Understanding the Definition of Strategy Formulation

Understanding the Definition of Strategy Formulation Strategic formulation is the process of determining appropriate courses of action for achieving organisational objectives and thereby accomplishing organisational purpose. In a business context, it means what are the products and services the organisation will deliver, what type of market they will entry, which capabilities are required, how will they allocate the resources, and what the returns organisational seeks? Strategic formulation is very important as it is the crucial part in the strategic management. A good and effective strategy is very important to the organisation because it helps the organisation handle threats, seeking and grab the opportunities, and solve the weeknesses and enhance the strengths of the organization in order to survive in the competitive environment. 3.1 Distinction between Business Strategy and Corporate Strategy Business strategy is a long-term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal or objectives. Corporate strategy is the scope of the different industries and markets the organization competes within in order to achieve its organizational purpose. Normally, corporate strategy is supposed to be determined before the marketing strategy. In strategy formulation, it must included three stages of strategy. There are business level strategy, corporate level strategy, and international or globalisation level strategy. 3.2.1 Business Level Strategy Business level strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and action of the organisation uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting major competencies in specific products and services. It is concerned with how the organization business competes in a specific market. It also concerned the strategic decisions about the product choices, meet the customer expectations, exploiting or creating new opportunities, and gaining competitive advantages. Besides, it is refers to the aggregated strategies of single business firm or a strategic business unit (SBU) in a diversified corporation. According to Michael Porter, an organisation must formulate their business strategy into three generic strategies to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and long-term success. The three generic strategies are cost leadership, differentiation strategy, and focus strategy. 3.2.2 Cost Leadership The first generic strategies in business level strategy which are identified as Porters Five Forces is known as cost leadership strategy. Cost leadership is involving a firm being the lowest cost producer within the industry. This allows the firms to outperform rivals within the industry because it can be charged in lower prices. Although, the firm charge in lowest cost base, it stills can earn a profit. A dominant market share allows the firm to accumulate the greatest experience and the market share can continuing to grow to increase the cost advantages. A strategy of growth which enhance the accumulative experience and further lowers costs. A cost leadership strategy allows an organization to generate above-average profits even it is intensive rivalry. A low cost producer will be in a better position in relation to the threats of new entrants and or substitutes. Cost leadership risks can be expensive as the organisation continually updates the capital equipments. The activities of the cost leader maybe easy to imitate. 3.2.3 Differentiation Strategy Differentiation strategy is aimed at a broad market and involve the organisation competing on the basis of a unique or different product which is sufficiently valued by customers for them to pay a premium price. A major advantage of producing differentiated product is vitals will find it difficult to imitate. Besides, they also required different resources, capabilities, and organisational arrangements than cost leadership. There are some several types of differentiation strategy that are design or brand image, customizing products to suit the customers in specific requirements, state-of-the-act of technology, marketing ability, reliability, products engineering skills, and creativity. A differentiation strategy provides a defence against competitive rivalry because it creates brand loyalty which helps to protect an organisation from price competition. The brand loyalty is to be overcome by defence against new entry and substitutes. The buyers are constrained by a lack of alternatives and premium price are easier to pay back for suppliers. Differentiated strategy has inherent risks. The high or premium price charged for differentiation cannot be too expensive above the competitors that it results in reduced the brand loyalty. Competitors may narrow the attributes of differentiation which results in customers being faced a viable substitute. 3.2.4 Focus Strategy Focus strategy occurs when an organisation undertakes either a cost leadership or differentiation strategy but within only a narrow segment of the market. It also can be defined as market niche strategy, concentration on specific geographical market, isolating a unique segment product line, and isolating a specific buyer group. By focusing on a niche of the market, the organization must be placed to meet the buyers expectation. By focusing on the needs of specific segments that exist in the industry, the organisation can achieve competitive advantage either through lower costs or differentiation. The risk of following in focus strategies are the customer preferences may change and the niche player may be unable to respond, broad-based competitors believe the segment represents an attractive submarket and outfocus the focuser, and the difference between the segment and the main market narrows leaving focus-based competitors at a disadvantage. 