Books are dead Essay Example for Free

Books are dead Essay It could be said that books are dead which leads to the question, What are people doing instead? People are buying and using modern technology indeed of reading books because books are tedious. Would you rather read through a whole chapter in a book just to find an answer to a question, or type in key words into a search engine on a computer and the information be found instantly? Other technologies such as; video, internet and DVD, have superseded them. The more advanced technology appeals to a wider audience and society is not pressurised into enjoying it from an early age if they do not want to, as in the case of books. Books are seen as primitive and dated because they have less to offer the next generation in the form of enjoyment. Furthermore, books are not fashionable in the twenty-first century. This is because popularity within the community is directly proportional to whether the individual has the newest technology or not. The most popular individual has the most recent technological development, such as the latest mobile telephone, and the not so popular individual is left behind, still reading books. Technology is a way to show off and showing off is a way of making new friends and keeping the existing ones. In addition, we would not have moved forward in time without new technology. For example, in the future, we will be able to travel into space and back, which we would not be able achieve using books. Of course, the maths and science would have originated from books but you would need technology to apply it. There is not point in publishing books anymore because no one has the time to sit down and read them. This is because they are boring and it is too much effort. You also have to be in the right mood to read a book, whereas you do not need to be with technology since there are so many alternatives. Books are a waste of paper and ink, and are we not trying to save the environment? Moreover, books are made by technology, for example, the printing press is made up of machines. So why not use technology in other ways that will be appreciated more? On the other hand, books have survived every new technological development, unlike the video recorder being superseded by the DVD recorder, within a few decades. Books have, and will stand the test of time because one can escape into a story in a book and enjoy it without the need for anyone else. Disappearing into a book is an escapist fantasy because you can interpret it in so many different ways. It also makes a nice change from the more advanced technology the world has to offer.

Essay --

The ability to detect remote sensing has made great strides over the past few decades. Mars has been a major center of speculation and inquisition during these studies. By using Remote sensing, scientists are able to view, analyze, hypothesis, and gain better understanding of what can be detected on and under the surface of Mars. In 2006 Baldassare Bartolo published work that suggested that remote sensing is the act of gaining information about an object/phenomenon without making any actual physical contact. Remote sensing is most commonly used with aerial sensor technologies in order to detect and classify the objects on Earth via signals (electromagnetic radiation emitted from aircraft and/or satellites) (Bartolo 2006). The process of how the remote sensing works has been modified and improved over the past few years into what we use today on earth as well as on the various Mars exploration missions. Remote sensing works with energy. Scientists have found that remote sensing works because all objects on the earth emit an electromagnetic energy (Chee, 2008). The energy includes a visible light and other radiations in the electromagnetic spectrum (Bartolo 2006, Anderson 2013). The portion of the spectrum that is visible to the human eye is tightly limited to wavelengths in the 0.4 micrometre (â€Å"blue†) to 0.7 micrometre (â€Å"red†) range. Just past the red end of the spectrum is the infrared region and it’s subdivisions that are reflected by the earth's surface, and thermal infrared given by the objects (Plaza et al. 2009). Researchers have been able to develop different sensors and cameras that are able to detect and record the energy being transmitted from earths surface. These cameras and sensors on satellites relay th... ...ut the researchers hypothesis states that the small amount of hydrogen is likely to be more chemically bound to the minerals in the soil, than in the form of water ice (Dartnell 2013, Ezell 2004). Therefore, with having water ice at the poles and water in the surface rocks, it is far more likely for the various carved channels to be formed from a liquid than that of lava (granted there are lava channels as well.) By observing images, researchers are able to speculate how the channels formed by simply comparing it to the conditions on earth. Water erodes away sediment and leaves specific clues to look for. Researchers will continue unveiling what is on and under the Red Planet's surface with new and improved methods. They will be able to use remote sensing and other means to gain better knowledge of the exact conditions of what lies above and underneath the surface.

Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass as self-made men Essay

‘Autobiography’ of Benjamin Franklin states that apart from being one of the founding fathers of United States, he was a philosopher, scientist, inventor, a leading writer, publisher and a diplomat too. A person with so many specialties in his personality is rarely seen and when we read the whole book, which has 14 chapters, we come to know that Benjamin Franklin was completely a self-made man. He gained expertise in each field he worked because he did everything in his life with all his interest. Benjamin gives a good description of his life in Philadelphia and his keen interest in literature and hilosophy in this book. He also had interest in religion prevailing in America during colonial and revolutionary period. He wrote the first five chapters of the book in England in 1771 and after 13 years i. e. , probably in 1884-85 he continued it when he was in Paris. Later when he returned to US in 1788, he completed the book giving the account of his life till he is 57 years old i. e. , till 1757. One year after Benjamin Franklin’s death, in March 1791, his autobiography was published in Paris. Benjamin was born in Boston in 1706 as his father’s 15th child out of 17. When he was a chool going child he wanted to become a minister but later he dropped this idea as he had great interest in reading and writing. For the first few years, Benjamin apprenticed his brother but soon moved to Philadelphia and worked there for some time. While staying in Philadelphia, Franklin made friends with well-known political figures and then moved to England. Here he stayed for 18 months with James Ralph who was a good friend of his but later he estranged with him. Then in 1726 he returned to America where he started a debating club in a very short time and called it the Junto. After two years, with the help of tools and knowledge gained in England, he turned ‘The Pennsylvania Gazette’ into a flourishing publication after taking it over from Keimer. In 1730 Benjamin married his beloved, Deborah Read and had two children. Franklin did printing work for the government holding small positions during 1730s. Later he became postmaster of Philadelphia and also started Poor Richard’s Almanac. He invented Franklin stove by the end of 1730s. 1740s saw him working on various projects like fire brigade, police force, university of Philadelphia and even public works like street weeping service too. After retiring from printing business in 1748 he conducted various scientific researches on lightning. He was honored with degrees from Harvard and Yale in 1753 and he turned out to be the Postmaster General of America. Next year saw war breaking out between England and France and he participated in the war by drafting proposals that helped bring funds for the war. However the ‘Autobiography’ is left unfinished and is written only up to 1757. The first chapter of his ‘Autobiography’ is addressed to his first son, William Franklin who was born nearly one year after his marriage. He writes, Dear son: I have ever had pleasure in obtaining any little anecdotes of my ancestors. You may remember the enquiries I made among the remains of my relations when you were with me in England, and the journey I undertook for that purpose. (The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Chapter one, Lines 1-3) First chapter includes his present work and the reasons behind choosing it, some description of his ancestors’, about his early life and his attachment towards reading books. In chapter six, Benjamin mentions a lot of such incidents that made him decide to be simply honest in his dealings in life. The philosophical lines in chapter six are, I grew convinc’d that truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I form’d written resolutions. Which still remain in my journal book, to practice them ever while I lived. (The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Chapter six, Paragraph 21, Lines 1-2) Thus we find that Benjamin Franklin worked on lot of projects and expertised his knowledge in various field with the help of his own experiences of life. He met various people and read variety of books too, which further helped him develop a sense of esponsibility and duty as well also morality and self-improvement. â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave† is a book with eleven chapters that gives us the picture of Douglass’s life as a slave and how keen he was to become a free man. His book has played quite an influential role during the ‘abolition movement’ of early nineteenth century in United States. The first chapter starts with the information that Douglass is unaware of his date of birth and seems sad about this fact. Then he explains that he lost his mother when he was only seven-year-old but he was