Assignment Question
This assignment is counted as 30% of your final weighted mark for the class. The assignment task is to produce a research project proposal using qualitative research methods. Your proposal must cover the following areas (the weightings indicated are to give you some idea of how much we expect you to cover against these different criteria):
1) A context or background to the topic and selected issues. This should explain what the project is about and provide a justification for your choice. Why do
you want to carry out research in this topic area and why is it an important topic to look at? (10%).
2) Objectives or key research questions within the topic. These should set some parameters or boundary to your research. What are you trying to achieve or
find out through your investigation? It is important to set boundaries so that your proposal has an appropriate level of focus and is viable. (15%)
3) Relevant literatures and sources of information. This should not simply be a list of sources or readings but an indication of key authors and studies in the
area: you should evaluate the sources and give some justification for your topic selection. This should include critical appraisal of at least 4 relevant
academic journal articles that you have read (20%)
4) Correct Referencing: Both Citation and References should be in Harvard Format. (10%)
5) Research philosophy, Research Design and Methods you intend to use in order to gather the information and/or generate data or results for investigating the topic and answer your research objectives. You must outline and justify your
choice of methods. For instance, if you plan to survey some subjects as part of your research explain how you will select these and how your sampling and
methods help meet your research objectives. If you plan to model secondary data, explain the selection of data and plans for modelling (40%)
6) Timetable and plan of the main phases of the project over the allocated period of time, which you should assume will be up to 6 months, and an indication of the resource requirements. Remember you are the principal resource! Identify the critical stages of your plan taking into account the time it might take to complete different phases. (5%)
Further points:
• The proposal should cover the research which is related to China, Japan, Korea or MENA region
• The proposal should be relevant to the courses related to the international management degree. You can also address economics, organisational, or
development studies.
• Use the output from each session to build up your proposal.
• You should not only explain why you have chosen your method (for example, merely choosing Qualitative isn’t sufficient) but also how you select what and who to research.
• The proposal should be around up to 3,000 words long.
• Normal warnings on Plagiarism apply!
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INGLOTs micro and macro Environmental Factors facilitating Competitive Advantage.
Order Instructions:
INGLOT, during search I found that you already have term paper on INGLOT, like below question
1. Outline firm-level (micro) and country-level (macro) factors contributing to the development of INGLOT’s competitive advantages and discuss their sustainability.
2. Develop INGLOT’s strategic plan for the next five years with a concrete outline of recommended geographical expansion, business model evolution and product diversification.
Internal and external environmental factors are very important for an organization which needs to explore new markets and facilitate growth. This project looks at the case of INGLOT, and analyses how it can enhance its growth as a result by strategically planning and looking at its environmental factors that have so far given it its current competitive advantage. In the micro environmental factors, suppliers, customers, and consumers are considered. These are the major contributors to its competitive success so far. Economically, INGLOT has also been at an advantage because it is financially stable, a factor which many companies have been longing for. There is a sample five year strategic plan for INGLOT, which will be effective in ensuring that its goals are met.
Introduction
The competitive advantage of a company is usually supported by many factors available in its internal and external environment. Some companies are blessed with some features that are not present in others. If these factors are used effectively, the company will be in a better position to be at an advantage. INGLOT, from the case study, is one company that has had the opportunity of being at an advantage better than its competitors. Unfortunately, this competition is very stiff, and to ensure that it is not overthrown from its position in the market, INGLOT will have to adopt a few changes by engaging in geographical expansion, evolving its business model, and diversifying its products. These are some of the measures, which will ensure that INGLOT’s competitive advantage is maintained or improved, but not any other way. Therefore, this paper champions the thesis that geographical expansion, business model evolution and product diversification are major players in enhancing a company’s competitive advantage.
Micro and Macro Environmental Factors facilitating Competitive Advantage
Micro Environmental factors
The micro environment of a company is represented by the suppliers, customers, employees as well as the competitors. These are the factors which can have an effect on the performance of a business. INGLOT is a company which managed to greatly benefit from such factors as their competitive advantage was increased due to their presence. The company’s cosmetic products were in high demand, as a result of this great presence of customers; the company had a better competitive advantage since it could chose to either extend its presence in one of the over 40 countries, or penetrate a new market anywhere in the globe (Fox 2010). This micro factor presents an opportunity for better competitive advantage since it provides many opportunities for the company to increase its profit margin. When there is a very high product demand, the company may decide to increase prices and act as the price setters since it is already clear that the loyalty of consumers is achieved. This advantage it has over its competitors makes it difficult for the latter to price their products higher than that of INGLOT (Ming-Jer, Kuo-hsien & Wenpin 2007, p. 104).
The company has managed to appear as one of the best in producing quality and most innovative cosmetics. This factor has resulted to a high number of suppliers who want to be associated with INGLOT. Suppliers will want to become partners with a company which is performing at its peak as this will also mean a high profit margin on their part. If a product is in high demand and is among the top in the industry, the suppliers see a great opportunity for high sales with bigger returns (Fox 2010). This high number of suppliers who wish to be partners of INGLOT has also enhanced the company’s competitive advantage since it has the chance of having more than enough suppliers, most of the other companies struggle to find suppliers who are willing to take their products to the consumers. The availability of many suppliers gives INGLOT an opportunity of choosing from the best performers, so that it can be guaranteed that the products will sell and not just be stored (Matwiejczuk 2013, p. 268). From all the applications received from suppliers who want to be franchisers for INGLOT, approximately 95% are declined. Unsuitable experience is one of the many reasons why suppliers are turned down (p.1). New stores whose owners are not experienced in the industry may not perform so well since it takes time for them to catch up with issues such as effective decision making and marketing strategies.