3.3 Resource-Based Approach to Strategy Formulation The two fundamental reasons for making the resources and capabilities of the firm the foundation for its strategy are internal and capabilities provide the basic direction for a firms strategy. The resources and capabilities are the primary source of profit for the firm. Resources are the inputs into the production process while capability means the capacity to perform some task. Resources are the source of an organizations capability but capabilities are the main source of an organizations competitive advantage. The value of resources and capability of a business are sustainability and appropriability. Sustainability included durability, transparency, transferability, and replicability. 3.4 Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy means overall scope of the different industries and markets the organisation competes within in order to achieve the organisational goals. Corporate strategy decisions included investment in diversification, vertical integration, acquisitions, and new ventures; the allocation of resources between the different businesses of the firm, and divestments. 3.5 Growth Strategies Growth strategies have four strategies that an organization might follow that are market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. 3.5.1 Market Penetration Market Penetration is to increase market share in your existing markets using your existing products. This strategy relies upon the organization existing resources and capabilities and therefore is relatively low risk. 3.5.2 Market Development Market Development means entering new markets with your existing products. This can be targeted the new market segments and new geographical area, or devising the new uses for the products. 3.5.3 Product Development Product Development is developing the new products to sell in your existing markets. The ability to innovate is crucial in developing products for rapidly changing customer markets. 3.5.4 Diversification Diversification is developing new products to serve new markets. This will involve greatest level of risk it may be necessary where the organization existing products and markets offer little opportunity for growth. There are two diversification strategies such as related diversification and unrelated diversification. Related diversification refers entry into related industry which there is still some link with organizations value chain. It is included vertical integration and horizontal integration. Unrelated diversification refers to a situation where organisation moves into a totally unrelated industry. It can be called conglomerate diversification to reflect that managing a portfolio of companies. Thus resulting four core categories of strategy alternatives can be achieved internally through investment and development, or externally through mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances 3.6 Portfolio Analysis Portfolio analysis is simply different business units that organisation possess. The two primary models are the Boston Consulting Group Matrix and The General Electric-McKinsey Matrix.T he business portfolios overall uses is to determine whether the combined growth and profitability of the businesses in the portfolio will allow the company to attain its performance objectives. 3.7 Corporate Parenting Corporate parenting is concerned with how a parent company adds value across the businesses that make up the organisation. Corporate parent refers to all those levels of management that are not part of customer facing and profit run business units in multi-business companies. The concept of corporate parenting is useful in helping an organization to decide which new businesses it should be proceed on. It also helps parent company decide how to manage the business. 3.8 International Level Strategy International level strategy refers to the linkages between markets that exist across worldwide. What happens in one county has an impact on occurrences in other countries. These linkages may be economic, financial, social, political, in effect, anything that leads to increased interdependence among nations. These strategies have included four types of international strategy that are multidomestic strategy, global strategy, and transnational strategy. 3.8.1 Multidomestic Strategy Multidomestic strategy is aimed at adapting products and service in national markets. Thus, responding more effectively to the changes in local demand conditions. The local manager needs to determine how the products and services can meet the local customer expectations. 3.8.2 Global Strategy Global strategy is the organisation provides a standardised products and services for international markets. An organisation seeks to have their own manufacturing, marketing, and RD centralised in a few locations. A combination of standardisation with centralised facilities and functions enable them to reap substantial economies of scale. 3.8.3 Transnational Strategy Transnational strategy is seeks to simultaneously achieve global efficiency, national responsiveness, and worldwide leveraging capabilities of its innovations and learning.

