Strategic Management of Harley-Davidson Research Paper

Strategic Management of Harley-Davidson - Research Paper Example Notably, the company is a US based multinational which specializes on motorcycles. The company was established in the year 1903 and is recognized to possess a strong competitive stance in the current market scenario of the 21st century (Harley-Davidson, â€Å"History†). Based on this thought, the essay shall conclusively intend to identify the major opportunities and threats existing in the US market and the strengths as well as weaknesses possessed by the company. 2.0 The External Environment 2.1 Factors of the Natural Physical Environment Affecting the Corporation and the Industry The components belonging to the natural physical environment of the USA, which affect Harley-Davidson and the motor vehicle industry, can be identified as the energy sources and the trend in its consumption and pricing. The energy sources existing in the US natural physical environment are bioenergy, fossil fuel, coal, hydrogen, hydropower, oil, solar, wind, geothermal and others. It is worth menti oning in this context that the economy maintains a strategic reserve of fuels in order to face the future challenges. This provides the company and the industry with the opportunity of minimized threats in terms of lacuna in energy efficiency of the economy and increasing prices of the fuel which in turn can hamper the future prospects of the company and the industry as a whole. On the contrary, it also raises the future threat of stringent legal barriers and increased tax rates due to the reduction in the level of reserve (U.S. Department of Energy, â€Å"Strategic Petroleum Reserve Annual Report for Calendar Year 2009†). 2.2 General Environmental Forces Affecting the Corporation and the Industry US economy is observed to be at its recovery stage, after being strongly affected by the recent global recession. The GDP rate is growing moderately with an increase in the unemployment rate. This in turn is expected to reduce the consumer purchase rate and thus prove to be a signif icant threat for the company and the industry in the current phenomenon (The Economic Times, â€Å"US Economy Grows 1.8% In Q1, Jobless Claims Rise†). However, political reforms can be recognized to provide with significant opportunities with facilitated investment in the technology sector (U.S. Census Bureau, â€Å"Science and Technology†). With the growing influence of the climate change and other environmental hazards, the US economy has undertaken several strategic measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by the motor vehicle industry. The measures include strict legal barriers under the regulatory bodies such as, National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), Clean Air Act (1970) and others (United States Environmental Protection Agency, â€Å"Automotive Repair and Maintenance Sectors (NAICS 8111)†; Natural Resources Defense Council, â€Å"U.S. Environmental Laws†).

Short anwser Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short anwser - Assignment Example 2. Consider the psychological consequences of stripping, delousing, and shaving the heads of prisoners or members of the military. What transformations take place when people go through an experience like this? When people go through experiences like this it makes them feel less than human because this kind of treatment is usually only metered out to animals. As a result of this people feel humiliated and that they are not special. Of course the purpose of this is to weaken self-confidence. The act of a push-up is not too hard to do for a man with average or above average strength, but after some time it does weaken the prisoners physically. This is an important form of punishment because the prisoners need to feel pain in order to make them submissive to the guards. Other forms of punishment, like psychological or emotional, work well but a physical aspect also needs to be included. If I was a prisoner in this situation then I would have behaved well because I would know that I would get the special treatment. This type of incentive always works well because it makes people think that if they just toe the line then everything will be okay. I would not be worried about prisoner solidarity because I would be in there for myself and other people can take care of their own interests. 5. Most prisoners believed that the subjects selected to be guards were chosen because they were bigger than those who were made prisoners, but actually, there was no difference in the average height of the two groups. What do you think caused this misperception? After many days of psychological and physical submission, the guards appeared to look bigger than they actually were. This is because they had power over the prisoners, and this gives the guards confidence that shows in their actions and mannerisms. Their behavior was the same in that most people have a natural respect

Technology and its affect to geography research Essay

Technology and its affect to geography research - Essay Example GIS is changing the landscape of geographical technology with its novel ways of data collection, measurement, modeling, structuring, indexing, processing, and visualizing. The recent era has seen many technological improvements in the field of geographic research by advancing spatial technology including aerial photography, aviation, and remote sensing (Shelley, Bigler, and Aspinall, 38). The cold war era was one during which important developments were made in the field of space technology. The pressure and the space race prompted fast response from both sides and so the cold war was significant in sparking a competition which speeded geographic research. This also coincided with generous federal budgets for such projects and hence, many key developments were during this time. The time also corresponds to when people started examining the role of geographic research on the society and lives of the people. Some