Atomic Short Range Order (SRO) in Ni20Pd80 Alloy

Atomic Short Range Order (SRO) in Ni20Pd80 Alloy An Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Atomic Short Range Order (SRO) in Ni20Pd80 Alloy Abstract The behavior of atomic short range order (SRO) has been investigated in a polycrystalline alloy of Ni20Pd80 at different temperatures by using diffuse X-ray scattering intensities. The ordering energies and the atomic SRO-parameters (ÃŽ ±1) have been calculated by using the electronic theory of ordering in the pseudopotential approximation and compare with the experimental results. The intensity distribution pattern of Ni20Pd80 obtained through XRD depicts a deviation from random structure at all annealing temperatures. We make an analysis using the prior obtain X-ray intensities of Ni20Pd80 and calculate the atomic short range order-function (SROF) g(r) as a function of annealing temperatures. Some of the values of ÃŽ ±1 calculated by using SROF and appears as negative, indicating the existence of SRO in Ni20Pd80 alloy. We have obtained the parameter for second and third nearest neighbors, which turns out to be positive. Electronic theory of alloys in the pseudopotential approximati on was employed to calculate the ordering energies and the values of ÃŽ ±1. It was found that this theory predicts the same sign of ÃŽ ±1 for selected alloy as observed from the experiments. The results can be further improved by considering the order of perturbation and the atomic size effect for the studied alloy. Keywords: Ni20Pd80 alloy; short range order (SRO); X-ray diffraction (XRD); transition metal model pseudopotential (TMMP); short range order-function (SROF); SRO-parameter (ÃŽ ±1) 1. Introduction X-ray scattering intensity measurement of alloys reveals in the information about degree of atomic SRO and has been immensely used by many authors to establish the presence of ordering in various binary and multi-component alloys [1]. The presence of the atomic SRO in the disordered solid solutions influences the physical properties of the alloys significantly and a recent study of the electronic theory of alloys based on the pseudo-potential approximation has appeared successfully to predict the ordering in transition metal alloys [2-4]. Lin et al. have shown the formation of clusters in the samples with Pd concentration of 25-75 at.% [5]. Our study shows that beyond 75 at.% Pd, Ni-Pd alloy has a tendency to form SRO. In this paper, we have carried out the calculation of temperatures in binary Ni20Pd80 alloy by combining the method of pseudopotential approximation. Therefore, it encourages investigating the atomic SRO in the Ni20Pd80 alloy. Not only, we establish SRO in Ni20Pd80 and also compare the theoretical results with the experiment. 2. Experimental Technique For experimental work XRD technique was employed. The round-shaped master ingot (~10 g) of polycrystalline Ni20Pd80 alloy was gratefully supplied by Degussa (Germany). These pellets were cut into two halves, surface-ground and polished to produce a mirror surface suitable for XRD study. Chemical analysis carried out by electron probe micro-analyzer gave nearly the starting compositions. Ni20Pd80 alloy was annealed at each given temperature for 5 hrs in a vacuum better than 10-5 mbar and quenched. The X-ray experiments were performed on a Shimadzu XD-5A diffractometer in the reflection mode, using line-focused Cu-KÃŽ ± radiation. The intensity measurements were carried out in the angle range 40à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  with a step of 0.2 and all measurements were made in the fixed time mode with counting time of 100 sec per angle. All of the measurements were made at room temperature of 25 ±0.5 °C respectively. 3. Theoretical Calculations The electronic theory of alloys gives the following expression for the ordering energy of binary AB alloy [10] as below: Where, is the average atomic volume of the alloy and Ri is the radius of ith coordination sphere in the particular crystal structure. The factor FAB(q) represents the energy-wave number characteristics of the alloy [10]. The electronic theory of alloys in 2nd order perturbation theory gives the ordering energy of a binary alloy corresponding to the ith coordination sphere is given by [6]. Where, = à ¯Ã‚ -/N is the volume per atom, N is the number of atoms in the crystal of volume à ¯Ã‚ -, is the difference of the unscreened pseudopotential form factors of the alloy constituents [7], and are the dielectric and modified screening factors which include the effect of exchange and correlation [8] and ÃŽ · is the Ewald’s parameter. FAB(q) is the energy wavenumber characteristic which is the local pseudopotential approximation may be expressed as [10]: The first term in Eq. (2) gives the contribution of the band structure and this second term is of the electro static energy. In 3rd order perturbation theory, the ordering energy is given by [9, 10]: Here, The term T(q) is the effective pair corrections to the ordering potential. This correction arises in the 3rd order perturbation theory due to double scattering process of conduction electrons from the ion pairs. The term responsible for the effects connected with the presence of three body interaction are not taken into consideration. In disordered binary solid solutions, if two different atoms A and B have size difference they exhibit static displacements from exact lattice positions. For close neighbors, there can be three different distances depending on whether it is an AA-, BB- or AB-pairs. In case of two atoms, that is no close neighbor and the variation in distance results from the variations in the composition of the region between them. The variation in close neighbor distances attributes to the kind of atoms making up the pair [10]. The ordering potential is modified by incorporating the atomic size effect and is given by: E(R1) =A(R1)−B(R1) Where, A(R1) and B(R1) are the first nearest neighbor distances of A- and B-atom. Here, the factor B(R1) is given by: And B(R1) =B1Aà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  1A+B1Bà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  1B Here, The expression for B1B can be written in a similar manner. Where, And Where, Here, , Clapp-Moss relation was used to determine the value of SRO-parameter. The values of ÃŽ ±1 were determined from the ordering energy by using the Clapp-Moss expression [11]: Where kB is the Boltzmann constant. In this work, we have also investigated the effect of the exchange and correlation factors on the ordering energies. The expressions to account for the exchange and correlation correction effect f(q) proposed by Kleinmen [12], Singwi [13], Hubbard-Sham [14], SLTS [13] and Lindhard [15] are given below: Kleinman: Singwi: A=0.8894 B=0.3401 Hubbard-Sham: SLTS: Lindhard: f (q) =0 4. Results and Discussion Fig. 1 shows the XRD pattern recorded at room temperature obtained for the annealed sample of Ni20Pd80 at various temperatures. The splitting of high angle Bragg reflection for CuKÃŽ ±1 and Cu-KÃŽ ±2 radiations demonstrates the quality of the sample. The patterns were indexed following the procedure mentioned in Ref. 16. Since, all the fundamental reflections (hkl all even or all odd) were present; the patterns were therefore indexed as Face Centered Cubic (FCC). The sample was single phase and has FCC of A1-type structure with lattice parameter a=0.382 nm [17]. The lattice parameters were calculated from XRD patterns taken after annealing the Ni20Pd80 alloy at various annealing temperature by the extrapolation of the Nelson-Riley function and their values are plotted in Fig. 2. It can be clearly seen that the value of lattice parameter ‘a’ increases linearly with temperature. The reason for this increase in ‘a’ is the thermal expansion in lattice due to increase of temperature. Fig. 3 shows the plot of SRO-function g(r) corresponding to temperatures i.e., 100, 300 and 600  °C. The SRO-function g(r) was determined from the measured intensities using the following relation [18]: Where, r is the radial distance, and Q is the reciprocal lattice vector Where, Ieu(SRO) is the observed intensity free from parasitic contributions and