Being a Fair Leader. Essay example - 1116 Words

Being a Fair Leader. To be a leader, to control and guide people in the right direction is what most of the people are aiming to do in life. Being the main person in the group certainly means that the individual has a lot of power over the public and is able to influence people as he wishes. It might seem that once the person achieves his goal of being above others and starts controlling other people, his duty becomes straightforward and undemanding. However, the role of a leader is very strenuous and challenging. The person who has authority has to balance his personal desires with the needs of people for whom he is in charge. Even though he is enforcing the law does not mean that he can manipulate it as he wants. Moreover the leader†¦show more content†¦These changes make us see a considerably different person and therefore appreciate his performance differently. To see the difference between the Sophocles and Anouihs king I would like to analyze two plays and see how Anouih changes the kings personality making him a true model of king not changing the circumstances of the play and Sophocles description of the same ruler leaves us in doubts and displeasure. Those stories were based on the myth, which describes the life of a royal family. When the king of the country died, one of his two sons had to take over and rule the country. However the other brother also wanted to become a king, and despite their great decision to rule the country by alternating each year, it eventually caused a war in which both brothers died. Creon who was next in becoming a ruler made a law not to bury the brother who attacked the city. However, Antigone who was the sister of those brothers broke the rule and was punished for disobedience. Creons son kills himself when he realizes that Antigone, with whom he was engaged, is dead. The deaths did not stop there and t he wife of Creon kills herself after she receives the news that her son Haemon is dead. In Sophocles version, Creon was presented as a cruel, stubborn man whose authoritarian behavior showed him as a negative character of the play. His malicious attitude toward other charactersShow MoreRelatedThe Success Of Higher Ambition Leaders938 Words   |  4 PagesHigher ambition leaders are those who see the organization in its totality, its possibilities and potential. Higher ambition leaders are able to communicate to all employees the ability of the organization to value financial and social values equally (Pierce Newstrom, 2014, p.85). 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Operations of Natural Monopolies Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Operations of Natural Monopolies. Answer: Economics Individual Assignment Essentially, natural monopolies exist due to the existence of high entry barriers for other firms into the industry thus creating a single producer of goods and services with no close substitutes. Regarding regulation of natural monopolies there is need to properly understand market structure of natural monopolies, analyze merits and demerits of this market structure and its relevant theories. Also, it is important to illustrate the methods used by government to regulate the operations of natural monopolies. Moreover, it is vital to understand how the government enforces its regulation to achieve the desired regulatory goal. Equally, it is important to understand why the government considers it necessary to regulate the operation of natural monopolies. Ways to Regulate Price Setting of a Natural Monopoly Undoubtedly, government regulation of the optimum prices for natural monopolies is vital for consumer protection and welfare. Noteworthy, most governments have incorporated taxation as a way to regulate the price of goods and services offered by natural monopolies in the sense higher taxation is placed on higher prices of goods and services(Boundless,2017) Additionally,price ceiling has been implemented by most governments to contain the prices of monopolies in that the government sets a price limit for a given good or service thus curtailing the freedom of natural monopolies from charging excessive prices(Welker,2013). The government creates a maximum price that sellers can charge for their goods and services. Consequently, this leads to the regulation of the price charged by natural monopolies. Further average cost pricing which reduces the flexibility of firms to set their own prices is considered effective in regulating pricing in monopolies. For some natural monopolies, the price of goods and services are typically low due to the fact that average total production cost continues to decline over a period of time(Pettinger,2012)Further, low cost are boosted by the fact that there is a fixed cost hence a natural monopoly can operate without competition thereby maintain considerably lower prices thus no need for government price control measures (Open Text, 2017)However, there will be need for government to maintain anticompetitive measures for other firms to deter competition for natural monopolies who might otherwise raise their prices in the event of competition. Also, government ownership of natural monopolies keeps prices in check in the sense that the goal of operation will be public interest and consumer protection rather than profit maximization which might trigger exploitative prices(Spaulding,2017).The government can naturally monopolies necessary services such as water and electricity supply so as to be able to avail the services to most citizens, the rich and the poor due to affordability capabilities .Also, price floor have been implemented by various governments to ensure natural monopolies make a substantial profit and at the same instance protect the consumers through setting of minimum price for commodities and services. Price floors are meant to help business make profits despite minimum prices. Additionally, price caps have been used to control the price of goods and services for consumer welfare (Tejvan, 2017) Usually price caps are determined by regulatory bodies. Through price capping,monopolies are forced to adopt prices way below the set price over a given period of time (Open Text, 2017).Usually, price capping encourages significant price drops of goods and services over a given time frame. For instance, most economies have water and electricity regulatory bodies under the government which decides the maximum price. Predominantly, regulatory bodies are meant to control the price of commodities. Also, yardstick or the rate of return approach is used to regulate prices in that the size of the monopoly is considered with the optimal profit from the capital such that in the case of excessive profits ,price cuts are implemented(Tejvan,2016)Usually, yarding allows monopolies to cover their cost of operation while having substantial returns . Predominantly, legislation has been used to regulate various business activities and pricing for goods and services is no exception. Most economies have enacted price regulations Acts and guidelines to guide monopolies and other firms in other market structures such as duopolies, on the minimum and maximum price for goods and services. For instance, the Independent Republic of Papua Guinea,has enacted the Prices Regulation Act (Chapter 320) of its National laws(Independent Commission for Consumer and competition and Commission 2017)Most government have statutes regulating the prices of goods and services ,most specifically ,there are acts of parliament on utilities. Usually utilities include services such as water and electricity. Largely, the non-existence of natural monopolies through encouragement of competition from other industry players by government through relatively low barriers will reduce monopoly power over price control thus regulating price of goods and services.In the event that theres perfect competitive market according to the concept of perfect competitive markets, then theres consumer sovereignty as opposed to monopoly power under natural monopolies .Natural monopolies are price setters as opposed to price takers in perfectly competitive markets. Ideally, perfect competitive markets are the best market structure. In the event that natural monopolies are eliminated or unable to exist, then it follows naturally that theres no need for regulation by government .Theres need for government to establish competitive business environment to balance out market structures. Alternatively, price control for monopolies can be regulated through marginal