technologies developed after the cold war era includes GIS, micro-computers, and the internet. Indeed, these three technologies go hand in hand. Without powerful microcomputers it would be nearly impossible to model and analyze large volumes geographical data and without the internet long distance communication would not be so easy. Remote sensing has allowed the gathering of long distance geographical data without direct contact. This has enabled large amounts of spatial data to be captures and stored into a GIS without having to establish close contact. GIS now work to record, store, analyze, and map geographical data obtained from a GIS. There has already been close contemplation regarding the social, economic, and strategic implications of using a GIS. Many organizations and cities have implemented their own GIS and strategies so as to make use of the spatial data to their full potential. A GIS combines many layers of location data to allow a better spatial visualization of a place. The GIS system infrastructure is supported by cartographic

Material Science Essay Example for Free

Material Science Essay Abstract In this assignment I will be defining the 3 essential properties of every material and describing those. I would also be describing how silicon-based semiconductors revolutionized computing. I will also define what microchips are and how they relate to integrate circuits. Since the pressing questions about the increasing ability of computers to quickly process large amounts of information is whether a computer can be built that is considered â€Å"alive† or â€Å"conscious.† I will also be defining artificial intelligence and telling the difference between the human brain and the central processing unit of a computer. Material Science There are three essential properties of every material that scientists use as a foundation for most every study. First it is the kind of atoms that is made up from the material. There are the neutral elements and the compound elements. The neutral elements would have the identical amount of protons and electrons; this would essentially terminate one another, which would leave the protons and electrons neutral. The compound element is when there is a combination of more than one element. The atoms are second in the way that they are arranged. A great way to explain this is by relating atoms of liquid and atoms of solids. For example the atoms of liquids move around allowing the atoms of solids which are packed together. The way that atoms are attached together is number three. These are the key properties when understanding the study of materials. The strong point of the material, this is the capability to endure forces being useful to it without breaking, this is first. The materials elasticity is second, which is the capability to flex while returning to its original form. Number three is the materials plasticity; this is the ability to change its shape forever. Thanks to the starter of semiconductors, computers have developed over a billion times faster than one of the first built in 1946 (ENIAC). Describe how silicon-based semiconductors revolutionized computing. Since silicone semiconductors are capable to move easily through the solid component it is more proficient than copper based conductors. Silicone based conductor’s makes holes which produces and fills a space constantly. This means electrons jump from one atom to another. This will also change the silicon through a process called doping by adding either phosphorus or aluminum the desired effect is achieved. When adding phosphorus to silicon it develops n-type which is negative-semiconductor. When adding aluminum to silicone it develops p-type semiconductors. These are both essential parts functions efficient electrical devices microchips, which are used in computers. Microchips are positive and negative type semiconductors. Microchips do a detailed function. A microchip is individual diodes and transistors will play a big part of the essential function in modern electronics, although these strategies have been mainly replaced by much more complex arrays of P- and N- kind semiconductors, known as microchips. Microchips may join hundreds or thousands of transistors in one integrated circuit, particularly intended to do a specific role. They are related to integrated circuits this is why. Combined circuits (microchips) are the main component in devices such as microwave calculators, and other devices. An integrated circuit microprocessor lies on modern technology. Modern technology is occupied with electrical integrated circuits. Such as, Televisions, MP3 players and computers all contain integrated circuit which allows them to perform specific functions. Also known as microchips or microprocessors, these circuits keep track of all the information being transferred within the device, in essence giving it life. Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce are both who take credit with inventing the integrated circuit, both coming up with the idea within a year of each other while working for separate companies. Artificial Intelligence is a division of science which deals with helping machines and finds explanations to complex problems in a more human like manner. This normally contains borrowing features from human intelligence, and applying them as procedures in a computer friendly way. A more or less well-organized approach can be taken depending on the necessities recognized, which impacts how artificial the intelligent performance seems. (http://ai-depot.com/Intro.html) The 2 essential differences between human brains and the central processing unit of a computer is the brain-computer metaphor has served intellectual psychology well, research in intellectual neuroscience has revealed many significant changes between brains and computers. Escalating these differences may be crucial to understanding the mechanisms of neural information processing, and eventually for the creation of artificial