Apple and Nitendo are joining up to have the Mario application in Apple’s iOS which is a breakthrough for Apple and strategy change for Nintendo which will introduce its characters into the Smartphone. In addition, Pokemon Go, in which Nintendo is a major shareholder, will bring its application to Apple Watch (Bishop ,2016).The company stayed away from introducing the game to Smartphone but this presented it with an opportunity to ensure that its products reach a broader market using Apple’s iOS as the marketing platform.
Through this cooperation both firms are going to benefit mutually as NItondo will reach out a larger market share enjoyed by Apple products. This presents a platform where Nintendo’s expand its reach to mobile platform. Apple on the other hand will offer better experience to the users of its watches and phones. Hence, this is a case of both firms gaining from collusion. The comparison based on quality will matter little to potential customers since the difference on that basis is quite insignificant.
Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy 7
The release of Apple’s iPhone & and Galaxy into the market present a very tough competition based on price given that the two products have very unique features (Kelly, 2016). Each of the products’ features is capable of attracting customers given that Samsung and Apple may have realized what users want.
With high quality features that ensure durability, it’s left to customers to select the product with the lower prices. Given that customers will have full information concerning the prices of the product, the one offering lower prices will gain a higher market share as long as the products, quality remains constant.
Business law is a growing concern in the commercial sector as business owners are particularly facing regulatory as well as logistical challenges. Therefore, most of the businesses including the small businesses have transformed their business structures through the hiring of legal consultancy firms so as to help them determine some of the important laws that the business has to act in accordance with.
Business law in this case, involves all laws that govern how your business will be established and how it should be run. These laws determine rules that your business should follow. It is thus important for you as the business owners to be familiar with these laws so as to be able to know the appropriate time when you need to seek the advice of a licensed consultancy or legal firm or from an attorney. Business law will help you to view the business as an entity that is separate from their owners as well as employees. This is similar to a society which has many individuals and thus all these business enterprises are governed by legal rules that are set to offer each and every business participant in the market a fair chance to achieve their goals.
Business law helps in dealing with legal issues while forming a business such as the employment of new employees and filing of taxes. It will also assist your business to obtain intellectual property protection such as copyright as well as trademark protection. This will ensure that your company’s logo, brand and business name are protected from other business competitors within the same industry. Through the use of a legal attorney therefore, the business will be able to acquire a legal trademark. This will ensure that business work is protected and it permits you to seek for justice in case anyone violates on this right of trademark. Business law also encompasses of employment laws that govern how employees are employed into the business. A lawyer will thus assists you as a business owner to make the necessary contract agreements between the owner and the employees. This contract agreement will establish a guideline that is to be used in the business in employing of new employers, non-disclosure as well as non-compete agreements with the employees. Basic tax requirements are also addressed by these business law attorneys and this will makes the process of forming and managing the business a smooth process. Understanding and implementation of this business laws will enhance you as the business owner to be aware of licenses that are required in the business so as to make your business legal. This enables you to take precautions that you are not infringing any business law through your business operation. Technology as well as financial transactions is some of the aspects that are covered in the business law and also the rights of privacy in regards to the computers in the workplace. Contract law is an agreement that is made between two or more people and its goal is to establish a legal obligation on whether to do or not to do a given thing. Business law therefore covers these contract laws which are essential in understanding of the intricate exchanges between persons under the business law and the regulations that purchaser and trader can put into effect. These business laws will thus enhance you to gain knowledge that will assist you to find which laws and rules that are most appropriate and effective at achieving an anticipated goal as laws change over time. In this case you will be able to evade any case of breach of contract as you will be involved in different types of contracts. Hence with the knowledge of this business law, you will be able to hold up your end of bargain to your customers, suppliers as well as to your employees. This will thus save your business reputation and thus increasing your competitive edge.
It is therefore important to note that business law consulting lawyers are very valuable in a business as it is evident that they deal with a number of legal issues that concerns a business operations. It is thus important to consider having them in the business and in understanding of the business laws so as to be able to smoothly run the business. This will enhance you to be updated on the latest business laws in the industry thus allowing for competency.
Today, there are various driving forces of organizational change. As a result of globalization, there are needs and expectation which requires change in order to implement new things and meet the demand of customers. However, other organizations are unable to manage the change due to the ever-changing environment, illegal actions and poor management. Change is inevitable and for organization to move forward and develop there must be change. In this case, life-cycle theory can explain better the type of change that is addressed. The theory asserts that organization is connected with external environment and it pass through different stages such as growth and declination. Since organizational change occur due to different reasons, leaders and manager should understand that change is difficult and so they should be ready to address the negative effects which affect the work force. To maintain sense of identity, commitment and performance, managers should know that change can affect the organization effectiveness as well as the accomplishment of goals. Thus, skills to manage change are required to ensure that change will be positively implemented and it will not affect work force or overall operations.
Change is constant but employees show resistance for different reasons. Thus, organizations must understanding that resistance is a must and should be ready prepared to deal with such challenges. When change is dramatic, organizations face lot of challenges in dealing with employees reactions towards the change (Cameron & Green, 2015). Thus, managers should maintain a social network for creating social relationship during change transition. Organization is made by people and manager should have a control system and ensure that the diverse group is providing a high-quality input. The important thing to note in organizational change is that everything will change and the organization may resist change due to various reasons (Cameron & Green, 2015). What is requiring in managing change is stability and rigidity and these will help the organization adapt changes.
The key events that are likely to occur during organization change and transition are employee resistance or denial, frustration (loss of loyalty) and mental stress or depression among employees. The first event or barrier which will occur is employee resistance. Grama & Todericiu (2016) asserts that change involves people and every member will suffer in the transition period. This means that employees will not accept the change because they fear losing job. Under this event, they will express anger because they will see negative consequences of change in future. The social protests might cause malfunctions and dysfunction which will affect the entire system. The change will affect their working position and their life and they will have negative approach toward the change (Grama &, Todericiu2016). They will develop cognitive and behavioral problems since they are not ready to cope with changes and new situations. Second, there will be loss of loyalty during the transition period. Many workers will quit job and search for employment as early as possible before termination. Employees who will remain will loss motivation and lack trust with company. This will affect their job performance and the overall operations will be affected (Grama &, Todericiu2016). Third, employees will develop mental stress as many will fear future changes and view the issue of change as unfair. They will develop irrational thoughts and the cognitions will negatively impact their attitudes.
As the top manager in General Motors, I would advise the managers to address the events using the Kotter’s eights steps. Proactive management is fundamental in maximizing future adaptability and motivating employees accept change. Leaders should provide leadership skills to middle managers. Mangers should discuss the importance of change and motivate employees in accepting the change (Cameron & Green, 2015). Organization should ensure effective change management by developing a sense of urgency. Manager should allow employees understand the competitive realities and the need for change. In addressing the issue during change transition, managers should form a guiding coalition which can motivate employees and join hands in implementing and accepting change (BUNEA, DINU, & POPESCU, 2016). There should be a vision which guides the change and by having a clear vision, employees will foresee the future and understand the need for change. In creating the vision, unhelpful structure which may hinder the implementation of future should be eliminated so that employees can view the situation clearly. Given that employees feel dissatisfied and resists the change, managers should show a sense of urgency and communicate clearly. In order to manage transition, managers may also assign tasks to middle managers who will generate enthusiasm through sharing ideas as well as goals (BUNEA, DINU, & POPESCU, 2016). The organization change management should include strategies such as day-to-day training of importance of change, follow-up plans for measuring the implementation of change and rewards for encouragements.
