Immigration in America a Hot Topic, but Why Essay Example

Immigration in America: a Hot Topic, but Why? Essay Maybe the issue is not that immigrants come into this country, but rather how it is accomplished. Some people classify the issue as a humanitarian issue or rather a fiscal issue, some categorize it as a legal issue. The first issue that needs to be examined is how people immigrate to this country. Is it an easy process, is there information? The United States government does have a division that is specific to this issue alone. This division is part of the Department of Homeland Security and Is called U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (SUCKS). The SUCKS Is responsible for providing Information about the Immigration process to Immigrants that wish to become legal permanent residents. The services that the cusss provide to Immigrants ranges from flash cards to enable the practice of studying in immigrants before they take a citizenship examination to where legal advice can be obtained regarding the immigration service. This information is openly available to all people who wish to obtain legal resident status in this country. Yes, immigrants are subjected to rigorous testing before citizenship status can be obtained. The testing asks many questions that some native born Americans cannot answer but is this asking too much from a errors trying to gain access to this country? Apparently not because within the last few years over a million people have gained legal residence to this country by taking the necessary steps to obtain it. Below Is a table of figures gathered from the Department of Homeland Security, which detail how many people over the last three years have legally become residents of the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Immigration in America: a Hot Topic, but Why? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Immigration in America: a Hot Topic, but Why? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Immigration in America: a Hot Topic, but Why? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Of the 5 people that became legal residents of this country 36. 4% of them came from Asia and another 32. 2% of them were born in North America, Jeffery, Monger (2008). That fugue is more than two thirds the total immigrants that obtained legal citizenship status in this country. The chart below examines where the legalized residents come from. This is a substantial percentage of legalized immigrants. In addition to this fact it is also estimated that 14% of these people are born in Mexico. The misconception that surrounds immigrants is biased toward people of this nationality for the most part, but as the following graph details there are many more countries that contribute toward the immigration issue. [pick] The above information shows that people do obtain legal residential status in this country and the regions from which they come; this may be the issue fueling the there topics of this debate. Legal citizens pay taxes and therefore contribute to the greater good, but illegal immigrants do not. Whether the immigration is legal or illegal people still have an opinion on the subject. According to a news poll taken by the Wall Street Journal (1997) the more people earned, the more likely they were to support legal immigration. Of those earning more than $75,000 annually, 56% favored legal immigration. Only 36% of those earning less than $20,000 annually believed it had a positive effect. Among factory or blue collar workers, 60% believed immigration had a negative impact; among professionals, 54% said immigrations impact was positive. Those numbers most likely reflect the perception among low- income earners that immigrants create too much competition for Jobs. Many Americans seemed to be concerned about the economic effect that immigration has, not on the government, but on the availability of Jobs and competition Tort ten Sods In America. I en Taluses above snow Tanat people AT lower income depend on low paying Jobs many of which are occupied by immigrants whether they are legal or illegal immigrants. This seems to be a major concern and ad a major effect on their livelihood. If the Jobs these people depend on are taken by immigrants how will they survive? This question seems to be a valid point if placed in their situation while people making a significantly larger wage are less concerned because it can be assumed that the immigrants do not affect the Jobs available to this working group or not on such a large scale. The economic strain is felt at the heart of America, the Middle American. These are the make up the majority of the working class in this country, so their concern could be considered legitimate. In the same respect people of a higher income racket cannot be faulted for their opinion because it has less effect on them; this is simply another case of differing opinion on this heated topic consuming many Americans opinions at this time. Yet another opinion on the matter has to deal with the aspects of human rights and equality. The belief that all people are created equally and all are afforded the opportunities of this wonderful country we live in. According to the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the Jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of he state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its Jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. This basically summarizes the fact of all legal residents having the rights to of opportunity in America. There is not a statute or amendment that allows of affords illegal residents these rights. These are rights afforded to the people who legally reside in his country. The question is still raised though, is it right to not afford these opportunities to people because of the laws of this country? Humanitarian belief and the law go hand- in-hand when this ques tion is raised. The determination can be made that people should not be persecuted or limited to making a better life for their families. According to the laws of this country people can be detained then carted off to the land from which they came. Does this make the law UN-humanitarian or does the law transcend the human aspect of life? This is Just another aspect of the debate which loud any resolution to the issue of immigration. As this country was founded over 200 hundred years ago the people who immigrated here were not naturalized or born citizens of this land. The people came here and flourished. Laws were created to govern civil liberties and protections not to keep people out of this country. This country was founded on the belief of equality, which is a humanitarian belief, but laws limit this belief and the ability to achieve equal standing. There have been many injustices of the human aspect in America Tanat nave Eden relegate or attempted to De so, sun as slavery Ana segregation. I nerve have been movements in this country to further the advancement of the equality that this country was founded upon such as the womens rights movements and the civil outcry to end segregation. All the civil injustices above were once strongly debated and opinionated issues and many still are even today, but progress has been made to change the situation for the hope of a better more equal country. Immigration is another one of these tremendous debates. People from all races, creeds and social standing have an opinion on the matter making it a fueled issue. Whether it is a personal belief that immigration is good or bad the matter is that it does exist. Not only does immigration exist; it will continue to exist as long as this country promises the opportunity for a better life. This is a debate that will continue to be fueled by media attention, personal and economic opinion. The question is not whether it is wrong or right but is there a resolution? This country has taken many steps to further the equality and opportunity of people. This subject seems to be no exception in terms of debate or civil importance. In closing the effort to raise thought and question opinion has hopefully been accomplished. Whether an opinion is based off one or more aspects of the issue there is one thing that can be agreed upon; immigration is an issue in need of resolution.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essays

