Biography of Pedro de Alvarado, Conquistador

Pedro de Alvarado (1485-1541) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the Conquest of the Aztecs in Central Mexico in 1519 and led the Conquest of the Maya in 1523. Referred to as Tonatiuh or Sun God by the Aztecs because of his blonde hair and white skin, Alvarado was violent, cruel and ruthless, even for a conquistador for whom such traits were practically a given. After the Conquest of Guatemala, he served as governor of the region, although he continued to campaign until his death in 1541. Fast Facts: Pedro de Alvarado Known For: Conquest and enslavement of indigenous people of Mexico and Latin AmericaBorn: c. 1485, Badajoz, Castile, SpainParents: Gà ³mez de Alvarado, Leonor de ContrerasDied: 1541, in or near Guadalajara, New Spain (Mexico)Spouse(s): Francisca de la Cueva, Beatriz de la CuevaChildren: Leonor de Alvarado y Xicotenga Tecubalsi, Pedro de Alvarado, Diego de Alvarado, Gà ³mez de Alvarado, Ana (Anita) de Alvarado (all illegitimate) Early Life Pedros exact year of birth is unknown: it was probably sometime between 1485 and 1495. Like many conquistadores, he was from the province of Extremadura—the city of Badajoz, in his case. Like many younger sons of minor nobility, Pedro and his brothers could not expect much in the way of an inheritance. They were expected to become priests or soldiers, as working the land was considered beneath them. In about 1510 he went to the New World with several brothers and an uncle. They soon found work as soldiers in the various expeditions of conquest that originated on Hispaniola, including the brutal conquest of Cuba. Personal Life and Appearance Alvarado was blond and fair, with blue eyes and pale skin that fascinated the natives of the New World. He was considered affable by his fellow Spaniards and the other conquistadores trusted him. He married twice: first to Spanish noblewoman Francisca de la Cueva, who was related to the powerful Duke of Albuquerque, and then later, after her death, to Beatriz de la Cueva, who survived him and briefly became governor in 1541. His longtime native companion, Doà ±a Luisa Xicotencatl, was a Tlaxcalan Princess given to him by the lords of Tlaxcala when they made an alliance with the Spanish. He had no legitimate children but did father several illegitimate ones. Alvarado and the Conquest of the Aztecs In 1518, Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s mounted an expedition to explore and conquer the mainland, and Alvarado and his brothers quickly signed on. Alvarados leadership was recognized early on by Cortà ©s, who put him in charge of ships and men. He would eventually become Cortà ©s right-hand man. As the conquistadores moved into central Mexico and a showdown with the Aztecs, Alvarado proved himself time and again as a brave, capable soldier, even if he did have a noticeable cruel streak. Cortà ©s often entrusted Alvarado with important missions and reconnaissance. After the conquest of Tenochtitlà ¡n, Cortà ©s was forced to head back to the coast to face Pà ¡nfilo de Narvà ¡ez, who had brought soldiers from Cuba to take him into custody. Cortà ©s left Alvarado in charge while he was gone. The Temple Massacre In Tenochtitlà ¡n (Mexico City), tensions were high between the indigenous people and the Spanish. The noble class of Aztecs seethed at the audacious invaders, who were laying claim to their wealth, property, and women. On May 20, 1520, the nobles gathered for their traditional celebration of Toxcatl. They had already asked Alvarado for permission, which he had granted. Alvarado heard rumors that the Mexica were going to rise up and slaughter the intruders during the festival, so he ordered a pre-emptive attack. His men slaughtered hundreds of unarmed nobles at the Festival. According to the Spanish, they slaughtered the nobles because they had proof that the festivities were a prelude to an attack designed to kill all of the Spanish in the city. The Aztecs, however, claimed the Spanish only wanted the golden ornaments many of the nobility were wearing. No matter what the cause, the Spanish fell on the unarmed nobles, slaughtering thousands. The Noche Triste Cortà ©s returned to Mexico and quickly tried to restore order, but the effort was in vain. The Spanish were under a state of siege for several days before they sent Emperor Moctezuma to speak to the crowd. According to the Spanish account, he was killed by stones thrown by his own people. With Moctezuma dead, the attacks increased until the night of June 30, when the Spanish tried to sneak out of the city under cover of darkness. They were discovered and attacked; dozens were killed as they attempted to escape, laden down with treasures. During the escape, Alvarado allegedly made a mighty leap from one of the bridges. For a long time afterward, the bridge was known as Alvarados Leap. Guatemala and the Maya Cortà ©s, with the help of Alvarado, was able to regroup and retake the city, setting himself up as governor. More Spanish arrived to help colonize, govern, and rule the remnants of the  Aztec Empire. Among the loot discovered were ledgers of sorts detailing tribute payments from neighboring tribes and cultures, including several considerable payments from a culture known as the Kiche far to the south. A message was sent