The Importance Of IHRM Management Essay

The Importance Of IHRM Management Essay Introduction Increasingly, companies are being wooed to expand into foreign lands and globalisation; a word so commonly hear nowadays till it seems to be a facet of modern business model. Some underlying reasons for companies to go global are technologies advancement, cost efficiency and trade specialisation. The above mentioned are just the tip of an iceberg as there are much more incentives which attract companies to globalize. However, as organisations reach outward for the market, many failed to recognise the importance of international human resource management (IHRM). Those organisations which hold little regard or no importance for IHRM often suffered setbacks and chain effect consequences. According to Stening et al (1997), while internationalisation of business has increased opportunities for organisations and staff, it has inevitability created a myriad of Human resource management (HRM) challenges related to multicultural workforce that is diverse. More then often, these challenges prove to be much complex and subtle in nature. In this essay, we will first look into the disparity between domestic and international HRM, the factors and elements that impetus the importance of IHRM and the knowledge and skill that are so relevant, yet scarce in our modern organisations structure. On top of that, we will be looking into the areas of problems and challenges that HR managers and the expatriates constantly faced. Disparity between Domestic and International HRM (IHRM) Many organisations often have a misconception when it comes to IHRM. They often think that they could simply applied domestic HRM policies overseas and attaining the same desire result back home. As a matter of fact, there is a vast difference between domestic HRM and IHRM, where the latter being much more complex and challenging. According to Stone(2008), domestic HRM is being defined as: HRM as practised within the geographical boundaries of one country. Its focus is the management of people in a single-country context While International HRM is being defined as: HRM as practised by multinational organisations. Its focus is the management of people in a multi-country context From Stones definitions, we can roughly tell the difference between domestic HRM and IHRM. Where domestic HRM is only practical in a single-country context, IHRM is applicable globally. Conceptualisation of International HRM policies Deriving from the basic of Human Resource Management (HRM), International HRM can be view as add on to the already existing HRM policies. Stone(2008), posed some valid questions with regard to developing international HRM policies. Some examples were: what kind of organisation are we looking at? Are we looking at a home country organisation, a multinational organisation or a truly global organisation? What are the organisations mission and vision? What is the organisation core business and how can the organisation be successful? And lastly, what type of culture is desired in the organisation. By answering Stone questions, HR managers can then conceptualise the basic foundation of the organisation, so as to set and streamline their HR policies to the organisation objectives. With that, we will be able to ensure that the organisation and their people are moving in the same direction. Challenges faced by International HRM Practising HRM in a different environment, culture and ethics background is sure challenging. Nevertheless, if IHRM is being executed appropriately, the reward reaped will contribute to the organisations growth indirectly. Some typical challenges that the HR managers faced are cross-cultural issues; training and development, remuneration package, performance appraisal and international staffing process. To fulfil these challenges, it is imperative that the HR managers are sensitive to the people and adaptable to the environment while their organisation establishes foothold globally. Cross-cultural issues Cross-cultural issues can turn disastrous if the HR managers are ignorant or refuse to spend efforts to understand the situations. Often so, this is the starting point where most misunderstanding and problems spawn. We will examine the few aspect of cross-cultural issues namely: communications, ethics and management style. Cross-cultural communications According to Stone(2008), cross-cultural communications occur when a person from one culture communicates with a person from another culture. Simple gestures, facial expressions and words can turn out to be very different in meaning, depending on the individual culture and priority they have for what and how things are being said or written. Stone went on further to break cross-cultural communications into two parts, high-context cultures and low-context cultures. Quoting from Stone(2008), high-context cultures can be defined as: Cultures where non-verbal communications (such as body language and gestures) and indirect language are use to transfer meaning And low-context cultures are being defined as: Cultures where verbal communications are explicit and direct. What is said is what is meant. High-context cultures can be commonly found in Asia countries where great importance is being placed in personal relationship like family relationship and friendships. It is crucial for HR managers to interpret the true meaning of what is being said over what the other party actually mean. Failure to do so will lead to unnecessary misunderstanding and confusion. Low-context cultures on the other hand are straight forward and simple. This culture is most prevalence in the western country where YES mean yes and NO simply mean no. HR managers should not beat around the bush when handling such situations. A direct and concise approach will lead to the progression of the matters on hand. Ethics Ethics can be explained as the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. It is a moral value instilled in one since young, and changes constantly due to environmental, religion influences and education level. What may seem right to you may be a big taboo to the others. As there are many grey areas where ethics is concern, extra sensitivity should always be bear in mind. This is especially so in situations where organisation do business in places where bribery and corruption are the key to business success or should organisation exploits the workers to their advantage when there is no worker union remains unanswered. HR managers should always refer back to the organisation values and direction so as to align their own judgment and ethics to the best of the organisation. Management style Management style can be greatly influence by the culture and the organisation structure. For example in Singapore Arm Forces (SAF), a military organisation; the management style has to be a top-down approach. When the commander has given a specific instruction, the rest will follow with no question asked and this management style is extremely critical especially during war time. Interestingly, this top-down approach or autocratic style is very common in Asia, mainly due to the respect and trust a subordinate has for their superiors, a clear display of cultural influence. Another management style which is a contrast to the top-down approach is the paternalistic style. This particular management style allows subordinates and their superiors to be on equal ground, allowing decision making to be distributed equally. This kind of management thrives in sectors where collative ideas are imperative to the success of the organisation. A good example will be the engineering or research sectors where there might be chances of a better idea coming from the subordinates instead. This kind of management style is widely practice in the western countries like United