is the perspective on the inter-organizational issues subsumed under the term of Micro Power, and on the other there i s the Macro Power concerning the political processes in between several corporations. The latter perspective includes a cluster of different concepts which outline either the importance of strategic alliances and cooperational networks (Hamel et al. 1989, p. 134; in: Mintzberg et al. 1998, pp. 255-260), or the influence of the external control an organization can achieve through planned strategizing (cf. Pfeffer/ Salancik 1978; in: Mintzberg et al. 1998, p. 248f.). By creating strategic collaborations with Microsoft and Google in its early days as a smartphone parts supplier (first contracts being made in 1997), HTC was able to improve its value chain by reducing the total cost of its technological development, firm infrastructure, and human resource support activities in its value creation process. It simply used the provided operating systems as Android or Windows Phone, instead of investing assets and resources into own research. HTCs strategic alliances began to manifest itself in the 2001-2003 time periods as the company collaborated initially with such European telecommunication providers as Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange and O2. As it built up favorable reputation and its brand image in a low competition market as Europe, High Tech Computers entered the US Market in 2005, signing exclusive hardware deals with providers AT and T, Sprint, Verizon and Cingular. Finally, dominating its niche of mid-tier smartphones, the corporation collaborated with Japanese providers including NTT DoCoMo and Softbank Mobile to enter the most competitive smartphone hardware market in the world (all data taken from Chiou 2011, p. 301f.). Step by step, HTC incrementally developed a brand image and established itself in the world market through regional maneuvers, strategic alliances, as well as technical partnerships. Finally, HTCs product strategy and its radical transformation are based on the third strategy named Dynamical Product Diversification. It was, as Chiou points out in the African Journal of Business Management (2011, p. 302), derived from Porters Five Forces analysis and the resulting Generic strategies matrix strategy (at this point, this paper will refrain from explaining these basic concepts due to their prominent nature). As Apple changed the mobile communication market in 2007, HTC must have recognized the chances and the potential of this newly established market by shifting its own production towards the masses demanding similar products as the Iphone. Yet the Taiwanese analyzed the competitive forces and realized that they should not compete against Apple and mimic its differentiation strategy, but choose the focus approach instead. Hence, each year since 2007, High Tech Computers released approximately ten to fifteen different smartphones with the goal to capture and capitali ze on the niche left by Apple (cf. Areamobile.de 2012a; HTC Portfolio 2012). The Iphone was considered an unchallenged luxury good available only to consumers who were capable of either spending almost a thousand Dollars or binding themselves to year-lasting provider contracts. HTC became the alternative with a diverse product portfolio of less expensive phones for the mainstream, adopting Porters focus (or segmentation) strategy. All in all, it should have become evident that HTC incorporated a range of paradigmatic theoretical concepts of strategic management in its endeavor of competition analysis and strategy creation. Despite of being a textbook example of applied strategic management theory, the company struggles the second quarter in a row to operate in the black. The reason for their failure is, from the corporate point of view, the loss of revenue due to lower sales and therefore less net profit and an impaired market growth (cf. HTC Investor Relations 2012; Whittaker 2012). Yet analysts claim unanimously that these lower sales result from an overloaded and simultaneously dull product portfolio which lacks a distinct competitor to Apples Iphone or the even more successful Samsung Galaxy product line (cf. ibid.; Shimpi 2012; Milett 2012; Luk/ Poon 2012; Bertolucci 2012; Lunden 2012). But why does HTC need to have such a competitor, in spite of choosing the segmentation product strategy and having a portfolio of 96 different mid-price smartphones (cf. Areamobile.de 2012b)? This companys failure implies that the company had to complement its strategy with the same cost focus endeavor as Apple. Ac cording to Porter, the positioning school, and every SWOT analysis, HTCs managers planned everything in accordance with the textbook and the double strategy its competitors pursue should be essentially wrong because: [a] firm that engages in each generic strategy but fails to achieve any of them is stuck in the middle. It possesses no competitive advantage. This strategic position is usually a recipe for below-average performance. A firm that is stuck in the middle will compete at a disadvantage because the cost leader, differentiators, or focusers will be better positioned to compete in any segment. (Porter 1998a, p. 16) Samsung Electronics did exactly that. It is indeed stuck in the middle having approximately 380 low- to mid-price phones and 11 high-end smartphones (cf. Areamobile.de 2012c). And its consolidated operating profit soaring to 4.8 billion Euros shows a 79 percent increase year-on-year since it implemented this double strategy (cf. Samsung Investor Relations 2012). It appears that the most paradigmatic strategy analyses reach their limits in the face of contemporary figurations of competition. Hence, HTCs strategic failure is symptomatic of a large part of the normative and descriptive strategic management research. Normative/ Prescriptive Research Streams Over the course of the last century, the term competition passed through different stadiums. In the war torn European economies of the 1950s, competition did barely exist due to an unmet demand for reconstruction and food supplies. Only two decades later, the competitive dynamics in the US transformed the rapidly expanding seller markets into the saturated buyer markets of the late sixties and seventies (all data cf. Chandler 1990). In the nineties, competition once again hardened in the face of globalization and the more complex nexuses of interconnected global market forces. And as of the digital markets of today, Hypercompetition represents the paradigmatic concept for the scientific community characterized through: [an] accelerated change in technology or regulation, low entry and exit barriers for competitors, uncertain and volatile consumer needs and demand situations, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] leapfrogging of existing standards, blurring of boundaries between competition, substitution and market entry and continual attempts to outmaneuver each other and to usurp entry barriers (Ortmann 2010, p. 24, also cf. DAveni 1994; Brown/ Eisenhardt 1997; Gottinger 2006) In regard to the continuous historic transformations and the volatile nature, competition is therefore understood by the scientific community as a dynamic, evolving concept. In contrast, concepts of the modern schools of thought of strategic management remained surprisingly static. The Design, Planning and Positioning school of thought represent, according to Eden Ackermann (1998, p. 25ff.), the prescriptive and rather normative side of strategizing. They consist of deliberate analyzing, planning, and strategic creation methods, and describe how things ought to work under ideal conditions. Until today they remain the predominant strategy concepts taught in nearly every book on this topic (insert Fig. 1 here) and their use continues to permeate the academic peer-reviewed literature (for a detailed description cf. Helms 2010). Though HTC claims to be an innovative company, they chose prescriptive analytic models which represent somewhat of an outdated perspective on strategizing. They are characterized through an inflexibility of their frameworks, because they base on the economic situation in the eighties and were developed for managers of large and mature corporations. Furthermore, this period was characterized by strong competition, cyclical developments and relatively stable market structures (Niehans 1990, p. 315f.). For instance, the generic strategies matrix cannot be modified within its framework. Instead of observing the changes of market conditions in correlation to ones own company as a complex adaptive system, and to adapt to the prevailing degree of competitive complexity (as for instance within the framework of the complexity theory determined by McKelvey 1999 or Kappelhoff 2002), the Five Forces analysis and the strategy matrix are based upon the assumptions of perfect competition, that structure determines strategy (structure-conduct-performance-paradigm), and that market growth is continuous. If there were any problems or divergence from one of the questionable assumptions, then Porters whole theoretical construct would be rendered implausible because of its inflexibility as pointed out in HTCs case (for a more detailed critique and analysis of the rather basic paradigmatic concepts concerning HTCs performance cf. App. 1). But beyond the concepts of Five Forces, Portfolio Analyses or Planning procedures, the normative or prescriptive stream of research underwent several paradigmatic changes ever since which spawned more sophisticated iterations of strategic concepts (as depicted in Fig. 2.). These were subsequently modified to improve their performance, as well as their consistency until they became highly complex. But even more elaborated concepts as Game Theory (cf. Shapiro 1989; Nisan et al. 2007), Blue Ocean Strategies (cf. Kim/ Mauborgne 2005) or the shift to the Resource-Based View (cf. Wernerfelt 1984; Prahalad/ Hamel 1990) continue to analyze competition with only a few set variables and static frameworks which represent rather theoretic enclosures than reality depicting mental models. For issues of scope and continuity, this subchapter will focus exemplary on Porters dynamic progression in the field of normative positioning. After severe criticism on the account of neglecting external forces ( as e.g. the government, cf. Brandenburger/ Nalebuff 1996), missing viable middle ground strategies (known as Outpacing-Strategies, cf. Gilbert/ Strebel 1987; Miller 1992), and concentrating too much on the positioning instead of addressing the competencies of the firm (Prahalad/ Hamel 1990), Porter complemented his strategic research by integrating the generic methods into two frameworks driven by causality. The first one, termed as The Determinants of Success in Distinct Businesses (or Chain of Causality Framework) focuses mostly on the industrial level from a cross-sectional perspective. It integrates the industry structure analysis (Five Forces) and the value chain into a framework itemized into abstract basic units which represent predetermined variables linked by a chain of causality (cf. Fig. 3 in Porter 1998b, pp. 87-92). Therefore, a proper choice of strategy and a sustainable competitive advantage rest on a set of interconnected company inherent activities (discrete process es of the value chain) whose performance in turn depends upon structural determinants of differences among competitors named drivers (e.g. scale economies, learning curves, location, timing etc.). Ultimately, Porter argues that the cross-sectional part of the causality chain of a company starting with the drivers and ending with a successful positioning strategy attains its quality over time through managerial choices and an advantageous initial condition a company may inherit (ibid. p. 92ff.). With this link to a longitudinal business level perspective, Porter addresses the criticism invoked by the advocates of the resource-based view. Still, this framework becomes dynamic in the first place with the addition of the Diamond of Environmental Influences which focuses on environmental factors on a broader national level. This framework represents a departure from Porters early static template-like models and stresses the reinforcing relations of four interrelated attributes. These att ributes represent local, environmental conditions which influence the competitiveness of a company. Factor conditions as skilled labor, infrastructure or raw materials are provided by the nation. Demand conditions result from the pressure and needs of home market consumers which determine the degree of innovation and advancement of products. Related and supporting industries characterize the presence of rivaling or supporting industries and their linkage to ones company in terms of innovation pressure, cost-effectiveness, short lines of communication, etc. Firm strategy, structure and rivalry determines the market structure set by competitors. The way competitive advantage is achieved by management practices, organizational modes, and the utilization of (local) resources of rivaling enterprises, affects the degree of the external pressure a company has to deal