`` Confessions Of A Workaholic `` By Wayne Oates - 1652 Words

One in four workers can be classified as a â€Å"workaholic† nevertheless; it is still vastly underestimated in the damages it can cause (Griffiths, 2011). Workaholism has been coined as the respectable addiction and the hard working man’s disease; however, workaholism is a deadly disease that affects the workaholic, their family, friends, and even coworkers. The Japanese term for workaholism is karoshi and is estimated to kill over 1,000 deaths a year (Williams, 2012). The definition of a workaholic remains vague and unconstructive; however, the symptoms and manifestations can be quite clear. Merriam-Webster defines workaholic as â€Å"a person who chooses to work a lot: a person who is always working, thinking about work, etc.† In 1971, Wayne E. Oates coined the term â€Å"Workaholic† in his novel, Confessions of a Workaholic. Wayne Oates was an American psychologist and religious educator. Oates asserts that working can become an addiction just as alco hol (Oates, 1971). A major contributor to the problem is the belief that hard work leads to greater wealth (Williams, 2012). Workaholism is considered by many to be a respectable addiction and a positive thing. These people lack understanding into the true nature and dangers of this addiction. Numerous myths surround workaholism including: workaholics are always working; no one ever died of hard work; Workaholism only adversely affects the workaholic (Fassel, 1990). It is imperative that a distinction be made between workaholism and

The Death Of A Doctor - 986 Words

General Overview Death is inevitable, most of us do not know when or how, but it happens to everyone. The thought of planning your death or having a doctor help complete the task is hard to contemplate. What if you were dying, you had a terminal illness that you would never recover from, imagine as the part of the disease process you would slowly lose your ability to: care for yourself, feed yourself, you would lose your memory, and the ability to walk or talk. What if during this process you would have pain and agony beyond words and despite trying all the medical options available there was just no relief. Life is sometimes unfair and we are faced with tough decisions, what if a you had the opportunity to do the things on your bucket list, make amends with family or friends and when you got to the point that you couldn’t stand the pain and agony anymore you could say goodbye and take a pill and go to sleep and it would be the end of suffering. I believe that voluntary active euthanasia is m orally acceptable for terminally ill people. First we need to establish exactly what euthanasia is. Euthanasia as defined by our text is â€Å"directly or indirectly bringing about death of another person for that person’s sake.† (Vaughn, 2013, p. 357). There are several forms of euthanasia; voluntary euthanasia, performed with a person’s consent; involuntary euthanasia, performed without a person’s consent and non-voluntary consent, where the person is incapable of giving consent. Next, weShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of The Doctor944 Words   |  4 PagesAs I stood there watching my mother cry, I couldn’t seem to fathom how death could cause someone who was here yesterday to disappear today. My mother and I witnessed my thirty-three year old aunt whither away from ovarian cancer. A death that was avoidable had she had better access to healthcare for early diagnosis. My aunt’s cancer never received treatment and progressed until there was nothing left in her pelvic cavity. It ignited a s park; a spark to search for answers. A spark that grew brighterRead MoreThe Death Of The Doctor983 Words   |  4 Pagesthroughout the procedures of fixing this problem. The doctor knocks on the door, he/she informs you of your condition â€Å"Supraventricular Tachycardia,† but for now let’s just abbreviate it as â€Å"SVT.† You will have to have surgery called an â€Å"SVT ablation â€Å"to fix this heart problem, but for the mean time, you are put onto something called â€Å"Beta-Blockers†, which prevents the chemical that creates fight or flight, known as adrenaline. Your doctor has requested you to go to your local hospital, where youRead MoreThe Death Of A Medical Doctor822 Words   |  4 Pagesbe called, I thought to myself what it would be like to walk in the footsteps of a doctor and the duties of a medical doctor. I sat there daydreaming about the lives of the Nigerian patients experiencing healthcare difficulties with hope that someday I would be able to save them. As a young teenager at that time, I did not know what path I would take to achieve this dream; I just wanted to become a medical doctor. Now this d ream is knocking at my door making my dream a reality. From there forwardRead MoreIs Jack Kevorkian A Doctor Death?1585 Words   |  7 PagesKevorkian also known as ‘doctor death’, he created a sort of stigma for physician assisted death. He was an outspoken figure that brought to the forefront a serious arising problem that hadn’t been discussed in such an open setting. Just for a little basis on his background and credentials, he graduated from Michigan University medical school with a specialty in pathology. In 1956, four years after graduating, he published his first article â€Å"The Fundus Oculi and the Determination of Death.