taken far away from his mother even before that. He had no idea about who was his father but according to most people he must have been the son of his owner who was a white man. The first time when Douglass could see the brutal side of slavery was when he saw his Aunt Hester being whipped. The following two three chapters describe the life of slaves of that time and how they were treated along with farms’ structure also. A very important and mentionable point here is the description of the singing of the slaves and this makes the reader have a good deal of admiration for Douglass as he knows far better that slaves are forced to do everything. Douglass mentions incidents of extreme brutality with slaves even if they spoke truth. He also makes the reader aware of how slaves were taught to behave in front of their owners. In chapter five he starts with life in Baltimore as he was taken there and also mentions that had he not been taken to Baltimore, he would have been slave for the rest of his life without having the feeling of making himself free. Here he started to feel that he could also have better hopes for future and mentions his new mistress, Mrs. Auld as a very kind woman initially but in due course of time turned malicious. Douglass learned to spell small words and read a little bit from Mrs. Auld and he tried to develop his new skill whenever he found time and opportunity. The following two chapters describe his life in Baltimore and how he learns to read and write for himself and the sufferings due to this skill for him. In chapter six he mentions the difference in the treatments of a city slave and rural slave. He writes, I had resided but a short time in Baltimore before I observed a marked difference, in the treatment of slaves, from that which I had witnessed in the country. A city slave is almost free man compared with a slave on the plantation. He is much better fed and clothed, and enjoys privileges altogether unknown to the slave on the plantation. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Chapter six, Paragraph 4, Lines 1-2) When Douglass was probably ten or eleven years his master died and with the division of property he was sent to the family of Master Hugh. For some time he was moved from one master to another which he extremely hated but had no option other than to follow the instructions of his present master. During these different voyages, Douglass made up is mind to flee from this kind of life and tried to take an account of the direction he was traveling so that it would help him run away from there. He had very hard time with the kind of work he was allotted and he was even whipped almost weekly just because he was awkward with the work. All this crossed the limit of patience for Douglass and one day when his master Covey tried to tie him he fought and won. After this incident he was never beaten. Douglass was then sent to another farm where he made friends with other slaves and also taught them to read and write. Here he planed to escape with some of the slaves but was caught and sent to jail. After being released from jail he was sent to learn some trade in Baltimore and he worked as a trainee in a shipyard. Here also white men abused him and his master was kind enough to make him work as a caulker and not go back to the shipyard again. He was even given wages for his work but he had to give them to Master Auld. He writes, In the early part of the year 1838, I became quite restless. I could see no reasons why I should, at the end of each week, pour the reward of my toil into the purse of my master. When I carried to him my weekly wages, he would, after counting the money, look at me in the face with a robber-like fierceness, and ask, â€Å"Is this all? he was satisfied with nothing less than the last cent. He would, however, when I made him six dollars, sometimes give me six cents, to encourage me. It had the opposite effect. (Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave, Chapter eleven, Paragraph 3, Lines 1-3) Somehow Douglass manages and finds his own job and escapes from there and moves to Massachusetts. He mentioned very little about this escape in order to protect the names of persons who helped him in this work. After this he met his fiance and started working on his own. He then joined an antislavery get-together and fought for the issue from that time onwards. Within four months of the publication of the book, â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave† in 1845, it made a sale of five thousand copies. Douglass sailed to England after the publication of his book and remained there for next two years, as he feared to be recaptured by his legal master. This book eventually gave him the liberty to work for himself and people now believed in the story of his past. He then started a black newspaper too.

