Internal Analysis of the NBA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internal Analysis of the NBA - Assignment Example These are some of the questions that the paper will attempt to answer. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. The approach will assist in the analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of NBA. The paper will begin by analyzing the capabilities and resources NBA had before the 2010-2011 season; the analysis will be from a case study done by Coulter. The capabilities and resources in the 2010-2011 seasons will be analyzed. The best approach to internal analysis of NBA will be discussed. Resources and Capabilities NBA Has As Of the 2010-2011 Season The Resources and Capabilities before the 2010-2011 Season (The Case Study) The National Basketball Association (NBA) has undergone tremendous changes from a domestic sport to an international commercial sport and this indicates a major understanding of the resources and capabilities. All the success and efforts are attributed to the NBA commissioner David Stern who has helped NBA become a global brand. Professional bask etball began in the mid-1990s and NBA gained the international game appeal. There are key players in the NBA who have sparked international interest. These players include Yao Ming of China, Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzi of Germany, Pau Gasol of Spain, and Tony Parker of France, Denver Nuggets of Brazil, Gordan Giricek of Croatia and Darko Milicic of Serbia. All the mentioned are international basketball players. It is estimated that out of all the players in the NBA, 64 players come out of the United States territory. Other than the international players, NBA has taken its games globally. The NBA league has held several preseason games in the Latin America, Asia and Europe. Among the major plans by the commissioner of NBA was creation of multiple teams in the European region before the end of the 2000 decade. The NBA league has faced challenges like the retirement of Michael Jordan and the cancellation of almost a third of the league games in the mid-1990s. The challenges a lmost crashed the NBA league. Stern, the commissioner of NBA addressed the issues by looking at what the NBA had top offer, that is the resources and capabilities. He found that NBA could offer consumer awareness of basketball both domestically and internationally, several young talented players and renowned image and a track record (Coulter 132). Among the things that Stern did were: Expand the NBA offices network globally. The reason was to gain the NBA popularity, make it visible to the consumers around the world, sell a vast amount of track records and make several tours occasionally. Enhance the image of the NBA league on the Internet through its web site. It is estimated that about 40 percent of the people who visit the NBA website come from the rest of the world; that is outside the United States (Coulter 133). The Resources and Capabilities in the 2010-2011 Season The External Environment Globalization NBA has utilized the television and commerce to popularize the game globa lly and its influence in the world has been fuelled by marketing and television. The television has allowed NBA to reach many people around the world; it is estimated that NBA league is watched in 212 countries and in 42 different languages. The estimated number of people watching NBA league through the television is said to be over 750 million people. The foreign players in the NBA league are estimated to be around 80 of the 430 positions in the NBA team. This shows how NBA has its touch on the

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces Assignment

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces - Assignment Example These are all sacred places with spiritual significance to their believers, although their exact functions and related rituals somewhat vary for each religion.The Ka’ba in Mecca, the Wailing Wall, and the Bodhi Tree are the holiest sites because of what they represent to the history of these religions. The Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall, is the holiest site for Judaism because it is the last remaining wall of the Second Temple. The First Temple refers to Solomon's Temple. This temple, however, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Jews rebuilt the Temple, which the Romans destroyed in 70 CE. For several centuries, the Jews went to the Wailing Wall to cry over the destruction of their Second Temple. The Ka’ba is the holiest place for Islam. It is the heart of their hajj, or spiritual pilgrimage, and is located inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Muslims believe in the centrality of the Ka’ba as a sacred place of their faith – it is the space inside it, rather than Mecca itself, which is seen as consecrated (Morgan, 2010). Many Muslims think that Adam had built the original Ka’ba but it then was ruined by the Great Flood (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree is also the holiest place for Buddhists because it is the tree where Buddha attained enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). The original Bodhi tree and its progeny are treated as relics because they symbolize Buddha’s enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). Enlightenment, or being awakened, is also called the wisdom of emptiness. It means that individual existence is not possible since everything is interconnected (Harvey, 1990). The importance of enlightenment to Buddhism portrays the role of the Bodhi Tree in the attainment of this process. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree have mystical origins that the Wailing Wall does not possess. The Ka’ba contains the sacred black stone that Abraham and Ishmael placed there (Morgan, 2010). Pre-Islamic worship believes that the stones of the Ka’ba came from heaven (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree has miraculous qualities. It is believed to be cut before and to have grown again miraculously the next night (Harvey, 1990). The Wailing Wall does not have any mythical source because it is a man-made creation. Its importance lies in its historical and social functions. These sacred places are centers of prayer or spiritual meditation, although they also serve social purposes. The Wailing Wall enhances the attachment of the people to their Jewish history and identity. It signifies their â€Å"displaced sense of persecution and religious compensation† (Heyd, 1999, p.22). The Western Wall acts as a place of prayer and community activities. The Jews have commonly inserted prayers into the wall cracks because of the belief that they will come true. The custom of inserting written prayers into the wall is so extensive that some American-Jewish newspapers take advertisements of services of putting in s uch prayers for sick Jews. Moreover, Jewish families often gather near the wall to celebrate social events, such as their children’s bar mitzvah, which is a party for boys who turned thirteen. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree are distinct places of worship. Muslims and Buddhists go to these places as part of their pilgrimage. People go there to pray, to assert their faith, and to strengthen their religious communities. Like the Wailing Wall, these sacred sites reinforce the connection between believers and their relationship to their faith. Similar rituals are conducted around the Ka’