with. Additional parameters of influence are historical chance and the government (ibid. pp. 99-106). Since all these exogen ous factors affect the corporate strategizing and resources a company starts with, the diamond can be linked below the managerial choices and the initial conditions (van den Bosch 1997, p. 98). Both frameworks address a certain degree of flexibility and changing environmental factors. However, despite the efforts made to understand the basic conditions of financial success of corporations through strategic analysis of their presumed influential factors, the Diamond and the Chain of Causality remain extended frames of the initial generic positioning. Each link of the chain can be challenged in terms of its determinism. Thus, from a academic point of view, the main critique of Porter is that his principles are solely based on macroeconomic conditions which he analyzed within longitudinal studies of successful corporations, local governments and whole trade nations. Albeit these cases provide sophisticated sources of reliable information, they only represent conditions of their particular era, which cannot be extrapolated into changing future markets. Moreover, macroeconomics functions within its own frame of scientific reference and is seldom open to modification that is not based upon empiric evidence. It takes time to gather such evidence and it is per se impossible to modify these concepts in order to make them fit a problem-related context, which requires a different set of variables. Additionally, strategic researchers criticized the general application of the Diamond framework on business models. As Porters previous methods, the determinants of the Causality Chain and the environmental attributes of the Diamond are seldom applicable to small businesses or digital enterprises. The scope of the highly complex and national attributes does not really affect the infrastructure of small companies dependent on exports, as well as having menial cash flows (cf. Cartwright 1993; Grant 1991). Neither local infrastructure, nor demand conditions of local customers affects digital businesses, because the internet provides a network structure which is independent from geographic or national boundaries (though, in some rare cases national regulation restrictions indeed apply to digital shops). On a broader scale, critics pointed to the inflexible state of the Diamond framework, because it is only valid for the operational scope on a national level and nothing below or beyond that. For international relations of companies it was proposed to enhance the flexibility, by adding another modified diamond (cf. Rugman/ DCruz 1993; Moon et al. 1995). Such businesses do not depend much on local resources and can allocate them in a decentralized manner. Thus, competitive advantage may also result from outbound foreign investments, as well as from foreign-owned companies which add value to distinctive competencies required for the home market, effectively strengthening the competitive position. On the business level of strategy which is addressed by the managerial choices, initial conditions, drivers and activities, it is Porters empiric-based determinism that constraints the adaptive nature of the causality framework. Even though he is asserting that [e]ach model abstracts the complexity of competition to isolate only a few key variables whose interactions are examined in depth and that [t]he normative significance of each model depends on the fit between assumptions and reality (Porter 1998b, p. 84), he does not try to excel in these statements. With the creation of his basic meta-units of activities and drivers, he establishes a solid foundation just to ruin it with the integration of his outdated models of Five Forces, the Value Chain and Generic Strategies. It is impossible to include components such as the predominant cultures of countries, the type of market (digital, industrial, service based etc.) or the customer based preferences, which are vital drivers of comple xity in international markets into the Chain of Causality framework. Speaking in economic terms, his framework assumes a classic and perfect market. Therefore, the more a market is influenced by customer uncertainty or the domestic culture, the less meaningful insights the framework can deliver. That is why these frameworks are suited best for analyzing mature, industrial, western markets or national economies with stable market structures. Evolutionary/ Descriptive Research Streams As a result of strategies based upon a prescriptive approach, an organization might develop too sharp an edge. A strong focus on a successful method by optimizing the value chain and activities for a certain business offering, results inevitably in narrowing down other competencies and strengths in a normative approach. Thus, initial success with a product can be disrupted quickly by exogenous changes in customer preferences as it happened within a short time span with HTC. If that is the case, then the organization is missing a requisite variety of alternative options it can exploit (cf. Beer 1981). Therefore, it is expedient to shift the perspective to the other predominant stream of research which endeavors to grasp the processes of change and to include them into a flexible strategy creation process. Hence, the evolutionary or descriptive theories operate from a retrospective point of view, by trying to capture the emergent processes, to reflect them and finally learn to modify the status quo of strategizing. In comparison to the previous research stream, the descriptive branch is a rather heterogeneous collection of concepts which encompasses more than seven different schools of thought (cf. Eden/ Ackermann 1998, pp. 24-28, Mintzberg 1998). Moreover, chronologically, they have not gone through the same evolution as the normative schools, as they simultaneously began to gain academic traction in the late eighties (cf. Mintzberg 1998, p. 352ff.). The common denominator of all theories is the reflection upon incremental change within the company, as well as the exogenous competition and its impact on the organizational performance. Two of the most prolific examples will illustrate both perspectives: Theorists of the Environmental school argue that businesses are part of a natural selection mechanism. Hence, the environment, presenting itself to the organization as a set of general forces, is the central actor in the strategy making process. The company must respond to and include these forces continuously in its strategic analyses, in order to adjust its relative