...in both our personal and professional lives depend a great deal on how easily they can adapt to these changes. Organizations are also susceptible to frequent and oftentimes rapid changes. CrysTel, a telecommunications company, is just such an organization. CrysTel faces both technological and administrative changes regularly due to the telecommunication industry’s rapid and frequent advances. CrysTel employs 2,500 employees and offer products such as data cables, wireless solutions, and network development. (Apollo Group Inc, 2004) Successfully leading and sustaining change within this organization will require a great deal of planning and hard work from all levels of management and leadership. The term “survival of the fittest” (Apollo Group Inc, 2004) is aptly applied to the change process for organizations. Much like in ones personal life, those who are most fit or in this case the most adapt at leading and sustaining change will be the most likely to survive the necessary changes and emerge a stronger more successful organization. CrysTel has taken the first of many important steps required in being able to lead successfully and sustain change within their organization. CrysTel recognized the need for change created by external forces such as the technological advancements of their industry. They also realize that before any change can take place that address these technological advancements they also need to address the internal forces that create a need for change. CrysTel’s...
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...environments for detecting early signs of opportunities and threats that may influence current and future plans” (BusinessDictionary.com, 2011). In strategic planning, an environmental scan can help an organization increase understanding of the internal and external environmental factors that are required to reach the long-term goals of the company. This paper’s purpose is recognizing and exploring the external and internal situations of two successful organizations, Apple and Coca Cola. Also, to examine the competitive advantages and strategies used by these organizations, as well as sustaining value in an increasingly competitive market through creative strategic business plans. Another area being explored is the measurement guidelines used to substantiate the strategic effectiveness for these organizations and the effectiveness of these measurement guidelines. Internal and External Environments The whole process can be seen as beneficial knowledge for managers wishing to increase the long-term efficiency and develop strategic plans for the business. An organization’s environment can be broken into two separate divisions. First, the internal environment which is generally compiled of the factors or elements directly involved within the company. This would basically include the managers, employees, stakeholders, and especially the corporate culture of an organization. The external environment includes factors that are out of the organizations control. Some of these factors include...
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...Best Practices for Sustaining Distance Training in the WorkplaceAndrew Gibson, Zane L. BergeUSAAbstracteLearning initiatives, powered by cutting edge technology, have the ability to offer just-in-time and just-in-case training designed to facilitate performance improvement and creativity. When compared with time-consuming traditional training methods, elearning can offer immediate results and this has led many to implement it with haste. However, while proficient human resource management and financial planning can lead to the establishment of an elearning solution, failure to take further steps necessary to affect cultural change within the organization may, in the long term, seriously jeopardize the prospect of making such a strategy sustainable. This paper explores examples of best practice in managing the factors necessary for elearning sustainability, namely: detailed planning, creation of a sound business case, involvement of champions, harnessing of technology, transitioning, a blended solution, and sustained evaluation.IntroductionBerge and Kearsley (2003) state that in many cases, “even after distance training has been successfully implemented, sustaining it remains a struggle” (p.6). This need not be the case. The impact of elearning can be immediate (David, 2006). It can offer significant cost-savings. However, the move to elearning must be more than convincing executives to fund a pilot; more than succeeding in the short term, or boasting about initial financial...
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...cycle The ways in which BMW has planned innovation, and new product development, to manage their technology life cycle and product life cycle, has been accomplished through consistent innovation. In consideration of the life cycle of BMW, there are many factors taken into account when developing a marketing strategy. Life Cycle Value Assessment (LCVA), or life cycle analysis, is a tool used to determine environmental, economic, and other various determining factors which can influence the entire life cycle of a given product. It also serves to influence important business decisions. The continued growth and success of BMW can be defined by the way in which they focus on culture as a company. According to the article, Innovation: A Strategic HR Imperative, “For example, BMW’s continued success is its strategic focus on developing customer-friendly innovations, coupled with an approach to innovation management that is unique within the automotive industry” (Stanleigh, 2012). BMW sets themselves apart because they prescribe to the philosophy of a company knowing what it stands for, and capitalizing on its strengths; by doing so it can more easily develop and implement a clear strategy. While some companies put their primary focus on manufacturing, BMW also incorporates innovation throughout every department within the organization, including sales and marketing, human resources, and product development. They do not rely on past performance to carry them into the future. They know...