Motion Picture Industry

Case Problem 2: The Motion Picture Industry This case provides the student with the opportunity to use numerical measures to continue the analysis of the motion picture industry data first presented in Chapter 2. Developing and interpreting descriptive statistics such as the mean, median, standard deviation and range are emphasized. Five-number summaries and the identification of outliers are also of interest. Interpretations and insights can vary. We illustrate some below. Descriptive Statistics Variable N Mean SE Mean StDev Range Opening Gross 100 9. 8 1. 89 18. 87 108. 43 Total Gross 100 33. 04 6. 32 63. 16 380. 15 Number of Theaters 100 1278 138 1379 3905 Weeks in Top 60 100 8. 680 0. 639 6. 390 26. 000 Variable MinimumQ1 Median Q3 Maximum Opening Gross 0. 0100 0. 0625 0. 395 12. 49 108. 44 Total Gross 0. 0300 0. 375 5. 854 47. 69 380. 18 Number of Theaters 5. 00 45. 3 410 2732 3910 Weeks in Top 60 1. 000 3. 000 7. 00 13. 000 27. 000 Interpretation Opening Weekend Gross Sales. Th e mean opening weekend gross sales is $9. 38 million. The five-number summary is . 01, . 0625, . 395, 12. 49 and 108. 44. Thus the opening weekend gross sales is highly variable and ranges from a low of $10,000 to a high of $108. 44 million. 50% of the motion pictures had an opening weekend gross sales of $395,000 or less, and 25% had a relatively low opening weekend gross sales of $62,500 or less. The top 25% of the motion pictures had an opening weekend gross sales of $12. 9 million or more. Total Gross Sales. The mean total gross sales is $33. 04 million. The five-number summary is . 03, . 375, 5. 854, 47. 69 and 380. 18. Thus the total gross sales is also highly variable and ranges from a low of $30,000 to a high of $380. 18 million. 50% of the motion pictures had a total gross sales of $5. 854 million or less, and 25% had a relatively low total gross sales of $375,000 or less. The top 25% of the motion pictures had total gross sales of $47. 69 million or more. Number of Theater s.The mean number of theaters for motion pictures is 1278 theaters. The five-number summary is 5, 45. 3, 410, 2732 and 3910. Thus the number of theaters for a motion picture is also highly variable and ranges from a low of 5 theaters to a high of 3910 theaters. 50% of the motion pictures were shown in 410 or fewer theaters. 25% of the motion pictures were shown in 45 or fewer theaters. The top 25% of the motion pictures were shown in 2732 or more theaters. Number of Weeks in Top 60. The mean number of weeks in the top 60 for motion pictures is 8. 8 weeks. The five-number summary is 1, 3, 7, 13 and 27. Thus the number of weeks in the top 60 is also highly variable and ranges from a low of 1 week to a high of 27 weeks. 50% of the motion pictures were on the top 60 list for 7 or fewer weeks. 25% of the motion pictures were on the top 60 list for 3 or fewer weeks. The top 25% of the motion pictures were on the top 60 list for 13 or more weeks. General Observations. The data show that th ere is a wide variation in the performance of motion pictures for the four variables being studied.Motion pictures range from the low gross sales movies shown in relatively few theaters to the highly successful motion pictures with hundreds of millions in gross sales and playing in almost 4000 theaters. The profiles of motion pictures using the means and medians are shown below. |Profile |Mean |Median | |Opening Weekend Gross Sales |$ 9. 38 million |$ . 395 million | |Total Gross Sales |$33. 04 million |$ 5. 54 million | |Number of Theaters |1278 |410 | |Number of Weeks in Top 60 |8. 68 |7 | The relatively few extremely high performance blockbuster motion pictures tend to inflate the mean in the above profile calculations. The profile based the median gives a better picture of the middle or more typical performance characteristics in the motion picture industry. Outliers We will use outliers to identify the highly successful blockbuster motion pictures in the data set.Using Q3 + 1. 5(IQR) to identify the levels required to qualify as a high performance outlier, we have the following. Opening Weekend Gross Sales Q3 + 1. 5(IQR) = 12. 49 + 1. 5(12. 49 – . 0625) = $31. 