In managing changes, leaders were affected by the organizational change environment. Leaders faced challenges in adopting the new practice. The problem emerged when the culture of an organization was changed. Note that culture encompasses the mission statement and the reorganization of culture affects the environment which employees work in (Dhingra & Punia, 2016). In trying to modify the culture, leaders faced challenges as it was not easy for employees to accept the change. The process of making change is hard and managers have to cope with emotional stress for being too responsible in delegating task, motivating employees and staff and implementing change. Sometimes managers are isolated and lack support from the organization. Another challenge is resistance to change. This is a major issue affecting many organizations (Dhingra & Punia, 2016). Employees could not accept change and leaders were forced to take time and find solutions for solving the problems. Managers faced hard situations in managing conflicts as it is their responsibility to help members understand the importance of change. In transition management, managers deal with upheavals and use the possible ways of protecting the team. In managing change, managers require rewards system and the high cost required acted as a threat due to high cost. In addition, education and communication is a challenge and it hard for managers to clear doubt from employees (Dhingra & Punia, 2016). For this reason, employees developed ambiguity. Another challenges occurred because employees were not participants in creating change but rather they were just forced to comply with the new management. This acted as a barrier in implementing change.
In this case, one of the General Motors plant will be closed and half of employees will employed in other plants across the country and the rest will receive early retirements and job termination. In implementing change, the group which was to get early retirement and job termination resisted change (Arif et al, 2017). The group believed that the act was unfair and the change could affect their life. They did not understand the purpose of change since initially there was no good communication about the change. They felt powerless and confused and they lost control because it was hard for them to change the environment they operate in and live jobless. They lacked trust and support and they showed a high level of resistance. However, their situation was handled and finally they accepted change. The first thing in addressing the problem was to create an open door policy (Arif et al, 2017). Employees expressed their thoughts and by having a clear understanding about the change, they reduced resistance to change. Managers allowed the group to express their concern. There was a constant conversion between managers and employees and they were taught about the change, why it is needed and the future of change (Arif et al, 2017). Through engaging employees, they interacted by asking questions and used different ways of communication in conveying the message about change. Negotiation and agreement worked best as employee who highly resisted change were given the authority to communicate and offer their views. The management created team members who motivated the group in accepting change (Arif et al, 2017). Finally, employees had a positive view and accepted vision and goals of the organization.
Conclusion
In modern world, change in organization is inevitable. Without change, organizations may not enter in the competitive market to meet the customers’ demand. Change is part of business strategy which organizations use to progress and develop. However, employees are negative affected by the change and organization face challenges in trying to create a friendly environmental during change transition. Employees resist change due to fear of unemployment and other issue which negatively impact their lives. However, these challenges can be address by providing employees an opportunity to participate in planning change. Especially when change will affect their position, communication will provide the way forward. Manager should also value the self-interest of employees and show the concern in terms of how change will affect their life but not the business. Communication is all-important in eliminating misunderstanding and creating vision and goals. Through close interaction, there will be different assessments which will determine the importance and demerits of change.
Reference
Cameron, E. & Green, M. (2015). Making sense of change management. 4th ed. Chicago, Il: Kogan
Grama, B., & Todericiu, R. (2016). Change, Resistance to Change and Organizational Cynicism. Studies In
Business & Economics, 11(3), 47-54. doi:10.1515/sbe-2016-0034
Dhingra, R., & Punia, B. K. (2016). Impact of Organizational Culture on Employees' Readiness to
Change. Journal Of Management Research (09725814), 16(3), 135-147.
BUNEA, A., DINU, G., & POPESCU, D. M. (2016). The Perspective of Change as an Organizational Learning
Factor. Valahian Journal Of Economic Studies, 7(1), 83-88.
Arif, M., Zahid, S., Kashif, U., & Sindhu, M. I. (2017). Role of leader-member exchange relationship in
organizational change management: Mediating role of organizational culture. International
Journal Of Organizational Leadership, 6(1), 32-41.
A stakeholder refers to an individual, group(s) or organizations that management and frontline employees consider before making a decision that will influence the performance of an organization. Stakeholders normally have vested interests in the various policies being developed, promoted and adopted (Goergen, 2010). Google Inc. has diverse stakeholders since it has a wide range of products, its diversification and the various interest parties. For the firm to maintain its leadership position in innovation it has to address stakeholders’ interests though appropriate policies for corporate social responsibility. Many of the CSR programs carried out by Google are focused on various stakeholder groups who include the users, customers such as advertisers, suppliers ,the investors or shareholders, government or regulatory authorities and the community (Meyer,2017).
These stakeholders can be classified as internal, external, voluntary and involuntary. Internal stakeholders include the ones included in the operations of an organization and in this case include employees and managers. External stakeholders are not involved in the running of the organization and for the case of Google they include the customers, users, investors or shareholders and the government. The voluntary or self-appointed stakeholders include those who have the choice of becoming shareholders or not like suppliers, customers and users. The involuntary stakeholders are those who have no choice but to be and include the community and government (Goergen, 2010).
Finding the balance between interest of shareholders and stakeholders is an issue that borders on ethics across many organizations since they have to satisfy the expectations of these groups simultaneously (Schmeer, n.d). Google has to find the right ethical balance which will ensure that there is dispute that will arise due to the various activities it carries out. There are various challenges that an organization faces while dealing with stakeholders and these include competing goals, allocating rewards and stakeholder trust. An organization strives to satisfy the goals of all the stakeholders, but the choice of the most important goals has social, political and economic implications. The initial responsibility if management is to maximize on shareholders wealth through maximization of return on investment. Since the organization does not focus only on the owners, a balance has to be struck between profitability, employees’ welfare and the interest of external stakeholders (Goergen, 2010). A risk may arise where employees and management choose to focus on their own interest at the expense profitability. The employees desire to gain from the services they render to the firm in monetary terms or career growth and management want to feel that their skills are being appreciated. This includes promoting the well-being of the employees for the period they will work in this organization. Since the organization operates with a community, it is expected to have a positive social influence through carrying outs its operations in transparency and openness and being friendly to the environment in which it operates (Goergen, 2010). For a company like Google, it is compelled to focus on being perceived as a responsible firm so as to build its reputation and defend it in the community in which it operates. The organization is also expected to comply with regulatory authorities expectations by carrying outs its activities in a legal manner. The need to address all these may lead to a reduction in competitiveness of the firm in important areas of corporate performance.
Allocation of rewards may also present a problem to an organization, and the question would be how inducements are to be shared among the various groups of stakeholders. The essential aspect is that expectation of each group has to be satisfied minimally. The issue is how much of rewards the managers and employees should be given relative to investors, how to determine the right rewards and the need for long-term organizational growth. Another issue is on how much of the reward that an organization should dedicate to the community it operates so as to be a socially responsible firm (Goergen, 2010). The firm is expected to allocate part o profits to projects whose course is serving the community from which the wealth is derived. Another area that is a challenge to an organization is winning the trust of stakeholders since it would be difficult to operate without establishing such as trust. Whether Google is dealing with users, employees, regulators and the community, building trust through ethical behavior determines the overall performance. The organization has to embrace a code of values which it must instill into managers and employees so that it becomes accepted into the community. The corporate culture has reflect this culture so that cases of falsifying financial position , violations of laws and disregard for overall stakeholders need does not jeopardize its operation and image. A popular idea is that only organizations that are socially responsible are able to maximize profits and thereby increase shareholders stock price and wealth (Goergen, 2010). However, it may not be possible to strike the balance for all interests of shareholders and be a moral agent. The stakeholders may disagree with the method of conducting business if their interests are not met as they desire.