intelligence. (http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2007/03/27/why-the-brain-is-not-like-a-co/) One difference is that brains are analogue and computers are digital. For instance one of the primary devices of information communication appears to be the amount at which neurons fire a fundamentally unbroken variable. Likewise, networks of neurons can fire in relative synchrony or in relative confusion; the coherence affects the strength of the signals received by downstream neurons. Lastly, inside each and every neuron is a leaky integrator circuit, composed of a diversity of ion channels and endlessly changing membrane potentials. (http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2007/03/27/why-the-brain-is-not-like-a-co/) Another difference is short-term memory is not like RAM. While the superficial similarities between RAM and short-term memory encouraged many early intellectual psychologists, a closer examination reveals strikingly important differences. Although RAM and short-term memory both seem to required power, short-term seems to hold only to long-term memory however. RAM holds data that is Isomorphic which is having similar appearance but different ancestry. Not like RAM, the capacity limit of short-term memory is not fixed, the capacity of short-term memory seems to vary with differences in processing speed as well as with expertise and understanding. (http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2007/03/27/why-the-brain-is-not-like-a-co/)

The Theoretical Approach To Innovation Business Essay

The Theoretical Approach To Innovation Business Essay It is difficult to imagine nowadays business world without innovation. Many enterprises simply depend on their ability to be innovative for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage (Frishammar, Parida, Westerberg, 2012). Moreover, it is important to note that not only theoretical but also conceptual understanding of innovation has developed significantly since the early 1980s (Hong, Oxley, McCann, 2012). Hence, it is essential to understand the importance of linking innovation to new markets. In this paper the following will be discussed: Models of innovation; Types of innovation; The importance of anticipating market needs and connecting them with a new technological capability in the cases of radical and incremental innovations; Ways to empower people to innovate. Theoretical Approach to Innovation Innovation undoubtedly became the engine of the progress, competitive ability and economic growth. Baumol (2002) even regards innovation as a life-and-death matter for a firm. However, paradox is that still some difficulties remain in understanding what exactly the innovation is and how important it is in nowadays world. Despite the fact that there are many definitions of processes of innovation, Gordon and McCann (2005) suggest that, generally, all innovations contain three underlying elements: newness (1), improvement (2) and the overcoming of uncertainty (3). Newness is probably one of the most important parts of innovation, although such newness could be understood as something novel to the form or industry as a whole (McCann, Oxley, 2013, p.54). Improvemet is related to the fact that firms need to find the superior quality to those products which currently exist in the market. Overcoming uncertainty means that such improvement is determined by the market and that market need have to be clarified. In addition, it is esential to remember that all these elements are driven by the technological advance. So it is clear that the process of innovation is complex, involving many different variables to consider. Models of Innovation When talking about innovation and its importance it is substancial to understand the models, concepts and types of innovation. Many models have been developed throughout all these years. However, no model appears to be capable to being utilized as a generalised model of innovation (Forrest, 1991). In this paper the following 5 models will be discussed: Linear model Technology push Linear model Market pull Interactive Network System Linear Models Technology Push and Maket Pull In 1960s and 1970s the new approach to the models of innovation has come. Concentration was focused on the idea that specific processes can generate new technologies and the learning involved in technological change (Shavinina, 2003). The first linear description of innovation was called technology push. The main idea of this model is that innovation is based on the advance in both science and techology because, at the same time, it can lead to the technological development and rise of new products in the market. The step sequence is as follows (Shavinina, 2003): Basic Science à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Applied Science and Engineering à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Marketing à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sales Another linear model was developed afterwards the technology push model and was called market pull. The main focus in this model was orientated into the importance of marketplace and existing demand. Hence, innovation is the result of the demands of potential customers. The step sequence is as follows (Shavinina, 2003): Market Place à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Technology Development à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Manufacturing à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Sales Both linear models were comparatively simple and rational so they were widely adopted until 1980s. However, the growing compexity of innovations and market made both models hardly adaptable to the future innovations. Interactive Models After the linear models the need to create a more detailed model arose. Interactive model was very important step in the progress of conceptualizing innovation because it was an attempt to bring together the technology push and marketing pull approaches into a comprehensive model of innovation (Shavinina, 2003). Rothwell and