Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Final - Research Paper Example The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, students of Stanford University willing to create a web database that would help in listing webpages according to their requirements. Till date, Page and Brin hold 16 present of the total share of the company. The project was initially known as â€Å"BackRub† that used links to determine the importance of individual webpages. The company was incorporated as a private company in the year 1998 and was subsequently made public in the year 2004. The main mission of the company is to consolidate the world’s facts and figures and to make them universally available and accessible by the common people (1Google, n.d.). The rapid growth of the organisation is determined to be resulting from its continuous introduction of innovative products, procurement and cooperation outside Google’s basic search engine business. In addition, Google also provides online productivity software along with services such as email (Gmail) an official suite (Google Drive) and social networking sites such as Orkut and Goggle+. Furthermore, along with the mentioned products and services, Google also offers a wide range of desktop products like image editing and instant message service (Barr, 2013). It is worth mentioning that android considered to be one the most used mobile Operating Software (OS) is also owned by Google. The main objective of this paper is to provide a detailed evaluation showing the major reasons behind the rapid strides taken by Goggle in the IT industry. Additionally, it would also provide evidence and data that would reveal why the company is recognised as one of the world’s most secretive organisations (2Google, n.d.). Historical Performance of Google With the increasing internet users around the world, Google has become one of the most popular Information Technology (IT) based entities. Every individual who has been a regular under of Google tends to study the history on how the company w as established and what were the major reasons behind creating such a search engine that has unified every kind of vital information into a single place. The history of Google started in the year 1995. Larry Page and Sergey Brin were two individuals who met each other at University of Michigan, where both of them went to peruse their PhD degree in computer science. The idea of creating Google as a web page started in the year 1996 as a research project by Brin. In the year 1996, both Page and Brin collaborated to create a search engine which was first started by Page and named it as BackRub (3Google, n.d.). The website was developed in the same year and is believed to have operated on Stanford servers for more than a year. However, it has been viewed that the search engine eventually took up much bandwidth in comparison with other search engines available on the World Wide Web (WWW). Considering the growing issue of bandwidth as well as to convert the data gathered by BackRubâ€℠¢s web crawler assumed greater measure of importance for a given webpage. It was then when Page and Brin both developed the PageRank algorithm and realized that the platform can be used to build a search engine which could be far more superior to the entire users in the web. PageRank is a set of rules developed by Page that analyses the relevancy of the back links of a webpage and list them accordingly. The first version of Google webpage was launched in the

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China Coursework

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China - Coursework Example China is such market. In the past, the Chinese market was quite attractive for organizations in different industries; the specific market has been very popular especially for firms operating in the manufacturing sector. This market has attracted the interest of Japanese firms, which have been aware of the market’s prospects, mostly because of its size. However, through the years, the terms of operations in the Chinese market have been differentiated. The increase of wages and taxes has reduced the level of profit. Still, the Chinese market is quite important for firms operating in the manufacturing industry. Toyota has entered the Chinese market about 30 years before. Initially, the growth of the firm in the specific market has been impressive. However, gradually, the firm’s performance in China has been declined, a fact which has been mostly related to the failures in the firm’s operational strategy. The recent efforts of the firm to upgrade its operational stra tegy and develop a research and development unit in China are expect to highly benefit the organizational performance offering to the organization a competitive advantage towards its rivals.Introduction Because of the continuous expansion of globalisation, the decisions of firms to expand their activities internationally are highly depended on the perspectives available in regard to business activities in each country. China can be characterized as one of the strongest countries worldwide in terms of its financial perspectives. The last decade, the rapid development of entrepreneurial activities across China has led to the increase of the country’s competitiveness in the global market. At the same time, the fixed exchange rate, which the country’s policy makers have initiated, has further supported the development of the country as a popular destination for businesses of all types (Horch 2009). However, the fixed exchange rate in China has not helped towards the control of inflation, which in 2008 has reached the level of 8.5%, the highest level since 1996 (Rongala 2008). The relationship between the fixed exchange rate and inflation in China explains the following phe nomenon: firms and capital from many countries worldwide have entered the Chinese market in order to enjoy the benefits of the country’s fixed exchange rate policy (Horch 2009). However, through the years, the increase of inflation, which resulted because of the above policy, led to the increase of manufacturing costs across the country (Rongala 2008). As a result, manufacturing cos

