Olympus Strategic Management Research Commerce Essay

Olympus Strategic Management Research Commerce Essay Olympus Corporation is a Japan-based manufacturer of reprography and optics products, founded on 12 October 1919 by Takeshi Yamashita with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company is engaged in the manufacture and sale of precision machineries and instruments for the imaging, medical, life sciences, information and communication and other markets. The companys imaging system business, though Olympus Imaging Corp., markets compact and lightweight digital cameras, optical lenses and voice recorders. The medical systems business, though Olympus Medical Systems Corp., offers medical endoscopes, surgical endoscopes, endotherapy products, ultrasound endoscopes and surgical treatment devices. The life science segments products include molecular imaging systems, such as chemistry analyzers, immunoassay systems and blood analyzers, diagnostic systems and biological and industrial microscopes. Olympus also operates several research facilities, such as the Olympus Bio Imaging Laboratory and the RIKEN BSI-Olympus Collaboration Centre, connected to the operations of their segment. The companys information and communication offerings, through ITX Corp., include investment and business incubation, IT services and equipment sales, such as the sale of mobile terminals. The company operates across six continents and more than 50 countries throu gh 219 subsidiaries and 19 affiliated companies. Altogether, Olympus is comprised of four business segments: Imaging Systems, Life Sciences and Industrial Systems, Medical Systems and Information and Communication. Olympus President and Representative Director is Hiroyuki Sasa, who took this office in April, 2012. PESTEL Analysis Political factors. The political environment is considered as one of the most influential factors that affect the operations of a business. Since all political forces are a part of the macro-environment and are associated with the situation of government, this directly influences the possibility of maintaining a business in a particular economy. Better government would always strive to create the most favorable conditions for a business, developing good policies and making business thrive. Governments also choose the way of taxation and can influence export and import abilities of a particular country (e.g. artificial limitation of an amount of particular good that can be imported in the country, changing taxation for local and foreign producers, stimulating export or import, special license conditions etc.). In our particular case, the most important thing of a political environment Olympus operates in is fiscal policies of the governments of the countries Olympuss stores and its distribution chain are situated in. Pursuing their objectives, governments can levy taxes that make conducting a business unprofitable in this political system, or, for example, cancel taxation of some firms at all to improve the situation of a company on the market. Overall political situation in particular countries also affects Olympus business. Since some countries have unstable political situation (e. g. Somali, Iraq, many African countries), Olympus is reluctant to maintain their business there because of unpredictable business conditions and unreliability of partnerships with local retailers. Economic factors. Economic environment of an organization are all economic factors that effect on the working of a business. This point includes distribution of income and wealth in the economy, trade cycles, economic policies and nature of an economy. Scientists distinguish five main components of a firms economic environment. They are: economic conditions, economic system, economic policies, international economic environment and economic legislations. Since Olympuss initial purpose is bringing profits to stockholders, all these factors should be carefully considered while acting in a particular economy in order to bring the highest profits possible. Size of market, demand and supply trends, inflation rate in the economy, national income, per capita income, efficiency of public and private sectors and many other factors influence Olympus performance in a particular economy and directly influence its profitability. Moreover, since an economic system of a country determines rules, goals and incentives that controls economic relations among people in a society, this factor influences Olympus desire or even ability to perform in a particular economy. Separated word should be said about global economic downturn as a result of the global financial crisis of 2008. The worst economic debacle the humankind has faced since the Great Depression left millions of people without jobs and trillions of dollars in market value evaporated. The global consumption and demand felt dramatically, including the demand for reprography and optics products Olympus manufactures. Although Asian countries did not experience such a striking shock as Europe and Northern America did, overseas sales account for approximately 80% of Olympus sales. Interest rates became higher in practically all countries, somehow influenced by the crisis. National income growth in majority of countries slowed down. Hence, the downturn of the global economy is one of the most prominent economic factors which influence Olympus operations. Furthermore, current economic problems in Europe, which accounts for 26% of Olympus sales, also adversely influence the company scrutinized. Social factors. One of the most important social factors, which influence operations of Olympus is ageing of population in its target markets and constantly growing of health consciousness of those individuals. Since Medical Systems Life Sciences are the largest business segments of Olympus Corporation, these trends can positively influence Olympus because of the demand growth expectations and need for improvement of patient quality of life. However, population growth rates in these countries are not that positive and for the last decade we have observed shrinkage of population in developed countries and constant growth of population in developing countries