Monday, April 8, 2019

Increasing environmental impacts and resource use associated with accelerating developments and growing global populations make it evident that engaging in businesses, as usual, do necessarily result in the achievement of sustainable futures. Planetary boundaries which define different safe operating spaces have been crossed because of different activities that humans engage in. Often people get to see new products come into the market. These products slowly evolve; they get their market share acceptance and then ultimately disappear from the market. Most products live their lives, develop, grow old and naturally do not remain the same. Product Life Cycles outline the journeys products traverse in their lifetime from the time they are introduced in the market up to the time they phase out (Aytun & Kılıçaslan, 2017). Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. is the best example of a company in this context with a product life cycle management strategy (Market Screener, 2018). Apple iPhone is the best example of a product that the company engages in its product lifecycle management (Więcek-Janka et al., 2017). Companies should incorporate sustainability because of sustainability management and development of different products that a company manufactures or produces positively contribute to the justifiable development of society and the economy.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Apple iPhone's Life Cycle Management

Apple iPhone as one of the unique products manufactured by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. undergoes through four different stages in its life cycle management (Więcek-Janka et al., 2017). The four stages are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. These four stages outline the journey Apple iPhone traverses in its lifetime from when it is introduced in the market until the time it completely phases out. The current product of the company is better than previous products because it was able to engage in value-added and high volume manufacturing at costs that are reasonable. As of December 2018, the company had revenue of USD 5,293.80 billion and a gross profit of USD 332,029.90 million (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., 2019). The company also engages in the development, design, and manufacture of heat transfer, nanotechnology, material sciences, and wireless connectivity products.

Figure 1 : A Diagram Representing the Apple iPhone’s Life Cycle

(Saxena, 2018)

Figure 2: A Diagram Representing Apple iPhone’s Cycle Stages

(Saxena, 2018)

Apple iPhone's Introduction Stage

The introduction stage is where the product is launched or introduced to the market (Borna & Wahlers, 2018). At this stage, the prices of the product are kept very low to capture and attract the maximum market share, more so, mass products. The strategy is very different when it comes to Apple iPhone since it is a high-end product. In Apple iPhone’s introduction stage, the prices are kept high to assist in maintaining ownership exclusivity. Most iPhone users do not like it if every person owns an iPhone and this makes the prices to be kept high to attract few individuals. The sales, marketing, and advertising costs remain high during this stage. iPhones that were introduced by the company in the Introduction stage in November 2018 are iPhone XR and XS. iPhone XR was able to make up 39% of the company’s total sales while iPhone XS Max and XS made up 26% (Torres, 2019). Combined with low prices, Apple iPhone’s introduction stage contributes to a period of losses for the company. The company spends a lot of money to create different marketing and advertising campaigns for the product and to hold conferences. In Apple iPhone’s introduction stage, the product fails to make profits.

Apple iPhone's Growth Stage

In most cases, by the time different products go into the growth stage, the targeted audiences already start having certain affinities towards them. Most companies in this stage will try to maintain the quality of the product to ensure that they do not disappoint their audience (Borna & Wahlers, 2018). Concerning marketing, most companies will start to spend more money at this stage to reach out to wider audiences and become top brands among different target groups (Clark, 2017). As a result of the product, the company’s marketing activities and its reviews, the sales of the product in the growth stage are expected to increase sharply. In Apple iPhone's case, the product launches help to attract more sales which add to the product's overall sales volume. Every iPhone model manufactured by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. undergoes different stages of the Apple iPhones’ product life cycle (Saxena, 2018). The Apple iPhone in the growth phase acts as the successor of the latest models and its different variants. iPhone X was in the growth stage in had 50% higher volume compared to iPhone XR in 2018 (Allegro, 2019). The newest model will be nearer to the introduction, the earliest models nearer to decline and the middle models will be nearer to maturity.

Apple iPhone's Maturity Stage

During the maturity stage, the sales’ rate of increase can reduce as the overall sales of the products are sustained at certain levels (Borna & Wahlers, 2018). At this phase, many competing products tend to enter the market. In some cases, the competing products can either be a replica of the company's products or genuinely good products. iPhone 8 was in the maturity stage in November 2018 were expecting increase in sales. Mid-generation of the Apple iPhones will be in the maturity stages since here the sales would have stabilized.