cost pricing which requires that all natural monopolies to produce goods and services where the quantity of goods supplied touches the demand curve thus setting the price for the commodities and services produced by the natural monopoly (Open text,2017) Through marginal costing, consumers are assured of surplus at considerably lower prices.Further, theresallocate efficiency for firms adopting marginal cost system of pricing attributed to the marginal cost of goods incurred in production of the quantity supplied.Additionally, cost plus regulation whereby government set price levels over a given period of time through addition of normal profit rates to accounting costs of the firm has been adopted. Lastly, the implementation of a government based deficiency scheme of payment will for a long way in reducing the price of goods and services offered in the market and the same goes for natural monopolies (ILRI, 2017)Through the deficiency scheme of payment, producers of a good or services are given compensated profits on condition that they charge low prices for consumer welfare. Moreover, theres a consumer subsidy which is aimed at boosting consumption at considerably lower prices with no impact on natural monopolies(ILRI,2017)A consumer subsidy reduces the prices for goods and services thus making them affordable for the consumers. The subsidy is offered by the government to its citizen for domestic consumption and benefits. Reasons for Regulation Essentially, governments may regulate the price of goods and services to protect consumers from exploitative prices in that without regulation, natural monopolies will set higher prices to maximize profits which ends up hurting the consumers(Tejvan ,2016) .Further, regulation of natural monopolies is done to avoid or reduce allocativeinefficiencies for natural monopolies(Stanbury,2015).Perfect competitive firms are likely to experience allocative efficiency as compared to natural monopolies(Tejvan, 2016)Economically and theoretically, perfect competitive markets are ideal for consumer welfare and are considered economically and allocatively efficient as contrasted with natural monopolies. Further, Monopolies are regulated to prevent abuse of power(Pera, n.d).Typically, monopolies are price setters thereby making consumers price takers. Typically, profit maximization being the main goal of operating an enterprise, natural monopolies are likely to charge the highest price for goods and services in the absence of government regulation(Bigger, 2008) In addition, monopolies are regulated for quality assurance reasons. Due to the existence of a monopoly, the firm might not fulfill the minimum quality standards hence the need for government to intervene and ensure that the quality of goods and services to be observed.Also, throughregulation, deadweight loss is eliminated according to the deadweight loss hypothesis thus the ad vocation of marginal costing to regulate monopolies (Bigger, 2008) In addition, regulation of natural monopolies is vital in creating competition and providing an equal footing for other firms in the industry(Brink of Economic thoughts,2017).Lack of competition,leaves consumers at the mercy of the natural monopoly and other firms who would otherwise venture into that industry are prevented to by high entry barriers and other advantages enjoyed by natural monopolies(Amir,2015) .Further,natural monopolies undermine consumer choice and sovereignty due to the lack of variety or substitute goods or services and price setting power respectively(Economics Online,2017)More so,the ability of monopolies to regulate their output may be abused through limited supply thus denying consumer surplus in order to hike prices for profit maximization at the expense of the consumer . Economic efficiency is also another motivator for government regulation in the sense that unregulated monopolies are likely to have prices way above the marginal cost and high production costs which is considered economically inefficient(Boundless,2017)Further, market failure motivate the need for regulation. Also, natural monopolies may depict high production costs just to deter entry of prospective firms into the industry in an attempt to maintain monopoly power over its market share. Perfectly competitive market structures are considered economically and allocatively efficient hence making them the ideal market structure whereas natural monopolies are considered inefficiently economic and allocatively thus the need for government intervention to promote efficiency. Typically, quality assurance is vital for consumer welfare hence the need for government intervention in the operation of natural monopolies to ensure consumer get the best quality goods and services.Usually,without any form of regulation or monitoring,producers might get sloppy and greedy thereby producing substandard goods which are harmful for consumption(Knownai,2011)By and large,regulation of monopolies exists to protect smaller firms likely to enter the market dominated by monopolies(C.s. Stanford,N.d)in the case of regulation through windfall taxation systems, governments aim to encourage reinvest of profits incurred by natural policies as opposed to payment of dividends to its shareholders .In a way ,regulation helps distribution of income between producers and consumer. Through regulation of monopolies, restrictive trade practices and barriers are eliminated.Essentially, the existence of a monopoly is characterized by high operating cost, high entry barriers into the industry, large economies of scale among other factors thus the need for government regulation to allow entry of other smaller and upcoming firms (Investopedia, 2017) Natural monopolies deny other investors from entering its share of the market due to the various advantages it has over smaller firms. Smaller firms are unable to easily enter a naturally monopolized market as opposed to perfectly competitive markets.Ideally,consumer interests such as choice, variety and sovereignty are realistic in a perfectly competitive market as opposed to a naturally monopolized market thus the need for regulation. Conclusion Undeniably, there are concepts, theories and principles advocating for and against government intervention in the affairs of natural monopolies. Seldom do natural monopolies exist but they do. Majorly, Regulation is all about consumer surplus, satisfaction, choice, sovereignty and welfare as opposed to profit maximization .Regulatory measures are enforced by government based agencies and bodies, mainly through legislation. The most common ways of price control of monopoly power is through price ceiling, price capping, taxation, average cost pricing and marginal cost pricing.Most of these regulatory prices are considered not mutually beneficial for consumers and producers. Arguably, regulation seeks to protect the interests of consumers rather than natural monopolies or producers. All in all, government intervention through regulation is faulted for the unforeseeable consequence of optimum price and output which is more theoretical than practical. Further, government regulatory bodys employees are considered a tax burden on ordinary citizens. Besides, natural monopolies rarely exist and if they do, they last for a short period of time thus making regulation not a full proof solution for market failure and inefficiencies. Nonetheless, the heart of regulation is in the right place as it seeks to protect the consumer, who is considered weak as compared to producers.Through regulation, most government strive to achieve consumer protection and welfare while creating a friendly and competitive business environment as opposed to profit maximization which is considered ideal for most economies as compared. References Amir.(2015)Advantages and Disadvantage of Monopoly.Economics Guide.Retrieved from https://www.economicsguide.me/?page_id=1044 Bigger, D. (2008) The Rationale for monopoly legislation: Why do we regulate monopolies? Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Retrieved from https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/The%20Rationale%20Reg%20Connf%29.pdfs Boundless.(2017)Regulation of Monopoly.Boundless. Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/economics/textbooks/boundless-economics-textbook/monopoly-11/monopoly-in-public-policy-74/regulation-of-natural-monopoly-279-12376/ Brink OfEconomic Thoughts. (2017)Regulation of natural Monopolies .Word Press. Retrieved from google.com/amp/s/harshmohit.wordpress.com/2017/01/11/ regulation-of-natural-monopolies/amp C.s. Stanford. (N .d)Government Regulation of Monopolies .Stanford.Edu. Retrieved from https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/corporate-monopolies/government.html Economics Online. (2017)Monopoly .Economics Online. Retrieved from https://www.economicsonline.co.uk/Business_economics/Monopoly.html I.LR.I. (N. d.)What effects do current policies Have? .FAO .Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/wairdocs/ilri/x5547e/x5547e0y.htm Independent Competition and consumer Commission.(2017)Prices Regulation Act,(Chapter 320). Gov.PG .Retrieved from https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/The%20Rationale%20For%20Natural%20Monopoly%20Regulation%20-%20%28ACCC%20Reg%20Conf%29.pdf Investopedia. (2017)Monopoly.Investopedia.Retrieved from www.investopedia.com/terms/m/monopoly.asp Joskow, L.P. (2006) Regulation of Natural Monopolies .MIT.Edu. Retrieved from https://economics.mit.edu/files/1180 Knownai. (2011)Advantages and Disadvantages of a Monopoly market.Tough Nickel. Com. Retrieved from https://toughnickel.com/business/Advantages-And-Disadvantages-Of-A-Monopoly-Market Open Text.(2017)Principles of Economics:11.3.Regulating Natural Monopolies .Open Text. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/principlesofeconomics/chapter/11-3-regulating-natural-monopolies/ Pera, A. (N. d) Deregulation and privatization in an economy-wide-Context .Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/eco/reform/35381774.pdf Pettinger, T. (2017) Average Cost Pricing .EconomicsHelp. Retrieved from www.economicshelp.org/blog/glossary/average-cost-pricing/ Spaulding, W. (2017) Monopoly Regulation. This matter. Retrieved from https://thismatter.com/economics/monopoly-regulation.htm Stanbury, T. W. (2015) Economic Regulation .The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from www.theCanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/m/article/economic-regulation/ Tejvan. (2016)Regulation of Monopoly. Economics Help. Retrieved from https://www.economicshelp.org/microessays/markets/regulation-monopoly/ Welker, J. (2013) Economics in plain English: Monopoly prices to regulate or not to regulate. Welkerswikinomics. Retrieved from https://welkerswikinomics.com/blog/2013/03/04/monopoly-prices-to-regulate-or-not-to-regulate-that-is-the-question/

Spread Of Islam Essay Example For Students

Spread Of Islam Essay Islam is known as one of the fastest-expanding religions in history. Only contained in Arabia in 632, its conquests led to its expansion to Persia and Egypt by 656, and to Africa, Spain, and other parts of Persia by 750. Many methods were used in order to spread to such an extensive empire. Muslims were very reasonable people. They were tolerant, and offered many alternatives to the other religions of conquered lands. Mohammed once stated that another religion can either believe in Islam, or pay to keep his own religion. He would give the religions protection in exchange for obedience. Mohammed, however, threatens the lives of children or elders related to those who did not obey (Document1). This was one of his most powerful methods of obtaining new lands. We will write a custom essay on Spread Of Islam specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Another method used by Mohammed was that he offered many reasons to other religions as to why they should convert to Islam. First and foremost, he offered them direction and guidance to heaven, which, alongside Muslims, was an eagerly anticipated place by Christians and Jews (Document 2). The writer of History of Arabs (Document 3) describes the Muslim people as those who consider each other equals under Allah, and who worship him to the fullest. They would rather be in heaven with him than a child under him on earth. The expansion of Islam was also obviously obtained by means of conquering lands around Arabia. The impression of surrounding lands on the Muslim army is that they were strong, determined, relentless fighters who conquered any land they pleased. They had countless weapons and a drive that could cut through thick steel (Document 4). Despite these characteristics, however, they would only fight upon attack, in self defense (Document 6). The expansion of Islam was viewed by many as the most reasonable expansion of any religion. It was believed that the Christians were below the Muslims in that they fought whenever possible, and persecuted all other religions. Despite the belief of spiritual drive for conquest, some believe the expansion of Islam was due to the deep desire for a more modern life (Document 7); they were driven to settle in the fertile crescent in order to obtain these modern luxuries, rather than make spiritual achievements more primitive areas. There were many ways by which the Muslims conquered surrounding lands. Alternatives, benefits, and warfare were simply three such means of achieving such power and conquest. Religion

Study Skills for High School Students

Study Skills for High School Students Grades are slipping. Homework assignments have been missed. Your teachers are calling or emailing your parents about your failures. Now youve been grounded until those grades come back up, and, worse, they have also taken your game system away during the week. Instead of packing your bags and leaving home, look carefully at this list of study tips for high school students, and then show them to your parents. They will be impressed, and be willing to make deals with you that will get back some of your privileges you just lost. The key though? You have to live up to your end of the bargain. So, here goes. Get a Schedule Down in Writing Your schedule should include between 3 3 hours each night of the week, and 4-5 hours divided between the two weekend days. Write down each course you have that requires homework and study, and divide up the time according to the difficulty of the course. If, for example, you struggle with math, then give yourself more time for that subject. If history is a breeze, give it less time. Part of developing good high school study skills is knowing which courses will take more time and work. And, be a bit flexible. You may have a big test coming up and no homework in one or more of your classes on any given night. Use extra time to work on the long-range stuff a book you have to read or a term paper that will be due in a month. Show your schedule to your parents they might be impressed. Then, follow that schedule. Theyll be more impressed. Study in 20-minute Chunks at First If you are not used to studying for long periods of time, you have to work up to this gradually. Focus for 20 minutes, then stop, sit and relax, eat a snack, and then go back to it. Gradually, you will work up so that you can send an hour of focused time between breaks. Thats when the really good stuff starts to happen! Reward Yourself This part involves your parents. When you finish a tough assignment or all of the homework for a tough class, show it to your parents and ask if you can have 20 minutes of gaming or time on Facebook before you get back to it. You will work harder and be far more focused if you know there is a reward coming at the end. Get an Assignment Notebook A huge part of good study habits for high school is writing down every assignment every day. There are great assignment notebooks sold everywhere, so get one now. Yes, its a pain but if you do this faithfully every day, your parents are not going to get those emails anymore about missing homework. They will be happier, and happy parents mean more privileges get returned. Location, Location, Location Heres the weird thing about your brain. If you have one place for study every single day/evening, your brain will get the message. When you sit down in this one spot, the brain goes into focus and work mode. And if you work sitting up at a table or desk, and that is the same physical position when you have to take a test, your brain kicks into gear there too. Learning how to study in high school, by using these simple tips, will keep peace in your home and ensure that you get to go to those games and parties or just hang out with your friends more. Youll also get your game system back. And these habits will go with you to college, if that is your plan. Speaking of College When you take your breaks from studying, one kind of fun thing to do is get on some helpful college paper writing services and learn what college is really about. Unigo is a great place to start. You can type in any college and get the real truth as written by students.