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...expansion. Its unique corporate culture of engagement and invested interest is based on creativity, innovation, care, productivity and fun which has been its sustainable competitive advantage in the market. II. Issues WestJet is experiencing some underlying issues and problems which threaten the success of future growth. First of all, there is a lack of knowledge and experience necessary to further develop their cultural-business complex to assure the sustainability of the corporate culture in their growth. As well no discernable succession plan for management may lead to the inability of executives to maintain the core competencies. Finally the requirement of staff at all levels to be youthful is facing a future workforce that will have a high demand for young talent thus pressing WestJet to find new ways to recruit employees and employee retention. Some symptoms of the associated growing pains WestJet is undergoing are: in 2009 WestJet’s disagreed with the new contract proposal based on the lack of a strategic retention policy, the outsourcing of activities in foreign countries to organizations that do have a vested interest in the success of WestJet and the underlying corporate culture, and the increased need for upper level management personnel creating the potential for a bureaucratic disconnect. III. Analysis The success of WestJet resides on its corporate culture, and its tremendous growth of the company threatens the stability of the culture and consequently a loss in...
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...company's product and emotional perception of the customer for the purpose of generating segregation among competition and building loyalty among customers." (Wikipedia) It's very important to understand the various aspects in the process of strategic Brand Management. Body I. Planning and Implementation of Brand Marketing Programs A. Choosing Brand Elements 1. (logos, packaging, symbols, slogans, etc). 2. Six criteria: M, M, L, T, A and P. B. The integration of the brand into the Marketing activities 1. Create strong, favorable, and unique brand associations 2. Provide products to diverse costumer groups. II. Growing and Sustaining of Brand Equity A. Defining the brand strategy 1. “A strategy is about shaping the future” (McKeown 2012). 2. How costumers will recognize the brand. B. Managing Brand Equity over Geographic boundaries and Cultures 1. “Brand equity is a phrase used in the marketing industry which describes the value of having a well-known brand name” (Wikipedia). International factors, different types of costumers… 2. International marketing managers must be aware… Conclusion Overall, It's very important to understand the various aspects in the process of strategic Brand Management. We have been talking about… This is my motivation for you today: marketing might not be something for you… “Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better than we found them,...
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...(Charles Darwin) Introduction In this chapter, we turn our focus to how organizations sustain advantage. We do this through exploring strategic change, while, to complement this in Chapter 12, we examine strategic innovation and corporate entrepreneurship. Strategic change is about ensuring that the organization is consistently relevant in its market arenas and, as the opening quote from Darwin illustrates, about the need to be responsive to change. Back in 1865, the seeds of the company that we know today as Nokia were sown when Frederik Ideastam set up a paper mill on the banks of the Nokianvirta river in Finland. From this base, over the next hundred years, the company evolved to become a Nordic industrial conglomerate operating in paper, rubber, and cables, and from there to a European player in consumer electronics in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1996, a decision was made to divest all of its other businesses in order to concentrate on becoming a global giant in telecommunications. This is the position that Nokia is attempting to retain as it continues to ride the technological wave of change, focusing on technological convergence in mobile phones, multimedia, and enterprise solutions. Although the reorientation of Nokia over time did not come without its difficulties in integrating acquisitions and developing a strong corporate culture to unite objectives, and the company acknowledges that significant challenges lie ahead, it is clearly the story of a dramatic and...