Starbucks corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Starbucks corporation - Essay Example In relation to the study the company which has been selected is Starbucks. Founded in 1971 and operating in more than 50 countries worldwide, Washington based Starbucks is the largest coffee retailer in the world at present. Starbucks has more than 16000 outlets all over the world. Out of these 16000 stores, nearly 12,000 stores are located across North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and the Pacific. In America, they have coffee outlets virtually in every corner. In other words, America is a saturated market for Starbucks now and they are looking for overseas markets as part of their expansion. In addition to coffee, Starbucks has other products such as tea, cake, cake filling leather goods, beverages, food, confections, coffee related machineries such as expresso machine, stainless steel coffee filters etc. Starbucks Corporation is a profitable organization, earning more than $600 million in 2004. The company generated revenue of more than $5000 million in the same year . Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. In 1992, Starbucks listed on the stock exchange. Since then, its growth was phenomenal. Its annual average growth rate is 20% and profit growth is around 30%. Its share price marked a record 3500% increase, since its listing on the stock exchange. In other words, the market value of Starbucks shares from increased from $400 million to $15 billion recently. Starbucks is a reputed company with huge brand value and enormous resources. Its major strength is the ability to forecast market trends correctly and to make changes in business strategies. It should be noted that Starbucks was one among the few American companies which was unaffected by the recent recession. Starbucks top management team is extremely smarter in guiding the company even in unfavorable market conditions. Not even a single management decision went wrong for Starbucks in the last decade. Satisfied employees are another strength of Starbucks. à ¢â‚¬Å"They always treat the employees as their partners as mentioned earlier. Firm strategy, executive compensation and the performance of the firm can be divided into different streams and fit between firm strategy and compensation system is one among them† (Rajagopalan, n.d., p.4). Moreover, Starbucks is a socially committed company which gives something in return to the communities in which it operates. They are eager to recycle all industrial wastes produced by their activities. Smart business strategies, good suppliers, efficient leadership, talented employees are some other major strengths of Starbucks. Through the selling of coffee-related products such as brewing equipment and accessories, many consumers can enjoy high quality coffee at home rather than traveling out of their way. The equipment available includes Expresso machines, stainless steel coffee filters, and Starbucks cleaner and canisters. This is another example of how Starbucks is meeting the needs of curre nt customers as well as increasing its attractiveness to potential customers (Kembell, 2002). Weakness â€Å"Starbucks products are expensive compared to their competitor’s products (Starbucks Swot Analysis, n. d)†. One of the major weaknesses of Starbucks is the heavy pricing of their products. Starbucks never bothered to reduce the prices of their products irrespective of the market conditions. They do believe that for quality products, heavy pricing may not affect the customers very much. Starbucks is trying to implement the same price which they charge in America for coffee products, in international markets also. They are forgetting the fact that America is a wealthy country and the per capita income of Americans is more than that of the people in other countries. In other words, they are thinking that same product needs same pricing everywhere in the

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China Coursework

Operations Management - Toyota Corporation In China - Coursework Example China is such market. In the past, the Chinese market was quite attractive for organizations in different industries; the specific market has been very popular especially for firms operating in the manufacturing sector. This market has attracted the interest of Japanese firms, which have been aware of the market’s prospects, mostly because of its size. However, through the years, the terms of operations in the Chinese market have been differentiated. The increase of wages and taxes has reduced the level of profit. Still, the Chinese market is quite important for firms operating in the manufacturing industry. Toyota has entered the Chinese market about 30 years before. Initially, the growth of the firm in the specific market has been impressive. However, gradually, the firm’s performance in China has been declined, a fact which has been mostly related to the failures in the firm’s operational strategy. The recent efforts of the firm to upgrade its operational stra tegy and develop a research and development unit in China are expect to highly benefit the organizational performance offering to the organization a competitive advantage towards its rivals.Introduction Because of the continuous expansion of globalisation, the decisions of firms to expand their activities internationally are highly depended on the perspectives available in regard to business activities in each country. China can be characterized as one of the strongest countries worldwide in terms of its financial perspectives. The last decade, the rapid development of entrepreneurial activities across China has led to the increase of the country’s competitiveness in the global market. At the same time, the fixed exchange rate, which the country’s policy makers have initiated, has further supported the development of the country as a popular destination for businesses of all types (Horch 2009). However, the fixed exchange rate in China has not helped towards the control of inflation, which in 2008 has reached the level of 8.5%, the highest level since 1996 (Rongala 2008). The relationship between the fixed exchange rate and inflation in China explains the following phe nomenon: firms and capital from many countries worldwide have entered the Chinese market in order to enjoy the benefits of the country’s fixed exchange rate policy (Horch 2009). However, through the years, the increase of inflation, which resulted because of the above policy, led to the increase of manufacturing costs across the country (Rongala 2008). As a result, manufacturing cos