States, where children are taught to ask questions whenever they dont understand. Whichever management style to be apply will have to depend on the host country and their cultural background as well as the organisation core business. HR managers will have to be open minded and flexible as there is no one medicine that cure all illness. Training and development Training and development in foreign country can be a tricky issue. According to Stone(2008), diversity of the workforce, language and cultural differences will influence how the training and development program be structured. A very good example will be the language of the program to be conducted, should English or the host-country language be used? Are there any taboo topics which should be avoided? Which type of leaning style will attain the most desired result, instructional or facilitative style? These are the few areas of concerns that HR managers will tend to encounter frequently. As a general rule of thumb, new and innovative training and development can be good, but at the same time it should not deviate too much from the cultural norms. So as to ensure that the best end result can be achieve while not creating confusion and difficulties for the participants. Remuneration package National culture is an important consideration in strategic remuneration (Stone, 2008) Remuneration package will varies in different part of the world, depending heavily on the cultural environment of the host country. In places where seniority is valued, the remuneration style will be based on the rank and the number of years in service to the companies. Such remuneration style is prevalent in Asia countries and in organisation that adopt the hierarchy concept. A stark difference to this will be the meritocracy concept of remuneration package, where remuneration will be based on the individual achievement and contribution to the organisation. This style of remuneration is widely practice in the western country and in organisation where achievement and contribution can be quantified. Adopting the right remuneration package will not only spur employees to give their best but more importantly, it can retain the talents and boost the organisations reputation. Performance Appraisal Conventionally, performance appraisal was considered as a knotty problem in the HR function and internationalisation of organisation simply complicate this function further. Different cultures will have different appreciation for performance and it is virtually impossible to set a standard for performance. For example, to get a good performance appraisal in China, one will need to have good personal relationship with their superiors. (Lu et al, 1998) Knowing strong and influential people will also ensure a smooth work life. But this might not be the case in organisation where good performance simply mean high sales figure or other factors which can be quantified. Performance appraisal for expatriate is much more elaborated. The scarcity of resources available( eg. Poor infrastructure and communication) and the expatriate soft skill( eg. Adaptability and resourcefulness) must also be taken into account when doing their performance appraisal so as to establish a system of fairness to the expatriate. A reliable method to ensure that a professional and unbiased performance appraisal is being carried out is to have a set of guiding questions. These questions will act as a guide as to how a performance appraisal should be done. Stone(2008), listed a few questions which is fundamental to performance appraisal. Questions akin to definition of performance; what is the performance criteria; will the same criteria be use across all level of in the organisation and will the performance appraisal be assessed on a group or individual basis. International staffing process International staffing can also be term as international recruitment process. Organisations typically have three options of candidates namely the home country nationals, host country nationals and third country nationals. The home country nationals are the natural choice when it comes to international staffing as they are much well versed in the organisation goals, objectives and culture. Expatriate are constantly employed in global organisations. But what are the problems faced when employing expatriate? We can broadly classify the problems into expatriate selection and expatriate failure. Expatriate selection process Expatriate selection can be very complex in nature. Expatriate are constantly being expose to a spectrum of social and personal problems examples language barrier, culture differences and physical environment. If these are unanswered, it will ultimately lead to the failure of the expatriate. Organisation often perceive that a high flyer back home will do equally well in a foreign country, therefore emphasis is always on the expatriates work experience and capability rather than focusing on the expatriate ability to blend into the new environment. Stone (2008) did a survey from different HR managers all over the world. Stones survey was to determine the essential selection criteria on expatriate. Stones study revealed that different countries HR managers have different emphasis on the selection criteria, Stone went on further to suggested that this may be due to the different cultural values which the HR managers held. Stone concluded a list of desired selection criteria for expatriate and here are some of the criteria: effective communication; listening skill; stress tolerance; empathy; flexibility in dealing with foreign cultures; political skill and previous international experience. Expatriate failure Expatriate often fail due to their partner and their inability to adapt. (Stone, 2008) Adaptability seems to be the determinant factor for expatriate to make or break. Other factors include sub-standard performance, poor healthcare, safety implication and unattractive remuneration. (Insch et al, 2002) Such situations can be reduced if organisations have some pre-departure programs for their expatriates and families. Programs like cross cultural orientation where expatriate will gain knowledge of the cultural aspect of the host country so as to avoid cultural shock. Allowing the expatriates and their families to stay in the host country for about a month will enable the expatriates to adapt to the physical environment and slowly immense themselves into the countrys culture. To add on, providing a factual job scope and environment description to the expatriates will have them prepared mentally. All these will give the expatriates an expectation of the host country and avoid any unnecessary shock. Conclusion With the increasing of globalisation, international human resource management (IHRM) plays an important role in achieving the organisations goals. Organisations which recognise the importance of IHRM will definitely benefit than those who do not. They will be more ready to move their operations into another country and effectively manage their employees to achieve smooth operations of the organisations. As a HR manager, one has to be very sensitive and flexible to the cultural aspects. Besides that, having a good knowledge and positive attitude towards the host country will make the HR managers job less tedious. Organisations which rely heavily on expatriate must know the expatriate selection criteria well so as to send the best candidate out and reduce the chances of an expatriate failure. Comprehensive expatriate program must also be implemented in order to assist and prepare the expatriates for their long and scabrous journey. By preparing the expatriates adequately in terms of both physically and mentally will ensure that a pleasant job experience for the expatriate while maximising the expatriate capability and contributions to the organisation.