13 million Total Gross Sales Q3 + 1. 5(IQR) = 47. 69 + 1. 5(47. 69 – . 375) = $118. 66 million Number of Theaters Q3 + 1. 5(IQR) = 2732 + 1. 5(2732 – 45. 3) = 6762 theaters Number of Weeks on the Top 60 List Q3 + 1. 5(IQR) = 13 + 1. 5(13 – 3) = 28 weeks There are no outliers in terms of the number of theaters or the number of weeks on the top 60 list.There were motion pictures that were high on these two variables, but not high enough to be considered outliers. However, there were six motion pictures that out performed the other motion pictures in terms of reaching outlier levels in opening weekend gross sales and total gross sales. These motions pictures are considered the â€Å"blockbuster† motion pictures in the data set. To be in this category the motion pictur e had an opening weekend gross sales greater than $31. 13 million and a total gross sales greater than $118. 66 millions.The six blockbuster motion pictures in this category ranked by total gross sales are as follows: |Motion Picture |Opening Gross Sales |Total |Number of |Weeks in Top 60| | |($ millions) |Gross Sales |Theaters | | | | |($ millions) | | | |Star Wars: Episode III |108. 4 |380. 18 |3,663 |19 | |Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |102. 69 |287. 18 |3,858 |13 | |War of the Worlds | 77. 06 |234. 21 |3,910 |19 | |Wedding Crashers | 33. 90 |209. 22 |3,131 |23 | |Batman Begins | 48. 5 |205. 28 |3,858 |18 | |Mr. and Mrs. Smith | 50. 34 |186. 22 |3,451 |21 | Star Wars: Episode III was the top motion picture in terms of both opening weekend gross sales and total gross sales for 2005. War of the Worlds was shown in the most theaters 3910 and Wedding Crashers, at 23 weeks, was the motion picture in this group with the longest run in the top 60 list.

An Elephant Vanishes Essay

Explain the role of the kitchen in â€Å"Like Water For Chocolate† by Laura Esquivel and â€Å"The Elephant Vanishes† by Murakami. In Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, food and the kitchen is a means of expressing a range of human emotions. Like Water for Chocolate opens with its most important central setting, the kitchen. Onion-induced weeping quite literally sweeps the protagonist, Tita, into the world, as she is born in the kitchen, crying, amidst of flood of her mother’s tears. Her mother, Mama Elena, is unable to produce milk (due to shock at the recent death of her husband) and Mama Elena gives Tita almost immediately to the house cook, Nacha, who rears the child in the kitchen. Surrounded by the colours, smells, and routines of Nacha’s kitchen, Tita grows up understanding the world in terms of food. She enjoys her isolation in the domain of the kitchen. â€Å"Thanks to her unusual birth, Tita felt a deep love for the kitchen where she spent most of her life from the day she was born† page 10, paragraph two. The story of Tita’s entry into the world marks the first fantastical image of Like Water for Chocolate, initiating the reader into the novel’s magical realism and illustrating the intensity and improbability that characterise the events of the story. The image of Tita flowing into the world in a flood of tears prefigures the sadness and longing that will pervade her life. After Tita’s birth, the flood of tears dries to leave ten pounds of salt to be collected and used for cooking. The practical attitude with which the characters greet this surreal happening helps to establish the supernatural as an accepted part of the characters’ lives. â€Å"Nacha swept aside the residue the tears had left on the red stone floor, There was enough salt to fill a ten-pound-sack- it was used for cooking and lasted a long time† page 10, paragraph two. Outside the kitchen, Tita follows the demanding regime that Mama Elena sets for her daughters. Life is full of cooking, cleaning, sewing, and prayer. This routine is interrupted one day by Tita’s timid announcement that a suitor, Pedro Muzquiz, would like to pay her a visit. Mama Elena greets this announcement with indignation, invoking the De La Garza family tradition that the youngest daughter is to remain unmarried so that she can care for the matriarch in the matriarch’s old age. Tita is dismayed by this rigid tradition. Outwardly, she submits