as India, China and many countries of the Muslim world. Therefore, in the nearest future the trend will reverse and exactly those growing countries will became major importers of hi-tech products as Olympus manufactures. Thus, Olympus should be ready to such changes and pay attention to the development of its distribution chain i n all prospective markets. Technological factors. Any changes in technology have a major impact on the business. New technologies change the business prospects and profits, work culture and methods of production that are used in the industry. Technological changes force management to change the course of how the business is maintained in order to boost the productivity and profitability of the production process. Talking about the industry of hi-tech medical, imaging and information communication products Olympus operates in and technological environment there, it can be said that this industry is probably one of the most technologically-advanced industries of contemporary world. Because of the nature pace of the human progress and constantly growing demand for better medical apparatuses and other hi-tech products Olympus produces, technological changes and breakthroughs in this industry happen extremely often. Technology incentives of many companies are striking, constantly increasing the rate of technological change. All these factors determine the technological environment for Olympus, simultaneously affecting its minimum efficient production level, level of financing its research facilities, cost and quality of products manufactured and ultimately strive for innovation, which will determine the share of the company on the market in the nearest future. Environmental factors. Environmental factors are those factors of any companys external environment, which include weather and climate concerns, directly influencing operations of a business. Environmental factors are not of the highest importance for Olympus Corporation and do not shape its or its competitors products or production chain as they do, for example, for agriculture companies. However, constantly growing concern of the environmental sustainability, greenhouse effect and nature protection define certain environmental standards Olympus should comply with. Legal environment. As any business, Olympus operates within a strict framework of law which influences different aspects of the company. Governmental laws regulate the status of the organization, its relationship with customers and suppliers and certain internal procedures and activities, influencing the behavior of Olympus on the market and specific market conditions. Consumer laws, discrimination laws, employment laws, antitrust laws and health and safety laws of different countries affect how Olympus operates on local markets and also determines cost and demand for its products. Porters Diamond Model The Diamond model of Michael Porter was contrived to evaluate and assess competitive advantages of a firm in national and global competition. Let us construct Porters Diamond model for Olympus Corporation. 400px-The_Porter_Diamond Graph 1. The Porter diamond Source: Factor conditions Skilled workforce High intellectual potential and strive towards innovations New innovations and new methods of corporate governance Developed technological base and infrastructure Demand conditions Sophisticated local and overseas market High pressure and demand for innovations Related and supporting industries Local and international competition creates innovations and cost-effectiveness Participation of suppliers in upgrading process High incentives for innovations in whole production chain Firm strategy, structure and rivalry New corporate governance strategy Focus on core business domains New corporate management policies: Back to Basics, One Olympus, and Profitable Growth Four new basic strategies: Rebuilding of business portfolio/Optimal allocation of management resources, Restructuring of governance, Review of cost structures and Restoration of financial health Fierce domestic competition, which stimulates innovations High standards of corporate culture Government Significant efforts paid to the development of infrastructure and attraction of new businesses Educational incentives and creation of skilled labor Encouragement of BPO/KPO (business process outsourcing and knowledge process outsourcing) Chance Changes in global economic trends All factors, which create discontinuities and are outside of a control of a firm Market Analysis and Industry Life Cycle Nowadays the industry of reprography and optics products Olympus operates in is the subject for constant growth and development. The Medical Business, which is the main business segment of Olympus, has experienced steady growth over the years and is expected to grow even further in view of the social environment. At a time of fast aging of population in the developed countries, early detection and diagnosis of treatment have become urgent priorities for patients, physicians and societies overall. Minimally invasive treatment methods as endoscopic surgery are expected to play a key role in satisfying these requirements. The surgical devices field annual sales are expected to grow 14% annually, creating major business opportunities for Olympus because it is the only company in the world, which possesses the technologies for manufacturing of apparatus that meet the full range of needs from early detection of illnesses to minimally invasive treatment. Therefore, we can conclude that Medi cal Business of Olympus operates in the growth stage of the industry life cycle. Regarding the Imaging Business of Olympus, it operates in the industry, which slowly proceeds from the growth into the mature stage of its life cycle. Although hundreds of innovations are still made in this field, the market in developed countries is close to be saturated. However, there is still an enormous market and place for development in developing countries. Furthermore, it should be recognized that Imaging Business is simultaneously a brand and imaging technology driver for Olympus. Thus, it is an inherent part of the companys marketing strategy and will be paid an utmost attention