to the effect that there had been a change in management in Mexico City but the payments should continue. Predictably, the fiercely independent Kiche ignored it. Cortà ©s selected  Pedro de Alvarado  to head south and investigate, and in 1523 he gathered up 400 men, many of whom had horses, and several thousand indigenous allies. The Conquest of Utatlà ¡n Cortà ©s had been successful because of his ability to turn Mexican ethnic groups against one another, and Alvarado had learned his lessons well. The Kiche Kingdom, located in the city of Utatlà ¡n near present-day Quetzaltenango in Guatwasa, was by far the strongest of the kingdoms in the lands that had once been home to the Mayan Empire. Cortà ©s quickly made an alliance with the Kaqchikel, traditional bitter enemies of the Kiche. All of Central America had been devastated by disease in the previous years, but the Kiche were still able to put 10,000 warriors into the field, led by Kiche warlord Tecà ºn Umà ¡n.  The Spanish routed the Kiche  in February 1524 at the battle of El Pinal, ending the greatest hope of large-scale native resistance in Central America. Conquest of the Maya With the mighty Kiche defeated and their capital city of Utatlà ¡n in ruins, Alvarado was able to pick off the remaining kingdoms one by one. By 1532 all of the major kingdoms had fallen, and their people had been given by Alvarado to his men as virtual slaves. Even the Kaqchikels were rewarded with slavery. Alvarado was named  the governor  of Guatemala and established a city there, near the site of present-day  Antigua. He served for 17 years. Further Adventures Alvarado was not content to sit idly in Guatemala counting his newfound wealth. He would abandon his duties as governor from time to time in search of more conquest and adventure. Hearing of the great wealth in the Andes, he set out with ships and men to conquer  Quito. By the time he arrived, it had already been captured by  Sebastian de Benalcazar  on behalf of  the Pizarro brothers. Alvarado considered fighting the other Spaniards for it, but he ultimately allowed them to buy him off. He was named the governor of Honduras and occasionally went there to enforce his claim. Alvarados Cruelty as Described by Las Casas All of the conquistadores were ruthless, cruel and bloodthirsty, but Pedro de Alvarado was in a class by himself. He ordered massacres of women and children, razed entire villages, enslaved thousands, and threw indigenous people to his dogs when they displeased him. When he decided to go to the Andes, he took with him thousands of Central Americans to work and fight for him; most of them died en route or once they got there. Alvarados singular inhumanity drew the attention of  Fray Bartolomà © de Las Casas, the enlightened Dominican who was the Great Defender of the Indians. In 1542, Las Casas wrote A Short History of the Destruction of the Indies, in which he railed against the abuses committed by the conquistadores. Although he did not mention Alvarado by name, Las Casas clearly referred to him: This man in the space of fifteen years, which was from the year 1525 to 1540, together with his associates, massacred no less then five millions of men, and do daily destroy those that are yet remaining. It was the custom of this Tyrant, when he made war upon any Town or Country, to carry along with him as many as he could of the subdued Indians, compelling them to make war upon their Countrymen, and when he had ten or twenty thousand men in his service, because he could not give them provision, he permitted them to eat the flesh of those Indians that they had taken in war: for which cause he had a kind of shambles in his Army for the ordering and dressing of mans flesh, suffering Children to be killed and boiled in his presence. The men they killed only for their hands and feet, for those they accounted dainties. Death Alvarado returned to Mexico to campaign in the Mexican northwest around 1540. In 1541, he died in present-day Michoacà ¡n when a horse rolled over on him during a battle. Legacy Alvarado is best remembered in Guatemala, where he is even more reviled than is Hernà ¡n Cortà ©s in Mexico. His Kiche opponent Tecà ºn Umà ¡n is a national hero whose likeness appears on the 1/2 Quetzal note. Even today, Alvarados cruelty is legendary: Guatemalans who do not know much about their history will recoil at his name. In short, he is remembered as the most vicious of the conquistadores—if he is remembered at all. Still, there is no denying that Alvarado had a profound effect on the history of Guatemala and  Central America  in general, even if most of it was negative. The villages and towns he gave away to his conquistadores formed the basis for  some current  municipal divisions and his experiments with moving conquered people around resulted in some cultural exchange among the Maya. Sources: Dà ­az del Castillo, Bernal.  The Conquest of New Spain.  New York: Penguin, 1963 (original  written circa 1575).Herring, Hubert.  A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.Foster, Lynn V. New York: Checkmark Books, 2007.de las Casas, Bartolomà ©. An Account, Much Abbreviated, of the Destruction of the Indies, with Related Texts, ed. Franklin W. Knight, tr. Andrew Hurley (Hackett Publ. Co., 2003), pp. 2-3, 6-8.  National Humanities Center, 2006.