† This article discussedRead MoreDoctor Assisted Death : A Patients Choice1354 Words   |  6 Pages Doctor Assisted Death: A Patients Choice James Reed Ivy Tech Community College Doctor Assisted Death: A Patients Choice Matthew Donnelly loved life. But Matthew Donnelly wanted to die. For the past thirty years, Matthew had conducted research on the use of X-Rays. Now, skin cancer riddled his tortured body. He had lost his nose, his left hand, two fingers on his right hand, and part of his jaw. He was left blind and was slowly deteriorating. The pain was unrelenting. DoctorsRead MoreDoctor Assisted Death And Its Effects On Children And Mentally Ill Patients1057 Words   |  5 Pages Death means the end of life, but it has never been a choice that can be determined by a human. With the recent discussion of doctor-assisted death, people may have the opportunity to decide. The article â€Å"The Right to Die† posted by The Economist, on Jun 27th, 2015 analyzed both negative and positive sides of doctor-assisted death. The article says the patient’s decision will be in the hands of a doctor. The system is pretending to shun doctor-assisted dying while tacitly condoning it without safeguardsRead MoreChristopher Marlowe s The Tragical History Of The Life And Death Of Doctor Faustus 1688 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, the main protagonist, Dr. Faustus, sick and tired of the limited abilities of any human individual trades his soul with the lord of the hell, Lucifer, for 24 years of limitless power, liberty and knowledge. Faustus travels around the world, unconscious about his destiny, and enjoys all of the worldly and sensual pleasures. Unfortunately, in the end, when Faustus finally realizes his fate and begs for forgiveness from God, the demons drags Doctor into the flamesRead MoreGreed In Jakob And Wilhelm Grimms Godfather Death926 Words   |  4 PagesGodfather Death â€Å"Greed has taken the whole universe, and nobody is worried about their soul.† This is the quote that I find most relevant to this story and sets the mood and tone for everything that follows. It’s nothing new for someone to put their needs and wants before anything or anyone else in their life. The doctor was warned by Death that it would turn out badly if he disobeyed him, but he put his wants ahead of the warning. In the story Godfather Death, Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm demonstrateRead MoreSynopsis Of The Godfather Death 984 Words   |  4 Pagesvery clear. Godfather Death Summary The Godfather Death is a German fairytale collected by the Grimm’s brothers and it’s about a man of scarce resources who has twelve children, but then has a thirteenth child. A child he can’t support. Thus being the reason why we tries to find the most suitable godfather for his kid. He passes by God and the Devil, but when he comes across with Death, he decides he is the best option, since death is equal and does not discriminate. Death agrees to be the godfatherRead MoreEssay on Medicine and Law1057 Words   |  5 PagesState of Arkansas could force death row prisoner Charles Laverne Singleton to take antipsychotic drugs to make him sane enough to execute. Singleton was to be executed for felony capital murder but became insane while in prison. Medicine is supposed to heal people, not prepare them for execution; a law that asks doctors to make people well so that the government can kill them is an absurd law, said David Kaczynski, the executive director of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty . There are many

Q marginalisation Free Essays

Through these poems and novel it shall e proven that Normalization is not always limited to an individual, instead it can extend to a social group and even a country itself. In this essay the three types of normalization will be addressed, individual normalization through racism, social normalization through groups such as the ‘hippies’ and the normalization of a country itself through economic normalization of 3rd world countries. Normalization can occur anywhere at any time to anyone. We will write a custom essay sample on Q marginalisation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Individual normalization is where one person Is singled out from a group or community of people for something like being an overweight. One of the most talked about and, unfortunately common, types of individual normalization is racism. Racism is something that society has struggled with for many generations. It has been around from the early settlers and has been a problem ever since. The poem telephone conversation’ by Whole Saying demonstrates the racism and its problems very clearly. It is a poem about an African man looking for accommodation In either England or America around the time of the sass’s. The line â€Å"madam† I warned, â€Å"l hate a wasted journey – I am African†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"HOW an example of how African people were marginal’s again because of the color of their skin. In those times, It was hard How to cite Q marginalisation, Papers