to Mama Elena’s wishes, but privately she questions the family tradition and maintains her feelings for Pedro. â€Å" you don’t have an opinion Tita and thats all I want to hear about it. For generations, not a single in my family has ever questioned this tradition and no daughter of mine is going to be the one to start† page 15, paragraph 3 This cold hearted appraoch to Titas yearning for marriage is what makes Tita retreat into the safe realm of the ktichen, I think the reason why magic realism was applied to food is because of how universal it is. Whereas music and art only apply to some of us, food is in all of our lives. Since magic realism is all about mixing the magic with what’s real, food is the ideal choice. We’ve all heard of metaphors exaggerating the taste of food, but Laura Esquivel’s descriptions of the effects of food are much more elaborate. It’s so descriptive that sometimes we doubt our ideals of what’s real by reading the effects of the recipes. By using food as the medium the author was able to smoothly meld together the magical and real aspects of each chapter. Her isolated childhood in the kitchen gives Tita an outlook on life different from that of her sisters, Gertrudis and Rosaura, and she comes to develop different ideals for herself as she matures. As a young woman, Tita rebels against the family tradition that confines her to a life without love. Her insistent questioning (even though she does not petition Mama Elena directly) of her lot in life can be identified as one of the feminist impulses in the novel. This refusal to accept an assigned and undesirable social role marks the beginning of Tita’s path to self-assertion and freedom. Her love for the kitchen and cooking is a rebelious action against her mother, her realm of the kitchen is the only thing that her mother can not control or do, the kitchen is what keeps her sane from the depressing sitution on the other side of the door. it wasn’t easy for a person whose knowledge of life was based on the kitchen to comprehend the outside world. That world was an endless expanse that began atthe door between the kitchen and the rest of the house, whereas everything on the kitchen side of that door, on through the door leading to the patio and the kitchen and herb gardens was completely hers-it was Tita’s realm. † This quotes proves my point above, the kitchen door acts as a safe guard to the oppressive realm of her mother’s. In an Elephant vanishes one of the major themes of the story is the idea of things being out of balance. This theme is introduced when the narrator tells the editor about the importance of unity in kitchen design, as he states, â€Å"Even the most beautifully designed item dies if it is out of balance with its surroundings. † The narrator later emphasizes the importance of balance between a creature and its environment when he talks about witnessing the change in the elephant’s size in relation to the keeper’s size. He states that the balance in size between the two has become more equal, because the elephant has shrunk or the keeper has gotten bigger, or both. Following the disappearance of the elephant and the keeper, the narrator again expresses the idea that â€Å"things around me have lost their proper balance. † He is no longer able to take action on his own behalf, as he is haunted by this sense that the urban world is out of balance, and he feels that a kind of natural balance has broken down inside him. The imbalance between Tita’s kitchen and outside the kitchen can relate to the elephant vanishes. Tita fells safe in the kitchen and at peace with the â€Å"old† kitchen keeps her in balance. Related to the theme of imbalance is the difference between appearances and reality. The narrator points out that the article covering the story of the elephant’s disappearance is strange, because the reporter tries so hard to maintain that the elephant escaped, when the facts indicate that the elephant had to have almost magically vanished. The characters in the story try to maintain an appearance of normality in the face of an event that defies logic, leading to pointless acts that do not address the nature of the situation. The discrepancy between