The use of Knowledge in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The use of Knowledge in Society - Essay Example Moreover, it is based on the misconstrued nature of economic problems of the society and uses predefined assumptions, ignoring the changing social phenomenon that is inherently linked to social construction of society. The economic order thus, developed cannot be applied in general as it would not be able to address the problems of the diverse society. But this is not the only issue discussed within the article which has explored wide spectrum of knowledge and how it can be best utilized for the betterment of the society. It emphasizes that the implicit knowledge that exists across the populace need to be retrieved and applied within the planning process to make it more realistic. The precepts and concepts of knowledge are distinct in their diversity and changing formats and become important tools for widening the scope of utilization of the existing resources. The expanding database of knowledge is testament to the changes that are witnessed within the developing societies. Indeed, the propagation and application of knowledge is symbolic of advancing society. The myriad resources as well as the means of acquisition of knowledge therefore emerge as the central issue within the article. It is true that there is no permanent solution to the economic problems of the society mainly because the constantly changing environment creates new challenges for the people. It has to be constant endeavour for anticipating changes and how they would impact society at large.

The market for health insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The market for health insurance - Essay Example Rises in health insurance covers, has besmirched access to health cover (Berkowitz 30-45). Presently 7 percent of the United States nonelderly, acquire coverage through personal strategies bought frankly from insurance providers. Numerous plans at the national state and centralized, in addition to the standard propositions using the personal health insurance market as way of growing access to reasonable health policies. States license bodies that provide health insurance coverage and have determined laws that regulate their structure, finances, and responsibilities to the people that they insure (Berkowitz 46). Introduction Health care costs in the US, which have escalated quickly in actual terms in the last few decades, have put pressure on the state and national budgets. Future expansion in health insurance costs is estimated to threaten the monetary status of state and national governments unless primary strategy transformations take place. Also, for many American citizens, the la ck of health insurance coverage sophisticates access to health care. Health insurance markets are frequently focused on a single insurer accounting for over 50 percent of the market. Issues about focus on health insurance markets are connected to broader issues about the cost, value, and accessibility of health care. The market structure of the health insurance and hospital commerce may have helped is increasing health care costs and in restricting access to inexpensive health insurance and health care. Some debate market focus has amounted to higher care prices. Higher cost of health care or health insurance may then make health care less inexpensive and consequently less available for some homesteads. Patrons in the personal and small group markets characteristically face specifically challenging situations. Whilst health insurance purchased in the personal market has the advantages of being portable, and potentially being an enhanced match to an individual’s predilection f or health coverage than standards purchased via group strategies, it does have elements of essential concern. Amid these issues is how regulations and edicts surrounding the personal insurance market reflects is potential to meet numerous population needs. It is needed to comprehend these concerns to establish how market transformations would interrelate with these policies (Henderson 10-15). Others, nevertheless, agree that health care givers with strong bargaining weight should assist restrict health providers’ potential to increase costs, and that the advantage of minimal premiums coming from the potential to negotiate may be passed along to patrons. Some commerce analysts have expressed competition amid primary health care providers as strong, and some pricing trends show that competing has stalwartly impacted on insurers’ market plans. Additionally, some argue that economies of scale along with state and national control have contributed to the increasing level of focus on health insurance markets. The Obama government has made transformation of the American health insurance and health care structure utmost policy precedence. Numerous congressional attempt at broadening access to health insurance by rising the number of Americans with health care coverage, by minimizing the price of insurance faced by persons, by offering sturdy incentives for persons

How Kinect Gave A Competitive Advantage To Microsoft Media Essay

How Kinect Gave A Competitive Advantage To Microsoft Media Essay We choose to analyze Microsoft-Kinect as a topic for our group project because we wanted to analyze that how Kinect gave a competitive advantage to the Microsoft in the gaming industry. Our analysis will focus on the technology Microsoft used in Kinect and the reasons of Kinect becoming the fastest selling tech-gadget, even though it was just launched in November 2010. We will also discuss the strategies Microsoft used while developing and launching the Kinect and the various factors that helped Microsoft to become leader by selling 10 million gadgets in a very short span of time, beating Apples iPad and iPhone previous record. Microsoft Kinect made into the Guinness book of records as the fastest selling electronics device. [1] Introduction: Kinect is a controller free gaming experience for the Xbox 360 video game platform to stir up great hype in the gaming industry since its launch. It has a great impact on the approach to gaming and changed the meaning of game industry and the Entertainment World. Microsoft came with a complete entertainment solution for the whole family with the launch of Kinect. With the selling of 10 million gadgets, Microsofts Kinect became the fastest selling tech gadget. By beating Apples iPad and iPhones previous record it made into the Guinness book of records as the fastest selling gadget and wrote the new chapters in the Microsoft success story. In 2006, when Nintendo introduced a new game console called Nintendo Wii, Nintendo revolutionized the whole game industry, instead of competing with the mainstream players like Sony PlayStation and Xbox 360. Nintendo Wii targeted a broader demographic than its competitors and tried to incorporate both refreshing gaming experience and user friendly in terfaces to target the previously untapped portion of the demographic. Gamers of all ages, including the female players and the elderly are getting into the action of Nintendo Wii. Nintendo started a new chapter in the gaming industry with the launch of its Nintendo Wii MotionPlus. Kinect was Microsofts delayed reaction to the massive success of the Nintendo Wii but the launch of Kinect