Online Shopping Acceptance Model

Question: Discuss about the Online Shopping Acceptance Model. Answer: Introduction: Online shopping is done from home or office where a person can conveniently use the computer for searching goods online. As in case of online shopping, the purchasing is done through an Internet website, location does not play a significant role in this case. These days, online shopping has become very common. As a result of the convenience it offers, a lot of people shop online for different items like clothes, books or even tickets for movies and concerts. As these online retailers are starting to take over the industry, a question is being asked that what is the impact of online shopping on the retail industry. In order to deal with this issue, it is important to have a look at the advantages and disadvantages that are associated with online shopping. Advantages of Online Shopping: It cannot be denied that online shopping provides certain advantages to its customers. These advantages include convenience, better price, more options and C2C. but at the same time, it also needs to be mentioned that there is certain disadvantages present for the customers in case of online shopping (Kothari, 2010). These include shipping, which is time consuming and may damage the product during transit, misleading pictures, social interaction and security. It cannot be denied that online shopping provides the advantage of convenience to the customers. In case of online shopping, the customers are not required to step outside and go to a shop but the product can be purchased by then simply by a click of their fingers (Dobbs, Chen, Orr, Manyika and Chang, 2013). Similarly, in case of online shopping, the customers can have a look at the products offered by different online retailers at the same time and as a result they can get better quality at a lower price (Tripathi, 2007). Parti cularly the persons who are living in a big city and do not own their own convenience like a car, online shopping could be the best way to purchase different things conveniently. In the same way, in many cases, online shopping also presents the advantage of privacy (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg, 2006). The reason is that in case of online shopping, the consumers can purchase whatever they want but they are not required to meet people face-to-face. In the same way, as people are becoming more and more familiar with these technologies, it is easy for a person to be a customer or even to be a supplier (Smith and Rupp, 2003). Certain Disadvantages: At this point, it is worth mentioning that online shopping has some advantages as well as certain disadvantages for the retailers. The advantages for the retailers include that online shopping has less cost than physical stores, the orders can be accepted by the retailers 24x7 and hence the sales volume may increase and in the same way, it is easy to advertise (Bellman, Lohse and Johnson, 1999). But online shopping also has certain disadvantages for the retailers. Therefore in this case, returning the product is too easy for the customers and C2C is also too common in this case. In case of online shopping, it is easier for the retailers manage the business. They only need a warehouse and office, hire some persons to start their online retail business. Along with it, the cost of running the business is also low as compared to running a physical store. The reason is that in case of online retail, stores are not required to be opened at various locations for the purpose of finding the customers and as a result, the retailers do not have to pay any event for these stores and similarly they do not need to pay to the employees that have to be hired for managing these stores (Liang and Huang, 1998). The event can be considerably high at some expensive locations. Another benefit available in case of online retail is that the online store can be open 24x7. As a result, the online retail business can be exposed to the consumers at all times to cater to the needs of different customer groups (Stephen and Toubia, 2009). However, it also needs to be noted that the online retailers should immediately adapt to the changes taking place at all times in order to fulfill the needs of the customers. For example, in case of online shopping, it is easy for the consumers to return the goods. Therefore, there are chances that some consumers may take an undue advantage of this service by buying a lot of clothes, trying them on and probably attending some functions and then decide to return them (Zhou, Dai and Zhang, 2007). Although it is reasonable that the consumers may want to try on clothes and they also want a right to return the clothes if they do not fit properly but in such a case, a lot of extra work will be created for the online retailers and it will lower the efficiency. Therefore, it is always advisable that such situations should be considered while planning