Strategic Innovation and Technology Management

The Innovation Case Introduction The audio music industry is a diverse and dynamic environment where innovations take place rapidly. The record music labels found themselves faced with fierce competition when Fraunhofer in Germany developed an algorithm that enabled music to be compressed and distributed as MP3.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Innovation and Technology Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Later, Shawn Fanning, a student, developed Napster that enabled people to share music files through the internet. This led to high levels of music piracy. The record companies had to delve into the technology using iTunes where customers would purchase and buy music legally. The record companies had to decide whether to make iTunes technology open for use by other companies. Innovation There were certain audio innovations that took place in the industry. These innovations were spurred on by the customer’s increasing demand to share music. In 1991, a German called Fraunhofer IIS invented the MP3, a technology that enabled music to be compressed to a tenth of its size. The compression did not have an adverse effect on the quality of the record. This enabled the people to share and distribute music easily. As people shared their music online, the use of the MP3, grew by huge numbers. Many other companies aiming to cash in on the innovation decided to produce different variants of the MP3. Fraunhofer had two choices, to patent the innovation in order to prevent other companies from cashing in on his profits or let the companies use the innovation. The consumers are the major stakeholders who benefited from the innovation as they were able to share music online. In 1999, Shawn Fanning, a student at Northeastern campus of Boston, came up with a software program that enabled customers with internet access to share the mp3 files. The software was very friendly having a sea rch box enabling someone to look for another person in the network with whom to share music. The software did not have a database filled with the mp3 music rather it was filled with people who were in possession of different kinds of music. The consumers demanded the interchange of music over the net. People had started trading the copyright materials via the internet. When Napster was shut down through legal action by the record companies, parallel companies cropped up. The music companies had no choice but to respond to market demand.The music labels teamed up to provide Music tunes and Press play. These services enabled people to download music from the net legally.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However the people preferred the illegal sites that had cropped up after Napster was shut down. The music labels did not have a great selection of music like the unauthorised s ites. Furthermore the music labels used digital rights management systems that were not user friendly. ITunes came to be developed where the people could play music in MP3 formats in iPods made by the Apple Company. Later other companies wanted to play ITunes in their iPods. Apple had to decide whether to work with other companies. By entering into contracts with these companies, they would get to sell their music and receive some commission from the companies. In playing non-iTunes music the Apple Company gets to get exposure to other markets and in the process they may get to sell their music. The success of the iPod and iTunes will depend on how the company keeps innovation, providing different and improved products as the market demand changes and the frequency of competitors offering different and improved products. The musicians by selling their copyright rights allowing their music to be downloaded and freely distributed see the advantages of getting a fan base and publicity as better than retaining their copyrights. Podcasting has had a great impact on the radio industry. The consumers now have the power of choice to determine what they will listen to, either traditional radio stations or podcasts. This will definitely cause the radio stations be more innovative in order to retain their customers. Lessons Learnt A firm in any technological market must make a decision whether to protect their innovation or not. There are advantages in protecting the innovation as one gets rent from its use. However not protecting the technology can also be advantageous since other companies in using the technology market the firm’s products((Hurmelinna-Laukkanen and Ritala, 2010). It is wiser to protect technologies that are not easily copied. The company has to analyse whether protecting the technology is appropriate for protection or not (Hurmelinna-Laukkanen and Puumalainen, 2007) A company may use patents, copyrights and trademarks and trade secret to protect its innovation (Karjala, 2011). In Patenting, other companies are prevented from using the innovation or technology. Getting a trademark prevents other companies from using the symbol or name that the firm uses in its trading activities. Copyrights on the other hand helps artists protect their music, writings or art from illegal use and distribution (King, 2002).