is measured in electron units. The procedures for the removal of parasitic contributions and the method to convert the measured intensities into electron units are outlined in Ref. 19. The radii of the coordination spheres were calculated from the lattice parameters determined from the XRD pattern. The function g(r) was determined from the intensities measured for each annealing temperature. It is clear from Fig. 3 that the variations in the g(r) with respect to temperature are subjected to the changes in SRO inside an alloy. The first peak in the plot of g(r) is not relevant to the structure but comes from the modification function used in the calculation in order to take into account the infinite limit of the integral in the expression of g(r). This feature is more prominent in the curve corresponding to 100  °C as compared to the other two curves. The SRO-parameters were determined from the data shown in Fig. 1 using the following expression [18]: Where ci is the coordination number and ÃŽ ±i is the radius and ÃŽ ±1 for the ith coordination sphere. There values are listed in Table 1 for the first, second and third nearest neighboring spheres. The value of ÃŽ ±1 was observed to be negative for all annealing temperatures. The variations in its value are due to the variation in the degree of SRO taking place with a change of temperature. The values of ÃŽ ±2 and ÃŽ ±3 were found to be positive for all investigated temperatures which indicate the formation of clusters in the second and third nearest neighboring spheres. The parameters of TMMP [7] and the lattice parameters determined using the Vegard’s rule was used as input for these calculations. The results of these calculations are listed in Table 2. It is seen that the values of ÃŽ ±1 is negative corresponding to different exchange and correlation factors. The values of ÃŽ ±1 were found to be negative from the XRD experiments too. It is therefore concluded that the electronic theory of alloys (2nd order perturbation) yields a good agreement between the experiment and theory as far as sign of the ÃŽ ±1 is concerned. The values of ÃŽ ±1 calculated employing the 3rd order perturbation correction and by taking into account the difference in atomic size of Ni20Pd80 are also given in Table 2. The difference in the magnitude of experimental and theoretical values may be attributed to the following reasons, (i) these calculations apply only to the ground state 100  °C where as the experiments have been done at higher temperatures. (ii) The val ues of lattice parameters used in these calculations were calculated from Vegard’s rule. 5. Conclusions XRD experiments were performed on the Ni20Pd80 alloy to study SRO. In order to compare the experimental results with the theory, calculation of ordering energies was undertaken using the electronic theory of alloys in the pseudo-potential approximation. The analysis of the experimental data yields information regarding the SRO. The structure of the alloy is FCC over a temperature range of 100-600  °C. The lattice parameter of the alloy increases with temperature as expected by theory. The experimental values of ÃŽ ±1 were found to be negative at all investigated temperatures, which indicates formation of SRO in this alloy. The experimental values of à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡2 and à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¡3 were found to be positive, which indicates formation of clusters in the second and third neighboring spheres, if order of perturbation and size-effect is taken into account in these calculations. Acknowledgements The author S. K. Ajmal would like to thank and are acknowledged for their helpful discussions. References [1] V.I. Iveronova, A.A. Katsnelson, Short Range Order in Metallic Solid Solutions (in Russian), Moscow University Press, (1977). [2] W. Pfeiler, Acta Metall. 36 (1988) 2417. [3] T. Abbas, R.M.A. Khalil, A.M. Rana, Mahtabullah, Mod. Phys. Lett. B 20 (2006) 2425. [4] S. Akhtar, A.B. Ziya, T. Abbas, Physica B 404 (2009) 2241-2243. [5] W. Lin, J.E. Spruiell, Acta Metall. 19 (1971) 451. [6] F.A. Khawaja, A.A. Katsnelson, V.M. Silonov, Phys. Stat. Sol. 88 (1978) 477. [7] A.O.E. Animalu, Phys. Rev. B 8 (1973) 3542-3554. [8] P.A. Rossiter, The Electrical Resistivity of Metals and Alloys, University Press, Cambridge, (1987). [9] F.A. Khawaja, A.A. Katsnelson, V.M. Silonov, M.M. Khrushchov, Phys. Stat. Sol. 82 (1977) 701. [10] A.A. Katsnelson, V.M. Silonov, F.A. Khawaja, Phys. Stat. Sol. 91 (1979) 11. [11] P.C. Clapp, S.C. Moss, Phys. Rev. 171 (1968) 754. [12] L. Kleinman, Phys. Rev. 160 (1967). [13] K.S. Singwi, M.P. Tosi, A. Sjolander, R.H. Land, Phys. Rev. 176 (1968) 589. [14] J. Hubbard, L.J. Sham, Proc. Roy. Soc. (London), A240 (1957) 359. [15] Lindhard, D. Langreth, Phys. Rev. 181 (1969) 753. [16] B.D. Cullity, Elements of X-ray Diffraction, Addison Wesley, Philippines (1978). [17] S. Ahmad, A.B. Ziya, A. Aziz, Z. I. Zafar, J. Mater. Sci. Technol. 25 (2009) 208-210. [18] B.E. Warren, X-ray Diffraction, Dover, New York, (1990). [19] T. Abbas, A.B. Ziya, J. Mat. Sc. 28 (1993) 5010. Figure captions Fig. 1 XRD pattern of Ni20Pd80 alloy taken at 100-600  °C after annealing temperature. Fig. 2 Temperature dependence of lattice parameter a(Ç º) of Ni20Pd80 alloy determined from the Nilson-Riley function. Fig. 3 Temperature dependence of atomic short range order function g(r). Table captions Table 1: The SRO-parameters for various shells of atoms obtained from experimental diffuse scattering intensities of X-rays for Ni20Pd80 alloy. Table 2: The ordering energies for Ni20Pd80 alloy calculated using the electronic theory of alloy in the pseudo-potential approximation. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Table 1 Table 2

Analysis of Nokias Competitive Policies

Analysis of Nokias Competitive Policies Nokia’s Competitive Policies In Handset Industry in Asia Chapter 1. Introduction The progress of technology has altered our daily life routine dramatically. In recent 2 decades, people have seen the big convenience brought by colour TVà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  telephoneà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  laptopsà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  mobile phone and etc. Among them, the contribution of mobile phone is especially prominent: given the integration of technologies of Internet, laptop, and communication etc, the small and good looking handset will enable us ubiquitous application of modern multi-functions. The advantage of 3G even further attracts our minds with colourful imagination. During the upgradation of our living style, we owe a lot to the companies of the handset industry, especially those popular giants including Nokia, Motorola and Samsung. When they change our living successfully, they realize their developing targets as well. For example, according to the Fortune Global 500 in 2005, Nokia and Motorola ranked 130th and 138 respectively1. Thus, they are recognized by the society. It’s unpredictable for a company to achieve great goals without correct strategies to employ. In the fierce competition of handset industry in China, the correct competitive strategies are required for the participant to win market shares. Surely, sometimes the right strategies are difficult for survival. Nokia, as the no. 1 in the handset industry of China, is certainly the biggest winner through exertion of correct competitive strategies. As is mentioned above, the competition in handset industry in China will become even more fiercer along with the emerging trend such as the advent of 3G, the alteration of distributing channels, and the improved leval of industrial centralization etc. So competitors should promptly adopt relevant changes of their competitive strategies to adapt to new environment. This dissertation aims first to analyze the competitive strategies already employed by Nokia 1 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, The List of Fortune Global 500 in 2005 http://brand.icxo.com/brand500/top500_1.htm During the progress of Chinese handset industry. To confirm whether the competitive strategies are acurate, I use Porter’s 5 forces theory as