External and Internal factors at Sony Ericsson Essay

Sony Ericsson In 2001 telecommunications leader Ericsson and the Sony Corporation joined forces to establish Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. Because of this joint venture, Sony Ericsson recognized sales of over seven billion dollars in the first year. This was mainly because the combined mobile phone business company now offered a range of mobile communication products that went far beyond the simple mobile phone technology of its time. Marketing Marketing, more than any other business function, deals with customers. Creating customer value and satisfaction is at the very heart of modern marketing. Marketing is the delivery of customer satisfaction at a profit. Sound marketing is critical to the success of every organization–large or small, for profit or non-profit, domestic or global. Large for-profit firms such as Sony use marketing. This is where globalization, technology, and ethics come into play. Global Marketing The world is shrinking rapidly with the advent of faster communication, transportation, and financial flows. Products developed in one country are finding enthusiastic acceptance in other countries. In fact, international trade is booming. Since 1969, the number of multinational corporations in the world’s fourteen richest countries has more than tripled. According to Business Week, written by Gail Edmondson, â€Å"many U.S. companies have long been successful at international marketing: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, IBM, Xerox, Corning, Gillette, Colgate, General Electric, Caterpillar, Ford, Kodak, 3M, Boeing, and dozens of other American firms have made the world their market. And in the United States, names such as Sony, Toyota, Norelco, and Mercedes have become household words† (Edmondson, G., 2000). Globalization has become the increasing tendency of the world to act as one market. Technological advances in travel and communications are the driving  force behind market globalization. For instance, new communication technologies, such as the ones offered by Sony Ericsson, allow people and/or teams from all over the world to work on projects and share information without leaving their desks. At the same time, advanced technologies allow manufacturers to produce their goods in foreign locations that offer an abundant supply of low-cost labor (Mescon, M, Courtland, B., & Thill, J., 1999) Innovation Companies today need to take advantage of their innovative capabilities to develop new businesses. Without exploiting the potential idea of innovation, companies will not be prepared for the effects of new technology, demanding customers and globalization. To keep up with the fast-paced world of mobile communications technology, Sony Ericsson will need to combine telecommunication solutions with proven entertainment technology to be considered the forefront of telecommunication innovation. However, there are difficult challenges that Sony Ericsson must go through to bring to the market a stream of improved products and services that enable the business to achieve higher profits. Incorporating innovative ideas and new technologies is the key for a successful business to compete effectively in the global environment. In the past year, Sony Ericsson has launched groundbreaking products for their mobile technology. The success of the company comes from the distinction of other companies in terms of design, imaging, and applications. With a unique combination of Sony’s digital imaging and Ericsson’s mobile platform, Sony Ericsson seems to have the upper hand in coming out with the latest technology to meet consumer demand. With any advancements of innovation, design is a key step to initiate any innovative ideas. Sony Ericsson takes pride in their industrial designers because of the importance to impress consumers with never-before-seen looks and groundbreaking technology. From the birth of an idea to the launch of the product, Sony Ericsson’s  designers monitor the progress of the product systematically, making sure the innovative idea keeps its shape and stays new. Designers will also need to keep a close eye on any changing trends in the mobile communication market as they can inspire as well as influence the elements of innovative design. Sony Ericsson continues to innovate in design and newly launched products to strengthen its reputation as a design leader. In addition, the company strives to be a cutting edge provider of applications, creating partnerships with software developers and content providers to meet everyday consumer demand. Technologies Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications offers services globally to a communication market with high end, state-of-the-art mobile phone equipment, accessories, PC-cards, and M2M (Machine-to-Machine) technology. Our computer era is about making people more productive in the working environment. It is a technology that is geared to help people interact with other people through the aid of always on computers, communication, and powerful high bandwidth. The M2M communications technology is going to be different in the sense that it will allow electronic devices to interact with people and other devices. This will not require as big a bandwidth as computers use now days. This technology features higher reliability and efficiency, and it also enables users to remotely access and manage other array of equipment without having to move around or keeping a technical staff. This type of technology is presently being used by Sony Ericsson and is evolving rapidly particularly in the area of wireless equipment. M2M is also used for business applications such as: Security and emergency response Mission-critical uptime Optimized logistics Management resources Mobility and collaboration Personalization and customization Another of the latest popular technologies is called Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). This is a technology