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Strategic Innovation and Technology Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a trade secret, the firm decides to conceal their manufacturing process or details that usually would be mandatory to reveal while registering a patent. Fraunhofer in Germany decide to work with other companies in the marketing and selling of MP3. He did not patent the technology recognising that other companies could easily produce their version of the software. Sometimes it is better when other people imitate the innovation since they c an make software that is an improvement (Shenkar, 2011) The music record companies worked with other companies enabling their non-iPods to support the iTunes music. At times open innovation markets turn out to be profitable in terms of marketing and sales (OECD, 2008) .The musicians decided to sell their copyrights in open forums to their fans to get publicity and cut marketing costs. Defining Strategy Introduction Genzyme is a huge company in the biotechnical industry. In 2008, it had revenues of over $4,6 Billion. It has over 10,000 employees in over 40 countries. Its portfolio of companies includes 17 manufacturing and several genetic laboratory testing facilities. The reason for the company’s success is its choice to focus on the production of drugs that treat very rare but life threatening diseases. The company’s strategic choice made it grow and earn high profits. The work before them was hard but they managed to do it and excel to get very high returns. Defining Strategy Genzyne strategic decision has enabled it to face few or hardly any competitors. There are very few companies that are willing to focus on the research and sale of drugs that can be used to treat rare and life threatening diseases. Secondly the company will be able to do target small scale marketing since the patients were few. The company would be able to cut the marketing costs considerably. Pharmaceutical companies incur high marketing costs in large sales labour force and promotion costs while selling their drugs. The number of physicians who treated these rare diseases are also few so the company can market and sell the drugs directly to the customers therefore cutting costs. The insurance companies would also not be able to resist at all on any grounds the reimbursement of the costs to its patients since the patients are few. First of all since the process of developing a drug in the industry took around ten to fourteen years. The research costs were more than $800 t o conduct trials in the clinic, get the approval of FDA and bring to the customers the drugs. Most companies wanted to focus on the common chronic diseases since the sales would be in billions. The companies wanted a mass market. The customer do have less or no bargaining power when buying orphan drugs since the companies that sell such drugs are very few. Focusing on the orphan drugs definitely affects the kind of resources and capabilities that a company may need. The highest costs will be research since it will take a longer time to develop these drugs. The company need also highly skilled engineers and bio technicians to develop the drugs.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The biggest investment will be research and labour costs. Genzyme strategic focus on orphan drugs is a great idea and sustainable in the long term. The statistics for their drug, Cerezyne is astounding. The patients in the country who take the drug pay over $ 170,000 in a year. 4,500 patients take the drug for life leading to sales of over $800 million. Competitors and marketing costs are reduced efficiently ensuring they will always have high sales for their products. The company diversified into other areas of medicine so that they could remain independent and get all the profits from the sale of their drugs. The company therefore decided to do its own testing, manufacturing and sales of the drugs. To fund the costs the company strategically started a genetic counselling centre, chemical supplies and diagnostic testing businesses. The company went public to raise money through the stock exchange and they were able to get over $27Million. Ever since the orphan drug act was passed, more companies have entered into this market to take advantage of tax allowances offered by the government. The company in the future will need to analyse and develop drugs for diseases that are extremely rare so as to be able to have few competitors and survive. Lessons Learnt For a company to have a competitive advantage in the industry, it must appraise its market and the competition. It has to appraise its core capabilities, strengths, weaknesses, competitive advantages, threats and opportunities. It has to carry out a SWOT analysis. Porter has proposed five things that a company needs to look at. This is the degree of existing rivalry, threats of potential entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, threats of substitutes and bargaining power of the buyers (Mindtools Editors, n,d). There are three generic models a company can use. The company may differentiate products, target to lower costs of production or do both in a niche market(Proven models Editors, n,d) Genzyme opted to pr oduce differentiated products. Genzyme was able to analyse its market and its sustainable core competencies. It chose a market where the competition was low, the entrants in the market were also consistently low and the buyers did not have high bargaining power to affect the sales prices. Their strategic analysis and actions paid off. Comparison of the two cases The two case studies focus on innovation management. The audio companies are forced with choices on innovation management while Genzyme has to choose which technology to invest. In whatever category a company is in, it has to be strategic in making decisions. References Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, P Ritala, P (2010) â€Å"Protection for profiting from collaborative service innovation†. Journal of Service Management, Vol. 21, Iss 1, pp.6 – 24. Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, P Puumalainen, Kaisu (2007) â€Å"Formation of the appropriability regime: Strategic and practical considerations†.  Innovation,Management, Poli cy Practice Journal, Vol 9, Iss 1,pp 28-45. Karjala, D (2011) â€Å"Protecting Innovation in Computer Software, Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology†. Virginia Journal Of Law Technology, Vol 6, No1. Web. King, K (2002).†The Value of Intellectual Property, Intangible Assets and Goodwill†.  Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, Vol 7, No 3, pp 245-249. Mind Tools Editors (n.d) â€Å"Porter’s Five Forces: Assessing the Balance of Power in a Business Situation†. Mind tools. Accessed from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development (2008) â€Å"Open Innovation in Global Networks†. Web. Proven Models Editors (n,d) â€Å"Porter’s three generic strategies†. Proven Models. Accessed from https://www.provenmodels.com/27 Shenkar, O (2011)†The Challenge Of Imovation†. Ivey Business Journal. Web. This report on Strategic Innovation and Technology Management was written and submitted by user Bryleigh Z. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Origins of the Kettlebell. Strength and Cardio Training

Origins of the Kettlebell. Strength and Cardio Training The kettlebell is a peculiar piece of gym equipment. While it looks like a cannonball with a looping handle protruding at the top, it can  easily be mistaken for an ironcast tea kettle on steroids. It also happens to be growing in popularity, allowing athletes and those just trying to stay in shape to perform a wide range of specialized strength-building exercises with kettlebells. Born in Russia It’s hard to say who invented the kettlebell, though variations of the concept go as far back as Ancient Greece. Theres even a 315-pound kettlebell with the inscription  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Bibon heaved up me above a head by one head on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Athens. The first mention of the term, however, shows up in a Russian dictionary published in 1704 as Girya, which translates to kettlebell in English. Kettlebell exercises were later popularized in the late 1800s by a Russian physician named Vladislav Kraevsky, considered by many to be the countrys founding father of Olympic weight training. After spending roughly a decade traveling around the world researching exercise techniques, he opened one of Russias first weight training facilities where kettlebells and barbells were introduced as a core part of a comprehensive fitness routine. By the early 1900s, Olympic weightlifters in Russia were using kettlebells to shore up weaker areas, while soldiers used them to improve their conditioning in preparation in combat. But it wasnt until 1981 that the government finally threw its weight behind the trend and mandated kettlebell training for all citizens as a way to boost overall health and productivity.  In 1985, the Soviet Unions first national championship kettlebell games were held in Lipetsk, Russia. In the United States, it’s only as recent as the beginning of the century that kettlebell has caught on, particularly in the last few years. A-list celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Biel, Sylvester Stallone, and Vanessa Hudgens have been known to utilize kettlebell workouts to strengthen and tone. There’s even an all-kettlebell gym located in Ontario, Canada, called the IronCore Kettlebell club. Kettlebells vs. Barbells What distinguishes a kettlebell workout from training with barbells is an emphasis on a wider range of movement that involves several muscle groups. Whereas barbells are generally used to directly target isolated muscle groups, such as the biceps, the kettlebell’s weight is away from the hand, allowing for swinging moves and other full body exercises. Case in point, here’s a few kettlebell exercises aimed at cardiovascular and strength improvement: High Pull: Similar to a squat, the kettlebell is lifted from the floor and brought up toward the shoulder level with one hand while straightening out to a standing position and returning back to the floor. Alternating between both arms, this move hits the shoulders, arms, buttocks, and hamstrings.Lunge Press: Holding the kettlebell in front of the chest with both hands, lunge forward and lift the weight over your head. Alternating each leg, this allows you to target the shoulders, back, arms, abs, buttocks, and legs.  Russian Swing: Standing with knees slightly bent and feet apart, hold the kettlebell just below the groin with both hands and with both arms straight. Lowering and driving the hips back, thrust the hips forward and swing the weight forward up to shoulder level before letting the weight swing back down to the original position. This move targets the shoulders, back, hips, glutes, and legs.  Ã‚   Additionally, kettlebell exercises burn more calories than conventional weightlifting exercises, up 20 calories a minute, according to a study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). This is roughly the same amount of burn youd get from a rigorous cardio workout. Despite the benefits, the one drawback is that only select gyms carry them. So where can you go to find kettlebell equipment outside of obvious places like the IronCore gym? Fortunately, an increasing number of boutique gyms have them, along with kettlebell classes. Also, since theyre compact, portable and with many shops selling them for prices comparable to the cost of barbells, it might be worth it to just buy a set. Source Beltz, Nick M.S. ACE Sponsored Research Study: Kettlebells Kick Butt. Dustin Erbes, M.S., John P. Porcari, et al., American Council on Exercise, April 2013.