the business policies. Therefore, such situations should be managed to very carefully by the retailers so that they can reduce unnecessarily re turn processing and at the same time, make sure that the service quality is not lowered (Mellahi and Johnson, 2000). Conclusion: In the end, it can be said that online shopping is witnessing an unparalleled expansion, particularly during the last decade. Therefore, what was only a few percent 10 years ago, has became nearly to the person in case of certain categories of products and the Internet is being considered as a major sales channel in B2C trade and commerce. This expansion has been further fueled by the process of globalization. But, while there are a number of advantages that are present in case of online shopping, there are certain disadvantages also. References Bellman, S., G. L. Lohse, and E. J. Johnson, (1999) Predictors of Online Buying Behavior, Communications of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), Vol. 42, No, 12: 32-38 Kothari, C. R., (2010) Research Methodology Methods and Techniques, 2nd Revised Edition, New Age International (P) Ltd. Publishers Liang, T. P. and J. S. Huang, (1998) An Empirical Study on Consumer Acceptance of Products in Electronic Markets: A Transaction Cost Model, Decision Support Systems, Vol. 24: 29-43 Mellahi, K., Johnson, M. (2000), 'Does it pay to be a first mover in e.commerce? The case of Amazon.com, Management Decision, Vol.38, pp.445-452. Richard Dobbs, Yougang Chen, Gordon Orr, James Manyika, Micheal Chui, Elsie Chang, (2013) Chinas e-tail revolution: Online shopping as a catalyst for growth, McKinsey Co Smith, A., D., Rupp, W., T. (2003), 'Strategic online customer decision making: leveraging the transformational power of the Internet', Online Information Review, Vol.27(6), pp.418-432 Solomon, M., Bamossy, G., Askegaard, S., Hogg, M., K. (2006), Consumer Behaviour, A European Perspective, (3rd Edition), Essex: Pearson Educated Stephen, A., T., Toubia, O. (2009), 'Explaining the power-law degree distribution in a social commerce network', Social Networks, Vol.31(4), pp.262-270 Tripathi, P. C., (2007) Research Methodology in Social Sciences, 6th Revised and Enlarged Edition, Sultan Chand Sons Zhou, L., L. Dai, and D. Zhang, (2007) Online Shopping Acceptance Model A Critical Survey of Consumer Factors in Online Shopping, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Vol. 8, No. 1:41-62

Case study Of Fairview Distribution Centre †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Case study Of Fairview Distribution Centre. Answer: Introduction Supply Chain and Logistics Management forms one of the most integral parts of any business organization whereby the company manages its resources and sees to it that all the resources are utilized effectively and the organization incurs the minimum amount of cost. In the given report, such a case relating to the Fairview School Board has been presented (Christopher, 2016). The company presently holds a distribution center whereby it distributes all the stationery to the different organizations from one center. This has led to extremely high costs for the company and hence, it has been advised to give away the distribution centre and manage on its own. The given case explores all available ideas and then roots for one of them. Brief overview of the distribution scenario At the distribution center, an area of 30000 square foot was used which has to purposes. Various school`s inventories were kept at the warehouse for the supply given to the schools. This stock included office supplies, papers and other stationery items. Such a large stock was kept in order to see to it that the bulk purchases could be made which would lead to decreased costs and also balance the lead time in case of deliveries (Islam et al., 2013). The inventory levels fluctuated to a great extent throughout the year. At the warehouse, various equipment of the board house was also kept which consisted of special teaching supplies and could be loaned by the various schools on different time period basis (Wang et al., 2016). The delivery system of the board was also taken care of by the authorities in the distribution centre which comprised of an interdepartmental mail, supplies and other educational services. The deliveries were made to various schools and offices as and when required . Brief overview of giving away the distribution scenario Jim Knoxs Plan According to Jim Knox, that the board had forecasted certain deficits and thus, certain adjustments had to be made to various units in order to overcome the deficit problem. He suggested that along with giving away early retirement to various staffs and cuts, the distribution centre could be done away with (Mangan, Lalwani Lalwani, 2016). The schools should be allowed to handle their own supplies and the center could be sold away along with selling the vehicles owned. The reason why closing the distribution centre was taken in as a more attractive than cutting down other program budgets was because the schools could manage their supplies on their own. According to him salaries of around $500000 