An ethical dilemma occurs when one is morally obliged to adhere to various courses of actions but the situation can only allow one choice among these choruses if action. Some stakeholders such as managers, investors and suppliers can present such a dilemma while dealing with them (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2008). For instance, an employee would be faced by the choice of reporting unethical actions by his or her boss who gets involved in some kind of corporate fraud that may affects the performance and the reputation of the organization. Many workers in such circumstances can be conflicted in the risk of losing a job, which would make it hard for them to continue meeting their obligation to care for their dependants. If they go ahead and report the fraud, other stakeholders are put at risk. In addition, the shareholders may put pressure on management to increase the profitability of their firm, and this is legally accepted as the major goals of a company. It may sound moral and reasonable but it can make the managers to get involved in corporate scandals where legal boundaries are toed to meet such obligations. However, where statutory limitations are not violated, the wrong decision making may end up hurting the many other stakeholders (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2008). Google shareholders may emphasize on the need to attain maximum profits which may lead to the firm releasing products that are considered unethical or not appropriate to the community. They management is presented with ethical dilemmas.
References
Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2008). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 30-37
I would love having an organization that makes huge profit. Making profit is the main goal of all organizations since profits is an indicator of success. I should come up with a good plan on what I would like my organization to be like. I would come up with a clear vision and mission that I would want to achieve. In addition I would come up with clear objectives that I would like to achieve and set a reliable time frame for the goals to get achieved. Setting a reliable time setting up time and providing enough resources for the objectives will contribute success towards my organization.
I would prefer a profit making organization where I will employ as many employees as possible as one way of giving back to the society. My organization has to comply with all the set laws and regulations meaning that I have to pay taxes. I have to employ qualified employees and qualified and experienced management to be part of my success team. I have to ensure that I lay a strong foundation as the founder of the organization in order to act as the role model to the many people behind me.
Coming up with the organization is not hard as maintaining the organization and ensuring everything flows smoothly. I have to let my plan guide me so that I can achieve success which is my main goal. I will like transformational leadership method since my employees will feel motivate and will get inspirational from time to time. My organization will be locally connected at first but later on connected globally as one way of ensuring more and more profits are generated. In addition more employees will be employed and by doing that I will have given back to the community.
As human beings, our nature is often determined by how we act and how these actions affect not only us but the people around us. People’s definition of us is determined by how they view us, their opinions and their attitude towards our actions. Because of this, people often have to control their actions so as to ensure that they behave in a manner that is acceptable. However, pleasing society does not mean losing our personal identity as each individual has the freedom to engage in any actions they please. The freedom of choice and the influence that society has on an individual’s decisions has sparked a controversial debate that has lasted for a long period of time. While some people argue that agency is the determining factor when it comes to making decisions, others argue that all decisions are influenced by structure and that agency only contributes to how these decisions are made. This paper will therefore demonstrate how, most, if not all, of the choices an individual makes are determined by structure and not agency as some people would assume.
Structure is used to refer to the social systems that influence an individual’s actions or decisions and determine the choices the individual will make. Agency on the other hand refers to an individual’s ability to make choices independently without being influenced by any outside factors (Powell, 2014). Although people have some level of control in the choices they make, their decisions are influenced, either directly or indirectly, by structure. This became clear when my friends and I were deciding whether to form a discussion group so that we could help each other perform better for the coming exams. Before forming the group, each member was asked about their willingness to join the group so that we could help each other study. Realizing the importance of groups in helping students improve their grades, we decided to form the group and help each other to better understand the school curriculum before the exam.
Although the decision to form the group was based on the choice that each member to join, it became clear that these decisions, though personal, were not made independently. Structure played a major role in leading us to form the discussion group. In this scenario, the school and society in general played the role of the social system that led to the choice each group member made. In today’s society, people greatly value education and have placed a lot of faith in school’s ability to educate. Society also believes that a student’s success or failure is determined by the decisions they make both in school and at home (Germov & Poole, 2015). Being a student, I was aware that society expected me to perform and get good grades. For this to happen, I had to go an extra mile to ensure that I was well prepared for the coming exam. Although the decision to form the discussion group may have been a personal one, society played a major role in influencing the choice I made. Structure played a major role in our decision to form the discussion group because we had to live up to what society expected of us. For us to live up to society’s expectations, we had to get good grades, and this meant passing the exams. Therefore, the rational thing to do was to find a way to ensure that we did well and this was achieved through the discussion group.
The choices people make are greatly influenced by structure through societal systems either related to the past, the present or the future. Even though people are responsible for the decisions they make, these decisions are greatly influenced by events that have occurred or could occur (Elder-Vass, 2010). My decision to join the discussion group was influenced by the results I had achieved from the previous exam as well as fear of the results that I would achieve in the exam that was to come. Although the present decision may have seemed that I was acting based on agency, the agency was greatly influenced by the structure that is my past experience and my anticipated future. Although the desire to perform well was personal and the choice I made to join the group was my own, society left me no choice as this is what was expected of me. I had to find a solution that would allow me to excel in the exam and the best option was the group discussion.
However, there are people who may argue that all choices and decisions made are solely determined by agency and not structure (Powell, 2014). In the case of joining the discussion group, some may argue that I independently made the decision to join without being influenced by any other factor. They further argue that even though society may influence a person’s decisions and actions, it is the person who makes the choice to get involved or not. Such an argument is inconclusive in that it fails to take into account the consequences that follow a choice. It is this consequence that determines the choice made. People just assume that a decision is independent because only the individual can make it. This however is not the case because all choices are determined by the end result that a person intends to achieve. Although agency gives the illusion that people are independently making choices out of their free will, this is not often the case.
Take for example the school system. Often times, the only way to be successful is by going to school, performing well in class and getting employed in a good institution. As agency would have it, people independently have the freedom of choosing whether to go to school, perform well and get employed. However, this is not the case as society has put in place a system where a comfortable life is often connected with education. If one does not go to school, they will not get employed. Without education and employment, people will be forced to live in poverty and lead a miserable life. As a result, the structure that is the school system greatly influences the decision people make regarding going to school, getting employed and living a productive life.
Society often dictates the choices that people make and the type of actions they engage in. although making a choice is voluntary, the choices are rarely independent and as such, they cannot be said to be based on agency. Every decision a person makes is influenced by either the past or a desired future result. People study because it is the only way to study exams; others go to work because it is the only way to earn a living. Although we make these choices, they are influenced by society and as such, most, if not all choices are based on structure. Although agency can be used to explain why different people can make different choices on the same scenario, agency itself is not enough to explain why people make certain choices and this is why it is often associated with structure. It is therefore correct to assume that Structure is the determining factor behind all decisions that a person makes.