Baseball Protypes - 891 Words

It’s fantasy baseball playoff time, and if you made all the right moves during the regular season, you’re battling for your league title. Now is not the time to be timid. Holding on tightly to veteran pitchers may seem like a good strategy, but it can backfire. When you follow rosters, keeping up with the MLB lineups using information from sites such as FantasyAlarm.com, you know there are young pitchers making their way to the big show. Some of these pitchers clearly realize this may be their one and only chance to shine. First, you need to appreciate a couple reasons why these young pitchers have a chance to do really well. Then you calculate which ones have the highest chance of catapulting you to your league championship. When†¦show more content†¦Ã‚ · Carson Fulmer - The White Sox have three strong prospects for their future. They are going to play out the string in 2017 looking at which of these pitchers steps forward. Fulmer is one of the more intriguing of this trio of pitching prospects. Much of his minor league difficulties have centered on control issues. Too many free passes have lead to a balloon in his ERA. At times, he has used his mid-90s fastball to mow down hitters, while at other times he can’t seem to locate with consistency. Fulmer had tossed 6 innings with only three Ks out of the bullpen since his call up, but nailed 9 San Francisco hitters in his first start. He has his future in front of him, and his 3 hit, 1 run performance in his first start turned the heads of the White Sox brass. Look for Fulmer to pitch his final opportunities with a sense of purpose.  · Lucas Giolito – Giolito’s fantasy numbers in his first four starts have accounted for two masterful performances, sandwiched in the middle of two defensive collapses by his fielders. He allowed 1 earned run, scattering only a half dozen hits over 14 innings in two victories. He maintained his 1K/inning rate in those two wins. In his other two starts, the White Sox defense fell apart. It led to a momentary loss of concentration against San Francisco, leading to 4 walks. Giolito still gave up only three hits in 5 plus innings of work, so the potential is obviously there. Giolito may have the

Research Case Study First Cafe - Click to Get Solution

Questions: Option A: Case Study - First CafePlease read the Case Study First Cafe, and then complete the tasks that follow.To complete the tasks, you will need to undertake research of the caf industry, and refer to the marketing plan provided.As First Caf is a fictitious business, you can make any realistic assumptions and use any other relevant information in your responses.First CafeA group of young entrepreneurs set up a caf business in Melbourne in 2012. They named their business First Cafe, as this was their first business venture together. The First Caf offers a range of hot and cold beverages, cakes, pastries and a few simple dishes for lunch. It is aimed at young, affluent residents and professionals from the surrounding area. They open from 7am (to serve coffee) until 3pm, five days per week.The owners (who are jointly responsible for the management of the caf) understand that they are competing with the other local caf businesses, both independent and chain cafs and restaurant busin esses. Despite the competition, First Cafe has enjoyed substantial business growth since its opening three years ago.Before setting up their business, the owners did some informal research that led them to understand possible customers needs. These include environment, friendliness of staff, and the quality of food and service. They also relied on advice from friends who own a caf that had been successfully operating for 3 years in a nearby suburb in Melbourne. Their friends shared with them their marketing plan for their established coffee shop. The First Caf management team based their initial operations on this marketing plan. This marketing plan can be accessed by clicking on the following link:https://simulations.ibsa.org.au/coffeeville/secure/docs/CoffeeVille%20Marketing%20Plan.pdfThe owners of First Caf have created a warm environment in their caf through the homely decoration of the first outlet. The staff chat with the customers to create a friendly environment and providin g personal service is a priority.In terms of business results, they recorded $800 000 revenue in the last financial year, with a net profit of $100 000. Their PL suggests a lot of money has been invested to build the brand through marketing activities and operational expenses that include rental of a prime location, and wages (27.5%). The PL also suggests COGS are 60%.The main source of current sales and profit is its coffee and pastries. These two products contribute 80% of sales and profit.After such a good start, the owners now want to grow their business, initially through the introduction of new products or services in their existing cafe. Although financially they are now in a better position, they still need to justify further business investment. They know you are completing a marketing course at OTEN and have come to you to help them with ideas for expansion, justification and a business