The Business Environment of Amazon

The Business Environment of Amazon The business environment consists of the factors that affect the operations of a business. These factors are identified through the environmental analysis, which is conducted either in the form of the SWOT or the PEST (EL) analyses (Powell, 863). Resources and capabilities are used by the business to gain the competitive advantage.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on The Business Environment of Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These are the inputs available to a business that makes it operate successfully, and these may either be tangible or intangible (Warf and Stutz 113). The coordination of resources is the key to the success of a business. On the other hand, capabilities refer to the capacity of a business to either coordinate or deploy the resources within an organization, and are developed progressively. In the case study, Amazon, the leading online retailer, and supercenter, can outdo the competition b y the adoption of new IT procedures to enter into the bookselling industry. This acts as turnaround in the aforementioned sector. One of the key environmental factors for Amazon is the competition within the industry due to the emergence of many publishers, and also due to the existence of other bookselling stores such as B M stores and Barnes and Noble. Owing to the first mover advantage and development of new IT marketing policies, such as the use of the internet for selling books, Amazon had a large clientele base and it was difficult for its competitors to attract customers the way it did (Hill and Jones 272). Another key factor is the customers (consumers). The company’s mission emphasizes on the goal of Amazon to be the most custom-centered company in the globe. After the enrollment or signing up to its website, it was difficult to get the customer sign into other firms’ websites due to the loyalty attached to the Amazon products (Hill and Jones 272).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, the industry itself was another key factor. After taking the first mover advantage, Amazon turned around the bookselling industry by offering fresh competition to bookselling giants such as the Borders (Hill and Jones 272). Amazon possesses key internal resources and capabilities. To begin with, the incorporation of a first mover advantage through the use of patented customer-oriented software would be of a great value to Amazon. Moreover, adopting exceptional IT policies would help in reducing the competition. Furthermore, shifting focus to the web-based approach of buying and selling books online would enhance its performance. As it is an online-based company, that offers its customers immediate and instant access to its books in print form, it helps to boost its sales. Finally, embracing the formation of strategic alliances wi th the largest book publishers would ensure that Amazon’s customers get products without any delays in the distribution. The key strategic choices undertaken by Amazon are outlined above, including formation mergers with the well-established firms in the IT industry. This has helped it to increase the profit margin significantly. Amazon has also acquired other websites such as ‘Exchange.com,’ ‘Jungle.com, and ‘Planetall.com’ as a way of developing new and superior website techniques in order to enhance efficiency and retain the clientele base. Amazon launched the digital bookstores, video and music, and also the Amazon’s ‘Kindle Reader’ in order to give its customers varied options. Finally, Amazon’s movement into the ‘cloud’ computing and leveraging of its key competencies helped it to realize the value of its assets, vital for global expansion the drawbacks notwithstanding.Advertising We will wr ite a custom case study sample on The Business Environment of Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The successful implementation of Amazon’s roadmaps enabled it gain the advantage over its competitors. Consequently, it realized record profits in the year 2011. Hill, Charles, and Jones Gareth. Strategic Management, An integrated approach (10th edition). New York: St. Martins, 2014. Print. Powell, Thomas. Competitive advantage: logical and philosophical considerations. Strategic Management Journal 22.6 (2001): 863-865. Web. Warf, Frederick, and Stutz Barney. â€Å"The World Economy: Resources, Location, Trade and Development.† Online Journal on Economic 16.1 (2007): 110-113. Web.