Apple iPhone's Decline Stage

In the decline stage, the audience starts to move on to other better things (Borna & Wahlers, 2018). The audience no longer wants the company’s products because they have nothing interesting as compared to different products which are now in the growth or introduction phase. Most products that reach the decline phase have become technologically outdated or obsolete (Schulz et al., 2014). Some of the tactics that most companies implement during the Product Life Cycle management to benefit from their declining products include discounting the product, lowering prices, and eliminating after sales support to minimize costs associated with personnel and marketing. iPhone 6, 7 plus and 7 were at the decline stage in November 2018 were the oldest iPhones with prices that range from $80 to $305 (Silver, 2018). As for the case of the Apple iPhone, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. lowers its prices and discounts the product to benefit from the product before it phases out.

The Impact of Sustainability Management at the Apple iPhone's Product Life Cycle

Apple iPhone's Introduction Stage

Sustainability management in this context helps Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. to come up with the best marketing strategy for the product. In the case of the Apple iPhone, rapid skimming would be the best marketing strategy since it involves launching products at high promotional levels and prices (Du & Chen, 2017). With the help of sustainability management, the company is able to establish a recognized brand identity, set up or provide consumer tests, connect with some of the right partners who will help to promote the product, and price the products as high as the company believes it can sell it while reflecting the quality level it is providing. For the Apple iPhone, limiting it to specific consumers can help boost its demand.

Apple iPhone’s Growth Stage

With the help of sustainability management, companies can easily increase their profits in the growth stage (Alberti & Varon Garrido, 2017). In Apple iPhone’s growth stage, sustainability management would help to improve Apple iPhone’s quality, enter different market segments, add new support services or product features to grow its market share, and keep its price as high as possible to keep profits and demand high (Etale, Bingilar, & Ifurueze, 2016). Sustainability management in the growth stage also helps to increase distribution channels of Apple iPhone to manage the growing market demand, skimming the price of the product if the profits realized are low, and shifting marketing messages. Sustainability management at this stage also helps the company to maximize different opportunities that result in rapidly rising profits, sales, and market share.

Apple iPhone’s Maturity Stage

At this stage, sustainable management will assist the company to change its marketing strategies to prolong its product’s life cycle (McDonagh & Prothero, 2014). Some of the main strategies that can help to extend the life cycle of the product in this stage include product and market modification (Reguia, 2014). Market modification involves different strategies such as converting non-users, redefining target markets, winning over the customers or clients of competitors, and entering different market segments. Product modification, on the other hand, revolves around improving or adjusting the features of the products, pricing, quality, and making it different from other products.

Apple iPhone’s Decline Stage

Sustainability management in this stage helps Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. to save money since it will be witnessing a decline in profits and sales. The decline in the sale of the Apple iPhone mostly results from changes in the preferences of consumers, alternatives available on the market and technological advances (Felix, 2015). With the help of sustainability management, the company will be able to reduce its promotional expenditures, the number of distribution outlets selling the product, and implement price cuts which will help to persuade customers into buying the product (Bloomberg, 2018). Sustainability management has helped the company to improve its financial strength including current ratio and quick ratio, and also the profitability ratios in terms of gross and operating margins. Five years ago the company had a growth rate of 16.79 whereas in 2018 it recorded a growth rate of 25.01 with revenue of USD 1,004,526 in the industry (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (2317q.L), 2019). All these strategies ensure the company maximizes its profits. .

The Key Considerations in Carbon and Water Footprint Analysis

Concerning Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. and the manufacture of Apple iPhone, some of the critical considerations in carbon and water footprint analysis revolve around climate change, use of resources and safer materials (Apple Inc., 2018). When it comes to climate change, the company aims to reduce its impact on climate change through the use of different renewable energy sources. Another way through which the company reduces its effect on climate change includes driving energy efficiency in its facilities, products, and supply chain. In terms of resource usage, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. aims to conserve some of the most precious resources so that humanity can thrive (Annual Report 2017, 2017). Through the increase of the company’s efficiencies, carbon and water footprints can be easily reduced. Sustainability data of carbon footprint and water help the company to measure gas emissions which result in climate change. In the year 2016, the company recorded a carbon footprint of 29.5 million metric tons when compared to 2015 with 38.4 million (Apple Inc., 2018). Some of the factors that resulted in the 23% decline revolve around the benefits of the company’s environmental programs including reduced emissions (Apple Inc., 2018). Electricity usage when processing raw materials, assembling products and making parts is the company’s largest contributor to its carbon footprint.

Conclusion

In conclusion, companies should incorporate sustainability because sustainability management and development of different products that a company manufactures or produces positively contribute to the justifiable development of society and the economy. To carter for some of the future uncertainties, companies should adopt different product lifecycle management strategies. These strategies help in the management of the lifecycles of various products from inception, through manufacture and engineering design, to disposal and service of manufactured products.