Zegveld (1985, p.50) suggest that the overall pattern of innovation process can be thought of as a complex net of communication paths, both intra-organisational and extra-organisational, linking together the various in-house functions and linking the firm to the broader scientific and technological community and to the marketplace. The key fact in the interactive model is that the innovation is no longer the end product of a final stage of activity and the process is more circular then sequential. The interactive model is relevant even in nowadays as the original model has been extended to make it specific to particular situation. System and Network Models As the process of innovation is getting more complex in the course of time, the importance of systematic approach to the innovation is growing. In addition, such complexity requires interaction not only from agents within the firm but also from cooperation amongst firms (Shavinina, 2003). Synergy, interactions and crossing between organisational boundaries are the most descriptive features when talking about system and network models. All the models described above are very important in understanding the process of innovation and its importance. One models lack of some important elements, others are more elaborate but still lacking some important points (e.g. taking into account the post-innovation stage, including different environmental variables or such external factors like trade unions, goverments, social interest grouos, etc.). Hence, it is clear that it is impossible to adjust only one particular model as the best one. The research and understanding of the particular innovation have to be included in every innovative organisation. Types of Innovation The same important is to consider the different types of innovation. Generally, innovations are classified according to the market that the innovations are aimed at (product innovations; process innovations) or according to the technical knowledge and investment to the development. Mainly, there are 4 types of innovations: Type of Innovation Explanation Incremental innovation The intention of incremental innovation is to use the insights from customers or others to develop better solutions that are attractive and would add to the profits from the existing products (Pavitt 1998; Xin, Yeung, and Cheng 2008). Radical innovation The core idea of the radical innovation is the development of a completely new technology, which can provide a product which has never been available before (Nasirpourosgoei, Coles, 2006). Product innovation A product innovation is the introduction of a good or service that is new or significantly improved with respect to its characteristics or intended uses (OECD, 2005). Process innovation A process innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method (OECD, 2005). Table 1. The Types of Innovations. Source: Authors Consruction. The data was taken from OECD and research papers. In this paper the incremental and radical innovations will be discussed in greater detail. Radical and incremental innovations are fundamentally different. In the main, radical innovation represents the ability to develop products that are completely new to the world or particular industry, while incremental innovation refers to the ability to develop products that are new to the firm (Frishammar, Parida, Westerberg, 2012). In other words, incremental innovations are usually thought to enhance the capabilities of the firm, whereas radical ones are thought to undermine it (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). Moreover, radical innovations are ground-breaking development that requires significant resources to materialize. For that reason, such innovation has longer time lags to profitability compared with incremental innovations (Chaney, Devinney, and Winer 1991; Veryzer 1998). Radical innovations, in comparison with incremental innovations, are more noticeable and visible. What is more, radical innovations are more likely to arise in large corporate or networked ventures. Hence, there is a long list of radical innovation examples that have changed the market, its structure and understanding: penicillin, X-rays, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, personal computer, cell phones, laser, etc (Ruben, Slocum 2008). Example of Radical Innovation. The Case of Amazon.com One of the latest examples of radical innovation is the case of amazon.com and its approach to sell books via the Internet. Amazon successfully emerged from the dot-com bubble and demonstrated significant results of growth from $4 billion in 2002 to $20 billion in 2008. One of the main reason why Amazon successfully survived the Internet bubble was the firms ability to anticipate the changing market needs and customer values. Amazon started to sell wide range of books that upended the staid book industry that led to a number of the traditional book stores going out of business. A few years later, the company offered another completely new field a commission-based brokerage service to buyers and sellers of used books. Then Amazon moved forward again developing a model to serve an entirely different customer: third-party sellers (Johnson, 2010). Jeffrey Preston, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, Inc., says: If you want to continuously revitalize the service that you offer to your customers, you cannot stop at what you are good at. You have to ask what your customers need and want, and then, no matter how hard it is, you better get good at those things (Johnson, 2010). It is obvious, that Amazon.com, Inc. is one of the best examples how important is to understand and anticipate market needs and connect them with a new technological capability. Example of Incremental Innovation. The Case of MySQL All the differencies between radical and incremental innovations has shaped the common belief that only radical innovations can bring more tangible results and recognition. However, the following example of the incremental