the frame to anatomize the factors such as Economies of scale, Product differentiation, Capital requirements, Cost disadvantages, independent of size, Access to distribution channels, Government policies, and Competitor’s Retaliation. Thereby, the rationalities of Nokia’s competitive strategies in Chinese handset industry may be authenticated. According to the great lots of evidence collected from website newspapers and catena, new trends of handset industry appear gradually. To grasp the future flux on market share and industrial environment, it is necessary for Nokia to nip in the bud. As a natural extending of the aforesaid analysis on competitive strategies, this paper also expounds the reason causing the new industrial trend in Chinese handset industry and suggests the probable strategies Nokia may adopt. As is well known, according to the Moore’s law, the chips of the handset is developing at a very rapid speed. Moreover, the handset is still influenced by the fluky vanguard fashion. It is not easy to survive in the fluctuate market, and say nothing of being leading company in the industry. I wish textual analysis might benefit the readers to recognize the industrial situation and use Nokia for reference. This text takes a logical sequence to discuss the total analysis, so the chapters are in turn as follows: Introduction to Reportà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Introduction on Nokia Corporateà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The Mobile Handset Industryà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Industrial Analysis Using Porter’s 5 Forces Theoriesà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Analysis on Nokia’s Competitive Strategiesà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Evolution of Nokia’s Competitive Strategies and Conclusion. The content of each chapter encircles its name, and the detailed discussion will be deployed in the following chapter. Chapter 2. Introduction on Nokia Corporate With hundreds of years’ development, Nokia has successfully realized its industry transform within the world-wide range, and gradually established its leading position in the handset industry in China as well as in other area of all the world. The whole experience is full of legendary color, as is introduced as follows: Section 1. Nokia’s Developing History 1à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Brief Review on Nokia’s History According to the introduction from Nokia’s autobiography, the roots of Nokia go back to the year 1865 with the establishment of a forest industry enterprise in Southwestern Finland by mining engineer Fredrik Idestam. Other relative events were the foundation of Finnish Rubber Works Ltd in 1898 and in 1912 Finnish Cable Works began operations. After decades of operation, the three companies were merged to form Nokia Corporation in 1967. The worlds first international cellular mobile telephone network, NMT, was introduced in Scandinavia in 1981 and Nokia made the first car phones for it. At the beginning of the 1980s, Nokia strengthened its position in the telecommunications and consumer electronics markets through the acquisitions of Mobira, Salora, Televa and Luxor of Sweden. In 1987, Nokia acquired the consumer electronics operations and part of the component business of the German Standard Elektrik Lorenz, as well as the French consumer electronics company Oceanic. In 1987, Nokia also purchased the Swiss cable machinery company Maillefer. In the late 1980s, Nokia became the largest Scandinavian information technology company through the acquisition of Ericssons data systems division. In 1989, Nokia conducted a significant expansion of its cable industry into Continental Europe by acquiring the Dutch cable company NKF. In 1992, Jorma Ollila became the CEO of entire Nokia Group, who made a strategic decision to concentrate solely on telecommunications in the coming Digital Age. Thus, during the rest of the 1990s, Nokia continued to divest itself of all of its non-telecommunications divisions. This strategic shift consolidated the foundation for Nokia to become a worldwide famous leading company in telecom industry.2 2à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Nokia’s Performance in Recent Years After the strategic shift in 1990s, Nokia has established its leading position in the global telecommunication market. Every business item, especially mobile phone item, has exhibited high-speed of development ever since. At present, Nokia comprises four main business groups: mobile handsets, multimedia, enterprise solutions, and networks. Among them, the mobile handset is the pillar business for entire group operation. According to annual report of 2005, Nokia ´s net sales arrived at EUR 34 191 million3, realizing an increase rate of 12.56% when compared with EUR 30376 million in 20004. Among the total net sales, sales of mobile phones reached EUR 20811 million, occupying 60.87% of the total net sales. In 1992, the mobile handset business only account for 20% of the total sales of entire group. Nokia ´s operating profit for 2005 reached EUR 4 639 million, representing a 2005 operating margin of 13.6%, and Operating profit in mobile handsets decreased 5% to EUR 3 598 million (operating profit of EUR 3 786 million in 20045), representing a 2005 operating margin of 2 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, The History of Nokia 1865-2002, http://r2.nokia.com/nokiahistory/index.html 3 Accessed on Feb. 23rd, 2007, Key data of Nokia http://www.nokia.com/link?cid=EDITORIAL_4026 4 Accessed on Feb. 23rd, 2007, Annual Information 2000, http://www.nokia.com/A4126501 5 Accessed on Feb. 23rd, 2007, Annual Information 2004, http://www.nokia.com/A4126497 17.3%. However, in comparison with the EUR 83 million in 19926, the operating profit of mobile handset in 2005 represents more than 43 times increase. As is recognized by the global consumers, Nokia brand was ranked 16th among The World 500 Most Influential Brands in 2005 by the World Brand Lab. According to the Fortune Global 500 in 2005, Nokia group ranked 130th and represented no. 1 among the Industry of Network and Other Communications Equipment, taking a position higher than any other competitors. From the aspect of mobile handset, till Sept. 2006, Nokia captures 35.1% of the global market. According to the Gartner institute, Motorola was in second place, with market share of 20.6%, and Samsung of South Korea saw its share of the world market fall to 12.2 % from 12.5 in third quarter 2005. 7 Obviously, Nokia has firmly established its leading position in its industry and has become the worlds leading provider of mobile telephones. Section 2. Nokia’s Development in China The year Nokia traded with China can be traced back to 1950s. And later, until 1985, Nokia opened its first branch in Beijing to initiate its development of early stage in China. In 1995, Nokia set its joint venture in China to produce large scale of GSM system equipment. Then, in 1997, Nokia deliver China the first GSM 1800 network. Soon later, in 2000, Nokia started up the Chinese GPRS network that is first one compatible with newest business 6 Martti Haikio (2003) NOKIA THE INSIDE STORY. Published by Edita Publishing Ltd and Nokia Oyj, Copyright 2002, Chinese Edition First Printed in Sept. 2003. pp.272-273. 