Company Profile Of Microsoft Corporation - 1251 Words

Company Profile Microsoft Corporation was founded on April 4, 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico(Wikipedia, 2016). As of today, it is headquartered at Redmond, Washington. It specializes in designing, developing, licensing, and supporting software products, services, and devices worldwide (Yahoo! Finance, 2016). The Company operates in five segments: Devices and Consumer (DC) Licensing, DC Hardware, DC Other, Commercial Licensing, and Commercial Other (Rueters, 2016). Some of Microsoft’s products include smartphones, business professional software, and tablets which all run on its own current operating system: Windows 10. The Company also offers cloud-based solutions that provide customers with software,†¦show more content†¦Following many ups and downs, Microsoft has seized the momentum in the $37.4 billion console market with having sold 76 million Xbox 360s, and its 48 million subscribers on Xbox Live (Bass, 2013). As taking part in the eighth generat ion of gaming consoles, Microsoft have designed and developed another one of its own home gaming console: the Xbox One. The Xbox One is the successor of the Xbox 360 and is the third console in the Xbox family. It provides users with the same capabilities that were on the Xbox 360, but with improvements and enhancements that change the gaming and entertainment experience. Some of these changes include high definition gaming graphics and an improved Xbox Live experience. Five Years Financial Overview At end of year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Stock Price $26.00 $30.62 $34.75 $41.86 $44.46 Revenue 69,943,000,000 73,723,000,000 77,849,000,000 86,833,000,000 93,580,000,000 Profits 54,366,000,000 56,193,000,000 57,600,000,000 59,899,000,000 60,542,000,000 Profit Margin % 77.7% 76.2% 74.0% 70.0% 64.7% Growth Rate 8.5% 3.4% 2.5% 4.0% 1.1% (Source: Yahoo! Finance; Mergent, Inc.) In Microsoft’s five-year financial overview, profits have been steadily increasing. The stock price increase tells potential investors that the current shareholders are willing to buy Microsoft’s stocks than selling it. This shows that the shareholders believe that the company has a promising future, which will open doors to new innovations and

Summary Of Killing Hope By William Blum - 1935 Words

Heidi Michaud History 333 Prof. Mary Duncan 17 May, 2015 Examining U.S. Motivation in the Guatemalan Coup In William Blum’s Book, Killing Hope, Blum claims that the U.S. backed a CIA overthrow of the Guatemalan Government in 1954.. Blum challenges that the motivation for the coup was not based on a true belief that Guatemala’s President Jacobo Arbenz was leaning towards communism, and alludes to the the idea that the true motivation for the Coup was the threat to economic gains to The United Fruit Company. Research of the Coup shows that Blum is correct in that the United States was indeed behind the overthrow of Arbenz. However, Blum does not allow for doubt in that Arbenz’s social reforms and political actions could have truly appeared as communist to the United States. Although hindsight and time reveal the coup to be morally and politically wrong, it is valid to recognize that at that time in history,the actions of Guatemala’s President, coupled with private interests and radical beliefs about what constituted communism, could have sincerely convinced the U.S. government that there was a true communist threat in Guatemala. After World War II, the United States’ Cold War policy of Soviet Containment fostered a borderline hysterical fear of communism in America. This fear created an atmosphere of U.S. hypervigilance towards any actions that could appear remotely communist. â€Å"The U.S.-supported Coup in Guatemala was mostly a result of strong anti-CommunistShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesWhat Are Management Skills? 9 Improving Management Skills 12 An Approach to Skill Development 13 Leadership and Management 16 Contents of the Book 18 Organization of the Book 19 Practice and Application 21 Diversity and Individual Differences 21 Summary 23 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 24 Diagnostic Survey and Exercises 24 Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) 24 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 28 SSS Software In-Basket Exercise 30 SCORING KEY AND COMPARISON DATA 42 Personal AssessmentRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesNetworked Organizations 20 †¢ Helping Employees Balance Work–Life Conflicts 21 †¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from FailureRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesDecentralized Work Sites 8 Skill Levels 8 A Legal Concern 8 Employee Involvement 20 How Organizations Involve Employees 20 Employee Involvement Implications for HRM 20 Other HRM Challenges 21 Recession 21 Off Shoring 21 Mergers 22 A Look at Ethics 22 Summary 23 Demonstrating Comprehension: Questions for Review 24 Key Terms 24 HRM Workshop 25 Linking Concepts to Practice: Discussion Questions 25 Developing Diagnostic and Analytical Skills 25 Case 1: Work/Life Balance at Baxter 25 Working with a Team:

Complex Relationships in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights Free Essays