References

Alberti, F. G., & Varon Garrido, M. A. (2017). Can profit and sustainability goals co-exist? New business models for hybrid firms. Journal of Business Strategy, 38(1), 3-13.

Allegro, A. (2019, January 7). Data suggests iPhone XR was top selling iPhone in November, yet yearly sales down 20%. Retrieved from 9To5Mac: https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/07/iphone-sales-xr-2018/

Annual Report 2017. (2017, March 31). Retrieved from http://www.sharp-world.com/corporate/ir/library/annual/pdf/2017/annual_2017.pdf

Apple Inc.. (2018). Environmental Responsibility Report. Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/lae/environment/pdf/Apple_Environmental_Responsibility_Report_2018.pdf

Aytun, U., & Kılıçaslan, Y. (2017). Product Life Cycle and Innovativeness: The Case of MENA. World Journal of Applied Economics, 3(2), 48-91.

Bloomberg. (2018, November 22). As demand slows, Apple iPhone supplier Foxconn plans deep cost cuts. Retrieved from Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/11/22/business/corporate-business/demand-slows-apple-iphone-supplier-foxconn-plans-deep-cost-cuts/#.XLbPpegzbIU

Borna, S., & Wahlers, R. (2018). Product Identity Over Time and the Concept of Product Life Cycle. Journal of Management and Strategy, 9(2), 27-33.

Clark, W. (2017, September 26). Marketing Strategy and the Product Life Cycle. Retrieved from https://bizfluent.com/info-8087077-marketing-strategy-product-life-cycle.html

Du, P., & Chen, Q. (2017). Skimming or penetration: optimal pricing of new fashion products in the presence of strategic consumers. Annals of Operations Research, 257(1-2), 275-295.

Etale, L. M., Bingilar, P. F., & Ifurueze, M. S. (2016). Market share and profitability relationship: A study of the banking sector in Nigeria. International Journal of Business, Economics and Management, 3(8), 103-112.

Felix, E. (2015). Marketing challenges of satisfying consumers changing expectations and preferences in a competitive market. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 7(5), 41.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (2317q.L). (2019). Retrieved from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/financial-highlights/2317q.L

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (2019, April 16). Retrieved from NIKKEI Asian Review: https://asia.nikkei.com/Companies/Hon-Hai-Precision-Industry-Co.-Ltd

Market Screener. (2018, April 12). Hon Hai Precision Industry: Apple assembler Foxconn considering iPhone factory in Vietnam - state media. Retrieved from https://www.marketscreener.com/HON-HAI-PRECISION-INDUSTR-6492357/news/Hon-Hai-Precision-Industry-Apple-assembler-Foxconn-considering-iPhone-factory-in-Vietnam-state-m-27702530/

McDonagh, P., & Prothero, A. (2014). Sustainability marketing research: Past, present and future. Journal of Marketing Management, 30(11-12), 1186-1219.

Reguia, C. (2014). Product innovation and the competitive advantage. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 10(10).

Saxena, D. (2018, July 9). Understanding Product Life Cycle of Apple iPhone [E-Book]. Retrieved from https://www.superheuristics.com/product-life-cycle-iphone/

Schulz, R., Wahl, H. W., Matthews, J. T., De Vito Dabbs, A., Beach, S. R., & Czaja, S. J. (2014). Advancing the aging and technology agenda in gerontology. The Gerontologist, 55(5), 724-734.

Silver, S. (2018, September 12). Apple discontinues sales of iPhone X, 6S, 6S Plus and SE. Retrieved from appleinsider: https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/09/12/apple-discontinues-sales-of-iphone-x-6s-6s-plus-and-se

Torres, J. (2019, January 24). iPhone XR US sales beat iPhone XS, XS Max combined: the reasons behind it. Retrieved from Slash Gear: https://www.slashgear.com/iphone-xr-outsold-iphone-xs-xs-max-combined-24563

Więcek-Janka, E., Papierz, M., Kornecka, M., & Nitka, M. (2017). Apple products: A discussion of the product life cycle. In 4th International Conference on Management Science and Management Innovation (Vol. 31, pp. 159-164).

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Multicultural Perspectives

Teachers should make the initiative to encourage the student to work closely to work each. They should promote interaction among the students through various events in the class. An instructor should, therefore, make an effort to understand the mood of every student by consistently learning their behaviours amongst in the group. Such sessions as storytelling make everyone free to one another and make it easy to share amongst themselves at a will. Each one, therefore, lives to set as a community with a common agenda.