reality and appearances also arises in the narrator’s job as he basically just goes through the motions, trying to maintain a professional, pragmatic approach although he does not personally believe that a kitchen has to have unity or any of the other maxims his company invokes to sell its products. The narrator finds that he cannot reconcile the differences between appearances and reality, and as he questions his own perceptions, he experiences a sense of disorientation and confusion. Throughout the story, Murakami subtly reveals how the vanishing of the old ways leaves people feeling disoriented and how the new ways of being create a sense of disconnection and unease. This can be said about Mama in â€Å" Like water for chocolate† as she is does not like the idea of Tita marrying . She is scared of modern society perhaps, and is insecure about her future. Mamas death The narrator, for example, performs his job as a public relations executive successfully by espousing the commercial viewpoint that â€Å"things you can’t sell don’t count for much. Because in truth he does not necessarily believe this statement, saying it and operating from this pragmatic mode seem to confound the narrator, confusing him about his purpose in life. Like other Murakami characters, he is also a loner, a single person, living alone with no apparent ties to family or friends also this can be said to Mama Elena, she has distanced herself from her loved ones through t he death of her grand child and of the cruelty committed to Tita . The narrator watches the elephant and the keeper and marvels at their closeness, their special bond. In the wake of the elephant’s disappearance, the narrator feels despondent, more isolated and alone than ever. As is Tita at the end of the novel after Pedro dies. â€Å" Now it would never again be possible to see that light, because she could no longer feel anything. She would but wander through the shadows for eternity, alone, all alone. †

Using “Caer,” the Spanish Verb for Falling

The Spanish verb caer usually carries the idea of to fall and can be used in a variety of situations. While many of its uses can be translated using the English verb fall, a few cannot. Using Caer for ‘To Fall’ and ‘To Fall Over’ Here are some examples of everyday usage where caer is straightforwardly used for to fall or to fall over: El avià ³n cayà ³ en el ocà ©ano. (The plane fell into the ocean.)Si del cielo te caen limones, aprende a hacer limonada. (If lemons fall to you from the sky, learn to make lemonade.)Los barcos cayeron por las cataratas del Nià ¡gara. (The boats dropped over Niagara Falls.)El joven sufrià ³ un grave accidente al caer desde el tejado de la fà ¡brica. (The youth had a serious accident when he fell from the factorys roof.)El coche cayà ³ por el barranco por causas que se desconocen. (The car fell over the cliff for unknown reasons.)El tanque se cayà ³ de un puente. (The tank fell off a bridge.) The same meaning can be applied figuratively: Exportaciones colombianas cayeron en 18,7 por ciento. (Colombian exports fell 18.7 percent.)El turismo en Bolivia cayà ³ por la gripe. (Bolivian tourism declined because of the flu.) Caer can also be used when speaking of weather: Las lluvias fuertes y prolongadas cayeron sobre Cuenca. (The strong and long-lasting rains fell on  Cuenca.)La extraordinaria belleza de la nieve que caà ­a le provocaba mà ¡s alegrà ­a. (The extraordinary beauty of the snow that fell made him more joyful.)Rompiendo un record, la temperatura cayà ³ 43 grados en tan solo una semana. (Breaking a record, the temperature fell 43 degrees in only a week.)   