...file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Deskto...0BILL%20-%20BUSINESS%20AT%20THE%20SPEED%20OF%20THOUGHT.TXT BUSINESS AT THE SPEED OF THOUGHT by bill Gates ALSO By BILL GATES The Road Ahead BUSINESS AT THE SPEED OF THOUGHT: USING A DIGITAL NERVOUS SYSTEM BILL GATES WITH COLLINs HEMINGWAY 0 VMNER BOOKS A Time Warner Company To my wife, Melinda, and my daughter, Jennifer Many of the product names referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright (D 1999 by William H. Gates, III All rights reserved. Warner Books, Inc, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 Visit our Web site at www.warnerbooks.com 0 A Time Warner Company Printed in the United States of America First Printing: March 1999 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN: 0-446-52568-5 LC: 99-60040 Text design by Stanley S. Drate lFolio Graphics Co Inc Except as file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Admini...SINESS%20AT%20THE%20SPEED%20OF%20THOUGHT.TXT (1 of 392)12/28/2005 5:28:51 PM file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Deskto...0BILL%20-%20BUSINESS%20AT%20THE%20SPEED%20OF%20THOUGHT.TXT indicated, artwork is by Gary Carter, Mary Feil-jacobs, Kevin Feldhausen, Michael Moore, and Steve Winard. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I first want to thank my collaborator, Collins Hemingway, for his help in synthesizing and developing the material in this book and for his overall management of this project. I want to thank four CEOs who read a late draft of the manuscript and...
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...information and maintenance tips. If an owner’s hybrid vehicle is running short on battery power, for instance, the Toyota Friend network will alert that customer to the condition via a short message similar to those exchanged on Twitter, according to the statement. Members will be able to access the community through smartphones, tablet computers, and other mobile devices. In recent years, many companies have rushed to establish a presence in the greenfields of social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn, creating communities of customers and fans there. Toyota’s new CRM effort is distinctive because of its closed nature and its reliance on telematics, which connects a driver directly to information on a car’s status. “To date, [Toyota Motor Co.] has developed its own telematics services to connect people, cars, and their surroundings,” the statement read. “Through Toyota Friend, TMC aims to offer its telematics services worldwide. Moving forward, TMC plans to advance toward the realization of future mobility by teaming up proactively with global IT companies.” Toyota President Akio Toyoda said this latest iteration of customer relationship management is a natural evolution for the auto industry. "Social networking services are transforming human interaction and modes of communication,” he said in the statement. “The automobile needs to evolve in step with that transformation.” The relationship between Toyota and Salesforce.com appears to extend well beyond this initial...
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...Introduction Since 1908, General Motors (GM) is primarily engaged in automotive production and marketing and financing and insurance operations. GM designs, manufactures, and markets vehicles worldwide, having its largest operating presence in North America. By 2008, GM became vulnerable to the auto industry crisis, which they were not able to meet obligations. Over the years, GM was a dominating force in the auto industry. However, rising labor costs, concessions made to the unions, higher gas prices and a recession, GM was heavily burdened and could not provide the sufficient marketing funds for any one of its product lines. The U.S. government agreed to lend $13 billion in order to buy time to develop a restructuring plan (DePamphilis, 2012, p.648). The restructure plan impacted employees and operations in U.S. and Canada. With mergers and acquisition activities, the intent is to preserve and provide jobs to the community. However, this was not the case with GM. Was it justified to reduce the workforce? Therefore, the review of the bankruptcy steps taken by GM will determine if the restructure was successful. Pension Plan General Motors pension fund obligations and health care obligations appear to threaten the future of the company. Majority of General Motors’ U.S. employees are members of the United Auto Worker (UAW) Union, which ensures health insurance for its members by entering into contractual agreements with employers. In the 1990’s the UAWs’ officers...