INGLOT requires a distributor who will also take extra steps to market the cosmetic products so that the consumers will increase. INGLOT is a global business whose products are distributed far and wide. Some new markets may not be well familiar with the products, which is why the supplier needs to have the necessary skills to facilitate effective marketing so that the sales are increased (Mizuki 2014, p. 78). Underfinanced business plan also contributes to an application of franchising being declined. It is worth ensuring that the supplier has financial security as this is what will guarantee that they can deliver as expected. It can be frustrating to realize that the supplier who a company relied on has gone out of business for financial reasons. This is a major setback as the company will have failed its consumers by not providing the products needed. Some suppliers are declined because the position of their stores is not appropriate. Products need to be within easy reach for consumers so that they can be displayed as well. INGLOT also gained its competitive advantage as a result of the media. INGLOT never paid so much attention to media advertising as this was considered expensive and ineffective. Fortunately, the products of this company still became famous and were positively discussed over many forms of media.
The competitors also contributed to its competitive advantage through various ways. In this industry, the customer segment is characterized by a desire to acquire high quality products at affordable prices. There were many innovations which were facilitated by the introduction of novel products which ensured skin comfort, unlike the previous products. Hence, product differentiation is very important for a company to get a competitive advantage over the others. A factor that puts INGLOT at an advantage is that it knows of all competitor activities. By knowing what the competitor is planning, how it plans to react to certain changes in the environment, and some of the challenges it faces, INGLOT will always be a step ahead.
Macro Environmental Factors
As an international business, INGLOT is also faced with various political macro environmental factors. Fortunately, despite all these factors, INGLOT still manages to be at the top since it has many stores all over the world. The taxes charged for the distribution of these products to other parts of the world will therefore be recovered through a sale of products at a profit (Henrekson, Johansson & Stenkula 2010, p. 278). Not all countries have similar policies, therefore, it may be expensive to distribute in one country, and very cheap in another. This is a step which INGLOT has chosen to take so as to benefit from all angles. This company has always financed its growth from internal cash flow only. Therefore, it does not depend on stakeholders to any extent. This is also a benefit which improves its competitive advantage since most of the competitors depend on stakeholders for financial support. This is a proof that this company is financially stable and can therefore deal with economical challenges effectively (Şeitan 2014, p. 77). This stability is very important for any company which wishes to grow and prosper. This is why, whenever INGLOT wants to open up a new store or simply grow its product base, nothing financial will stand in the way.
INGLOT Five Year Strategic Plan (2014-2018)
Executive Summary
INGLOT is a cosmetic company which was started in communist Poland back in the 1980s by a young chemist, Wojciech Inglot. At this time, the vision of this young chemist was to offer consumers a range of affordable cosmetics prepared from the highest quality ingredients. This factor was completely absent in Poland even after years of centralized socialist planning. Today, after many years of operations and supplying quality cosmetic products, this company still finds the need to try and make various changes here and there. There are three major factors which are required: geographical expansion, business model evolution and product diversification.
Mission Statement
To always be the leader in the production and distribution of highest quality yet affordable cosmetic product all round the globe.
Vision Statement
Within the next five years, this organization intends to become one of the most treasured innovative leaders in the industry, creating dynamic partnerships that will enhance the growth of beauty in vibrant communities.
The mission and vision statements were created along with the participation of company staff and stakeholders as well. A factor which was unexpected was how overwhelming the response was. Generally, the mission statement translates to mean that when INGLOT achieves the highest rank in the industry, the position will be maintained at all costs. The products provided must always be of high quality and still be made affordable to all different communities in the world. Not all countries are of the same social status, hence when offered the products with the same level of expense, it may not work. The vision statement, on the other hand, is a look at how INGLOT hopes its future will turn out to be. This company hopes to be the best when it comes to innovation. It hopes to be the producer of new yet comfortable products for consumers. With the help of dynamic partnerships, the company will be in a better position to offer the products directly to the consumers.
Values
These are the company principles that are meant to govern staff behavior and how business is conducted. The authority of INGLOT is expected, in the next five years, to demonstrate the following values, internally and externally in equal measure.
Customer focused: Products must always be delivered to the customers on time. Employees are required to treat each other, as well as each and every customer with respect. If a customer presents a customized idea which may seem off, the employee is expected to politely offer suggestions without ruining the company’s reputation.
Integrity: All the activities of INGLOT must be ethical, trustworthy, and honest. There must be a clear indication on each cosmetic product and the type of customer it suits. This may be in terms of skin color, skin texture, and other similar factors. The ingredients used in the production of the cosmetics must also be honestly indicated in the packaging so that the consumer will be aware of what is present in the content.