for wideband digital radio communications of Internet, multimedia, video and other capacity-demanding applications. WCDMA is the dominating 3G (3rd. Generation) technology, providing higher capacity for voice and data and higher data rates. WCDMA uses a new spectrum with a 5 MHz carrier, providing 50 times higher data rate than in present GSM networks (and 10 times higher data rate than in GPRS networks) WCDMA handles up to 2 Mbps for local area access or 384 Kbps for wide area access. A coming release will include enhancements up to more than 10 Mbps. WCDMA is also known as UMTS and has been adopted as a standard by the ITU under the name IMT-2000 direct spread (Ericsson, 2004). Multimedia Messaging Service technology is another feature found in many Sony Ericsson’s communication devices of today. This feature enables users to send/receive multimedia messaging. MMS technology applies to communication applications, information, and entertainment. Because of the nature of the applications, MMS is especially helpful because it is designed for time critical situations, such as sport and other breaking news, alerts, stock market developments, etc. MMS also optimizes video images, video and audio signals in real time. Ethics In order to understand how Sony Ericsson Industries became a company gripped  in ethical and social responsibility, one must first look at its history and mission. In an article on the World Wide Web, â€Å"A Study of Smart phones† it talks about some of the history of Ericsson. Back in June of 1998, Ericsson made Symbian a privately independent company. Ericsson had one mission and that was, â€Å"To provide solutions to communication needs† (Ericsson, 2004). Ericsson made an ethical decision and commitment to the diversified customer base to always provide the end user with user friendly, expedient, business savvy computer compatible phones that severed and performed a wide variety of uses. That mission statement and ethical commitment grew, as did the Symbian coalition, which eventually included companies such as Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, and Psion’s. With this new collaboration of world leading communication players came the new mission, which was, â€Å"To set the standard for mobile wireless operating systems and to enable a mass market for wireless information devices† (Grey Matter India, 2004). In 1998, Sony Ericsson had implemented the objective mission into the organization. In 2001, another mission was reborn. This mission statement focus was on the needs and wants of the consumer that included and embraced the ethics and the social responsibilities in present day. In 2001, the headlines stated â€Å"Welcome to Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications.† Then in October of 2001, Sony published on its website its new mission, which was â€Å"Our mission is to establish Sony Ericsson as the most attractive and innovative global brand in the mobile handset industry† (Ericsson, 2004). They went on to publish there social responsibility statement, which stated, â€Å"It is Sony Ericsson’s policy to behave in a socially and ethically exemplary way and to operate business in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Sony Ericsson believes in respect for human rights and in the ethical treatment of all employees† (Ericsson, 2004). The Joint Venture Whether a company is small or large, there comes a time when a company needs to shift the way the company is managed. Large companies, such as Sony Ericsson, have been using self-directed work teams for years to improve quality, increase productivity, raise morale, lower costs, and boost  motivation. A self-directed work team is a group of workers from different functional areas of a company who work together as a unit largely without supervision, making decisions, and performing task that once belonged only to managers. However, it is important to note, that managers in companies using teams, such as Sony Ericsson, do not just sit around drinking coffee. In fact, they work just as hard as before, but the nature of their work changes dramatically. â€Å"Managers at Sony Ericsson take on roles of coaches who empower those around them to make decisions affecting their work and share information with workers. As facilitators, their job is to support and to serve the teams functioning in the organization and to make sure they produce results† (Ericsson, 2004). References Edmondson, G. (2000, August 28). See the world, erase its borders. Business Week, pp. 113-114. Ericsson. (2004). About Ericsson. Retrieved February 20, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ericsson.com/about/ Ericsson. (2004). Technologies. WCDMA. Retrieved February 20, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ericsson.com/technology/ Gray Matter India. (2004). Smartphones. White Paper, pg. 8. Retrieved February 21, 2005 from the World Wide Web: www.greymatterindia.com/downloads/Whitepaper_Rise%20_of_Smartphones.pdf. Mescon, M., Courtland, B., Thill, J. (1999). Business Today, 203. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