competitive position (cf. ibid. p. 288ff.). Executives, thus, choose from a variety of options provided by the environmental context, adopting those that not only suit their environments but also reflect their personal motives, predilections, and capabilities (Miller et al. 1988, pp. 544-548). Other important aspects are share- and stakeholder relationships, which are emphasized by the Power school (already covered in Chapter 2.1, p. 5). This research branch focuses solely upon the non-material assets of power and highlights its impact on strategy making. Whether inside the company or as an essential part of the environmental influence, stakeholders represent an influential factor on business performance as e.g. a (de-)motivated workforce, beneficial government parties, visionary managers, and, of course, customers. To address these parties, theorists developed a wide array o f approaches ranging from early empathy based models (cf. Freeman 1984) to almost guerilla tactics-based ideology studies on lessons how social movements mobilize workforce (cf. Ruhland 2006) to computerized benchmarking tools for measuring stakeholder value (cf. Figge/ Schaltegger 2000). Nevertheless, the main flaw with these theories lies within their fragmented nature and the resulting inconsistency. Undoubtedly, the Entrepreneurial school has the best research on successful executives, and their visionary ways of dealing with innovations; the Cognitive school delivers the best insights in their minds and how strategic processes are being constituted. But all aforementioned schools deal with complexity by fragmenting it into thematic clusters and unraveling the separated fields of knowledge. This might be a scientifically valid method of dealing with hypotheses, but concurrently it becomes gradually more difficult for companies to deal with a fast-paced analysis of emerging probl ems. As mentioned earlier, each fragmented school of thought in the evolutionary research stream is composed out of hundreds of different methods and models. Thus, it takes not only time to analyze the situation within the frameworks, but it also costs theoretical effort to interconnect the fundamentally different tools and methods. Though Mintzberg addressed this problem within his books by creating a unifying approach to adapt to environmental change, known as the Configurational School (cf. Mintzberg et al. 1998; Miller/ Mintzberg 1983), it would take a considerable amount of time to apply all frameworks and empirically validate the inter-correlations of each theory. Due to this fact, Osterwalders interdisciplinary method is better suited for the demonstration of the remaining problems (cf. Osterwalder 2004; Osterwalder/ Pigneur 2010). His Business Model Canvas and its methods can be loosely sorted into the Learning/ Environmental/ Power schools (cf. ibid. p. 110f., p. 130ff., pp.181-189, pp. 200-212.). Though, the model also draws heavily upon Porters (Five Forces) and Penroses (Resource-Based View) normative concepts, as well as the paradigms of the Planning school (Scenario Techniques). Yet it offers a more sophisticated approach to analyzing strategies behind the business model than proposed by Mintzberg , covering the most important factors of the prevalent schools of thought. The basic canvas is composed out of nine sections for analyzing the key components of the business offering (cf. Fig. 4) and can be divided into four main intersecting groups. On the right side of the canvas there are industry based components, including factors of competitive analysis, production activities, the actual microeconomic cost structure and internal resources basing on the aforementioned normative methods. The upper side of the canvas entails the components of product analysis, including the description of the actual product features, distribution channels, quality management and customer preferences based upon T.Q.M. frameworks, Six Sigma analyses etc. The right side depicts all activities involving customer analyses and market demand. Lastly, the lower side represents microeconomic and financial considerations regarding the product/ service, based upon the most generic economic units, e.g. cash flow, EBITDA metrics, asset pricing and revenue streams. Additionally, Osterwalder and Pigneur include such basic analytic tools as SWOT, Blue Ocean Strategies, Long Tail and some sort of self-composed competitive environment map to round off their model and make it compatible to other frameworks. Despite the apparently light approach towards creating business models, reflectively understand the core processes of an organization and including emergent change into corporate strategy (judging from the visual context and the non-existent academic aspirations of the book), the canvas was conceived as a doctoral thesis and is based upon scientific research. Overall, the Business Model Canvas represents an emphatic concept for identifying the main processes and business units, upon which a corporate strategy can be based or modified. Despite the inclusion of many perspectives and improvements towards the normative concepts, this seemingly reflexive and holistic approach has to deal with strong criticism. Rosenberg et al. (2011) argued that the canvas dealt with substantial problems emphasizing the processual focus and thus lacking structural and goal-oriented performance representations (p. 310ff.). Moreover, due to its simplistic design, the model lacks consistent causality between each of the nine proposed blocks. Because of that, it is difficult (if not impossible) to determine a valid strategy and to manage the continuous adjustments of the business model (cf. ibid. 312ff.). In general, it becomes apparent that Osterwalder et al. do not provide the deep insight into the macroeconomic context as e.g. does Porter. The processes and the effects between each canvas-block are only explained within case studies. In its methodology, the Business Model Canvas misses the questions why? and the answer because. The best example is found with the explanation of the Freemium business model (Osterwalder/ Pigneur 2010, pp. 96-106). Instead of introducing the basics or referring to explanatory books, there are roughly eight examples of canvases with a lot of colorful arrows, which point to the main connections between each block. But the model itself does not explain anywhere how to determine, understand and use these connections for strategic analysis or strategy creation. On top of that, some cases analyzed are assessed inherently wrong as in the case of Nintendos Wii (ibid. p. 230f.).

