Microsoft Company Adaptation to the Global, Social, and Economic Essay

Microsoft Company Adaptation to the Global, Social, and Economic Changes since 1990 - Essay Example Nevertheless, some companies not only managed to remain afloat, but also raked in huge profits during those trying times. This paper seeks to analyze the major changes that rocked through the United States of America, and how various companies in the country managed to steer through the tough times. In particular, the paper places much focus on the performance of the Microsoft Company from 1990 to the current times (Ponzio, 2009:48). In the 1990s, the US underwent the second-longest era of growth ever seen in the country’s history. The country’s fiscal position grew at a mean rate of about 3.5% per annum. In addition, the country’s unemployment figures decreased to a level that, at one time, was below 4%. The nation’s stock market experienced drastic and interesting gains. This resulted in most of the country’s biggest business ventures raking in abnormal profits. Virtually all of the country’s population managed to be in a position to buy th eir own houses to live in during that particular era (Marlene, 2009:113). However, this blessed era ended towards the end of 2001, when the country’s monetary position growth rate radically fell after an unprecedented collapse in its major industry sector, the complex technology sector. The American economy is, by far, the most ideal in the world. However, it has always faced numerous troubles. The nation consists of very many manufacturing industries which products and goods get their respective markets locally. However, the industries, since 1990, were unable to satisfy the total consumer demand for various products and services. This has resulted in the United States having to keep an imbalance in their foreign trade as they have to import much more than they export. Because of the 1990s boom growth, the American economy developed a two-tier fiscal position. This resulted in some percentage of the country’s population attaining outsized incomes while the rest wallow ed in poverty. In addition, the era brought complex and continuous technology into the work areas. This has had the effect of restraining the country’s unskilled employees in minimum-pay or casual jobs, with no hope of advancement up the corporate ladder. By the start of 1999, a sizeable percentage of America’s population, amounting to about 12%, was still wallowing below the poverty line. In general, the country’s fiscal position has drastically improved since the dawn of the 1990s. However, a large quota of the profits realized in the country end up in the pockets of only about 20% of the total population (Marlene, 2009:147). By 1999, the most successful percentage of the country’s population amounting to about 10%, managed to earn about 29% of the nation’s fiscal profits while the bottom 10% of the nation’s citizen managed to accrue only about 1.4%. Though the country’s economy exhibits a great deal of diversity, services are the m ain constituents of the economy. In 1994, the services industry dominated about 80% of America’s GDP. Manufacturing dominated around only 18% while the country’s agricultural arm only had 2% (Ponzio, 2000:159). The Microsoft Company came into being because of the idea of William Gates in conjunction with Paul Allen. Initially, the venture offered only one product. It employed only three workers,