would be saved if the distribution centre was given away. Along with the same rent could also be saved. Alternate ideas The alternative option to the given scenarios cold is as follows: The distribution centre is a huge warehouse where all the equipment fit in adequately. Hence, due to this the area of the distribution centre could be reduced considerably and the entire excess inventory could somehow be reduced by keeping lower levels of stock (Stadtler, 2015).When the case comes up of the discounts which would be received then, the purchase of stocks can be made at once but the delivery can be made later. Adding to this, the staff could work on rotational basis and the teachers could also contribute some of their help in order to manage the supplies. Various other adjustments could be made which would help in altering the problem of the budget and even not hamper the distribution system aspect. Case for supporting the idea an alternative solution The most suitable scenario in the given situation would be taking up the alternative path. This given path would follow the `avoidance of wastage idea` an idea similar to that of the Kaizen Distribution, where all unnecessary costs and wastes would be avoided in order to see to it that the distribution centre does not incur the huge amount of costs that it is incurring at the moment (Jacobs, Chase Lummus, 2014). The alternative plan has been elaborated in detail: The inventory is stocked up extremely high with a value of $1,000,000.00. It had been given that the demand from schools remains fairly consistent throughout, however, certain changes do occur doing various parts of the year. This is the reason, why such high levels of stock are maintained. Additionally, these high levels lead to higher discounts and more safety stock concept. This can be avoided by estimating the stock month wise by checking out the trends of the previous year. The line trend of the last few years can be analyzed in order to figure out the future trends of the company (Simchi-Levi, Simchi-Levi Kaminsky, 2016). After doing so, the stock can be stocked up in lower quantities thereby saving the costs. Secondly, the distribution centre is in a large area and can run by giving away half of the area. As the stock levels will be comparatively lower, it can be easily adjusted in half the area which it currently occupies. This way the company will be saving half of the rent and electricity charges. The lowered inventory can be purchased at once and requested to be delivered from the manufacturer in a monthly basis (Coyle et al., 2016). This way the center will be receiving same amount of discount that it has been receiving until now and the problem of safety stock also gets resolved. As far as the staff is concerned, instead of early retirement or laying off the staff, the company can ask them to work in different shifts (Rushton, Croucher, Baker, 2014).If they are asked to work in different shifts, they will not be losing out on their work and side by side look out for better opportunities. Another component of the given plan is to ask the schools to pick up the supplies on their own so that delivery costs are not incurred. Even if the delivery goes from the distribution side instead of going out every two days, they can go out once every month. Rationale behind the case In terms of ethicality, the stakeholders need also needs to be considered while any particular decision is being made. When the distribution centre would have been given away, it would have caused inconvenience to various stakeholders. These stakeholders include various stakeholders like teachers, staff, the personnel working at the centre, and the maintenance staff. The staff has been working in the distribution centre since a very long time and therefore, it is extremely important that the people who are working there are also considered before any rash decision is made. Costs of this method The rent that has to be paid The cost of the employee salary Inventory management cost Cost of delivery Electricity cost Opportunity Cost of the alternate ideas (Mentzer et al., 2013). Benefits of the method Saved rent Saved inventory costs and wastage Reduced salary-Retention of employees- The employees are often considered to be one of the most profitable assets of the organization and the organization too has certain contributions towards it. Hence, it is suggested that the organization needs to take care of the employees. Reduced deficit Each school will not need to maintain its own supplies, hence better for the schools to manage Hence, it can be clearly stated that the benefits of following this idea is much more than the costs which are incurred. This also serves to be a middle path and helps in removal of any consequences for the board as well as the stakeholders involved in the board Conclusion Therefore, it can be stated that there were two clear alternatives available to the company which was giving away the distribution board or keeping it. The third was an additional alternative which would have helped the board to reduce certain costs. All the ideas were well explained and then