innovation can break that stereotype. Jesper Holck, Volker Mahnke, and Roberto Zicari (2008) presents the case of the MySQL AB as a proof that it is possible to win and succeed through the incremental innovation. MySQL is a SQL  [1]  database management system. Despite the fact that the genesis of this system is dated in the late 80s the most important advance has been made with the beginning of 21st century when www.MySQL.com was formed to maintain the database. MySQL gained a sound position in the Web service community. Another advantageous feature was the fact that MySQL understood and anticipated the market need in the late 1990s when business and new ventures were trying to join the Internet and exploit the WWW revolution. The key point why MySQL was successful in that was the firms strategy to to follow the 15 minute rule, stating that it should be possible to get MySQL up and running in less than 15 minutes (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). This was very attractive, especially for the Internet start-ups, because it was simple, quick and reliable way to use Relational DataBase Management Systems. Moreover, MySQL databases did not require any specific IT eduction to install those system s, the users were less considered with the missing features of MySQL and they needed the basic functionality of MySQL as a data store for customers, goods, etc. MySQL was attractive even for the great enterprises, because of the free availability and possibility for the computer departments to test it without asking for financial resources to do this (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). In addition, MySQL had a strong superiority in demanding comparatively very little computer resources and can run efficiently even on inexpensive PCs. After the burst of the Internet bubble, MySQL AB consisted of 20 people who were focusing on technology and the managerial issues played secondary role in the firm. To enhance organisational efficiency a number of highly professional people for the top management were recruited. Therefore, MySQL AB showed significant results in the growth of employees, operating income and profits (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). Another important issue that was faced was the battle of the storage engines (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). Storage engine is the program that handles how data are read from and written to the files etc. where the data are stored. MySQL AB chose the InnoDB as a promising and copetitive storage engine. However, afterwards one of the MySQL competitors, Oracle, made a strategically important movement and bought Innobase OY, the company behind InnoDB. My SQL felt a pressure and increasing competitors. In response, in 2007 MySQL released its first own open source storage engine: Fa lcon (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). So what strategy has empowered MySQL AB to achieve significant results and become serious competitor to giant companies like IBM, Microsoft, Oracle? Jesper Holck, Volker Mahnke, and Roberto Zicari (2008) suggest that success was determined by small incremental innovations and ability to anticipate the market. The following 7 principles of MySQL strategy were the basis of the firms strategy (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008): Commitment to existing standarts. MySQL chose to rely on existing application programming interface and data storage technology. That enabled users of to easily switch to MySQL and so the switching costs were reduced. Ability to distinguish and prioritize must-to-have features from nice-to-have features. MySQL concentrated on a key features of the product, like speed, simplicity to install and size of the memory footprint. Ability to link the development of both commercial and non-commercial product versions. MySQL chose to let both the Community and the Enterprise version build on the same code base, i.e. the exact same source code files (Holck, Mahnke, Zicari, 2008). The most important thing by linking the development of both commercial and non-commercial product versions was the fact that it helped to realize the economies of scale. Upbringing and coordination of user communities. MySQL undertsand the importance of paying attention to various groups of users that are involved in the development process, e.g. MySQL employees, developer community (active users, contributing with interfaces, forum answers, blog entries, etc.), user community. MySQL created a coherent community that are interested in the product. Such cohesiveness enables not only to understand users, collect the feedback but also to motivate community members to develop the product. Product testing with communities. Despite the fact that majority of MySQLs open source development community do not generate revenue directly, community members are great supporters. In other words, they provide valuable testing, error-reporting, and bug-fixing information that allows to reduce the costs of testing and even marketing. Implementation of dual-licensing strategy. MySQL offers different licensing arrangements for different user groups. Jesper Holck, Volker Mahnke, and Roberto Zicari (2008) note that Dual licensing is an important element in benefiting from an incremental innovation based business model for software products that are embedded in other products. Linking the power of market and communities. One of the main reasons why MySQL was successful in incremental innovation is the fact that the firm was capable to combine community and markets. Important feature is that MySQL can offer enterprise customers extra value, like more functionality, better performance, new features and fewer errors, while community users provide very valuable testing and feedback that delivers error-reporting and bug-fixing. Empowering People to Innovate Talking about the need for innovation and the main drivers of innovation, there are many factors that can determine it. According to the Canadian