Physics color Essay Example for Free

Physics color Essay There are many more colors in the world around us, these colors are all erived from mixing two or more visible colors. The process of understanding the colors in the world allows us to understand cultures , behaviors, emotions, and even state of mind, this process is called Color psychology. Color psychology is a science which allows us to unlock secrets of colors and the affects that colors have on us, as well as, allowing us to use colors in ways most suited to human life. The four main colors in color psychology are red, blue, green, and yellow, these colors are primary colors that relate to the body, mind, emotions, and balance of human beings. Each color holds many secrets and connotations behind it; the color red is one of the most powerful color because it has the longest wavelength, it can affect us in more than one way; it can be considered as a sign of friendliness and simplicity, as well as, being a sign for aggressiveness and dominance. Red is a physics color that can easily capture our attention and raise our pulse rate, when used in indoor painting it can reflect certain senses and refract specific attitudes, red painted rooms can evoke string emotions, encourage appetite, passion or intensity, it can also ymbolize love, for those reasons many brands, like KFC, McDonalds, and others, use Another powerful color is yellow, it has the longest wavelength and is considered one of the most emotional colors, which makes it one the strongest colors physiologically. Just like red, yellow can evoke a multiple range of emotions, the right yellow can help with confidence and allows our state of mind to become more optimistic, but the wrong pitch of yellow can be a reason of fear and concern. 2 Blue, the most productive color, is always considered for the color of the mind; it ffect our minds more than any other color. Like red and yellow, ranges of blue arouse different behaviors; Strong blue will stimulate clear thought, light blue will help us in reaching a clam and eased state of mind. Unlike red, blue is considered unfriendly, unemotional, and cold. Also blue objects do not seem apparent to us unlike red objects. Blue painted rooms evokes calmness, serenity, curbs appetite, and in most cases is associated to peace, they can be offices and corporate business rooms. Lastly, green, the color of nature. Green is always accompanied with calming nd restfulness attitude and behaviors. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the color of balance a more important concept than many people realize Color effects. The ranges of green as any other color can affect us in negative and positive ways; it can help us feel rested, balanced, and peaceful, but it can also make us feel bored, enervated, and bland. Green can be used in painting bedrooms; because it gives a sense of tranquility and health. To sum up, color psychology affects our daily life, whether we know it or not; it can be ou red bedroom that makes us wake up every day feeling angry and overdosed with emotions, or it can be your blue office that makes you feel most productive when working in it.