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...TermPaperWarehouse.com - Free Term Papers, Essays and Research Documents The Research Paper Factory JoinSearchBrowseSaved Papers Home Page » Business and Management Organisational Change at Gm Motors In: Business and Management Organisational Change at Gm Motors TABLE OF CONTENTS I.INTRODUCTION a) Organisational Change –an overview b) Kurt Lewin and his theories of change c) General Motors International 2. APPRAISAL OF KURT LEWIN’S 3- STEP MODEL (Manufacturing change at General Motors as a case study) 3. CRITIQUES OF THE MODEL 4. CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION In a dynamic world of increasing technology, competition, power relations and managerial opportunism, investment in Research and Development (R&D) by organisations and fluctuations in consumer demand, a complex phenomenon such as change is imperative. Change can be defined as the art of altering the current state of an entity from its present state to another while organisational change is the transformation process of taken up by an organisation in order to move from its existing level to a strategically proposed level by taking up new ideas and a different approach to its operational practices and procedures (Beckhard and Harris, 1987. cited by: Andriopoulos and Dawson, 2009). In analysing the various categories of change, research works have identified a number of traits used to classify the various levels and sorts of change. These include substance of change, scale and scope of...
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...Identify Problems / SWOT analysis 6. Areas to use for improvements of Critical Business activities in Operations Management 7. Provide Multiple Solutions 8. Conclusion Introduction Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world by not only its models but also its management. We can say that the principles that Toyota Motor Corporation uses are the way to their success. For instance, they do not only want to be successful by themselves but also they respect their partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve. Toyota wants to be reliable to the customers, suppliers and to the organization. For this reason, they use some operating management technologies such as Just In Time (JIT), Quality Management (QM), Total Quality Management (TQM) and so on. Using these technologies they could reduce to time they spent on manufacturing, shipping, ordering, receiving, forecasting and many others. It also affected to their quality and the overall mission to be succeed. They do not try to hide their weakness and problems in the organization so that they can fix them easily by using simple visual indicators to help people determine their problems immediately whether they are in standard condition deviating from it. Toyota Motor Corporation is used to listen to their employees, managers and executives. By letting every employee in the organization using their knowledge and sharing them on improving the quality and design of the...
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...also home for the largest motor cycle manufacturer and fifth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer. India is emerging as an export hub for sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The global automobile majors are looking to leverage India's cost-competitive manufacturing practices and are assessing opportunities to export SUVs to Europe, South Africa and Southeast Asia. India can emerge as a supply hub to feed the world demand for SUVs. India also has the largest base to export compact cars to Europe. Moreover, hybrid and electronic vehicles are new developments on the automobile canvas and India is one of the key markets for them. Global and Indian manufacturers are focussing their efforts to develop innovative products, technologies and supply chains. The automotive plants of global automakers in India rank among the top across the world in terms of their productivity and quality. Top auto multinational companies (MNCs) like Hyundai, Toyota and Suzuki rank their Indian production facilities right on top of their global pecking order. MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS & INVESTMENTS * Yamaha Motor Co (YMC) has announced to set up its fifth global research and development (R&D) centre at its Greater Noida facility * Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) plans to invest Rs 2,500 crore (US$ 462.11 million) at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan. The company plans to set up a new assembly line for car with an installed annual capacity of 120,000 units * Isuzu Motors plans to set up its greenfield...
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...| | | Chrysler and General Motors | | Chrysler and GM Chrysler is a car manufacture created by Walter Chrysler during June 6, 1925 when the Maxwell Motor Company was re-organized into the Chrysler Corporation. It happened because in the early 1920s the Maxwell Chalmers Company were having troubled with their operation which made the company to end in 1923 and one year later Chrysler had launched the eponymous automobile which was referred as the 70’s. This vehicle was a 6-cylinder, designed to provide customers with an advanced, which was also a well-engineered vehicle, at a more affordable price than they thought. In the summer of 2009 Chrysler has filled for bankruptcies. In 2011 Chrysler has a 10.5% in the market. It is in the fourth position while GM is first, Ford is Second, and Toyota is third. This company is doing badly because their new products are not to the customer satisfaction. (Chrysler) GM is another car manufacturer which was located at Flint, Michigan. It was created on September 16, 1908 by William C. Durant and the GM's co-founder Charles Stewart Mott but it was originally owned by Buick as a holding company. During 1909, Durant had brought Cadillac, Elmore, Oakland and several others vehicles cooperation. In 1910 Durant had lost control of his company GM to a banker trust because of all the large debt he had due to the collapse of the new vehicles sales. GM in 2009 had filled for Bankruptcies but since their stock has increased and...