7 Accessed on Feb. 23rd, 2007, Nokia is top mobile phone maker for Q3-Gartner, Nov. 23,2006 http://telecomasia.net/article.php?id_article=2793 standards in the world.8 In 2001, Nokia invited its main global partners including mainly hardware providers to invest about RMB 10 billion together in Star Net Industry District in order to form integrated production capabilities and to decrease cost.9 During 2003, Nokia released 15 styles of handsets and ranked no.1 of the GSM mobile handset. As is reported, the top 3 brands of GSM in 2003 are Nokiaà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Motorola and Samsung, with market shares respectively 17.23% à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 16.46%à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ and 11.81%.10 When entering into the new century, Nokia strengthens its cooperation with China in the field of communication technology and takes active part in the development of Information Industry in China. At the same time, Nokia commits itself to employment and cultivating of the local talents. To the end of 2004, Nokia arrived at no. 1 of the whole handset sales in China. In 2005, the rising trend continued. It is calculated that Nokia captures 25.8% of domestic handset market share in 2005, realizing 10.8% more than in 2004. By contrast, the second brand Motorola only gets 8.7% of market share11. After decades of tillage, Nokia has really established its leading position in the handset industry in China; it is believed that Nokia will actualize greater success in the mobile 8 Martti Haikio (2003) NOKIA THE INSIDE STORY: Beijing Strategies of Nokia, Published by Edita Publishing Ltd and Nokia Oyj, Copyright 2002, Chinese Edition First Printed in Sept. 2003. pp.234-236. 9 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Explore Star Net Industry District, by Wangshucheng, Huoxiaoguang, Yujingzhong, Source from Xinhua Agency. Yesky.com-Chinese IT website, http://www.yesky.com/135/215635.shtml 10 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Synthesized analysis report on handset in China by YiGuan, Jun. 29th, 2004, http://www.c114.net/zhuanti_simple/3g/Read_3g.asp?action=3gzlkstyptID=3articleID=26 11 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Domestic Handset Market Share Declines March, 28th, 2006, http://www.chinamobile.gov.cn/200603/61242.shtml communication market in China under the 3G era. Chapter 3. The mobile handset industry As is well known, competitive strategy is the outcome resulting from competitive environment. Without given circumstance, it will become meaningless to discuss whether the employment of certain competitive strategies by some enterprises is successful. Therefore, before anatomizing the competitive strategies of Nokia, we need to describe the notion of mobile handset industry and its main composing elements. 1. Definitions —What is a mobile handset A mobile or cellular phone is a long-range, portable electronic device for personal telecommunications over long distances. Most current mobile handsets connect to a cellular network of base stations (cell sites), which is in turn interconnected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) (the exception are satellite phones). Cellular networks were first introduced in the early to mid 1980s (the 1G generation). Prior mobile handsets operating without a cellular network (the so-called 0G generation), such as Mobile Telephone Service, date back to 1945. Until the mid to late 1980s, most mobile handsets were sufficiently large that they were permanently installed in vehicles as car phones. With the advance of miniaturization, currently the vast majority of mobile handsets are handheld. In addition to the standard voice function of a telephone, a mobile handset can support many additional services such as SMS for text messaging, email, packet switching for access to the Internet, and MMS for sending and receiving photos and video.12 2. Brief Introduction on Global Mobile Handset Industry Broadly speaking, the mobile handset industry consists of upstream suppliersà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ whole handset 12 Accessed on Feb. 23rd, 2007, Mobile phone Definition Introduction, Sirchin-The Free Encyclopedia And Other Stuff Beta. http://www.reference.sirchin.com/?wiki:directories:mobile-phone manufacturersà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ network operatorsà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  downstream distributorsà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ terminal retailers etc. From raw materials to handset product, from hardware suppliers to software providers, from the handset per se to service and content providers, mobile handset industry can be identified as the whole value chain encircling the handset’s substance concept. From the narrow sense, mobile handset industry consists of the companies engaging in producing hardwareà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ componentsà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ and accessories of handset ¼Ã…’as well as assembling handset. As is well known, the worlds largest mobile handset manufacturers include Audiovox, BenQ-Siemens, High Tech Computer Corporation, Fujitsu, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric), Pantech Curitel, Philips, Sagem, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, SK Teletech, Sony-Ericsson, TA Alcatel and Toshiba. And the worlds largest mobile phone operators include Orange SA, China Mobile and Vodafone. According to report on global mobile market in Q4 2005, the top 5 manufacturing companies are Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, and Sony-Ericsson, with their global mobile handset market of 35%, 16.3%, 12.1%, 7.2% and 6.9% respectively13. As is calculated, the mobile handset sales continue to grow worldwide, going up from 482.5 million in 2003 to 561 million in 2004. This growth rate is expected to gradually slow down over a period of five years. The estimated growth figures for these five years are—10% in 2005, 7.7% in 2006, 6.4% in 2007, 4.8% in 2008 and 2.6% in 2009.14 Clearly, the global handset industry has been growing fast and will continue to grow for next 3 years. However, the rate of industrial growth will calm down, a status leading to prudential optimism. 13 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Big Six Dominate Expanding Mobile Phone Market, by John Leyden. Feb.28th, 2006, http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/28/gartner_mobile_market_2006/ 14 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Changing Faces of The Global Mobile Handset Market –2007, Research and Consultancy Outsourcing Services, March 2005, Pages: 95 Researchandmarkets http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=63375 3. Mobile handset Industry in China Since China ushered in mobile handset in 1987, the handset users has reached 0.443 billion people, with the penetration rate of 33.9%; and the business revenue from mobile communication has occupied about 50% of whole revenue from telecommunication. Mobile communication has grown to be the main impetus of industrial development. 15 —3.1 Network operators After many years of evolution, there are now 6 network system operators in China: Chinatelecomà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Chinanetcomà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Chinamobileà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Chinaunicomà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Chinasatcomà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ and Chinatietong. Till May 2004, Chinamobile is No. 1, because it occupied more than 30% market share according to the business revenue. According to the 2005 annual report, Chinamobile achieved revenue of 243.04 billion RMB and net profit of 53.549 billion RMB, with customers covered 0.257 billion16. —3.2 Overview of industrial developing situation Chinese mobile handset industry keeps its rapid development in recent 5 years, and this trend is forecasted to be extended in the coming years. According to the MII, the handset output from year 2000 to 2005 is 52.57à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 83.97à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 120à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 186.44à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 231.75à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 303.67 million units respectively. The relevant yearly increasing rate reaches 59.73%à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  42.91%à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 55.37%à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 24.30%à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 31.03% respectively. Along with the high-speed increase in handset output, the handset users reaches 0.3934 billion people, and the popularization rate of mobile handset increase rapidly, arriving at 30.3 units per hundred people. However, compared with 60-odd units per hundred