Wuthering Heights Essay Rewrite: Within the novel Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Bronte, readers are confronted with many complex relationships. At times it is hard to understand these due to the range of relationships that occur, from interactions of hatred to relationships that show true passion. One such complex relationship is between Hareton Earnshaw and Catherine. We will write a custom essay sample on Complex Relationships in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights or any similar topic only for you Order Now As the novel progresses, we see love develop between these two characters that is best explained by how they are brought together, the problems that their relationship poses and how this relationship affects the other characters in the novel and the plot of the novel itself. The first way to understand this relationship is to examine how these two characters are brought together. In the novel, there is a real sense that fate has a lot to do with the union between the lovers, as Catherine and Hareton are reunited at the symbolic Penistone Crags. Catherine has a burning desire to go to the crags, the symbol of maturity, natural erotic desire and wild temptation. She asks Nelly and her father â€Å"Now, am I old enough to go to Penistone Crags? †(Bronte 147) As Catherine reaches teenage years, she desires to travel outside of Thrushcross Grange and ascend the large Penistone Crags, which are close to Wuthering Heights and Hareton. Catherine and Hareton spend the whole day near the Crags until Nelly fetches them. Bronte then describes the interaction between Hareton and Catherine as joyful, describing that â€Å"Her hat was hung against the wall, and she seemed perfectly at home laughing and chattering, in best spirits imaginable, to Hareton, now a great, strong lad of eighteen, who stared at her with considerable curiosity and astonishment† ( Bronte 149). This quote shows how there is an underlying connection between them; Hareton and Catherine begin to show similar characteristics in their relationship that Heathcliff and Cathy had in theirs, and this foreshadows how the relationship will end up. The next interaction between the two is one day when Catherine meets Hareton and Heathcliff while on a stroll; Heathcliff makes it clear that Hareton is not his son. It is then insisted that she must come to Wuthering Heights to meet his son who she has met before, Linton. As Hareton and Catherine run off to play, Linton stays in seclusion as he is feeble and weak. The notion of Catherine running away with Hareton shows her natural tendencies and attraction for Hareton, because he allows her to be free and expressive. Ultimately, the two characters seem to be brought together by fate. In order for Hareton and Catherine to come together, they have to overcome many obstacles. The first problem that they run into is after Catherine is enlightened to the fact that Hareton is her cousin, she is disgusted by him. â€Å"†¦ she stopped and wept outright; upset at the bare notion of relationship with such a clown† (Bronte 152). This quote describes how Catherine thinks of Hareton as a peasant or a servant and this devastates Hareton. The next problem that their relationship has is that Catherine is being forcibly courted by Linton, at the hand of his father. Heathcliff will do anything in order to fulfill his revenge, and thus will do anything to push the marriage between Catherine and Linton. An example of this is when Heathcliff literally kidnaps Catherine and refuses to let her leave Wuthering Heights until she agrees to marry Linton. It is obvious that Heathcliff is a major problem, preventing the love between Catherine and Hareton from materializing. Catherine realizes that Linton is vastly more educated than Hareton and that she can live a more refined lifestyle with Linton. Linton causes Hareton to feel great shame about his social and educational standing. A prime example of this is when Hareton and Catherine have run off, and Linton finds them standing below the inscription carved above the door. As â€Å"Hareton scared up, and scratched his head like a true clown. ‘It’s some damnable writing,’ he answered. ‘I cannot read it’† (Bronte 169). And almost immediately Linton takes the opportunity to degrade him in front of Catherine, laughing at him and calling him a â€Å"colossal dunce† (Bronte 170). This is the moment where Catherine seems to push away from Hareton, and lean towards Linton. Also not helping the situation is the declining health of Linton, as this draws Catherine more emotionally towards Linton and it completely devastates her. Bronte expresses through Nelly that â€Å"I couldn’t bear to witness her sorrow, to see her pale, dejected countenance, and heavy eyes† (Bronte 181). All the while, Hareton is barely mentioned, and later revealed that he has been teaching himself to read and write his own name, in an attempt to impress Catherine. As Hareton correctly identifies his name, he still cannot read the numbers, which causes Catherine to â€Å"laugh heartily at his failure† and triggers the hot headed Hareton to â€Å"skull off† (Bronte 191). They are falling for each other, but there is a constant bickering between them due to Hareton’s lack of education—as he is not as accomplished as Linton. The deep burning desire to be together seems to be blocked by any and every character and event in the novel, yet the connection between Hareton and Catherine is easy to see. The final way to understand this relationship is to understand how it affects the characters in the play and how it drives the plot forward. Throughout the novel there had always been a sense that the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff never died. And