The Problem of Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Problem of Evil - Essay Example However, this world is filled with things beyond evil and people do feel pain and suffering, which contradicts the claims of orthodox theist that God is perfectly good. This conflict is called problem of evil. Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then is He impotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then is He malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Whence then is evil? (Hume) In an attempt to unravel the complexities of this predicament, few queries must be made. Evil goes beyond what we do not want other people to do to us. According to Hick, there are two classifications of evil. First, the moral evil which includes those acts an individual or group may be responsible of such as the seven deadly sins and more. Second type is the natural evil. Pain and suffering brought by natural calamities which people has no control over. Although the line which separates the two is still blurry, since some natural evil are consequences of human actions or lack of action. Nevertheless, we cannot deny the fact that there are things beyond our control ----- accidents and natural disasters. Evil is often associated with suffering which highlights an individual’s sense of pain or loss that focuses on a particular kind of evil: one which is considered as a consequence of an act rather than a more abstract concept. Thus arise another confusion which is the existence of hell ----- a place where God put those who have failed Him to rot and suffer; because this very notion contradicts the idea of a loving God. Augustinian theodicy argues that God is wholly good, thus He’s not responsible for the existence of evil in the world. It claims that evil is not the opposite; rather it is the absence of good. According to this theodicy, evil happens as a result of people’s misuse of their free will, therefore exonerating God and putting the blame of all evil and suffering to people who abuse their free will. This particular claim of Augustinian theodicy makes the subject more baffling, for it puts all the blame to the ‘finitely perfect’ being, that is us humans, who fails to choose perfection, hence shifting the blame back to the Creator. Moreover, the term ‘privation’ is inadequate justification for the apparent effects of evil in its truest sense. Then comes the knowledge of evolution ---- a process by which humans, being the most complex creatures, learn to adapt and grow in accordance with its environment. This is the claim of Irenaean theodicy which is restated by John Hick on his Soul-making theodicy. Hick defines soul-making as the existence of evil and suffering which allows flawed creatures to outgrow their imperfections and develop to a more perfect state. It emphasizes on the development by practicing free will, people are able to overcome temptations and suffering hence bringing them closer to perfection and to God. Unlike that of the Augustinians which give much stress on the negativity of the existence of evil, Irenaean theodicy puts God in an epistemic distance from us. It explains that this distance is meant for us to learn to love God on our own free-will by prevailing over all the difficulties He places on our path as we journey through life. Evil is created by God to hone the inner values we have, for some ideals need to go through some difficulties to develop like that of courage and forgiveness amidst suffering. This theodicy believes that individuals evolve towards a higher state by

Data Analysis & Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Data Analysis & Research Methods - Essay Example 263). Apparently, ‘r’ is very close to zero, which means that the two variables have no relationship. In other words, support for the new waste policy has no statistical relationship with the volume of waste produced prior to the policy’s introduction. The other inference drawn from the analysis is that r is positive, meaning that â€Å"as one variable gets larger the other gets larger† (Conover, 1980, p. 263). However, since we have concluded that the two variables have no statistical relationships, then the positive relationship is spontaneous and hence has no scientific meaning (Croxton, Cowden & Klein, 1968). To better understand the correlation of coefficients, it is important to square them to get the proportion of the disparity in one variable that is associated with the variation in the other variable. In this case, the percentage is extremely small (0.00002%), which again adds evidence that the two variables have no relationship. These statistics r eveals that the volume of waste that the staff generated prior to introduction of the new policy does not have any influence in the manner in which they embrace the new policy. Embracing of the new policy, in this case, is determined by question six, which asks â€Å"How many times per week do you visit the central re-cycling bins to deposit waste of the central waste bins?† Question A (b) Assumption: 3 = yes, close enough, 1 = No, too far away (this means that a positive correlation should imply that support for new policy in positively related with convenience. respondent Question 4 Question 6 X Y X*X Y*Y X*Y 1 3 3 9 9 9 2 3 12 9 144 36 3 1 6 1 36 6 4 1 4 1 16 4 5 1 5 1 25 5 6 3 7 9 49 21 7 1 8 1 64 8 8 1 6 1 36 6 9 1 17 1 289 17 10 1 21 1 441 21 11 1 2 1 4 2 12 3 7 9 49 21 13 3 5 9 25 15 14 1 5 1 25 5 15 1 8 1 64 8 16 3 4 9 16 12 17 1 9 1 81 9 18 3 12 9 144 36 19 1 19 1 361 19 20 3 13 9 169 39 21 3 4 9 16 12 22 1 15 1 225 15 23 1 17 1 289 17 24 3 7 9 49 21 25 1 10 1 100 10 26 3 3 9 9 9 27 3 12 9 144 36 28 1 6 1 36 6 29 1 4 1 16 4 30 1 5 1 25 5 31 3 10 9 100 30 32 1 8 1 64 8 33 1 6 1 36 6 34 1 10 1 100 10 35 1 23 1 529 23 61 313 139 3785 511 N= 35 ?X = 61 ?Y= 313 ?XY =511 ?X2 =139 ?Y2=3785 Null hypothesis: there is enough evidence to show that support for the new waste policy was related to the convenience of the re-cycling bins’ location? Perform statistical tests to investigate these questions fully. Correlation(r) = [N?XY - (?X) (?Y) / v ([N?X2 (?X) 2] [N?Y2 - (?Y) 2])] r = [35*511-61*313/v ([35*139*3721] [35*3785-97,969)] r = -1208/790348.4 r = -0.002 r2=0.004 = 0.4% The coefficient of correlation between convenience of the re-cycling bins’ location and support for the new waste policy is -0.002, which means that when the location is more convenient, less people will support the policy. However, the coefficient is quite far from -1, therefore, the two variables are not closely related. The square of the coefficient is 0.4%, which mea ns that only 0.4% of the variance accounts for this relationship, while the rest 99.6% is due to sampling errors. In reality, it would be hard to find people failing to support the policy when it is more convenient, while they support it when it is less convenient. Therefore, we could conclude that the statistical relationship is largely because of sampling errors, and hence not a true representative of what could happen in the population (Rosner, 2000). Is there any evidence