HMVs business model - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3226 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Title: What Is the Real à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Business Modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Here, (And More Importantly, How Do We Fix It)? HMV (UK): 2750 words. This paper examines the business model à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" and its associated problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" of HMV, the 87 year old music retailer which, in the estimation of many, has à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦failed to adapt to a digital revolution in the music industry.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (1) HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s basic business model is that of a classic non-discounting high street retailer, with all the supply chain, distribution and marketing dimensions which are contingent upon that status. Like all similar businesses, it sells intellectual property (music, books, games, software) on the assumption that it is a unique portal, through which customers must obtain the product in the form offered. Its business issues are almost all intrinsically related to this identity, and the possible solutions prescribed and limit ed by the same factors. It says much about HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s current prospects that a 3p fall in share values to 128p is seen as relatively encouraging: (2) whilst it is true that retail groups are hardly leading the stock markets at present, there are deeper and more long term problems to consider in the case of a UK music retailer such as HMV. Very little of its current difficulties are of its own design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" unless a lack of responsiveness is taken into account. Sales of its staple product, music, are in general decline, as Braithwaite reports: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Enders Analysis, the media research company, predicts that global music sales by 2009 will be half their level at the peak of the CD boom, down from $45bn in 1997 to $23bn in 2009.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (3) In HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s own assessment, the sales of physical music media may decline in value by as much as 26 per cent by 2010. (4). The contemporary financial and credit crisis is another, quite jus tifiable claim which HMV could make to aggrieved status. A critique of its underlaying business model reveals, however, that this is not the total picture. HMV is linked structurally to relations of production which, though not quite defunct, have certainly acquired a new form and balance over the last 10 years. Although the relationships which underpinned the latter were not of HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s making, it was in effect a net beneficiary of them. What is remarkable is that, to an extent greater than any other market participant, it has adhered to and even sought to re-invent the same paradigms in it current business model. As Mintzberg points out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there are dangers in looking to the future by extrapolating the needs of the present, in relying excessively on hard data, and in over-formalizing the strategy making process.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (5) The resolution of HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s problems may ultimately lay in the operation of the market itse lf. As its own CEO has averred, a declining business and market may still yield worthwhile profits, as indeed HMV sometimes still does. (6). Moreover, there is plenty of independent analyst support as collateral for this position. As Philip Dorgan of Panmure Gordon points out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Instead of waiting for its business model to implode, management has launched several initiatives which could yet see the shorts proved wrong.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (7) Nick Bubb, analyst at Pali International, has been no less generous, reportedly stating that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The business has seen an amazing turnround from a year ago when HMV seemed doomed and management must get some credit for the operational initiatives which have moved things forward.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (8). This is encouragement indeed for a business which has been on the receiving end of market pressure for at least as long as its current CEO, Simon Fox, has been in charge. In July 2008 the Financial Times dubbed it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ËÅ"the most shorted stock in the retailing sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ when it fell 17p to 112.5p, adding that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦analysts continued to voice concerns about the groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ability to prosper in the digital age.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (9) Ultimately however the outcome is still perhaps in little doubt, except with regard to its timescale. The question is whether or not HMV can turn the architects of its demise à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" digital music downloads and e.commerce à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" to its own advantage, or whether it will retain its existing mindset. Perhaps one indication of this lays in Hooley et al.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s assessment of what the internet implies in customer relationships. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"A significant feature of the Internet is the shift in power away from manufacturers and retailers towards customers. While the period to the middle of the twentieth century saw power concentrated in the hands of manufacturers and suppliersthe custom er now typically initiates an information search, whereas in the past the manufacturer or the retailer initiated and controlled this.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢(10) The key words here are power and control, as will be discussed more fully below. At the time of writing, HMV is enjoying an uncharacteristically successful period through the popularity of computer games such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Wii Fit, Mario Kart and Brain Training, and anticipates a Christmas bonus through sales of the Sony PSP console, Fifa 09 and Gears of War. (11). As Braithwaite and Stafford point out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The games business, which now represents about 18 per cent of sales, saw demand for both consoles and games soar over the holiday period. HMV has sought to deal with the dwindling market for CDs by refocusing on video games, DVDs and technology products such as MP3 music players.