proposal. They are keen to hear your new ideas.Access the Caf and Coffee Shops IBIS Wor ld Industry Reports for external market data to assist with your analysis. The IBIS World Industry Reports are accessed online via the WSI Library, https://wsilibraries.tafensw.edu.au/ Log in with your TAFE username and password and click on IBIS World, then / Australia Industry Reports (ANZSIC) / then / Cafes and Coffee Shops in Australia.orOption B: An organisation of your choiceChoose an organisation that you are familiar with and complete the tasks outlined in Assignment 1 and 2 for this unit.You will be required to research this organisation and the market that it operates in to be able to successfully complete the tasks in these Assignments. Please ensure that you have access to information about: The market size, key competitors, market shares for key competitors and the organisation of your choice The organisational structure, goals, business plan, marketing plan, the management team Financial statement analysis return on investment, profit and loss, break-even point Resour cesAccess the IBIS World Industry Reports for external market data to support your analysis. The IBIS World Industry Reports are accessed online via the WSI Library, https://wsilibraries.tafensw.edu.au/ Log in using your TAFE username and password and click on IBIS World, then / Australia Industry Reports (ANZSIC) / then the industry in which your organisation operates.If you are considering undertaking the Assignments in this unit using Option B, it is highly recommended that you contact your OTEN teacher to clarify if you have access to sufficient information to successfully complete these assignments before commencing.Task 1a) Research the market that either First Caf or your chosen organisation operates in and conduct an external analysis (include a PESTEL analysis). If you are using an organisation of your choice, include a description of it and its market.b) Using a range of secondary sources of information and data, identify, at least, three (3) potential new products and/or services that you could suggest to the management team for either First Caf or your chosen organisation.Use the Task 1 b) template to capture your potential ideas.Be sure to reference your sources of information and include them in a reference list at the end of this assignment.Task 1 b) Template Potential ideas Brief reason(s) Source of information Market potential estimate: (Estimate number of people who may buy X The amount of money spent in a week X 52) c) From your list of opportunities, choose two (2) that you believe will be the most successful. Justify your choices based on your research.Use the Task 1c) Template to help with your responses to this task.Task 1 c) Template Potential ideas (your Justification two choices from the list in Task 1 b): Task 2There are a number of tools that can be used to analyse marketing opportunities. Analyse each of the two opportunities you have chosen in Task 1 c) using the following two tools:a) Porters Five Forces model. This model helps the company to understand the attractiveness of the opportunities.b) A SWOT analysis. This is a fit analysis between internal and external elements of the company.Use the following templates to help with your responses to this task.Task 2 a) Template - Porters Five Forces model Task 2 b) - SWOT analysis SWOT Opportunity 1: Opportunity 2: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Overall assessment Answers: Task 1 (a) PESTEL Analysis for First Caf First Caf is started by the young entrepreneurs as a business venture that offers hot and cold beverages, pastries, cakes and delicious snacks and dishes for food to young students, professionals and residents of Melbourne. The environment analysis for First Foods is done through PESTEL factors which includes the following: Political Factors- The company follows all the relevant legislations including food safety, environment laws, Health and safety laws and packaging and labeling laws which First Caf ethically follows in its practices. The government of Australia focuses on the future legislations for skill growth and economic growth that provides the company with positive future prospects (Martin and Schouten, 2012). Economic Factors- The Australian economy is optimistic with its strong financial position with the retail and mining sectors. The unemployment rate is below 5 percent that is consistent and will gradually decrease (Levens, 2014). This indicates a growth forecast which is steady and Melbourne forecasts to grow. The marketing and consumers perspectives indicate a buying shift from the luxury item like cars and TVs; with the refreshment and pamper activities while having food and coffee with friends, family and colleagues. Social Factors- The clients and staff both have friendly and cooperative conditions to increase social aspects in the working culture. First Caf promotes the work culture by contributing to environment and social factors and are socially responsible while conducting the business (Kotler and Keller, 2012). Technological Factors- First Caf provides the new opportunities for marketing by involving the internet usage