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essays Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essay Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essay There were many causes leading up to World War l, but it wasn’t until June 28, 1914 the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered World War l. His assassination took place in Sarajevo, leading Austria to declare war against Serbia. Austria declaring war to Serbia caused Serbia’s allies to declare war on each other, for example France, Russia, and United Kingdom. From all this chaos World War I began. Franz Ferdinand, eldest son of Carl Ludwig, the brother of Emperor Franz Josef, was born in 1863. He joined the Austro-Hungarian army in 1883. He was young when he entered the military. He didn’t receive any formal traning but he was considered eligible for command. He was frequently and quickly promoted. His great work in the army led to promotions: lieutenant around age 14, captain around age 22, colonel around age 27, major around age 33. In 1889, the son of Franz Josef committed suicide. Due to his death, throne was passed down to Ferdinand’s father, Carl Ludwig. When Carl Ludwig died in 1896, Ferdinand’s life would completely change. Ferdinand became the new heir to the throne after his father’s death. (Miller, P. Frederic. 58. ) A few years before Ferdinand’s father had passed away, he met a woman named Sophie von Chotkovato at a ball in 1888. They deeply fell in love but Sophie coming from a noble family caused a controversy, on how she shouldn’t be the one for Ferdinand. To be able to marry Ferdinand, she had to come from one of the ruling dynasties of Europe. Franz Ferdinand refused to marry anyone else but Sophie Von Chotkovato. Emperors and Popes spoke if that marriage were to happen it would be a corruption towards the stability of the monarchy. In the year 1889, Emperor Franz Josef made a deal with Ferdinand. Ferdinand was allowed to marry Sophie but her descendants could never have power to the throne, she couldn’t share Ferdinand’s rank, title, or be seen much in public with him. The wedding took place in Bohemia, Chez Republic. Franz Josef did not attend Ferdinand’s wedding. His brothers nor family were nowhere to be seen either. Weeks after the wedding Ferdinand wrote his stepmother Maria Theresia a letter where he said, â€Å"Sophie is a treasure, I am indescribably happy. She looks after me so much, I am doing wonderfully. I am so healthy and much less nervous. I feel as though I had been born again. † He felt nervous that he wouldnt be able to be together with Sophie, since she wasnt in the ruling dynasties in Europe. Years after their marriage they had three children; Sophie, Maximilian, and Ernst. (Shepherd, Gordon. page 154. ) In 1913 he was appointed as Inspector General of the Austro-Hungarian Army. Ferdinand was popular with the armed forces and well experienced. In 1914 General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia, invited Ferdinand, to watch his troops on maneuvers. Potiorek let Ferdinand know that his wife would also be welcomed; Franz Ferdinand gave the yes to make the visit. With him still being heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand knew his visit to Bosnia would be dangerous. Despite it being dangerous to go, he still went. Plenty of people in Bosnia were unhappy with Ferdinand’s rule. Bosnia was in union with Serbia. In 1910 a Serb, Bogdan Zerajic, had attempted to assassinate General Varesanin, the Austrian governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina, when he was opening parliament in Sarajevo. Zerajic was a member of the Black Hand who wanted Bosnia to leave the Austro- Hungarian Empire. The Black Hand went by Unity or Death. The leader of the group was Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, the chief of the Intelligence Department of the Serbian General Staff. Dimitrijevic was worried that Ferdinand would become a threat. Worried that Ferdinand would make an independent Serbia state harder to reach. Gilfond, Henry. Page 240. ) When it became official that Ferdinand was going to visit Bosnia in June 1914, Dimitrijevic started to make plans to assassinate Ferdinand. Dimitrijevic send three people of the Black Hand group to Sarajevo. The prime minister of Sarajevo knew about the Black Hands plan. The prime minister didn’t want the assassination to take place in Sarajevo, as he was afraid of it leading to war w ith Austria-Hungary. The prime minister gave order for those three men to be arrested before they arrived to Bosnia. The arrest never took place. The three men were able to arrive to Bosnia. When the three men arrived they joined forces with the conspirators. They were determined to kill Ferdinand. Just before 10 oclock on Sunday, 28th June, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie von Chotkovato arrived in Sarajevo by train. General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia, was waiting to take the royal party to the City Hall for the official reception. In the front car were the Mayor of Sarajevo and the citys Commissioner of Police. Franz Ferdinand and his wife were in the second car with Oskar Potiorek and Count von Harrach. The cars top was rolled back in order to allow the crowds a good view of its occupants. When the cars passed by the central police station Nedjelko Cabrinovic threw a grenade at the car Ferdinand was in. The driver of the car saw the object flying and accelerated his car. The grenade exploded underneath the wheel of the car that was behind the car Ferdinand was in. The driver of the car drove on fast trying to avoid any other attempts by the Black Hands. Franz Ferdinand made a speech at the official reception at the Sarajevo City Hall. With â€Å"It gives me special pleasure to accept the assurances of your unshakable loyalty and affection for His Majesty, our Most Gracious Emperor and King. I thank you cordially for the resounding ovations with which the population received me and my wife, the more so since in them an expression of pleasure over the failure of the assassination attempt. †(Miller, P. Frederic. page 234. ) After the reception at city hall, Franz Ferdinand asked if any members of the party were hurt from the bomb. He was told they were in bad condition, so he insisted on going to see them. People there told him it would be dangerous if he went. Despite the dangerous he still wanted to go. Oskar Potiorek was sure that Bosnia wasn’t a place full of assassins. Even though he disagreed about it being dangerous he suggested Ferdinand’s wife should stay. Ferdinand’s wife refused to stay declaring; â€Å"As long as the Archduke shows himself in public today I will not leave him. † Sophie would not stay under any circumstance and went with Ferdinand. General Oskar Potiorek suggested they should take a different route to go to the Sarajevo hospital. Ferdinand was fine with taking a different route, but Potiorek forgot to tell the driver about the final decision. On their way to the hospital the driver took a wrong turn. Potiorek realized the driver took a wrong turn, he immediately told the driver to turn around. The driver quickly hit the brake and backed up. No one notice there was a Serbian conspirator, named Gavrilo Princip hiding at the corner. The conspirator didn’t hesitate to watch the car back up any longer and just fired plenty times. After the assassination he attempt to commit suicide but was stopped before he had the chance to take another shot. Due to him being young he only receives twenty five years of prison. He contracts tuberculosis and dies 28 April 1918. He dies at Terizin, where later on under Nazi power they make a concentration camp. (Fabijanic, Toby, page 28) It’s believed that Ferdinand was hit in the neck and that Sophie Von Chotkovato was hit in the abdomen. Ferdinand and Sophie were drove to Konak, the governor’s residence, after arriving there the couple died from the hits.

International Company in Management or Business Case Study

International Company in Management or Business - Case Study Example The adoption of a formal training will enable the management of the company to assess if employees are accomplishing desired results and establish what training and development requirements can help employees to attain desirable output. This paper explores the need for formal training by looking Samsung Company, a multinational manufacturer of phones, laptops, televisions and many other items. Samsung Company has its headquarters in South Korea in Samsung town, Seoul (Samsung, 2015, p. 1). Samsung conducts training for its employees to build more effective, efficient and highly motivated workforce to enable them to remain competitive and harness the best out of them. Through its training, programs, the company has a ready pool of professionals to fill up the vacancies created in new markets and those left by old employees. Samsung Company (http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/) has a training program called career growth, which enables it to conduct formal professional training and development to its employees in order to improve their performance and boost the company’s productivity. The company’s career growth program is mainly made up of five basic components: New Employee Gate Program, Leadership Program, Next-Gen Program, Professional Training and Global Capacity Development. New Employee Gate Program welcomes new employees to the company and gives them self-satisfaction of being part of a successful company. Leadership Program aims at developing instills potential leaders with crucial leadership skills to enable them to execute organizational duties efficiently at every management hierarchy of the company. Next-Gen Leader Development Program aims at finding talented individuals within the organization and training them as regional experts and future technology leaders.

Intellectual Property Law in the UK Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intellectual Property Law in the UK - Case Study Example Margaret is currently negotiating with Leo (a Canadian inventor) to move into a partnership contract between them. It has been noted that Leo has emerged with a new idea which later led to the development of a waterproofing compound that can protect fabrics and tents. The compound developed by Leo also has the ability to protect fabrics from sunlight. Leo gets this particular idea from his grandfather who also mentioned this particular technique in his autobiography named ‘Cold Prospector’ which was published by the Manitou Press of Saskatchewan in the year 1932. The compound that has been developed by Leo has a particular chemical substance that is primarily obtained from the sweat gland of Caribou (It is a mammal that lives in the Arctic region). However, this particular chemical can also be easily synthesized through scientific technique in the absence of the chemical that is present in secretions from the sweat glands of the Caribou. While being in the Canadian Insti tute of Arctic Biology as research scientists, he discovered about how Carabiner (chemical secreted from the sweat glands of the Caribou) makes the fur of the mammal waterproof which further give rise to his invention. However, the findings of the research were later on published in the Canadian Nature Journal. He, later on, gave up his job as a research biologist with the Canadian Institute of Arctic Biology and engaged in a further investigation with the assistance of Canadian Mounted Police. While conducting further tests, new facts were discovered regarding the properties of Carabiner. In the latter scenario, Leo applied for patenting his invention in the Canadian Patent Office. Observably, Margaret is in negotiation with Leo to develop an agreement of partnership between the two with regard to the invention of a specific compound by Leo. Since this invention of Leo is quite beneficial and a major source of conducting profitable business, there is always a danger of the idea to be stolen by others who can use it for their benefit. Contextually, Margaret needs to consider certain aspect with regard to protect the invention after she acquires it from Leo through the agreement.  

Higher Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Higher Education - Essay Example transferring knowledge, skills and cultural values to the students, higher education teachers are indirectly keeping young and unemployed individuals off the streets (Stephens & Leach, 1998, p. 203). In general, each of the school teacher(s) have different set of multiple roles which they need to satisfy on a daily basis. Because of their unique function within an educational institution, functionalists may sometimes conclude that the presence of certain school policies and institutions can be dysfunctional for most of the teachers within a given educational institution. As explained by Appelrouth and Edles (2008, p. 386), the occurrence of dysfunctionality is possible because â€Å"they are functional for a more powerful social group or the social system itself†. Functionalists strongly suggest that the main function of higher education teachers is to provide better occupational opportunities for the unemployed students in the long-run. Upon analyzing the functionalist theory of education, it is the students who function as the receiver of the transferred knowledge, skills and cultural values from the school teachers. However, this theory is not applicable when it comes to analyzing the relationship between teachers and students in higher education. Conflict Theory Conflict theory view education as something that â€Å"reflects other inequalities within a given society† (Andersen & Taylor, 2011, p. 348). Because of the presence of racial, class and gender discrimination, not all students are able to receive equal rights to education. Furthermore, conflict perspective in higher education also suggest that the process of tracking down teachers’ ability to deliver good quality teaching based on the prescribed school curriculum also contributes to the development of... This essay stresses that based on symbolic interaction theory, social interaction between teachers and students within an educational institution is possible and necessary when it comes to individual and group successes. As compared to functionalist theory, symbolic interaction theory view human beings within a given society as something that is â€Å"not an established structure but as individuals who are trying to meet their life conditions and expectations†. Based on the core perspectives in contemporary sociological theory, the concept of a structural functionalism is more on the non-rational collective side whereas the orientation of symbolic interaction theory is more on non-rational and individualistic side. Considering the fact that symbolic interaction theory heavily relies on the actions made by the school teachers and students, this particular theory can be more effective and applicable in terms of analyzing how the relationship between the school teachers and stude nts in higher education work. This report makes a conclusion that as compared to functionalist and conflict theories, symbolic interactionism theory is the best applicable theory when it comes to analyzing the relationship between teachers and students in higher education. Unlike the functionalist and conflict theories in sociology, symbolic interactionism theory does not focus on analyzing the structure or functionality or conflicts in a given educational institution but only with regards to how each of the stakeholders who are trying to meet their life conditions and expectations as human beings.