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...was ready to take on new loans at this time. This meant demand for high priced items, such as automobiles was down in the United States of America. The United States and the global automobile industry were suffering big losses. United States auto sales were down eighteen percent from 2007 to 2008, while France’s automobile sales were down 15.8 percent from the previous year. The Big Three automobile companies in the United States, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler, had dominated the market up to this point, but was starting to lose an edge to many foreign automobile manufacturers. Many foreign automobile companies, like Honda and Kia, were moving in on this gap that had been left by Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. These foreign companies were able to continue to profit while Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler suffered losses because they were not stuck in an old business model like the older companies. They were able to find out what the consumer wanted and what would be most sustainable long term. Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors got caught up in doing what had always been successful and did not look at changing their business model until it was too late. Now, the Big Three are fighting to catch up to other automobile manufacturers in terms of technology and the future of their automobile lines. These three companies are beginning to adopt techniques and ideas that should have been incorporated long ago, not when you realize the competition has already passed...
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...Phil McIntosh Literature Review: My Years with General Motors by Alfred Sloan Presented to: Dr. Francisco Coronel MBA 690 March 21, 2013 Introduction The book My years with General Motors by Alfred Sloan is a great read. I find that it is very important book to read for anyone interested in management, innovation, and overall how to run a succesful organization. Alfred Sloan was able to leave a lasting legacy at the leading automotive company General Motors (GM) by creating positive change through implementing new management techniques, executing financial reforms, establishing a centralized banking system and making luxurious cars in order to gain a competitive advantage over its largest competition. The book is part personal memoir and the other part is standardized text regarding effective management. The General Motors executive depicts story of triumph and the successes he has encountered through proper leadership and management. The main character portrayed in the book of My Years with General Motors is Alfred Sloan. Alfred was raised New York and graduated from MIT with a degree in electrical engineering in the late 1895. His first job post graduation was at an establishment called Hyatt Roller Bearing Company. Hyatt supplied parts to many firms in the automobile industry. After the success of Hyatt, the firm was bought out by General Motors (Sloan, jr., 1990). After the founder of GM William Durant, was forced out of the company for making unwise...
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...is doing more with Facebook. Another, GM bailed out by the government, Ford weathered the storm. The social media strategy of each company is extremely interesting. GM is going to go the traditional route. Ford has embraced the tools of social media to connect with its customers. I think that gives Ford a competitive edge. General Motors Company is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, and among the world's largest automakers by vehicle unit sales, employing 202,000 people and doing business in some 157 countries. They also have five different business segments. They also provide on star vehicles safety, security and information system. As the second-largest automobile company in the world, Ford Motor Company represents a $164 billion multinational business empire. Known primarily as a manufacturer of automobiles, Ford also operates Ford Credit, which generates more than $3 billion in income, and owns The Hertz Corporation, the largest automobile rental company in the world. The company manufactures vehicles under the names Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, and Aston Martin (Ford Motor Co. 2010). Ford was a first mover that invented the assembly line, which gave him the opportunity to enjoy large economies of scale there vision is to become the world's leading consumer company for automotive products and services. They are a global...
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...significant role in every major market around the globe. In 2012 63,069,541 cars were produced globally, close to 9 million workers were involved nonstop in the manufacturing process of these vehicles and their respective parts; 25% of these cars were built in China alone, in other words 1 in 4 vehicles are manufactured there. This is equivalent to 5% of the globe’s manufacturing sector. For every direct job in this industry at least 4 indirect jobs in the vicinity are created; this is equivalent to more than 40 million jobs worldwide. Jobs in industries such as steel, iron, aluminum, glass, plastics, glass, carpeting, textiles, computer chips, and rubber are some examples of jobs created indirectly by the Automobile Industry. Environmental Scanning of Current Conditions China assembled 25% of the world’s cars in 2012, keep in mind that this is 7 million more cars than Japan (second largest car manufacturer in the world). Its industry growth has been mainly motivated by business friendly policies created by the government, increase in domestic demand, and an emerging middle class. Although this industry has grown lately, it continues to remain dreadfully divided. Furthermore, government officials believe that surplus volume must come to a halt and worry about local government departments impairing the economy due to unrestrained expansions. Therefore, they are aiming for more M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in this industry, which inadvertently will create prominent domestic enterprises...