Initiative: The Company must always be willing to take risks. For example, expanding stores by entering into a new market is a good example. It may be unclear of the performance but if there is potential, then a risk needs to be taken. In every organization, problems are bound to occur. This company will always address such issues by dialogue and coming up with solutions.
Teamwork: Collaborations will have no restrictions, and can therefore be internal and external. Strategic partnerships and relationships will be encouraged as these will eventually benefit INGLOT.
SWOT Analysis
To be able to plan for the future effectively, this company must also acknowledge its strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
The first point is how the company depends on its internal cash flow to grow and develop. Financial stability is efficient and advised for any company. The current economic conditions affect almost all companies, and the few who have the chance to become stable must treasure the factor (Şeitan 2014, p. 78). The recession has really affected many countries; hence many are still struggling with it. INGLOT, on the other hand, benefits since it can easily access adequate resources to run its business operations. For example, inventory needs to be maintained so as to ensure a timely supply of the required goods. A company which is not stable, but instead relies on stakeholder support cannot do so become it is not clear when the finance will be available. Business requires sufficient funds to make payments to their employees and managers. Without enough payments, employees will feel underappreciated and thus the company will have trouble maintaining its skilled human resource. Without employees, the performance of a company is also affected, and this may lead to great losses.
Another strength of this company is its differentiated products which are also in high demand. When a product is in high demand, it is clear that it will definitely be appealing to consumers since they are the ones who need it. A high product demand gives the company a better opportunity to charge fairly higher prices without affecting its customer base. This increases the overall profit margin which will be beneficial for the company. INGLOT has already expanded its operations to the international level. This is also another reason why it has a better opportunity than other companies. By going international, it means that the company will be dealing with more customers than in the usual country level. Hence, there will be more sales which will ensure a faster return for the products.
Weaknesses
Weakness for this company is that is that it does not pay much attention to traditional methods of advertising. Advertising is a marketing strategy which has proved effective for many companies. This is because it continues to inform the public of the product along with its benefit which is unique to what other companies have to offer. Not investing in such an option is really affecting the performance of INGLOT because the numbers of people who know about it are not as much as it should be if advertising is used.
Opportunities
This company enjoys opportunities presenting themselves daily. With the availability of a large customer base, this company enjoys an opportunity for growth in any country it prefers. Along with the presence of financial stability, this company has a better chance of actually exploring these new opportunities in the unexplored markets. Many regions around the world have not yet been exposed to these products. Since they are of high quality but are offered at cheap prices, chances are high that it will prosper. Therefore, there is a better opportunity for INGLOT to continue its growth and cover all of Europe. Africa also has a lot of growth opportunities. INGLOT is already established in countries such as South Africa and Libya.
Threats
One of the threats of this company is the presence of taxes, which may be required during the process of distributing its products to other countries. Then again, not all policies are similar in the countries. Certain types of products may be very expensive compared to others. Such a difference in product taxation can pose a great danger to the profit margin of this company especially because policies change from time to time.
Goals
The goals of this organization are numerous; however, the major ones within the next five years are three. One, INGLOT hopes to have achieved a geographical expansion by around 50% of the untouched regions. A properly managed geographical expansion ensures that a company reduces costs, gains a better access to new untapped markets, gains a better position in acquiring required talents, and fuels a company’s growth (Etgar & Rachman-Moore 2010, p. 8). This is why INGLOT will strictly follow this plan. The scenario will be assessed to ensure that all factors are clear. Not all scenes, which present an opportunity for the business, will be successful. To ensure that the project does not fail halfway, it is better to first look at various important factors, which will affect the company products. If everything seems to be under control in the chosen destination, then the project can now take place.
Second, INGLOT hopes that its current business model will have evolved into something that is more sophisticated and effective. Although the current business model is profitable, it is still important for it to evolve so that its profitability is maintained. During this evolution, a business can easily fail if it was not well prepared. There are three reasons, which may cause a business model to evolve, including technology disruptions, commoditization, and competition (Nisa & Ravichandran 2013, p. 94). Competition is the major player and contributor to the other two reasons. When competition is very stiff, a company finds an urge to evolve so that it is always at the top of its competitors. This is why INGLOT wants to evolve. Therefore, the first step for this evolution may be by enhancing product differentiation. Although this is already effective, it needs to be taken to the next level by ensuring a diversification of all available products (Hutzschenreuter & Horstkotte 2013, p. 710). Thus, consumers who have unique desires will frequently find what they need. Another way is by creating room for a start of the creation of new kinds of products which are not yet handled by the company. There is a very wide range of cosmetic products which can also sell better when associated with the other products of INGLOT (Makadok & Ross 2013, p. 510).
Conclusion
With the help of the strategic plan, INGLOT will be better prepared to act accordingly so as to ensure that the focus is not lost. A SWOT analysis is also important because it ensures that the company is aware of the factors making it be at the top, and those which are threatening that position. The operations of a business need to be in line with its mission and vision statement
References
Etgar, M, & Rachman-Moore, D 2010, ‘Geographical Expansion by International Retailers: A Study of Proximate Markets and Global Expansion Strategies’, Journal Of Global Marketing, 23, 1, pp. 5-15.