Japans Economic Development and Times of Instability

Japans Economic Development and Times of Instability Japan Economic status Japan’s possibility of controlling the 2011’s Disaster The enormous tremor and tidal wave that struck Japan in March 2011, and the accompanying arrival of radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi atomic force station, speak to one of the best catastrophes to strike the country of Japan in late memory (Bacon, 2014). Canadian media differ on some degree that it was conceivable to control the catastrophe however on my perspective I see Japan had done everything conceivable to keep it from happening. This is as per the way I will clarify underneath. Planning to react to, and relieve the effect of, debacles and conveying help amid and after the occurrence include the readiness and reaction part of managing fiascos. The country of Japan sorted out a huge, fast reaction. Official interchanges that adequately recognize dangers to the general population relieve catastrophes by advancing measures and practices that stay away from, minimize, get ready for, or react to dangers. For such hazard correspondence to be successful it should justifiable, believable, and significant. Japan depended intensely on formal early cautioning frameworks, departure arranges, and alarms to farthest point death toll. As noted, Japan has a far reaching cautioning framework for fiascos like seismic tremors. The administration additionally utilized an assortment of mediums from conventional cautioning sirens to social networking instruments, for example, Twitter Different countries, global associations, non-legislative offices, and outside donors and volunteers routinely offer guide and support in the wake of fiascos. In any case, it is less regular for the most created and well off countries to oblige or demand outside guide. The administration of Japan has a blendsed record in applying remote guide. Role of OPEC on Japan’s Economy Association of the Petroleum Exporting Countries a changeless, universal association headquartered in Vienna, Austria, was created in Baghdad, Iraq on 10–14 September 1960. Its command is to organize and bring together the petroleum approaches of its individuals and to guarantee the adjustment of oil markets to secure an effective, monetary and general supply of petroleum to shoppers, an enduring wage to makers, and a reasonable profit for capital for those putting resources into the petroleum business. It has influenced Japans economy in the accompanying ways. The high and rising cost of oil weights on Japan in two ways. First and foremost, it brings down the way of life underneath what it would some way or another be. Second, it influences the economy in ways that are troublesome for policymakers to oversee. from one viewpoint, the rising oil value goads general expansion. on the other, it discourages local interest and vocation. Policymakers normally dont completely counterbalance the impact on job on the grounds that they all the while attempt to hold down the rate of expansion (Tanimoto, 2006) .Price levels in the Japan rise more with oil cost increments than do value levels in other modern oil-importing nations. The Japan Consumer Price Index rises more than shopper cost lists in different nations primarily in light of the fact that vitality masses bigger in Japan. utilization. The GNP deflator, regularly counseled as a more extensive measure of value execution, likewise rises more in the Japan than in different nations. The deflator measures the cost of locally created yield ; its increment reflects bigger Japan. household oil generation in respect to aggregate GNP an outcome of more prominent Japan. vitality independence. Hence, an ascent in salary and oil utilization will expand Japan oil import volume by a generally bigger rate than it will that of other significant oil-importing nations. Lexus a Legend and not a myth Most incredible autos attained to their status because of one of a kind thoughts, unique configuration, character (whatever may that be) or bliss they convey to their proprietors and drivers. Things being what they are, is it even feasible for a businesslike, coldly proficient and for the most part subsidiary auto to turn into a legend? At the point when the first Lexus, called LS400, was presented in 1989, it unquestionably wasnt the most unique auto available. Truth be told, it not just looked a ton like a W126 Mercedes S-class of the time, it was even named comparably (uproot the L and the auto would fit directly into the naming framework Mercedes began utilizing a couple of years after the fact). Furthermore, it was no occurrence – the LS400 was a consequence of Toyota metals choice to move their business upmarket (Dawson, 2011). A valid example, the 1990 LS400 you can see on pictures here. I obtained it from my companion and kindred motoring writer, who purchased it after he drove it in no holds barred correlation test with another LS600h, and figured out the old one is not just more agreeable than the present one, and even feels more strong.. For one, the thing feels a great deal more cutting edge than any quarter-an exceptionally old auto has any privilege to be. From the cool lit up instrument group with recessed nitwit lights, making an interesting three-dimensional impact like something from Star Trek, to the very much suppressed and exceptionally complex sound of the four-cam, four-liter V8 giving 250 pull. So its actual Lexus is a Legend. Another brand that tackled the greatest names in the business, and hit the nail on the head surprisingly. Furthermore, even after quarter of a century, a standout amongst the most agreeable autos, ever. Recommendation on Japan’s Millitary SHINZO ABE, Japans head administrator, came back to power in 2012 promising to switch a long haul fall in military spending. He has kept that promise. On August 29th the nations resistance service put in a record spending plan solicitation of 5.5 trillion yen ($53 billion), for one year from now, up 3.5% from FY2014. On the off chance that acknowledged by the Diet, it will be the third continuous ascent in spending, compensating for 10 years of decay. The militarys shopping rundown incorporates three automatons, 20 observation flying machine, six F-35 stealth warriors, a submarine and cash for area to manufacture another army installation on a remote