by providing WIFI Zone in caf, promotion through social networking sites, and is evolving a technology where the customer may order online and specify time for serving before coming to the Caf; this will enhance quick service, spend time with others and also relish food with time. This is an effective use to reach all the clients through the website and social networking site (Kollmann and Suckow, 2012). Environmental Factors- The company focuses on the business process that ensures the eco-friendly processes and practices that have minimal environmental impacts. The First Caf looks at the opportunity for corporate social responsibility in its supply chain and looks for providing the products in recyclable packaging (Kotler and Keller, 2012). Legal Factors- First Caf ensures to follow all legal requirements be it in product safety or staff safety and health and employment regulations and more. The company ensures its growth opportunities by improving its performance by satisfying all the regulations on product safety and employees health and safety (Grewal and Levy, 2012). (b) New Product / Services Potential Ideas Reasons Source of Information Market Potential (no. of people buying x amount of money spent in a week x 52) New varieties of flavors of Pastry puddings and cookies The nearby restaurants lack in the bakery services for the clients, thus by providing the cakes, pastries and cookies in variety of flavors will enhance the sales of the products (Grewal and Levy, 2012) Past sales data of the bakery products 25x50x52= $65000 New snacks in the menu like- Pasta and Mayonnaise Sandwiches The new offering of the snacks and menu will help the customers with more choice in the snacks section Customers Feedback on the products and product range 15x75x52= $58500 Start the Catering Services in the events offering Coffee and pudding and pastry sections The position of store is near the colleges, university and corporate environment where there are various events which keep taking place, the prices and product offering by the First Caf will make it as the first choice during the events. Market Research data (Burns and Bush, 2014) 2x1000x52= $104000 (c) Potential Product / Services Potential Ideas Justification New varieties of flavors of Pastry puddings and cookies The company takes up bakery product offerings for its customers as the potential idea. This will ensure more Start the Catering Services in the events offering Coffee and pudding and pastry sections This business is the most practically sound opportunity as the position of store is near the colleges, university and corporate environment where there are various events which keep taking place, the prices and product offering by the First Caf will make it as the first choice during the events. The new bakery products will enhance the coffee business during the events. So catering business is the best opportunity to start exploring the target markets and potential customers. Task 2 (a) Porters Five Forces Force Opportunity 1: Opportunity 2: Rivalry There is a high rivalry in the market for Coffee shops First Caf faces competitions by Zeldas, Caf Verdi, McDonalds McCafe, Subway and Coffee Mia which are in nearby places. Also the entries of the international brands like Costa Coffee, Tim Hortons, Starbucks and Gloria Jeans have contributed to the rivalry in coffee and related product offerings (Timhortons.com, 2015). Threats of new entry The new entrants in the market for coffee stores is potentially high (MONSHOUWER, VAN LAAR and VOLLEBERGH, 2011) The market is approaching in saturation in many areas due to influence of new entrants through there is still less competition in nearby area. The absence of international brand have given the company to attract more customers but the new entrants locally and internationally might influence the customers choices in coffee chains so it is considered as the future threat for the company. Threats of substitute There is little threat of substitution for First Caf The company sells high variety of bakery food, high quality of coffee, tea, cold and hot drinks along with the best infrastructure, friendly atmosphere and with economical prices. The competition from highly developed coffee stores like Starbucks, McDonalds, Costa Coffee, Gloria Jeans, Caf Verdi and more will contribute to the threat of substitute (Pride and Ferrell, 2012). Buyer power The buyer power is high for the First Caf The buyers have fewer substitutes and are loyal towards the products of First Caf which has lead to high buyers power. The other reasons being the high variety of product range and variety of services with best infrastructure has contributed to high buying power. Supplier power The supplying power is low The Government regulations on exports of coffee from outside countries, backward integration has given a low supplier power for the company Overall attractiveness The overall performance of the company is dependent on the promotion and marketing techniques so that it may target more nearby customers (Yuan, Chang and Tzeng, 2012). The products and service offering must be focused to fulfill satisfaction of employees and the prices differentiation