Analysis of selected passages from Othello by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Analysis of selected passages from Othello by William Shakespeare Essay Othello (345) , Iago (201) , Desdemona (196) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints When William Shakespeare made use of the stylist devices he thus tried to paint a multi-dimensional image of his perceptions that he extended in his characters till the limits of reality and belief. And to design variety in this frame of multi-dimensionality Shakespeare not only expressed through the words in the lines which the characters uttered rather the formation of the words and the lines also revealed certain patterns that could be decoded to detect even more subtle reasons and justification behind those expressions. Such flow and expertise of expressing the conceptions cannot be taught easily through the science of writing rather it required the unschooled instinctive ability like Shakespeare’s to play with the words with a unique skill of potency that can metamorphosed the words to survive as the animated version of Shakespeare’s intellect and vision even after being uttered by the characters in the play. In the following excerpts from the play ‘Othello’, there is a variety of Shakespeare’s usage of stylistic devices to arrange words in order to express the difference of thoughts, moods, intensions and beliefs of the protagonist (Othello) and also how the use of such words in a specific style cater in constructing the plot and developing the characters. Theres magic in the web of it. A sybil that had numbered in the world The sun to course two hundred compasses, In her prophetic fury sewed the work; the worms were hallowed that did break the silk, And it was dyed in mummy which the skillful Conserved the maidens hearts. These lines are from the IV scene of the Third Act of the play, and they are uttered on the grounds of misunderstanding that is set by Iago in the mind of Othello. If we observe closely these lines summarize the truth that Othello is ignorant about and the words reveal the irony that Othello has become a victim of. The use of the words like â€Å"magic† and â€Å"web† are justifiable elements of the speech of a contaminated brain and the word â€Å"magic† can be the symbol of Iago’s spell of poisoning Othello’s mind with suspicion and â€Å"web† can be the symbol for the perplexed state of Othello’s mind, which lost the ability to think and trust his own reasons. And the two hundred years old â€Å"sibyl† can be a metaphor for the evil master minded Iago, whose â€Å"prophetic fury† fabricated the whole chaos to take his revenge. The â€Å"silk† can be speculated as a metaphor for the love of Desdemona that came out of her â€Å"hallowed† trust and faith. And the word â€Å"dyed† can be taken as a pun (when analyzing these lines from symbolic references), as the faithful and sacred love of Desdemona ‘dyed’ or â€Å"died† within her â€Å"maiden heart†. The worth and value purposely exaggerated by Othello is a fine example of hyperbolic fantasies that Shakespeare is capable of designing. And thus the handkerchief becomes the symbol of the thin threaded relationship of Othello and Desdemona that was based on superficial beliefs and yet sought the possibility of sustenance of their love. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul, Let me no name it to you, you chaste stars It is the cause, Yet Ill not shed her blood, Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster, The above mentioned lines are from the Act V Scene II and anaphoric beginning of this passage is Othello’s expression for his exalted emotional dichotomy of disbelief and love for Desdemona. The repetition of the phrase â€Å"it is the cause† are the words that come out of Othello’s weeping brain that has been so badly eclipsed by the poisoning suspicion injected by Iago that it had totally become impotent of thinking on its own. As these lines are uttered during the climax of the play thus it is quite typical of Shakespeare that he lends his protagonist with an ample energy to utter dramatic and highly emotional phrases which let them have catharsis. The desperate utterance of â€Å"my soul† by Othello shows that perhaps the only salvage left for his consolation is to confide in to his soul. Or â€Å"my soul† can also be taken as Othello’s address to Desdemona as it can be observed that Othello still loves her in these lines. And from the ironic aspect the first line also conveys the meaning that it is the â€Å"soul† of Othello that can be taken as the â€Å"cause† of the whole tragedy, because if Othello had really loved Desdemona from his soul he would have had a complete trust in her love and honesty but since he believed more what he listened to and less what was known to him thus he became the victim of suspicion that