...Sharing corps: Should company build competitive advantage by embracing the sharing economy? SHARING CORPS SHOULD COMPANIES build a new competitive advantage BY embracing the SHARING ECONOMY? ECOVALA - December 2013 1 Sharing corps: Should company build competitive advantage by embracing the sharing economy? Ecovala © 2013 This report was produced by the Ecovala in December 2013. If no other source is specified, the contents of this report are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non-Commercial - Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. You can find the full text of the license in this website. Ecovala Ecovala provides innovative solutions to private and public organisations to accelerate their transition towards sustainability. The organisation offers a wide range of services around sustainability and system innovation: from companies’ environmental assessment to sustainable strategic design, from new green services definition to effective implementation of CSR management. Based in Finland, the organisation is active throughout Europe, relying on an extensive network of like-minded organisations and sustainability experts. www.ecovala.eu Author Erwan Mouazan is director and founder of Ecovala. He develops and implements innovative sustainability solutions both at private and public level. Erwan owns a Master's degree in economics, with a specialization in international management. In the last 9 years, he has worked at international level in environmental...
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...Mass migration to Europe and its positive and negative implications – Sharing economy Introduction The hotel industry has been strongly growing recently, overcame many events to make us believe that they will not stop adapting to the new environments. Practicing economics activities helps the industry to explain the change of the environment and plan the solutions in the most efficient way. In this report, I will state two of the most recent events which are the mass migration to Europe and also with the term sharing economy, together with its impacts to the hotel industry under economic perspective. Development Mass migration to Europe and its positive and negative implications Migration means the movement of people from one place to another place, temporary or permanent, volunteered or forced, internal or international (eschooltoday, 2014). People move for different reasons: move to work in another country, move for a better of life, escape from natural disasters or human wars, etc. 2015 was an alarming and distressing year to the world because of many wars and terrorism events happened. It has set a record for migration stage into Europe by different routes. Only talking about refugees, there were more than 1 million migrants have arrived in Europe (e.g. Germany, Austria, Sweden, Italy, UK and more) by sea and almost 35000 by land, mostly they are from the countries suffering from wars such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. formed a mass migration...
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...44 CLASH OF GENERATIONS- ECONOMY OF FUTURE Clash of Generations- Economy of Future Titans vs Olympians Mythology, History and Folklores have innumerable tales about the revolutionary clashes in ideologies, tumultuous transitioning of control, usurping power, tectonic economic shifts and a period of unrest and clamor during the cusp. The wax of Digital Native and wane of Generation X/ Baby Boomers heralds for another “Clash of Titans”. The Titans are finding a desperate way out of the byzantine financial models, spiraling debts, vagaries of stock markets and socio- economic crisis so that the posterity gets a better world to dwell in. And, at the same time there is an uneasy stir amongst the Olympians about the world that will be soon bequeathed to them. A view into the Crystal ball The future looks bleak if not dark for the future generation. Some of the jittery statistics are: 1) The average debt on every individual/ Country will go down to further abysmal levels because of financial imbalance (OECD Economic outlook 2012, pp.191) 2) Energy prices will soar up because of the drying oil pool and ever increasing demand from developing nations. (Barkindo. M 2006) 3) Housing Prices will double by 2025 because of urbanization and inflation ( CEBR 2005) 4) Economic model for Government and welfare structures might crumble due to a dwindling beneficiary/contributor ratio (DeVoe. J.E. et al 2005) Definitely these numbers don’t augur well for the Marshall’s “Demand –Supply”...
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...Consumption & the Sharing Economy Summary of Research Findings and Gap Analysis Topic: How state and local governments are promoting sustainable consumption and engagement in the sharing economy RESEARCH QUESTION(S) • What is the state of knowledge about sustainable consumption? How is this defined or framed? What are the emerging trends? What potential roles can municipal and state governments play? • What barriers have been identified and how might these be overcome? • What strategies, techniques and policies are effective at promoting sustainable consumption through reusing, renting, repairing, and sharing products and materials? • What GHG reduction benefits can be achieved through these activities? • What strategies, techniques, policies and innovative approaches have not yet been tried but have been proposed that are considered to have greatest potential? Note: This research summary builds on the findings of a previous literature review “Changing Consumer Behavior” presented at the 2012 annual Forum meeting. Many of the issues and key findings related to sustainable consumption are addressed there. Sustainable consumption is a rich and nuanced topic for which extensive literature exists. While not the primary focus of this review, the concepts around sustainable consumption provide a context for exploring specific activities of individual consumers such as renting, repairing, reusing, borrowing, sharing of goods and...