people in western developed countries, the future increasing space for handset is still optimistic.17 15 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, The address on the Seminar of Constructing Green Handset Culture by Mr. Xiguohua, vice Minister of Mii of China in 21st Nov 2006, Beijing, on Website of Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China http://www.mii.gov.cn/art/2006/11/23/art_223_27118.html 16 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, the financial highlight, http://www.chinamobileltd.com/ 17 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Comment on the 2005 development of handset industry in China, Website of Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China http://www.mii.gov.cn/art/2006/03/15/art_62_8307.html 2001-2005 Handset Output in China83.97120186.44231.75303.6759.73%42.91%55.37%24.30%31.03%050100150200250300350200120022003200420050.00%10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%50.00%60.00%70.00%OutputYearly Increasing Rate(%) (Note: Amounts in millions of units. Source: Comment on the 2005 development of handset industry in China, Website of Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China http://www.mii.gov.cn/art/2006/03/15/art_62_8307.html) Simultaneously, China has gradually become the export base of mobile handset. According to the statistics of MII, the handset export in 2005 is 228 million units, occupying 75% of total handset production. Compared to the 43.3% of export rate in 2000, the higher rate for export in 2005 indicates the excess capacities of handset production and the advent of market maturation in China.18 It is estimated that in 2006, the output of handset will arrive at 0.34 billion units including 0.25 billion for export purpose19. Generally speaking, the developing trend of handset industry in China will maintain rapidà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ healthyà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ and harmony progress. 18 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Comment on the 2005 development of handset industry in China, Website of Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China http://www.mii.gov.cn/art/2006/03/15/art_62_8307.html 19 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Comment on the 2005 development of handset industry in China, Website of Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China http://www.mii.gov.cn/art/2006/03/15/art_62_8307.html —3.3 Brand vendors As is reported (Aug.13/2002, People’s Post Newspaper), Chinese mobile market was totally occupied by foreign brand handsets before 1998. According to the result of investigation on consumer products in main cities in China in 1998, the market share of mobile is as follows: Motorola 37.3%, Ericsson 28.6%, Nokia 15.6%, and the left 20% market share was distributed among other foreign brands such as Philips, Siemens, Alcater, and Sony etc.20 Following the market booming of handset, Chinese domestic brand vendors began to dissatisfy their original position of OEM only. In addition, with the reformation of approval system, more domestic powerful competitors enter handset industry. As is reported, there are now about 70 companies granted license to produce mobile21. Although domestic brand vendors showed its competence and achieved brilliant performance in 2003, due to the lack of core technology and small scale of production, their total domestic market shares begin to fall down from the zenith of 60% in 2003 to 40.6% in 2005. And the ranked top 3 domestic brands occupy only 17.5% shares in comparison with 31.6% in 200322. According to the 2005 rank on sale of GSM handset in China, the top 10 brand is in turn as follows: Nokiaà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Motorolaà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Samsungà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Birdà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Amoià £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Sony-Ericssonà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Lenovoà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ TCLà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Koncaà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Haier. Among them, top 3 brands occupy 60.05% of domestic market share, a number overpassing the total result of domestic brands23. 20 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, The competitive situation in handset market in China, http://www.china-qg.com/articleHistory/yingXiao/4/275.html 21 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Handset Market Increasingly Open, by Zhugangqi, Nov. 29th, 2006, http://www.cww.net.cn/consultation/shownews.asp?nid=207 22 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Market Shares of Foreign Handset Increasing Rapidly, Mar. 21st, 2006, Source: MII. http://www.ccw.com.cn/news2/mobile/htm2006/20060321_09RRM.htm 23 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Domestic Rank of Handset Sales, by YiGuan, Source: CNETNews.com.cn, http://www.cnetnews.com.cn/news/review/story/0,3800057985,39445251,00.htm The following is the overview on the major participants, which probably possess potential capacity to challenge Nokia: 3.3.1 Motorola Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Motorola came to China in 1987 when it opened a representative office in Beijing. In 1992, Motorola (China) Electronics Ltd. was established in Tianjin, a major manufacturing base where Motorola produces mobile phones, two-way radios, wireless communications equipment for the Chinese and global markets. 24 Today, Motorola has one holding company, three wholly owned companies, five joint ventures, 16 RD centers and 25 branch offices across China. At the end of 2005, the number of employees exceeded 10,000, and the total cumulative investment in China reached US$3.6 billion, making it one of the largest foreign investors in China. Investment in RD has reached US$600 million.25 The goal of Motorolas China strategy is to build China into world-class production and RD bases. While pursuing and maintaining market leadership in both mobile devices and infrastructure equipment, Motorola continues to develop businesses in digital trunking, broadband products, solutions and services. As a runner-up in the mobile industry, Motorola keeps fighting its way for market leading position all the while. Undoubtedly, relying on its high-tech RD and cogent brand, Motorola can be qualified as the strongest challenger for Nokia in the mobile handset manufacture industry, no matter in China or in global market. 24 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Motorola China is the biggest wholly foreign invested enterprise Source: Tianjin Developing District Investment Net, Jun. 26th, 2003, http://www.investteda.org/zxzx/tdtzdt/t20051025_6324.htm 25 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Motorola in China, http://www.motorola.com.cn/about/inchina/inchina_en.asp 3.3.2 Samsung Since it’s founding in 1938, SAMSUNG (Group) has maintained a mission statement that responds both to its own change, and to new developments in the world. After unremitting struggle for decades, the company grows from a domestic industrial leader into a global consumer electronics powerhouse. Following its management philosophy-We will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society, Samsung achieves quick pace of development. And Samsung’s brand value, a key engine of business growth, increased to US$8.31 billion in 2002 from US$6.37 billion in 2001 and was recognized by Interbrand Corporation as the fastest growing global brand.26 As one of its emphasized fields, Samsung endows mobile handset market with great efforts. It was reported that the expenditure of total RD in Samsung reached 5 billion USD, including 2 billion especially for mobile handset RD. Moreover, as an industrial newcomer compared with Nokia and Motorola, Samsung adopt several special developing strategies to overtake advanced companies, for example: à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Samsung prefer cooperation with strong technology leader to research alone. Samsung plays more attention on how to obscure know-how in shorter period, and to avoid confrontation with powerful competitors. Then, through reverse engineering, Samsung can absorb the newest technology with high efficiency. à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Based on owned technology, Samsung inclines not to further dig, but to emphasize on developing additional value of product in order to occupy the market rapidly. It’s not difficult to understand that Samsung’s mobile handset exhibits first design and fashionable appearance, the important feature attracting majorities of users. This feature benefits Samsung to be among global top 3 brands of mobile handset. 