AHRQ Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AHRQ - Research Paper Example These are In-patient quality determination There is need for a system integration that will enable the IQIs. Inpatient quality indicator are stipulated measures that gives a dimension the way hospital administration data than involve the degree of care in the hospital. The sensor shows the quality of attention within the hospitals. It covers the sequence of inpatients for some steps and the condition of their illness. The determination whether the rate of mortality is directly proportional to the availability, integrity and accessibility of the information that are facts and can be attested to is a question of concern and the best way to solve this is by ensuring that the system that is in place is void of inaccuracy. The technology that is used to share the information involving this department must make use of the latest EISA fundamentals. The hardware that should be used should must maximum information security especially the networking devices (Andriessen & Vartiainen, 2006). As far as the management of information that involves the release of patients is concern, there is still a lot to be done because there are disparities in knowing whether the patient was discharged or died. For AHRQ to eradicate this problem the software that is used to check the state of a patient in a regular basis must be put in place. The second aspect concerns pediatric quality indicators (PDIs). This is used to keep the information about the discharge of patient. This is to determine the quality of healthcare in the pediatric department. The issues that involve the patients in the pediatric department that is not captured in the healthcare system are given consideration. To ensure that this is achieved the program that should be used should be able to update it anytime a patient is discharged (Andriessen & Vartiainen, 2006). Basically, the discharge process that is undertaken in the hospital involves the doctor, the nurses and the supportinate that such as the security. An effect ive system is one that is able to share the information amongst the three parties and at the same time enables information filtering so that the sensitive health information remains with the doctor. Too ensure this, an interactive system that guides the different parties on how to ensure the authenticity of the data needs to be implemented. The information security system that is applied must ensure that the validity and reliability of the administrative data. Any risk that is involved must be checked. In addition, interconnection between the information concerning adult healthcare as a contributing factor to the children health is a problem. The different servers that maintain this information should be linked so that the availability of data is made flexible. This will make sure that the needs for different social classes ranging from low income to the rich are maintained (Andriessen & Vartiainen, 2006). The indicator that is used for adult patient should also be able to adapt to infants. This is made possible by using physical metric of an individual such as weight to adjust the functionality of the system. The embedded software used must transmit the record immediately so that the analysis and interpretation can be done to facilitate information dissemination to all the agencies. Prevention quality indicators These are the measures that are used for emergency care services. The rate of transferring data

Understanding Luther Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding Luther - Essay Example Understanding Luther Luther tried also to point that James considered the perfect law as a way to liberate men from bondages (James 1:25), However, Luther believed that Paul considered the law as the law of slavery, wrath, death and sin. In this ground, Luther was confident in his stand that James opposed Paul and the scriptures and whatever the apostles were able to accomplish by stimulating people to love. It is therefore evident that Luther was comparing both James and Paul’s epistle on the ground of faith and work. His stand was evident on Paul’s writing and he used this as his basis to consider James’ stand between faith and work as completely contradictory. Paul’s teaching about works and faith in Galatians Paul’s teachings about works and faith in Galatians are evident. His very example was the faith of Abraham which was considered righteousness before God. He would offer his son, by believing in God and that certain faith moved the hands of God on him. In this e xample, Paul pointed out that Abraham had faith and because of that, he would be willing to offer his son, as God commanded him. Paul depicted that real faith certainly would result to action that would justify it, just like what Abraham did. In the same way, Paul pointed out that it is only by faith we are justified in Christ. ... it is an act considered by Paul which results to having its fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Therefore, Paul was clear about its message that having faith in Jesus is about living in righteousness guided by the Spirit. Thus, there is an act involved in here to be initiated by man, combining the real essence and power of both faith and work. James’ teaching about works and faith in James James was also bold and clear about his stand on faith and works. ‘You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless (dead)?’ (James 2:20). James wanted to emphasize that faith is made complete by what the person does (James 2:22). Abraham was made righteous and was remarkably remembered of his faith because of his ability to obey God to the fullest even if it would mean the life of his dear son. James just wanted to emphasize that a genuine faith would result to doing great things, no matter how hard they might be for as long as it is pleasing before God and in accordance to His will. Evaluating Luther Luther was exactly missing the real point of what righteousness is all about. He did not consider the fact that faith and works are interrelated which was elaborately shown by the epistles of Paul and James. However, compared to Paul, James was very bold in saying that genuine faith results to works that are acceptable and pleasing to God. Luther had a point believing that works cannot justify a person before God. It is absolutely true because the scripture is clear about it. ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, Luther is