Innovation Centre (Canadian Dairy Commission, 2010), these factors can be divided into both internal and external drivers: Internal Factors External Factors Competition Improve Profitability Lower Costs Improve Return on Investment New Entrants Improve the Cash Flow Market drivers: Demand Economic Forces Social Changes Demographics Improve Quality Table 2. External and Internal Drivers of Innovation Source: Authors Consruction. The data was taken from Canadian Dairy Commission However, this list of factors is not limited and could be expanded. For example, Canadian firms (Canadian Dairy Commission, 2010) from the food industry responded that they were engaging in innovation projects because they wanted: To introduce new products to the existing line of products; To increase market share; To meet buyers standarts and requirements; To improve productivity; To reduce production costs. Innovation seems to be an engine of every organisation and its progress. However, some companies are not successful in innovating. In 2010 Strategyn, an innovation management consulting firm, conducted an independent study to measure the success rate of traditional innovation processes. The study averaged the success rates cited in 12 sources, including the Harvard Business Review, the consulting firm Frost Sullivan, the professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Product Development Management Association and the Corporate Strategy Board. The results were surprinsingly low innovation success rate was calculated at only 17 percent (Strategyn, 2010). Hence, it is extremely imporant to know, how encourage people to participate in innovation. OECD (2010) suggests that there are 7 determinants which can influence peoples capabilities to innovate: Basic scientific skills. Education is very important factor in supporting innovation because knowledge-based societies rely on a highly qualified and flexible labour force in all sectors of the economy and society. Innovation requires the capacity to continually learn and upgrade skills (OECD, 2010, p.46). Tertiary education. Well-developed higher education system is another important factor. High graduation rates in universities can foster the development of a highly skilled workforce. Doctorate holders. Doctoral graduates are the most promising innovators. They have been specifically trained to conduct reasearch and are considered best qualified to create and diffuse knowledge (OECD, 2010, p.48). International mobility. It plays an important role in creating and diffusing knowledge, especially tacit knowledge. Entrepreneurial talent. It provides with a broader skill development, employment opportunities as well as greater possibility to innovate. Innovative workplace. Effective management is a crucial factor. It is highly important to ensure that the talents of individuals are being tapped. Ability to motivate and organisational culture can also determine the success of innovation. Consumers demand for innovation. Users and consumers play inevitable role in the innovation process. Hence, it is extremely important for companies to understand and anticipate market needs and connect them with a new technological capability. Users and consumers have a power to stimulate and encourage the process of development. It is visible that despite the list of benefits and drivers of innovation, some firms might be reluctant to innovate. For that reason, it is extremely important to know how to empower people to be more innovative. Considering the OECD research, it is obvious that probably the most important role goes to the educational system, consumers demand and workplace. Conclusion There are many different models of innovation (linear, interactive, network, system, etc.). However, the complexity of the process of innovation determines that it is impossible to adjust only one particular model as the best one. For that reason, the success of the firm highly depends on its ability to find and adapt the best model according to the nature of the company, its strategy, product, size, etc. The types of innovation can also vary. However, the general types are as follows: incremental innovation, radical innovation, product innovation and process innovation. The common belief that incremental innovation can be less tangible than radical innovation is disproved by the example of the case of MySQL AB. The set of incremental innovations became a reason of success and enabled company to gain a competitive advantage amongst the market leaders. The cases of Amazon.com and MySQL AB proved the importance of anticipating the market needs. Both companies were successful in understanding its costumers: Amazon.com found a completely new niche, while MySQL paid high attention to user communities, tried to gather feedback and nurture its potential customers. Understanding the market needs was successfully connected with the new technological capabilities in both Amazon.com and MySQL cases. Hence, despite the fact that both firms used different type of innovation, they achieved significant results by understanding the consumers need and developing new technological approach. Innovation is extremely important for every company that seeks to achieve the progress. Hence, there are list of external and internal drivers that have a power to motivate firms to innovate. However, even in nowadays business world, some companies remain reluctant to be innovative. For that reason Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development identified a need to give some indications about what can actually empower people to innovate. The most important factors that can determine peoples willingness to innovate are educational system, consumers demand and workplace. All in all, innovation is an endless process. Companies need to have a clear strategy and vision, undersand the market and pay attention to the processes of research and development. However, despite its complexity, innovation is the key to the success and continuous progress.

