...Number ________ Student Number |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| Family Name This exam paper must not be removed from the venue ____________________ _____________________ First Name _____________________ School of Business EXAMINATION Semester One Mid-semester Examinations, 2015 MGTS1201 Computer-based Information Systems This paper is for St Lucia Campus students. Examination Duration: 60 minutes Reading Time: 10 minutes Exam Conditions: For Examiner Use Only Question Mark This is a School Examination This is a Closed Book Examination - specified materials permitted During reading time - write only on the rough paper provided This examination paper will NOT be released to the Library Materials Permitted In The Exam Venue: (No electronic aids are permitted e.g. laptops, phones) An unmarked Bilingual dictionary is permitted Calculators - No calculators permitted Materials To Be Supplied To Students: 1 x Multiple Choice Answer Sheet Rough Paper Instructions To Students: Please answer all multiple choice questions (MCQ) in the MCQ answer sheet provided. Please answer all short answer questions in the space provided within the examination paper. Please ensure you write your student number and name on the MCQ answer sheet and the examination paper. Page 1 of 10 Total ________ Semester One Mid-semester...
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...The Internet Business Review Issue 1 – October 2004 THE IMPACT OF E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY TURMOIL ON AMAZON.COM: A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE Russell Casey - Clayton State University, USA William Carroll - University of Phoenix, USA Edited by Faith W. Smalls Abstract Internet retailers face intense competition in their quest to gain market share due to the large number of competitors, ease of entry, low switching costs and the strength of existing multi-channel retailers. To survive, it is critical that online retailers create a sustainable competitive advantage in their e-commerce strategy and plan for long-term strategic positioning. The article uses a case study analysis of Amazon.com's strategy to develop an understanding of the e-commerce competitive environment and the importance of building a sustainable competitive environment to create value for the firm, its customers, and its shareholders. © 2004 The Internet Business Review The Internet Business Review Issue 1 – October 2004 Introduction Is the Internet a leech that sucks a company’s assets dry? Many investors, entrepreneurs, and managers pondered this billion-dollar question as hundreds of dotcoms collapsed over the last two years. Companies, such as Boo.com, Etoys, Onsale, @home, and Webvan, are extinct and many more cling to existence. The dreams of consumers, shareholders and other stakeholders have been shattered. From their inception, these dotcoms were going to revolutionize the world and...
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...STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS CASE: A-186A DATE: 06/19/03 CosTco WHOLESALE CORPORATION FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS (A) INTRODUCTION Margarita Torres first purchased shares in Costco Wholesale Corporation in 1997 as part of her personal investment portfolio. Between 1997 and 2002, she added slightly to her holdings from time to time when the company sold stock for what she felt was a reasonable valuation, and up to that time she did not sell any of her shares. Having watched Costco grow from 265 warehouses to 365 worldwide, and from sales revenue of $21.8 billion to $34.1 billion, she wondered what factors led to such successful growth. She also wanted to determine whether those factors would hold consistent going forward. At this point, Costco was one of a special breed of retailers called wholesale clubs. Unlike other retailers, wholesale clubs required that customers purchase annual memberships in order to shop at their stores. Costco operated a chain of warehouses that sold food and general merchandise at large discounts to member customers. The company was able to maintain low margins by selling items in bulk, keeping operating expenses to a minimum, and turning inventory over rapidly. Costco’s closest competitors were SAM’S Club (a division of Wal-Mart) and BJ’s Wholesale, which both operated as wholesale clubs. Other competitors included general discounters (such as Wal-Mart), general retailers (such as Sears), grocery...
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...IKEA Case Study 12/31/2009 GAPR09RM085 Riddhima Chopra IKEA Case Study December 31, 2009 Table of Contents About....................................................................................................................................................... 3 History ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Corporate Structure ................................................................................................................................ 4 Vision and Mission .................................................................................................................................. 4 The IKEA Concept .................................................................................................................................... 5 IKEA Range .............................................................................................................................................. 5 IKEA Store................................................................................................................................................ 6 Design.................................................................................................................................................. 6 Location.........................................................................................................................................