the case for an alternative idea was built which was reducing excess wastage and keeping the distribution center but decreasing it in size and operations. The reduced operations will not only help in saving the costs but also help in saving the interests of the various stakeholders involved. References Christopher, M. (2016).Logistics supply chain management. Pearson UK. Coyle, J. J., Langley, C. J., Novack, R. A., Gibson, B. (2016).Supply chain management: a logistics perspective. Nelson Education. Islam, D. M. Z., Meier, J. F., Aditjandra, P. T., Zunder, T. H., Pace, G. (2013). Logistics and supply chain management.Research in Transportation Economics,41(1), 3-16. Jacobs, F. R., Chase, R. B., Lummus, R. R. (2014).Operations and supply chain management(pp. 533-535). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Mentzer, J. T., DeWitt, W., Keebler, J. S., Min, S., Nix, N. W., Smith, C. D., Zacharia, Z. G. (2013). Defining supply chain management.Journal of Business logistics,22(2), 1-25. Mangan, J., Lalwani, C., Lalwani, C. L. (2016).Global logistics and supply chain management. John Wiley Sons. Rushton, A., Croucher, P., Baker, P. (2014).The handbook of logistics and distribution management: Understanding the supply chain. Kogan Page Publishers. Stadtler, H. (2015). Supply chain management: An overview. InSupply chain management and advanced planning(pp. 3-28). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Simchi-Levi, D., Simchi-Levi, E., Kaminsky, P. (2016).Designing and managing the supply chain: Concepts, strategies, and cases. New York: McGraw-Hill. Wang, G., Gunasekaran, A., Ngai, E. W., Papadopoulos, T. (2016). Big data analytics in logistics and supply chain management: Certain investigations for research and applications.International Journal of Production Economics,176, 98-110.

6 remote entry level jobs that are hiring today

6 remote entry level jobs that are hiring today Getting to work from home used to be a luxury afforded to only certain workers in certain fields, but technology has made it possible for a wide variety of people to clock in from the comfort of the desks in their very own living rooms. In fact, according to a recent Gallup poll, 43% of employees work remotely sometimes. The ability to work remotely can be a huge perk- you save money on thing like commuting costs, a work wardrobe, and even coffee and lunch, which you can now make in the comfort of your own home. Hiring remote workers has become more popular in recent years, but there are certain fields that are particularly likely to be hiring workers for remote entry level jobs. Here are just a few. Associate account managerAssociate account managers take care of the basic operations of a company and often serve as liaisons between different departments- a job ideal for working from home if operations take place in different parts of the country. While experience in sales or marketi ng is sometimes required, associate account managing might also be an entry-level job.Copy editorWriting and editing jobs have long been popular among telecommuters, and with all the content that gets churned out all day, every day as news generates, editors are particularly in demand right now. They’re the folks who ensure that the words we read on business sites and blogs are strong, grammatically correct, and concise. There are many copy editing jobs at the entry level right now, and telecommuting is a very common perk.Operations coordinatorIf you’re more the management type than the wordsmith, consider finding a position as an operations coordinator. This job involves dealing with team members and handling billing, invoices, and payroll for all the teams in an organization. Like with an account manager gig, you don’t need to be in a physical office to do the job- especially if the company has many locations.TranslatorIf you’re fluent in more than one language, you can use your skills from the comfort of your own home across a wide variety of industries. If you have a stellar attention to detail and a great command of grammar, style, and slang in both of your spoken languages, translation is a great opportunity to use your skills and fit in work on your own schedule.Roadside assistance app representativeIf your car has ever broken down and you’ve used your phone to access a roadside assistance app to get moving again, you’ve relied on the kindness and skills of a person on the other end of the line to get you out of your bind. Roadside assistance app representatives are needed to handle the behind-the-scenes work that gets the job done- using people skills and computer skills to get people on the road again. Ironically, travel is often not a requirement for these jobs.Sales representativeSales representatives promote products to customers on the phone and on online, so not much more than a phone and a computer are n eeded to do this job. If you’re an ace with your computer and love talking to people all day, this may be the remote entry-level job for you. Sales reps who love what they sell are the best at their jobs, so if you have a passion for a product, this is also the gig for you.