would help the company to face the global competitors from entering the area. (b) SWOT Analysis SWOT Opportunity 1: Opportunity 2: Strength Friendly, socially responsible and skilled staff, High quality of food and services, Best Infrastructure and Increasing customer loyalty (Pride and Ferrell, 2012) Increase in health consciousness among customers, Growth in coffee culture, and Great locality Weakness Increasing budget for promotions and new products, Limited area to serve more customers Local competitors promotional strategies, New entrants in market with coffee houses Opportunity Growing environmental friendly products, Business sustainability trend, Expanding the services through serving in events and corporate catering Rising mobile purchases, Integration of markets, Improving government support for infrastructure (Yuan, Chang and Tzeng, 2012) Threat Increasing employment regulation, Rise in availability of coffee machines specially for home use Rising labor cost in suppliers countries, Lack in supply of worldwide coffee Competition from highly developed coffee stores like Starbucks, McDonalds and more Overall Assessment The company focuses to improve the business opportunity by offering the products outside the coffee shop through catering business in the various events. It also focuses to increase the technological use and expansion of store area to serve more customers. The local competitors and brands are the threat for the company, so it focuses to provide a quality product and service at the economical prices that may attract the target group and also provide the best infrastructure with friendly atmosphere. References 1. Burns, A. and Bush, R. (2014). Marketing research. Boston: Pearson.2. Grewal, D. and Levy, M. (2012). Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.3. Kollmann, T. and Suckow, C. (2012). Influencing User Attitudes by Managing Online Brand Communication in E-Shops. MAR, 34(1), pp.40-54.4. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (2012). Marketing management. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.5. Levens, M. (2014). Marketing 2014 + mymarketinglab with pearson etext access code. [Place of publication not identified]: Prentice Hall.6. Martin, D. and Schouten, J. (2012). Sustainable marketing. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.7. MONSHOUWER, K., VAN LAAR, M. and VOLLEBERGH, W. (2011). Buying cannabis in coffee shops. Drug and Alcohol Review, 30(2), pp.148-156.8. Pride, W. and Ferrell, O. (2012). Marketing 2012. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.9. Timhortons.com, (2015). Tim Hortons Language Selector. [online] Available at: https://www.timhortons.com/ [Accessed 21 Dec. 2015].10. Yuan, B., Cha ng, H. and Tzeng, G. (2012). Evaluation of service quality continuous improvement in coffee shops. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing Service Industries, p.n/a-n/a.

The Competitive Advantage of Industrial Districts Theoretical And Emp

Question: Describe about The Competitive Advantage of Industrial Districts for Theoretical And Empirical Analysis? Answer: 1: Circuit City, an electronic retailer in United States started its operations in 1949 under the name of Wards Company. The said company expanded due to its innovative promotional policies like free in home demonstration, which gave the customers a Television for a night in their house free of charge. The Company soon got popular and expanded its product range from televisions to other electronic appliances with a new retail model under the name of Circuit City supermarket providing discounted rates to customers for electronic appliances compared to their competitors (Wagner Hollenbeck, 2014). However, Circuit City soon lost its competitive advantage as it failed to follow the 4S business model. The 4S business model was based on service, selection, savings, and satisfaction. However, the company failed to maintain its basic business structure by neglecting their well trained staffs. However, the primary reason of the failure of the company was when they laid off 3000 highly paid sales personnels of the company. The said lay off hampered the business model and the former employees of the company helped the competitors (Rothaermel, 2015). To survive in the market, Circuit City should have refrained from laying off their staff managers. The company should have adopted innovative strategies to reduce cost by introducing special discounts, special deals with manufactures. The Company could also shut done unprofitable stores. 