Critically analyse and evaluate the video games software industry Essay

Critically analyse and evaluate the video games software industry dynamics - Essay Example Some of the barriers to an entry to video game industry is: a) The Capital Requirement of Entry The capital requirement in video game software industry is very high as lot of money and resources is required for advertising, production, research and development (R&D). A company with less funding capacity neither can afford to make large bulk of orders nor it can survive in long term scenario (Altwein, 2006, p.3). Most of the companies that are already established have been facing fierce competition from new ones which have been coming up. Some companies like Ataria of the United States collapsed in 1980s due to fierce competition from new entrants. (Brightman, 2006). b) Economies of Scale Although economies of scale is not a strong barrier to an entry to video game software industry yet a company can only compete to market if it has an ability to create good economies of scale in industry (Altwein, et al, 2006, p.4). 1 c) Expected Retaliation and Access to Distribution Channel The expected retaliation and access to distribution channel also play an important role to an entry to an industrial sector as both factors determine the future prospective of a competitor in the market. Same thing is applied for video game software industry too. For example in 1983, when Nintendo entered the market with the FAMICOM, although the expected retaliation was at quite a low point for the global video gaming market resulting the disillusionment of customers, yet as Nintendo was already a familiar player in the market having access to distribution channel network, hence it was much easier for it to distribute its products to a large market area (Altwein, et al, 2006, p.4). ii) Threat of...This is because the industry is supported by growth in the information system sector which has not been affected by the economic recession. There have been no macro or micro economic policies which has affected the operations of the industry. On the world front, the growth of the economy in the world has translated to increased use of computers which has led to growth of the industry. There has been increased disposable income as the middle class continue to emerge in all parts of the world which as led to increased use of video games (Gold 2003, p. 65). There has been increased change in the culture in the world which has favoured increased use of video games. As more and more communities of the world depart from their traditions, there has been increased use of video games as alternative entertainment for children. This has been recorded in the emerging markets of the world. But in general there has been increased use of computer games which are supported by video games. This has been a great shift in the culture of the people who have now embraced computer games as a wary of recreation. This change in culture has seen computer games become the culture of most adolescent in the world.

Research paper on at&t Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research paper on at&t - Essay Example Hence, both mobility and wireline services will continue to be the focal point of this company along with ISP services. The leadership at ATT is very active force that is trying to get this company ready for the future. As the concept of virtualization and cloud computing becomes more evident; the CEO of ATT is Randall Stephenson, who made great strides to position the company with his vision of Web 2.0. With the help of his CFO, John Stephens constantly collaborate with the FCC for compliance and earnings propagation. It is clear what his vision as he states, â€Å"We’re restructuring our network to shift from hardware- to software-based systems. These can be updated more quickly and cheaply, so we can stay ahead of our customers’ changing expectations† (â€Å"AT&T Support Center†). The company is a public company that is traded in New York Stock exchange as well. ATT has reported a revenue of around $32 million for their 1Q earnings (â€Å"AT&T Support Center†). ATT has been steadfast in reducing expenses by moving to equipment and assets that are not vendor specific. This has allowed the company to not rely on vendors and harness in-house development and techniques which are crucial for the long run of the company. One of the biggest vision of the company is to invest more in the 4G LTE network and slowly shutting their GSM services(an older technology). From a financial standpoint, it is clear that the organization will reap the benefits because it will be able to use its IP services for voice communications as well(â€Å"Femtocell Operator News and Opinons†) . ATT is famous for offering wireless and wireline services. The first and foremost is an effortless customer service. In the realm of effortless customer service, it is clear that ATT wants to take an initiative to provide effortless customer service via seamless integrations of tools and portals. Moreover, ATT has a grand scheme of vision that is known as 2020.  By 2020, the