Tutors should make sure to introduce the lesson at a note that will impress the

students the significance of the topic to their general life. Also, it is wise to mix

the learners in individual events to give them a room to share a view on various

matters of life. That way, you will foster unity among student regardless of the race.

Likewise, they induce self-esteem amongst student by making them feel part of the school by allowing them to come up with projects of their choice. Creating a venture for opinions thus improving the communication skills of a person.

Knowing the children race and background is necessary as it helps the teacher relate the behaviour with the performance and challenges. This can be achieved through open communications, conducting lesson surveys to hear from student altitude and rate of satisfaction of a given learning session. Class sharing past experiences is a worthy enhancement of class performance. This to help to reduce racism among learners.

While teaching, using students' name when giving an example help promote retention rate. Make use of games and hobbies that a particular group like. This makes them feel

recognized and hence have a sense of belonging in that the lesson links to their

interests. Application of metaphorical language ensures or create a clear picture of the

class of concepts the teacher want to put across. Adoption of contextual learning

strategies makes children develop critical thinking capability in their mode of solving

problems.

Peer-teaching makes the learning friendly to the class. They tend to get close to their

Instructors and even feel free to open up when faced by challenges. Making

Performance a common goal through the creation of cooperative groups improve the overall student results outcomes. Establishing of different learning setting make the student break the monotony of routines and thus seem relieved from norms and eventually the course impact positively to core aim of being in school. Every learner, therefore, feels obliged to see their friends achieve as they do for the good of the society and their self-life.

Lecturers should ensure to have a common language that is suitable to all regardless of

race. They too should help reduce the gap between children that could be as a result of

age, gender or even race by learning the challenges different groups within the class.

A teacher should thus be competent to understand cultural diversity and its impact on the performance of varied individuals in their teaching clusters of the scholars. They should be at the forefront to critic any form of racial discrimination n within their classes. Such acts as leaving group discussion assignments are crucial in the fight to end racism in the class and a broader perspective in the school.

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Gladwell and Lethem Ideas

Student’s Name

Professor

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Gladwell and Lethem Ideas

Gladwell is an English author born in England and grew up in Canada. He graduated with a degree from the University of Toronto in 1984 and received the American Sociological Association Award for Excellence in 2007 or reporting the social issues. Gladwell has grown up as a kind of translator between the academic and the non-academic world with all stuff of fantastic stuff that exposes him to the academic world. The central work of Gladwell is based on the fact that it makes the world simple and appearance of fairness if there is sole responsibility for individual success (Gladwell 189). As a result, Gladwell argues that people have to realize their potentials through the environmental and cultural legacy. He explains that since cultures change, it is possible to change the culture thus applying it to the social world.

On the other hand, Jonathan Lethem is a writer with high literary credibility. His novels have drawn a comparison to the science fiction novels. Jonathan Lethem attended Vermont College in the 1980s where he used to write books as he studies painting and working towards being a writer. In 1984, he left Bennington and spent almost a decade working on his career as a story writer. During this period, Lethem followed up with more speculation fiction in the various novels. According to Lethem, the task of the writer is to go beyond the reassuring surface while believing that truth is seldom and is only found through stopping with apparent conventions(Lethem 251). Also, Lethem argues that words, ideas, and images are private properties of an individual, and they are bound up with an individual’s culture, writing as well as thinking which is taken on a new life. Therefore, Malcolm Gladwell and Jonathan Lethem seem to agree in some way. In this paper, the ideas of Lethem, as well as those of Gladwell, are analyzed while comparing the nature and its relation to the social experiments. The paper also investigates how the open culture of art makes society better through the integration of the ideas by Gladwell and Lethem.

Gladwell learned about the tipping point when going through a rare disease that was affecting gay men. From the medical facts, Gladwell wondered if that could be applied to the social world and if the delinquency and mischief could turn into a crime. The tipping point is as a result of Gladwell effort in understanding the ideas that catch the widespread attention. Drawing from the psychological and sociology, Gladwell examined the events that led to the decline in the crime rate. Through working across the wide-ranging example, Gladwell developed the encompassing model on how cultural change occurs and how it plays a role in shaping and guiding human acts and intentions. Although the Americans believe that success is as a result of hard work, Gladwell paints a complicated picture including the practice of education as well as social circumstances and culture.