Facebook vs Twitter Essay Example for Free

Facebook vs Twitter Essay But one question is who will be on top? Synopsis of the Situation Who is better than who? Or one could say who is going to be the king of the hill? Facebook has tried to purchase Twitter with no success. It is hard to say who will come out on top or who will be the ultimate winner of the social war. Until on or the other purchases their competitor or they just decide to merge and rule the social network, we will have to wait and see who will win. Key Issues Facebook and Twitter are both free sites and are both popular. Facebook and Twitter are both time conversations, but Twitter is a little faster. They both seem to have their good and bad qualities. Twitter has a character restriction and has no popups. Twitter users can also post to their Facebook page. Facebook does not have a character limit. They both can post pictures and videos. Facebook has a better privacy blocking system (if you can find it and get them set right). A lot of users (me included) are not aware of this option. Facebook allows businesses to advertise and reach more people faster. Facebook makes there revenue off the ads on their site, witch keeps it free for their users. Facebook has games for their user to play also. These games also generate some of their revenue. Twitter has no games and the only source of revenue is its investors. Define the Problem The main problem for Facebook and Twitter at time is each other. The other thing is that there are other social sites that are starting to catch on. They are both trying so hard to out due each other they may just get stepped on by someone else. They both need to set some goals and do what will help them in the long run. Alternative Solutions Alternative 1- There is room for both of them on the World Wide Web. Competition is good. They need to keep going like they are; yes sooner or later one will be better than the other. It is like the burger wars (McDonalds and Burger King) one might be on top but the other is right behind. Alternative 2 They could always merge and rule the social networking site as one. Alternative 3 They could merge and Facebook can be the everyday personal social network site and Twitter can be more of the business network site. Selected Solution to the Problem Alternative 1 Let the users decide which site works best for them. Compatiotion is good for both of them and the users. It makes them improve their products and in turn this makes a better product for the consumers/users. Despite the politically right way, there is going to be a winner and a loser. Implementation The best way to implement the solution is to advertise and to start improving their sites right away. The faster they improve them, the faster they get ahead. Recommendations Twitter should find a way to make revenue. They might need to start selling advertising space or charging a nominal fee for users. Facebook needs to become more users friendly and maybe make it easier to use.

Project Management Essay example -- Business Research

Project Management Although a development team does most of the work, it is the project manager that is running the development process. All human activity that involves carrying out a project needs a plan. We call this Project Management. But there is a big difference between projects that involve one or two people and projects that involve large numbers of people. There is always a smaller group of individuals behind all larger groups that is planning, directing, and motivating those people. There are three main parts to project management: start date, finish date, and all the tasks that need to be carried out. When the plan starts to involve different things happening at different times, most of which are dependant upon each other, the plan can start to take up an enormous amount of time and space. This is why you must start with a strong plan. Now days there are computer programs that tend to produce answers long after the events have taken place. These project planning and scheduling pr ograms provide real information, risk analysis, time recording, costing, estimating and many other types or project management. But these programs are not at all project management. Project management is control, leadership, teamwork, managing of resources, and a basic knowledge for the project. Project managers are found in every industry, from architects to policeman. There is a demand for more and more people who have the necessary skills it takes to manage a team or a project. The main concerns of a project manager are time, quality, and cost control. These are what drive these managers to be the most efficient as possible. â€Å"The success of a project will depend upon the effort, care and skill you apply in its initi... ...ble components in terms of size and complexity. The major type of graph used is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). WBS is very project oriented. Other charts that could be used are Gantt charts and Load charts. As we move into the future there is more and more demand for great leaders no matter the line of work you are in. It seems that less people are able to think for themselves anymore, it is like everyone is becoming robots to technology. I feel that this is creating an enormous door for the people who can lead others into this new frontier. It seems that there are fewer people who have the skills or even who are willing to do this. There are great rewards for the people who recognize this new movement and want to take control of large businesses. So as time moves on we will see how this new technology revolution ends up and who the leaders will be.