gave a all new dimension to the gamers about how games are played. Even thought Xbox 360 was leading in the market before Kinect came into the market but Xbox 360 sales become double since Kinect launch. Analysis for Game Industry: Using 5 Forces model of Porter To understand well about the performance of the firms we should first try to analyze the industry and its factors which influence the firms performance. We apply the 5 force approach on the gaming industry. Game industry is a highly dynamic industry. We can see 7 generation of console within 30 years. Technology changes rapidly in the game industry as well as customer requirements expectations are really high in this industry. Hard core gamers love new challenges and improved graphics and games. Product life cycle is very short in the game industry. So companies need to innovative in this industry for a sustainable competitive advantage and invest more in the R D and come up with new products. Threats of New Entrants are very low because this is capital intensive business and brand image is very important in this industry. Bargaining Power of Customers is fairly high.There are lots of substitutes available in the market so customers have high bargaining power. Switching cost from one product to another is also not too much high. Bargaining Power of Suppliers is low. There are only very few big brand players in the gaming consol industry so game providers do not have much choices. If they want to sell their games they have to work with these brands. Threats of Substitute Product is high. There are lot of players in the industry also there is a threat from the movie industry, Sports industry which can be a possible substitution for entertainment. Competitive Rivalry is very high. Big players like Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony is already in the market. Every firm tries to differentiate their products and try to come up with something innovative. For a sustainable competitive advantage Microsoft wanted to come up with something which can be sustainable for their leadership position in the gaming industry and they came up with Kinect for Xbox 360. Technology evolution To understand the Kinect development it is important for us to understand the history of Microsoft, its positioning and challenges faced in the gaming industry. Microsoft Corporation is a software company and well known for the Windows operating system. In 2000, by seeing the growth opportunity and lucrativeness of the game industry, Microsoft decided to enter in gaming and entertainment industry. There were mainly 2 reasons for Microsoft to move into gaming industry. First reason as already mentioned above that Microsoft was seeing a rapid growth in the gaming market. Microsoft saw huge opportunities in the game industry and found it a very lucrative market to have a presence there. Second, the game industry has a huge dependence on the Software and high technology. Microsoft as one of the leader in the Software industry thought to leverage this capability to get success in the game industry. Sony and Nintendo were well established players in the gaming industry with well known brands in the game industry. Microsoft launched Xbox in the year 2001, after more than a year Sony lunched its Playstation2. By that time Sony was having a large and loyal customer base and Microsofts Xbox was unable to outperform PlayStation2 of Sony. There were many reasons of underperformance of the Xbox. One of the reasons was Xboxs incompatibility with many of the existing games in the market at that time. Microsoft entered in the game industry first time in 2001, so most of the games available at that time were for either PlayStation or Nintendo. Although, Microsoft launched Xbox with many compatible games developed in-house and by third party developers, it was not an easy task to induce gamers to buy Xbox over the already successful PlayStation2. The other reasons were Microsofts lack of experience in the gaming market and the absence of USB port in Xbox. There was also a late mover disadvantage to the Microsoft. The price of X-Box was higher compared to that of its competitor Sony PS2. Also Microsofts poor marketing strategy added on all these factors. X-Box and PS2 were both considered at the same level but due to an early launch of PS2 it had captured the market share despite X-Box having advantage over the hardware components. In August 2003, Sony was a leader with 54% Market share compared to 27% of Xbox. There were few challenges for Microsoft. Microsoft was a new entrant in the gaming industry and lacked experience of working with retailers and game developers. To boost the sales of Xbox, Microsoft cut its price after the six month of its launch and this step boosted the sales of Xbox. To overcome this problem Microsoft planned to launch its seventh generation console much ahead of all its competitors. In 2005, Microsoft launched the first seventh generation console Xbox 360. Microsoft gathered the inputs and emphasized on design and features of Xbox 360. Microsoft invested in a huge advertising campaign for launch of Xbox 360 and spent over US $ 100 million. Xbox 360 came up with new features: built in windows media centre Wi-Fi enabled, guide button, wireless binding button and Xbox live etc. Microsoft kept the design simple and decided not to manufacture chips in-house. They planned to go for semi-custom chip and hardware and alter them according to their need and mainly focus on the assembling hardware as it will reduce costs and allow them to closely monitor vendor network. Microsoft also decided to go for intellectual property rights, which was one of the most important decisions Microsoft took. They launched new games, which became popular in the market and provided new service enabling users to download and view films on Xbox 360. Results for Xbox 360 turned out well and Microsoft became leader in gaming console market. Microsoft sold more than 10.4 million consoles by Dec 2006. Xbox 360 was a hit in Europe US. But still there were some drawbacks with Xbox 360. There was a backward incompatibility issue with Xbox 360 and biggest problem was manufacturing cost for Xbox 360 was still higher than its selling price. But Microsofts long term price strategy was to gain a greater share of the console market which was dominated by Sonys PS2. Microsoft decided to gave benefits to the gamers from drastic price cuts. When Sony and Microsoft were focusing on pursuing faster processing speed and better graphics in their game consoles, in 2006, Nintendo introduced a new game console called Nintendo Wii, which used existing technologies and focused on developing unique user interface. Wii lead to better gaming experience for a wider audience. The industry recognizes that games should not be limited just to the interactions using the game controller. Microsoft wanted a sustainable competitive advantage in the gaming industry. They launched Kinect in November 2010. Kinect is a controller free gaming experience for the Xbox 360 video game platform. It was big success for Microsoft. It wrote the new chapters in the Microsoft success story. It will bring game-changing impact to the Microsoft. Competitive Advantage Three are only 3 major players left in the industry today -Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. Microsofts