Internal Analysis Apple Essay Example

Internal Analysis Apple Essay Example Internal Analysis Apple Essay Internal Analysis Apple Essay Internal Analysis Tangible resources Apples tangible resources are extensive and widely documented despite the companys high level of security in matters of design. The value of analyzing the tangible assets of the organization lies in the determination of the potential for the creation of competitive advantage (Grant 2007). In terms of financial resources, the case quotes Apples market capitalization is approximately US $550 billion, with sales annually over $100 billion. This makes Apple the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. The share price currently stands at around $600, merely 12 ears after Steve Jobs return to the company, where the share price was $5. Apples physical resources include 362 retail stores world wide, which promote sales and effective advertising. Third party manufacturing relationships are also a key aspect of Apples success allowing for relatively inexpensive manufacturing while all design aspects stay in-house (Mass 2009). The systems in development, design and software systems are all key aspects of Apples organizational and technological resources, and are closely linked to the organizations intangible resources due to their close relation with knowledge and managerial capabilities. Intangible resources Apples overwhelming and unprecedented success in the technology industry undoubtedly stems from its intangible resources. The influence that co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs had on the company is undeniably accountable for its achievements. As an entrepreneur and human resource to Apple, Jobs managerial capabilities and innovative ideas were invaluable. The retail stores of Apple also provide intangible resources in the interaction with customers, aesthetically appealing design of the tortes and technological support provided on site in the genius bar Arbor 2011). The reputation of Apple and the unique creation of customers needing the newest design in the latest release of products is an intangible resource vital to the organizations success; they have captured exactly what the consumer wants. Apple develops and integrates its own hardware and software, and along with the creation of the App store, has created a self-sufficient technological process from start to finish. Consequently, the brand name Apple evokes a whole new facet of technology in todays society. Capabilities The capabilities of Apple lie in the integration of tasks that combine all aspects of their company, from research and development to product development to marketing and advertising. The entrepreneurial skills and capabilities of Steve Jobs and the the company. Retail Apple stores act not only as a mechanism for sales, but also as a product themselves, as they are invaluable marketing for the brand. The Internet based sales also offers customers to create combinations of their own products, which could be built and shipped with efficiency and quality guarantee. Apple rates products that are simple in design, yet so focused on the specifics that customers inherently deem them as cool. Apple also maintains an air of suspense and mystery upon the unveiling of their products, which captures the consumers curiosity on a huge scale, an unusual tactic in a society concerned with collaboration and transparency. The use of a platform strategy to create a family of products that will all stream from each other and make use of design elements for derivative products, I. E. the phone, pod touch and pad. The creation of products that, despite ever changing and evolving in technological progress, maintain a clear look and use for consumers is a capability for Apple. Capability Rare Valuable Costly to imitate Non-substitutable Competitive Consequence Design team Yes Yes Yes Yes Competitive Advantage Retail stores Yes Yes Yes Anthropometry CA Internet sales Noses Yes Noncompetitive Parity Design of cool products Yes Yes Anthropometry CA Unveiling of products Yes Yes Yes Anthropometry CA Platform strategy Yes Yes Yes Yes Competitive Advantage Clear Apple look and use Yes Yes Yes Yes Competitive Advantage Core Competencies Apple defies the norm in regard to core competencies, that is; the capabilities that serve the company with competitive advantage over rival firms, as it has three that are clearly distinguishable. While most companies can hope to have one or maybe two core competencies, the success that Apple has seen in the past few decades in the global commercial electronics industry has been unprecedented. This has been largely due to the innovation and entrepreneurial quality that has stemmed from the design team and Jobs influence in creating products that consumers