GE's Two Decade Transformation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GE's Two Decade Transformation - Case Study Example 2. What is Welch’s purpose in the series of initiatives he launched in the late 1980s and early 1990s? What is he trying to achieve in the round of changes he put in motion in that period? Is there a logic or rationale supporting the change process? Welch’s main purpose in the series of initiatives he launched was to ensure that in the next decade, GE would be a number one or number two competitor in the industry (Bartlett 1). This would make GE a unique, highly spirited, and an entrepreneurial enterprise in addition to being profitable, diverse, and with quality leadership and products of their own kind in the world. In the round of changes he puts in motion in that period, he wanted to achieve a productive business with individuals who were focused in implementing change for the success in the business. Ideally, making such a change is logical considering the situation in which the business environment was in. Welch realized that the business had so many who never added value to the business and therefore, went for the restructuring process have a lean and efficient workforce. In order to grow profitably, it is essential that one reduce the expenses or production costs. It is by the same perspective that Welch uses to grow GE profitably despite the critics. He did this through downsizing, destaffing, and delayering to have a lean and effective employee base (Bartlett 3). Indeed the initiatives employed by Welch added substantive value to the business as the business was able to grow its operation profits from $1.6 billion to $2.4 billion and revenues from $27.1 billion to $29.2 billion within four years (1981-1985) (Bartlett 3). Considering Welch’s approach to leading change, I believe it is one of the most efficient approaches as he is able to reduce costs of production and increasing the revenue and profit

The Issue of Embodiment where Competing Sociological Positions have Essay

The Issue of Embodiment where Competing Sociological Positions have been Taken with Reference to Patriarchy, Gender, and Choice - Essay Example The issue of male dominance was not very relevant in a world that was primitive and full of physical dangers. In such a society, physical strength was considered to be important rather than intellect. It was only when the concept of safety and protection became orderly and came under the ambit of a written law that was enforced by a government that physical strength became less important. It could have been due to this that women became aware that they were not treated equally in many respects by the opposite sex. As mentioned earlier, the demand for the right to vote became one of the early expressions of dissent. The concept of male dominance appears in one of the basic psychological and social needs of human beings, namely religion. In Western religion, even the concept of God is based on masculinity. God is said to have told Adam that he had been created in the same image as the creator himself. â€Å"The god-head of this system was to be a male. This male god was endowed with a ll the creative abilities of man.† (Gardiner 2009).  The religious contention that man was created in God’s image may be one of the basic underlying factors that made a man believe that he is superior to women and hence has the right to control her. In later years, the church also played a role in this regard. â€Å"Towards 1000 A.D. the Roman Catholic Church in Europe took an increasingly negative and ambivalent stance towards women. Evil was seen to come to the world through women, women’s sexuality was seen as impure and priests were required to leave their wives and stay celibate.† (Mikkola 2005, p.6). The role of women in religion, the church, and the society was also severely curtailed during that time.  Ã‚  

GE's Two Decade Transformation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GE's Two Decade Transformation - Case Study Example 2. What is Welch’s purpose in the series of initiatives he launched in the late 1980s and early 1990s? What is he trying to achieve in the round of changes he put in motion in that period? Is there a logic or rationale supporting the change process? Welch’s main purpose in the series of initiatives he launched was to ensure that in the next decade, GE would be a number one or number two competitor in the industry (Bartlett 1). This would make GE a unique, highly spirited, and an entrepreneurial enterprise in addition to being profitable, diverse, and with quality leadership and products of their own kind in the world. In the round of changes he puts in motion in that period, he wanted to achieve a productive business with individuals who were focused in implementing change for the success in the business. Ideally, making such a change is logical considering the situation in which the business environment was in. Welch realized that the business had so many who never added value to the business and therefore, went for the restructuring process have a lean and efficient workforce. In order to grow profitably, it is essential that one reduce the expenses or production costs. It is by the same perspective that Welch uses to grow GE profitably despite the critics. He did this through downsizing, destaffing, and delayering to have a lean and effective employee base (Bartlett 3). Indeed the initiatives employed by Welch added substantive value to the business as the business was able to grow its operation profits from $1.6 billion to $2.4 billion and revenues from $27.1 billion to $29.2 billion within four years (1981-1985) (Bartlett 3). Considering Welch’s approach to leading change, I believe it is one of the most efficient approaches as he is able to reduce costs of production and increasing the revenue and profit