Strategic Development History Of Apple

Strategic Development History Of Apple This report will explore the strategic development history of Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.), its current strategies and form the basis of Apples future strategy in the form of strategic recommendations which Apple Inc. can persuade to get sustainable competitive advantage and higher growths in the future. The success of a strategy is determined by the companys initiative actions, how well it anticipates competitors responses to them and how well companys anticipates and reacts to its competitors actions. In strategic development we will analyse how Apple establish a framework for setting its direction and determined the criteria to take strategic decisions. After having analysed it, the report will depict its current strategic situation by doing macro and micro analysis and on the basis of it, the possible future recommendations will be suggested. Introduction: Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics, personal computers and computer software. It is best known for its products like iPhone, ipod and Macintosh computers. The company was established in April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California and incorporated in January 3, 1977. As of September 26, 2009, Apple had 34,300 full time employees and 2,500 temporary full time employees worldwide1. It had worldwide sales of $42.91 billion in its fiscal year ending September 26, 20092. It has more than 284 retail stores3 as of January, 2010 and online store where software and hardware products are sold. The financial Data of Apple Inc. for 2009 are as: Financial Data of Apple Inc. for 20094 Financial Fiscal as Ended on 26-09- 2009 Total Revenue 42,905m Gross Profit 17,222m Total Cash Flow 2,997m Net Income 8,235m Total Asset Value 47,501m 1 www.apple.com 2 Revised Request Quarterly Income Statement Apple Inc. January 25,2010. 3 Apple Tablet Media Event Today. Come See Our Latest Creation MacRumors. January 27, 2010 accessed on [17 July 2010] 4 http://www.google.com/finance?fstype=iiq=nasdaq:aapl Strategic Development Overview: Apple Inc. has managed to create substantial value in the highly competitive consumer electronic and computer industry by innovating and forging a path considerably different from those of the largest competitors in the industry, successfully differentiating its products from those of the competition by choosing to focus on quality, superior customer service and design elegance while outsourcing actual manufacturing to most trusted original equipment manufacturers. Even though despite of this fact Apple has created for itself, the stiff competition within the industry and other external factors present formidable challenges to the firm. The Early Years 1976- 1980 Apple I was the first computer introduced by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronal Wayne. It was sold as the motherboard with Central processing unit (CPU), RAM and the basic textual video chips. By the end of 1970s Apple had a staff of computer programmers and designers and a production line. After Apple II they introduced Apple III in May, 1980. The main competitors for Apple were IBM and Microsoft competing for market share. In 1984 Apple launched Macintosh which was initially sold well but the follow up sales were not strong. The computer industry destiny changed when the Laser writer were introduced. The Mac was powerful in the market due to its advanced graphics capabilities which was already necessarily built in to create the intuitive Macintosh GUI. At that time it has been suggested the combination of these three products was caused for the creation of desktop publishing market. As the desktop publishing became widespread, the sale of Apple has reached new heights and the comp any has offered its first public offerings in September 7, 1984. The reason for the Apple sustainable growth due to its leadership in the education sector, attributed to adaptation of LOGO programming language used in many schools with the Apple II. 1986- 1993 A Move in Strategy After the failure of Bulky Macintosh, Apple changed its strategy and offered Macintosh Portable in 1989. In 1991 Apple introduced PowerBook which made the basis of the modern form of ergonomic layout of laptop computer. In the same year Apple came up with its new operating system System 7 which added colour to interface and enhanced the networking capabilities. It was remained the architectural basis for Mac OS up to 2001. The success of PowerBook brought huge revenues for Apple and it seemed that nothing go wrong with Apple at that time. MacAddict a famous magazine named the period between 1989 and 1991 as the first golden age of the Macintosh. The Apples strategy to attach the market with other products like digital cameras, portable CD audio players, speakers and video consoles did not work well for Apple. The main focus of Microsoft was to gain market share with Windows, focusing on delivering software with cheap commodity where as Apple was even though was rich in engineering matter but was bit expensive. 1994 -1997 Reinvention Apple put its step in the PDA market by introducing Apple Newton which was one the first in the industry. Apple has started working on other platforms by the early 1990s such as A/U. It was needed at that time to replace the platform for Macintosh or reworked to design a powerful hardware to run the Macintosh. 1n 1994, Apple allied with Motorola and IBM. The aim was to create a new computing platform Power PC Reference Platform which would use IBM and Motorola hardware coupled with Apples software. The AIM alliance worked for Apple and Apples software left the PC far behind. Apple introduced Power Macintosh the first time of many Apple computers to use IBMs PowerPC processor. Apple adopted a new built -to- order strategy in November 10, 1997 by introducing Apple store which was tied to its overall strategy. 1998- 2005 A New Start Apple introduced iMac a new all in one computer reminiscent in August 15, 1998  [5]  . The iMac was equipped with new technology and groundbreaking design. Near about 800,000 units sold in first five months and returned Apple to profitability for the first time since 1993. In this period Apple purchased several companies to create a portfolio of professional and consumer- oriented digital production software. In 1998, Apple announced the purchase of Macromedias Final cut software giving a new signal of entering into the digital video editing market. The following year Apple had released two video editing products, one is iMovie and the other one is Final Cut Pro for the professionals. Around 800,000 users had been registered with this software by the start of 2007. Apple has opened its first official store in May 19, 2001 in Virginia and California. In the same year Apple has introduced its first iPod portable digital audio player. This product has given a new success to Apple as more than 100 million units were sold within six years. Apple has a strategy of bounding the customer to its products and doing a business a different way. Apple has given a new theme to music industry business by introducing Apples iTunes Store whereby you can download music for US$0.99 song integration with iPod. Apple has become the market leader in the online music services due to it with over 5 billion download by June 19th, 2008. 2005 -2010 New Era Apple has taken another move in its strategy of dominating the market by announcing on June 6, 2005 in the Worldwide Developers Conference that Apple would start producing Intel- based computers in 2006  [6]  . MacBook Pro and iMac became the first Apple computers to utilize Intels Core Duo CPU. By 7th of August 2007 Apple had transitioned the entire Mac product line to Intel chips. The day Apple announced its iPhone and Apple TV its share price hit $97.80, an all time high at that point and in May that price went up to $100 mark  [7]  . A next step to its success was selling the third party applications for its iPhone and iPod touch. Within a month, 60 millions application sold on this platform and brought in $ I million dollar on average. Three months later it was announced that Apple has become the third largest mobile handset supplier in the world due to the popularity of the iPhone  [8]  . Apple added a one more milestone in its success by targeting the market with its new iPad on January 27, 2010. It runs the same touch based operating system as iPhone and many of the application of iPhone are compatible with the iPad. On the launch day more than 300,000 units sold and this figure reached to 500,000 by the end of the first week  [9]  . Situational Analysis: Apple is one of the most successful companies of the time that bucked the traditional notions of what a corporate culture should look like in terms of organizational hierarchy. After doing the macro (PESTEL), industrial analysis we would be in a position to clearly analyse its current position and suggest further recommendations. Environmental Analysis: PESTEL Analysis For doing environmental analysis of Apple we will use the PESTEL analysis along with keeping of global forces as well. Demographic Economic P/Legal Environment Threats Opportunities Economic 1. Signs of economic turnaround are present but many consumers are unconvinced and spending less. Apple always sell products on premium prices so it may be out of consumer prices range 1. Economic recovery will cause spending. Apple innovative and high quality products attract the customers Demographic 1. Flattening of wages- Levelling Influence 1. Rising prices and stagnant leave workers and families with less money to spend on perceived luxury goods. 