Xbox 360 kick-started the console war of the seventh generation in 2005, a year ahead of Sony and Nintendo. This move gave the first mover advantage to Microsoft. Instead of competing in terms of performance with its competitors, in 2006, Nintendo launched Nintendo Wii which brought the concept of motion-gaming and defined a new set of rules for the industry by keeping its price low. Microsoft brought Kinect in response to Wii and went beyond the motion gaming. It interacts with the game using a camera which tracks the players entire body without holding anything in the hand. In fact, Microsofts made a strategy to charge only $150 to penetrate the market and get the casual market to take notice of this new product. Also they spent almost 500 million USD on the launch of Kinect aiming to reach new audiences, including advertisements on Kelloggs cereal boxes and Pepsi bottles, commercials during shows such as dancing with the Stars and Glee as well as print ads in various magazines such as People and InStyle etc. They also organized a show on November 3 in Times Square, where singer Ne-Yo performed with hundreds of dancers in anticipation of Kinects midnight launch. It is clear that Kinect has defined its targeted niche as the casual gamers. Microsoft made the product highly appealing to new customers, rather than current customers hardcore gamers. In addition to this, Kinect differs to the Move in that it wont be backwards-compatible with current games meaning Kinect will feature new games, for new customers. Kinect compatible games are not designed for the gamers who want to sit on the couch and relaxed while playing. The games and experiences are designed to be as fun to watch as they are to play-the games are designed to get the people off the couch and that is the real controller free gaming experience. Also when one wants to enjoy movies, music, and ESPN on Xbox 360, one can control the entertainment hands free from the comfort of the couch. So Kinect defy the trend that playing video game is the job of couch potatoes. Now people can play the video game with real time experience while doing a lot of physical exercise. Its not going to be easy to compete with Project Natal. The companies are doing a lot of great work with the cameras. But the magic is in the software. Its a combination of partners and our own software, Shane Kim- corporate vice president for strategy and business development at Microsofts game division. [12] The Disruptive Innovation Model According to Joseph Schumpeter, creative destruction is a process of industrial mutation that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one. In simple words it can be explained as the process of destroying an old well established technology and replacing it with an innovative new technology. Kinect is a controller-free gaming and entertainment experience by  Microsoft  for the  Xbox 360  video game platform. Kinect offers a revolutionary new way to play games. In Kinect, you are the controller of the game. Before Kinect every game console came with a controller which was a barrier that stops people playing games. Microsoft wanted to come up something which can break down this barrier and can appeal to both mainstream and casual gamers. Kinect is one complete package for the whole family. It is a complete and affordable way for everyone to enjoy controller-free fun and entertainment. Even though Kinect response in the market is tremendous but still people using consol games with the controller, but seeing the response of the customers it looks like this innovation will change the meaning of game industry and soon it will replace the controller gaming with controller-free gaming. In future this is a disruptive innovation that will change gaming world. The position of Kinect on Normal Distribution of Adopters The normal distribution curve for adopters (Figure 1) represents the groups of people who adopt the new technology at different times. It comprises of the innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and the laggards. The Microsoft targeted directly the early majority of the market, instead of targeting the innovators and early adopters first and moving ahead. This is because Xbox 360 was already in the market and performing very good in terms of sales as well as quality. Kinect is a complementary product for Xbox 360 and through Kinect, Microsoft targeted to the casual gamers as well as for the hardcore gamers. Launch of Kinect rejuvenates the sales of Xbox 360 as well. Microsoft was doing everything for breaking down barriers and getting to the mass market, where controllers are barriers and awkward for some people to learn to use a controller. There are different segments of customers. There are the fans of Halo, Forza, and other titles that command a premium price. They deliver an amazing, professionally developed, full-blown experience that customers are willing to pay for. There are some customers who want more casual, bite-size experiences. They want a free-to-play model. You need the downloadable episode in Grand Theft Auto to extend the console game experience or a song you can download for Rock Band. You have a lot of different kinds of options. We enable all the business models, Shane Kim- corporate vice president for strategy and business development at Microsofts game division. [12] Figure 1: Normal distribution Curve for Kinect Adopters Moreover the extraordinary features of Kinect such as low price (approximately $150), attractive and slim look of the console and mass marketing support, all positioned Kinect to fit for the early majority section of adopters. Kinect with Xbox 360 provided a whole entertainment solution to the entire family. Microsoft Kinect clearly goes beyond gaming. Xbox Live gave a new meaning to the social networking. Kinect targeted a whole new range of customers. Besides the existing supporters, Microsoft targeted to open a mass market of first-time game players, like women, younger children and teenagers, who were not typically drawn to this form of interactive entertainment. Since Xbox 360, Xbox live all were very much popular already, Microsoft avoided the hurdle of crossing the chasm. S Curve Diffusion Pattern of Kinect Kinect was launched in November 2010 and became the fastest selling electronics device. Although it sold more than 10 million devices by the end of February 2011, still on the S-Curve, Kinect is positioned in the accelerated part of market growth. Market growth of Kinect has not yet reached its diminishing return on sales its limits. Diffusion pattern is with successive groups of consumers adopting the new technology; its market share will eventually reach the saturation level. Kinect A Radical or an Incremental Innovation? Kinect uses an RGB camera (image sensor), a 3-D depth camera (which determines how far away an object is from the camera), and a multi-array microphone. These were already existing technologies. Kinect is an Incremental Innovation rather than Radical Innovation since it is not based on a completely new technology, but an application of previously available technologies. Technology Strategy Do it differently According to Microsoft, Xbox Live and Kinect will be fundamental parts of their identity going forward and will lead them into online and natural user interfaces. Microsoft