Netflix Case Study Essay

Company Overview The idea behind Netflix, the most popular provider of online and by-mail rental services, came from an unsatisfied, embarrassed customer. Reed Hastings, founder and current CEO of Netflix, was charged 40$ as a late fee because he returned the movie Appolo13 six weeks late (Zarafshar, 2013). This made him think creatively about an idea to transform the movie rental model into a more innovative business. In 1997, Hastings and Randolph started Netflix which was a DVD rental-by-mail business with no subscriptions. Later in 1999, and as a step further towards developing the business, Hastings launched the subscription-based business model which was based only on renting DVDs by mail with multiple plans dependent on the number of titles at a time. Netflix offered its subscribers to choose from its extensive DVD library with more than 120,000 titles for unlimited monthly DVD rental with free shipping as well as zero late and per title rental fees. It was very attractive for customers to mak e subscriptions on the spot as they were tempted with the incredible Netflix service. For example, Blockbuster subscribers found Netflix’s offers more appealing and it was easy for them to make the switch. (Wikipedia, 2014) Netflix has been always open to new opportunities that Hastings believes it will sustain the company’s competitive advantage. A new opportunity was captured when the streaming service was introduced in January 2007 where it enabled Netflix’s subscribers to instantly watch movies, TV-episodes, documentaries, series and much more on internet-connected devices such as smart TVs, PCs, DVRs, Blu-Ray players and special Netflix players. During that time, Netflix was leading the industry as it was the first company to offer paid streaming  services to its subscribers in US, Canada and Latin America. Today, Netflix is known as the largest provider of online streaming service with almost 44 million subscribers in more than 40 countries offered access to an ever-growing library of thousands of titles. (Netflix PR, 2014) Netflix executives were keen to devise flexible strategies accompanied by a profitable business model that gave them sustainable competitive advantages over their rivals. They constantly monitor their external environment and do the required amendments quickly and swiftly to leverage the emer ging opportunities and tackle the upcoming threats. Strategies ranging from growing its library content, service differentiation, very competitive DVD-by-Mail service, unique marketing plan and ambitious international expansion all made Netflix a leader in its industry. However, Netflix isn’t the only player in the DVD-rental and streaming services market. Blockbuster and Redbox are one of the many competitors in the DVD-rental market that use different competitive models to outcompete Netflix’s. Hulu Plus, Amazon and HBO GO have fueled the competition in the streaming service market. They all compete on acquiring more titles to expand their libraries and try to offer the best subscription plans in order to get more market share. Having this in mind, what should Netflix do next in order to outperform its competitors and sustain its competitive advantage. External Environment Analysis Macro Environment We will start our assessment of the external environment by examining the PESTEL factors in the Macro (General) Environment of the movie renting industry. Political Factors Network Neutrality is the principle that preserves the internet to remain free and open for all users. It defends against discrimination of the internet use based on the content or website services (Ala, 2014). Major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would like to charge a company like Netflix more money because it’s website of online movie streaming is eating a lot of their internet bandwidth. According to the broadband internet service tracking firm Sandvine, Netflix alone is consuming 32.3% of the downstream traffic in North America, much more than any other site or service. (Protalinski, 2013) Major ISPs may well contemplate the idea of blocking Netflix from their service to release all that traffic or they  might demand increased internet subscription fees from Netflix to continue hosting their website; this would be a disaster for Netflix who is facing increasing content obligation costs and if ISPs opted for that step, they will have no other choice other than increas ing the monthly fees of their streaming service which will definitely not come to the delight of their customers. All of this is against the Net Neutrality rule, which states that all internet users will be under the same conditions to get space on the net whatever their website or content, is. â€Å"The possibility of regulations designed to mandate the neutrality of the Internet has been subject to fierce debate, especially in the United States† (Internet Cleaner, 2013) In an interview (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014), Reed Hastings says he is not concerned with the threat that ISPs might block Netflix since â€Å"it will fuel the fire for more regulation and no one is interested in this†. Environmental Factors Historically, the video rental industry was built on the idea of reusing the same stuff by different people over and over again and this concept is environment-friendly. Moreover, switching to the soft copies of media and streaming it through the internet reduces energy consumption and pollution levels due to a decrease in delivering DVDs by mail and also less manufacturing of DVDs. Socio-Cultural Factors People are expected to watch movies or play video games when they have more leisure time. However nowadays, many people are having 2 jobs to support their families which basically means less leisure time and less watching movies. In addition to that, people are now becoming more convenient watching movies at their homes instead of going out to the theaters since it is cheaper, less time consuming and is ideal after having a long tiring day; this emerging trend will boost the volume of the streaming media subscriptions. Moreover, the rapid acceptance of the society for technological advancements greatly benefits the online movie rental industry, this is particularly correct due to the new educational and pedagogical systems that stress more on computer learning making people more convenient when dealing with technology. Technological Factors The rapid technological advancements and production of electronic products such as Blu-ray DVD players, Video game consoles, smart phones, smart TVs and many other devices that can connect to the internet, made the concept of online rental and video streaming easier and more adaptable. As the internet services are becoming more popular and an important ingredient in people’s daily life, companies like Netflix will be able to increase its operations especially in the video streaming service. Therefore, the advancement in technology is an opportunity and enabler for the industry as a whole. 4K streaming is a new high-quality video technology that reduces compression rate and produces output in 4K/Ultra HD format. (Burns, 2014) Netflix started offering some of its content in this format, which signals their aim to go side by side with technological advancement. Of course, to be able to stream at this high resolution, you need to have a super speed internet (40-50 Mbps) so people now have a reason to upgrade and it means more profits to the ISPs. (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014) Economic Factors The industry depends on the consumers’ spending power and real income, which is affected by employment rate, interest rate, tax rate and inflation rate. When consumers have more money, spending on entertainment facilities rises and this is an opportunity for the industry. On the other hand, the spending power of households usually decrease in recession periods, so they will probably tend to sacrifice the theater ticket and may well reward themselves with some older movies available on streaming services such as Netflix’s. Legal Factors There is a considerable potential for legal actions to be taken against companies operating in this industry, actions related to the use of licensed material and customers’ privacy issues. Moreover, any company that operates in the international market should study well the rules and regulations specific to that market or else it will shortly fall in trouble or lose valuable opportunities. Some legal actions might have a positive impact on companies in this industry such as the amendment of the VPPA law discussed earlier. On the other hand, Netflix had some hard times in 2010 with lawsuits pertaining to privacy issues when an academic research suggested it exposed the movie preferences of its customers for the programmers who  participated in the Netflix prize to produce a better recommendation algorithm. (Buley, 2010) The issue was later resolved and Netflix cancelled the sequel â€Å"Netflix Prize II† competition. Competitive Environment In order to determine nature and strength of the competitor pressures in the movie rental industry Netflix is operating in, we use Porter’s five forces model of competition. Bargaining Power of Customers In the streaming market, customers have a high bargaining power; the reason behind this is that people are very well informed about other companies which are in the same line of business as Netflix. Customers are always in search for a better deal because buyers are very price sensitive when it comes to the video rental industry and they are always looking for the best quality, so they will leave Netflix as soon as a better offer is available since there is no switching cost. Customers always expect product differentiation, and if Netflix does not give it customers this variety, they will simply leave. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers is very high; Netflix relies on getting exclusive rights to certain television shows and movies so suppliers play a very big role in bargaining over what content is exclusively reserved for Netflix users. Also, there are only a number of studios who supply the movies and shows. Another reason bargaining power of suppliers is high is that Netflix can only get its content from those studios and there is no substitute for that content, also contracts with those studios are usually for a short period of time (1-3 years) and expensive; a good example of this is when Netflix was unable to renew its contract with Starz because they were demanding a much larger amount of money – $300 million instead of the $30 million paid in 2008. (Kafka, 2011) Threat of New Entrants Although entering the online movie rental industry needs a huge initial investment to get content and secure exclusive copyrights, we can say that the threat of new entrants is moderately high since it remains a growing market with a growing demand, and huge rich companies like Apple and Google may be tempted by its growth potential and might well enter the play stage  with generous budgets; and also the low exit costs in this market make this threat high. But in order to be profitable in this industry, companies need to achieve economies of scale and try it best to have a large volume of subscribers, which in Netflix’s case is how they achieve profitability, and also to have a large number of viewers if it is a VOD company. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is relatively high since substitutes are available, such as Blockbuster On demand, Amazon Prime Instant Video and many other VOD streaming media. Rather than having a subscription of unlimited views, customers can switch to a pay per view option. Another reason is that there is no switching cost. In addition to that, the prices of substitutes are convenient and low which makes it relatively easy to switch. Customers might also choose to switch because companies working on a VOD bases have better features such as making certain television shows and movies available within a few hours of airing them on T.V, unlike Netflix where customers need to wait a few months. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Competition is very high in the video rental industry; Netflix has many current competitors which include Blockbuster on demand, Amazon, Apple, Hulu Plus and many others. Also Netflix has to keep scanning the environment for new competitors since it is easy for new rivals to enter the market for there are low barriers to market entry and exit. Netflix must fear its competitors because they can easily lose customers to them since switching cost is very low and they have no loyalty programs to make it harder for customers to leave. VRIO Analysis Netflix’s top resources can be listed as follows: 1. The variety and big selection of titles (comprehensive library of movies and TV-episodes) 2. The unique software for streaming and recommendation 3. Nationwide distribution network 4. CEO Reed Hastings Resources must have enough competitive potential for the organization to outcompete its rivals. By applying the VRIO framework (see table 1), one of  the best strategic tools to evaluate the firm’s resources, Netflix is shown to be at a moderate sustainable position. Providing its subscribers a wide selection of titles has been always Netflix’s primary strategy. During the year 2012, its library has reached over 120,000 DVD-titles and more than 30,000 titles ready for streaming (Wikipedia, 2014). This extensive library is definitely valuable for Netflix to attract more subscribers to watch from a wide variety of titles. Moreover, this resource is rare as not all competitors are able to offer its customers a huge number of titles for both DVD-rental and streaming services. However, such a comprehensive library is not very difficult to imitate. Apple and Amazon, for example, are constantly working hard to gain license agreements to acquire new content and grow their lib rary of titles. An obvious example on this is when Amazon won over Netflix and secured the streaming rights of the whole 8 seasons of Fox’s award winning series ‘24’ (Cantisano, 2014). Netflix has shown to be organized to capture the value of its library by making it available for its subscribers when using both services. Thus, having a big selection of titles places Netflix at a sustainable competitive advantage as long as no competitor grows a more extensive library. Otherwise, it will become easy for Netflix subscribers to switch to another company that offers wider selection. Netflix had well developed and easy-to-use software that provides titles recommendations for each subscriber based on personalized ratings. This resource is an added value to Netflix’s business because it became convenient for subscribers to quickly view movies they like or place them on â€Å"instant queue† for watching them later. (Netflix, 2014) Netflix announced a 1 million-dollar compe tition to challenge programmers to create an algorithm that can beat its Cinematch system by at least 10% of enhanced accuracy (Netflixprize, 2009). In 2009, three teams of talented programmers combined forces and developed that algorithm and Netflix’s system was given a major boost. Since the software is customized only for Netflix and consists of complicated algorithms, such a resource is considered rare. Although Netflix had set the bars high for its rivals, another company can call for a competition or hire top programmers to develop their own software that may beat that of Netflix’s. There is always room for improvement, and for that reason, this software can be