1.Apple known for high quality, dependability and long lasting products will attract customers seeking value for their money Political/Legal 1.Potential FCC Internet Regulation 2.Healthcare Reform 1. FCC internet regulations may stifle innovation on the internet, reducing new methods for Apple to capitalize the power of internet. 1.Apples useful portable device could be leveraged in modern healthcare settings, funded in part by government money, increasing demand Technological 1.Device Convergence 2.Shortening Product Lifecycle 1. Apple broad line of devices may become obsolete with the advent of multi-use portable devices. 2. Increased pressure to innovative may result in missed opportunities and inventories losses. 1. As a leader in portable devices Apple can innovate and lead the way in platform. 2. High RD commitments may propel. Apple led the industry by out-innovating competitors. Socio cultural 1.Increase desire for on-the-go devices 2. Greater concern for the environment. 1. Apples portable computers may lose relevance among new on-the-go devices. 2. Device manufacturing will be equated with pollution and climate change. 1. Apple can lead innovation in on-the-go devices utilizing RD portable knowhow. 2. Apples lead in environmentally- sound practices will be a marketing advantage. Global 1.Developing Chinese economy 2. Potential worldwide climate regulation. 1. The developing Chinese economy will require higher wages for factory workers. 2. Emissions regulation will impose huge burdens on Apples production costs. 1. Massive population with increased buying power for Apples products. 2. Apple has already made steps to improve environment- friendliness can be used to the firms advantage. Technological Global S/Cultural Industrial Analysis: For industrial analysis we make use of Porters five forces framework to assess the different forces that affect the overall industry in which firms operate. Porters Five Forces: Threat of New Entrant To analyse the threat of new entrant we have to consider the different barriers that make this threat nominal to sever. The barriers are Economies of Scale Apple had already experience of manufacturing mass- market consumer electronic devices, so Apple was not adversely affected by this barrier. Product Differentiation This trait goes in favour of Apple because Apple is the leader in the innovative products and Apple has certain amount of protection through the strength of its brand identity. But this product differentiation can be emulated to a certain degree. Capital Requirements Apple enjoys a slight advantage here but it may be quickly lost. If we talk about other companies they might have experience in manufacturing cell phones but not necessarily software. To compete with Apple they have to invest a lot on this sector. Second Apple is a leader in innovation as it uses to spend a huge capital on RD which is huge barrier for the new company to spend a significant amount of capital on RD. Access to Distribution Channels Apple remained successful in gaining access to a distribution channel and they also tied themselves exclusively to a single cell phone network. So the new entrant will have to take some time to reach to this level. So having analyzing these barriers we can say that the threat for new entrant for Apple is low to medium. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The main supplier of Apple Inc. is Intel for microprocessor chips and Apple has strategic alliance with Intel and Microsoft as Microsoft enable Apple users to use the Microsoft Windows operating system on its machine. So, Apple has to be very careful in managing its relation with these suppliers especially with Intel. So the bargaining power of suppliers is medium. Bargaining Power of Buyers: The bargaining power of buyers is low as its only Apple which always come with new innovative products. Even though its true that there are many competitors of Apple in the market for different products but even then people wait for Apples new invention. So, clearly the bargaining power of buyers is low in case of Apple. Threat of Substitute: The threat of substitute is high as Apple products are the premium products and there are lot of companies that are making products like mobile phones (iPhone) which are very similar in functionality and in shape. Second companies like DELL, ASCER and Microsoft has started penetrating in the mobile market shrinking the market share of Apple. So keeping in view of todays scenario the threat of substitute is higher for Apple Inc. Competitive Rivalry: The competition among the giants is very fierce and everyone is fighting for large market share through intensive price cuts and changes. The competitors of Apple are Microsoft, HTC, Dell, NOKIA and others. The competition is becoming tough and tough as most of the companies which were specialist in PC related stuff have started coming in the mobile and PC tablet market. Due to this the competition has become tougher and for more market growth and share, everyone is ready to take any sore of moves like price cuts, technology change, etc. The last step to evaluate the company position in conjunction to its industry we do the SWOT analysis which will depict what sort of strength/weaknesses it has what kind of opportunities and threats it has from its surroundings. Potential Entrant Threat Medium Threat of entry COMPETITIVE RIVALRY HIGH SUBSTITUTES High SUPPLIERS Low BUYERS Medium Bargaining Power Bargaining power Threat of substitutes Porters Five Forces Framework for Apple Inc. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Ease of use High Corporate Reputation Leader in Innovation and market leader Loyal customer base Strong Top Management Creative Style Weaknesses High prices Limited Distribution Channels Compatibility issues (e.g. with IBM) Poor Quality Control/Assurance Opportunities New social devices iTunes Distribution International markets Internet Growing industry Demand for innovation Threats Economic Situation Intensive Competition Potential Litigations Potential increase in supplys costs. Price competition Value Chain Analysis: Value Chain Activity Corresponding Firm Practice, Policy/Procedure General Administration A greener Apple reduction in energy use in production and transportation to match trend in green business. Strong cash position allows the firm to internally finance expansion and development without cost of capital. Human Resource Management Selective hiring process find and attract talent Generous employee benefits program retain industry-leading talent. Technological Development Research Development expenditure increased about 66% from 2007 to 2009 Patent filing protection of important inventions and innovations in the US and worldwide Procurement Positive relationships with suppliers EICC member, working to improve working conditions, created and enforces a Supplier Code of Conduct. Inbound Logistics Automated receiving systems reduce facility footprint and space requirements. Delegate raw materials acquisition offer supervision to OEM partners who carry out acquisition. Operations Utilizes OEMs economies of scale offshore production to save money on costs of build. Internal design design and conceptualize products internally Outbound Logistics Economical/Stylish Packaging eye-catching packaging takes up less space and weight, reducing shipping costs and costs of disposal. Apple Stores/Authorized Retailers working to maintain standards over presentation of products for sale. Direct shipment ship products from China to consumer to minimize inventory build-ups in costly locations. Marketing and Sales Get a Mac Ads Various direct/indirect favourable comparisons Strategic Choices: Taking its environment, industry and value chain analysis we may give some options available to Apple Inc. for its future growth in terms of more market share and profitability. These are given as: Reducing the costs of its products and maintaining the same quality standards. Opening of more retail shops for easy access and more physical presence. Providing facility for customization of its different products like Apple Mac Book and others. Consumer electronics diversification. Option 1: Reducing the costs of Products Apple has that kind of brand which attracts everyone but the only problem is the premium prices for its products. Apple can hit the market segment which can afford reasonable prices which we can say not much low and not too much high. By slightly reducing the prices and maintaining the same quality Apple can further dominate the market and achieve more market share. By doing it the major benefit that Apple will achieve is further brand awareness and customer loyalty. Evaluation of option 1: (SAF test) A useful way of looking at evaluation criteria is to view them as falling into three categories: Suitability, Feasibility, and Acceptability Johnson, G., and Scholes, K.