has a competitive advantage over its competitors in the form of Kinect. Launch of Kinect shows the leadership of the Microsoft in the technology field whether it is software development or the games. Along with good hardware of console which supports high processing power and graphics Microsoft tried entirely new concept in the game industry with the introduction of Kinect. This was about unleashing a new category of controller-free gaming and entertainment. We didnt want to do something that would be derivative of what Nintendo did with the Wii. Thats been a nice innovation for them but this goes much farther. Were talking about full-body recognition. It can tell when someone is standing or sitting down. It can tell when something moves in front of you or behind you, Shane Kim- corporate vice president for strategy and business development at Microsofts game division. [12] Open Innovation Even though Microsoft filed lot of patents for Kinect in order to get more casual players Microsoft director of incubation for Xbox, Alex Kipman announced that Kinect was left open By Design on the November 19 broadcast of National Public Radios Science Daily program. According to him Microsoft will not allow someone to use the algorithms that Xbox uses and to avoid the illegal uses, they put lot of efforts and make sure that this will not happen. But simultaneously Microsoft kept the design flexible so that if anyone want to write an open source driver for PC, which opens the USB connection for Kinect, take the inputs from the sensor. Microsoft wanted to break down the barriers that prevent people from enjoying what Microsoft is offering so that Xbox can attract more casual players. This will help Microsoft to get more participants and will make a bigger install base for Microsoft Xbox 360.[14]. By definition Installed base is a measure of the number of units of a particular type of system actually in use, as opposed to market share, which only reflects sales over a particular period.[15] New Product Development for Kienct: Introduction of product life cycle of Kinect: There are 6 stages in any product life cycle: Product Development, Introduction, Growth, Maturity, Saturation and Decline. Firm spend a lot of money on research and development in the beginning, and if the research is successful, then on advertisement. If the introduction of the product is successful then the product goes to the growth stage of product life cycle. In growth stage, firm try to recover its development cost as much as possible. In maturity stage, other firms will also come in the market and increases the competition. In the declining stage customer may change their need or the product becomes obsolete and people are not interested in firms product anymore. In the case of Kinect it is in the growth stage as Kinect was introduced successfully in the market and became an instant hit. Now, Microsoft has reduced the expenses on advertising of the Kinect as well as Xbox 360. As discussed above, through Kinect Microsoft was targeting to the casual gamers and to bring them in the market Microsoft had to remove the barriers, which were mainly the game controllers. Controllers, whether wired or wireless, are barriers for a lot of people and it is awkward for many people to learn the use of a controller. So Microsoft decided to come up something which gives casual gamers a controller free experience and this need gave birth to the Project Natal. Kinect was first announced on June 1, 2009 under the code name Project Natal, named on the name of Brazilian city Natal. Kinect uses a sensor to track body movement and recognizes face and listen to the voice. It provided a new way to play the video games where gamer uses full body to play the game. It provides gamers to play personalize games in which the players face and voice are recognized by the device. Kinect uses an RGB camera (image sensor), a 3-D depth camera (which determines how far away an object is from the camera), and a multi-array microphone. [2][11] Motion Sensor Voice Recognition Facial Recognition Skeletal Tracking Microsoft Patents for Kinect When a company files for a patent, government gives monopoly and protection for the innovation for a specific period of time. In return the inventor has to disclose the information details of the invention. Microsoft also filed multiple patents in an effort to protect the software and technology behind its motion-sensing gaming system Kinect, from other rivals. It was very important that Microsoft did not want to allow any loopholes that would allow others to copy its technology. Microsoft has filed at least 12 patents to protect the intellectual property of its motion sensor controller technology surrounding Kinect. The company aggressively aims to patent every aspect especially the software that enables a gaming experience that is based on gestures and motion tracking. The patent applications are based on Extending Standard Gestures, Gestures Beyond Skeletal, Gesture Shortcuts, Gesture Tool, Gesture Coach, Avatar Integrated Shared Media Selection, Localized Gesture Aggregation, Sys tems And Methods For Tracking A Model  , Real Time Retargeting of Skeletal Data To Game Avatar  , Systems and Methods For Applying Animations or Motions to a Character  , Avatar Integrated Shared Media Experience  , User Movement Feedback via On-Screen Avatars.[13] We want to ensure that we have great intellectual property protection. You have to have a strong legal approach, and this is not easy stuff. It has to be all buttoned up, legally. We have had a very concerted focus on this , Shane Kim- corporate vice president for strategy and business development at Microsofts game division. [12] Market Strategy for Kinect Game industry is currently expanding but it divided into many segments after Nintendo launched its Wii MotionPlus. Microsoft and Sony were seeing a huge potential and wanted to quickly react.Microsoft saw a huge potential market for casual gamers. Microsoft was able to identify that this newly developed market had massive potential and can worth millions to Microsoft. Microsoft Identified that every game console came with a controller which was a barrier that stops many people from playing games. So, Microsoft decided to come up something which can break down this barrier and can appeal to both mainstream and casual gamers. Microsoft adopted a Market Pull strategy for Kinect by identifying the latent needs of the casual gamers. Microsoft came up with the idea of Kinect, a controller free gaming experience. Microsoft through new Xbox 360 with Kinect took a disruptive approach: focus on fun and expand the market by appealing to non-gamers. Microsoft decided to keep the price low for Ki nect so that they can attract casual gamers as well. They kept Kinect retail price as $149 or if a gamer wants to purchase with Xbox 360, price of the bundle is $299. An analyst indicated that Microsoft losing a big amount for each box. The companys goal is to make a profit on software titles, royalties, and Xbox Live subscriptions. Selling more Xbox 360 consoles attracts more developers interested in developing games compatible to Kinect and Xbox 360, which in turn encourages more demand for consoles and generates licensing revenue for Microsoft. This is called snow-ball effect and Microsoft used it