Effects of Performance Evaluation Systems on Employee Morale Research Paper

Effects of Performance Evaluation Systems on Employee Morale - Research Paper Example In human resources management, morale is defined as â€Å"the extent to which an employee’s needs are met ant the extent to which the person perceives that satisfaction as stemming from his or her total job situation; (it is) synonymous with satisfaction†. Job satisfaction and employee motivation are two of the more important concerns of the human resource function in any organization as most of these recognize, that its people are its most important resources. Therefore it is to their ultimate advantage to take care and provide for the needs of their employees. People’s needs are of course determined by different sources and these needs variously control their motivations or the driving forces behind their behaviors. In the study of employee morale therefore, the theories on motivation could be useful to explain this psychological construct. One of the most influential theories upon which many managers base their performance management approach is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. As people engage in activities that increase their satisfaction, the study of Maslow’s theory becomes important as it explains what particular needs people are trying to gratify through their pursuits. The theory proposes that there are five levels of needs, namely, physiological or the need for food, shelter, water, clothing and other biological needs; security or the need to for protection and safety; belongingness or the need for affection and love; esteem or the need for recognition either from himself or from others; and the highest need of self-actualization which is the desire for self-fulfillment. Maslow emphasizes that the needs in the lower rungs of the hierarchy should be met first before an individual can satisfy the higher level needs. This theory has important implications to management as it points out cl early which needs are to be met and provided at which stage at work and which could be used to motivate them (Jones, 2007). The need for esteem in particular relates to the need of employees to be recognized for their accomplishments, expertise, or skills. If an employee is motivated by this particular need, then providing timely and constructive feedback on how he does at work may encourage him to give a better performance. Another prominent theory on employee motivation is Victor Vroom’s Expectancy Theory which argues that employees will be more motivated to work if they believe that their efforts will lead to higher performance and that this better performance will result to more rewards (Jones (2007). It means then that if an employee will be provided knowledge about his past performance, he can gauge the likeliness of his success or failure in a future or similar task. Performance evaluation systems should be sensitive then to detect low performance so that managers can provide encouragement and the necessary support like coaching or training to underperforming employees. In the same vein, if the evaluation results show that an employee is performing very well at work, then managers’ congratulatory notes can boost the employee’s morale and self-confidence in his abilities and success at work. Psychologists Henry Murray and David McClelland introduced the Acquired Needs Theory which posits that individuals obtain