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...Table of contents Page Message of Prime Minister…………………………………………………………. 3 Message of Minister of Arts and Culture …………………………………………... 4 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………. 5 Executive summary…………………………………………………………………. 7 Chapter 1: Overview of the Arts and Culture set-up ………………………………. 19 Chapter 2: The Music industry……………………………………………………... 23 Chapter 3: The Arts sector …………………………………………………………. 30 Chapter 4: Publishing, Reading and Writing ………………………………………. 39 Chapter 5: The audio-visual sector ………………………………………………… 43 Chapter 6: Heritage Management and Promotion………………………………….. 47 Chapter 7: Mauritius, an Artistic and Cultural Island City- ACIC………………… 51 Chapter 8: Developing synergies…………………………………………………… 56 Chapter 9: Arts and Culture: the cement of our nation …………………………….. 61 Chapter 10: Conclusion - Arts and Culture make Mauritius a haven ……………...63 Message of the Prime Minister Culture is connecting with development and is poised to become a fundamental component of sustainable development. This White Paper sets the stage for a revival of arts and culture in Mauritius. My government sees arts and culture as an important lever of social integration and as an industry that can offer employment potential and wealth creation opportunities. While culture in the abstract is a set of mental constructs, it is rooted in a place at a moment in history and...
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...Seminar - January 2003 DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY: COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS OF THE RETAIL SECTOR IN THE UK Contents 0 Executive Summary I Background and Framework for Analysis II Competitive Analysis – the UK Retail Sector III Summary and Policy Recommendations IV Appendix – Analysis of Retail Sub-Sectors EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 0.1 Background and Framework for Analysis In early 2002 the Institute for Retail Studies at the University of Stirling was commissioned to carry out a ‘Competitive Analysis of the Retail Sector in the UK’ (tender CGS/1239) based on secondary sources and restricted to the UK rather than international comparisons. The project had three objectives: · to define and map the sector in terms of size and composition of the businesses which operate within it; · to analyse the competitiveness of the sector now through SWOT, PEST and Porter's 5 forces and any other appropriate means and summarise the key issues facing the sector as a whole, and also sub-sector specific issues; · to provide recommendations for industry and government. The report is divided into four parts. In Part I we provide a background to the sector and explain the framework for analysis used in the study. Part II provides the competitive analysis of the whole (generic) retail sector based upon the three components of the framework: drivers for change; sector structure; and internal...
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...For exclusive use Universidad Adolfo Ibanez (UAI), 2015 N1-710-444 REV: FEBRUARY 7, 2011 BHARAT N. ANAND PETER OLSON The Rand dom Ho ouse Re esponse to the Kindl e e le By early 2010, the internation news med had begun to character y t nal dia n rize book pub blishing as the next e entert tainment ind dustry to be revolutioniz zed by new digital form mats. Amazon announced that n d Christ tmas 2009 had been the fir day ever th its custom rst hat mers had orde ered more ele ectronic versio of ons books for their Kin s ndle reading d devices than p print books.1 Many other companies w were reported to be d ready ying e-readers for an early 2010 launc Most antic s y ch. cipated was Apple Inc.’s iPad, expect ted to chang the terrain of the e-rea ge n ader segment just as the iPhone had r t revolutionize the smartp ed phone marke 2 Worryin et. ngly, prices fo the e-book versions of n or newly publish titles wer at $9.99 or less, hed re, r dropp ping well bel low half the l price of a new hardco list over; public d domain titles (books for w s which copyr right protectio – 70 years after the de on s eath of the au uthor – had e expired) were being offere by e ed some e-vendors fo $0.00.3 Moreover, the ri or ights to electr ronic versions of books pu s ublished befor the re adven of e-books in the 1990s (when publis nt shers first beg to amend their contrac with authors to gan d cts reflect digital edit tions) were i dispute: literary agen and the Authors Gu in nts uild had prot tested...