Fox, JJ 2010, How To Be A Fierce Competitor : What Winning Companies And Great Managers Do In Tough Times, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, eBook Collection.
Henrekson, M, Johansson, D, & Stenkula, M 2010, ‘Taxation, Labor Market Policy and High-Impact Entrepreneurship’, Journal Of Industry, Competition & Trade, 10, 3/4, pp. 275-296.
Hutzschenreuter, T, & Horstkotte, J 2013, ‘Performance effects of top management team demographic faultlines in the process of product diversification’, Strategic Management Journal, 34, 6, pp. 704-726.
Makadok, R, & Ross, D 2013, ‘Taking industry structuring seriously: A strategic perspective on product differentiation Taking industry structuring seriously: A strategic perspective on product differentiation’, Strategic Management Journal, 34, 5, pp. 509-532.
Matwiejczuk, R 2013, ‘Logistics Potentials in Business Competitive Advantage Creation’, Logforum, 9, 4, pp. 265-275.
Ming-Jer, C, Kuo-hsien, S, & Wenpin, T 2007, ‘Competitive Tension: The Awareness-Motivation-Capability Perspective’, Academy Of Management Journal, 50, 1, pp. 101-118.
Mizuki, K 2014, ‘Relational View: Four Prerequisites of Competitive Advantage’, Annals Of Business Administrative Science, 13, 2, pp. 77-90.
Nisa, S, & Ravichandran, N 2013, ‘Business Model: Concept and Evolution’, Amity Global Business Review, 8, pp. 92-98.
You are going to write up a case study for a company that uses technology in the workforce. An internet/library search will give you a good idea about companies that have case studies on technology. In terms of the selection of the company, you could use one that is listed throughout the textbook or one from any of the articles you have read. No one is to do Apple, Iphone, Dell, Nike as everyone likes to do them, you will all be competing with each other. Try to choose a company that no one else will think to do.
When writing a case study analysis, you must first have a good understanding of the case study. Before you begin the steps below, read the case carefully, taking notes all the while. It may be necessary to read the case several times to fully grasp the issues facing the company or industry.
Once you are comfortable with the information, begin the step-by-step instructions offered below to write a case study analysis.
Here’s How:
Investigate and Analyze the Company’s History and Growth. A company’s past can greatly affect the present and future state of the organization. To begin your case study analysis, investigate the company’s founding, critical incidents, structure, and growth.
Identify Strengths and Weaknesses Within the Company. Using the information you gathered in step one, continue your case study analysis by examining and making a list of the value creation functions of the company. For example, the company may be weak in product development, but strong in marketing.
Gather Information on the External Environment. The third step in a case study analysis involves identifying opportunities and threats within the company’s external environment. Special items to note include competition within the industry, bargaining powers, and the threat of substitute products.
Analyze Your Findings. Using the information in steps two and three, you will need to create an evaluation for this portion of your case study analysis. Compare the strengths and weaknesses within the company to the external threats and opportunities. Determine if the company is in a strong competitive position and decide if it can continue at its current pace successfully.
Identify Corporate Level Strategy. To identify a company’s corporate level strategy for your case study analysis, you will need to identify and evaluate the company’s mission, goals, and corporate strategy. Analyze the company’s line of business and its subsidiaries and acquisitions. You will also want to debate the pros and cons of the company strategy.
Identify Business Level Strategy. Thus far, your case study analysis has identified the company’s corporate level strategy. To perform a complete analysis, you will need to identify the company’s business level strategy. (Note: if it is a single business, the corporate strategy and the business level strategy will be the same.) For this part of the case study analysis, you should identify and analyze each company’s competitive strategy, marketing strategy, costs, and general focus.
Analyze Implementations. This portion of the case study analysis requires that you identify and analyze the structure and control systems that the company is using to implement its business strategies. Evaluate organizational change, levels of hierarchy, employee rewards, conflicts, and other issues that are important to the company you are analyzing.
Make Recommendations. The final part of your case study analysis should include your recommendations for the company. Every recommendation you make should be based on and supported by the context of your case study analysis.
SAMPLE ANSWER
SUN Microsystems Case Study 2
Background
The company was founded following the conception of a workstation based on UNIX by Andy Batchtolsheim, a Palo Alto graduate student, which he dubbed “68000 Unix System” in a project of networking named Stanford University Network. In the month of February, 1982, his colleagues, Vinod, Bill and Scott inaugurated the SUN Microsystems company from the initials of Stanford University network. In 1992, SUN introduced the world’s leading multiprocessing desktop computer, the SPARC station 10 system, which was the first in the competition of desktop performance. That very year saw them ship the most multiprocessing UNIX any other vendor ever did in history.
The other key products of the company include Sparc microprocessors, Solaris operating system, the famous java technology as well as the Jini technology that enabled any kind of device to connect to the network in the form of plug and play. The company also enjoyed revenues going up to 1.3 billion dollars from server sales in 1996, and topped in the 1998 quarterly sales by 16 billion in the technology frenzied internet boom (Afua & Tucci, 2013).