Australian Conscription in Vietnam War Essay Example for Free

Australian Conscription in Vietnam War Essay The conscription issue during the second Indo – China war in the 1960’s tore apart the fabric of Australian society and resulted in divisions in all sections of the community. There were many reasons for Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, including the allegiance commitments of South-East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). The introduction of conscription illustrates the main purpose of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The conscription issues and the war itself caused social division in reaction to the Vietnam War. In 1964 compulsory National Service was introduced under the National Service Act. The Defence Act was amended in May 1965 to provide that National Servicemen could be obliged to serve overseas, a provision that had been applied only once before – during World War Two. Paragraph one The Australian government supported the USA involvement in the Vietnam War, and Australia felt it was imperative that the North Vietnam have a proper defensive treaty, as a number of other countries felt the same way, so SEATO was created to deal with this situation. SEATO was a much stronger agreement to support Australia’s security needs in the Pacific. It also helped to highlight the growing division between Australia and Britain and the new dependence on the United States (US). † (N/A, The ANZUS Treaty and SEATO Alliance, 2013, Skwirk. com. au Interactive Schooling) Australia joined the SEATO because it could support Australia in the Pacific. As America joined in the Vietnam War, A ustralia supported them to join the war as well. The Australian government feared the idea of communism overtaking their nation, this fear lead to the decision of forcing their young men to be conscripted to join the war in South Vietnam. Conscription was a tremendous issue for the families of the young men who fought in the war because many males were being conscripted sent into the Vietnam War without any choice or opinion. As a result of the fear of communism, Australia decided to support the US to join the Vietnam War and fight for the South Vietnam. SEATO was one of the reasons that Australia joined the war, because it was a much stronger agreement to support Australian security of the needs in the Pacific, Australia joined the SEATO to against the North Vietnam. As Australia got involved the war, the conscription has leaded to the depressions and social divisions in the Australian society. Paragraph two The purpose of the second Indo-China war of conscription was to avoid communism spreading to Australia. This caused Australian men and women to become infuriated and create groups against conscription. Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) was keen to get more supporters of his actions in Vietnam, to give them legitimacy. This was during the Cold War, both North and South Vietnam tried to gain the moral upper hand over the other in a way that does not happen today. â€Å"You have in us [the Australian Liberal delegation] not merely an understanding friend but one staunch in the belief of the need for your presence in Vietnam. We are not here because of our friendship, we are here because, like you, we believe it is right to be there and, like you, we believe American forces should stay there as long as it seems necessary to achieve the purpose of the South Vietnamese Government and the purpose that we join in formulating and progressing together. And so, sir, in the lonelier and perhaps even more disheartening moments which come to any national leader, I hope there will be a corner of your mind and heart which takes cheer from the fact that you have an admiring friend, a staunch friend that will be all the way with LBJ. ( Wikipedia, A Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In History That Never Occurred Today, 2004, Today In Alternate History) From this speech -‘All The Way with LBJ’, to show that LBJ tried to convince other Australia to join the war with them together, and America knew that Australia would support them, and Australia had training teams in Vietnam before 1965, just as the Am erica did. The main reason that Australia was afraid of the communism was the domino theory, the countries of South-East Asia was like dominoes. If one ‘fell’ to communism, this would lead to the fall of another, and so on until all were ruled by communists. It is evidenced that Australia was very fearful of communism and of growing Asian power, by offering Australia’s full unquestioning support of the United States (US). Australia’s foreign policy is basically to secure protection by cuddling up to a more powerful friend; since World War Two America has been Australia’s powerful friend. Australia supported America by helping them in conflicts such as joining the Vietnam War was one of the prices that Australia paid for the protection. Paragraph three Conscription led to people combining together and creating groups to revolt against the conscription and Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The social divisions appeared in all sections of the Australian community. Conscription started as choosing 20-year-old males in Australia in 1964, but then it turned into conscripting teenagers. In 1964 compulsory National Service for 20-year-old males was introduced under the National Service Act. The selection of conscripts was made by a sortation or lottery draw based on date of birth, and conscripts were reduced to give two years’ continuous full-time service, followed by a further three years on the active reserve list. Young men who were subject to the conscription lottery also formed their own anti-conscription organization, the Youth Campaign Against Conscription. Like Save Our Sons, it spread to other states – New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. (Wikipedia, 11 March 2013, Conscription in Australia) In 1965 a group of concerned Australian women who had ‘lost’ their husbands and sons joined together and created the Save Our Sons (S. O. S) which was established in Sydney with other branches later formed in Wollongong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle and Adelaide. In the same year, young men who were subject to the conscription lottery also created their own organization the Youth Campaign Against Conscription (YCAC). One of the social divisions would be conscription affect people’s daily routine, and people were being anti-war and anti-conscription. Overall, the governments’ fear of communism spreading into Australia was why they chose to continue supporting the America. This is most likely because the war and conscription were mostly fused into one without taking account of a nuanced position that addresses the two issues separately. The importance of keeping the two issues separate is that the Government would have been more credible if it had simply pursued the war and not sent conscript. Conclusion In conclusion, conscription issue during the Vietnam War in the 1960’s put Australian society into the social divisions in all parts of Australian community, especially in 1966 people started to stand out and combined into organizations to against it. The reason that they supported and followed the United States (US) to join the Vietnam War would be Australian Government was afraid of the spreading of the communism. Australia supported the defence of the people in South Vietnam and intellectual consistency to accept the use of conscription in a war that was supposed to be fought in defence of freedom; instead the war got extended.