Biography of Porfirio Diaz of Mexico, Ruler of Mexico

Biography of Porfirio Diaz of Mexico, Ruler of Mexico Porfirio Dà ­az (September 15, 1830–July 2, 1915,) was a Mexican general, president, politician, and dictator. He ruled Mexico with an iron fist for 35 years, from 1876 to 1911. His period of rule, referred to as the Porfiriato, was marked by great progress and modernization, and the Mexican economy boomed. The benefits were felt by very few, however, as millions of peons labored in virtual slavery. He lost power in 1910–1911 after rigging an election against Francisco Madero, which brought about the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). Fast Facts: Porfirio Diaz Known For: Ruler of Mexico for 35 yearsAlso Known As: Josà © de la Cruz Porfirio Dà ­az MoriBorn: September 15, 1830 in Oaxaca, MexicoParents: Josà © Faustino Dà ­az Orozco, Marà ­a Petrona Mori Cà ³rtà ©sDied: July 2, 1915 in Paris, FranceAwards and Honors: Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, First Class Condecoration of the Imperial Order of the Double Dragon, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands LionSpouse(s): Delfina Ortega Dà ­az (m.  April 7, 1867–April 8, 1880), Carmen Romero Rubio (m.  November 5, 1881–July 2, 1915)Children: Porfirio Dà ­az Ortega, Luz Victoria Dà ­az  Notable Quote: It was better that a little blood should be shed that much blood should be saved. The blood that was shed was bad blood; the blood that was saved was good blood. Early Military Career Porfirio Dà ­az was born a mestizo, or of mixed Indian-European heritage, in the state of Oaxaca on September 15, 1830. He was born into extreme poverty and never even reached complete literacy. He dabbled in law, but in 1855 he joined a band of liberal guerrillas who were fighting a resurgent Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. He soon found that the military was his true vocation and he stayed in the army, fighting against the French and in the civil wars that wracked Mexico in the mid-to-late 19th century. He found himself aligned with the liberal politician and rising star Benito Jurez, although they were never personally friendly. The Battle of Puebla On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated a much larger and better-equipped force of invading French outside the city of Puebla. This battle is commemorated every year by Mexicans on Cinco de Mayo. One of the key players in the battle was young general Porfirio Dà ­az, who led a cavalry unit. Although the Battle of Puebla only delayed the inevitable French march into Mexico City, it did make Dà ­az famous and cemented his reputation as one of the best military minds serving under Juarez. Dà ­az and Jurez Dà ­az continued to fight for the liberal side during the brief rule of Maximilian of Austria (1864–1867) and was instrumental in reinstating Juarez as President. Their relationship was still cool, however, and Dà ­az ran against Juarez in 1871. When he lost, Dà ­az rebelled, and it took Juarez four months to put the insurrection down. Amnestied in 1872 after Juarez died suddenly, Dà ­az began plotting his return to power. With the support of the United States and the Catholic Church, he brought an army into Mexico City in 1876, removing President Sebastin Lerdo de Tejada and seizing power in a dubious â€Å"election.† Don Porfirio in Power Don Porfirio would remain in power until 1911. He served as president the entire time except for the period of 1880–1884 when he ruled through his puppet Manuel Gonzlez. After 1884, he dispensed with the farce of ruling through someone else and re-elected himself several times, occasionally needing his hand-picked Congress to amend the Constitution to allow him to do so. He stayed in power through deft manipulation of the powerful elements of Mexican society, giving each just enough of the pie to keep them happy. Only the poor were excluded entirely. The Economy Under Dà ­az Dà ­az created an economic boom by allowing foreign investment to develop Mexicos vast resources. Money flowed in from the United States and Europe, and soon mines, plantations, and factories were built and humming with production. The Americans and British invested heavily in mines and oil, the French had large textile factories, and the Germans controlled the drug and hardware industries. Many Spanish came to Mexico to work as merchants and on the plantations, where they were despised by the poor laborers. The economy boomed and many miles of railway track was laid to connect all of the important cities and ports. The Beginning of the End Cracks began appearing in the Porfiriato in the first years of the 20th century. The economy went into a recession and miners went on strike. Although no voices of dissent were tolerated in Mexico, exiles living abroad, primarily in the southern United States, began organizing newspapers, writing editorials against the powerful and crooked regime. Even many of Dà ­az supporters were growing uneasy because he had picked no heir to his throne. They worried about what would happen if he left or died suddenly. Madero and the 1910 Election In 1910, Dà ­az announced that he would allow fair and free elections. Isolated from reality, he believed he would win any fair contest. Francisco I. Madero, a writer and spiritualist from a wealthy family, decided to run against Dà ­az. Madero didnt really have any great, visionary ideas for Mexico; he just naively felt that the time had come for Dà ­az to step aside, and he was as good as anyone to take his place. Dà ­az had Madero arrested and stole the election when it became apparent that Madero would win. Madero was freed, fled to the United States, declared himself the winner, and called for an armed revolution. Revolution and Death Many heeded Maderos call. In Morelos, Emiliano Zapata had been fighting the powerful landowners for a year or so already and quickly backed Madero. In the north, bandit leaders-turned-warlords Pancho Villa and Pascual Orozco took to the field with their powerful armies. The Mexican army had decent officers, as Dà ­az had paid them well, but the foot soldiers were underpaid, sickly, and poorly trained. Villa and Orozco routed the Federals on several occasions, growing ever closer to Mexico City with Madero in tow. In May 1911, Dà ­az knew he had been defeated and was allowed to go into exile. Diaz died just four years later, on July 2, 1915, in Paris, France. Legacy Porfirio Dà ­az left a mixed legacy in his homeland. His influence is undeniable: with the possible exception of the dashing, brilliant madman Santa Anna, no one has been more important to the history of Mexico since the countrys independence. On the positive side of the Dà ­az ledger must be his accomplishments in the areas of the economy, safety, and stability. When he took over in 1876, Mexico was in ruins after years of disastrous civil and international wars. The treasury was empty, there were a mere 500 miles of train track in the whole nation, and the country was essentially in the hands of a few powerful men who ruled sections of the nation like royalty. Dà ­az unified the country by paying off or crushing these regional warlords, encouraged foreign investment to restart the economy, built thousands of miles of train tracks, and encouraged mining and other industries. His policies were wildly successful and the nation he left in 1911 was completely different from the one he inherited. This success came at a high cost for Mexicos poor, however. Dà ­az did very little for the lower classes: he did not improve education, and health was only improved as a side effect of improved infrastructure primarily meant for business. Dissent was not tolerated and many of Mexicos leading thinkers were forced into exile. Wealthy friends of Dà ­az were given powerful positions in government and were allowed to steal land from Indian villages without any fear of punishment. The poor despised Dà ­az with a passion, which exploded into the Mexican Revolution. The Revolution, too, must be added to Dà ­az balance sheet. His policies and mistakes ignited it, even if his early exit from the fracas can excuse him from some of the later atrocities that took place. Most modern Mexicans view Dà ­az more positively and tend to forget his shortcomings and see the Porfiriato as a time of prosperity and stability, albeit somewhat unenlightened. As the Mexican middle class has grown, it has forgotten the plight of the poor under Dà ­az. Most Mexicans today know the era only through the numerous telenovelas- Mexican soap operas- that use the dramatic time of the Porfiriato and Revolution as a backdrop for their characters. Sources Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.McLynn, Frank. Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2000.â€Å"Quotes by Porfirio Diaz.†Ã‚  AZ Quotes.