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...algorithms and application programming interfaces. These revenue drivers turned their social networking platform into an advertising tool, connecting third-party businesses to quality consumers. Although Facebook’s user base and revenue are growing at very rapid rate, there is concern with their future strategy. This paper addresses that concern and the doubt that the revenue streams the company has developed will be sustainable in the long-term. Examining Facebook’s history, competition, financials and target markets will reveal a direction for the future. Recommendations are made for a long-term strategy to diversify revenue streams and maintain year over year growth in profitability through: global markets, emerging technologies and integration. Keywords: Facebook, social networking, technology, advertising, data, Internet user, global market, application development, mobile, beacon Analysis of Facebook to Develop a Business Strategy Maintaining Revenue Growth in the Future Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in a dorm room at the campus of Harvard University in February 2004. Its initial purpose was to form a social network exclusive to Harvard, allowing the viewing of students’ personal details to the entire student body and to create a platform for communication. Within four months, Facebook had expanded to thirty colleges and had 150,000 users. With a large capital investment backing, Zuckerberg left Harvard to incorporate Facebook, Inc. (FB) and develop its platform...
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...------------------------------------------------- Can Flipkart Deliver? From a start-up with an investment of just four lakhs rupees, Flipkart has grown into a $100 million-revenue online retail giant in just five years. “It came to me as a Christmas gift from my Secret Santa, and it was all about choice, convenience and a new relationship,” is how Naveed Ansari, a 26-year-old Project Executive from Mumbai, recounts his first experience with Flipkart. A typical professional from a metro, he's short on time, and he's invariably seeking convenience. So, an e-voucher from Flipkart seemed an ideal fit. This gift marked his initiation into the sphere of e-commerce, and the journey for him has “just begun”. Many Indians today are embracing e-retailing with enthusiasm. Popular portals such as Flipkart are spearheading the conversion of offline shoppers into online bargain hunters. Adds Naveed, as an afterthought, “I felt Flipkart was the best option as the transaction was easy, and the variety of products was a bonus.” For Flipkart, this means the unlocking of a vast audience waiting to experience the joys and comfort of shopping online. Sachin Bansal, CEO and one of the co-founders of Flipkart (the other being Binny Bansal), is an ardent believer in the merits of customer service. “A simple desire to create a tailor-made product for the Indian consumer has grown into something beyond what we imagined,” Sachin muses. A quick glance at Flipkart's timeline shows it was to start as...
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...Rethinking the Networked Economy: The True Forces Driving the Digital Marketplace. By Stan Liebowitz Professor of Economics University of Texas at Dallas 2/3/2002 Chapter 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 A. What you will find in later chapters............................................................ 3 Chapter 2: Basic Economics of the Internet.............................................................. 9 A. How the Internet creates value.................................................................... 9 B. Special Economics of the Internet, or maybe not so special..................... 13 i. Network effects......................................................................................... 13 ii. Economies of Scale................................................................................... 15 iii. Winner take all.......................................................................................... 17 C. How the Internet Alters the likelihood of Winner-take-all....................... 20 Chapter 3: Racing to be first: Faddish and Foolish ................................................. 25 A. From Winner-take-all to First-Mover-Wins ............................................. 26 B. The Concept of Lock-In............................................................................ 32 i. Strong Lock-In ...................................................................
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...Introduction Starbucks started in 1971 as a single store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. It offered fresh-roasted whole bean coffees in the store. There is a group of coffee lovers which shared a passion for quality coffee and exotic teas included English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegel, and writer Gordon Bowker, they put investment and finally opened a store called “Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice” in Seattle, WA. In 1981, Howard Schultz (Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer) noticed that a little company in Seattle, WA, was placing orders of a certain coffeemaker, in larger volumes than the big US store Macy’s; he decided to pay them a visit to see what was going on. Gordon Bowker, the magic, mystery, and romance man, must have shared his passion for quality coffee and tea with Howard Schultz at this time, because he got hooked right away. This Starbucks store that Schultz visited was more than just a regular coffee shop; it had a soul, a passion and authenticity. People there were educated to quality coffee, and they in turn were educating their customers. Right after trying cup of Sumatra (one type of coffee), Howard was drawn into Starbucks and the seeds of the Starbucks Corporation were planted there: deep knowledge of the product and service, trust and credibility. Schultz understood that something is needed by Starbucks which is creating an atmosphere and bonding with customers around a cup of coffee. In 1980's,...