island. These buys ought to trigger no alerts, demands Itsunori Onodera, Japans resistance priest (imagined). They are, he says, only about upkeep of Japans protection. China is, obviously, prone to see the overdo it in an unexpected way. A significant part of the resistance assemble up is gone for preventing an assault on Japans far-flung south-east, site of a strained standoff with China over the Senkaku islands (known in China, which asserts them, as the Diaoyu). Japans most recent resistance white paper again refers to perilous exercises by Chinese boats and air ship, which have organized a series of invasions into the oceans around the islands in a high-hazard offer to drive Japan to the arranging table. The planets second biggest economy has turned into an inexorably advanced and independent military force, says Narushige Michishita, a security master in Tokyo. More military spending may not be sufficient to check this advancement, he says. We may need to think of the Asian rendition of NATO; inexactly characterized, approximately arranged†¦ and barring China. Will the Japanese economic bubble burst by 2020? The Japanese resource value air pocket was a financial rise in Japan from 1986 to 1991 in which land and securities exchange costs were extraordinarily swelled .The air pocket scene was portrayed by quick speeding up of benefit costs and overheated monetary action, and an uncontrolled cash supply and credit development More particularly, arrogance and hypothesis with respect to resource and stock costs has been nearly connected with over the top fiscal facilitating arrangement around then. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics put Japan on the guide universally, gave the nation the self-assurance to turn into a worldwide monetary and social power, kickstarting 3 many years of marvelous development. When 2020 comes around (Mansharani, 2011), 56 years will have gone by and Japan will be pretty much 3 decades past its financial crest. Where can Japan get to in the following 7 years and what does this mean for organizations and brand in Japan? A significant part of the universal response to Tokyo being named as host city for the 2020 Olympics has given the news a role as an appreciated fillip to a slow economy and desolated national mind. Those of us who experience life in Japan direct have ended up usual to the differentiation between the truth on the ground and the Japan-on-the-ropes story delineated by universal news channels, thus we see the 2020 Games comes about through a marginally diverse lens. So it is against this background that Japan acknowledges the honor of facilitating the 2020 Games, remunerated for being the financial and social safe pair of hands that the Tokyo offer effectively proposed to the IOC board. It is no big surprise Prime Minister Abe portrayed the outcome as a larger number of cheerful than his 2012 decision result. Olympics gives the inspiration to the infrastructural venture program that is as of now at the heart of Abenomics, yet all the more essentially fills the ideological void in Japanese governmental issues, and can unite the country around a typical subject that is worldwide in stand. References Bacon, P. (2014). Human Security and Japans Triple Disaster: Responding to the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear crisis (Routledge Humanitarian Studies) . London: Routeledge. Dawson, C. (2011). Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit. New Jersey: Wiley. Mansharani, V. (2011). Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst . New Jersey: Wiley. Tanimoto, M. (2006). The Role of Tradition in Japans Industrialization: Another Path to Industrialization (Japanese Studies in Economic and Social History Series. London: Oxford University press.

Stephen King :: essays research papers

The relief Stephen King's Constant Readers feel at seeing the first full-length novel from the horrormeister since his accident most likely overshadows the weaknesses they might find in an effort that, while not King's best, is neither his worst. Set partially in the Derry, Maine, of It and Insomnia, and with shades of Tommyknockers in its subject matter, Dreamcatcher hearkens back to It and that novel's theme of the lifelong endurance of childhood friendships -- especially when something unspeakable bound those long-ago children to one another. Four men meet for their annual deer hunting party deep in the Maine woods in a cabin full of happy memories. Though they've inevitably grown apart, their childhood ties are still strong. In the cabin's great room hangs a Native American dreamcatcher, strings woven about sticks said to have the power to protect slumbering humans from night terrors. This year, though, that hanging talisman will prove scant protection against an unearthly horror that will require sacrifices of the highest order from the knot of friends. The animals are fleeing the surrounding forest, for they sense the unwelcome visitors whose precursors were the spate of recent strange lights in the New England sky. For Pete, Beaver, Henry and Jonesy, the nightmare begins when a disoriented hunter named McCarthy stumbles into their camp. The situation quickly degenerates. McCarthy unwittingly plays host to a deadly parasitic creature and brings a rapidly multiplying fungal growth into the midst of the group. While the childhood friends battle an inexplicable and implacable enemy, a government covert operations team seals off the area. Their plan: to destroy all evidence of a threatening alien invasion like nothing the pulp sci-fi purveyors has prepared the world for. Led by a man who is quite possibly insane, the black ops unit will stop at nothing to contain the menace -- including the slaughter of the bewildered hunters they've herded from the surrounding forest. Even so, the government's answer is insufficient to the problem. The combined will of the four men, and their reunion with the dying boy-man whose uniqueness bound them all together so wondrously those years ago, is the only hope against the unrelenting usurper from the heavens. The very best part of Dreamcatcher is undoubtedly the magic of the boys' relationship in the flashbacks to an earlier Derry. The easy way their small circle assimilates a specially-gifted Down's Syndrome child breaks your heart with its glimpse of humanity's potential actualized.