(1997) As far as the suitability of this option is concerned, then lowering the prices will be suitable for Apple Inc. because most of competitors of Apple they start making the same products design wise and technology wise with lower prices. The company get two benefits with this strategic option. First it will get more customers who like Apple products but cant buy due to higher prices (means more market share) and the other benefit is killing the competition. So, in my point of view this option fulfils all the three parameters of SAF test. Option 2: Opening of more retail Shops By providing more points of direct contact with the buyers will enable Apple to provide better service to customers and bring the Apple more customer and experience to more people. Apples retail stores have been largely successful, that success can be furthered in new locations within USA, UK and other countries. Apple should practice great caution to avoid over- saturation to retain the halo surrounding the stores and maintain their status as a destination. Evaluation of option 2 (SAF Test) By introducing Apple stores provided Apple with an important physical presence to act as both point of sales locations and an advertisement. Opening of more retail outlets will provide Apple more control on the image of brand and provide excellent customer services. Apple comes in the top retailers in- stores sales, generating $4,032 per retail square foot per year, beating other retailers like Tiffany Co. At $2,666 and Best Buy at only $930.  [10]  Matching success and impact like the Apple store model is hard for others to achieve. Apple possesses all resources like capital and top management to consider this option which can prove one step further in its growing success. Option3: Customization of products Dell has taken a lead from all its competitors in providing customized products to its customer through its website. Dell has set a model for its competitors. Apple can contribute to this area by offering customised products like Mac Book and other through its website. In this way you are buying your customer and giving them what they want. The customer will be more satisfied and happy with the services. Customization will provide efficient value chain management and reduces the inventory level. Evaluation of Option3 (SAF Test) Today is the day of internet and most of leading companies are trading through their websites. Now a days the customers are well IT equipped and more aware. They buy what they want not what the gives. By offering customized products you are giving the customer what they want and biding them. Apple has great intellectual assets, so it is easier to come up with business model which will facilitate Apple to provide customized products to its customers. Secondly it will require minimal capital but its results will be outstanding. There is only one time cost and life time rewards attached to this option. So considering all these aspects, this option is quite good for Apples future growth and sustainable competitive advantage. Option 4: Consumer Electronic Diversification Apple already has a well positioned diversified strategy, but it can broaden its scope while creating value in related and unrelated markets including eBooks and medical equipment. We just examine its current diversification beginning with full sized desktop computers to now a days notebook computer, mobile phones, digital music players, iPad. Despite of this broad range of diversification, opportunities are still there for Apple to avail in further diversification. Evaluation of Option 4 (SAF Test) If we take United States or UK the medical equipment and related devices are growth area of economy. As new healthcare legislation is enacted the importance of modernizing our system will come to forefront. Apples innovative and high quality portable devices would provide excellent platforms for care providers to get benefit of streamlining care. In order get more value from this area and to reduce the capital investment Apple should work with medical equipment manufacturers and core providers to establish Apples devices. Apple can open its portable and mobile platforms for development of unique and efficient medical tools using a combination of new digital medical technologies and current technology of connectivity. Good examples of future products can be digital thermometers and blood pressure monitors that connect through USB to Apple device to automatically log measurements and do real time analysis based on historical values to identify trends. Apple can take advantage of being first mover in this kind of products. After presenting the different aspects we may conclude that this option is valuable for Apple Inc. Recommendations: Based on the above analysis, it is recommended that Apple Inc. formulates a strategy of offering customized products to its consumers to gain more customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Consumer specific customization and hardware packaging- increase product diversification and eliminate threat of competitive alternatives. It will help Apple to strip certain features and hence reduce costs. The sales will be increased and Apple will a far larger customer base. Secondly it should gain access to additional distribution channels and sales outlets in the international markets (International Presence). It has substantial presence internationally but still has to be introduced in many Asian countries including China, Arab countries and most of Africa. Apple should drive down the costs per unit to enable price reductions and attract more customers. In this way it will not capture more market share but also beat the competition increasing in the market. It should exploit its RD to innov ate, should create products with similar usability but at lower costs. Especially in the deep recession period people might respond better to lower prices. It has no doubt that Apple is very good in introducing excellent design and innovative products but we have seen a consistent problem with Apples quality control and assurance department. So, Apple should stress on improving in this area to preserve its brand image as well as to win the customer confidence on its products.

Theme in Forest Gump and Raging Bull :: Film Movie

Theme in Forest Gump and Raging Bull Themes play a major role in many movies. This is the way a director is able to express the main point of the movie in his or her own way. A good example of a movie that does this is Forest Gump. This movie is directed by Robert Zemeckis. The movie takes place over a span of thirty years and all focuses around the life of one man. During this period we see the way a boy grows to a man in body, but remains a child in heart and spirit. A major theme in this movie is destiny. Forest’s mother tells him that God has a special plan for everyone. However, his platoon leader tells him that there is no such thing as fate and that everyone is moving around like â€Å"dust in the wind†. Sort of like the Kansas song (just kidding). I think that the director had an opinion somewhere in-between these two theories. God gives us some things, but it’s up to you to make a lot in your life happen. The director shows this theme many times throughout the movie. An example is the feather that opens and closes the story. The feather gets caught in the wind and is carried to forest who picks it up and puts it into a book. Many things happen throughout the movie that may or may not have been Forest’s fate. Such as meeting John Lennon and telling him what Vietnam was like and therefore inspiring him to write the lyrics to the song â€Å"Imagine†. He also meets Elvis and teaches him how to do his trademark pelvis swing. The movie ends with the same feather floating out of the book that his son is now reading many years later. Another movie with a theme that a director is trying to express is Raging Bull. It was directed by Martin Scorsese. This is a movie about an Italian boxers rise and fall in his career and in life. A major theme in this movie is jealousy. This is shown when Vicki, his wife, comments on the good looks of a young boxer. Jake the main character immediately tells her to shut up and leave the room.