For Lethem, the truth is found by stopping with the obvious conventions through the act of writing as fundamentally promiscuous. Although Lethem had beautiful ideas, it is all about creativity. Therefore, creativity is thought to be the ability, so something entirelythrough the ecstasy of influence. Everything is original and bound up with everything else and underneath through generosity that makes creativity possible(Lethem 256). The argument of Lethem is compelling given that many writers and scientists have the experience of ecstasy. Although universities impose harsh penalties on plagiarism, people who use words of other people without attribution and acknowledgment show their way of starting creativity without necessarily cheating.

From the story of love and theft, the appropriation plays a role in Dylan’s music with the songwriter grabbing the panoply of vintage. It is therefore evident that emotional misdemeanors stalk the sweetness of love. The identity of literacy motif of the interdependence shows the appropriateness of Dylan’s self-art that offers the paradox of great look that encodes the knowledge of the past sources that have the contemporary culture. From allart, it is revealed that all humanity is of the same volume rather than all humankind being of one author and one size. The internet search has not been successful than the library search since summoning books from various sources profoundlyreveal the matter of a few existing computer texts. The efforts of the search are seemingly effective for chapter translation through the passage that is turned out from the scholarly library collection. Therefore, the most famous thing that happens is written thus known through a search of words that may be famous as they are lifted from the book title.

The Lethem ideas are related to Gladwell in such a way that the mistakes made in thinking about the character lead to the encompassing of several kinds of blind spot through the process information. With the psychologists calling for the tendency of the fundamental attribution error, the interpretation of people’s behavior made by human beings with the overestimated fundamental character traits. Reaching a dispositional explanation for the events leads to the contextual explanation thus challenging the impossible questions in the area of interest. Through various kinds of experiments, Gladwell ideas show howsocial change with a clear and immediate environmental explanation of the behavior (Gladwell 191). When there is a need to answer the impossibility, the biased contestants may be tempted to rig a set of question which does not make any difference. Therefore, the idea of plagiarism by Lethem is seen to be something that requires instinct explanation of the world through the essential attributes of various people. As the world is made simple, the understanding is depicted from the idea of other people hence the need to create and maintain the perception continuity that leads to the permanent changes in the behaviors of the individual.

A more open culture of art has led to broader social benefits as well as the potential pitfall. The free culture of creativity creates an intensity for everyday use and utility that brings the mind close to the facts and matters affecting the world. Through the open culture art, the beauty of expression that is placed on the objects as well as the mysterious qualities of the unexpected context. Also, the crisis of surrealist is addressed through the essence of modernity that is framed through technological orientation. As a result, the open culture of art ensures relief of the ground of functionality with the great potential that reveals the hidden details of the familiar objects.

On the other hand, the contamination of anxiety is depictedin the recorded song. Through passive explanation, the songs raise the question of influence which leads to shame, misgiving as well as complex genealogy that is as a result of the open culture of art. The musicians also have had kinds of open source through the open culture art that exist in the melodic fragment. The creation of the versions and the recombinant nature of production leads to the endless and glorious impure as well as the fundamental social process that is found to be the potential pitfalls of the open culture of art — also, the visual, sound and text from the fugitive traditions that are explosive through serial movements. The art forms lead to the forgettable moments and the chronologies that cherished thus troubling the admirers due to the discovery of plagiarism. It has also been found that the appropriation, mimicry as well as quotation and allusion leads to a non-creative act that affects the realm of cultural production.

Lethem can offer a fundamentally different approach to social change by incorporating the ideas of Gladwell. Through investigative theory of Gladwell, Lethem can work across wide-ranging examples on the city crime thus developing the cultural change through the model that plays an influential role in shaping the human acts. The story of success can also be used in the investigative forces thus revealing the fact theta success follows from hard work.

In conclusion, the world of art and culture is attributed to the language of the commons with the ideas, words and thinking expanded through passive users. The thoughts of Lethem and those Gladwell reveals the change in culture which is applied to the social world. The emphasis on commitment and the writing of men shows the verbal role the open culture of art play. The ideas which are based on human nature are revealed through Gladwell’s experimental work with Lethem giving the tipping point of how the society can look better with the improved culture. With these ideas working together, the intangible wealth in the community including the copyrights as well as the infrastructure will be inherited in the coming generation hence making the product better and independent.

Works Cited

Gladwell, Malcolm. "The power of context: Bernie Goetz and the rise and fall of New York City

crime." The new humanities reader (2003): 187-201

Lethem, Jonathan. "The ecstasy of influence: A plagiarism mosaic." Sound Unbound: Sampling

digital music and culture(2008): 249-52