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (12). Its diversification into books via acquisition of Waterstones has not been quite so productive: like- for-like sales are down 1.7 per cent despite availability of the latest Harry Potter opus (13). Indeed, much depends upon the festive season for HMV: the planned supply chain improvements are being deferred to avoid any teething problems over the holidays, whilst expenditure on its projected 10 new stores has been decreased from  £100 to  £50. (14). The general environment is not encouraging, however. In the run-up to the peak sales period, one of HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s suppliers, Pinnacle Entertainment, went into administration, raising doubts over the supply of albums for eager Christmas shoppers. (15). Despite this, and the fact that ex-Woolworthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stock will now be sold off in competition with its own offerings, HMV is hoping to repeat or exceed last yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life-giving infusion of revenue again in 2008. The essential point here is that any resurgence achieved through computer games and the like, merely serves to emphasize HMVà ¢Ã¢ ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s conventional business model as a retailer of particular products with a strong niche market. If Grand Theft Auto IV were suddenly available in downloadable form, HMV would have to seek another revenue stream quickly: in fact, it seems fair to say that, until it moves away from its current business model, its profitability only begins where the advance of digital technology stops. Somewhere in this elastic equation lays the future of businesses like HMV. As mentioned above, the business issues are not essentially of HMVs making: we need to look elsewhere to understand how they have impacted upon it. The C.E.O. of Sony BMG, Rolf Schimdt-Holtz, recalled how he needed to deliver some blunt messages to senior executives when restructuring the company, arguably a classic music industry monolithic structure. We had a situation where the executives thought they were artists., he pointed out. (16) Whilst this commentary may contain a good deal of invective, its terms are hi ghly illustrative of the situation which featured throughout that industry. HMV was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" and is at the consumer facing end of a business which relied on an oligopolistic control of output, effectively focusing the available capital on a limited range of products to ensure liquidity, margins and profitability. Although the dissolution of these barriers was not deliberately intended to undermine retailers like HMV, that is the net effect. Within certain variables, the empirical circumstances of this transformation were something like this. In the pre and semi digital age (i.e., the introduction of CDs), major record labels and their ancilliary sectors such as music retailers controlled both the means of production and distribution of the product. Through their AR departments, record company boardrooms controlled entry to the industry through control of investment capital, which they recouped through release of the product in terms distinctly advantageous to themselves. This ratio of returns was usually something like 97 per cent to 3 per cent in favour of the company. The artist meanwhile received substantially better terms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" and the bulk of their earnings à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" through the associated publishing arrangements. As well as sharing the vast majority of the income, the labels and retailers also accrued distinct advantages through control of the inventory: they could keep their costs down by limiting both the choice of the consumer over the products selected, and the way in which they could purchase their choice. This mechanism worked in two ways: instead of being distributed across an unlimited choice of products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" i.e., as many as wished to enter the marketplace, given that they had a viable product to offer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" consumers could buy only those products admitted to the market by the companies. This made retailing more viable and profitable, as well as making inventory-keeping and forecasting relatively simple. Although there were always alternatives to the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"monopolizedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ media, these were never as convenient, or of as good a quality, as those in the high street. As well as controlling the product, the manufacturer and retailer derived advantages from the way it was sold, over and above the media itself. In the parlance of supply chain analysts, this amounted to a lack of a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"bulk breakà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ facility, which meant that consumers had to buy the batches of products as they were marketed. In practical terms this meant paying a premium price for singles and stipulated rate for the undivided album product à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"another economy of scale for the vendor, another diseconomy of sale for the customer . To this had to be added the time the latter spent putting in the footfall business which their purchase required. Successive media changes had survived and even augmented these practices: for example, the advent of the CD brought the additional premium of customers renewing their vinyl purchases in the new medium to obtain better quality reproduction. As consumers were also acutely aware, the encryption of intellectual property in physical media meant there was a timescale attached to availability of specific products: they could not rely on their choice being available for very long, unless it fell into a very small category of products. The combination of digital technology and e.commerce has profoundly changed all of this: this is not to say that footfall business has disappeared, or that major record companies are not still dominant. However, it does mean that the future and form of both are in doubt, and with it, the future of businesses like HMV. Even the attempted re-interpretation of market dominance attempted by Appleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s i.Tunes has been relatively short lived, and curtailed by regulatory intervention. Apple said it had sold music at a higher price in the UK, becau se some major music labels charge more for distribution rights in the country. Music copyrights are negotiated on a country-by-country basis. It will now have to seek to renegotiate these deals, thanks to EC intervention. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Apple will reconsider its continuing relationship in the UK with any record label that does not lower its wholesale prices in the UK to the pan-European level within six monthsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, the company said. (17). Meanwhile, retailers like HMV may argue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" quite correctly that CDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s offer an overall better sound quality. The issue here is that no MP3 device manufacturer or download site has ever claimed aural superiority. More to the point, there is little evidence that consumers choose MP3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s on the basis of comparative sound quality So, the question which HMV needs to consider is whether are MP3à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s merely sold on utility, or price? From the consumerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s perspec tive, one of the keys to MP3 utility is its physical media-free nature and flexibility. Individual tracks by different artists can be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"bulk-brokenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ bought individually and more cheaply than if the entire album is purchased in CD form. DRM-governed tracks bought through i.Tunes downloads currently cost the U.K. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"downloaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ under a pound, whilst virtual albums retail on average for two-thirds of the CD cost. So far, HMVs response has been the introduction of lifestyle retail centres where customers can buy drinks, and then download music in a manner stipulated by the company. As Braithwaite observes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Perhaps symptomatic of HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s uncertain approach was the proposed download terminals. Instead of downloading music in the comfort of their own homes, consumers would be able to trek to an HMV store, download songs and burn them on to a CD à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" that once space-age circle of polycarb onate plastic that looks ancient in the age of the iPod.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (18). One analyst has already dubbed this à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (19). In conclusion then, it may be argued that HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s current business model cannot be fixed, and the only redeeming feature of its current behaviour is that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" albeit in a perverse manner à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" it seems to acknowledge this. The periodic reification of a now markedly vernacular practice merely demonstrates that there is enough life left in the declining giant to serve consumers, shareholders and employees with a diminishing set of benefits, whilst the real alternatives become clearer. Large footfall retailing outlets cannot regain control of intellectual property sales: these will be conducted virtually, and on an increasing scale. The internet has a tendency to encourage customers to analyse prices between manufacturers and suppliers before pur chasing, although this seemed to leave the i.Tunes phenomenon unhindered. HMV is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"at long last, some might say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" launching an MP3 digital download and stream offer on its website. (20). The opportunity for HMV is that there are still large parts of the market for which e.commerce is an unknown quantity. As Hooley et al. observe, e.commerce uptake may be differentiated into consumer categories, according to the attitude of the customer. There are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Explorers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" highly optimistic and innovative; Pioneers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the innovative but cautious: Skeptics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" who need to have the benefits of technology proved to them: Paranoids à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" those who are insecure about the technology; and Laggards à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" those who will resist the technologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. (21). There are enormous potential rewards for the retailer who can break down this barrier and se cure the as yet untapped market share of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Skepticsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. It seems fair to argue that in all probability, HMVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s single greatest asset is its brand strength. That brand now needs to be attached to a new strategic model. As Mintzberg indicates , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Every strategic change involves some new experience, a step into the unknown, the taking of risk. Therefore no organization can ever be sure in advance whether an established competence will prove to be a strength or a weakness.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (22) What is certain however, is that change is a necessity rather than an option for HMV at present. Footnotes 1.)Braithwaite, T., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"HMV Chief has to face the music and danceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 13th Sept 2007, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a88d3096-6164-11dc-bf25-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] 2.) Killgren, L., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"HMV lifted by in-home boomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 5th Sept 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1e67c51c-7b16-11dd-b1e2-000077b07658.html [viewed 5.12.08] 3.)Braithwaite (2007/, loc cit 4.)ibid 5.) Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B., and Lampel, J., (1998), Strategy Safari: The Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management, Prentice Hall, London, p.112 . 6.)Braithwaite (2007), loc cit. 7.)Killgren, loc cit. 8.) Braithwaite, T., and Stafford, P., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Games drive record HMV growthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 17th January 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/51199dae-c4ce-11dc-811a-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] 9.) Braithwaite, T., and Minto, R., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"HMV targeted despite solid resultsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1400fea0-473f-11dd-93ca-000077b07658.html [viewed 5.12.08] 10.)Hooley, G., Saunders, J., and Piercy, N., (2004), Marketing Strategy and Competitive Position, 3rd Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall., p.515. 11.)Killgren, loc cit. 12.)Braithwaite and Stafford, loc cit. 13.)Killgren, loc.cit. 14.)Braithwaite and Minto, loc cit. 15.) Davoudi, S., and Braithwaite, T., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Collapse of Pinnacle puts independent music labels at riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 5th December 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2065150-c26d-11dd-a350-000077b07658.html [viewed 5.12.08] 16.) Edgeliffe-Johnson, A., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Radiohead release a tactic to lift CD salesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 11.10.07, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0a9c779a-7797-11dc-9de8-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] 17.) Laitner, S., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Apple bows to EU pressure and reduces iTunes prices in the UKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 10th January 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9ade53c8-bf1d-11dc-8c61-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] 18.)Braithwaite, 2007, loc cit 19.) ibid. 20.)Killgren, loc.cit. 21.)Hooley et al. op.cit., p.493 22.)Mintzberg et al., op.cit, p.34 Bibliography Braithwaite, T., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"HMV Chief has to face the music and danceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 13th Sept 2007, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a88d3096-6164-11dc-bf25-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] Braithwaite, T., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"HMV to target downloads marketà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 13th march 2007, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/1f047196-d13f-11db-b921-000b5df10621.html [viewed 5.12.08] Braithwaite, T., and Minto, R., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"HMV targeted despite solid resultsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1400fea0-473f-11dd-93ca-000077b07658.html [viewed 5.12.08] Braithwaite, T., and Salford, P., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Games drive record HMV growthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 17th January 2008, INTERNET, available at h ttps://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/51199dae-c4ce-11dc-811a-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] Davoudi, S., and Braithwaite, T., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Collapse of Pinnacle puts independent music labels at riskà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 5th December 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b2065150-c26d-11dd-a350-000077b07658.html [viewed 5.12.08] Edgecliffe-Johnson, A., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Radiohead MP3 release a tactic to lift CD sales.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Financial Times, 11.10.07, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0a9c779a-7797-11dc-9de8-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] Epstein, M.J., (2004), Implementing E.Commerce Strategies: A Guide to Corporate Success after the Dot.Com Bust, Praeger, Westport Ct. Hamermesh, R.G., (1986), Making Strategy Work: How Senior Managers Produce Results, Wiley, New York. Hill, A., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Lombard: The way forward for UK Financial Investmentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 26 Nov 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a43527c8-bbfa-11dd-80e9-0000779fd18c.html [viewed 5.12.08] Hooley, G., Saunders, J., and Piercy, N., (2004), Marketing Strategy and Competitive Position, 3rd Edition, Financial Times/Prentice Hall. Killgren, L., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"HMV lifted by in-home boomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 5th Sept 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1e67c51c-7b16-11dd-b1e2-000077b07658.html [viewed 5.12.08] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" Edgecliffe-Johnson, A., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Sony BMG chief to move on after review distractionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times 7.10.07, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3beb572a-7518-11dc-892d-0000779fd2ac.html, [viewed 5.12.08] Laitner, S., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Apple bows to EU pressure and reduces iTunes prices in the UKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, 10th January 2008, INTERNET, available at https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9ade53c8-bf1d-11dc-8c61-0000779fd2ac.html [viewed 5.12.08] Mintzberg, H., Ahlst rand, B., and Lampel, J., (1998), Strategy Safari: The Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management, Prentice Hall, London. Stern, S., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"ON MANAGEMENT STEFAN STERN: Why good strategic choices are going by the boardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Financial Times, ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¨Published: Oct 02, 2007, INTERNET, available at https://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=strategic+managementy=5aje=truex=12id=071002000237ct=0, [viewed 5.12.08]. Stroud, D., (1998), Internet Strategies: A Corporate Guide to Exploiting the Internet Macmillan, Basingstoke. Whittington, R., (2002), What is Strategy and Does it Matter? Sage, London. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "HMVs business model" essay for you Create order