in the nearest future. Life Science Industrial business of Olympus is also in its growth stage. The driving factor for this is that the industries, where reprography and optics products have not been used before, begin to adapt innovations from this field to develop and increase the efficiency and productivity of their business. Hence, sales expansion by entering untapped industries is of the highest interest for Olympus, since this market is undeveloped yet, contains a lot of opportunities, place for innovations and growth. Porters Five Forces Framework Porters five forces framework is a tool for industry and company analysis, aimed to derive those five forces, which determine the intensity of competition and therefore attractiveness of a particular market and overall industry profitability. Three of the aforementioned five forces concern competition threats from external sources. The remaining two are related to the companys internal threats. Graph 2. Porters Five Forces Framework Source: Bargaining power of suppliers. The concentration of suppliers of Olympuss three key business segments is comparatively high. The number of suppliers and availability of substitute inputs differs from the product or inventory supplied. Availability of lenses Olympus uses, for example, for its Medical Business segment is limited because of the complicated process of their production and various patents. Input of suppliers of hi-tech components is extremely important for companies in the industry Olympus operates in and an ability to substitute suppliers of such unique products is low. Hence, suppliers of technologically advanced inventory have a significant influence on the industry scrutinized and are able to drive up prices with little resistance from their buyers. Firms which produce less unique products, however, have dramatically less power. The number of suppliers in this category is big as well as the availability of substitutes. The competition among these suppliers is severe and therefore their ability to artificially deviate prices is low. Bargaining power of consumers. Bargaining power of Olympuss consumers, similarly to bargaining power of its suppliers, differs greatly from one business segment of a company to another. Imaging Business, for example, has a great number of customers. The size of each order, however, is low in comparison with other businesses of the firm. Buyers of this segment possess a credible backward integration threat, since they can choose to buy products of a rival firm as Canon or Nikon. Buyer power is also strong because switching costs are low, is usually well-educated about the product and lots of substitutes are available on the market. In case of Medical and Life Science Industrial businesses of Olympus, consumer bargaining power is different and is believed to be lower. To the great extent this is because of little number of substitutes available on the market and their lower technical characteristics. Threat of backward integration in these businesses is low and majority of buyers purchase products in low volume. Threat of new entrants. Threat of new entrants on the market of hi-tech products Olympus manufactures is low because of several factors. First, in order to enter this market, extremely high capital investments are required. Second, patents and rights of already established firms make it hardly possible for new entrants to produce products, similar to existing ones. Hence, prohibitive for new firms amount of financial and human resources should be put into research and development to introduce technologies and products unavailable yet on the market. Furthermore, in Olympus business lots of attention is paid to consumer loyalty and it may be very hard for new entrants to entice clientele of well-known already established brands. Threat of substitute products. Feasible threat of substitute products Olympus experiences in all its businesses other than the Medical. This can be observed because of consumers propensity to substitute and comparatively low switching costs. Number of substitute products, which can compete with the products of Olympuss Life Science Industrial and Imaging businesses is high. So is the ease of substitution. There is, however, less threat of substitute products from Medical business of Olympus because products in the Medical business have significantly longer lifecycles and development cycles. For example, Evis Exera III a core endoscopy system, which was introduced by Olympus in spring 2012 and has no substitutes on the market, had the development period of seven years. Since Olympus has a competitive edge in research and development, it is unlikely that products able to substitute Olympus Medical businesses apparatuses will emerge on the market in the nearest time. Competitive rivalry within an industry. Competition within Olympuss industry is fierce. All companies which compete for leadership in this industry have powerful competitive strategies and high levels of advertising expense. Each of the companies tries to achieve sustainable competitive advantage through implementing innovations and investments in research and development. Number of competitors is limited; however, their financial and human resources are huge. Costs of leaving market are high. Olympus Current Strategy Corporate Strategies. Basing on the corporate management policies and aiming to address pressing issues of the company, Olympuss management has set forth four basic corporate strategies. First, three business domains have been chosen as those, in which the company should invest first and foremost. These are: the Medical Business, Life Science Industrial Business and Imaging Business. Medical Business should become a growth driver for the company, which will later transform into a medical-field oriented firm. Second, Olympus will revise its cost structures and aims for profitable growth. Third strategy is to improve the companys shaken financial position and performance. Last but not least corporate strategy of Olympus is to restructure the firms governance after the recent unprecedented turbulence of the Olympus scandal period. Business Strategies. Medical Business. Under the current