imitated. Nevertheless, Netflix is continuously prepared to capture the value out of its smart software and make the best  use of it. As a result, the recommendation software positions Netflix on a sustainable competitive advantage as long as no competitor develops similar or improved software. For its DVD-by mail service, Netflix had largely invested in developing its nationwide distribution network by establishing as much distribution centers as possible. Their strategy is to provide customers with the fastest shipping service by delivering ordered DVDs within one business day. This is of a big value for customers who used to wait several days to obtain a DVD. To make it more effective and efficient, Netflix util izes a distribution network system (logistics system) that saves a lot of time looking for the closest center that has the ordered DVD in stock. The combination of wide-spread distribution centers and effective logistics software makes it a rare resource. It’s still almost impossible for competitors, such as Blockbusters, to deliver any of its DVDs within 1 business day. Furthermore, it’s difficult to have a large number of shipping points close to every home. Therefore, this resource is considerably inimitable. Obviously, Netflix is doing a great job in regards to quick delivery. It has promised its customer to ship DVDs anywhere within 1 business day. Today, by effectively employing the distribution network system, the company leveraged its capability to reach 98% of its subscribers. Hence, Netflix is organized properly to capture the value of their distribution centers. It is worth noting that although this resource gives them an sustainable competitive advantage, the demand on this type of service (DVDs sent by mail) is on a continuous decline, and the service might completely vanish in the next few years. L ast but not least, Netflix’s CEO, President and co-founder Reed Hastings is considered one of the firm’s most valuable resources. In the most difficult times, this innovative and visionary man knew what he was doing and didn’t lose the focus. His vision was very clear since the very beginning back in 1997 when he named the company Net-flix and not DVD-by-Mail (Fortune, 2009); he saw what the industry will be like in the future and believed in the powers of the internet. an intangible asset, as we are interested in his vision, education, expertise, know-how’s, innovation and skills, is considered a valuable one. If you take a quick glance on what has happened in the past few years, you’ll find it clear how such influential people affect their organizations in every aspect. For example, when Steve Jobs died, Apple’s  stock price went down by 5% immediately (Kollewe,2011) which shows you how people believed that the tremendous success Apple had in the past few years was directly linked to the innovative out-of-the-box thinking of their ex-CEO, and future manifestations showed that that was extremely true. So these brilliant executives are so valuable to their firms and they are also rare. Blockbuster’s ex-CEO Jim Keyes had the chance to buy Netflix in year 2000 for as little as 50 million dollars (now it’s worth more than 20 billion dollars!), but he was so arrogant and refused to give any recognition for Netflix’s success claiming his firm can easily do anything Netflix does. (Zarafshar, 2013) Failing to see the opportunities, combined with many wrong asse ssments of the external environment led to the bankruptcy of Blockbuster in 2011. Many analysts were actually quite sure that Netflix will be sold after the 2011 missteps that caused the stock price to fall by about 80% ; however, at that same exact time Reed Hastings was confident and quite sure that Netflix â€Å"will not only survive but flourish† (Morrissey, 2013). Those same analysts didn’t see, at that time, anything of a value in Netflix other than its CEO, who previously one the â€Å"CEO of the year 2010† award (Hartung, 2013) and whom they had great respect for (Morrissey, 2013); and indeed he was able to turn on his company and return it back to the list of the most successful companies in the world and the stock prices went up by more than 700% between 2011 and 2014! (Google Finance, 2014) In an interview, Hastings clarified that he doesn’t see his firm just competing with the other companies in the media-entertainment industry, but he believes to be competing with all companies that offer any kind of product or service that a person can enjoy during his leisure time, whether it is a soccer match, a newspaper, a video game or even hiking with friends or family (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014). This gives you an idea of the high mindset of this man which explains the success his company is now enjoying. Such a reso urce is hard to imitate as they usually come through the hierarchy of the same company; that’s what explains their full understanding of the industry they’re working in and the core competences of their firms. Just moving one brilliant CEO from one company to your company doesn’t guarantee you any success at all since many complex factors take action in the whole mix-up. Proceeding from here, it is obvious that this resource is organized to capture value for the firm. By setting the  strategies and adjusting them whenever and wherever needed depending on the ever-changing environment, Mr. Hastings is the captain who controls the helm to take Netflix to the island of success. Therefore, this resource gives Netflix a sustainable competitive advantage as long as he’s on the helm. In the future, will Netflix face the same difficulties Apple faced after their CEO was deceased? RESOURCE Valuable Rare Inimitable Is the company organized to capture the value of the resource? Competitive Potential Big Selection of Titles YES YES NO YES Sustainable/Temporary CA Title Recommendation Software YES YES NO YES Sustainable/Temporary CA Nationwide Distribution Network YES YES YES YES Sustainable Competitive Advantage CEO Reed Hastings YES YES YES YES Sustainable Competitive Advantage Table : Conducting VRIO analysis on Netflix top resources Netflix’s Competitive Strength The Netflix Strategy Netflix’s strategy so far hasn’t been to just focus on one or two aspects of their customer base, but to focus themselves in a number of directions in order to build upon and capitalize on a growing subscriber base. Their main strategy has been to build and maintain the most comprehensive selection of DVD titles in the industry, and they have done so by creating mutually beneficial relationships with a number of entertainment video providers. Their second main strategy has been focused on service differentiation- not only how customers receive content and consume it, but also how customers choose what to watch. Netflix’s number one competitive advantage over Amazon and Blockbuster is their unique software that takes what a customer has seen or rated, and based upon that information builds a list of suggested titles similar to ones they have just watched. While other companies had begun to leak into the rent-by-mail niche category that Netflix had started, no othe r company had customer profiling software quite like Netflix. Between 2006 and 2009, the film rental market underwent a major shift. The in-store rental market declined, while vending machine rentals increased and by-mail rentals nearly doubled. However, VOD (Video on Demand) services through cable, digital, and subscription also saw major increases. All of these changes meant companies like Blockbuster had to either restructure and make a complete business model shift – or face bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the increases in by-mail rentals and online subscriptions, two services that Netflix offered, meant that the number of Netflix subscribers more than doubled in that same time frame. Purchase decisions from customers were focused on convenient access, price, variety of DVD offerings, and ease of return/return fees. Customers like variety; a video rental store that only stocks the newest releases will not appeal to all markets. Increasingly, customers are becoming more nostalgic in their movie preferences, searching for titles long past premiere. Customers have also become increasingly busy, often not having the time to go to a store to pick out a movie or remembering to return their rentals on time. We live in a world of instant gratification, where being able to click a few buttons and watch the latest  movie or an old clas sic is extremely important. Customers also do not like fees. More and more companies today are offering free shipping/return shipping, and the same is true in the DVD rental industry. Netflix’s third main strategy was to attract more subscribers using multiple marketing channels including online advertising, radio stations, regional and national television, direct mail, and print ads. One of these marketing strategies included participating in a variety of cooperative advertising programs with studios through which Netflix received cash for featuring a studio’s movies in its advertising. Moreover, Netflix worked closely with the makers of Netflix-ready electronics devices to expand the number of devices on which Netflix subscribers could view Netflix-streamed content (Thompson, 2012). This is considered Netflix’s second competitive advantage because it got ahead competitors by being the first to market with next-generation products. By 2012, with the aid of new technology, Netflix added another core strategy which was to grow its streaming subscription business domestically and globally. By doing so, executives expected that the number of members with DVD-by mail subscription would decline, as subscribers migrated from renting DVDs to streaming online and as subscribers with both DVD-by mail and streaming subscriptions opted to only streaming online. The company continuously improved its streaming experience by expanding the size of its content library, increasing the number of Internet-connected devices, and improving the ease of navigating Netflix’s w ebsite of locating and selecting content to watch. The result was a rapid growing customer acceptance and interest in the delivery of TV shows and movies directly over the Internet. Finally, a central element of Netflix’s long-term strategy was making Netflix’s streaming service available outside the US, in countries like Canada, Latin America, the UK and Ireland. (Thompson, 2012) Although this international expansion was expected to temporarily depress the company’s overall profitability and incur huge expenses of obtaining licenses from movie studios and owners of TV shows, Netflix’s entry into such markets would launch a preemptive strike to secure an advantageous position of being market leaders with high-quality suppliers via exclusive partnerships or long-term contracts (Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland, 2014). â€Å"We have to win the bidding for a big set of content, and then market ourselves effectively to start the membership growth† (Seave, 2013). How  long it takes for such a bold move to yield good results was not a major issue because Reed Hastings indicated that Netflix would take longer than eight quarter s after initial entry to reach sustained profitability. How Does Its Competitive Strength Compare Against That of Blockbuster and Amazon Compared with Blockbuster and Amazon, Netflix operates within the highly competitive media streaming market that has been forecasted to increase to $12.5 billion in 2017 (Bauman, Deal, Ishak, & Johnson, 2013). Netflix by far has the most comprehensive number of products and distribution channels, given that consumers can either rent DVDs by mail or stream them on their PC or TV. Its identity is valued greatly among consumers as a quick, easy, and available destination for streaming media. Additionally, the value of their brand has risen recently after the strong media attention for the success of its first original series, House of Cards. When it comes to competitors, Netflix’s main competitors were Amazon and Blockbuster. Operating as Amazon Prime Instant Video, it has three main advantages over Netflix; it offers subscription as a prime member for $79 a year which is $6.59/month, less than Netfl ix’s streaming price of $7.99/month, subscribers get free 2-day shipping on millions of items and its users can buy or rent a movie/show just after a few hours of it being broadcasted on TV, while Netflix subscribers needed to wait a few months in order to view the same movie or show (McGrath,2014). However, Netflix’s competitive advantage over Amazon is its library which has more variety and includes original content, thus making their library comprehensive in the streaming market. They also offer all their content to their subscribers for streaming through a very user friendly personalized interface and effective recommendation system that boosts the watching experience; in comparison, Amazon’s Prime Instant Video library have less categories and less straightforward search results, plus a significant portion of their online content cannot be streamed for free, you have to pay additional money to watch certain shows or movies. (Honorof, 2014) Blockbuster’s strategy was to keep expanding geographically by opening new stores in different locations, rather than switching to online streaming, thinking it would increase their market share. But due to the rise in competition from Netflix and Amazon, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and in January of 2014 they permanently closed all their stores and only operated through â€Å"Blockbuster On Demand† on a pay per rental  bases and operated only in the US (Netflix Alternative, 2013). The competitive advantage Netflix had over Blockbuster is the number of titles they offered. Because Netflix did not operate from a physical store, it made it possible to store thousands of titles, both old movies and movies which were on high demand, and thus satisfying the preferences of much more customers than Blockbuster. Blockbuster was restricted in the amount and titles they had to offer in their stores because of its limited storage space. Another advantage was convenience. Netflix made it very convenient for customers to get their DVDs without having to leave the house and having unlimited videos on a subscription basis without late fees, all of which are things Blockbuster lacked. With all this said, it is obvious that Netflix used offensive strategies that helped it build its reputation as a market leader and created a strong brand loyalty by binding customers to its service. As a first mover, Netflix was able to move down the learning curve ahead of rivals, so it now knows exactly what customers are expecting and learned a hard lesson not to do sudden strategic changes as it did in 2011 missteps of price changes and split of service. As a first mover also, Netflix was able to set the technical standard for the industry by adopting the advanced streaming player and recommendation program that customers now can’t imagine accessing huge movie libraries without it, and Netflix is ahead of its rivals in this and it’s building it over time. Back in its early stage of existence, Netflix had no chance to compete traditionally with the giant Blockbuster, so it chose a special kind of offensive strategy called â€Å"The Blue-Ocean Strategy† which dictates that a firm can â€Å"gain a dramatic and durable competitive advantage by abandoning efforts to beat out competitors in existing markets and instead inventing a new industry or distinctive market segment that renders existing