Competitive and Industrial Analysis
In the analysis of the company, Porter’s Five Forces and SWOT analyses will be very effective to help bring out the various factors that the company is currently facing. By design, Porter’s Five Forces Analysis helps in carrying out the assessment of the external environmental effects that an industry will have on any firm towards serving of customers and profit making. On the other hand, SWOT analysis is a tool that has the potential of analysing both the internal and external forces that may affect the company, in this case, the SUN Microsystems and the computer industry. Both may be used in a combination to analyse the current state of the company as well as come up with the most appropriate move for it to achieve the competitive advantage over its respective rivals (Burrows, 2010).
SWOT Analysis of the Firm
This analysis will help in establishing the current position of the firm in the computer industry as well as the internal as well as the external forces that hits it (Sun Microsystems 2009 Annual Report, 2009).
Strengths
The firm has the most stable server platform even than that of Microsoft.
The company has been able to establish a research and development division, which helps it keep up with the constantly changing and advancing technology.
It has forged several corporate alliances with other companies such as Advanced Microsystem Devices Inc. (AMD).
Its service revenues are constantly increasing, thus, increasing its bargaining power and the ability to expand and capture new markets.
Weaknesses
The end products and services of the company tend to be comparatively expensive, hence, locking out some of the potential customers.
The company has a major weakness on their product marketing platforms as they mainly use the internet (their web site), which is quite selective as only the users of the internet may be able to access their new product adverts.
It had a period of negative revenue from the period between 2001 and 2005.
Opportunities
The company has the potential of furthering the Java open source.
It has the advantage of the new CEO, with the new management and marketing strategies.
It has the ability to outsource internationally, hence, widening its market scope.
Threats
It faces competition from Linux, which is more open.
Microsoft Windows poses a major threat to the company as it offers much more capabilities than the firm’s OS products.
The UNIX server can be made by the company’s competitors
The PC Research and Development currently being carried out by IBM poses a very great challenge to the company.
Porter’s Five Forces
This tool takes into account five different forces in the determination of the strengths and weaknesses of a firm: substitutes, rivalry, threat of new entrants, suppliers and customers. Porter shows that through the analysis of the attractiveness of the company with respect to the forces, it is possible to come up with strategies that give it competitive advantage over its rivals. For Sun Microsystems, the following analysis may be established (Afua & Tucci, 2013).
Substitutes
There is a very strong threat posed by substitutes based on the grounds that there is constant evolution in the computer industry. To help counter this challenge, the company has greatly invested in the Research and Development, which ensures constant innovation. In the year 2006, the company invested as much as $2 billion.
Rivalry
The industry in which the company is has gained very tremendous competition over the recent past with the technological advancement and the numerous firms that have risen and produce the sane products. The company is facing competition from the top companies manufacturing servers such as, IBM with about 31% of the market share, Dell with 10.5% share and HP with 29.6% share (IDC, 2009).
Threat of new entrants
The industry has a relatively good barrier advantage to the new entrants based on the grounds of the obstacles involved: the costs involved in starting a business and brand loyalty. Most clients tend to stick to particular brand names and convincing them to try out new products tend to be very futile. As such, the chances of facing threats from new emergencies are very minimal in the industry (IDC, 2009).
Suppliers
The company’s supplier base is very unbalances since the company is trying to diversify on its suppliers and the needed supplies. For instance, there is high supplier power in the computer chip market since there only two dominant manufacturers of CPU. In 2003, for instance, AMD got into an alliance with Sun Microsystems whereby it was to use Opteron of AMD in its servers (King, 2008).
Customers
The customer power of the firm is currently very weak as a result of constant cost fluctuation, complications in the switching of software and hardware platforms, software and hardware needs as well as the proliferation of networking. A real scenario case is the pressure that Microsoft has put on its clients to upgrade their software or go elsewhere, for instance, the deadline that was given to the US Army by Microsoft to upgrade their OS to Windows XP latest by 1st October, 2005. This leaves a customer at the dilemma of deciding on whether to move to a new company or stay (King, 2008).
Recommendations
The principle market objective of the company is the small business owners and large corporations. The company should take advantage of its workstation product in order to increase its profit. The company has currently started teaming up with Wal-Mart in an effort to reach out to the small businesses, however, the workstations are not being sold in the stores, but over the internet. To increase its sales of the workstations, the company should start offering them in the stores rather than purely online (Burrows, 2010).
The second move for the company is to take advantage of the open-source software sale. So far, the company has made Solaris OS available for download as well as free download of Java (King, 2008). Lastly, the company’s website is currently concentrated mainly in its performance rather than advertising of its products, making it difficult to surf the website to get to the item desired for purchase. It is, therefore, recommended that the company balances between its performance and advertising.
References
Affua A. and Tucci T. (2013). Internet business models and strategies (2nd ed.). New York: Mc Graw-Hill.
IDC (2009). World Wide Server Market Shows Growing IT Investment Across Platforms, According to IDC. Retrieved on [25th June, 2014] from http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp.
Cloud computing is a model computing network where an application program manages and runs on connected servers instead of a local device such as a personal computer. Cloud computing is a process that runs on several connected computers uniformly or at the same period of time. This concept is known as virtualization.
Microsoft problems stem from the knowledge that their competitors like Apple and Google have outsmarted them in the development and advancement of the cloud connectivity application software and they are tracing them from behind instead of leading from the front the way they are used to. Apple seems to be many years ahead of them in terms of research that they (Microsoft) have opted to purchase Skype in an effort to gain lost ground.