Depending on the context, a synonym for fall can provide a better translation: Algunas estructuras cayeron tras el fuerte sismo de esta madrugada. (Some structures collapsed after the strong earthquake this morning.)El mercado de valores cayà ³ debido a una combinacià ³n de pà ¡nico y venta programada. (The stock market collapsed due to a combination of panic and programmed selling.)La nià ±a se cayà ³ en el hielo. (The girl slipped on the ice.) Using Caer for ‘To Succumb’ Caer is frequently used to indicate the idea of succumbing or being overtaken by a force of some sort, or to fall into an error. The translation can vary with the context. La cantante confesà ³ que cayà ³ en la anorexia y la bulimia. (The singer admitted that she sank into anorexia and bulimia.)Caà ­ en la tentacià ³n de ser infiel. (I succumbed to the temptation of being unfaithful.)El hombre cayà ³ en la trampa del FBI. (The man fell into the FBIs trap.)No caigas en el error de prometer lo que no puedes conseguir. (Dont make the mistake of making promises you cannot keep.)Parà ­s cayà ³ bajo los tanques nazis. (Paris fell to the Nazi tanks.)Tras padecer un cà ¡ncer, caà ­ en depresià ³n. (After suffering from cancer, I fell into depression.) Using Caer With Dates Caer can be used to mean that something falls on a particular date. It is used mostly commonly with days of the week. Este aà ±o mi cumpleaà ±os cae en jueves. (This year my birthday falls on a Thursday.)Si el dà ­a 30 de abril cae en domingo la fiesta se traslada al dà ­a 29. (If April 30th falls on a Sunday, the festival is moved to the 29th.) Using Caer To Indicate Compatibility Caer can be used with an indirect-object pronoun to suggest the idea of to get along with or to be OK with. The translation varies with context; often, a translation of to like or dislike will do. Me caen bien tus amigos. (I like your friends. Or, I get along with your friends.)Esto no va a caer muy bien a los otros equipos. (The other teams arent going to be pleased with this.)No me cayà ³ bien la decisià ³n. (I didnt like the decision. Or, the decision wasnt fine with me.)Ese desodorante le cae mal a mi piel. (That deodorant bothers my skin.) ¿Que profesores te caà ­an mejor? (Which teachers did you like best?)Me cayà ³ mal la comida. (The meal disagreed with me.) Conjugation of Caer Caer is conjugated irregularly. Irregular forms are shown in boldface below. Translations given are those most commonly used. Gerund:: cayendo (falling) Past participle: caà ­do (fallen) Present indicative:  caigo, tà º caes, el/ella/usted cae, nosotros/nosotras caemos, vosotros/vosotras caà ©is, ellos/ellas/ustedes caen (I fall, you fall, he/she falls, etc.) Preterite: yo caà ­, tà º caà ­ste, el/ella/usted cayà ³, nosotros/nosotras caà ­mos, vosotros/vosotras caà ­steis, ellos/ellas/ustedes cayeron (I fell, you fell, etc.) Present subjunctive: que caiga, que tà º caigas, que el/ella/usted caiga, que nosotros/nosotras caigamos, que vosotros/vosotras cagà ¡is, que ellos/ellas/ustedes caigan (that I fall, that you fall, etc.) Imperfect subjunctive: que yo cayera/cayese, que tà º cayeras/cayeses, que el/ella/usted cayera/cayese, que nosotros/nosotras cayà ©ramos/cayà ©semos, que vosotros/vosotras cayerais/cayeseis, que ellos/ellas/ustedes cayeran/cayesen (that I fell, that you fell, etc.) Affirmative imperative: cae tà º, caiga usted, caigamos nosotros, caed vosotros/vosotras, caigan ustedes (you fall, you fall, let us fall, etc.) Negative imperative: no caigas tà º, no caiga usted, no caigamos nosotros/nosotras, no cagà ¡is vosotros/vosotras, no caigan ustedes (dont you fall, dont you fall, let us fall, etc.) Using the Past Participle of Caer as a Noun When used as a noun, the past participle of caer has several specific uses: Caà ­do or caà ­da can refer to someone who has died for a cause, especially in combat: Tengo mucho respeto para los veteranos por su valor militar y para todos los caà ­dos de la guerra. (I have much respect for vererans for their military valor and for all the wars fallen.)Caà ­da can refer to the dropping or falling of something: La caà ­da de piedras en la carretera causà ³ su cierre en ambos sentidos. (The rockfall on the highway caused its closure in both directions.)Caà ­da can similarly refer to a loss in value, such as a price drop: El Banco Central anuncià ³ la inyeccià ³n de 4.000 millones de dà ³lares para frenar caà ­da del peso. (The Central Bank announced the injection of $4 billion dollars to stop the pesos slide.) Key Takeaways Caer is a common Spanish verb that is usually the equivalent of to fall in its major uses.Depending on the context, caer or the noun form caà ­do can also be used to refer dying or those who have died, respectively.Caer is highly irregular in its conjugation.