Strategies for Business
Order Instructions:
Over the next 4 weeks, you will examine theoretical and empirical points of view and apply the knowledge you have gained from your study and research in order to present a case for how business operations within your organization, or one you choose as an exemplar, can be managed to achieve competitive advantage. You will conduct first-person research in addition to scholarly research, so choose an organization for which this will be possible. A key element of the Praxis Paper is the identification and framing of an organizational problem that relates to the course topics covered in the first half of the course. Your research should lead you to identify possible solutions to the problem(s) you identify. You will apply knowledge gained in the course in order to present advantages and disadvantages of various approaches to the problem(s) with the goal of optimizing performance and harmonizing key elements within business operations.
For this paper, due in Week 4, you will conduct a detailed analysis of the various key operational elements involved in the business you have chosen as your subject, beginning with an assessment of the macro-processes that make up the organization’s global supply chain. In the coming weeks, you will deal with three additional and equally important areas: forecasting and demand management, business processes, and operations and production systems. Your paper will be designed to demonstrate a clear and coherent strategy for achieving competitive advantage through the application of modern theory and practice to improve operational performance. Each student’s paper will contain topics unique to the organization chosen, but will incorporate the themes covered each week. See each of the weekly Application areas for further details.
WEEK 1
This week, identify three individuals in your chosen organization whom you will interview for the purposes of this assignment. They should be individuals who understand the organization’s strategic use of operations to achieve competitive advantage in the marketplace and are willing to meet with you to discuss these initiatives. Please be aware that you will also interview individuals in your chosen organization for the Praxis Paper 2 that begins in Week 5. Please ensure that you properly schedule your interviews based on the individuals’ availability.
At this stage, you should begin to analyze the key operational elements involved in the business you have chosen as your subject, beginning with an assessment of the macro-processes that make up the organization’s global supply chain.
This week’s assignment is to submit the following to your Instructor: ( 2 pages).
• The company you have chosen to examine and an explanation for your choice.
• The names, titles, and details of availability for the individuals you will interview.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Strategies for Business
Abstract
The following document details the decision making process that was followed in the selection of a business entity to investigate for the assignment. It also details the aspects of Romano Car Rental Company that made it a viable subject as well as the employees who will be interviewed.
Strategies for Business
The company that was selected for this exercise is known as ‘Romano’s Car Rentals and Leasing.’ It is based in Washington DC.
The reason why this company was selected is first of all because it has been in operation within the in this area for the past two decades. This means the business has gone through a myriad of changing macro environments in its twenty years of operation (Byman and Bell , 2011). Many businesses in the Washington DC area taking part in the hiring out of cars have come up and gone under during this period. The emergence of these businesses has been promoted by the cosmopolitan and highly commercial aspects of the area. Some still exist but they have been forced to focus on a different market segment and this is testament of Romano Car Hire’s influence in the industry (Powell et al, 211). The result is a wealth of knowledge and experience by the company’s management.
Staying afloat for this period of time also means that the administrators of this company have a good idea of how to leverage business strategies for profitability as well as longevity of the business enterprise. The proximity of the company’s branch office to the campus further supported this decision as it guarantees the relatively easy accessibility of the employees for the interviews. The minimal budget that the research project is running on does not have resources to finance transport to distant locations. This is why the focus was centered around the Washington DC area.
Face to face conversations with the interviewees will also facilitate more candid collection of data from the respondents. If there is a need for follow up, this can also be done relatively easily. The Romano car hire company has also engaged in mentorship programs for youths from different colleges in the Washington DC area in the recent past. This is an indication of their willingness to share knowledge about their organization and operations in a candid manner. It is important to exploit such an opportunity because many business entities tend to be rigid and wary about providing information about their operations to individuals considered to be outsiders. The fact that this research study is being conducted by students from the surrounding area will endear the facilitator of this project to the management since the age group is similar to that of the individuals who participated in the mentorship program in 2013 (Mann, 2011).
Transport is a key component of the economy and this comes from the fact that it facilitates the movement of the different factors of production such as labor or capital from one place to another depending on the need that has arisen. Washington DC being a commercial and administrative hub experiences hosts a great deal of road transport. Interviewing the administrators of a company will therefore provide a good glimpse into the dynamics that affect this component of the economy as well as the nature of the relationship between this company and various economic situations (Saunders et al, 2011).
Individuals to be Interviewed
Sales Manager : James Sanchez, Available on Thursday between 10 and 11.30 am for video-conferencing interview.
Marketing Manager: Phelipe Rodriguez Available on Friday between 11 and 11.30 am
Fleet Maintenance Officer: Anthony Porter Available on Wednesday between 9 and 10.30 am subject to confirmation.
References
Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2011). Business Research Methods 3e. Oxford university press.
Mann, S. (2011). A critical review of qualitative interviews in applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics, 32(1), 6-24. https://www.doi:10.1093/applin/amq043
Powell, J., Inglis, N., Ronnie, J., & Large, S. (2011). The characteristics and motivations of online health information seekers: cross-sectional survey and qualitative interview study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1). doi: 10.2196/jmir.1600
Saunders, M. N., Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2011). Research methods for business students, 5/e. Pearson Education India.
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