References
Elder-Vass D, (2010) “The casual power of social structures: Emergence, structure and agency” Cambridge University Press
Germov J and Poole M, (2015) “Public sociology: An introduction to Australian society” Allen and Unwin Press
Coke and Pepsi have been operating in CDS market that has been shrinking over the years and where there are many substitutes for their products. The products sold by these two firms have to compete in a market this saturated with substitutes but they have managed to sustain their market share leadership and maintain profitability. Coke and Pepsi have maintained their lead in the market despite selling undifferentiated products (Dyer, Godfrey, Jensen, & Bryce, 2016). These companies have capitalized on the supplier power, buyer power and little new entrant threats to wade of threat of substitutes and new entrants into the market. The suppliers bargaining power asserts little pressure on these firms since they are not differentiated or concentrated. Moreover, the major ingredients for various soft drinks such as caffeine, carbonated water and phosphoric acid are readily available and easy to obtain in the market.
At the centre of each firm are manufacturing plants for is concentrate so that raw materials can be blended and then packaged in containers for shipping to bottlers. Such strategies ensure that the firms eliminate threats that are normally presented by supplier bargaining power in raw materials market. Firms that have tried a direct entry in the market have failed due the competitive advantage enjoyed by Coke and Pepsi. An example is Virgin Drinks that engaged in a serious marketing and advertising in 1988 for its cola but was unable to compete with leading brands stocked in retail outlets. The firm could not hold a grip on shelf space in retail outlets and grocery stores, an indication of how it is hard for new firms to break into the market (Dyer, Godfrey, Jensen, & Bryce, 2016). This implies that the Coca-Cola and Pepsi competitive strategies do not involve a differentiated brand but exploitation of the marketing strategies that are enhanced by a well organized distribution network facilitated by bottlers.
Another aspect is that the bargaining power of buyers is low given that bottlers for the buyers of the company’s products under contracts that prevented them from switching to other products. This has established an effective distribution network with its presence in various locations in their markets. This presence has enabled the firms to market products to a broad market and at the same time holding onto a local approach. As buyer these bottlers’ relationships with Pepsi and Coca-Cola are regulated by contracts, where the firms can dictate on bottling process (Dyer, Godfrey, Jensen, & Bryce, 2016). Despite their products being undifferentiated, the firms have dominance in the self space while their incumbent products have sustained popularity hence making the market very hard for new entrants. Though the CDS market has been shrinking, Coke and Pepsi have continued to maintain a large share with few firms that can wage price competition in the industry.
In addition, new firm cannot use aggressive marketing and advertising to gain market share in the concentrate industry. This is majorly because the industry has few differentiated products and other aspects such as distribution network and industry partnership inform a company’s competitiveness. Coca- Cola and Pepsi have used franchising as strategy to maintain presence in the market and shelf space in retail outlets. Forming a wide connection with bottlers and supporting their local marketing strategies and negotiation with retail stores as primary customers and local suppliers of raw materials has enabled the two firms to maintain a grip in the market. This means that a new entrant goal of acquiring a substantial market share cannot be maintained merely through active marketing and advertisement. The CDS market has to involve increased engagement with bottlers whereby they are able to obtain cost advantages and capital intensity. These connections can enable new entrants to reach large customers as Pepsi and Coca-Cola have managed to acquire McDonalds as a major customer.
The concentrate industry is far much attractive than the bottling industry in regard to quality maintenance and cost, and market control. Market control stems from the fact that concentrate industry offers buyers higher bargaining power while supplier have lower bargaining power. The company operating as the supplier is able to maintain its superiority since it guards raw materials as high secrets, while only making them available to preferred buyers. In the case of the bottling industry, the supplier is able to maintain a high bargaining power since the manufacturing firm has to seek essential materials like glass bottle for packaging. In addition, the concentrate industry has low threat to new entrant given that large capitals are required and the Coke and Pepsi hold their contracts exclusively. The market has fragmented buyers, with retail outlets such as warehouse and supermarkets being more likely to form the biggest percentage of sales. The overall effect is that buyers’ bargaining power is low for the concentrate industry. In the bottling industry the bottling methods are mostly controlled by the bottler, which minimizes the threats of new substitutes in the industry. The end results are that the competitive rivalry is reduced in the concentrate industry and this makes Coke and Pepsi to prefer it to the bottling industry. The concentrate industry is also convenient in that it is possible to control quality of soft drinks by maintaining similar raw materials for the carbonated drinks for the whole market.
Despite the concentrate environment being attractive, Pepsi and Coke maintains their presence in the bottling environment to protect themselves from new entrants into this market. The bottling industry enables Coca-Cola to strengthen its brand through a consolidation of its distinct brand portfolio (Dyer, Godfrey, Jensen, & Bryce, 2016). Through this the firm is able to have a single cohesive brand image. In addition, the bottling business enables Coke to have more flexibility in managing niche brands and other brands. Pepsi engages in bottling industry to enable the shifting as customer tastes are changing and protect itself against smaller firms with established operations across the U.S niche markets. It is also important for the two firms to integrate into bottling so as to protect their businesses against retailer size shifts. This contact with retailers has been important since they control the sale of many brands. The involvement in the bottling industry therefore enables Pepsi and Coca-Cola to have part of that control.
Conclusion
The case offers an insight into the CSD industry and how Coca Cola and Pepsi as major players have been able to remain market leaders in a shrinking market. The firms have used their brand equity and franchising system strategy to maintain their market share while dealing with undifferentiated products. Preferring to operate in concentrate industry while maintaining their presence in the bottling business has enabled the firm to maintain profitability in this shrinking market.
Reference
Dyer, Godfrey, Jensen, & Bryce. (2016). Strategic Management, Concepts, and Tools for Creating Real World Strategy: Concepts and Cases (1st ed., pp. 87-105, C12-C21). 978-0-470-93738-9: Wiley.
Burger Fuel is one of the first leading international burger restaurants that were founded in the year 1995 by Manson Chris. Currently the foundation is working in six different countries and the idea behind the establishment of the initial restaurant was to provide consumers with fresher burger gourmet that are made of natural and fresh ingredients. The idea was well accepted by consumers which led to the establishment of a second burger store within the first two years of operation. The corporation added the name worldwide to its title in the year 2007 thus developing the title Burger Fuel Worldwide. Burger Fuel worldwide is a title that depicts the corporation’s ambition in filling its presence in the global environment. Despite the issues and the high competition that is in the food industry Burger Fuel worldwide has maintained a stronger position which will provide a better group in designing competitive marketing approaches. Burger Fuel holds a good product development strategy that meets the needs of the modern consumers but it flaw lies on its incapability to develop a strong product perception in all its locations (NZME, 2017). For the corporation, the idea of expanding in the American market is useful as it will expose the possibility of attracting millennial consumers who desires to consumer quality, tasty and healthy burgers. The objective of the corporation is to offer premium, fresh and natural foods but this objective requires being equipped with a strategic plan. This report is objected at providing overall strategies utilized by Burger Fuel and recommendations of the best positioning strategies in the global market which is characterized by high competition.
Situational Analysis
Burger Fuel worldwide operates as a franchising company with the operation of fast foods burger restaurant with the product name as Burger Fuel. The corporation’s main is particularly focused on several position areas such as vegetarian foods, Halal, organic product food, and free range and gluten free products. The corporation has since its origin attempted to sustain its vision of providing healthier food menu as compared to their competitors (NZME, 2017). Burger Fuel is particularly known for its unique menu and branded drinks which some are made by the corporation. This therefore shows the focus of the corporation in offering diversified yet healthier and unique foods which ranges from burger, soda, milk shakes and so much more. The revenue of the corporation is achieved from three different sources which are income property which is attained from franchises leasing , retail sales and franchise revenue (NZME, 2017). The corporation has established 56 locations in its 20 years operation and it has the goal of establishing at least one thousand fresh outlet within the next eight years. Given the time period it has been in operation and the sites it has managed to establish its target seems to be beyond its current power and therefore strategic approaches must be adopted sooner.