medium-term vision of Olympus management, the Medical Business of the company should become a profit and growth driver for the firm. The strategy of Medical Business is to achieve further expansion of the business by capitalizing on the highly strategically advantageous position of being capable of simultaneously developing devices necessary for new minimally invasive treatments as well as new diagnostic methods closely related to those new treatments (Olympus Corporation, 2012). The company also plans to replace existing devices with new once and create a new market by applying highly innovative technologies unavailable to its competitors. Life Science Industrial Business. Life Science Industrial Business of Olympus are aimed at growth of the corporation. There are two business strategies for this segment. First strategy is product portfolio expansion. Basing on the customer industry categories and technologies and product categories, Olympus will strive to open up new customers and open up new business fields. Moreover, this strategy also involves focus on emerging and developing countries, where the market and consequently demand for Olympus products is growing. Second strategy is implementation of reform of the income and profit structure of the Life Science field, which will involve reduction of cost of goods sold and improvement of operating efficiency. Imaging Business. For today, two strategies have been devised to address the proclaimed objective of restructuring the Imaging Business. The first strategy is to concentrate on mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras and high-end compact cameras. The second strategy is to restructure the manufacturing process and carry out reform of the cost structure of devises. Functional Strategies. Functional strategies of Olympus include the following: rigorous cost reductions, profitability improvements, increased investment in technology development, restructuration of subsidiaries and production sites worldwide. Olympus Current Business Policies The new management of Olympus, who took their office on April 2012, have set out three major corporate management policies of the company: Back to Basics, One Olympus and Profitable Growth. Back to Basics. Back to Basic policy was devised to deal with the aftermath of recent Olympus scandals, the cause of which was the pursuit of income from investments in non-core business domains of the firm, namely equity. Thus, the Back to Basics policy was developed to bring Olympus back to its initial mission contribution to the development of society through new solutions and products. One Olympus. The idea behind One Olympus policy lies in uniting all Olympuss employees and staff worldwide under a common business strategy and encouraging teamwork and cooperation. Profitable Growth. This policy simply proclaims Olympus intention to grow while earning profits. Olympus Current Performance Performance Indices Results (FY ended March 2012) Net sales  ¥ 848.5 billion Operating income  ¥ 35.5 billion Ordinary income  ¥17.9 billion Net income  ¥49.0 billion EBITDA  ¥80.3 billion Operating margin 4% Ordinary income ratio 2% Net income ratio -6% Net sales ratio 9% Free cash flows  ¥4.8 billion Balance of interest-bearing debt  ¥642.4 billion Equity ratio 4.6% Operating margin 4.2% Return on invested capital (ROIC) 2.7% Table 1. Olympus current performance indices Source: Olympus Corporation. Annual Report 2012 Table 1. Olympus current performance indices Source: Olympus Corporation. Annual Report 2012 Research Question 2. Strategic Recommendations Basing on the analysis above, several strategic recommendations are reasonable for Olympus to overcome its temporary crisis period and achieve financial superiority and growth of stockholders value in long-term period. First, it is pertinent that Medical Business should become the main segment of Olympus production chain. Olympus possesses a competitive advantage over its closest rivals in this sector and holds the largest market share. Its medical devices contain the newest innovations and technologies available on the market and hardly any company can compete in this sector with Olympus. However, for the last several years the company has been deviating from this segment, investing in non-core business segments of the firm. This turned into the debacle for Olympus. Therefore, total reconstruction of the firms operations should be conducted with the aim to bring an emphasis on Medical Business of the firm, which should become profit and growth generator. Life Science Industrial Bus iness, in its turn, will become an accompanying business, specializing in expansion of the product portfolio in the industrial field and hence another source of growth. The task of the Imaging Business, as one of the three core business of the firm, should be development of new technologies and innovations and becoming a brand driver for the company. Research Question 3. Mr. Michael Woodford, a Hero or a Traitor? Recent Olympus scandal has been one of the biggest and longestrunning lost-hiding arrangements in global corporate history since accounting and corporate scandals including Enron, Parmalat, Peregrine Systems, Tyco International, Adelphia and WorldCom. One of the main Olympus insiders, involved in the scandal and who actually was the one who exposed doubtful acquisitions of Olympus dated several years earlier, was British-born top-executive Michael Woodford, former CEO of Olympus. This lead to missing of $6.25 in assets, overall downturn of the company and great concerns regarding corporate governance in Japan. Although some people would aver that Mr. Michael Woodford acted as a traitor, I assert that his actions were extremely ethical and complied with the highest standards of corporate governance and information disclosure. Hereinafter I will provide some cogent arguments to support my point of view. To start with, I would like to mention that ultimate aim of management of any company is growth of value for stockholders. In order to keep an eye on management actions, each publicly traded company has a board of directors, which defines strategy of the company, supervises management and ensures the protection of