proved fatal for him and his love. In the proceeding line the address to the â€Å"stars† is made by Othello to mock at Desdemona’s infidelity. â€Å"Stars† have been used as a metaphor for their heavenly status for chastity. It can also be a reference to the Greek tradition of naming the stars by the names of their gods and goddesses. Thus as Othello has completely lost his trust in his wife thus he consider her reference to be an insult for the stars. These lines depict the imbalance of Othello’s power to reason and think and express in coherence with his flow of emotions. In the later lines he reveals his intension to kill Desdemona, but unlike his valiance as a general, he prefers to strangle her because her physical beauty still absorbs his feelings in love and compassion for her. And being a black man himself he admired her fair skin and he refers to her with two different categories of symbols. The use of â€Å"snow† as a simile conveys the softness and coldness of her fair physique which Othello never wanted to distort by killing with a weapon and the metaphor of â€Å"monumental alabaster† can be referred to the stiff and lifeless beauty of Desdemona that laid with no worth for Othello anymore. I have seen the day That with this little arm and this good sword I have made my way through more impediments Than twenty times your stop. But O vain boast! Who can control his fate? Tis not so now. Be not afraid, though you do see me weaponed. Here is my journeys end, here is my butt, And very seamark of my utmost sail. These lines are uttered in the Act V Scene II which is almost the resolution of the play and it is one of Shakespeare’s special characteristics that his tragic heroes lose the intensity and the energy of their rhetoric in the last scenes of the play. It is because of the reason that Shakespeare develops his tragic heroes to attain the status of being larger than life and thus speech loses its value when the characters become paranormal. In the above lines the most important aspect that one can notice is the tone of submission and retreat which is conveyed by the choice and arrangement of words like â€Å"little arm† â€Å"But O vain Boast!† and â€Å"Who can control this fate?† by Othello who was a valiant and unbeatable general but in these lines appears to be the defeated and subjugated one in the hands of fate. These lines though do not consist of any special rhyme scheme that would help in bringing an effective poetic impact whilst delivering these lines on the stage but the second line does show some signs of alliteration as the words â€Å"made my way through more impediments† as well as in the third line where the words â€Å"twenty times† are stressed and can be delivered with some high pitched voice by the character. But after these lines the tone changes as the desperation and despondency appear in the words. The last three lines are symbolically referred by Othello to his death. And despite he is â€Å"weaponed† yet he is incapable to fight as he desires death due to his lamenting guilt and in vain repentance. In the last line the use of the metaphor â€Å"seamark† is an appropriate expression for Othello’s choice of vocabulary as it adequately represents his experiences and knowledge as a sailor and warrior. Analysis of selected passages from Othello by William Shakespeare. (2017, Jan 13). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Political Economy of Race, Class and Gender Thesis paper abstract Annotated Bibliography

Political Economy of Race, Class and Gender Thesis paper abstract - Annotated Bibliography Example This paper offers more insight into the mechanisms underlying the persistence of racial inequality in the labor market. This paper utilizes a data set of the structural features of Chicago in assessing the influence of three segregation configurations on the racial wage inequality in Chicago. The demographic, educational and employment features of Chicago City are drawn from the 1980 and 1990 decennial censuses, in addition to data from archives, published reports, and newspapers. The research findings indicate that residential segregation; in conjunction with minority concentration and immigration fully explain the wage gap between whites and blacks. These findings underscore the impact of residential segregation on the racial wage gaps between blacks and whites in the labor market. Blacks in high class do not evade the problems of residential segregation as their children attend same schools, have equal opportunities, and enjoy same dilapidated social amenities as low class blacks. The paper discusses the implications of residential segregation on the low wages of blacks. These results suggest that racial segregation continues to be a significant aspect for stratification in the American

China Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