The Life and Career of Amy Tan Essays -- Biography, Chinese-American A

Amy Tan, an accomplished Chinese-American author, is well-known for her incorporation of her Chinese heritage into her works of literature. Amy Ruth Tan was born to John and Daisy Tan on February 19, 2952 (â€Å"Amy Tan Biography†). Although Amy Tan’s parents were both born in China, she was American born. Daisy Tan was born to a wealthy family in Shanghai, China. John Tan, on the other hand, was an electrical engineer and Baptist minister. Amy Tan’s parents met in a dangerous decade of the 1940’s in China while battles were being fought on all fronts. John Tan was working for the United States Information Service during WWII, which made it fairly easy for him to escape China for the U.S. when the war ended. Daisy Tan, however, was not as fortunate; she had been imprisoned. She escaped in 1949 right before the Communist takeover; she left on the last boat to deport from Shanghai to the U.S. Shortly after Daisy arrived in the U.S., her and John Tan arranged to be married. Amy Tan’s parents had two other children besides her; they were John Jr. and Peter Tan. The Tan clan moved around many times while Amy Tan was growing up, finally settling in Santa Clara, California (Chatfield-Taylor 190). Growing up in California, Tan continued to embrace the typical values of Americans. She had taken on American values as her own identity, completely ignoring most of her Chinese heritage. In fact, young Amy Tan would answer her mother’s Chinese questions in English (Miller 1162). Teenage Amy Tan lost both her father and sixteen-year-old brother to brain tumors. Soon after that, she learned that she had two half-sisters in China from her mother’s first marriage (â€Å"Amy Tan Biography†). In 1987, Tan made a trip to China to meet those very same ... ...Despite the difficulties Winnie went through while she was younger, she appears to be a strong woman in America. The novel suggests that perhaps this is because she has learned from her past and had to recreate her ideas about women in America (â€Å"SparkNotes† Par 6). Yet another theme in The Kitchen God’s Wife is the tension between fate and self-determination. The ideas of luck, fate, and destiny are constantly being tried against the ideas of self-determination, free choice, and will. Winnie’s life is full of choices, and these very choices are what causes her to be become such a strong woman (â€Å"SparkNotes† Par 7). Winnie recreates her life in America, which sheds another shard of light on the idea of self-determination over the idea of fate. She chose to recreate herself, and she had to make it happen; fate played no hand in her becoming (â€Å"SparkNotes† Par 8).

My Best Friend Essay

My Best friend. My best friend is a very special lady I grew up with, my sister Roberta. My sister Robert is two years younger than me, but everyone always assumes she is older than me. She always laughs at me when I tease her by saying it must be because I look younger than her. We have been there for each other through all the important milestones in our lives; from our wild and fun childhoods, to our first day of school, to the births of our first born children.My sister Roberta loves working and being outdoors when she can. She also loves building things and using power tools; sometimes I think she is half man and half woman. And she loves playing volleyball with a passion, when we play for fun or in any volleyball tournament; we always play on the same team. She was my maid of honor when I married my husband twelve years ago, when I walked up to the alter, she jokingly told my husband, â€Å"I’m giving her to you, and once your married, you can’t give her back ok. She made all of us laugh. She has been there for me and my husband and children when we needed help for anything. My sister has been there through the births of all my children, and she has seen me through the darkest times of my life when I lost two of my children and when I went through post-partum depression. She has always been a source of strength, and happiness throughout my life. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my sister Roberta, as she has done so much for me.She calls me mom sometimes, because I am always looking out for her and everyone in my family after we lost our mother. We make sure we get together at least once or twice a week for a girls night of stories, jokes, movies and laughter, or when we travel somewhere, we try to travel together and we always have tons of fun. We are always joking around; there is never a dull moment when we are together. I thank the good Lord for blessing me with my awesome sister.