stockholders interests. Management, as an operational branch of corporate governance, is obliged to deliver truthful information regarding companys performance. From accounting and corporate scandals in the U.S. and Europe which involved Enron, Parmalat, Peregrine Systems, Tyco International and several other big companies we have learned how distortion and hiding of information may make the companies concerned collapse and shook local and international securities markets. In order to avoid such shocks in future, many countries have adopted various standards and laws which regulate corporate governance, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the US and UK Corporate Governance Code. Japan, however, has not adopted any similar documents and this is one of the major reasons why Olympus scandal emerged in 2011. According to internationally-accepted standards of corporate standards and information disclosure, the behaviour of the former Olympuss CEO Michael Woodford was the only acceptable in the situation he faced with. Obviously, local peculiarities of Japanese corporate governance should be taken into account, however, from my point of view, Woodford acted in according to international business ethics standards. Olympus is an international publicly-traded company and therefore should comply with internationally-accepted ways of doing business. Furthermore, Olympus is responsible to its stockholders, who are interested in transparency of the business. Hence, Woodfords behaviour was ethical in all senses and was aimed to bring transparency to the company and protect Olympus stakeholders. Since Woodford did what all members of Olympus board could not do, I think that he is a hero for the company and should be brought back. The behaviour of top management of Olympus, however, was not ethical and, as said by Lindsay Whipp and Jonathan Soble, the management by itself was rotten at the core (Yasu, 2011). A twodecade scheme to hide losses from investment was maintained by the companys top executives. The Olympus scandal tells us that despite accounting and corporate scandals of the last decade, the tensions still remain in some countries, which have not adapted strict standards and codes of corporate governance. Japan is not an exception. The conflict between management and stockholders will probably last forever, however compliance with such laws as Sarbanes-Oxley Act, for example, will bring transparency to the activities of publicly traded companies. Management will have less space for financial machinations and distortion of information. This, undoubtedly, will create a more reliable system of corporate governance and management. Hence, adoption of strict laws which contain enhanced standards for all public company boards, management and auditors should be conducted in all countries where this has not been done yet. If I were in the position to make a decision, I would definitely employ Woodford as a new CEO of Olympus because he has demonstrated himself as a responsible top-executive who has extremely high ethical standards. Although corporate culture in Japan is very peculiar, he managed to uncover one of the biggest and longestrunning lost-hiding arrangements in Japanese history. Despite this created great financial troubles for the company, loss of reputation and urgent need of restructuration, I believe that disclosure of this crime was essential for Olympuss further growth and development. Ultimately, to solve the issues of the Olympus scandal several vital steps should be undertaken. First, and this has already been done, new management structure should be introduced. Second, Olympus should be restructured and the foremost attention should be paid to the core businesses of the firm. Third, thorough re-branding of the company should be conducted to renew the reputation of the firm in the eyes of its suppliers and consumers.

Titles

Do magazines marketed for teenagers send the wrong message? Using at least three specific magazines for support, argue for or against the moral and ethical messages that dominate magazines directed for the teen demographic. Is it freedom of the press or harassment? Argue whether the paparazzi helps or hinders the purpose of the free press. Are grades important? Discuss whether grades are necessary in order to keep students on track with learning. Is homework necessary? Hazing is a problem on university campuses America could start using year round school People should have green burialNon-essential plastic surgery should be illegal for children under 18 Parents should be informed if their child is given birth control It has been said that America's biggest export is pop culture. Is Hollywood a good ambassador for America? Should public schools provide more classes and internship programs for students who choose not to go to college? Are college entrance exams like the SAT or ACT good indicators of university success? Would a voucher system that allowed for more school choice be a positive change for the American education system? Should parents be allowed to sumbit their teens to drug testing?Would single-sex public schools be more effective than co-ed? Doctor-assisted suicide should (or should not) be legal. Every automobile driver should (or should not) be allowed to send their junk mail. Every automobile driver should (or should not) be required to take a new driver’s test every three years. Electroshock treatment is (or is not) a humane for of therapy. Every student should (or should not) be required to learn a foreign language. Solar power is (or is not) a viable alternate energy source. Drug addicts should (or should not) be put in hospitals for medical treatment instead of in prison for punishment.American workers should (or should not) be guaranteed a three-day weekend by law. All health professionals should (or should not) be tested annually for HIV infections and AIDS. Self-proclaimed â€Å"militia† should (or should not) be closely monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assault weapons should (or should not) be out-lawed. All owners of firearms should (or should not) be required to register their weapons with the police. A two-week waiting period should (or should not) be required for anyone attempting to purchase a firearm. The death penalty for murderers should (or should not) be abolished.The death penalty should (or should not) be imposed on juveniles. Drug dealers convinced of distributing large quantities of drugs should (or should not receive the death penalty. The U. S. military should (or should not) be used to curb drug smuggling in the U. S. The U. S. should (or should not) cut off all foreign aid to dictatorships. Smoking should (or should not) be banned in public areas such as restaurants and airport terminals. State and local governments should (or should not) operate lotteries and gamblin g casinos. The U. S. should (or should not) remain in the United Nations.Immigrations into the U. S. should (or should not) be restricted. Churches should (or should not) be required to pay taxes. Federal funding for the arts should (or should not) be provided. The present-day tax system is (or is not) unfair to middle-class and lower-income Americans. College athletes should (or should not) be required to meet the academic requirements of their schools. Sex education should (or should not) be required course in all schools as early as sixth grade. Everyone should (or should not) be required to pass a competency exam before being allowed to graduate from high schools.Chronic mental patients should (or should not) be housed in â€Å"halfway houses† or residences in the community, rather than in remote mental hospitals. The President should (or should not) be limited to a single six-year term. Billboards should (or should not) be outlawed on interstate highways. Business should (or should not) be permitted to make unsolicited telephone calls to citizens. IQ tests are (or are not) valid measures of human intelligence. Psychologists and psychiatrists should (or should not) testify in court on behalf of the not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity plea.Regardless of income, all Americans should (or should not) be guaranteed basic medical care under a national health insurance program. Heredity is (or is not) a more powerful influence on personality development than environment. ESP is (or is not) a demonstrable scientific fact. Scientific experimentation on animals should (or should not) be outlawed. Heroin should (or should not) be legal as a pain reliever for terminally ill patients. Acupuncture is (or is not a valid medical technique. Beauty pageants do (or do not) debase women. The minimum wage should (or should not) be waived for adolescent and young adult workers.Despite their legal tax deductions and loopholes, all millionaires should (or should not) be requi red to pay federal income tax. Police should (or should not) be allowed to set up roadblocks to isolate and arrest impaired drivers. Athletes should (or should not) be allowed to use steroids. Students need to be more vigilant and observant to avoid becoming victims of campus crime. Citizens should resist efforts being made to shut down zoos and aquariums. Steps must be taken to reduce contaminants in the nation’s water supplies. Children and teenagers need to be educated on the dangers of huffing (sniffing solvents and aerosols).Lawmakers need to pass tougher legislation to discourage the growing number of stalkers. Every person should stipulate that in the event of death, he or she is willing to donate organs. People of all races and ethnic groups should be aware that overexposure to the sun can cause skin cancer, regardless of a person’s skin color. Dog and cat owners should have their pets spayed and neutered. Citizens with cellular phones can help thwart crimes an d assist in the capture of criminals. People wanting cosmetic surgery should investigate the risks before submitting to surgery.

Les Paul

Thesis Statement Within the very foundation of rock, blues, jazz and pop, the very same inventions of Les Paul denotes guitar-heavy music with an extreme debt owed to him.   Les Paul guitar models, Telecaster and the Gibson, are the most popular electric guitars among rock performers. The effects have been wide ranging, from rock and rolls Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia to legendary jazz great Duke Ellington, Les Paul has had a profound influence on musicians not only in the United States but around the world as they listened to his records and copied his style. The history of the modern jazz guitar began with many who played with Benny Goodman, (In Los Angeles in 1942, Les played with Nat King Cole on â€Å"Blues†). During his years on the main jazz scene, he revolutionized guitar playing. To be sure, there were guitarists with a longer history but it almost seems as if there are two different types of guitars.   What played before Les Paul and what played after he finished. Before Paul, the guitar was essentially an instrument of rhythm and harmonic accompaniment. Paul was known interestingly enough to develop guitar leads as he was simply creating the sound of many guitars and singers from one guitar and one voice. From the development of the electric guitar to the tape recorder were all possible only through the innovative vision of Les Paul.   Paul’s ingenious overdubbing or layered construction process of recording music was revolutionary. Les Paul Examining the development of original American music, whether it’s blues, country, jazz or rock, the reader has found, intertwined that in American music all roads lead to the guitar which in turn leads to Les Paul. Like all ironies of the truth, Les Paul's interest in music began at age eight with an interest in the harmonica.   It’s been said the inspiration came from a Waukesha ditch digger. Even though he played the piano professionally, his formal musical training consisted of a few unsuccessful piano lessons. A bad automobile accident in Oklahoma in January 1948 almost silenced his music forever.  Ã‚   He could not play the guitar for a year and a half.   It also gave him two choices; the first was to have the arm amputated or have the right arm set at a permanent right angle suitable for guitar playing.   