China - Coursework Example 183). When Mao came into power, his main goals focused on the improvement of social conditions in China. Hence, he initiated â€Å"land reform, the collectivization of agriculture, and the spread of medical services† (â€Å"Three Chinese,† n.d.). However, Mao’s restrictive leadership, caused by his strong desire for equality and fears of capitalist resurgence, prevented the modernization of China and led to the Cultural Revolution (Jackson, 2004). The revolution sought to limit the intellectualization in the country and to advance its agriculture. Unfortunately, it failed to bring development to China and seriously damaged the nation’s progress (Jackson, 2004). Mao’s conservative politics meant that China had to remain isolated from international trade. Despite his ideal visions for the country, its economic system remained insufficient and the problem was brought into greater attention in the 1960s (Lin, Cai, & Li, 2003, p. 137). However, it was only in 1978 that significant changes were made, out of the Chinese’ awareness that they are getting left behind by other industrialized nations. Also, leaders realized that China needs to change its traditional agricultural economy into a modern and industrial one in order to achieve progress (Lin, Cai, & Li, 2003, pp. 137-138). The collapsing economy and the more impoverished citizenry all led to the strengthening of economic reforms. Currently, the trade relations between China and the U.S. is prosperous—about 75% of U.S. imports are from China, making it the country’s 4th largest partner (Griswold, 2002). However, the U.S. is exercising utmost caution in their political relations since China is becoming a major threat economically and politically (Dumbaugh, 2006). It has become more assertive in international policymaking (a sign of its greater power) and it

My Best Vacation Essay Example for Free

My Best Vacation Essay Dear all, Today, I would like to tell you about my best vacation. A few summers ago, my sister, her  colleagues and me took a vacation to Nha Trang for  5 days. As you know, vacation was special days! We visitted many well-known places such as: Vinpeal Land, Hon Tam Island, Diamond Bay, Thap Ba Pagoda, and so on. On the way riding in the cable car  to go to Vinpeal Land,  we saw  several jelly fish in the very blue water. It  is the first time I have ever seen an  extremely  beautiful view like that,  so I  felt very  interested and relaxed. We stayed there all day to play games,  visit the aquarium, take photographs, We spent another day  diving into the sea to view the colorful coral. At the moment I  felt  anxious  because I couldnt swim, but when I saw the coral, its beauty made me fogot all thing. In the next day, I  took a boat for some where that I dont know to eat seafood such as: fish, cuttle fish,  shrimp, The food  was so fresh and delicious. At night, we rent bicycle to ride along the seacoast. It was so romantic journey. After we utterly exhausted, we droped in shift  shop where we ate lobster, grilled meat roll and drank sugar-cane juice The last day before came back home, we went to the market to buy  speacialities and souvenirs for our family and fiends. Although  I got sick after the vacation but I felt so happy from my heart. I love my vacation so much. Thank you for reading.

Public Schools Need Harsher Punishment for Delinquents Essay -- essays

Public Schools Need Harsher Punishment for Delinquents It is a shame what our school has become. When I was young I never had a fear of school. I was never afraid of my classmates and to be honest, I loved school. I know things were different when I was in elementary but can things change that much over six years? I see kids in the elementary fight all the time with other students and I see first graders uptown smoking. I am honestly amazed. How can a school system deteriorate so fast? Is it the caliber of the students that we have? It seems that children today have a broader knowledge of things than I did back then. Some third graders know more words of profanity than I did as a freshman. First graders getting suspended! This is outrageous. Is not school supposed to be a place where the kids feel safe to learn and play. hat can be done? Stricter rules, new faculty, new administration? Is that the real problem? I think not. The rules are basically the same, there are good teachers here and the administration is the same. I think the problem begins with the teachers. If the teacher feels secure in his/her job and know the administration will back their action, then he/she will be more likely to enforce the rules. It seems that the problem children get away with a lot. Is it the teacher does not want to go through the trouble of filling out paperwork, or could it be that they are tired of fighting with angry par...