Arthurian Features in That Hideous Strength Essay -- Hideous Strength

Arthurian Features in That Hideous Strength  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Tales change with every teller. Features may be added or subtracted, stories may be broken apart or combined. Often the story-teller will adapt the tale for his own purposes to emphasize some theme of his own. C. S. Lewis uses and modifies older sources in many ways in his novel That Hideous Strength, incorporating themes and portions of Arthurian literature to add color and emphasize the subjects of his plot.    Lewis includes many direct references to older Arthurian literature in his novel. The leader of his group of heroes is the former philogist Ransom, at first known as "Mr. Fisher-King," who has a wounded foot. The name and the wound are obvious reminders of the Fisher-King myth which produces the quest for the Holy Grail in Malory, and the allusion is further supported when for his meal he is served only "a small flacon of red wine, and a roll of bread" (Lewis, p. 149) -- reminders of the Last Supper and the resulting relics that the Fisher-King is associated with. Lewis' tale differs in that the Fisher-King is the same person as the Pendragon. Yet his tale also combines a quest for holy things (eldilic help through Merlin) to heal the sickness of the land with a great, climactic battle against evil, thus merging the two characters' functions as well as their attributes. Also, as in earlier versions of the story, the Pendragon disappears after his final battle is completed, and the cr owning conflict itself takes place in a dense fog which obscures everything.    When Merlin arrives, his full name is given as Merlinus Ambrosius, the name he is given in one of his earliest appearances in Arthurian literature, Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Reg... ...e medieval world may have been closer, in a way, to the truths of the universe than most of us modern, advanced, proud, scientific, atheistic, ambitious people. Science can be a great blessing, but only if it is used correctly and for the good of all humanity and, more importantly, all creation. Though Lewis deals with small, unimportant people -- fellows of small colleges and maids from small towns -- he places them in a setting and situation of Arthurian scope, and thus brings out the great nobility of ordinary man.       Works Cited Lewis, Clive Staples. That Hideous Strength. Macmillan Publishing Co.: New York, NY (1946). Malory, Sir Thomas. Works. Eugene Vinaver, ed. Second edition. Oxford University Press: New York, NY (1971). White, T. H. The Once and Future King. The Berkley Publishing Group: New York, NY (1958).    Arthurian Features in That Hideous Strength Essay -- Hideous Strength Arthurian Features in That Hideous Strength  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Tales change with every teller. Features may be added or subtracted, stories may be broken apart or combined. Often the story-teller will adapt the tale for his own purposes to emphasize some theme of his own. C. S. Lewis uses and modifies older sources in many ways in his novel That Hideous Strength, incorporating themes and portions of Arthurian literature to add color and emphasize the subjects of his plot.    Lewis includes many direct references to older Arthurian literature in his novel. The leader of his group of heroes is the former philogist Ransom, at first known as "Mr. Fisher-King," who has a wounded foot. The name and the wound are obvious reminders of the Fisher-King myth which produces the quest for the Holy Grail in Malory, and the allusion is further supported when for his meal he is served only "a small flacon of red wine, and a roll of bread" (Lewis, p. 149) -- reminders of the Last Supper and the resulting relics that the Fisher-King is associated with. Lewis' tale differs in that the Fisher-King is the same person as the Pendragon. Yet his tale also combines a quest for holy things (eldilic help through Merlin) to heal the sickness of the land with a great, climactic battle against evil, thus merging the two characters' functions as well as their attributes. Also, as in earlier versions of the story, the Pendragon disappears after his final battle is completed, and the cr owning conflict itself takes place in a dense fog which obscures everything.    When Merlin arrives, his full name is given as Merlinus Ambrosius, the name he is given in one of his earliest appearances in Arthurian literature, Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Reg... ...e medieval world may have been closer, in a way, to the truths of the universe than most of us modern, advanced, proud, scientific, atheistic, ambitious people. Science can be a great blessing, but only if it is used correctly and for the good of all humanity and, more importantly, all creation. Though Lewis deals with small, unimportant people -- fellows of small colleges and maids from small towns -- he places them in a setting and situation of Arthurian scope, and thus brings out the great nobility of ordinary man.       Works Cited Lewis, Clive Staples. That Hideous Strength. Macmillan Publishing Co.: New York, NY (1946). Malory, Sir Thomas. Works. Eugene Vinaver, ed. Second edition. Oxford University Press: New York, NY (1971). White, T. H. The Once and Future King. The Berkley Publishing Group: New York, NY (1958).   

Life of a Gladiator

The life of a Gladiator could be compared to the life of a modern day professional athlete. Gladiators lived a lavish life much greater than the lower class of Ancient Rome. With food, medicine, and baths all at the tip of their fingers, they were to use all their energy and focus to fight against each other. These fighters were primarily used for Inhumane entertainment. Many Gladiators were slaves, criminals, and some free men. Gladiators were first used for funeral ceremonies to reenact the dead one's life.Gladiators were later used in entertaining the people. They would fight wild beast such as lion, tigers, and elephants and even fight each other. Even though they were sure to be killed for the enjoyment of Ancient Roman citizens, Ancient Roman Gladiators lived a life of luxury. Ancient Gladiators lived a well-appointed lifestyle. For example they were given hot and cold baths constantly. The Ancient Roman citizens did not have this available to them. Disease was also abundant th roughout Ancient Rome, but doctors to keep disease and infection to a minimum treated Gladiators dally.Another example of benefits given to a Gladiator was women for their personal needs. Women were used by the Ancient Gladiators as slaves and for coitus. Gladiators who became successful were allowed to have their own home and even a family, The Gladiator trainers and sponsors treated their fighters as If they were their prized possessions. Gladiators were on a high protein diet and took place in a magnificent feast the night before a battle would take place. This felt promising to the trainers and sponsors In that their Gladiators would be physically prepared for he next day when they would be in battle.All Gladiators were cared