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...massive and establishes new equilibrium, transform entire organisation, new structure/management, introduce new products (Apple created a new smart phone in response to NOKIA, due to Steve Jobs). 1st order and 2nd order change First Order: incremental/episodic, adjustment in systems, changes maintains & develops Second Order: discontinuous, transformational, radical change that fundamentally alters the organisation (Revolutionary) Type of Organisational Change 1. Tuning: Incremental 1st order) 2. Adaptation: Incremental, reactive 3. Reorientation: Strategic 4. Recreation: Strategic, reactive(2nd order) Theory E & O: Suggesting dimensions of change This is an economic approach with a focus on rapidly increasing shareholder value, with emphasis on financial incentives. It focus’ on developing the organisation’s human capability by creating higher performance, this is done by developing a culture which encourages high...
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... Last year, the company sold over $26 billion worth of product, placing it 111th on the Fortune 500. From a consumer perspective, when a multi-billion dollar producer of paper and packaging products comes to mind, we automatically assume that the company produces a large amount of pollution and destroys forests all over the world. However, International Paper prides itself on being on top of Fortune Magazine’s “Most Admired Companies” (Kotler & Armstrong 607). The reason for this recognition is due to the company’s continued social responsibility efforts and initiatives. IP’s vision is “to be one of the most respected and successful companies in the world” (Internationalpaper.com). The corporation has created a strong culture of accountability that works to implement strategies surrounding...
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...Chapter 01 What Is Strategy, and Why Is It Important? Multiple Choice Questions 1. | Keeping in mind Apple's competitive advantage, which of the following products was introduced by Apple in 2007? A. | iPad | B. | iPhone | C. | iPod | D. | iTunes | | 2. | _____ is best described as an integrative management field that combines analysis, formulation, and implementation in the quest for competitive advantage. A. | Supply chain management | B. | Integrated technology management | C. | Strategic management | D. | Inventory management | | 3. | _____ is best described as a set of goal-directed actions a firm takes to gain and sustain superior performance relative to competitors. A. | Behavior modification | B. | Strategy | C. | Credo | D. | Competency management | | 4. | Which of the following stages of the strategic management process involves an evaluation of a firm's external and internal environments? A. | Strategy analysis | B. | Strategy implementation | C. | Strategy formulation | D. | Strategy control | | 5. | In _____, a firm frames a guiding policy to address the competitive challenge. A. | strategy control | B. | strategy implementation | C. | strategy formulation | D. | strategy analysis | | 6. | Through _____, a firm puts its guiding policy into practice by employing a set of coherent actions. A. | strategy control | B. | strategy implementation...
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...Globalization is the process of closer integration and exchange between different countries and people worldwide, made possible by falling trade and investment barriers, tremendous advances in telecommunications and drastic reductions in transportation costs. Integration-Responsiveness Framework, strategy framework that juxtaposes the pressures an MNE faces for cost reductions and local responsiveness to derive four different strategies to gain and sustain competing advantage when competing globally: international strategy, localization strategy, global-standardization strategy, and transnational strategy. Local Responsiveness is the need to tailor product and service offerings to fit local consumer preferences and host-country requirements; generally entails higher cost. International Strategy is essentially a strategy in which a company sells the same products or services in both domestic and foreign markets. Localization Strategy attempt to maximize local responsiveness, hoping that local consumers will perceive them to be domestic companies. Global-Standardization Strategy attempt to reap significant economies of scale and location economies by pursuing a global division of labor based on wherever best of class capabilities reside at the lowest cost. Global Strategy is a firm’s strategy to gain and sustain a competitive advantage when competing against other foreign and domestic companies. Transnational Strategy, a strategy that attempts to combine...
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...this vital element. Apple Inc. is one of these successful companies who were and still until now managing it environment efficiently. Apple is a company that started in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as a computer company. Its market value has fluctuated over the years. In 1996, it was almost be out of business. However, in year 2000 the company value started to rise to the extent that it considered today as one of the most valued organisations in the world. This essay will provide an analysis of Apple’s environment explaining how Apple’s management is able to manage its environment. The organisational environment is divided into two sections. These sections are internal environment and external environment. The internal environment consists of all the fundamental aspects that are changed and controlled by the organisation (Porter, 1979). For example, the owners of the organisation, the employees, board of directors and culture are considered parts of the internal environment. The external environment, on the other hand, includes of all the elements that form a complicated structure around the organisation. These component are beyond the organisation control. The external environment is divided into two sections, microenvironment and macro environment (Balaure, 2003). According to Balaure (2003) macro-environment is consisted of all the outside aspects that have indirect influence on the organisation with a long time terms and low direct influance such as culture, politics...