Photography Essay -- Film, Photo Identification, Photjournalism

It is hard to find an aspect of the humanities that photography did not impact. Throughout all of history and the advancements made in technology photography has been used to do everything from prove a theory in science, to record a special event in a person’s life. In today’s modern world the impact of photography can be seen daily. Developments such as Photo identification, films, photojournalism, and thousands of other advances in life have all come from photography. Though all these aspects of photography are amazing in themselves, the true element of photography that made it such an impactful advancement in the humanities was its ability to capture a moment in time, and give the middle-class an understandable and relatively cheap new artistic medium. Though the discovery that an image could reflect on to another surface came around in the early fifth century (Hirsh, 2000), it wasn’t until around the 1800’s that inventors started really trying to create something that both scientists and the middle-class could use to capture an accurate image of their subjects (Kleiner & Maymiam, 2005). During this period of time only the rich upper-class were able to capture images of their familes and important aspects of their lives through a type of art called realism. This technique involved many hours of painting and siting in one area for a long time, and was very expensive. Scientists were also having troubles with their studies because they had no accurate ways to record key discoveries, because of this, inventors realized that still photography would be an invention people would be willing to invest in. If they found a way to create a device that would capture images like a painting not only would they sell to scientists, t hey wou... ...ce and effect on how we view history, how we live today, and how we will live in the future cannot be denied. Photography brought new challenges for artists, created new artists, and with it new forms of artwork. Photography also recorded great moments in history and scientific discoveries that, if they had not been captured may have been lost forever. Photography has also helped develop advertising, and spread news throughout the world; it has helped in development of new inventions such as film and digital artwork. Like many other great advancements photography not only became more advanced as time went on, it spawned many new inventions and advancements in technology that may not have been found before it. These advancements have impacted the world of humanities in countless ways and will most likely continue to do so for all of mankind’s continued existence.

Sequel to The Cask Of Amontillado :: essays research papers

At precisely 10:30 A.M. I got a call from a Mr. Machiano saying while renovating a palazzo his men found the bones of a human. When I got to the scene one of his employees showed me to the bones. The clothes were still on the carcass. I asked Mr. Machiano how the body was discovered, "My men were knocking down the walls and one of them found a skeleton with its clothes on, and that’s when I called you." I asked whom he bought the palace from. "A man I would say in his early eighties, named Montresor." I then left to learn about this person.. I found out that he is living with a cousin right near his old home. I decided to stop by and ask him a few questions hoping he will remember or know something. After about an hour of getting "I do not know. What are you talking about? Please leave." I realized this was a waste of time and decided to go. Later that night while eating dinner I decided the next morning I would go back to the crime scene to check for clues. The next morning I called Mr. Machiano and asked him to meet me at the palazzo. As I approached the body I began to feel a little queasy from last night’s dinner but luckily I brought some herbal tea to help soothe my stomach. Anyway, I began to search the ground around the body hoping to find some clues. I noticed a gold bracelet on the ground near the body, and it read Montrsor. I decided to do a little more research on this man. I went to the station and asked the secretary to show me the file on any person missing for more than 20 years. The list only had about five people on it with a brief description. There was a man by the name of Fortunato on it who has been missing for about 50 years. He was last seen wearing a motley. I then put two and two together and after some investigation, I found out that the carcass was indeed Fortunato. Later that afternoon I decided to visit Mrs. Fortunato. She took the news pretty well, but I guess she had a feeling he was dead She said "The last time I saw him was fifty years ago during carnival season." I went back to Montresor’s house and told him that "Next to Fortunato’s body was a gold bracelet with your name on it." He still claimed to

Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria Essay

This development was heralded as an avenue to usher in democratic stability and good governance. However, contrary to widespread expectations, the post-military regime became an avenue for the explosion of violent ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, since the emergence of democracy in May 1999, not less than one hundred ethnically and religiously instigated conflicts have occurred in Nigeria which resulted in loss of lives and unquantifiable material and psychological damage. Drawing from documentary research and findings, this paper probes the persistent spate of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria and its harmful implications on democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It investigates the history, causes and manifestations of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and maintains that unbridled lust for power, corruption, religious intolerance and the failure of the government to deliver democratic dividends, have resulted in these conflicts between ethnic and religious groups in the country. In the light of all these then, can democracy thrive in an atmosphere of crises? Can Nigeria come out of ethno-religious conflicts? If so, what steps can the government take to rein in the menace of these crises? Finally, the paper provides submissions for curbing this social epidemic, which has become a permanent feature of the Nigerian social polity. Keywords: Nigeria, Ethno-religious, Crises, Democracy, Development Introduction Democracy could be said to be a seed: when you sow bountifully, you reap bountifully. Thus, one of the dividends of democracy, which Nigerians have reaped in abundance since the transfer of power from the military to the civilians on May 29, 1999, is the rising wave of ethno-religious conflicts with devastating and untold consequences on lives and property (Jega, 2007: 116). Nigeria is a very populous nation in Africa with diverse cultural heritage. In fact, the country has a population of over 140 million and over 400 ethnic groups belonging to different religious sects as well (Salawu, 2010: 345). Since the attainment of independence, Nigeria has remained a multi-ethnic nation, which has been grappling with the problem of ethnicity on the one hand and that of ethno-religious conflicts on the other hand. At the inception of independence, for administrative expediency the various ethnic factions were fused and merged together by the colonialists. Then, the colonial masters left and things started falling apart, the center no longer held. No ethnic group desired to see the other. Little wonder then that the former Secretary of State at the British Colonial Office (1952-1959), Sir Peter Smitters regretted the action taken by the British to merge diverse ethnic groups into one in Nigeria. According to Ali (2004) cited in Adebayo (2010: 214), he was reported to have lamented that it was extremely dangerous to force diverse radical and social entities into single rigid political structure. However, that statement was medicine after death; the deed had been done. Indeed, a conglomerate of almost four hundred ethnic groups, each having its distinct history, language, culture and political systems before the colonial rule, all preserved in mitigated forms with the British system of governance super-imposed and named Nigeria really had future implications for unity. The colonial administration, for administrative convenience, compressed and merged the various ethnic groups in their respective regions, making Hausa/Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba the major ethnic groups and reinforced the three political/administrative divisions – the north, the east, and the west, under appropriate constitutional arrangement. At independence and post independence era, the status-quo of the colonial era was retained under that infantile freedom, with every group retaining its tradition, language, and culture while sharing the common central institutions in a federal arrangement (Adebayo, 2010: 214). As a result, these major ethnic groups, because of their opportunistic positions