this relationship is kept alive by Hareton and Catherine. Whenever Heathcliff looks are Hareton, he sees Cathy, and it drives him insane, and this is a problem because Heathcliff’s motivation in life was to get revenge on the Linton family. This revenge is what propelled the novel forward, and when Heathcliff sees that Hareton and Catherine are happy, things within him click and he no longer desires to fulfill his plans. â€Å"†¦his society is no benefit, rather an aggravation of the constant torment that I suffer and it partly contributes to render me regardless how he and his cousin go together. I can give them no attention, anymore† (Bronte 248). This quote shows how Heathcliff no longer wants to give attention to his plans of revenge, because Hareton and Catherine are happy. This helps understand their relationship because even though Heathcliff was the mastermind behind everything, they were still able to find love and be happy, something that Heathcliff was never able to do with Cathy. It is as though the relationship was destined to happen, to fulfill not only the lives of Hareton and Catherine, but the souls of Heathcliff and Cathy. Even though the relationship between Hareton and Cathy was hard to understand, an explanation for their love can be made by examining the interactions them and characters in the novel and the overall plot of the story. This relationship served as an the final chapter to a cycle of revenge that Heathcliff started by showing him that even under pressure love can prevail. The complex relationship between Hareton and Catherine ultimately expelled the tension between the two estates and rid Heathcliff of his vengeful plots. Overall, this relationship was exemplified by how fate dictated their love, their interactions and their representation for a love of a previous generation. How to cite Complex Relationships in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Essay examples

Fortescue Metal Group for Market Position - A Case Study

Question: Describe about the Fortescue Metal Group for Market Position. Answer: Introduction In this case study Fortescue Metal Group, an iron ore company and its position in the market is analyzed. The case study begins with the informational background of the company, its nature of business and its competitive analysis. The mission and vision statement of the company is developed considering its goals and values. the framework of the company is analyzed on the basis of five force model by Porter and what are the competitive factors for the company. Analysis of companys capabilities and resources is done to evaluate it strength and weakness. SWOT analysis of the company is done and potential threat remedies are suggested. Introduction of the company Fortescue Metal Group is amongst the largest iron ore producer in the world. The company focuses on extension of iron ore. It laid its foundation in the year 2003 in Western Australia. Since its inception it has invented and fabricated some of the colossal mines in the world. Chichester Hub and Solomon Hub are the main areas where the company operates its mining activities. The company is also associated with port supply chain and rail operations to assist in the progress and revenue generation from the left out iron ore bodies (Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (FMG.AX), 2016). Nature of Business Fortescue Metal Group is in Mining industry with net income generation in the year 2014, $2,740,000,000 (Fortescue appendix 4e financial year ended 30 June 2014, 2014). Competitive Position in the Market The group is the worlds fourth largest iron ore producer and contributes significantly in the total 15% of the global production generated from Australia. FMG only operates in Australia and has its contracts with Chinese steel mills. Its competitors Rio Tinto, Vale do Rio Doce (Vale) and BHP Billiton are domineers of the market. Rio and BHP also have their operations established outside Australia. Under the competition laws infrastructure of FMG has not been declared as open network and is also not subjected to government regulations unlike its competitors BHP and Rio, this provides them with an added cost advantage (Our Business, 2016). Mission Statement To deliver the premium value reliably to the shareholders, customers, employees and community in the mining industry by revolutionizing natural resources into prosperity and sustainable development. To become the new force in iron ore. Vision Statement To utilize our mining expertise in attaining economic advantages by developing reserves and creating partnerships along with becoming a company that adds value to the global natural resources and values people, passion and the planet. Five Competitive Forces The Five forces model identifies and analyzes the forces that are faced in the business. It is a tool that assesses the strength and weakness of a business and affects its development strategies. Bargaining Power of Suppliers- The sources of raw material and inputs are extremely crucial for a business. Suppliers enjoy a full power if theres a monopoly because of the uniqueness of the product, but this puts business in a compromising position. The suppliers can over charge the company, set their own terms and conditions. Because of the less options the business losses its bargaining power. It is suggested for the business to look for alternate resources and inputs, so that they have the powers to function in their own hands and are not controlled by the suppliers (Hill