competitors largely irrelevant and allows a company to create and capture altogether new demand† (Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble, Strickland, 2014) This is exactly what Netflix did as it didn’t go into the block and mortar business but focused from the very beginning on growing its online library and achieving its most important strategy back then which is to deliver DVDs by mail within one business day. This created a new segment of customers for its service and factors in the external environment started changing to its advantage wh ich shows that Hastings and his team where correct in reading their external  environment. Then in 2007 they started their streaming service which is also an offensive strategy that positioned Netflix far ahead of its competitors. Recommendations The past few years have shown how volatile the stock price of Netflix was as it fluctuated between as low as 53 dollars in 2012 to as high as 448 dollars in March 2014 (Google Finance, 2014). This is an indication that Netflix is operating in a very fast moving industry where innovation and continuous improvement are the keys for survival. Consequently, as professional consultants, we advise Netflix executives to learn from what has happened in the past and put new strategies or amend existing ones to tackle the future probable recurrence of the problems they have faced in the past few years. One of the major competitive advantages of Netflix over its rivals in the industry is having this huge and varied collection of title selections in its offering. First we advise them to convert all their DVD-version content, which is not available for streaming, to soft stream-able versions as statistics showed more customers are leaving the DVD-by-mail plan and registering for the more convenie nt trendy streaming service (Roettgers, 2013). Maintaining an increasing selection of title offering is vital in this respect, as in such an entertainment industry, we don’t see loyalty in customers as decreed by Marketing gurus; what we mean by this is, if another rival had a similar service with a richer content, many customers will switch with the blink of an eye. That’s why we are stressing on this point as it is a key for survival. Accordingly, Netflix should opt to create strategic alliances and cooperative partnerships with many movie studios to maintain its database of titles – retaining existing ones and adding new collections, and negotiating to reduce the wait time for streaming movies after they are out in the theaters. This will definitely create value to the customers, but Netflix’s harder job is how to create value for those suppliers, that is, how to convince them to add their productions in the Netflix service. This can be done by creating a win-win model that will persuade those studios to choose Netflix over other rivals, and hence can be achieved by highlighting a set of advantages they’ll get from the deal. An example of such an advantage, is to have the studio’s work available not only in US, but in all the 41 countries Netflix currently operates in, and  maybe make it available in local languages; this will increase the popularity of the studio’s work inter nationally and will basically mean more profits for future project releases. Catching up from this last point, it is vital for Netflix to find new smart ways to continuously increase their subscription base. By the end of Q1 2014, the number of subscribers went up to 33 million US subscribers and 11 million international subscribers (Welch, 2014). More subscribers simply mean more annual income which will lead to the ability to get richer content to their offering, which will in return link more customers in. This recursive cycle is so prominent and can be triggered by some smart tactics, to initially get more customers. Lowering the subscription price might lure many potential customers to register, but is not advisable to do that since the profit margin of the streaming service is already narrow (Roettgers, 2013). On the other hand, increasing the price of subscriptions is also risky and the crazy chaos that happened in 2011 will remain unforgettable. Hence, Netflix executives should devise new innovative ways to increase the value proposition of their service that will increase their customer base and enhance their reputation as a market leader. This can be achieved, for example, by doing the exact opposite of what they did in their 2011 missteps. What happened back then was to increase the price of their service for the sa me quality they offered; so let’s now try to increase the service quality holding the price fixed. One way of doing that, is to diversify their content; for example to start providing Live programs such as Sports events and News. This addition will get-in new customer segments – not only those who love to watch movies and TV series. So, if Netflix was able to secure the online broadcasting rights for a major soccer league matches, for example, and broadcasting Live CNN news, their customer base will be more fragmented and they will be moving in the direction of being an Internet TV provider with a variety of shows that suites all the different categories of viewers. Another technique to increase the quality of their service is to enhance their GUI (graphical user interface) by creating a new advanced online player for streaming media that can detect voice commands sent from the embedded microphone of the client’s personal gadget (laptop, Smartphone, tablet, etc†¦), analyze those commands and perform actions accordingly. For instance, â€Å"Volume Up† to increase player’s sound volume instead of using  your laptop’s mouse or going to â€Å"Settings† on your Smartphone/iPad; or the voice command â€Å"Action Category† to go to the list of movies in the Action category. Adding such a high-tech innovative feature in their player will amaze their happy customers and will leave their competitors contemplating in the shadows. Netflix can also enhance its online service by continuously challenging and rewarding bright programmers to come up with new algorithms that increase the effectiveness of their rati ng application. What they did with their one-million-dollar contest, which was won in 2009 by a team called BellKor’s Pragmatic Chao who were able to come up with an algorithm that overcame Netflix’s recommendation system by more than 10% (Netflix Prize, 2009), was very tidy and it really paid off; so they need to continue upgrading their systems – as it goes side-by-side with the ever increasing size of their database. Speaking about the content, it was very clear that the bargaining power of the suppliers, which are the TV shows producers and movie studios, are becoming increasingly high; and what happened with the Starz Entertainment deal is one example to mention here, when it announced it would remove it movies from Netflix streaming starting February 2012 (Young,2011). This leads us to what we believe is the most important recommendation for Netflix to consider, that is, invest more in original content. Going backward to the recursive cycle we previously explained, it is clear that getting new content goes in parallel with increasing the number of subscribers. For example, when Netflix secured the deal with Disney for exclusive rights to stream its movies starting 2016, many analysts assumed that the firm needs to get 4 million new subscribers to just breakeven with the cost of that deal (Morrissey,2013). One here might contemplate, that sooner or later, Netflix will reach a stage where it wil l cease to be able to increase its customer base, so its revenues will reach a kind of a slow moving ceiling, but their content obligations will continue to rise: to maintain the licenses for the current collection and to get new content in. Many movie studios are closely monitoring Netflix’s performance and stock prices, and they are demanding higher money for renewing their contracts, and this is a major threat for Netflix to consider. Unable to reach a renewal agreement with a major movie studio, will result in the disappearance of hundreds or  thousands of titles from their online library in a fortnight. This will really embarrass the customers. That’s why we recommend that Netflix needs to heavily invest in original programming before they reach the saturation stage, or a deadlock situation whereby they cannot enhance their content because it’s too costly and they need more money by growing membership, and they cannot grow membership because they aren’t able to enhance their content because it’s too costly! Reaching this stage means the firm is approaching its last days. The solution for this misery, and to avoid this tragic end, is to invest in original content right away. Netflix started distributing premier programs in 2011 and now has more than 10 exclusive TV shows in its offering (Wikipedia, 2014), one of which is â€Å"House of Cards† – an America political dram a television series – which â€Å"became the first TV series to win a primetime Emmy Award without ever broadcasting on a network or cable channel† (Neal, 2014). The success of the series encouraged Netflix to produce a second season of it in Feb 2014, and a third season is scheduled in early 2015 (Wikipedia, 2014). According to a study (Popper, 2014), one episode of such original content costs Netflix four million dollars; but although this is very expensive, allocating an important portion of the budget every year to produce such exclusive series will have its mark in the future. People can enjoy watching such series any time, as it is a permanent title in the online library, and Netflix doesn’t have to pay licensing or any other kind of expenses on originals once it is broadcasted. They can also make it available for their international customers by adding local language features (subbing or dubbing) to it. Growing internationally is still one of the main strategies that Netflix is counting on and although international expansion proved to be very costly, as Canada for example broke even after 2 years (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014); they are recommended to continue with it. It will give them more international recognition that will enhance their reputation and will pay off in their competition with rivals, and this is exactly what CEO Reed Hastings said in Netflix Q4 2013 Earnings Interview â€Å" we are treating international as a segment – for competitive reasons† (Netflix Investor Relations, 2014). As first movers in the streaming movie industry, it is advisable for Netflix to leverage their position as pioneers of the market by offering several loyalty programs that will increase the switching cost  of the customers to their existing and future rivals. One thing they can do is to create a points-based reward system which works as follows: every month you renew your subscription you’ll add 10 points to your balance, and if you’re a new customer you get 50 â€Å"free welcome points†. Then through time your balance will keep adding up points and you’ll have the choice to buy several valuable things with it. For example, one-month free subscription for 100 points, an original DVD movie (from a predefined list of titles) sent directly to your mail and that will cost you 200 points, and the chance to meet with the actors of your favorite TV-series (Netflix Original) for 300 points. Such a loyalty program will keep delight the customers and keep them hooked to the service. While many consumers have cut the cord and made the switch to Internet-only TV offerings, undoubtedly they’ve experienced frustrations as well. Netflix’s mobile app, while good, can be upgraded to present a much better and more seamless experience for those on tablets. We suggest added-value features like friendship connections, including the ability to see what friends on both Facebook and Twitter have watched, their recommendations, and share content with others. Another impre ssive change could be a ‘tagging feature’ when watching shows which we believe to be instrumental in expanding the social aspects of Netflix’s content. Viewers can tap the button at any time during a show to tag moments on the timeline relevant with quotes from the scene or make a comment regarding what they saw. Subsequent friends watching the content can see these tags, opening up dialogue between the partners and encouraging more social conversation through Netflix’s app. (The lab Blog, 2013). Compared to the current app’s design, this new proposal feels fresh and clean. Of course, those added features are optional and can be switched off whenever privacy is needed. By adding this feature, Netflix will be leveraging the benefits of the latest VPPA (Video Privacy Protection Act) law amendments President Obama signed which â€Å"facilitate social media sharing of video viewing preferences when users consent to disclosure of information via the Internet†.(McClellan, 2013) Moreover, integrating social media with customers’ viewing experience will give Netflix an important marketing tool that will help them detect which content is more appealing to their customers and will also give their customers a window to speak out what they like to see in the future. Finally we can say that the next step for Netflix  is to produce a Hollywood 100-million dollar movie that can be streamed same day it goes into the theater. This massive step of producing one movie eve ry year, of such a caliber, will be a major boost for Netflix in the coming years especially if they were lucky enough and those movies turn out to be a major hit. But here one has to say, is it wise for a company like Netflix, that reported 112 million dollars in net income by the end of 2013 (Google Finance,2014), to handle a project of this size? Isn’t it a crazy adventure? Or should Netflix go through a joint venture with other Pay-TV firms to reduce the risks of such a gigantic project? References Bauman, L., Deal, N., Ishak, P., & Johnson, S. (2013, February 3). Netflix Environmental Scan / SWOT Analysis. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from Memoirs of a Student: http://lisabauman.blogspot.com/2013/02/netflix–?environmental–?scan–?swot–?analysis.html Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. E., & Strickland III, A. J. (2014). Crafting and Executing Strategy – The Quest for Competitive Advantage – Concepts and Cases (19th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin – Ch:6, pgs. 151-152 Thompson (2012) – Netflix in 2012: Can It Recover from Its strategy Missteps? Thompson, A. A. (2012). Netflix Alternative (July,2013) Blockbuster on Demand – Retrieved from: http://www.netflixalternative.com/blockbuster-on-demand/ McGrath (Jan, 2014) Amazon and Hulu Could Slow Netflix Growth in 2014 – Retrieved From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2014/01/07/amazon-and-hulu-could-slow-netflix-growth-in-2014-morgan-stanley-sa ys/ (Seave, 2013) Netflix to Competitors: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid – Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/avaseave/2013/06/06/netflix-to-competitors-be-afraid-be-very-afraid/ NetflixPR – Netflix Media Center – Company overview – Retrieved April 19,2014 from https://pr.netflix.com/WebClient/loginPageSalesNetWorksAction.do?contentGroupId=10476&contentGroup=Company+Facts Kollewe (October,2011) Apple Stock Price Falls on News of Steve Job’s Death – Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/oct/06/apple-stock-steve-jobs Zarafshar (Nov,2013) Remembering Blockbuster Retrieved from http://deweydigest.com/tech/2547 Cantisano (April,2014) Netflix loses Fox