The Car Rental Industry In The Us Economics Essay

The Car Rental Industry In The Us Economics Essay The car rental industry is a multi-billion dollar sector of the US economy. The US segment of the industry averages about $18.5 billion in revenue a year. Today, there are approximately 1.9 million rental vehicles that service the US segment of the market. In addition, there are many rental agencies besides the industry leaders that subdivide the total revenue, namely Rent-A-Car, Dollar Thrifty, Budget and Vanguard. The rental car industry is highly consolidated which naturally puts potential new comers at a cost-disadvantage since they face high input costs (since companies in this industry have revenues of billions of dollars), with very low possibilities of economies of scale. Moreover, most of the profit is generated by a few firms including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis. For the fiscal year of 2006, Enterprise generated $7 billion in total revenue. Hertz came in second position with about $3.9 billion and Avis with $2.75 in revenues. During this year, revenues were about $20 billio n, with the top six companies having combined market shares of over 90 percent. Competition in this industry goes beyond nationally, companies are expanding globally, and for example Rent-A-Car is operating in the U.S, Canada, U.K, Ireland and Germany. In the U.S market there is a strong competition between the six largest companies, especially between Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz for the rental facilities in airports. The level of vertical integration in the industry has been reduced in the last decades, by letting these companies more flexibility in the market and leading to higher profit margins. In fact, among the industry players only Hertz is vertically integrated through Ford. The market size of this industry is large so there is high demand for renting, but due to the very strong competition, the profit margin is not so high or attractive, moreover, it is best attained by economies of scale. Competitiveness has risen to such an extent that, according to Business Travel Ne ws, vehicles are being rented until they have accumulated 20,000 to 30,000 miles until they are sent for sale to the used car industry. What is competition like and how strong are the competitive forces? There are many factors that shape the competitive landscape of the car rental industry. Competition is fierce not only because the market is saturated and well guarded by industry leader Enterprise, but competitors operate at a cost disadvantage along with smaller market shares since Enterprise has established a network of dealers over 90 percent the leisure segment. On the corporate segment, on the other hand, competition is very strong at the airports since that segment is under tight supervision by Hertz. Competitively speaking, the rental car industry is a war-zone as most rental agencies including Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the major players engage in a battle of the fittest. The five competitive forces Competitive Rivalry Among Sellers There are many factors that drive competition within the car rental industry. Over the past few years, broadening fleet sizes and increasing profitability has been the focus of most companies within the car rental industry. Enterprise, Hertz and Avis among the leaders have been growing both in sales and fleet sizes. In addition, competition intensifies as firms are constantly trying to improve their current conditions and offer more to consumers. Hertz, for example, integrates its Never-Lost GPS system within its cars. Enterprise, on the other hand, uses sophisticated yield management software to manage its fleets. The Potential Entry of new Competitors Entering the car rental industry puts new comers at a serious disadvantage. Over the past few years following the economic downturn of 2001, most major rental companies have started increasing their market shares in the vacation sector of the industry as a way of insuring stability and lowering the level of dependency between the airline and the car rental industry. On one hand, this action has ensured the success in the long run of the existing firms; on the other hand it has made it much more difficult for new entrants to join this market. Existing firms such as Enterprise, Hertz and Avis carefully monitor their competitive radars in order to be ready to attack any potential new entrant in the market. Another barrier to entry is created because of the saturation level of the industry. In 2006, Enterprise had a rental location within 15 miles of 90 percent of the US population. Because of the network of dealers Enterprise has established around the nation, it has become relatively s table, and most importantly, less reliant on the airline industry compared to its competitors. The Threat of Substitute There are many substitutes available for the car rental industry. From a technological standpoint, renting a car to go the distance for a meeting is a less attractive alternative as opposed to video conferencing, virtual teams and collaboration software with which a company can immediately setup a meeting with its employees from anywhere around the world at a cheaper cost. In addition, there are other alternatives including taking a cab which is a satisfactory substitute relative to quality and switching cost, but it may not be as attractively priced as a rental car for the course of a day or more. While public transportation is the most cost efficient of the alternatives, it is more costly in terms of the process and time it takes to reach ones destination. Finally, because flying offers convenience, speed and performance, it is a very attracting substitute; however, it becomes an unattractive alternative in terms of price relative to renting a car. On the business segment, car rent al agencies have more protection against substitutes since many companies have implemented travel policies that establish the parameters of when renting a car or using a substitute is the best course of action. Generally, the threat of substitute is reasonably low in the car rental industry since the effects the substitute products have do not pose a significant threat of profit erosion throughout the industry. The Bargaining Power of Buyers An interesting trend that is currently underway throughout the industry is forcing car rental companies to adapt to the needs of corporate travelers. This trend significantly reduces supplier power or the rental firms power and increases corporate buyer power since the business segment is extremely price sensitive, well informed about the industrys price structure, purchase in larger quantities and they use the internet to force lower prices. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers Supplier power is low in the car rental industry. Because of the availability of substitutes and the level of competition, suppliers do not have a great deal of influence in the terms and conditions of supplying the rental cars. Because the rental cars are usually purchased in large quantities, rental car agents have significant influence over the terms of the sale since they possess the ability to play one supplier against another to lower the sales price. Another factor that reduces supplier power is the absence of switching cost. That is, buyers are not affected from purchasing from one supplier over another. What forces are at work to change industry conditions? One of the most important forces in the car renting industry is the use of internet in companies. Internet has made possible instant linking between renting stores in different locations and provides a lower distribution and inventory cost. What is more, improvement in technology and the installation of different tools, including the GPS system in rented cars has made this industry more competitive for customers. The installation of specialized software in the facilities where cars are given for rent, for checking preferences of customers in different regions, gives details about what cars are mostly preferred and how many of them should be in that store, reducing storage costs. Which companies are in Strongest/ Weakest positions? As a moderately concentrated sector, there is a clear hierarchy in the car rental industry. From an economic standpoint, disparities exist from a number of dimensions including revenue, fleet size and the market size each firm holds in the market place. For instance, Enterprise dominates the industry with a fleet size of approximately 600,000 vehicles along with its market size and its level of profitability. Hertz comes in second position with its number of market shares and fleet volume. In addition, Avis ranks third on the map. Avis is among one of the companies that is having issues recovering its revenue margins from prior to the economic downturn. For instance, in 2000 Avis returned revenues of approximately $4.23 billion. Over the course of the next several years following 2000, the revenue of Avis has been significantly lower than that of 2000. As a way of reducing uncertainty most companies are gradually lowering the level of dependency on the airline industry and emerging t he leisure market. This trend may not be in the best interest of Hertz since its business strategy is highly linked to the airports. What strategic moves are rivals likely to make next? Since this industry operates in very narrow profit margins, it is very important to predict what the competitors next moves will be in order to be as prepared as possible. In 2007 there were some developments in this industry which were concerning Rent-A-Cars executives. These developments included a possible merger between Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group and Vanguard Car Rental as well as direct attacks on Enterprises off-airport rental markets and insurance company clients by Hertz, the second rental company in the industry. Avis uses its OnStar and Skynet system to better serve the consumer base and offers free weekend rental if a customer rents a car for five consecutive days. What are the key factors for competitive success? There are many key success factors that drive profitability throughout the car rental industry. Capacity utilization is one of the factors that determine success in the industry. Because rental firms experience loss of revenue when there are either too few or too many cars sitting in their lots, it is very important to efficiently manage the fleets. This success factor represents a big strength for the industry since it lowers if not completely eliminates the possibility of running short on rental cars. Efficient distribution is another factor that keeps the industry profitable. Despite the positive relationship between fleet sizes and the level of profitability, firms are constantly growing their fleet sizes because of the competitive forces that surround the industry. In addition, convenience is one of the crucial attributes by which customers select rental firms. Another key success factor that is common among competing firms is the integration of technology in their business proc esses. Through technology, for instance, the car rental companies create ways to meet consumer demand by adding the convenience of online rental among other alternatives. Furthermore, firms have integrated navigation systems along with roadside assistance to help their customers find the desired location easier and faster. Is the industry attractive or unattractive and why? There are many factors that impact the attractiveness of the car rental industry. Because the industry is moderately concentrated, it puts new market entrants at a disadvantage. What is more, existing companies in the industries can take measures to attack new entrants. Because of the risks associated with entering the industry among other factors, it is not a very attractive sector of the marketplace. From a competitive standpoint, the leisure market is 90 percent saturated because of the active efforts of Enterprise to dominate this sector of the market. On the other hand, the airport terminals are heavily guarded by Hertz. Realistically speaking, entry in the industry offers low profitability relative to the costs and risks associated. For most consumers, the main determining factors of choosing one company over another are price and convenience. Because of this reason, rental firms are forced to offer more to the consumers for less just to remain competitive. Based on the impact of the five forces, the car rental sector is not a very attractive industry to potential new market entrants.