26 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Samsung’s Managing Philosophy, http://china.samsung.com.cn/public/gongyi.asp?sm=menu7 à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Expand rationally based on technology on hand. At present, Samsung has occupied already 65% of CDMA market in Korea, and the target at 20%-30% CDMA market share in China has become its next step, which means about 7.5-11million handset units. Believably, along with the deeper cooperation between Samsung and Qualcomm Incorporated, which is the owner of CDMA patent, Samsung will achieve more opportunities on market of CDMA handset, which is used by nearly 1/3 of global mobile user. In conclusion, Samsung, as an active and ambition participant in mobile industry, has found a unique way to boom, and has grown to be an important industrial power unable to be neglected. 3.3.3 Indigenous Brands Before 1998, domestic handset comes into the market in the form of joint ventures. During that period, they just assemble international brand handset. After 1998, domestic handset companies began to produce handset through OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) for international brands such as Samsung of Korea and SAGEM of France, which still not entered into China at that time. Simultaneously, some companies began to launch its own handset brand such as EC528 of Eastcom. In 1999, the market share of indigenous brand handset is less than 3% in China. However, until 2003, indigenous mobile handset arrived at its height of development, with a market share of 60%. However, indigenous brand soon began to decline all- the- round, with a market share of less than 40% at the end of 2004. During 2005, this declining trend continues, with 10 more percent market share lost than 2004 at the year-end. Relying on indigenous marketing advantage and OEM technology, domestic mobile handset manufacturers, as a whole, have grown up and gradually captured medium and low-end market. Although they encounter fierce competition and face present embarrassment, and even 3 brands that is Kejianà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Pandan and Gaoke fade away in 200527, certain individual brand still actualize rapid development against the current and emerge. It is Lenovo that achieved 4.1% market share and ranked 7th in 2005; by contrast, its market share rises to 6.5% with a rank of 4th in June 2006 (from IDC report), an achievement invigorating all indigenous brands. 28 Considering the advantages of indigenous brands such as: flexible distributing- channelsà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ sensitive price reflectionà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ strong end-user networks and deep understanding of domestic fashion trend ¼Ã…’we have no reason to doubt the future of indigenous handset development. In addition, Chinese government has shown its resolution to support domestic handset companies; surely the relative policies will be improved further. It is believable that indigenous brands, as a whole, will soon rally to enhance their market position. Generally speaking, due to the recent situation of handset industry in China including the advent of 3G, all the brand vendors are adjusting each competitive strategies referring to individual inherent and existing advantages. In a word, new turn of reshuffle on handset industry in China is unveiling. 27 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, March 16th, 2006, by Pengxuzhi, http://mobile.csonline.com.cn/jzsl/200512/t20051228_423095.htm 28 Accessed on Feb.23rd, 2007, Lenovo handset’s market share, Source: IDC, http://telecom.chinabyte.com/243/2576243.shtml Chapter 4. Industrial Analysis using Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Porter’s Five Forces Analysis is arguably the most influential analytical model in analyzing industrial environment. Logically, it will greatly facilitate comprehending the rationality of Nokia’s competitive strategies to use Porter’s Five Forces model to analyze the competitive environment where Nokia is operating in China, before expounding Nokia’s detailed competitive strategies. 1. Theory Brief Five Forces Analysis is a method used to contrast a competitive environment. It has similarities with other tools for environmental audit, such as PEST analysis, but focuses on an industry. It looks at five key forces namely the threat of entry, the power of buyers, the power of suppliers, the threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry. Porter’s five-force model is arguably the most influential analytical model in strategy. In practice, it is best applied to cases in which strategic decision-making is closely associated with industry conditions. Porter’s Five Forces of Competitive Position New Market Entrants, e.g.: †¢ Economies of scale †¢ Proprietary of product differences †¢ Brand identity †¢ Switching cost †¢ Expected retaliation Supplier Power, e.g.: à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Differentiation of inputs à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Supplier concentration à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Presence of substitute inputs à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Switching costs of suppliers and firms in the industry à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ã‚ º Importance of volume to supplier Competitive Rivalry, e.g.: †¢ Industry growth †¢ Fixed costs/value added †¢ Intermittent overcapacity †¢ Product differences †¢ Brand identity †¢ Switching costs †¢ Corporate stakes Buyer Power, e.g.: †¢ Buyer choice †¢ Buyer information †¢ Ability to backward integrate †¢ Substitute products †¢ Buyer switching costs relative to firm switching costs Threat of Substitutes, e.g.: †¢ Relative price performance of substitutes versus firm concentration †¢ Switching costs †¢ Buyer propensity to substitute 29 Henry Mintzberg, Joseph Lampel, James Brian Quinn, Sumantra Ghoshal, (2002) THE STRATEGY PROCESS Concepts, Contexts, Cases FOURTH EDITH Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, pp95. The only deficiency with his model lies that the same analysis often applies equally well to more than one company (hence, the notion of â€Å"strategic groups†). And Porter’s emphasis on the importance of external context is balanced by Barney’s insistence that sustainable advantage depends as much or more on the internal resources of the firm. As Jay Barney argued that sustainable competitive advantage is not the product of correct position in the external environment but is derived from the firm’s internal resources. More specifically, resources must meet four criteria to confer sustainable comp

Shirley Temple: Origins of the Optimistic Image :: Shirley Temple Image Essays