The highest strength held by the corporation is geographic and healthier and diversified menu in its location in six countries which are primarily leading in economic development. The corporation is constantly focused on market expansion, penetration, and market share increase as well as product development. The corporation holds a strong offering of its unique products which has increased its ability to retain consumers (NZME, 2017). Its culture has additionally been useful in increasing employee’s morale and satisfaction thus increasing the rate of retention. Despite the opportunities held by the corporation is faced with stiff competition from corporations such as McDonald, burger king, and subway (Schlosser, 2012). The competitors are well established in the global market based on their strategic approaches which necessitate the corporation to be more equipped in gaining a more appealing position in the market.
In the modern society today the fast food industry is gaining popularity rapidly due to the continuous life style changes. However, even with the rising acceptance of the market individuals are highly concerned of what they consume based on the fact that despite the convenience the fast meals are characterized normally by negativity (Amos, 2008). High consumption of unhealthy meals in the modern society is characterized by the rise of diseases such as heart illness, obesity, diabetes and so much more. Despite the fact that the demand and the consumption of fast foods are on the rise for some individuals and particularly the millennial generation which incorporates young adults, children and teenagers they are forced to consider what they take. Convince, affordability, quality, and healthiness are the major factors that determine fast foods consumption (Schlosser, 2012). Burger Fuel is however strategically designed as its products are based on the mentions features. As the corporation aims at penetrating overseas and also expanding its presence in the united states the internal and external aspects that affects the corporation must be analyzed.
Impact of internal and external environment on Burger Fuel Worldwide
Commercial industries are normally open to challenges which may either be external or internal and at times they can be controlled and not avoided (Schlosser, 2012). This section will utilize SWOT as well as Pestle analysis in the proposition of a better market plan. The external environment that affects Burger Fuel includes economic, social cultural, technology, legal issues, and environmental issues.
Political Environment
Due to the increased development of the fast food market the industry is highly targeted by governmental programs that are aimed at developing the general health of the community as well obesity reducing which occurs mainly in the western nations. In the early 21st century the European scientific committee released a report on the link amid preservatives and the rise of diseases such as heart illness (Schlosser, 2012). This meant that most of the fast food products had to reduce the amount of salt for the wellness of the community. Burger Fuel, in particular, decreased the level of salt since most of its menu has no preservatives. Most of the European nations are indicated to be strict on a number of preservatives that are placed on foods (Schlosser, 2012).
However, the United States market for the fast food can best be described as self-regulated since the government is lowly involved despite the rising report on the association amid modern fast food with obesity, diabetes as well as heart issues (NZME, 2017). This is driven by two main aspects in that to begin with the political system in America is less committed as compared to the European nations to the economics of laissez-faire. This therefore shows that for success to be achieved in the market more there is more politically based inactivity to handle. To add, the united states fast food sector is characterized by aggression and there is the political ability of avoiding the developed regulations. The lobbies of the industry has thus permitted the defeat of the proposed restrictions on the policies that are aimed at handling salt, fat as well as sugar in fast meals. This has therefore, been essential to increasing and sustaining the profits for corporations such as McDonald in America as compared to those states with strict policies that have been imposed (NZME, 2017). Burger Fuel should therefore focus on the preferences of the consumers’ rather than navigating the policies like the competitions which will earn it a competitive position.
Economic Environment
American provides the biggest market economy globally and thus the corporation is particularly right on expanding its presence in the market. In regard to technological and development authority America stands at the first position. The country has a high population that offers an attractive market share for corporations and particularly those in the fast food industry. Given that it has a busy economy most individuals prefers to consumer fast foods throughout the day in order to save time. In addition the income distribution is higher as compared to other states. However, the population requires to be offered with unique and healthier diets contrary to what competitors in the region do (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2007). From this it s clear that the market is characterized by intense competition by corporations such as subway, McDonald and burger king which holds the largest market shares globally. Based on the stable economic wealth in America and the many competitors that operates globally this can pose a challenge for the Burger Fuel to engage penetrate and expand its market. However, if the corporation will attain the capability of breaking into the American market it is clear that there will be increased demand for the products since majority of the people will mainly be focusing on a search for quality, healthier and affordable products (NZME, 2017).
Socio-Cultural Environment
Similarly to Australia, the united state is a country with diversified cultures. Burger Fuel has however done well in the Middle Eastern states such as Dubai and Saudi Arabia which are characterized by high cultural conservation. When selecting a market it is essential for the corporation to make an account of religion and cultural beliefs which may act for or even against the business (Schlosser, 2012). The corporation can fully beat the hindrances of culture and religion as it is based on foods without preservatives that are mostly natural and healthily which respects the standards of almost every culture today. In succeeding in the international market the corporation is necessitated to recognize is that they should customize their products based on the preferences, taste and the market culture in every state. Offering the same products in all the markets is not suitable for all the cultures and therefore modification in form of differentiation should be made (Schlosser, 2012).
Technological Environment
Among the states that the burger Fuel is located in US is the most advanced state technologically. In the present society technological development and adoption is very essential in determining how the business performs. In order to increase efficiency and convenience the corporation can adopt an online selling system to gather most of the unexploited spots. in addition the restaurants should provide services such as free bowing which will increase is popularity. For instance, the strategy is utilized my McDonald corporation in its American as well as Australian market (Schlosser, 2012). Offering such services together with a differentiated menu for different times is an effective way of attracting consumers, particularly working, university students and teenagers who are involved in extensive utilization of the internet during their day period especially when they are free (Schlosser, 2012).
Environment
Environment problems can be described as those matters that are highly notable in the society today because of the growing awareness on issues such as emissions of the green houses, pollution and global warming (Schlosser, 2012). This, therefore, requires the corporation to package their products in a friendly manner which will account on their social responsibility. The United States holds a strict legislative and policies regarding the conservation of the environment. Considering its high economic engagement and population it contributes to approximately 21 percent of the worldwide emission and thus the corporation should focus on addressing the need of the residents to be environmentally responsible. Social and especially environment responsibility is bound to earn the corporation a good reputation thus attracting loyal consumers (Schlosser, 2012). This will result in the growth of its general market share in the local as well as global market.
Legal Environment
The particular legal surrounding where Burger Fuel corporation operates depends highly on the country and the specific market being addressed based on that it is located in six different countries. However, all the markets that the corporation operates in holds a certain degree of safety as well as health regulations which are mainly based on the general preparation. Hygiene training in all the states is a necessity for the staff engaged in handling meals whose expenses are charged from the corporation. The corporation is highly committed to healthiness and quality and it ensures that all its products and particular those from animal products are checked (Sharma, 2009).
In different market there are distinct employment policies which involves working standards, working period, taxes and benefits. Burger Fuel from its record has been established to having adhered to all the legal standards in the different markets that it is involved in even those markets that holds less concentrated laws in regard to the preparation and the components engaged in developing the foods (NZME, 2017).