It’s cheaper to operate a mid range server than a windows server while the marginal costs for Microsoft are still higher.
The costs reduce 10 times
The marginal revenue for office 365 is $6 per month per employee = $120 per month or $1440 per year. For 8760 hours @ 10 cents equal to $876. Now for 2000 people it would be 12,000 per month and the costs of Microsoft license and hard ware. Office 365 is more profitable than Microsoft.
Microsoft acquisition of Skype was an effort to improve its financial position from the inherent threat of cloud computing through mergers and other acquisition activities. Complimentary companies increase the competitive nature of companies while also expanding its products to the global market. Skype is a soft ware that is available for free and facilitates voice and visual communication between computers over the internet. It was founded in Luxemburg in the year 2003. The major strategy of Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype was the reduction of the cost of improving and building its internet phone which targets to improve its competitive advantage in IT innovations globally. Microsoft has developed its current X-Box console, Lync of IP telephone services and outlook to compete effectively with its major rival Google. Skype has alliances with Facebook, Comcasts among others. Microsoft targets to utilize all these connections to its advantage in an effort to outdo its major challengers. (Hausmann & Hidalgo, 2011)
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are companies that specialize in developing and selling the software. These soft wares are designed for specific niche markets or mass market. For example oracle products may be incorporated in other soft wares through ESL (Embedded Software Licence) (Popp and Meyer, 2010)
The future development of ISV is under threat as Microsoft has opted to purchase Skype a soft ware program that facilitates telephone and visual communication from the owners of the soft ware instead of requesting a similar one from ISVs shows that it’s harboring a sinister motive and its questioning the ability of the ISV to develop such a soft ware. If I were an ISV I would be seeking the attention of other platforms like IBM or better still develop independent soft ware’s that work like Skype in the market. (Deventer, Imai, Mesler, 2004)
I would invest more in cloud connectivity and acquire more companies like Skype that facilitate cloud connectivity and invest more on research and development and also on its infrastructure.
References
Deventer, D., Imai, K., Mesler, M. (2004). Advanced Financial Risk Management, An Integrated Approach to Credit Risk and Interest Rate Risk Management. John Wiley & Sons
Popp, K.M. and Meyer, R. (2010). Profit from Software Ecosystems: Business Models, Ecosystems and Partnerships in the Software Industry. Norderstedt, Germany: BOD
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Knowledge Management Case Study
Knowledge management is more than clusters of relational databases, humming along to the tune of the organization’s strategic plan. It is about aligning information technology tools with organizational strategy, about understanding the organization, its environment, and its people.
Two case studies from the articles located below in the resources section, one authored by Yilmaz and the other by Cox, take very different approaches to the problem of implementing a knowledge management system. Yilmaz examines an international firm that has no contact at all with the end customer and takes up the problem of knowledge sharing, transfer, and the prerequisites necessary to facilitate the successful implementation of a KM system. Cox takes up the case of Xerox and the development of a commercial database system.
After reading both cases, prepare a 5- to 7-page analysis, fully documented and cited in APA format, that answers the following questions:
• What were the organizational objectives that were “solved” by the implementation of knowledge management in each case? What obstacles were faced and how were they overcome?
• How does the problem of “knowledge,” as raised by Cox, relate to the issues with the Eureka system? To what degree is this a persistent problem for organizations? Using additional resources, address the question of “organizational knowledge” as a definitional problem as well as a logistical one.
• How do attitudes within the organization, as well as the structure of the organization itself, impact the successful implementation of a KM system? How are these attitudinal issues best resolved?
Its important to clearly indicate all the different responses in your paper for easy understanding of your analyses
Resources to read and use to complete the paper
Articles
• Mohamed, M., Stankosky, M., & Murray, A. (2006). Knowledge management and information technology: Can they work in perfect harmony? Journal of Knowledge Management, 10(3). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM global database.
The authors address the distinction between the functions of information technology and the objectives of knowledge management and raise the question: are these two processes compatible?
• Yilmaz, Y. (2007). Pre-analysis process for knowledge management: A case study in a building materials company. VINE, 37(1). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM global database.
This article reviews how knowledge management (KM) methods can be implemented in organizations effectively and also provides a framework to explain how knowledge-based process analyses can be applied.
• Cox, A. (2007). Reproducing knowledge: Xerox and the story of knowledge management. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 5(1). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM global database.
This article presents information on discursive transformations at Xerox, explaining that how knowledge is represented and what knowledge management might mean are heavily influenced by vested corporate interests. It also stresses the need to capture complexity in case studies if they are to promote a realistic or critical understanding of the organization
SAMPLE ANSWER
Knowledge Management Case Study
In the present day world, KM has a huge role in enhancing employee proficiency, operations efficiency, cost mitigation, and promoting a company’s image. It also helps in formulating attainable goals as well as an elaborate implementation framework. This paper aims at analyzing two case studies on KM; Turkish multinational and Xerox. The case studies are greatly insightful since they exemplify KM systems alignment to organizational objectives as well as different challenges that are experienced during the implementation process (Mohamed, Stankosky & Murray, 2006).