Clearly he chose the latter. Les Paul is the most significant contributor in the development of modern electric instruments and recording technology. Paul has lead the way in the development of the Gibson Les Paul guitar, bearing his name; the solid-body electric guitar.   This concept was developed under his design. To this day, the Gibson is one of the most well known and market tested models that still stands up as an excellent product.   On merits of its own that would satisfy as a single most important contribution to the music industry, Les Paul also the developed the multi-track recording process and various reverb and echo effects. Technically, the guitar is a fretted, stringed instrument, and is a member of the lute family.   Originating from Persia, the instrument reached Spain during the 12th century. Through the years, the guitar has shown versatility as both a solo and accompanying instrument. In essence, Paul was unsatisfied by the electric guitars available in the mid 1930s so he began to experiment with the design the basic guitar. The product solved two main problems for guitar players; the â€Å"feedback† and â€Å"sustain† issues, respectively. Les Paul designed and constructed one of the first solid-body electric guitars in 1941.   Based on Paul’s designed in the early 1950’s, the Gibson Guitar Corporation of Nashville, Tennessee designed a guitar integrating Paul's properties. Subsequently, the company and Paul got together and professional relationship was established. Hence, what is now known as the â€Å"Les Paul† model was born. Originally it was developed only in a â€Å"gold top† version which was the central part of the agreement between Paul and Gibson.   However there were a few rough spots along the way between the two entities. Gibson Les Pauls were modified by the company over the years and clearly Paul always preferred to oversee the process.   But in the end Paul resumed his relationship with Gibson, and endorses the instrument even today. To this day, the Gibson Les Paul guitar is used all over the world, both by novice and professional guitarists. Multi-track recording In an experiment that bean in Les Paul's garage, Paul played eight different parts on electric guitar, some of them recorded at half-speed, hence â€Å"double-fast† when played back at normal speed for the master. Paul would record a track onto a disk, and then record himself playing another part with the first. This was the first time that multi-tracking had been used in a recording. Capitol Records released the recording â€Å"Brazil† in 1947. â€Å"As multi-track recording gradually became standard practice in rock, the distinction between recording and mixing as separate stages of a project grew. It is not uncommon at the mixing stage to move a project to a different studio or to hand over recorded tracks to a new engineer. (Zak, pg 128) Making records is intrinsically a collaborative creative process, involving the efforts of a team whose members interact in various ways. Because of Les Paul’s the â€Å"artist† is mostly the tasks involved in making a record. Pre and post production has become the foundation to many artists’ careers, once again thanks to Les Paul. Without equal, even within today’s music industry a legacy of innovations has been handed down by Les Paul and taken up by Van Halen, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai’s playing and guitar designs as they too help to redefine the instrument. (Bennett, pg 7) Les Paul has had a staggeringly life long influence over the way American and world popular music has sounded over the last 5 generations.   Even today the influence is honored and recognized and as on of the most significant impact upon the jazz, blues, rock, hip hop music worlds. What seems most striking about Les Paul, even at the age of 91, is how he has bridged popular music-making and technology. Paul touches on what will be central issues in the aesthetics of production and reception in pop: relations between the performers’s body and instrument, how sounds are attached to instruments and the way musical sounds. And because of him, in homes that could scarcely afford furniture of any kind, let alone a piano, the heart of the musician, found its outlet wood or metal across which a few wire strings. Reference(s) Zak III, Albin J.  Ã‚   The Poetics of Rock: Cutting Tracks, Making Records. Publisher: University of California Press. Place of Publication: Berkeley, CA. Publication Year: 2001. Page Number: 128. Bennett, Andy Guitar Cultures Publisher: Berg. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2001. Page Number: 7.            

Essay on William of Ockham - 1155 Words

William of Ockham is probably best remembered for his idea of metaphysical nominalism and Okhams Razor, which is obviously named after him. William of Ockham was born between 1285- 1287 in Surrey, England soon to be named Ockham (Spade). Since historians know little to none about Ockhams birth and childhood we have to assume dates by inferring from what was written down about events of his life. He was a medieval English philosopher and Franciscan monk. At an early age, estimating preteen years, Ockham was `given to the Franciscan house in Ockham (Beckett). There Ockham most likely received his grade school education and his high school education in logic and science about the age of fourteen (Spade). Ockham took the†¦show more content†¦On May 26, 1328, Ockham and a few others fled to Avignon and went into exile in Italy where Louis of Barvaria, the Holy Roman Emperor (Beckett). Ockham and the others found refuge under his protection (Beckett). On June 6, 1328, Ockham was excommunicated by Pope John XXII for leaving Avignon without permission (OConnor, Robertson). Holy Roman Emperor Louis had also been excommunicated. Ockham along with Louis and the others returned to Munich. He stayed there, under Imperial control until his death (Stanford). During this time, Ockham wrote exclusively on political matters (Stanford). He died on April 9th or 10th, 1347. William of Ockhams writings can be divided into two categories: academic and political. The academic writings are divided into two groups: Theological and Philosophical. Ockhams academic theological writings are: Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard (1317-1318) and Seven