were seen as consistently dominating the political and economic scene before and after the attainment of independence in 1960 and this led to agitations for state creation by the other â€Å"minor† ethnic groups who saw themselves as the marginalized groups. However, the more states were created, the more the complaints of marginalization and inequality by the new minorities against the new majorities in each state (Abdullahi and Saka, 2007). Consequently, the proliferation of ethno-religious and political turbulence in the country is therefore necessitated on the one hand by cultural, communal and religious differences and on the other hand by fear of domination nursed by the minority groups. As if what constitutes the federalism is not satisfied, there have been agitations for reversing back to the old regional autonomy of the different groups for the purpose of determining the pace of their development and control of their respective resources. These pernicious phenomena of ethnicity and religious intolerance led to the incessant surge of ethno-religious conflicts, which gave birth to the many ethnic militias today like the O’dua People’s Congress (OPC) put in place by the Yoruba in the south-western part of the country to fight for the protection and defence of Yoruba in Nigeria; the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), fighting for the cessation of the Igbo ethnic tribe in Nigeria; the Bakassi Boys; the Egbesu Boys; the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), the Igbo Peoples’ congress (IPC); the Arewa People’ Congress (APC) and the Ohaneze Ndigbo among others. This might probably be the feeling of Elaigwu (2005: 12) when he writes †¦the violent protests in the Niger-Delta over perceived injustice in resource distribution; the Itsekiri-Ijaw violence in the Delta; the resumption of the Ife-Modakeke communal violence; the menace of Odu’a Peoples’ Congress (OPC) and the accompanying violence in Lagos and Shagamu areas; the formation of the Arewa Peoples’ Congress (APC) and the Igbo Peoples’ Congress (IPC); the MASSOB feeble attempt to resuscitate Biafra; the Sharia crisis and the demands for a confederation; the South-South demand for the control of its resources; and all the recent interethnic/religious conflicts in various states across the country are all part of the bubbles of the Nigerian federation. They are based on the historical structures of mutual fears and suspicions among Nigerian groups in a competitive process. They reflect dissatisfaction of Nigerian groups with the state of the federation. With the emergence of all these ethnic militias and the deep divide between the various ethnic groups, religious intolerance became more violent and bloody with more devastating results using the ethnic militias as the executing platforms of ethno-religious agenda. Federalism thought to be an approach to national unity, resulted to anarchy in the country. A number of steps were taken to at least mend the disunity and disarray prevalent then and promote unity among the various ethnic groups. These included the establishment of federal institutions in some states of the federation, promotion of national cultural and sporting activities, and, more significantly, the National Youth Service Programme (NYSC), just to mention a few (Adebayo, 2010). Although these steps yielded pockets of successes in achieving national unity, the â€Å"unholy† marriage of convenience of the ethnic groups still begs for irrevocable divorce. While the ethnic rivalry held sway, religious pluralism, which culminated in many crises, shook the country to its very roots. The pernicious effect of this trend is not entirely surprising given the fact that religion is so sensitive to Nigerians that many are not only ready to defend it at all costs, but are ready to die for it. Hence, religious pluralism which resulted in religious intolerance was fused with ethnic rivalry, producing the recurrent spate of ethno-religious crises. And because of the violent nature of ethno-religious conflicts, which often take the form of riots, sabotage, assassinations, lynching and maiming, kidnappings, armed struggles, guerilla warfare and secession in Nigeria, they undoubtedly pose dangerous threats to democracy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Yes, as Jega (2007: 116) truthfully stated, the genetically engineered seeds of democracy planted by our colonial masters and further successive military regimes have grown to mature crops for harvest. Instead of democracy yielding peace, stability and security to lives and property, it seems to have yielded a return, full circle spate of ethno-religious conflicts and violent eruptions. Thus, the discussion of ethno-religious conflicts in whatever context becomes all the more necessary given the fact that there is a phenomenal recurrence of these conflicts around the nation thereby increasing its threat level to democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to probe the history, manifestations and implications of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria since the dawn of democratic dispensation. Causes of Ethno-Religious Crises in Nigeria According to Awolowo (1990: 35), the notion of Nigeria as â€Å"a mere geographic expression† was engendered by the forceful packaging by colonial authoritarian fiat of unwilling communities of diverse origin and culture under the same polity. Consequently, relations and political behavior of the peoples are characterized by mutual suspicion and invidious hatred since they are strange bed-fellows, who were only coerced into the nation-state via amalgamation. Until 1960, Nigeria was a British colony. Like most colonies, it was not constructed for internal coherence, but rather for the administrative convenience of the British (Shively, 1997: 39). Over 400 different languages and dialects are spoken within its borders, and there is also an important religious split, as the north is primarily Muslim and the south is predominantly Christian, making her not only at ethno-religious crossroads but also at linguistic crossroads. As diverse as these ethnic groups are, they are also not accommodative of each other’s religion and professions of faith. This state of intolerance has added up to fuel the spate of crises in Nigeria. It should be noted that religion has always been the platform for frontal expressions of ethnic aggressions and conflict. Hence, ethnocentric politics, sectional solidarity and primordial interests became prominent features in the nation’s political practice. Sectional and individual virtues and interest rather than collective virtues and national unity are advanced and exalted. Thus, communal orientation precluded any attachment to the state and the syndrome of the ‘son of the soil’ took preference over merit and competence in the choice of policies and leaders. Although as Obasanjo and Mabogunje (1992: 4) aptly observed, colonialism provided scaffolding of holding the different communities together, not much change was achieved in altering communal mentality and predilection. Nonetheless, the persistent military incursion into government and politics did much harm for the body polity as national issues was mostly tribalized and primordial virtues extolled. These regimes had primordial outlook and sub-national mentality under which the northern part of the country was favoured brazenly, on one hand, and the southern part was deliberately dealt with in terms of appointments, contracts, location of government establishments, political oppression and repression as well as provision of social services and infrastructures. As a result, ethnic sectarianism has left a trail of destructive violence and even threatened the territorial integrity of Nigeria (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2001). Indeed, after long years of authoritarian rule, when the military clique and their civilian collaborators privatized the Nigerian state (Ukiwo, 2003), politicians in the emergent Fourth Republic were all too anxious to claim control of the state and its oil wealth as well. This thus led to an unbridled competition for political relevance and spheres of interests among politicians, especially in the context of the division of the country into geopolitical zones, states and local governments and the fact that distribution of benefits among the political class depended on the ability of each member of the ruling class to deliver his constituency. This lust for power has led to the neglect of the needs of the masses and the demand for peaceful co-existence. Instead, the rulers continue to enrich their pockets through corrupt dirty means and seek for elongation of tenures for selfish gains. In the circumstance, ethnicity, religion and other sectarian identities are exploited, resulting in avoidable violent conflicts among component units of the country. The persistence of mass poverty and increasing income inequality, largely as a result of the transformation of the fortunes of politicians and their allies from jobless neighbors to emergency billionaires