Burger Fuel is faced with numerous challenges that are located in the external surrounding which includes the general food concern that is held socially, failure of marketing strategies, restrictions from entering and progressing in some markets such as the Iran market, negative publicity and a negative perception in regard to the corporation’s environmental responsibility (NZME, 2017). However, the corporation has maintained its objectivity through ensuring that consumers are given products that are safe and natural. The corporation has additionally been fully committed to affordability, quality as well as healthiness which can be utilized in the creation of better and reliable opportunities for the corporation generally. The fast food industry is engaged in the sale of ready drinks and food for immediate use which may either take place at the corporation’s location or on other locations based on the preferences of the consumers (Sharma, 2009).
SWOT Analysis
Burger Fuel is basically grounded on culture. Through the operation with the right culture the corporation has for years retained its staff and acquired loyal consumers. The CEO of the corporation believes that doing business cannot be termed as an easy task and therefore the ability to retain employees can only be achieved through engaging satisfaction, freedom and confidence. The internal environment impact on the corporation can best be analyzed using a SWOT analysis.
Strengths
Burger Fuel holds an authoritative reputation globally and particularly in the six nations that it is involved in. The corporation is considered to be in the first position in regard to offering healthier and natural meals both domestically and internationally. The corporation holds a strong management system that believes in the employees and places the consumer first. The strong management has helped in sustaining it and penetrating in fresh market despite the challenges that it has encountered generally. The corporation offers unique products that are highly preferred by the millennial generation or individuals with diseases concern (Sengupta, 2005). This therefore places it at a unique position since its differentiation has not been adopted by the competitors which may be essential in attracting a wider range of consumers (Sengupta, 2005).
In addition the corporation utilizes scale of economy in ensuring that it operates in low cost. This implies that the corporation is entitled to a higher profit since the cost risk is diversified across its economic market (Sharma, 2009). The corporation offers a wide range of food to choose from which are carefully designed and developed to suit the needs of the consumers. Funds sources are not an issue to the corporation since it utilizes asset leverage which permits it to operate with minimal debts and without affecting activities. The corporation’s supply chain is particularly one of the strongest which is associated with consistency thus permitting the management to focus on market as well as performance. Its abilities therefore distinguish the corporation from the competitors based on its uniqueness. The company highly prioritizes the wellness of the consumers, their safety as well as being socially responsible which has earned it a good reputation. The rate of low employees turnover has helped it in consistency and high performance throughout the years which has been influenced by its favorable culture (Sharma, 2009).
Weaknesses
However the corporation lacks a high brand perception based on the fact that its ability to create awareness in regard to its product is low. This therefore hinders its ability to penetrate in more markets and to expand in the existing ones (NZME, 2017). There is therefore a necessity to create a good brand with a positive perception. In addition, the presence of price competition results in the generation of low revenue. The corporation lacks innovations while offering its organic and natural products which would be essential in the creation of a better brand image. To top it up, the corporation’s marketing is ineffective based on the fact that it is not strategically developed (NZME, 2017).
Opportunities
Since the corporation is focused on the needs and wellness of the society it can adopt innovativeness in developing its product line. In addition social and environment responsibility can be attained through green packaging and getting involved in development programs in the society. Fresh product offering can best be achieved through improved consumer services and additional services (NZME, 2017). This may include the introduction of online ordering, and development of products that best suits the target market’s culture. Fresh products will work in securing the corporation a wider market that has not yet been exploited by the consumers. The restaurant’s structures can also be upgraded to suit luxurious and a comfortable setting to best appeal to the consumers. The corporation can reduce its expansion rate in order to reduce the concentration and increase the general profitability from all the markets (NZME, 2017).
Threats
The primary threat for Burger Fuel Corporation is stiff competition in the global setting as well as in the food industry. The industry is growing fast which is particularly being facilitated by economic freedom and markets expansion. With easy penetration into the fast food market more restaurants are being established offering products at decreased prices. This therefore increases the consumer’s choice and demand for affordability. In addition major fast food corporations have emerged such as Burge King, Taco and Starbucks thus enhancing competition in the local as well as the international market (Schlosser, 2012). The other threat is based on the fluctuation of currency in the foreign market thus threatening its ability to maximize profit. Despite the fact that the corporation generates its funds from a more diversified sources it is faced with recession which affects its ability to be innovate and expand to the different markets. Moreover, the corporation incurs heavy costs based on the fact that it invests highly on marketing campaigns which have less to offer the corporation based on their inappropriate structuring (Schlosser, 2012). The high expansion target of the corporation is bound to affect its ability to grow based on the diversified attention that it will have to handle.
Business Strategies for a Competitive Position
The United States offers the most intensifying competition among the fast food operators like McDonald, Wendy’s, burger king, subway and Starbucks. The competition for the introduction of fresh meals has risen in the recent and every operator is struggling to offer products that are characterized by low prices (Schlosser, 2012). By the end of last year Burger king was leading in offering products of high quality and yet characterized by affordability. The chains in the united states fast food market have make the claim that they are all attempting to attract consumers who are conscious about value who are basically in search of lowly priced meals (Magretta, 2012). However the operators are less focused on quality and healthiness which provides Burger Fuel with a great opportunity to work against the intensifying completion in the American market. The other advantage is that the American market is characterized by a wide range of consumers based on its modernized lifestyle as well as high population. While the corporation are competing to lead in the value position the corporation can focus on ensuring that it maximizes its sales through offering healthy, quality and yet affordable products that best suits the modernized culture in America (Magretta, 2012). For a corporation to create a quality market and also attain products success there is a need to understand the approach of being at a competitive advantage with a given market. Being at a competitive advantage generates the opportunities for establishing fresh products and markets which offers disruption n within a competitive market thus helping in the creation of better defense against the influences of high competition (Singh, 2008).
For Burger Fuel there is a great need to get into the United States market via the utilization of differentiation, cost leadership as well as focus in attaining a competitive advantage. In simple terms competitive advantage can be described as the general position that a corporation acquires in association with that of other corporations that are in a similar sector. There are different and numerous effective strategies through which competition can be handled. Having a more focused approach implies that the ability of the products to do well in the market is high since its ability has already been drawn (Kabst & Matiaske, 2005). To begin with the cost leadership approach is a description of when a corporation has made the primary decision of offering the cheapest products within the markets that it operates in. The approach requires the customization of goods in order to boost the capability of taking advantage of the scales economy. In real sense there is only a single cost leader who normally offers the least product prices within a given market. The corporation can utilize this strategy in expanding its presence after penetration into the American market but it has to ensure that its product ranges meets all the necessities of the market since this may require it to transform them even further beyond the minimal prices thus resulting to loss. In other words the corporation should be offering similar services to those offered by other firms but at reduced prices (Valentine, Mathis & Jackson, 2013).
On the other hand, differentiation normally refers to offering premium products at close prices to the low quality products that the competitors are giving. This is ensuring that the products are unique to allow the consumers to perceive them as superior. The fact that the corporation will be developing different products generally means that the consumers will think that they are much higher as compared to the rest. The utilization of this strategy is where the corporation willfully selects a specific product characteristic which they will priorities to develop (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt, 2012). This feature cannot be selected for the sake without establishing whether it will be relevant in the market. Since the market in the discussion is the American market the corporation can best focus on branding. Contrarily the cost leader approach, a differentiation strategy is more flexible since it allows the coexistence of products given that they offer the differentiation effect (Ireland, Hoskisson & Hitt, 2012). In addition to branding the products in a different way, the corporation can also offer price as well as the differentiation of prices.