Quodibets. Academic philosophical writings are divided into 2 also: logical and natural philosophy. His logical writings are Expositions of Aristotles Physics and on Aristotles Categories on Interpretation and Sophistic Refutations. Summa of Logic, Treatise on Predestination, and Gods Foreknowledge with Respect of Future Contingents are also part of his philosophical work. Natural Philosophy writings are Exposition ofShow MoreRelatedWilliam Of Ockham And David Hume931 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween William of Ockham and David Hume, highlighting for example, the Regularist View of Causality. Answer: David Hume William of Ockham Hume did not deny causation. He embraced it. But he did say that empirical methods could not logically prove its necessity, as observations only show a constant conjunction of events, a regular succession of A followed by B, which leads the mind to the inference of cause and effect. For Hume, causality is something humans naturally believe. Ockham readilyRead MoreScholasticism776 Words   |  4 PagesDoctor†[6], and William of Ockham. Scotus arrives at the idea that God and the Infinite, are notions reached via metaphysics; it was understood by the Franciscans in the strict Aristotelian sense as the science of being as being. Eventually, this led to the establishment of the autonomy of philosophy and theology. He made it clear that each of these disciplines has its own method and object; although Scotus assumed that theology presupposes a metaphysical course. It was William of Ockham however, whichRead MoreThe Black Death Of The Middle Ages1825 Words   |  8 Pagesand old, the peasant class began to revolt. While unrest occurred throughout Western Europe events like the conciliar movement called into question the emerging conceptions of limitations on rulers’ power. Theologian including John Wycliffe, William of Ockham, and Christine de Pizan all captured the number political ideas of the time. The events that defined this period in history helped shape what we have come to know and trust in our government. During the time the Black Death swept Western EuropeRead MoreRealism And The Language Of Universals And Particulars2044 Words   |  9 Pagesground linguistically based upon the notions that these two philosophical ideals are traditionally founded upon through general conceptions of language. That is simply the debate of strictly concrete particulars for the nominalists, such as Kant, Ockham, and Hume, and for the realists like Pierce, Burley, and Aristotle there is the existence of concrete particulars as well as abstract universals. How do these terms determine how one can interpret each position accordingly and if each position holdsRead MoreAugusta Ada King or Count of Lovelace was born with the name Augusta Ada Byron but who’s now known600 Words   |  3 PagesCharles Wheatstone, Charles Dickens and also Michael Faraday. Ada got married to her husband William King in 1835. They lived in a big estate inside of Ockham Park. They spent their honeymoon at Worthy Manor in As hley Combe. Ada and William had three children together named Byron, Anne and Ralph. Later, Ada’s mother hired William Carpenter to teach her children and to act a moral instructors for Ada. William began to fall in love with Ada as he was teaching her kids and as soon as Ada realized thatRead MoreEssay on The Identity Theory529 Words   |  3 Pagesthrough discovery would have to prove that everyone sees the same color with out variation or if there were variation, there would have to be a physical tangible reason that causes the variation. An adductive principle, founded by William of Ockham states that it is much easier to adopt the Identity Theory rather than Cartesian Dualism because it is much simpler in nature. Parsimony is another term used for simple, but it includes reasoning that it is more logical to believe in a simpleRead MoreThe Reformation and the Church Essay example1587 Words   |  7 PagesSt. Albert the Great, and St. Bonaventure (Johnson, 282). A theologian from Oxford University, William of Ockham, proposed the doctrines of Voluntarism and Nominalism in order to reform Scholasticism. In the process, â€Å"He extolled the separation of church and state and denied all temporal power to the pope, thus shattering medieval Christianity’s ideal of unity† (Pinckaers, 241). The Nominalism that Ockham extolled gave power to the individual and proposed a morality based on obligation (Pinckaers,Read MoreThe Design Argument For The Existence Of God1286 Words   |  6 Pagesand moon to sustain human life. If either of these things were less ideal, there would be drastically worse outcomes for the giraffes and humans on earth. The harmony we witness in nature compels the belief in an intelligent designer. Philosopher William Paley gives an example supporting this argument using a natural rock and a watch. He argues that in a forest if someone were to stumble upon a rock, they would not likely question why or how the rock came to be there, for all they know it has beenRead MoreThe African American Women Were The Most Exploited Working Force1413 Words   |  6 Pagesto get hired out. In fact it was somewhat common for slaves to get hired out for their skills. This gave the slaves more freedom and on Sundays, during Christmas, and New Year’s they threw parties. This possibly could have been where Ellen met William craft who was an apprentice in a cabinet makers shop. Later down the road their friendship turned to love and Ellen refused to consider marriage at that time due to so many slave families being torn apart by slavery. In 1846 they were allowed toRead MoreFreedom and Determinism Essay2348 Words   |  10 Pagesdistinguished between the inclination toward the just a nd the inclination toward the advantageous; freedom results from the ability to choose between the two. The modern understanding of â€Å"free will† was most closely explained by the Franciscan William of Ockham. He believed an individual has the liberty to be indifferent, therefore making no choice at all. He also adopted an alternative understanding of predestination according to which some are predestined on account of their foreseen merits. According