Organizational objectives that were “solved” by the implementation of knowledge management
Turkish multinational
Both the Xerox and Turkish multinational have features of distinct organizational objectives. It is evident that KM systems were useful in solving different organizational objectives in the two entities. According to the Turkish International Company’s analytical framework, one of its pertinent objectives is minimizing shipment costs. There is use of the KM systems’ framework so as to promote minimization of shipment costs to overseas customers. To ensure low shipment costs for the products, the company uses KM systems in evaluating appropriate platforms for averting high costs (Yilmaz, 2007).
Moreover, KM systems implementation enabled Turkish multinational to transfer a bigger shipment costs’ percentage to customers. Another organizational objective is the customers’ needs evaluation. Since the company has an expansive base of customers for its products both internationally and domestically, the company aims at excellently understanding the different customers’ needs. Therefore, the company utilized various KM systems’ platforms to achieve this (Yilmaz, 2007). The company utilizes KM systems in determining if the products the customers need are in stock. In case there are some materials not present in the stock, the novel components are included in the production system immediately. Such a KM framework bolstered the blueprint of the organization for satisfying the different customers’ requirements both internationally and domestically (Yilmaz, 2007).
Xerox
KM systems’ implementation is narrowed down so as to solve different organizational objectives. One of the outstanding organizational goals is rebranding. Xerox considers the rebranding framework to be a pertinent approach for bolstering competitiveness standards. In reference to the case study’s insights, there is a strong emphasis on KM systems so as to cater relevant rebranding standards. In relation to these perspectives, Xerox came up with a perfect blueprint for transforming its framework for management of information. According to Orr, the company relied on storytelling for information management but this was linked to numerous inefficiencies (Cox, 2007). As a result of this, the company increasingly adopted Eureka platforms within KM framework. The Eureka platforms were significantly more technical as opposed to the traditional storytelling approach. The escalated Eureka system integration bolstered the KM standards in the workforce of the company.
IT components’ integration in the organizational operations was another vital objective for Xerox. The company used KM systems as the vital stepping stone for IT efficiency enhancement across various units. While IT was a vital integration aspect into organizational operations, there was a need to determine the bet implementation platforms. The company was therefore able to use suitable software and hardware components across different departments. The company was hence able to achieve core competitiveness goals (Cox, 2007).
The obstacles and how they were solved
To Xerox, the organizational culture change was a major obstacle. It was mitigated through sensitizing the employees regarding the significance of utilizing the technical approach to the organizational information systems. The major obstacle that the Turkish multinational faced was lack of direct contacts with the overseas customers. This was solved through using marketing and sales entities who bridged the gap between the customers and company.
How the problem of “knowledge,” as raised by Cox, relate to the issues with the Eureka system and the prevalence of the problems in organizations
Cox has raised a number of aspects that are connected to the knowledge challenge. One of the notable challenges that Cox exemplifies relates to authenticity. The challenge is persistent based on the fact that a majority of the researchers based KM systems on past studies, which undermines originality standards that these researchers attain. This challenge massively relates to the Eureka system’s framework. Knowledge should validated formally since this fosters the achievement of the best originality standards.
The second challenge touches on oral perspectives. In cases where knowledge is passed orally, manipulation and distortion are highly likely. Moreover, vital details can be lost easily in interpretation or translation of knowledge. There is a strong link between this challenge and the Eureka system. Knowledge should be provided in structured databases and encoded, which massively prevents potential distortion. Cox emphasizes that generalization of information is a critical challenge.
Based on the Eureka system’s framework, information needs to be individualistic. As such, relevant solutions can be sought for every problem. From a varying standpoint, there is a great need to evaluate the persistence of these challenges across the organization. Essentially, the knowledge problems’ persistence degree is strongly based on the management systems an organization uses. For example, change management should be accompanied by effective platforms.
At the organizational level, the transformational leader has great potential to cope with different KM challenges. On the contrary, the various issues that are linked to Eureka system may be highly prevalent in organizations having rigid leadership structures. The extensive information technology systems’ implementation in the present-day organizations is a vital factor that positively contributes towards KM systems’ enhancement. Information technology possesses excellent components that can bolster the KM systems’ framework based on varying organizational requirements (Cox, 2007).
Founded on these attributes, organizations that use effective ICT frameworks face less knowledge problems. IT greatly helps an organization to identify the best Eureka system’s aspects that can be integrated in the operational blueprint. The employees’ competence is a vital attribute as it greatly influences knowledge problems’ persistence in organizations. A workforce that is highly competent can easily assimilate KM changes.
“Organizational knowledge” as a definitional and logistical problem
The issue on organizational knowledge may be analyzed as a definitional or logistical challenge. From the definitional standpoint, various forms of interpretations characterize organizational knowledge. Although some entities interpret it inaccurately, some organizations do it accurately (Maier, 2004). The interpretive framework’s efficiency determines the companies’ ability to avert the various knowledge implementation challenges. From the logistical viewpoint, the issue on organizational knowledge is influenced massively by the organizational leaders’ competence to implement the KM systems.
Effect of organizational attitudes and structure on the successful KM system implementation
KM systems implementation is influenced massively by attitudes and organizational structure in a company.