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...the Inter Press Service, gasoline consumption trends have been declining (Larson, 2013). The declined gasoline consumption has an effect on the utility that is derived from the product. There are different reasons for the decrease that include individuals using different means of transportation, use of other fuels, and decreased sales. Although the price of gasoline has risen, and is still rising, the product is still to considerably inelastic. The inelastic price on gasoline affect the economy in all ways. The decline in gasoline consumption has an effect on the utility of the product including the decline of usefulness of the product among consumers, but still needing the product for exports in the United States. Although the product is not as useful for consumers, it is still a need amongst transportation. Individuals need the gasoline as a way of transportation to work, school, doctor’s appointments etc. Aside from consumers, the product is a need for exports in the United States economy. At the same time, gasoline is need to the distribution of many products in the United States. Prices of...
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...Lecture 4: The Rise of the Manorial System Western Europe after the Fall of Rome A. By the 4th Century, the crushing tax burdens had forced small farmers to cede their land to local tax-exempt lords and seek their protection, setting up the foundations of feudalism. 1. Review of conditions at end of Roman Empire. a. Taxes were imposed on the peasantry, but landed elite were tax exempt. b. When state revenues declined, the state went out and forcibly collected more taxes from the peasants. c. Peasants responded by fleeing land and seeking protection of tax-exempt lords (early manors). d. As peasants fled land, led to localized labor shortages and reduction in tax base. Population in towns and cities declined due to lack of provisions. 2. Futile Economic Reform Efforts a. Diocletian (284-305) * Established regular contributions to the state rather than uncertain obligations. * fixed wages and prices. b. Constantine (306-337) * Bound peasants to land. * Made offices (occupations) hereditary. c. Theodosian Code (Theodosius I, 379-395) sought to lock men into their places and organize population into hereditary classes. Reforms offered only temporary stability could not stop process of decline. Led to very different economic/social structure than that of classical world: Great estates (latifundia) became self-sufficient, self-contained economies. B. The constant invasions...
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...Defense Strategy Course Lesson 1, Writing Assessment Essay Topic: Sharing Power? Prospects for a U.S. Concert-Balance Strategy Date: 12 January 2015 Name: Angela Butts, LTC, USAR Dr. Patrick Porter is an Australian academic at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. Dr. Porter published a monograph entailing a well reasoned argument on a power-sharing grand strategy based upon concert of power and balance of power systems. According Dr. Porter, these are the strategies that will cause the U.S. to no longer be hegemonic and maintain its powerful influence and status in the global system. I agree with Dr. Porter that the United States (U.S.) should employ these strategies in the future decades. However, I disagree that this is due to losing America’s global hegemony. The lost of hegemony would cause instability within the global system. In the future, I think the U.S. will move towards these strategies in order to produce stability while trying to maintain global leadership. Contrary, the focus could shift for the U.S. to build a “multi-partner” system for governments and nongovernment groups to work together on global issues. This is the goal of the Obama Administration in an effort to reduce competition and have closer ties to the major global powers. There are limited options for other countries to take over as a global hegemon. Unlike other countries, India may be the closest to becoming the next hegemon of the global system; however, it is not ready...
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...Prospects and challenges of Blue Economy in Bangladesh The concept of Blue Economy has opened a new horizon for economic development of the coastal countries through utilizing sea and marine resources at national and international level. The concept has become a buzzword for sustainable development particularly in drafting the post2015 development goals. Estimates suggest some 30 million Bangladeshi directly depend on oceanic economic activities like fisheries and commercial transportation. Coastal and Island developing countries have remained at the forefront of this Blue Economy advocacy, recognizing that the oceans have a major role to play in humanity's future. We consider Blue Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as one of the important tools available for achieving sustainable development. We emphasize that it should contribute to eradicating poverty as well as sustained economic growth, enhancing social inclusion, improving human welfare and creating opportunities for employment and decent work for all while maintaining the healthy functioning of the earth's ecosystem (Para 56, The future we want, UNCSD 2012). Blue Economy conceptualizes oceans as 'Development Spaces' Where spatial planning integrates conservation, sustainable use, oil and mineral wealth extraction, bioprospecting, sustainable energy production and marine transport...