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...Management Professor: Dr. Tony Muscia Suggest the key elements of Starbucks’ Organizational Culture that contribute to its success in a global economy. Indicate management’s role with creating and sustaining the organizational culture. Organizational culture has a significant impact on the overall performance of a company. Organizational culture is “the set of shared, taken-for-granted implicit assumptions that a group holds and that determines how it perceives, thinks about, and reacts to its various environments” (Barney, 1986). In this paper, I will examine the elements of Starbucks’ organizational culture that contributed to its success in a global economy, assess the effectiveness of its management decisions in providing innovative offerings for its customers, determine one key management competency, and speculate on whether the company would achieve long-term sustainability as a global leader in the coffee industry without the organization’s CEO, Howard Shultz. In the case of the success of Starbucks, its organizational culture has been driven and empowered by the founder and CEO, Howard Schultz. Howard wanted to expand the company and when he visited Italy prior to the overhaul of the original Starbucks he wanted to mirror the concepts of the coffeehouses in Italy. The key aspect to realize here is that organizational culture affects performance. Howard Schultz became the CEO of Starbucks in 1987. As an entrepreneur...
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...Starbucks’ Strategy 1. Suggest the key elements of Starbucks’ Organizational Culture that contribute to its success in a global economy. Indicate management’s role with creating and sustaining the organizational culture. Organizational culture has a significant impact on the overall performance of a company. Organizational culture is “the set of shared, taken-for-granted implicit assumptions that a group holds and that determines how it perceives, thinks about, and reacts to its various environments” (Barney, 1986). In this paper, I will examine the elements of Starbucks’ organizational culture that contributed to its success in a global economy, assess the effectiveness of its management decisions in providing innovative offerings for its customers, determine one key management competency, and speculate on whether the company would achieve long-term sustainability as a global leader in the coffee industry without the organization’s CEO, Howard Shultz. In the case of the success of Starbucks, its organizational culture has been driven and empowered by the founder and CEO, Howard Schultz. Howard wanted to expand the company and when he visited Italy prior to the overhaul of the original Starbucks he wanted to mirror the concepts of the coffeehouses in Italy. The key aspect to realize here is that organizational culture affects performance. Howard Schultz became the CEO of Starbucks in 1987. As an entrepreneur, he was influential in convincing investors to believe in his vision...
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...Southwest Airlines in 2010 (pages 401-436) Gamble, J. E., Thompson, A. A., Jr., and Peteraf, M. A. (2013). Essentials of strategic management: The quest for competitive advantage (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What are the key policies, operating practices, and core values underlying Southwest’s efforts to implement its low-cost/no frills strategy? In order for Southwest Airlines to implement its low-cost/no frills strategy, they charge the lowest price possible to make air travel affordable to a wide segment. The lowest fares were usually nonrefundable but could be applied to future travel on Southwest Airlines, while rival airlines charged a change free of $100 to $175. Southwest Airlines also implemented the “Bags Fly Free” policy. Other airlines were charging up to $120 round trip to check bags due to the increase in jet fuel costs, but Southwest chose to let fliers check bags for free, which resulted in a company-record load factor. Southwest also uses dynamic pricing to charge more during peak travel periods. Southwest was able to experience revenue gains from increased ticket sales and passenger traffic. Southwest does not use the hub-and-spoke route systems of rival airlines and instead uses point-to-point scheduling. This allows Southwest to minimize the time aircraft is at the gate to 25 minutes. Southwest’s point-to-point route system minimized connections, delays, and total trip time. Southwest also has no assigned...
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