Legal Ethics Essay

I. Lawyer and Society a. Observations i. Pursuant to rule 1.03, CPR, one defense counsel manifested to the honorable court that he does not wish to postpone the case again, the same having been previously postponed for four times already because of the prosecution’s failure to present their witness. II. Lawyer and the Legal Profession b. Observations iii. Respect between defense counsels and fiscal iv. Address each other with respect v. Candid and Friendly vi. After hearing, counsels for accused approached prosecutor and bid their goodbyes, with laughs, as if they were really close friends vii. Pursuant to canon 8, fiscal and defense counsel (female), during their direct and cross examinations, respectively, never used offensive language whenever they have objections during the examination of the witnesses. III. Lawyer and Courts c. Observations viii. Treat Personnel with respect ix. No sign of any disgust or disrespect to Judge Danilo Galvez, despite approval of the latter of postponement of his case. x. Pursuant to 10.03, procedure, there was no showing that any of the lawyers violated any procedural rules of the court. xi. Pursuant to canon 11 and the rules thereof, all lawyers punctually appeared at their respective hearings; they were all properly attired when they came to court; and no offensive or menacing language were used, especially in one particular case where there was a direct and cross examinations xii. Pursuant to rule 12.07, during the cross examination of attorney of the witness of the fiscal, she never, even for once, harassed the witness. She addressed her questions to him very calmly and respectfully. xiii. IV. Lawyer and Client d. Observations xiv. In one case, the counsel for the defense manifested that if it be okay with the honorable judge and the court that the trial so proceed because the same has been postponed 4 times already; but prosecutor insisted for the postponement and reassured the court that on the next hearing they will be able to present their witness; judge granted postponement, â€Å"in the interest of justice† xv. In another case, the prosecutor objected to the manifestation by the opposing counsel to dismiss the case; the reason for the proposed dismissal was because the prosecutor was not present at the last hearing; the reason for the objection was that the counsel looking to dismiss the case was also absent the previous hearing; judge said that both of you have been absent in one of the hearings, in the interest of justice, case will be postponed and will resume.