Organizational structure
The leadership systems greatly determine the effectiveness of the whole implementation phase. While some systems of leadership support KM strongly, others are less concerned. In essence, supportive leadership systems offer the best implementation environment since there is excellent KM systems’ implementation standards as opposed to unsupportive leadership systems (Maier, 2004).
It is primarily pertinent that the systems for decision making are concomitant with immense KM implementation requirements. For example, the platforms for decision making should offer an exceptional framework for defining and interpreting organizational knowledge. High decision making standards are incredibly vital in bolstering the KM systems’ outcomes.
The leader-employee relationships are very useful in shaping the efficiency achieved following KM systems’ implementation. There is a great need for excellent communication frameworks between the employee and leader. Communication inefficacies definitely have a negative influence on the implementation process (Fernandez, 2010).
Attitudes
If employees have positives attitudes in relation to different KM systems, excellent efficiency levels are achieved from KM systems use across an organization. In this regard, organizational leaders have a great role in boosting the employees’ attitudes towards KM systems. The leaders should also set proper working precedent in regard to the different KM systems’ stipulations. As a result, other employees are motivated towards embracing changes.
Resolving attitudinal issues
There are a number of strategies that an organization can integrate in its efforts to mitigate different structural and attitudinal issues. It is important to promote the employees’ awareness about the vital KM systems’ role in an organization. Leaders should be at the front position in promoting acceptable KM systems in all departments. Using information technology goes a long way in strengthening organizational structures so as to enhance integration on the most relevant KM systems. There is also a need to set aside sufficient resources for implementing KM systems in the organization (Fernandez, 2010).
Fernandez, I. B. (2010). Knowledge management: Systems and processes. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe Inc.
Maier, R. (2004). Knowledge management systems. New York, NY: Springer Publishers
Mohamed, M., Stankosky, M., & Murray, A. (2006). Knowledge management and information technology: Can they work in perfect harmony? Journal of Knowledge Management, 10(3). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM global database.
Yilmaz, Y. (2007). Pre-analysis process for knowledge management. The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 37(1).
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A) Using case law explain why attributes of quality of the goods may not necessarily relate to the description of those goods?
AND
B) Sarah and James Smith run a bed and breakfast from their home and need to buy a large capacity washing machine. They visit the local appliance store
Talford’s and ask Harry the sales assistant for advice. Sarah tells Harry that they need a machine that can hold up to 12kg loads. She further stipulates
that she would like a machine that is ecologically friendly and that will be able to do a wash at 15 degrees Celsius on a quick wash cycle. Lastly Sarah
requests that the machine have a reduced noise and vibration feature as otherwise it could disturb the guests. Harry recommends the Suds 2000 telling Sarah and James that is can meet all their needs and more.
After using the machine for two weeks it transpires that the machine cannot get stains out at 15 degrees Celsius unless it is on an extended wash cycle.
Further the machine makes so much noise that guests begin to complain and Sarah ruins several linens as the machine can only hold up to 9kgs.
She telephones the customer services at Telford’s department store to demand a refund however is told that a refund, exchange or any other remedy is not
possible as her contract of sale excludes liability for any defects relating to the quality and condition of the goods.Advise Sarah
PART A : 800 WORDS
PART B : 950 WORDS
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Imaging you are management consultant and you have A client who owns coffee/restaurant, the business name is (coffee and restaurant Casablanca) your Client is looking a way to improve his revenue, so his AIM IS TO IMPROVE REVENUE and you have only one objective to achieve your client Aim, the objective is to
Increase COFFEE AND RESTAURANT EFFICIENCY.
Instructions
1- Use both (six sigma and lean approach to improve the efficiency of the restaurant, so illustrate to your client that you can increase the coffee and
restaurant revenue by being more efficient by using six sigma and lean approach for efficiency, so do this in two A4 pages
2- Advise your client on the key responsibilities 9( economic, legal, moral) do this in 1 A4 page
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Examine an interaction or event from your clinical placement, which has required you to demonstrate professional conduct (NMC 2008).
3. Examine an interaction or event from your clinical placement, which has required you to demonstrate professional conduct (NMC 2018).
You are required to identify the clinical practice area (with an anonymous name, or just call it e.g. ‘a medical ward’), the interaction/event and the student role. This will involve discussion of the situation in relation to professional conduct.
Identify an actual event such as when you cared for a patient, or met with a professional (invent names for them). It might have been a meeting, or a conversation, or a process such as washing a
patient, sending a patient home. In any case it must
illustrate professional conduct in some way.
Do not choose an event for any other reason, or linked with other topics.
Use the NMC code to refer to the need for professional conduct. Other references will also be
relevant.
Your appendix will be a reflection on your learning of professional conduct issues.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
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In 250 words write how stakeholder theory is linked with Corporate social responsibility IN TESCO. With CRITICAL THINKING showing in your writing
you should include the application of Tesco to CSR AND Stakeholder theory
Use at least three (3) quality references Note: Wikipedia and other related websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
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The following things should be done: Service Area Competitor Analysis? Using the Emanuel Medical Center case, complete the following requirements (in addition to the same analyses applied in the Cooper Green Hospital case – SOSI, stakeholder analysis, trends analysis).