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...of the state is significantly reduced in matters such as public services and the economy, Thatcher desired a free market and a privatised economy. Thatcher was also a firm believer in independence and individualism, this lead to a desire for self-reliant people who provide for their family and are responsible for their own well being. Since this time Conservatism has changed, especially since the appointment of David Cameron MP as their leader and eventually Prime minister. The party has moved away from right wing and is instead now more centred on more liberal policies, This is down to the desire of Cameron for moderation. In this constantly changing society this modernisation is essential for any party that wishes to stay in power. Many policies remain intact from the Thatcher years such as the economy, but many have also changed like foreign policy and socially. Thatcherism demanded a market that was a a free and flexible as possible, a deregulated economy. In 1979 Thatcher shifted the country towards a speculative market economy rather than a manufacturing based economy. An economy in which utilities and industries should not be funded by government or financially assisted. In the thatcher years many sectors of the economy were privatised such as energy suppliers, telecommunications and transport services. This would lead to an increase in the efficiency of the economy due to a massive rise in competitiveness which has stemmed from everyone starting from a level playing...
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...Competitive Strategy Samsung Electronics Samsung has a clear cost advantage over its competitors We have identified the following key sources of cost advantages: Economies of learning, production techniques, input costs and residual efficiency. Economies of learning Samsung has demonstrated economies of learning. While in the 80’s Samsung had to acquire outside technology to begin production, Samsung soon lead industry with important breakthroughs such as “stacking” technique or successes in implementing the 8- and 12-inch wafer mass production. 12-inch wafer versus its predecessor yields a 10% lower cost per chip (Exhibit 10a) thanks to a greater output per step of production. Production Techniques The latter goes in hand with production techniques that ensure better yield rates. Minimizing defective chips brings down scrap and re-processing costs. In Exhibit 10c we can see that Samsung has 20% better yield than its closest competitor in this regards. Moreover, Samsung is able to keep producing legacy products (older than 1 year since launch) efficiently. By 2003, for example, Samsung was producing 16.40 million units of 64Mbit (merely 1.8% of its total production) while keeping fully loaded costs 27% lower than the weighted average cost of its competitors for this particular product (Exhibit 7b). Input Cost Large production volumes trigger high-volume purchases that results in discounts from suppliers. For example, raw materials represent on average 27% of the cost per unit...
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...Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Capitalism and Socialism 1 Varieties of capitalism arise from a number of institutional characteristics that prevail in the developed economies of the globe. Such institutional characteristics include; education and vocational training, industrial relations, inter-firm relations, corporate governance and intra-firm coordination (Soskice & Hall 23). These characteristics differentiate two forms of capitalism, coordinated market economies- CME’s and liberal market economies- LME’s. Aside from differing in their institutional characteristics, these two forms of capitalism differ in certain macroeconomic aspects especially industrial specialization and comparative advantage. The table below pinpoints the differences between the forms of capitalism based on the institutional characteristics; Institutional characteristic | Liberalized markets (LME’S) | Coordinated markets (CME’s) | Education and training | Formal learning from high schools and colleges | Apprenticeship, bestowing industry specific skills | Inter-firm relations | Competitive | Coordinated/collaborative | Industrial regulations | Deregulated, anti-tax, tax breaks | Motivates information sharing and coordination among firms | Comparative advantage/specialization | High-tech and service | Manufacturing | Income distribution | Largely unequal | Generally evenly distributed | Mechanism | Competitive market arrangements | Non-market relations | An example of...
