UK economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

UK economy - Essay Example Before the period of the 1960s the participation of women in the workforce was quite low and even those who were a part of the workforce were discriminated against. During the period of 1946 only 25% of the females who aged more than 30 years old were provided full time employment and 29% of them were provided part time employment (Odriscoll, 2008). By the period of 1958, the figure of fulltime employed women increased to 37% and part time employed females increased to 32% (Odriscoll, 2008). Furthermore, by the period of 1970, the number of full-time employed females who aged more than 30 increased to 51% and part-time employed females decreased to 23%. Due to these discriminatory practices as well as low partition in workforce, the women in Britain started protesting for equal rights during the period of 1996. As a result of continuous protests and hard work, the women in Britain were awarded with equal status or equal rights in workforce and employment under the Equality Act of 201 0. The act states that all individuals of Britain are to be treated equally and are not to be discriminated against. After the period of World War II that ended during the period of 1945, the economy of Britain has several times faced recession and due to this they have even experienced higher rates of unemployment. This is mainly because the exports of the nation have declined. The decline in exports has resulted in badly damaging the local industries such as the textile and the coal mining industries. These industries experienced a set back and various firms operating in these industries came to an end. On the other hand there have been increase in the demand of the services and this has led to flourishing service sector. The service sector businesses that have experienced growth in Britain include the banking and the insurance sector. After the 1970s the unemployment rate of Britain continued to increase and organizations were experiencing several problems with the trade

Case Study in Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study in Strategic Management - Essay Example Competition is a force in the general environment, and it is likely the force that is going to impact companies within this industry the most, as it continues to change and grow in the next few years. â€Å"The nature and degree of competition in an industry hinge on five forces: the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products, and the jockeying among current contestants† (Ireland et al., 2006). In this industry, even though barrier costs are high, substitute products are a real threat. â€Å"If a supplier can either increase the price of its product or reduce the quality while selling it at the same price, the effect on established firms profitability is negative. A supplier that can do one of these things is said to be a powerful supplier† (Ireland et al, 2006). This rule holds true for the motorcycle manufacturing industry as well. There is also a particularly strong domestic market i n the US with strong and sustained growth. In terms of competencies and resources, possessing the first mover advantage in relation to its core competency allows a business like Harley-Davidson in the case to set the paradigm for future operations in the new market and also capitalize on all of the intrinsic benefits of this market in a way that will set a standard and leave a lasting impression. This is why many companies are willing to take the risk that being the first mover entails. There are also drawbacks to this situation: this hearkens back to Porter’s force of substitute products, which are increasingly available in an increasingly globalized international marketplace. From a perspective of strategic fit, Harley-Davidson is not in a bad position at the end of the case; it still has a centralized command structure, however. This is a common