2: Competitive Advantage means that an existence of a condition or a circumstance in the market that puts a company over and above in a favourable or a higher business position than its competitors. A company enjoys competitive advantage when it outperforms or introduces certain strategies, which makes the company more preferred by the customers. While buying a particular product from the market, I usually select a product from a company keeping in mind good quality, reasonable price and convenience of a store for buying the same. If a product I desired to buy required after sale services, I would buy a product from the company, which provides efficient and quick after-sale services. However, my choice while purchasing a product primarily based on the quality of the product, which is being offered at a reasonable price. The three products I choose to purchase are as follows: Shoes If I have to purchase a pair of shoes, I usually buy the same from Clarkes as they provide the best quality sole in their shoes, which makes the shoes very comfortable, and worth every dollar, you spend on it (Campbell, Coff Kryscynski, 2012). Cosmetics I usually buy cosmetics from the company called MAC. There is a lot of competition in the market for cosmetics products as multiple companies provide a wide range of products. Therefore, I usually base my decision on a product, priced reasonably in the market. Groceries While purchasing routine groceries, I prefer visiting Wal-Mart as it is close to where I live and it provides multiple choice of routine products under one roof. 3: Samsung Electronics was a mediocre company, which transformed into an international leader when the new Chairman of the Company namely Mr. Lee introduced a new management programme in the company which impacted the internal working environment of the company. Mr Lee suggested to review the management strategies of the company using the Genetic Value Chain Model for Management. The new management strategies introduced the following changes: Staff Management The Company introduced open management in the area of staff management. Open management suggested respecting the innovation and creativity from employees by removal of obstacles in the management chain to enhance the efficiency of the employees (Harrison, Bosse Phillips, 2010). Marketing The Marketing and Design strategies was based on its focus on four fundamental principles. The principles are as follows: Company adopted a customer focus approach, introducing products, which the customers needed. Company realized the importance of well-designed products The products designed by company were simple and efficient Designs were introduced which reflected the customers routine lifestyle Quality Management The Chairman of Samsung introduced the concept of quality management in the internal working of the company to improve the quality of the brand Samsung. Chairman Lee motivated the employees of the company to make a promise to the customer for providing a high quality product and fulfilling the same to create a successful brand (Hemmert, 2014). 4: For many years not, the gasoline engine have been a dominant technology in the automobile industry. However, due to the shortage of fuel availability like petrol and diesel, the gasoline engines may lose its position as a dominant technology in automobiles sector. Also, the introduction of new technologies like hybrid cars has affected the gasoline engines future in the automobile sector. The introduction of electric run cars reduced the dominance of gasoline engine. However, to develop the same, we need to develop infrastructure and advanced facilities. For electrical runs, there is a need for charging stations as the electrical cars available now are capable of running for just 100-200 kilometres without a recharge (Garcs-Ayerbe, Rivera-Torres Murillo-Luna, 2012). Among the car companies, Toyota seems to be influencing the future car technology in the automobile sector. Toyota had initiated the use of petrol -electric in hybrid cars, appreciated by the developed countries globally. It developed a technique, which was a balance between technology and environmental safety (Bagella Becchetti, 2012). With introduction of hybrid cars, the oil companies will observe a loss in demand for oil and thus will have to regulate their pricing, which will reduce the cost of oil products. The car manufactures have to change their infrastructure to manufacture electrical cars. The gasoline stations will have to change to charging stations, which are fully equipped. The consumer will have to let go of their gasoline driven cars and purchase electric cars (Petroski, 2010). Reference List Bagella, M., Becchetti, L. (Eds.). (2012).The Competitive Advantage Of Industrial Districts: Theoretical And Empirical Analysis. Springer Science Business Media. Campbell, B. A., Coff, R., Kryscynski, D. (2012). Rethinking sustained competitive advantage from human capital.Academy of Management Review,37(3), 376-395. Garcs-Ayerbe, C., Rivera-Torres, P., Murillo-Luna, J. L. (2012). Stakeholder pressure and environmental proactivity: Moderating effect of competitive advantage expectations.Management Decision,50(2), 189-206. Harrison, J. S., Bosse, D. A., Phillips, R. A. (2010). Managing for stakeholders, stakeholder utility functions, and competitive advantage.Strategic Management Journal,31(1), 58-74. Hemmert, M. (2014). The business system of Korea.Asian Business and Management: Theory, Practice and Perspectives, 2nd edn. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 219-238. Petroski, H. (2010). Engineering: Technology Plus.American Scientist,98(4), 280-284. Rothaermel, F. T. (2015).Strategic management. McGraw-Hill. Wagner III, J. A., Hollenbeck, J. R. (2014).Organizational behavior: Securing competitive advantage. Routledge.