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...631-394-7810 Abstract The international administration of laws which can be combines with the risk of fines and imprisonment is not enough to dissuade the Pirate Bay from encouraging, boosting and helping copyright infringement. In some companies, file sharing services are provided to generate business revenue stream and sometimes these services are illegal and still used to advertise “clue chips brand”, (Andersen, B, 2010). So far there is enough potential for the business to be made, file sharing will sustain its existence in the global internet market. This papers focuses on the legal and social issues brought up by peer-to-peer sharing of files and copyrighted information on the websites. Companies argue that limitation against file sharing will pause the technology innovation. On the other side, it is certain that file sharing may break IP protections that Pirate bay knowingly exploits these protections. Research shows that the music industry has justification to shut down peer to peer file sharing which reduces the amount of file sharing but for the short term. As per the opinion of legal team, Pirate Bay is not a sustainable business and the paper focuses on the legal and social issues of illegal file sharing by Pirate Bay. This papers talks about both issues in order to give justification of the pirates bay case study framework....
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...product for exports in the United States. Although the product is not as useful for consumers, it is still a need amongst transportation. Many individuals need the gasoline as a way of transportation to work, school, doctor’s appointments etc. Aside from consumers, the product is a need for exports in the United States economy. There have been occurrences that have changed the demand of gasoline among consumers although the supply remained the same. Occurrences that have changed the demand of the product include the decline in car fleet, less driving among individuals, more fuel-efficient cars, the decline in registered vehicles, decline in new car sales, and the number of Americans living in urban areas (Larson, 2013). With less car fleets, there is less fuel to purchase for company transportation, and with more cars being made to be more fuel-efficient, individuals need less gasoline to drive up to 200 miles than with older vehicles. Another factor includes more Americans living in urban areas. With more individuals in urban areas, there are more carpooling, bike sharing, and public transit such as buses, taxis, subways, etc. With more people carpooling or bike sharing, there is less gasoline demand than if...
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...This four-year labor contract improves health care and enhanced profit sharing and will create jobs. The UAW expects ratification of the GM deal by 27th September2011. Key findings of the report: ➢ Wages for entry-level workers will rise from about $14 an hour to $16 and $16 an hour to as much as $19 an hour. ➢ UAW workers get a $5,000 bonus when deal is ratified, that would cost Detroit based automaker $242.5. ➢ Profit-sharing plan will be enhance significantly and this is based on North American profits now, instead of just the U.S. earnings. ➢ The deal creates or retains 6,400 jobs through $2.5 billion in plant investments that recognized the reality of today’s market place. And its help hire back laid-off members and return work to the U.S. from overseas. ➢ GM's plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, will start Continue to produce 4-cylinder engines at that site, about 40 mile south of Nashville and kept running a stamping plant and paint operation. ➢ Weaken health-care coverage provide more facilities than before and won “significant improvements.” Positive & negative side of GM and UAW contract: After GM's emergence from bankruptcy in these uncertain economic times, Its able to do a tentative agreement with UAW that guarantees good American jobs at a good American company. The members made great sacrifices to save GM when the auto industry and the American economy were on the brink of collapse. As a result of this tentative agreement...
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...2010 Chen and Miller 17 E X C H A N G E West Meets East: Toward an Ambicultural Approach to Management By Ming-Jer Chen and Danny Miller Executive Overview In the aftermath of the recent economic crisis, the world is looking for fresh ideas and new perspectives. Business reality has transformed from “West leads East” to “West meets East.” A thriving Chinese business culture represents not only a source of economic partnership but a potential fount of managerial wisdom that can help renew Western economies. Unfortunately, the cultural distance between East and West makes Chinese examples too different, and at times inappropriate, for Western firms to emulate. Outstanding entrepreneurs such as Stan Shih, who have taken the best managerial practices from the East and the West while avoiding the shortcomings, represent ideal “intermediate” role models. By employing such an “ambicultural” approach to management, Shih provides a model for both bridging cultures and instructing organizations in the East and West. In this essay, we discuss these linkages and some of the useful lessons for managers from both cultures. Indeed, “Chinese” as a way of thinking, with its emphasis on balance and self-other integration, offers the promise to bridge global divides and facilitate the formation of global-minded executives. T he global economic crisis has destroyed vast amounts of wealth— both public and private— and eliminated tens of millions of jobs...
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