for substantially by their trainers and sponsors. Ancient Gladiators lived a lavish life where anything and everything was given to them In order to keep them in the perfect shape for combat. The Gladiators were sure of death but enjoyed the luxurious life as they could. Many Gladiators were slaves, criminals or members of captured of enemy armies, but a lot of Gladiators were freemen. Many retired military men became Gladiators so they could showcase their fighting abilities In the arena.A lot of men who decided o become Gladiators joined for the wealth that came with It. Becoming a Gladiator was a good way for citizens to make money. Many men used this money to pay off debt or support their family. The living conditions of Gladiators were very good. The free men whom became Gladiators were free to do as they pleased and could keep any of the money thrown into the arena during a battle. Many of these men not only craved the wealth but also the fame that came with being a successful Gladiator. The most successful Gladiators became very popular with the Ancient Roman citizens.These Gladiators were treated like royalty and were given much wealth and power by the Roman government. These Gladiators were only expected to fight 3-5 times a year ana could ao as tney pleased In tnelr OTTtlme. There were many reasons one would seek to become a Gladiator. The living conditions of a Gladiator were much better than the living condition of a lower class Roman citizen. Food and medical care were supplied to these men as well. They were on strict diets but did not have to pay for the food which a luxury in its self.Doctors were always present to make sure the Gladiators were in top fighting condition. Men in top fghting condition would put on a better show for the Ancient Roman citizens and this would bring more money to the Gladiator and his Sponsor. Much fame came with being a successful Gladiator. These successful Gladiators were famous for their actions in the arena and this is what made them so popular. A successful Gladiator received better care and acquired more money and wealth in their career than many citizens did at this time.Slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war were all forced to be Gladiators in the Ancient Rom an Empire, but the wealth and glory of becoming a Gladiator appealed to many free men. The living conditions of an Ancient Gladiator were high above the living conditions of many Ancient Roman citizens. The upkeep of a Gladiator was extensive and were kept at top physical shape. Ancient Gladiators enjoyed the life of luxury and adored the fame and fortune, but being a Gladiator ultimately ended in a bloody death in front of all of Rome to see. Life of a Gladiator The life of a Gladiator could be compared to the life of a modern day professional athlete. Gladiators lived a lavish life much greater than the lower class of Ancient Rome. With food, medicine, and baths all at the tip of their fingers, they were to use all their energy and focus to fight against each other. These fighters were primarily used for inhumane entertainment. Many Gladiators were slaves, criminals, and some free men. Gladiators were first used for funeral ceremonies to reenact the dead one’s life. Gladiators were later used in entertaining the people.They would fight wild beast such as lion, tigers, and elephants and even fight each other. Even though they were sure to be killed for the enjoyment of Ancient Roman citizens, Ancient Roman Gladiators lived a life of luxury. Ancient Gladiators lived a well-appointed lifestyle. For example they were given hot and cold baths constantly. The Ancient Roman citizens did not have this available to them. Disease was also abun dant throughout Ancient Rome, but doctors to keep disease and infection to a minimum treated Gladiators daily.Another example of benefits given to a Gladiator was women for their personal needs. Women were used by the Ancient Gladiators as slaves and for coitus. Gladiators who became successful were allowed to have their own home and even a family. The Gladiator trainers and sponsors treated their fighters as if they were their prized possessions. Gladiators were on a high protein diet and took place in a magnificent feast the night before a battle would take place. This felt promising to the trainers and sponsors in that their Gladiators would be physically prepared for the next day when they would be in battle.All Gladiators were cared for substantially by their trainers and sponsors. Ancient Gladiators lived a lavish life where anything and everything was given to them in order to keep them in the perfect shape for combat. The Gladiators were sure of death but enjoyed the luxurio us life as they could. Many Gladiators were slaves, criminals or members of captured of enemy armies, but a lot of Gladiators were freemen. Many retired military men became Gladiators so they could showcase their fighting abilities in the arena.A lot of men who decided to become Gladiators joined for the wealth that came with it. Becoming a Gladiator was a good way for citizens to make money. Many men used this money to pay off debt or support their family. The living conditions of Gladiators were very good. The free men whom became Gladiators were free to do as they pleased and could keep any of the money thrown into the arena during a battle. Many of these men not only craved the wealth but also the fame that came with being a successful Gladiator. The most successful Gladiators became very popular with the Ancient Roman citizens.These Gladiators were treated like royalty and were given much wealth and power by the Roman government. These Gladiators were only expected to fight 3-5 times a year and could do as they pleased in their off time. There were many reasons one would seek to become a Gladiator. The living conditions of a Gladiator were much better than the living condition of a lower class Roman citizen. Food and medical care were supplied to these men as well. They were on strict diets but did not have to pay for the food which a luxury in its self.Doctors were always present to make sure the Gladiators were in top fighting condition. Men in top fighting condition would put on a better show for the Ancient Roman citizens and this would bring more money to the Gladiator and his Sponsor. Much fame came with being a successful Gladiator. These successful Gladiators were famous for their actions in the arena and this is what made them so popular. A successful Gladiator received better care and acquired more money and wealth in their career than many citizens did at this time.Slaves, criminals, and prisoners of war were all forced to be Gladiators in the Ancient Roman Empire, but the wealth and glory of becoming a Gladiator appealed to many free men. The living conditions of an Ancient Gladiator were high above the living conditions of many Ancient Roman citizens. The upkeep of a Gladiator was extensive and were kept at top physical shape. Ancient Gladiators enjoyed the life of luxury and adored the fame and fortune, but being a Gladiator ultimately ended in a bloody death in front of all of Rome to see.