Shirley Temple: Origins of the Optimistic Image Shirley Temple. When the name is uttered an image of the dimpled faced, curly haired, tap dancing four year old from the 1930s automatically appears in everyone's mind. She was the child actress of the depression era, winning over the hearts and pocket books of many. Films, dolls and even a drink named after her, her face and name were ones that couldn't be missed. She was Fox's gem and saviour. She was an escape from the hard life. She was a star. The image that she gave off, of love for the needy and pure optimism, must have had an origin. Did it rise from the social needs of the public to escape the depression or was it purely constructed by Twentieth Century-Fox? Her image clearly correlates with the mentality of the public at the time, but Fox must have had a hand. Undoubtedly her image was created through a mixture of both elements. To analyze the degree to which Shirley Temple's image was formed through the needs of the time or through manipulation by Fox, one must first look at stars' images in general and how they come into being. What do stars represent to the audience? What is the nature of their images? Many people might say that stars are merely a product of the Hollywood system needing to make a profit; Hollywood manufactures a product and creates the demand for it. A star's image is processed through advertisements and promotions and has little to do with what the audience wants and needs from entertainment. There is a widespread mentality that any Average Joe can become a star with enough resources backing him up. Richard Dyer points out, however, that even movies full of stars fail, and stars can and do fall out of fashion (12). A star's economic worth is not invulnerable to audiences' opinions. The audience isn't so easily controlled. As Dyer says, "Stars ... are the direct or indirect reflection of the needs, drives and dreams of American society." (6). The star's image is formed by what the audience chooses to see, and the audience will choose to see a movie that fills their societal needs, even if unconsciously. Once the audience has made its decision, it empowers that star to fulfill these needs. "Stars have a privileged position in the definition of social roles and types, and this must have real consequences in terms of how people believe they can and should behave" (Dyer 8).

Peer Pressures of High School :: Peer Pressure Essays

Glaring down at the reddish glow coming from the tip of the cigarette, I found out that I was in a peer pressure situation. Peer Pressure can be a huge problem for some young adults. It can sometimes be positive, but most of the time it ¡Ã‚ ¯s negative and destructive. Smoking is just one of the peer pressures someone can go through. Alcohol and staying out late can also be huge peer pressures in high school. I know this because I have experienced them for myself. Drinking, smoking and staying out late were constant peer pressures throughout my high school career. Looking down at the cigarette and being encouraged by my friend to take a hit off of it, I knew that smoking was not something I wanted to do at that time in my life. Although smoking wasn ¡Ã‚ ¯t a huge peer pressure for me, it can be for others. Some of my friends did give into the pressure and are now addicted to cigarettes, and wish they hadn ¡Ã‚ ¯t give in to that peer pressure in high school. I would have say th at during high school, smoking was the most persistent peer pressure. It was at every party and gathering. Although it was there all the time sometimes alcohol would  ¡Ã‚ °rear its ugly head ¡Ã‚ ± at some of the parties. Drinking was probably the most dangerous peer pressure. It was extremely illegal for an underage adult to be caught drinking during this time. I never experienced this peer pressure during high school because I didn ¡Ã‚ ¯t hang around those types of people during that time. They were the types of people who didn ¡Ã‚ ¯t think it was a  ¡Ã‚ °party ¡Ã‚ ± unless there was alcohol involved. I have seen drinking totally deteriorate people, because it got the best of them. Some of my friends totally changed after they started drinking. At first it was just a social thing to do at parties, but then lead on to drinking during their  ¡Ã‚ °spare time ¡Ã‚ ±. It affected their grades and their overall behavior. I do think this was the most dangerous peer pressure in high school, but there was always the pressure to stay out late. Staying out late was a peer pressure I gave into on several occasions during high school. I know it affected my grades many times, and also made me late for school more than once. In high school you could always spot the students who stayed out late.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Essay -- Essays Papers

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually Transmitted Diseases are an intimate part of many people’s lives. These diseases, one could say, represent a conflict between human and nature. It is a part of nature that humans are inclined to engage in sexual activity . Yet, humans are endangering themselves with the spreading of these diseases. Also, a human oriented disease can take on a life of its own, so to speak, and even turn deadly when nature takes it course. Humans have created antibiotics and other drugs to cure the diseases and help with the symptoms of these diseases, but the complications that can arise from these diseases sometimes have no cure, and it is at this time that nature takes over. Sexually transmitted diseases are a part of history. Some have been around since the beginning of the United States. During times like the Industrial Revolution, the Depression, and WWI, sexually transmitted diseases have flourished because of the conditions of the cities and the living areas of citizens. Sexually transmitted diseases, of STDs, are a growing concern among people of all ages. Some are less severe and dangerous than others, but none of them are to be taken lightly. Some of the most common diseases are Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is caused by the HIV virus; Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Herpes Simplex, and Syphilis. These facts from the STD Homepage (http:// med-www.bu.edu/people/sycamore/std.) further explain the diseases and what one can expect from them. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are serious and can have lifelong effects; however, most are easily prevented and treatable. AIDS The disease AIDS, which is a set of disease... ...elids, face, chest, fingers, breasts, anus, and on the perineum. After the chancres disappear, the disease continues to inhabit the body. Syphilis is completely curable with antibiotics. Some complications of the disease that can not be cured but that may arise are flu-like symptoms, fever, skin rash, swollen glands, spots on the tongue, and warts on the genitals. In the last stage, the syphilis eats away at skin and bones. It can cause blindness, heart disease, and brain damage. Therefore, the Humanities Base Theme of Human Vs. Nature is prevalent in the topic of sexually transmitted diseases. Although there are drugs to lessen the effects and cure most of the actual diseases themselves, some complications that may arise are not curable. These complications, which arise mainly from nature taking its course in the body, are not curable by humans.

Effects of electronic gadgets to students studying habits Essay

Abstract Almost all of the students especially high school students are seen of using different kinds of electronic gadgets everyday. Like cellphone, iPad, psp, etc. With that case, students who are addicted in using electronic gadgets affects their studies. As what I have observed, using of electronic gadgets gives bad effects to almost all of the students. The purpose of doing this study is to *Explain the disadvantages of using electronic gadgets among us students *Determine the positive and negative effects of Electronic gadget to students *Show the consequences of excessive use of Electronic gadgets to students *Give the students an advice on how to control their use of electronic gadget. To accomplish this study, I researched for some information that can help me to prove the content of my study. And to be able to solve this problem, I researched for some solutions that can help me to solve this kind of situation, which may also help me to show the goal of my study to my co-students who are addicted in using electronic gadgets. In that way, I can help to prevent the addiction of every student from electronic gadgets. Effects of electronic gadgets 3 EFFECTS OF ELECTRONIC GADGETS TO STUDENTS STUDYING HABITS â€Å"Modern technologies like television and computers provide identifiable educational advantages, such as greater access to information and more compelling presentations of that information. Over-use of technology, though, especially such gadgets as cell phones, iPods and video games.

