When Strategic Planning Goes Wrong Essay -- Business Management

When Strategic Planning Goes Wrong Netflix, Inc. Where Are We Going? Strategic initiatives provide a roadmap of how to steer a company towards its vision—the forward-looking perspective of where the company is going. A glimpse of where Netflix, Inc., the industry leader in movie rentals, was planning to go was revealed in the middle of 2011. What the company did not realize, at the time, was that it was headed for trouble. In July 2011, Netflix, Inc. announced that it would be changing the way its movie rental subscription plans would be priced. In the past, the lowest-priced subscription plan at $9.99—which included both DVDs and unlimited video streaming—would now be split into two separate plans priced at $7.99 each (See Appendix: Key Dates); representing a 60% increase for both service levels. The next move for the company came in September when it was announced that the DVD rental and video streaming services were going to be split off into two separate companies. The DVD-only service company would now be called Qwikster, while the video streaming service would remain under the Netflix, Inc name. By October, the company decided that it would scrap the split off initiative and keep the two rental services as they were—back under one company. Why Are We Going This Way? The Good Given the nature of the market demand for instant viewing offered through streaming media, the initial need to split the company—and the two rental service levels—into separate entities was a natural direction for Netflix. From an operational perspective, the two services require different resource capabilities and the expertise to manage them. In the case of the DVD service, this business unit requires assets that follow a more traditional ... ...any, called "Qwikster," will be completely separate from the streaming business.† October 10: The Company â€Å"has killed off Qwikster before the DVD-only service announced in September even launched†. Works Cited Lexis Nexis. Corporate Affiliations. N/A. http://0-www.corporateaffiliations.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/subscriber/companyProfile.asp (accessed April 19, 2012). Fundinguniverse.com. Company Histories & Profiles: N: Netflix, Inc. 2012. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Netflix-Inc-Company-History.html (accessed April 19, 2012). The Huffington Post. Tech. July 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/12/netflix-price-subscription-plan_n_895779.html (accessed April 19, 2012). The Huffington Post. Tech. September 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/19/qwikster-netflix-streaming-dvds_n_969135.html (accessed April 19, 2012).

Colonization of Latin America and North America Essay

When Christopher Columbus led a Spanish expedition in 1492 to India, he came across a land that would change the world forever. This region was called the Americas, a land the Spanish, Portuguese, French and English saw as their own to change and rule. However, the two regions, Latin America and North America saw two vastly different yet similar colonization processes from the Europeans in their social, political and economic systems. North America and Latin America both developed a form of ethnic mixing and a caste system for social structure and stability. However, Latin America’s caste system was more based on skin color while North America’s social structure wasn’t defined by ethnic groups. The two of these regions were both colonized by Europeans but had different ways of being colonized. A similarity in these two regions would be the development of European migrants, leading to the emergence of two societies. Latin America and North America’s political processes were also a huge part of colonization. While in North America the decisions of who would rule and control the lands was in the hands of private groups in Latin America, however, the choice of who would take control was in the hands of viceroys or governors. Both of these regions were ran by Europeans who would make the decisions. Latin America was ran by European peninsulas and North America governed by higher class merchants, deciding for themselves who they wanted to be controlled by. Latin America and North America shared the similarity in political colonization of both wanting to have some sort of control in their lands creating a stronger society and community to live in. The importance of future rulers would also have a major influence in the economic process and future economies in both areas. The economic process during colonization in both regions led to better social ways and interaction with lands having an influence on the colonization process greatly. In both Latin America and North America both had produced cash crops. While Latin America developed maize, a sugar production, and rice, North America planted tobacco creating a need for coerced labor. However, the difference in the coerced labor needed for the new production of these items was varied. In North America, slavery was a much needed acquirement to keep the production of these items needed while in Latin America indentured slaves and slavery was their way of production used by the Europeans in these regions. In Latin and North America, the Europeans didn’t go there to look for raw materials such as gold and silver like the other explorers who thought the Natives had it everywhere and weren’t completely using it to their own advantage. The Natives living there, however, were more amazed at what the Europeans had and vice versa. In conclusion, I have stated the different and similar colonization processes of North America and Latin America. The political, social, and economic processes were all similar and different in the mixing of ethnic groups, the need for control of their lands, and the regions using coerced and indentured labor to stabilize their lands.