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... Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., branded as Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's second largest public corporation, according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2013, the biggest private employer in the world with over two million employees, and is the largest retailer in the world. Walmart remains a family-owned business, as the company is controlled by the Walton family, who own a 48 percent stake in Walmart. It is also one of the world’s most valuable companies. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, incorporated on October 31, 1969, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. It is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. Walmart is also the largest grocery retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51 percent of its US$258 billion sales in the U.S. from grocery business. It also owns and operates the Sam's Club retail warehouses in North America. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the company rose from a regional to national giant. By 1988, Wal-Mart was the most profitable retailer in the US and by October 1989 it had become the largest in terms of revenue. Geographically limited to the South and Lower Midwest up to the mid 1980s, by the early 1990s Walmart's presence spanned coast to coast - Sam's Club opened in New Jersey...
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...Long Range Planning 43 (2010) 172e194 http://www.elsevier.com/locate/lrp Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation David J. Teece Whenever a business enterprise is established, it either explicitly or implicitly employs a particular business model that describes the design or architecture of the value creation, delivery, and capture mechanisms it employs. The essence of a business model is in defining the manner by which the enterprise delivers value to customers, entices customers to pay for value, and converts those payments to profit. It thus reflects management’s hypothesis about what customers want, how they want it, and how the enterprise can organize to best meet those needs, get paid for doing so, and make a profit. The purpose of this article is to understand the significance of business models and explore their connections with business strategy, innovation management, and economic theory. Ó 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Introduction Developments in the global economy have changed the traditional balance between customer and supplier. New communications and computing technology, and the establishment of reasonably open global trading regimes, mean that customers have more choices, variegated customer needs can find expression, and supply alternatives are more transparent. Businesses therefore need to be more customer-centric, especially since technology has evolved to allow the lower cost provision of information and customer solutions. These...
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...Monograph on the Apple Business Model @2003 Introduction. In 1984, Apple and the Macintosh challenged the world with the dramatic portrayal of a revolutionary woman hurling a hammer at an image of the establishment. With the Twentieth Anniversary of that event approaching, now is a good time to take a look back at this revolution and take stock of the new revolution that the Mac OS X operating system offers. Despite Time Magazine's 80 Days That Changed The World, it would appear that Apple doesn't get much credit for the revolution it sparked in personal computing. As the leading innovator in the computer market, and with a balance sheet holding of four billion in cash, neither its stock value nor its market share is very high. Every few months or so, a journalist reports on impending trouble for Apple Computer. Part of the reason for this negative press is that its main competitor has a 95% market share and billions more in cash. By any other standards, Apple would be judged to be an astonishing success, but a bigger question remains: Why is the Apple market share so small when it has a superior product? Blaming Microsoft for the 'ills' of Apple really misses the point. Both companies were formed early in the computer age, both had product, innovation and opportunity at a critical time, but their history is vastly different. Apple's small market share must be the result of its business model. While the business model has failed the aspirations of the Macintosh Revolution...
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...Long Range Planning 43 (2010) 172e194 http://www.elsevier.com/locate/lrp Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation David J. Teece Whenever a business enterprise is established, it either explicitly or implicitly employs a particular business model that describes the design or architecture of the value creation, delivery, and capture mechanisms it employs. The essence of a business model is in defining the manner by which the enterprise delivers value to customers, entices customers to pay for value, and converts those payments to profit. It thus reflects management’s hypothesis about what customers want, how they want it, and how the enterprise can organize to best meet those needs, get paid for doing so, and make a profit. The purpose of this article is to understand the significance of business models and explore their connections with business strategy, innovation management, and economic theory. Ó 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Introduction Developments in the global economy have changed the traditional balance between customer and supplier. New communications and computing technology, and the establishment of reasonably open global trading regimes, mean that customers have more choices, variegated customer needs can find expression, and supply alternatives are more transparent. Businesses therefore need to be more customer-centric, especially since technology has evolved to allow the lower cost provision of information and customer solutions. These...
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