desire on an ongoing basis. The use of a platform strategy has seen the success of a multitude of products which have offered countless benefits to both Apple itself, and their customers, who can use the same software, hardware, accessories and production between products. Finally, the simple, elegant look and usability of Apple products across the brand has proven to be the core capability that no other company can par. Value Chain Analysis Primary Activities Inbound Logistics superior products, while maintaining a level of quality control. The unique hardware system has also allowed for Apple to be produced entirely from scratch with a unique pirating system. Operations Apple capitalists on economies of scale in their production techniques by utilizing cheaper and more efficient partners to carry out production at a high quality. This leaves the company to focus on the design processing and engineering of innovative development for both current and future products. Outbound Logistics Apple stores have transformed from merchandising buildings designed to attract foot traffic and curious non-Apple customers, to retail destinations. In conjunction with the stores (which are products in themselves), Apple products are also sold wrought select authorized retailers, which provide a point of contact between staff and consumers as well as an outlet for advertisement for the Apple brand. Customized Internet orders are also directly shipped from storage facilities in China arbor 2009). Marketing and Sales Retail stores are life size advertisements, as the sleek interior design and advanced technological displays of Apple products are a credit to the company as the ultimate marketing display. The secretive product unveiling create hype and curiosity about new Apple products, effective in capturing consumer interest. The real secret to Apples marketing, however, lies in its ability to create functional, instinctive products that the consumer finds natural to use. Apples marketing campaign highlights this not by specifying the complex features of the product, but rather showing the way that consumers will use them in day to day life and look good doing it (Hollies 2011). Service The genius bar feature of the retail Apple store provides a direct consultation service that allows customers to consult an expert technician on problems they may have encountered with their product. The platform strategy that Apple uses also meaner that consumers are already aware of how a product works from previous products of the same family, requiring less training and also less maintenance and repair due to a better developed product. Supporting Activities Firm Infrastructure The structure of the company once Jobs returned to Apple saw the rapid onset of success, due to the focus on innovation rather than process. The lack of specific processes disclosed to the public also raises questions as to the efficiency of creates opportunities for growth, extensive research and development and product expansion. Human Resource Management The employee benefits of working at Apple are numerous, from the testing of products to receiving gifts of the newest designs to superior working environments. Consequently, for such an innovative and rapidly paced industry, the hiring process is selective in order to attract the best entrepreneurial talent. Technological Development The level of secrecy within Apple is extremely high, even between departments within the organization. This is vital to keep the company relevant and competitive. The level of research and development at Apple is extensive, with many employees particularly senior level management) taking a hands on approach in order to utilize knowledge work to achieve the most beautiful, elegant solution. Procurement The relationship between Apple and its suppliers is of utmost importance to the company in order to meet the needs of a competitive, fast-paced business environment. This is supported by Apples Supplier Diversity Program, established to uphold social and environmental responsibilities by utilizing a range of suppliers with diverse cultural components (Apple and Procurement 2012). Strengths and Weaknesses table Strengths Weaknesses Large market capitalization Lack of concrete processes Annual sales making Apple the largest publicly traded company worldwide Level of secrecy between departments could lead to overlap of ideas/double-up 362 retail stores worldwide providing advertisement for the company Continuing to release relevant and improved products is rapidly paced industry Strong relationships with third party manufacturers and suppliers Design team with extensive entrepreneurial and innovative skills Retail stores offering a point of contact for consumers as well as customer support for product difficulties