The last strategy is referred to as focus. This means that the corporation has to divide its attention within a narrow market segment through reducing the rate of expansion to permit development. This will permit the corporation to be speculates in the narrow market and try to impress the consumers within (Truss, Mankin & Kelliher, 2012). Burger Fuel should have a specific set of those advantages that they should gain. In this case, the advantages involves, a stable market, maximize profit and attain a higher consumer segment within the two years in operation. The corporation should, therefore, be focused on offering foods at the lowest possible prices which their competitors cannot be able to attain. This cannot be attained with the efficiency of the stores and ensuring that the daily operations are conducted at reduced prices. This will be effective in permitting superiority of the stores as compared to the current offering in the market given that the corporation will be offering food at prices that are lower as compared to all the other firms that exists in the industry (Truss, Mankin & Kelliher, 2012).
In addition, the other advantage that the corporation should adopt is high delivery speed to consumers. This is useful in ensuring that the consumers are fully satisfied with the services. However this cannot be obtained without the implementation of simple and fast preparations of food to the employees (Hoskisson & Hoskisson, 2013). This additionally necessitates providing the employees with an environment that is favorable and relaxed. When employees are highly motivated this means that their ability to perform fast and effectively is enhanced. In addition the employees are able o serve the consumers accordingly because they feel valued. The preparations and recipes should be those that are easy to understand and execute with reduced potential for failure which will , in turn, impact the production and delivery speed positively. Both strategies are directly in compliance with the corporation’s vision which is to become a leading provider of healthy and quality foods. In order to be at the leading position, the corporation is necessitated to offer premium quality, cleanliness, safe, healthy, high value and quality services so that the expectation of all the consumers can be met without fail (Valentine, Mathis & Jackson, 2013).
Product differentiation can particularly be defined as the strategy of market that is utilized by businesses in distinguishing their products from the ones offered on the market under a similar category. For a fresh market venture into the American market, this strategy will be beneficial to burger Fuel in offering a competitive advantage in a market that is fully dominated by extensive corporations (Magretta, 2012). The differentiation approach that the corporation should utilize should be targeting a specific group in order to different its perception to those of similar products in the market. When a corporation utilizes the strategy of differentiating its services as well as products on a particular market it develops a high value among its customers and the willing consumers in the market. An approach that is directly objected on the generation value is crucial in highlighting the long-term sustainability of the product in the market. Differentiation is a form of non-competition without the utilization of prices in being competitive (Hoskisson & Hoskisson, 2013). This is because the strategy opens grounds for the corporation to participate in competition without the engagement of prices. For instance, the company can differentiate its menu through offering a distinct taste as well as improve on quality.
However, in the American market price differentiation is a major approach since individuals are currently demanding products that are characterized by less cost. This approach is effective since it increases the ability of the corporation to attract more consumers as well to increase sales through affordability. In addition this is the most appropriate strategy for Burger Fuel since the corporation lacks a positive brand perception. With the need to develop brand loyalty a successful differentiation approach will work best. This particular strategy is effective in the creation of a higher market share via the anticipated cost, safety and quality through gaining loyalty from the market (Magretta, 2012). The corporation must therefore sustain the development the delivering value as well as quality to all its consumers so that loyalty can be maintained. In a market that is characterized by high competition like the fast food sector in the united states if a product fails in maintaining its effectiveness in quality consumers are likely to shift directly to substitutes that are produced similarly by the other firms. In addition the differentiation strategy is never effective if it is based on what the competitors are engaged in. this means that the corporation must fully focus on customization that has no substitute in the market to create a much firmer perception. The approach should therefore be based on an innovative design that is not present in other foods. After the corporation has attained an advantage in the American market it will not be necessary to try to impress the consumers since they will automatically perceive the foods as unique (Hoskisson & Hoskisson, 2013).
Differentiation as an approach of competitive position offers corporations with uniqueness that is required to survive in a given market through accounting for the tastes, need and preferences of the consumers (Griffin, 2012). In the particular case of the American market, the preference would be affordability, healthy as well as high quality. Consumers are highly willing to spend more on quality, affordable as well as healthy foods. This is driven by the changes in the living, expensive living thus the necessity to increase savings as well as the rise of diseases which are mainly encouraged by unhealthy eating habits. A generic focus that the corporation should adopt lies on focusing on the millennial generation which is widely established to be highly concerned in regard to intakes. The group is highly knowledgeable about natural, organic and healthy foods which meet their necessity to maintain physical structure and wellness for the future (Griffin, 2012).
If the attractiveness and the effectiveness of an organization to generate profit, positioning is highly required. When a corporation is positioned at a market will low profitability positioning holds the capability of creating higher returns (Freeman, 2010). Competitive advantage in the American and the rest of the market can best be attained with the utilization of cost advantage and distinguishing. The three strategies by Porter which are leadership cost, focus and distinction should be utilized in all the levels of the business since they are highly dependent on one another and therefore should be aligned (Zoephel, 2011). The success of the cost leading approach is determined by skills that are required in developing unique products, distribution efficiency, adequate capital access that is necessary for important investments to take part as well as high level of expertise to generate knowledge needed to understand the changes in the market and design fresh and effective solutions. However this approach is characterized by different risks and mainly low cost operation since affordability makes it hard to maximize generation. In addition the advantage can be eliminated quickly with changes and advances in the economic market. In addition when it is accompanied by a focus strategy cost becomes a necessity in order for the market to generate adequate revenue and a higher market share that supports escalation (Freeman, 2010).
The differentiation strategy should be accompanied by a high reputation through the establishment of innovativeness and quality. In addition, the corporation should focus on locating skilled and highly creative staffs as the market requires consistent development (Ercetin & Bağcı, 2016). Despite the fact that different is highly effective and suitable for Burger Fuel in penetrating and growing in the particular market it is associated with risks such as imitation as the competitors may not waste time in adopting the strategy as well as the continuous changes in consumers’ needs, preferences as well as taste. This, therefore, necessitates a full study of the market without fail. In addition since the corporation will also be incorporating the focused approach, this implies that it may have a high potential of achieving higher differentiation in all the structured segments. Focus strategy is additionally characterized by rapid changes as well as high ability to be copied (Ercetin & Bağcı, 2016). However, this strategy presents a more open ground for adopting low cost in operation and maintaining affordability. Moreover, the strategies will benefit the form as it will be able to separate its market from the rest that permitting it to concentrate narrowly on less competition (Ercetin & Bağcı, 2016).
Gaining Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the Expansion Plan to USA
Sustainable competitive advantage can best be described as the corporation’s attributes, capabilities and assets that becomes challenging to overcome or copy and they also offer an authoritative long-term position over all the competitors in the market (Militello & Schwalberg, 2002). These forms of advantages are required by a corporation in thriving in the international economic surrounding today. For investors they are mainly interested in purchasing value and this is best analyzed through the advantages that the corporation has. Without the presence of a single or more it becomes impossible for a corporation from a shortage or a challenge that affected its general ability to perform in the market. Sustainable advantages are primary to the growth of any business. These are the forces that permits the business to achieve increased priority, increase sales, increase profit, consumer growth and maintaining a much higher retention ability as compared to the competitors (Ercetin & Bağcı, 2016). Without these it means that the business will mainly be operating in an environment that has less benefits in terms of consumers satisfaction. Sustainable advantage exists in three distinct forms which are value, cost and focus advantage. To begin with cost advantage is the approach where the business is involved in the competition of using prices. On the other hand, the advantage of value is where the offerings are distinguished in order to attain superiority. Focus means prioritizing a particular market which makes it easy to identify threats as well as business chances with customized offering that best suits the specific market (Ercetin & Bağcı, 2016).