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...General Motors and Daewoo: Married, Divorced, and Married Again 1. Are the conditions in the automobile industry facilitating or constraining an alliance strategy? In my opinion, I think this question must be approach from the industry- based view, which would be the five forces. The automobile industry is very advanced industry which have very high entry barrier for the late movers because of special characteristics of automobile industry. First, automobile industry is connected with many other relative industries. In addition, it is a labor intensive industry which needs a lot of fixed cost and the capital for further investment. These characteristics also evoke many alliances between the relative firms in order to reduce the costs. Second, rivalry among existing firms has become very fierce in this industry since the economy started to decline. One of the wise ways to get through this crisis would be the alliance strategy. 2. In the first JV, did GM and Daewoo have the necessary relational capabilities to make the JV work? In the first Joint venture between GM and Daewoo, I would like to say they fail to develop their relational capabilities. At the beginning, it is true that they had the relational capabilities in order to make the JV work. GM was willing to give their superior technology to upgrade Daewoo’s quality of product, and Daewoo was willing to help GM enter the small car market in both North America and Asia. However, it did not worked very well...
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...low working conditions, its effects on communities and international labor standards that this corporations are providing to its employees. I believe that these company should treat its employees with some degree of respect and dignity. They should realize that part of their success is due to its employees’ work. Tweet Topic No. 2: discuss/comment WSJ, CSRwire readings. Be sure to include reference to the either WSJ or CSRwire (as appropriate). The article “GM Boosts Volt Defense as Sales Falter” by Sharon Terlep outlines General Motors Co. chief Executive Dan Akerson’s defense against the allegation that the Chevrolet Volt’s battery-powered was could cause potential fire. Mr. Akerson states that the Volt was failing to meet sales expectation and sales were declining significantly. In addition, he states that the car was declared safe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “For the sake of the Volt and electric vehicles in general it is important we close the door on this issue “ said a GM spokesman. Moreover, the NHTSA decided to wait six months to disclose concerns about a potential fire risk with the Volt. I do not understand why federal safety regulators waited six months before telling the public that a Volt battery caught fire three weeks after a government crash test. The fire happened in June but was not made public until November. Subsequent tests caused two more. I believe that for the safety of the Volt buyers the...
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...Boiled Frog Phenomenon Irma E. Jimenez American Intercontinental University MGT 680 – Strategic Management August 30, 2013 Abstract The “boiled frog” phenomenon will be explained and how it relates to strategic management. An example of a business or businesses undergoing a similar situation will also be given and how could they have avoided the effects of the “boiled frog” phenomenon. Boiled Frog Phenomenon The purpose of this paper is to elaborate about the term "boiled frog" phenomenon which is a story about a live frog placed in a large pot filled with cold water. The experiment done with the live frog is also meant to compare it and how this story relates to strategic management in the business environment. An example in regards to a firm that has undergone a similar situation will be given as well and, how that business could have avoided the effects of the “boiled frog” phenomenon. A few questions will follow to explain the process. What is the "boiled frog" phenomenon? According to the article by Polynice, when a frog is placed inside a pot of boiling water, on top of a stove, the frog will react very fast and will jump out of the water immediately. But, if the same frog is placed inside a large pot filled with cold water and then put on top of the stove and it is turned on to be heated up slowly, the frog will not notice the change of temperature (Polynice, 2007). Eventually, the frog felt unconscious...
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...INTRODUCTION: Fundamental analysis of a business involves analysing its financial statements and health, its management and competitive advantages, and its competitors and markets. Fundamental analysis includes the economic analysis, industry analysis and the company analysis. There are certain factors that are to be considered while doing the fundamental analysis and it includes Financials of the company It involves the study of financial health of the company using the various financial reports, like the profit and loss account, the balance sheet, and the cash flow statements. State and direction of domestic economy This is a study of the country’s economy in which the company operates. If the economy is growing fast, the probability of the company growing fast is greater. Similarly, if the economy is facing a slow growth, the chances of the company growing fast are lesser. Currency & commodity price movements Most companies use commodities like coal, metals and crude oil as their inputs. Any change in the price of these commodities has an implication on the profitability of the company. Similarly, any change in the exchange rate of currencies also has an impact on companies that import their raw materials or export their products. Interest rate movements Companies borrow money to invest for their expansions. Also, consumers borrow money to buy products. Thus, if the interest rates are high, the borrowing cost of the companies would increase. Also, consumers would...
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