Technological and Economic Factors Affecting Business Environment Essay

Technological and Economic Factors Affecting Business Environment - Essay Example This paper will investigate the changing business environment of the travel industry over the last five years. It will further examine the technological and economic factors that affect the airline industry in UK. Technological Factor The first business in travel and tourism to embrace technological innovation is the airlines industry (Buhalis, 2004, p.1). Dale, et al. (2006, p.4) indicated in his book the early technology adopted by the air travel. Viewdata system was the first technology that connects â€Å"tour operators and travel agencies via terminals.† It grants travel agents to book flights based on the preferences of their customers. In the 1950s, they develop the Computer Reservation System (CRS) to make direct bookings via the system. With the development of Global Distribution System (GDS), travel agents across the globe can access the available flight and seats for travellers. The timeline of technological innovation of the airline industry shows of their early im provements. Therefore, by the year 2005, the airline industry has developed its own booking system to gain competitive advantage. Capoccitti, et al. (2010) indicate the operations improvement of the airline industry by using technology in managing the CO2 emission. The concern of stakeholders, which affects UK travellers, is on reducing the gases that harm the earth’s atmosphere. ... Currently, the travellers can utilise their mobile phone to check-in via the internet, which adds customers’ experience (Boyle, 2011). Hence, innovation and technological advancement are critical to the viability of the airline industry in the new global business environment. Impact of Technology The development of technology increases the competition among the airlines industry because it changes the processing method, the information dissemination, and communication process. With the evolution of technology, the business environment is rapidly changing, which tightens competition. According to Khosrowpour (2003, p.237), airline companies compete with travel agents to obtain a high market share because they refer other airline companies with available flight to customers. Furthermore, Doganis (2006, p.197) states that information technology aids companies in their distribution system and revenue management. The effective forecasting method of most companies is due to the impr ovement of technology, which allows them to predict sales based on the available seats. Hence, it stimulates other companies to adopt technology because it benefits both customers and companies. Moreover, the demand of customers changes. They want fast and accessible service, which motivates companies to improve services. Aside from accessibility, technology is essential for companies that cut cost or expenses. Economic Factor According to the Civil Aviation Authority (2008, pp.1-6), the decline of the traffic growth in UK commenced in the year 2005. This was affected by the 2001 bombings in the United States that instilled fear for most travellers. The security was stabilised to guarantee the safety of leisure and business travellers. Furthermore,

Race, Gender & Ethnicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Race, Gender & Ethnicity - Essay Example This information can be useful to several interest groups and it is easily understandable even for laymen. In total there have been â€Å"1226† executions in the last 35 years, which make the yearly average to 35 (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). The data indicates that in the 70s and 80s death sentences were very few. It has registered an increase from mid 90s and the bar chart allows an easy and clear interpretation of the data. After showing a decreasing trend for several years, it increased from 37 in 2008 to 52 in 2009 and fell to 38 in 2010. Thus, it will suggest that death punishment does not act as an effective deterrent. The site presents the data in an easily discernible manner so that users can easily understand it. The article offers data on the executed persons’ race that of the victims in the cases of death penalty. â€Å"687† or â€Å"56%† are Whites, Blacks constitute â€Å"424† or â€Å"35%† while â€Å"91† or â€Å"7%† are Hispanics and â€Å"24† or â€Å"2%† are from other categories (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). Whites constitute of the victims with â€Å"76%† and Blacks are second with â€Å"15%† while Hispanics and others comprise â€Å"6%† and â€Å"3%† respectively (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). These details provide the users with a clear idea of the racial orientation of the death penalties. The article further mentions about the discrimination in 96% states, based on the â€Å"pattern of either race-of-victim or race-of-defendant† and finds, based on research evidence that â€Å"98% of chief district attorneys† are Whites (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). This information, again, enables the users to understand the influence that race can exercise in the death penalty cases. The article also finds that since the year 1973, â€Å"130 people,† whose innocence has been proved, â€Å"have