Top Ranked California Business Schools

Top Ranked California Business Schools California is a large state with a lot of diverse cities. It is also home to hundreds of college and universities. Many of them are in the states large public school system, but there are even more private schools. In fact, some of the largest and most prestigious colleges and universities in the country are located in California. This means lots of choices for students who are seeking a higher education. In this article, were going to take a look at some of the options for students who are majoring in business. Although some of the schools on this list do have undergraduate programs, were going to focus on the best California business schools for graduate students who are seeking an MBA or a specialized masters degree. These schools have been included because of their faculty, curriculum, facilities, retention rates, and career placement rates.   Stanford Graduate Schools of Business Stanford Graduate School of Business is frequently ranked among the best business schools in the country, so it is no surprise that it is widely considered to be the best business school in California. It is part of Stanford University, a private research university. Stanford is located in Santa Clara County and adjacent to the city of Palo Alto, which is home to a number of different tech companies. Stanford Graduate School of Business was originally created as an alternative to business schools in the eastern portion of the United States. The school has grown to become one of the most highly respected institutions of education for business majors. Stanford is known for its cutting-edge research, distinguished faculty, and innovative curriculum. There are two main masters level programs for business majors at Stanford Graduate School of Business: a full-time, two-year MBA program and a full-time, one-year Master of Science program. The MBA program is a general management program that begins with a year of core courses and global experiences before allowing students to personalize their education with various electives in areas like accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, and political economics. Fellows in the Master of Science program, known as the Stanford Msx Program, take foundational courses first before being mixed in with MBA students for elective coursework. While enrolled in the program (and even afterward), students have access to career resources and a Career Management Center that will help them design a personalized career plan designed to develop skills in networking, interviewing, self-assessment and much more.    Haas School of Business Like Stanford Graduate Schools of Business, Haas School of Business has a long, distinguished history. It is the second oldest business school in the United States and is widely considered to be one of the best business schools in California (and the rest of the country). Haas School of Business is part of the University of California- Berkeley, a public research university founded in 1868. Haas is located in Berkeley, California, which is situated on the east side of San Francisco Bay. This Bay Area location offers unique opportunities for networking and internships. Students also benefit from the award-winning Haas School of Business campus, which boasts ultramodern facilities and spaces that are designed to encourage collaboration among students. Haas School of Business offers several different MBA programs to suit various needs, including a full-time MBA program, an evening and weekend MBA program, and an executive MBA program called the Berkeley MBA for Executives. These MBA programs take between 19 months and three years to complete. Business majors at the masters level can also earn a Master of Financial Engineering degree, which provides preparation for finance careers in investment banks, commercial banks, and other financial institutions. Career advisors are always on hand to help business students plan and launch their careers. There are also a number of companies that recruit talent from Haas, ensuring a high placement rate for business school graduates.   Ã‚  Ã‚   UCLA Anderson School of Management Like the other schools on this list, Anderson School of Management is considered a top-tier U.S. business school. It is highly ranked among other business schools by a wide range of publications. Anderson School of Management is part of the University of California- Los Angeles, a public research university in the Westwood district of Los Angeles. As the creative capital of the world, Los Angeles offers a unique location for entrepreneurs and other creative business students. With people from more than 140 different countries, Los Angeles is also one of the most diverse cities in the world, which help Anderson be diverse as well. Anderson School of Management has many of the same offerings as Haas School of Business. There are multiple MBA programs to choose from, allowing students to individualize their management education and pursue the program that fits with their lifestyles. There is a traditional MBA program, a fully employed MBA (for working professionals), an executive MBA, and a global MBA for Asia Pacific program, which was created developed through a partnership between the UCLA Anderson School of Management and National University of Singapore Business School. Completion of the global MBA program results in two different MBA degrees, one awarded by UCLA and one by the National University of Singapore.  Students who are not interested in earning an MBA can pursue a Master of Financial Engineering degree, which is best suited for business majors who want to work in the finance sector.   Parker Career Management Center at Anderson School of Management  provides career services to students and graduates through every stage of the career search. Several organizations, including Bloomberg Businessweek and The Economist, have ranked the career services at Anderson School of Management as the best in the country (#2 in fact).

Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Discussion Board - Essay Example Therefore, the equilibrium quantity is determined by output amount a firm decides to supply. For instance, Samsung and Nokia companies are all phone companies and their demand in the market is determined by equilibrium where price is given in the market and not by demand or supply forces. The government intervention has a strong influence on a willing late comer to join the market industry. Government interventions may allow late comers to challenge those who entered first in the market. If they do so, there is a shift of extra returns by government intervention in a particular firm from another state to the national economy. For instance, a real life situation is whereby if China can be allowed to supply phones to America, there will be a reduction in returns received by phone making companies in America as they will not enjoy all the profits as before. Financial ratios are designed with the aim of determining the weaknesses and strengths of a firm. The investors need financial analysis to know the riskiness of cash flows and future cash flows of a firm. An individual is able to know a company’s strength or weakness by analyzing the past performance of the firm and mapping it to the future plans. The analysis is mainly done by analyzing financial statements. For instance, in debt ratio, the greater the ratio, the lower the protection that can be afforded by creditors upon liquidation (Hacker,

Employees Performance Appraisal Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employees Performance Appraisal - Coursework Example It makes it easier for the employers to determine the career path for their employees. One of the difference between potential appraisal and performance appraisal is the criterion. The criterion used is to analyze the goals achieved by an employee and what skills he or she currently possesses that could be helpful in indicating the ability of that employee to assume an advanced set of responsibilities. On the other hand, Performance Appraisal refers to the appraisal of the work performed by an employee. Performance appraisal aims at evaluating the employee’s ability to perform the job he is given and whether he has been provided the job in accordance with his potential. Performance appraisal may be performed following a simpler criterion in terms of the quality, quantity, cost and time of the work performed by an employee. Performance appraisal is not future oriented therefore it cannot be used to predict the performance of an employee. Unlike potential appraisal, its purpose is to determine whether the employee has performed satisfactorily. QUESTION 2 Discuss the linkage between â€Å"Potential Appraisal† and â€Å"Career Development†. There is a stable linkage between Potential Appraisal and Career Development. ... The set of skills that are analyzed in the potential appraisal are; communication skills, leadership skills, inter-personal skills, ability to adapt to different scenarios, decision making skills, ability to work as a team and the ability to take initiatives. All these set of skills are highly helpful in the career development of an employee. By analyzing these skills, an employee would know his strengths and weaknesses and it would give him a chance to capitalize on his strengths and to improve his weak skills. In another scenario, if an employee is strong in a particular skill, he would be able to determine his career path based on that skill. For example; a person with strong communication skills can choose marketing as his career. A person with strong leadership skills can develop his career in management. Thus, potential appraisal is linked with the career development of the employees. QUESTION 3 Identify the manager’s main responsibilities when conducting Potential Appra isal. When conducting a potential appraisal, manager should follow the pattern of the appraisal which is the most effective. The manager should formulate the appraisal in such a manner that the purpose of the appraisal is completely achieved. Initially, all the employees whose potential appraisal is to be conducted should be listed by the manager and the manager should conduct the appraisals individually. Another responsibility of the manager is to gather complete information about the employee with regard to his current position and his set of responsibilities. The manager should utilize the results of the performance appraisal to make the potential appraisal more effective. The manager should take into account the performance of the employee in his