Jones, 2009). In mining industry suppliers who provide information technology, labor, equipments and power supply are in more dominant position. Power supply being the most essential and there are only few suppliers in the mining areas so it does not give much bargaining power to the company. The company usually has long term contracts with the fuel and power suppliers. Skilled labor is also one such aspect where the bargaining power of the company is compromised because of lack of availability and complex miming process requires training which incurs cost. The supplier power in the industry is moderate because the market is competitive. Bargaining Power of buyers- The business has to analyze the power that the buyers possess. If there are few buyers, the company would be dictated the terms by the buyer because they are few in numbers and would drive the price. On the other hand if there are large buyers available to the company, then the position of the company becomes strong and they can control the price and movement of the product. It also analyses the cost it would incur to convert a potential customer to an actual one (Schermerhorn, 2010). Buyer power in the industry is moderate, but in aspect of FMG, since it caters to the Chinese market and due to weaker demand because of GFC, the bargaining power of the buyer is strengthened. The pricing practices have also changed because of weak demand (Dr Cutcher, 2016). Competitor Analysis- analyzing the competitors strength and weakness and most importantly their USP. If the competitors offers the exact product then there is very little power in the hands of the business in controlling the price, but if the product of the competitor is inferior than the business can use this to its advantage. In the former case, the buyers use the variety and price differentiation to their advantage (Arline, 2015). FMG mostly caters outside Australia, but its major competitors Rio and BHP are the dominant players of the domestic market. There is intense internal rivalry in the market which is reflected by struggle to increase the market share and profitability. The company tries to cut down its operational cost and maximize returns by undertaking large scale operations (Dr Cutcher, 2016). Substitution threat- understanding the key components that how can your product is substituted in the market. If the substitution product is easy to generate, then the power of the product of the company is weak, but if the ability to substitute the product is difficult, then it gives the company and additional power to play a dominant role in the market (Porters five force of Competitive Position Analysis, 2016). The demand for iron ore is dependent on volume of steel production. It is only affected in a positive or negative aspect because heavy steel construction requires iron ore and there is not a substantial substitute available. This reduces the threat of substitution for FMG. Threats of New Industry Entrants If a new entrant enters the market, if makes an impact on the position of the company. If the entrance barriers are not strong then this may be a difficult situation for the company, as it may see increasing competition. On the other hand if the barriers are stringent then the company may enjoy this leverage (Porters Five Forces: Assessing the Balance of Power in a Business Situation, 2016) Barriers to enter the market are high because of large capital requirements. To execute operations acquiring mines on lease or purchase involves hefty capital. FMG does not have a threat because firms with limited financial assets will not enter such market. Bargaining Power of Supplier, Bargaining Power of Buyers and Competitors Analysis are prominent force for FMG. The bargaining power of the suppliers is moderate because to operate the site, heavy power supply is required, in which FMG has limited options in the choice of supplier. Skilled labor and heavy equipments also pose a problem. Power of Buyers is high because FMG caters to Chinese market and due to global economic slowdown the market has not undertaken the heavy steel construction to an upscale level; this puts FMG in a compromising position to reduce the prices and continue to be in the market. Internal rivalry and competition with international market is also another force. There is intense competition in the mining industry and FMG has not even captured a major share of it. Its competitors are strong and big players and this pose a threat to FMG. The major Resources and Capabilities of FMG Capability in the mining industry largely depends on three factors- mines, port and railways. Mines- FMG operates on two sites Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak. Its third site is under exploration. The company forecasts that they have a target mining life of 20 years and could reach an annual production of 100 million tones with its major reserves being in the former two sites. The company has adopted a relatively new mining technique than its competitors, and also innovations in the machinery have helped them improve mining rates and increase production. Rail and Port- Significant development in these two have led FMG improve its performance. Loading 10 trains in a day at a rate of 12000 tons per hour at their cloudbreak mine has been a major development. Decision to open up the port facilities to third parties has been a historic decision made by the company. FMG is a strong player because it has the resources and capabilities to cater the market and become