in less than two years after capturing power, have deepened popular alienation. It has also called into question the legitimacy since 1999. Consequently, some of the easiest things to do in contemporary Nigeria are to mobilize an assassin, vigilante, ethnic-cum-religious militia, rioter, crowd or rented pro-government demonstrator. The result could only be imagined. The power lust of the political cliche is one of the perceived causes of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria. Another reason responsible for ethno-religious crises in Nigeria is the wrong interpretation by those who claim authority to the understanding of the holy books. If not so, one wonders why people act contrary to the teaching of the holy books (whether the Quran or the Bible) in matters pertaining to peaceful co-existence, unity and sanctity of life, and property. As it is a serious disease for someone who does not have a full grasp of the interpretation of any of the holy books to claim authority to knowledge, many of the so called ‘religious leaders’ use their shallow knowledge to put up interpretations to suit their selfish ends banking on the ignorance of their followers. Lamenting on the wide gap between the teaching and practice of religion among its adherents, Adebayo (2003) cited in Adebayo (2010: 219) identified some factors responsible for using religion as instrument of polarization, among which is leadership tussle, which also culminated in the proliferation of many denominations in the country. Also, sectarian jingoism, as well as excessive patriotism to one’s religious sect, which consequently transformed to fanaticism, is another major factor contributing to this social menace. Salawu (2010) also noted that the failure of the Nigerian leaders to establish good governments, forge national integration and promote what can be called real economic progress, through deliberate and articulated policies, has led to mass poverty and unemployment. This has resulted into communal, ethnic, religious and class conflicts that have now characterized the Nigerian nation. Poverty and unemployment have therefore served as nursery bed for many ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria because the country now has a reservoir of poor people who warmongers as mercenary fighters. What this means theoretically is that poverty and unemployment increase the number of people who are prepared to kill or be killed for a given course at token benefit. This explains why all ethno-religious crises that ever occurred in Nigeria have a large turnout of people (including the under-aged) as fighters. Lastly and very importantly, and not the least, the ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria also have some historical antecedent (Salawu, 2010). This is because many governmental actions during the colonial rule and after independence encouraged, to a large extent, the sowing of the seeds of ethno-religious conflicts that are found to be rampant in the Nigerian nation today. Over the years, many events in Nigeria have led to the politicization of mistrust, intolerance, violence and acrimonious relations between the mainly Moslem north and the Christian south of Nigeria. To this extent, there has been an unfortunate insertion of ethno-religious discrimination and incompatibility in the structures of the Nigerian State since the colonial period. The political events of the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 1966 counter-coup further entrenched ethno-religious configuration in Nigeria. This is because the killings and counter-killing that followed the coups which took ethnic and religious colorations as the Muslim dominated tribes in the north were set against the Christian-dominated tribes of the southern region.

Lead with Example

Matthew Vetter English 101 Professor Melanie Bussiere September 25th, 2010 A Conflict Of Interest Stability in a ruler’s morals and ethics are a vital asset to have when ruling a group of people. With similarities shared between the ruler and the common person the ruler will then be able to relate and be more respected amongst the population, as opposed to a ruler who rules with his own self interest at hand.In the piece, The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli argues the many principles of how a prince should and should not rule. In order to rule successfully he states a prince must possess some of the following characteristics; morality, a strong army, strict rule, common ground with his people and also to be widely respected. Machiavelli laid the ground work for many rulers in the future with his modern view in a time where rulers were primitive and ruled through fear and terror.The Prince and its ideas can even be seen today in our modern day presidents and kings proving that Mach iavelli had compelling ideas and arguments for how leaders can obtain and hold a position of power successfully. Respect, the most important quality a leader should have, is the basis for any relationship whether it is between friends or a ruler and his people. The prince depicted in Machiavelli’s work has no respect for or from the population and this solely is his major flaw.Machiavelli states, â€Å"Spending the wealth of others does not lesson your reputation but adds to it; only spending what is your own is what hurts you†. In order to gain the respect he must forge relationships, sacrifice what is his own and respect the lives of his people. It is seen through his methods of war that he spends the lives of his people frivolously sending them on missions where the fatalities are extremely he high due to the fact he has no care for the population as long as his position is protected from outside enemies .The prince grew up rich, privileged and oblivious to the hard ships faced by the working class. His followers grew up in a completely different lifestyle with responsibilities, battles and hard work the two different lives clash, making it impossible for him to share experiences or believe their personal thoughts and aspirations for the civilization if they conflict with his own. Due to the conflicting ideologies of the Prince and his people he will never be able to lead successfully in theory of Machiavelli.These views can even be seen in modern day, when a president or person of power is involved in scandal or betrayal of his people he is impeached and removed from the position of power and that is exactly what will happen to a Prince who cannot control his people. Along with caring about his fellow man that is ranked below him on the social ladder, a prince according to Machiavelli must show compassion along with being able to control. In the view of Machiavelli, â€Å"it is far safer to be feared than loved if you cannot be both†, a leader must find common ground with his people and show interest without leniency within the rules.With this healthy balance of freedom and strict rule Machiavelli provided a solid background for how a leader or in this case a Prince can keep order. The exampled Prince in the essay found it quite difficult to relate to his less fortunate counterparts causing them to not cooperate with his decisions despite the threat of death to those who oppose so without respect and fear no man can truly rule according to Machiavelli. Earning a leadership role through your actions provides a steady background, and respect from the people who will be following you.Many rulers come up through family and their reign is usually short lived. This is due to their inexperience in battle, leadership roles and how to treat a population. A prince regardless of his prior experience and actions will generally rule from a pedestal with belief he is always correct with preconceived notions that his opinion is always higher than those below him or her they will never take others serious. With this mind set it is impossible for someone to rule effectively because they will not take other opinions or view into consideration until it is too late.This is evident in Machiavelli’s piece when he explains the situation in which the Duke of Milan’s sons came into leadership. The boys came into rule after their father and had no respect for the population or their opinion and were quickly over thrown through the force of an outraged population. Leadership is built behind respect and respect is built behind camaraderie and previous acts in which display the character of a leader. The actions of a prince before coming into rule will define his entire reign of power.It will determine whether it is short lived or the start of a prosperous empire. Machiavelli laid down the frame work for the ideal leader to retain power and keep order. The beliefs of Machiavelli have been seen time after t ime in our current leaders around the globe. Their fallacies are seen exactly as Machiavelli saw them and their good qualities are also seen. Nonetheless, it is impossible to say how to perfectly rule as there will always be those to oppose for their own personal reasons but the essay The Prince, is as close of a depiction of the ideal ruler to date.