The Dangers and Safety Precautions Related to the Olfactory Dysfunction Anosmia :: Medicine Medicinal Medical Essays

The Dangers and Safety Precautions Related to the Olfactory Dysfunction Anosmia Imagine the smell of some freshly baked cookies hot out of the oven, or the clean smell of a brand new car's interior. Have you ever thought what it might be like to never smell these scents again? What if you could not smell your dinner burning on the stove or the fact that the baby needs a diaper change? The National Institutes of Health in 1979 found that around 200,000 people consult their doctors every year for the decreased or total loss of smell (Crawford and Sounder, 95). The disorder is anosmia, the loss of the sense of smell, usually from a sinus infection or a nasal obstruction, which lasts only temporarily. Anosmia is also known as a permanent condition commonly resulting from a head injury or disease, such as airopic rhinitis or chronic rhititus associated with granulomatous disease, which destroys either the olfactory nerve. This smell disorder can also be caused by psychological factors, such as a specific fear of a particular smell (Mosby, 94). Of then five senses, smell seems to be the least appreciated (Gillyatt, 97). Society always gives attention to the senses that appear most necessary: sight and hearing. Touch and taste appear more important because it is obvious that without them life becomes more challenging (Gillyatt, 97). Humans are microsmatic, which means that the sense of smell is not necessary for survival like with animals (Goldstein, 99). The sense of smell can protect people and therefore is important. Smell also makes things enjoyable (Gillyatt, 97). For instance, when eating a favorite food the taste is much more flavorful when feeling healthy opposed to being congested. Humans can recognize as many as 10,000 different scents, compared to the sense of taste , which is limited to four basic categories: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter (Gillyatt, 97). The sense of smell is very important, but taken for granted. Everyone should be aware of anosmia because as people age the disorder becomes more and more common . Approximately fifty percent of people over 65 years of age have experienced a decrease in smell (Schiffman, 94). It is apparent that the weakening of the sense of smell is age related (Cain and Stevens, 86). Anosmia is a disorder that needs to be taken seriously. The permanent loss of smell can be hazardous to ones health if not dealt with properly.