Aside from the latest problems to plague Swarovski; namely misguided direction from the very top levels of CGB management, a misunderstanding of employment law from recently appointed foreign VPs, and general product quality and pricing issues, Swarovski has always valued appearances more than it should. Quality of work was second (or even lower) to alliances and internal power struggles and "getting in trouble" for your work and decisions was the norm. In short, it is a very difficult workplace to navigate politically, even if you are skilled in your area of work. Globally, the company lags the proper technology to run an effective retail business in the 21st century and the company has not adapted its product offering to the modern jewelry needs of consumers. These two things will probably doom the company to a continued decline in sales.