Fluorine Facts - Atomic Number 9 or F

Fluorine is a halogen that exists under ordinary conditions as a pale yellow diatomic gas. The element is found in fluoridated water, toothpaste, and refrigerants. Here are facts about this interesting element. Fluorine Atomic Data Atomic Number: 9 Symbol: F Atomic Weight: 18.998403 Discovery: Henri Moissan 1886 (France) Electron Configuration: [He]2s22p5 Word Origin:  The name fluorine comes from the Latin and French fluere: flow or flux. Sir Humphry Davy proposed the element name, based on its presence in fluoric acid. The -ine suffix is consistent with the naming of other halogens. However, the element is named fluor in Greek and Russian. In early papers, it is referred to as fluorum. Properties: Fluorine has a melting point of -219.62 °C (1 atm), boiling point of -188.14 °C (1 atm), density of 1.696 g/l (0 °C, 1 atm), specific gravity of liquid of 1.108 at its boiling point, and valence of 1. Fluorine is a corrosive pale yellow gas. It is highly reactive, participating in reactions with virtually all organic and inorganic substances. Fluorine is the most electronegative element. Metals, glass, ceramics, carbon, and water will burn with a bright flame in fluorine. It is possible that fluorine can substitute for hydrogen in organic reactions. Fluorine has been known to form compounds with rare gases, including xenon, radon, and krypton. Free fluorine has a characteristic pungent odor, detectable at concentrations as low as 20 ppb. Toxicity: Both elemental fluorine and the fluoride ion are highly toxic. The recommended maximum allowable concentration for a daily 8-hour time-weighted exposure is 0.1 ppm. Neither fluorine nor its ion, fluoride, are considered trace nutrients for human nutrition. However, fluoride does impact bone strength. Uses: Fluorine and its compounds are used in producing uranium. Fluorine, in the form of fluorite, is added during smelting to help reduce the melting points of metals. Fluorochlorohydrocarbons are used in refrigeration applications. Fluorine is used to produce many chemicals, including several high-temperature plastics. The presence of sodium fluoride in drinking water at the level of 2 ppm may cause mottled enamel in teeth, skeletal fluorosis, and may be associated with cancer and other diseases. However, topically applied fluoride (toothpaste, dental rinses) may help reduce the incidence of dental caries. Sources: Fluorine occurs in fluorspar (CaF) and cryolite (Na2AF6) and is widely distributed in other minerals. It is obtained by electrolyzing a solution of potassium hydrogen fluoride in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in container of transparent fluorspar or metal. Element Classification: Halogen Isotopes: Fluorine has 17 known isotopes ranging from F-15 to F-31. F-19 is the only stable and most common isotope of fluorine.Density (g/cc): 1.108 ( -189 °C) Appearance:  At room temperature and pressure, pure fluorine is a very pale, greenish-yellow, pungent, corrosive gas. Liquid fluorine, like chlorine, is bright yellow. Solid fluorine is found in alpha and beta allotropes. The alpha form is opaque, while the beta form is transparent. Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 17.1 Covalent Radius (pm): 72 Ionic Radius: 133 (-1e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.824 (F-F) Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 0.51 (F-F) Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 6.54 (F-F) Pauling Negativity Number: 3.98 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 1680.0 Oxidation States: -1 Lattice Structure: Monoclinic CAS Registry Number: 7782-41-4 Fluorine Trivia Fluorine in the form of the mineral fluorite was used in the 1500s to aid in ore smelting.Fluorine was suspected to be an element as early as 1810 but wasnt successfully isolated until 1886. Many chemists trying to isolate the element would be blinded or even killed by the violent reactions that generally accompany fluorine gas.Henri Moissan earned the 1906 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for being the chemist who finally successfully isolated fluorine (and also invented the electric arc furnace).Fluorine is the 13th most common element in the Earths crust.Fluorine is the 24th most abundant in the universe. Fluorine Fast Facts Element Name: FluorineElement Symbol: FAtomic Number: 9Appearance: Pale yellow gas.Group: Group 17 (Halogen)Period: Period 2Discovery: Henri Moissan (June 26, 1886) Sources Emsley, John (2011). Natures Building Blocks: An A–Z Guide to the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7.Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1998). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4.Moissan, Henri (1886). Action dun courant à ©lectrique sur lacide fluorhydrique anhydre. Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des sà ©ances de lAcadà ©mie des sciences (in French). 102: 1543–1544.Nielsen, Forrest H. (2009). Micronutrients in Parenteral Nutrition: Boron, Silicon, and Fluoride. Gastroenterology. 137 (5): S55–60. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2009.07.072Patnaik, Pradyot (2007). A Comprehensive Guide to the Hazardous Properties of Chemical Substances (3rd ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-71458-3.