Issues at Uber

Executive Summary Undoubtedly, Uber is a game changer in the global taxi industry. However, two major issues emanating from poor governments’ regulations or lack of thereof and hostility from traditional taxi drivers pose serious operational risks to Uber. Nevertheless, Uber will survive and perhaps focus on technologies that are more advanced such as driverless cars to cut costs.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Issues at Uber specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction of Uber Uber is one of the service tech startups to have obtained a global appeal with only six years in operation. The company has penetrated the world market due to its ability to narrow the gap that has been there in the transportation industry, especially in the world cities. Currently, it operates in 58 countries and has great potential for growth. Uber, which uses apps, aims at connecting drivers to clients and, thus, making mo vements within cities more efficient. Uber International Inc. provides its services in collaboration with drivers who own private cars. The company creates and runs apps, which clients use to request curbs. Drivers then collect clients and ferry them to their desired destinations. Clients make payments using their credit cards, a method that is more appealing than the use of cash. Uber collects the transportation fees (about 20%-30%) and pays its drivers. A management team, which is competent and conversant with technological dynamics and changes in public transport, heads the company. Their major role is to scan for market niches in cities’ transportation industries. The team then comes up with possible solutions. With great emphasis on values such as innovation and best talents, Uber has grown rapidly. Consequently, the team has set higher and greater goals like having self-driven cars to enhance efficiency transportation further. Uber’s core competence Though the ta xi industry is quite competitive, Uber has services that are seemingly ahead of others. One of these aspects is the comprehensive approach, and the view it has on city transport. Using a combination of smartphone supported apps, GPS trackers, rating apps and online payment, the company has made quiet formidable work in creating core competence. The ability to provide services to wide and varied markets has also given the company a competitive advantage. Uber has a global customer base alongside services that can easily be provided by any contracted drivers. Uber offers customer- oriented services. That is, the customer tends to have added benefits. Customers opt for Uber because of convenience relative to regular taxi.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Uber has an edge over their competitors due to the type of employees it possesses. From the CEO, the top management to ju nior employees, Uber has a team that is visionary, innovative and aggressive with a focus on the global market. The annual rating of employees uses scores that have a direct influence on their compensation, bonus awarded and future referrals. This compels the employees to give their best and achieve greater success. Competitive Uber is ranked among the most valuable, aggressive startups globally. The company has achieved its competitive edge through its abilities to recruit and retain talented employees who are mainly innovative, talented executives and software engineers. For instance, Uber recently poached an expert from Google to enhance its mapping and geospatial capabilities. The company has gained its competitive edge from technology. The company did not have to create every technology it relies on deliver services. Instead, Uber has harnessed the power of mapping, location, optimization for closet drivers, payment services, and feedback and rating services to create competiti ve advantage, which its competitors, traditional taxi failed to exploit. The company did not have to invent new technologies but leveraged cloud to gain access to them. The company is not restricted with the taxi medallion system, but it relies on a global fleet of cars of willing drivers with minimal investments. The company controls costs because it does not have full time drivers. Users can opt in and out at their own convenience. Distinctive The company also leverages smartphone and mobile capabilities to create distinctive advantage. Mobile technology has disrupted many sectors, including traditional banks and taxi industry. Before the introduction of Uber, the taxi industry enjoyed relative calm. Uber focused on taxi business but with greater convenience to customers. Uber continues to revamp its mobile app based on user reviews and ratings. Consequently, the power of mobile technology has given the company few distinct advantages over its competitors. First, Uber is known for fast and reliable ride commanding based on GPS and mapping solutions. Second, Uber uses mobile payment for user convenience and simplicity. Finally, user rating and feedback are used to improve experiences.Advertising We will write a custom coursework sample on Issues at Uber specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sustainable Competition has intensified for Uber. For instance, new players such as Lyft, Flywheel and Sidecar have emerged based on the mobile on-demand taxi services. Some of these firms run on mobile ridesharing platforms. They are major competitors for Uber. Financials For fierce critics of Uber, its current valuation is wrong. For investors, the company recently recorded an operating loss of about $470 million with revenue of $415 million. However, the loss could be justified because Uber has become a global firm within few years after its launch. Thus, it is extremely early to claim that the business model is not susta inable. Overall, Uber will have to appeal to many customers and drivers to increase revenue stream. Legality Legal challenges are threats to sustainability of Uber. Globally, the company must deal with governments’ regulations and protesting traditional taxi operators. Thus, these challenges limit Uber’s ability to transform the global taxi market. Taxi drivers claim that Uber operates outside regulations on pricing and city by-laws and, therefore, it presents unfair competition. In France, India, the Philippines, South Korea, the Netherlands, and Belgium among other countries, for instance, Uber must contend with crackdowns on its drivers while many accidents have been blamed on its unlicensed, inexperienced drivers. Thus, such lawsuits come with legal and reputational costs. The UN Women, for instance, had to pull out of a deal with the company citing privacy, safety, and legal issues. Given these challenges notwithstanding Uber’s rapid expansion and disruptio n in the global market, it is still difficult to determine the sustainability of its business model. Thus, it might also be difficult for Uber to maintain competitive edge. Key trends to affect Uber in the coming years Court decisions Uber is most like to face several court rulings, which are most likely to be both favorable and unfavorable globally. California and Florida, for instance, rejected Uber’s claim that its drivers were independent contractors.Advertising Looking for coursework on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Uber also refers to itself as a tech firm with the sole purpose of connecting passengers and drives. This model will favor it in new markets while avoiding laws and regulations on labor relations. With such rulings on drivers being employees, Uber must meet minimum labor requirements, including wages. Alternative, Uber may close its operations in hostile cities, states and nations. Taxes Governments currently are confused on how to handle tech startups because there are no adequate laws and regulations to account for their operations, taxation, and labor relations among others. Many governments now want Uber to pay taxes based on its revenues. As such, Uber may be forced to increase costs of ride in the affected cities. Uber Drivers face Risks The so-called independent contractors face constant police harassment and hostility from other taxi drivers. Some countries have outright banned Uber, others call for stringent regulations while others refer to the carpool app as illegal. Furt her, some airport authorities do not want Uber drivers while others have introduced access fees, which ultimate increase costs of operations. Rapid globally expansion Internationally, Uber will have to face some operational risks such as competition, for instance, in India where taxis could be many relative to other regions. In China, Tencent – a tech firm reputable for imitation, has already copied Uber business model through its Didi Dache app while also leveraging mobile phone payment. Thus, competition will erase Uber’s competitive edge. Uber in the next ten years Uber is most likely to survive once regulations are adopted. Consequently, Uber will focus on driverless cars in the future to cut operating costs while leveraging better technologies that would be available by then. Meanwhile, the company must contend with poorly defined government regulations and hostility from other taxi operators. References Alspach, K. (2014). Why Uber—and whatever is coming n ext—is really about the rise of APIs. The Boston Globe.  Web. Hyder, Y. (2014). Uber’s Evolution: From San Francisco to International Disruption. Information Technology Solutions. Web. Lee, D. (2015). Is Uber’s Growth Sustainable? The Market Mogul. Web. Marshall, J. (2014). Understanding the Economics of Uber. Web. Uber. (2015). The Company. Web. Wingard, J. (2015). What Uber is getting right that other startups aren’t. Fortune. Web. This coursework on Issues at Uber was written and submitted by user Benson L. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