very well. Along with the good design and low price Microsoft heavily spent on the marketing campaign of Kinect. They spent almost 500 Million Dollars on the launch campaign of Kinect. Campaign for Kinect was You Are the Controller. They aimed to reach to new customer and to reach them, they advertized Kinect on Pepsi Bottles and Kelloggs Cereal boxes, commercials during shows such as dancing with the Stars and Glee as well as print ads in various magazines such as People and InStyle. They distributed free Xbox 360 consoles and Kinect to the audience in The Oprah Winfrey Show. Between November 1 and November 28, Burger King gave away a free Kinect bundle every 15 minutes. A major event was organized on November 3 in Times Square, where singer Ne-Yo performed with hundreds of dancers in anticipation of Kinects midnight launch. [9][11] Microsoft strategy worked well for Kinect as well as for the sale of the Xbox 360.The first advantage Microsoft had that they were able to capture a significant portion of the rapidly growing video gaming market from the sale of Kinect. Kinect also made a significant impact on the sale of Xbox 360. This shows a very good example of Network externalities. By definition Network externalities is that the value of a technology product/service to a user increases with the number of other users of the same or similar product/service. Xbox value increased when Kinect was launched. Marketing efforts of Kinect not only impacted Kinect Sale but it also contributed to Xbox 360 sale. Network externalities comes because of the snowball effect, which means a large installed base of a product attracts producers of complementary products/services and if there is a availability of complementary products/services it attracts users, increasing the installed base. So that means both occurs because of ea ch other. The same thing happens in the case of Xbox 360 and Kinect. Kinect is a complementary good for Xbox 360. Xbox 360 was having a large install base which helped the sales of Kinect but because of the Kinect, Xbox 360 installed base also increased. Microsoft reported that it sold more than 10 million Kinect devices till the end of February 2011. Microsofts core PC software businesses reached on the saturation point and it was looking for some new areas to sustain its success. Microsoft entered in the game industry by launching Xbox but Kinect made Microsoft the leader in the game industry by giving a technological edge over Sony and Nintendo. In past, companys reputation has suffered as a result of the litigation surrounding its Windows monopoly and other antitrust lawsuits. Kinect and Xbox 360 brought back the innovative image of the Microsoft and established the company as a technology leader in the game industry as well and built its brand.[17].The below charts show the Xbox market share before and after the Kinect launch. The following graphs try to show the market share of Xbox 360, Wii and PS3. As we can see Xbox 360 stole the market share of Sony and Nintendo both, but Nintendo sales were more impacted than that of Sony. Value Ecosystem To understand value chain for Microsoft it is important first to understand the value chain for the game industry. Game industry value chain is made up of six parties mainly: Game Publishing: involved in paying for development of new titles and seeking returns through licensing of the titles. Game Developers: includes developers and designers, who may be working under individual contracts or as part of in-house development teams. Console Manufactures: generates game development middleware, customizable game engines, and production management tools. Distributers: involved in marketing catalogs of games for retail and online distribution. Hardware Suppliers: or the providers of the underlying platform, which may be console-based. End-users layer: or the users/players of the games. Marketer: Advertise the games. Figure # -Video Game Software Value Chain The game development value chain explains that first, the game developers create games for the game publishers, who amalgamate games from various developers. The game publishers are like the pools where many game developers pooled their developed games. The game publishers then select the games suitable for the market and send those games to distributers /retailers and finally to customers. The game publishers may also send the games to marketing agencies which may help to advertise the games to the customers. In some cases, game publishers can sell their games to the console maker itself. While selling games to the console makers the digital rights management (DRM) providers provide DR to game developers to protect their copyrights. In case of Microsoft, the DRM provider is the console maker itself, as the DRM is integrated into the hardware of the console. Creating New Value Chains with Kinect Microsofts Shane Kim has put forward a belief that Kinect provided a value addition to Xbox 360. Microsoft believed that the Xbox 360 has an approximate life of 10 years so Xbox 360 has a life cycle through 2015. Microsoft was having a vision that Project Natal will be a great innovation. Kinect will be a big value addition for a person who thinks that controller is a barrier in playing games. Microsoft wanted to come up with complete system which can create a value for whole family to take the leadership position. To come up with a good product companies do integrated business with third parties. Kinect is a combination of partners and Microsofts own software. Kinect is based on software technology developed internally by Rare, a subsidiary of Microsoft Game Studios owned by Microsoft, and on range camera technology by Israeli developer PrimeSense. Microsoft also acquired Big Park to develop its game for Xbox Live. Microsoft consoles can now play music CDs, and DVDs directly and the DRM is proprietary to the individual publishers. Microsoft allowed publishers and game developers to develop games which can be played on Kinect. In addition to games, you can use Kinect to make video phone calls via Xbox Live. [20] Microsoft has also made internet connected game play available with a subscription-based service, Windows Live, its own application service provider. It allows customers to link play across the internet. Microsoft has managed to channel yet another revenue stream via the connectivity value chain. Microsoft is best positioned to exploit the value ecosystem. Microsoft also fully utilizes its other value chains to create network effects to draw the customers. As a gauge for the amount of licensing revenue that a console maker earns, an analysis of one of Microsofts own console games indicates that the game development value chain itself would bring in 11.5% of the sales price of the console game. Price for games for Kinect from Microsoft was $49 each. Microsoft started selling 4-gigabyte Xbox 360 with Kinect and the Kinect Adventures game in a bundle for $299. Microsoft provided Kinectimals, Kinect Sports and Kinect Joy Ride, each available for $49.99 in Kinect Adventures. It also prices Dance Central game for Kinect at $49.99. This is a very significant part of Microsoft marketing strategy, since games have been priced at $59.99 since the Xbox 360 and PS3 launched in 2005. Its smarter to price games cheaper. The entire pricing strategy is thus