Use the Slept Framework to Analyse the Current External Business

A. Written Report (25%) You are required to analyse the business environment of a UK based manufacturer of a luxury product of your choice. Please note that: * The actual company is hypothetical. * It is assumed to supply to the upmarket department stores and boutiques around the world but its main market is the UK. * You must agree your specific product with your tutor. * By luxury product, we mean an expensive product that is not a basic necessity. To complete this assessment task, you must: a. Use the SLEPT framework to analyse the current external business environment for issues that may affect your company.Attach this in the Appendix. No word limit for this section. b. Drawing on your analysis of the external business environment, explain and justify the three most important issues currently facing your company. Word limit is 2000 words for this section. Word Limit The word limit is 2000 words (excluding any items in the appendix**). Students are advised to stick to the word lim it – if you exceed the word limit, it should be within the 10% rule. Work submitted that exceeds the word limit may be penalised on the basis of failure to demonstrate academic discipline. *The Appendix should only be used to support your discussion (which is what is being marked) with reference materials e. g. diagrams, scanned images, Internet printouts, articles etc. It should not be used to supplement your essay so that more words can be squeezed into your assignment! In other words, a poorly written essay with a fantastic appendix is not going to achieve a good grade. Referencing To get a good grade, your discussion must be underpinned by a wide selection of secondary sources and academic materials (e. g. books and journal articles) throughout your work or where appropriate.All work must be fully referenced (preferably using the Harvard Referencing System) to acknowledge sources used or consulted for the production of your report otherwise it would be considered as plagi arism. Correct referencing is a vital skill you will need to master for any academic writing. Please DO NOT USE references taken from Wikipedia, MarketingTeacher. Com, QuickMBA. Com or similar websites that allow students to do a quick ‘copy and paste’ quotations of academic concepts. These websites may be useful for initial research and/or reading but they should not end up in any part of your work as they are not legitimate academic sources.This kind of practice does not encourage deep learning. Deep learning can only come about if you invest time and effort into in-depth reading in original sources. A) Use the SLEPT framework to analyse the current external business environment for issues that may affect your company. Attach this in the Appendix. No word limit for this section. I will be using SLEPT in order to analyze the external business environment for key issues that may affect my hi-fi firm. ‘Rich Sounds' is a luxury selling Hi-fi Company based in the Uni ted Kingdom. The company does compete internationally, however its main trade mainly takes place within the UK.The market is estimated to be worth ? 2 billion in 2007 compared with a peak value of ? 2. 1 billion in 2005. The growth of the market for portable music players and, more recently, for home docking stations has offset a decline in home hi-fi system sales. The arrival of the iPod marked a sea change in the audio equipment market. Sales of MP3 players have grown dramatically at the expense of other portable music players, especially CD players. In the home, CDs remain the dominant format but are increasingly played on PCs and laptops – this change has adversely impacted the sale of conventional home audio equipment (Mintel. Rich Sounds does compete at the higher end of the hi-fi market with brands such as ‘Sony’ and ‘Panasonic’. SLEPT framework is used to analyze the current external business environment for issues affecting a business such a s Rich Sounds. The luxury hi-fi market has many external influences which can affect it. Technology is one of the main external influences from the SLEPT analysis. Development in technology has meant that smaller and sleeker devices such as iPods are selling instead of traditional hi-fi systems. Advances in technology, for example advertising has hugely helped the growing sales in the hi-fi market.Many electronics companies tend to have huge celebrity endorsements which in return boost their sales as people nowadays tend to favour electronics which are advertised by celebrities and follow the trend. It is said that companies such as Rich Sounds need to spend at least ? 1million on advertising in order to compete at the top level. (Mintel) Also more and more people tend to download their music nowadays and this means an increase in competition for Rich Sounds as more people would buy computers and laptops rather than hi-fis.Ownership of PCs has now reached high levels and the majorit y of consumers are accessing the Internet at least once a week at home. Another issue in SLEPT is economic factors. The current ‘credit crunch' has resulted in more and more people having less disposable income and this knock on effect means electronic sales could suffer. It is thought that due to this, people are less likely to buy hi-fi's, but instead buy necessities. The credit crunch has also reduced the amount of affluent people and this means it could reduce the market size and this means Rich Sounds could become more competitive.It could be said that spending on repairs has fallen dramatically over the last five years, as lower product prices mean it is often more cost-efficient to replace than repair. The final issue linked to economic factors is society. Hi-fi's are associated as being a seasonal product especially at Christmas time when people are buying them for presents so this is when Rich sounds would expect a huge increase in sales. Also people that work long ho urs and work further away from home can help boost Rich Sounds sales. Nowadays, commuting to work is tedious to a lot of people and so they can listen to audio equipment at this point.The final issue in SLEPT is political issues. Although there is not much to say for this point, I can briefly say that tax issues affect my firm. B) Drawing on your analysis of the external business environment, explain and justify the three most important issues currently facing your company. Word limit is 2000 words for this section. I will now discuss the three most important issues from the SLEPT analysis and these are the technological, social and economical issues. Trends are an important aspect of the economic environment.Nowadays it is becoming increasingly more fashionable to follow celebrity trends and those celebrities who advertise electronics such as hi-fis tend to sell the most. An example of this is when Sony used Justin Timberlake dancing on their adverts to help promote their goods and this saw a huge increase in sales. Research suggests that the two most popular hi-fi companies are Panasonic and Sony and these spend millions and millions on advertising. This means Rich Sounds could advertise new equipment with different celebrities to help promote it hugely. Another economic factor is the ‘credit crunch'.It has resulted in people having a lot less disposable income and so therefore hi-fi sales will fall dramatically. Due to this people will not splash out on luxury goods like hi-fis, however they will buy necessities instead. This provides a knock on effect and therefore Rich Sounds sales may fall. Also the credit crunch has seen a reduction in the amount of wealthy people and this can reduce the size of the market and therefore make Rich Sounds more competitive. http://academic. mintel. com. lcproxy. shu. ac. uk/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=271602/display/id=299002#hit1