a dominant player in the domestic as well as international market. SWOT analysis for FMG Strengths of FMG lie in its developed infrastructure mines, rail and port. Strength of the company is the adoption of new mining technique and enhancement of machinery which helps them in improving their performance and caters to more demand. The company portrayed its character strength when they allowed its port Pilbara access to third parties. The integrated port and rail system improved FMGs ability to co-ordinate its distribution and supply more effectively and to develop a reliable and cost effective infrastructure. Weakness of the company is that the operations in Pilbara can be easily disrupted by the cyclone. The weather plays an important role in the operations and to reduce the risk the company has undertaken risk mitigation. Another weakness of the company is less bargaining power with the customer, due to GFC, the market has been in favor of the buyer, and they have power in controlling the prices. Opportunities for FMG lies in creating a space for itself in the domestic market like its rivals. To capture the dominated areas of BHP and Rio, FMG has to drive low cost at Solomon hub. FMG also has the potential opportunity to cater to the growing demands in the international market. Threats of the company are considerably changes in the market regulations and market drivers. Environmental changes also play a major role. Since this industry is largely dependent on technology, its advancement could pose as a potential threat. Companies working on low-profit margin can also pose problems (The rising threat of Substitution: mining metals, 2014). The prominent threat to FMG in the above analysis is technology. A company cannot constantly deal with technological advancements because it requires huge capital investments, to deal with this threat improving the business intelligence and planning strategies in advance could help minimize the impact of this. Investing in research and development is also another way through which this threat affect could be reduced. Another prominent threat is Environmental challenges, since one of its mining operations are in Pilbara, which is highly cyclone prone area, FMG management team has to focus on risk mitigation techniques to reduce the adverse conditions (Business risk facing mining and metals 2015-2016, 2016). Conclusion The mining industry shows traits of a monopolistic behavior but due to intense competition and rivalry it can be structured as oligopoly. Rio, BHP and FMG are key players of the market. FMG has improved operations and distribution techniques which give them an edge over its competitors, but it is yet to capture the major share of the domestic market like its rivals. FMG mostly caters to Chinese market and its plans to expand its customer base with all its technological advancements are in place. With its mine-rail and port infrastructure FMG aims to become the lowest cost producer of the iron ore in Pilbara. The company is relatively a new entrant when it is compared to the rivals, who are big market players. But the performance of the company in capturing the market on the international level and delivering to its commitments has proved that the company can fulfill its goal of becoming the low cost producer of iron ore in Pilbara. References Arline, K. (2015, February 18). Porter's Five Forces: Analyzing the Competition. Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from URL https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5446-porters-five-forces.html. Business risk facing mining and metals 2015-2016. (2016) Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-business-risks-in-mining-and-metals-2015-2016/$FILE/EY-business-risks-in-mining-and-metals-2015-2016.pdf Dr Cutcher, L. (2016). Fortescue Metal Group : the new force in iron ore. 8 September, 2016 from file:///C:/Users/Abasus%20Solutions/Downloads/935375_665220193_FMG%20(2).pdf Fortescue appendix 4e financial year ended 30 june 2014. (2014). Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from URL https://fmgl.com.au/media/2346/20140820-annual-results785232.pdf. Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (FMG.AX). (2016). Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from URL https://in.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=FMG.AX. Hill, C. Jones, G. (2009). Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. [Online]. Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from URL https://books.google.co.in/books?id=CzIK9ELsyYwCpg=PA42dq=porter%27s+five+forceshl=ensa=Xved=0ahUKEwiu2dvBl__OAhWMvY8KHcv6AtAQ6AEIGzAA#v=onepageq=porter's%20five%20forcesf=false. Our Business. (2016). Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from URL https://fmgl.com.au/our-business/operations-map/. Porters five force of Competitive Position Analysis. (2016). Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from URL https://www.cgma.org/Resources/Tools/essential-tools/Pages/porters-five-forces.aspx?TestCookiesEnabled=redirect. Porters Five Forces: Assessing the Balance of Power in a Business Situation. (2016). Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from URL https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm. Schermerhorn, J. (2010). Exploring Management. US : John Wiley Sons Inc. The rising threat of Substitution: mining metals. (2014). Retrieved 8 September, 2016 from https://www.ey.com/GL/en/Industries/Mining---Metals/The-rising-threat-of-substitution---mining-and-metals