8 Reasons Why Chemical Reactions Are Important

8 Reasons Why Chemical Reactions Are Important Chemical reactions are the most important types of events in the universe. Its through chemical reactions that plants grow, produce fruit, and become compost for new plants. Its because of chemical reactions that human beings (and all other animals) reproduce, digest, grow, heal, and think. But what exactly are chemical reactions? Why are they so important? What Chemical Reactions Are Elements are the basic substances that make up  matter in the universe. Each element is a chemical. Elements that form bonds are called molecules. An oxygen molecule, for example, has two oxygen atoms. Chemical reactions occur when molecules interact and change. Bonds between atoms in molecules break and are reformed in new ways.   Chemical reactions are at the heart of literally every biological process in the universe. Stars form because of chemical reactions; our sun ignited because of chemical reactions in its core. Life developed on Earth as a result of chemical reactions. The circle of life is, at its heart, a series of chemical reactions. Even our ability to think and move is a result of chemical reactions that occur in our bodies. 8 Reasons Why Chemical Reactions Are Important Chemical reactions are the reason we exist on the Earth, and, of course, they are the reason we are able to ask questions. In addition: Chemical reactions are how new forms of matter are made. While nuclear reactions also may produce new matter, nearly all the substances you encounter in daily life are the result of chemical changes.Chemical reactions help us understand the properties of matter. By studying the way a sample interacts with other matter, we can learn its chemical properties. These properties can be used to identify an unknown specimen or to predict how different types of matter might react with each other.By observing chemical reactions, we are able to understand and explain how the natural world works. Chemical reactions turn food into fuel for your body, make fireworks explode, cause food to change when it is cooked, make soap remove grime, and much more.Exciting and entertaining chemical reactions pique interest in science. These types of demonstrations encourage people to ask questions and may lead them into science-related careers.Chemical reactions help us to solve crimes and explain mysteries. B y analyzing blood and tissue samples, for example, police are able to identify the perpetrators of crimes. Chemical reactions are also the tools we use to date fossils, analyze ancient materials, and better understand how our ancestors lived. By observing chemical reactions in outer space, we are able to identify and describe other planets. We can even determine which planets and moons are likely to be able to sustain life.Fire, the most important discovery made by human beings, is simply a chemical reaction.Without chemical reactions, nothing would ever change. Atoms would stay atoms. New molecules wouldnt form. No organisms could live. If matter didnt react with other matter, the universe would be extremely boring!

Image analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Image analysis - Essay Example ut an image is not only composed of the person because there are other elements to consider namely the other people in the picture and the caption as posted in paper or on online publications. In the first picture wherein Obama is shown with his family published in USA today, it can be considered as a representation of his origin and the family that he values. This can be considered as a way to present how he gives importance to his loved ones. It also serves as a promise of how he would give importance to the American people. The other photographs depicting his usual pose are similar but the news always presents the related subject which makes the difference. In general, the photographs of Obama are showing his open palm wave which can either mean leadership, sign of positivity or even control. His smile on the other hand is a sign of good will. All of these are subjective suppositions and no one can be sure of the exact meaning. On the other hand publicist and media people can attach whatever meaning they are meant to present to the