Competing in a fresh market is more better to establish sustainable advantages since the business lacks a market share as well as buying authority for its product in the United States market. Since the business will be targeting mainly the millennial generation these advantages would be essential in serving the group in a more improved way. In this case Burger Fuel can best be achieved through the following. First the corporation is required to have an understanding of its segments and the market in general (Drejer, 2002). This will involve establishing those positions that are not concentrated in the competing firms which is healthier and natural offering and target to generate maximum sales. The corporation will then focus on understanding the needs of the consumers by establishing their actual value and wants proposition to gather their attention more quickly. The corporation will also work on improving its services levels, branding, affordability and quality in order to deliver more value that the consumer’s proposed. The company is well equipped with adequate resources and high capabilities ranging from human resource and this will therefore be utilize in an innovative manner in giving worth to the selected market without fail. The business approach of the corporation will also be designed and developed in support of the targeted Value to best grab the consumers attention (Drejer, 2002).
This plan will enable the corporation to define its consumers, suppliers, and competitors in the American market. Without the establishment of the key things that are required in consistent progress, it would be challenging for the corporation to stabilize in the market. The utilization of sustainable advantages in making sales and well as marketing will make it easier for the segment market understands the benefits of being part of Burger Fuel rather than the competing operators. This will additionally ease the employee’s effort on delivering quality services and products since the consumers will be willing to commit (Drejer, 2002).
Sustainable advantages have specific criteria that can utilize in the establishment of capabilities. The use of value analysis is useful in creating value that is supposed to be upgraded to suit the needs of the corporation (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011). In order for sustainable advantage for the Burger Fuel to be achieved it has to create non-substitute, expensive to copy, rare as well as valuable capabilities. Valuable capabilities are useful for the corporation in distribution and neutralization of risks and business opportunities within the particular market. Rare capabilities are never owned by the other operators which make it hard and costly to copy thus most will opt to develop their own (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011). This implies that the capabilities should be unique with a positive brand and cultural perception. Social complexity should never be eliminated in the case since better relations are required among all those involved for effective performance in the market. Sustainable advantage is only in existence if the competing operators cannot copy the firm’s approach or when they have less resources to utilize in copying the innovation (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011). In addition after they have accomplished to copy the approach then sustainability is never in existence and the strategy can last even longer given that the prime criteria’s are observed and satisfied fully. Burger Fuel should only be focused on the abilities that generates a high degree of competitive strength which may either be for the long term or temporary.
Understanding the company’s core competencies is useful in focusing on the abilities thus creating a more developed competitive advantage. Core practices are defined as the general combination of knowledge, unique skills , technical and experience abilities , cultural value, market connections and intellectual property which gives the company the opportunity to grow as well as create increased worth (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011). Core competencies of an organization are mainly based on those sectors where the corporation is necessitated to dominate, offer unique value to the consumers and have the capability to administer the business. Through aiming and the sectors where the firm is best situated can be useful for the corporation in reducing risks and shortening the general cycle period thus generating improved responsibility to all the available opportunities in the market. Burger Fuel’s core competencies are leveraged by the utilization of core abilities. The strategies that influence the core practices f the organization is the concentration of delivering value as well as quality which boosts its abilities to serve its specific market. Value, cost and quality strategies are very effective in securing the best positions for the corporation and increasing its markets segments (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011).
The United States fast food sector is characterized by stiff competition that is posed by established and extensive organizations such as McDonald which has a strong attendance in the global industry. Competitive advantage can thus be termed as something that equips the firm in a better way in the minds of consumers better than other operators (Drejer, 2002). Before attaining a competitive advantage in the American market the corporation has to understand what it produces, its competitors and the targeted segment. Understanding these basic concepts offers a more comfortable ground for the corporation to benefit. Competitive leading position in the USA fast food sector is never durable for any organization based on the lack of developing sustainable and unique approaches (Drejer, 2002). For the corporation, the reduction of prices can work best after the penetration into the fresh market to gather a favorable share of the market in a short run. However, this position may be eliminated by the restoration of prices similar to those of competitors as the consumers may feel betrayed.
Burger Fuel is thus required to generate clear objectives, plans, approaches as well as operations so that the competitive advantage can be sustained fully. The organization works on a favorable culture that aligns the needs and values of the staffs with the particular goals of the organization without fail. However, all these strategies cannot be aligned at once since it the ability to be efficient may be affected. The comparative advantage of operating in the US market is that it’s based on high innovation (Dhar, 2008). The American market are well known for generating products that are highly innovative to the general market at a high speed as compared to other states (Dhar, 2008). This is particularly Fueled by high competition and the necessity to be superior by offering distinguished products. In addition America offers a wealthy and enormous domestic customer’s bottom. This normally makes it easier for the corporation to test their products and handle the associated issues at the home market which has a greater voice when it comes to consumption. With success the ability to market and increase sales in the global market is made easy.
Figures and Tables
Figure 1: Sales competition Shares
Table 1: Burger Outlets Share and Spending
Burger Outlet
Share
Annual spending approximation
McDonalds
40 percent
23, 902,000
KFC
23 percent
23,412,000
Burger king
19 percent
20,534,000
Burger Fuel
6 percent
208,000
Wendy
5 percent
2, 787,000
Other Burgers
4 percent
297,000
Oporto
1 percent
28,000
Carls Jr.
3 Percent
2,884,000
Summary
74,059,000 Dollars
The best strategies to utilize in the US hamburger market in attaining sustainable and competitive advantage are Michael porter’s approaches which are a focus, differentiation as well as cost leading (Dhar, 2008). This implies that the corporation is supposed to lead to the provision of reasonable value that is offered at a decreased price which will help in improving the general efficiency in operation (Dhar, 2008). The corporation has to work on less cost in order to enhance products affordability as a major marketing strategy. The corporation can additionally focus on the needs of the consumers through providing unique, premium products and speedy delivery. The servicing has to be quality to give the consumers the best experiences that are enhanced with innovativeness (Dhar, 2008). The corporation will, therefore, begin with concentrating on a small segment that is not well handled by the established operators through offering healthy and natural products with high quality at reduced prices.
Recommendations
Burger Fuel’s primary focus is based on the concentration into different markets and particularly on expanding into the American fast food sector. This must, therefore, be accomplished with a high degree of product and services innovation. Based on the external and the intrinsic factors that were demonstrated by the Pestle and the firm’s SWOT analysis it is very clear that there is a need of making some modifications on some of the approaches being utilized by the corporation in order to boost its ability to sustaining its competitiveness. In order, some of the important issues regarding the potential of the corporation can be addressed adequately the following are some of the recommended modifications that require being handled.
The corporation should begin by distinguishing, branding and diversifying its product mix which will address the issue of products range limitation. Diversification of the menu will be useful in providing the consumers with improved grounds to operate on. This is in that the corporation is required to incorporate different foods, preferences as well as tastes to address the needs of the differing consumers. A branding strategy will help in marketing its products through creating a positive perception in the consumer’s mind without fail. In addition, the corporation should be socially and environmentally responsible through transforming its branding to be friendly to the society and the environment which will earn it a positive reputation. Not evading policies as most corporations do in America due to the loose regulation will also contribute to building a reputation. Moreover, the corporation should improve its services quality to provide the consumers with the best experiences. This may also be useful in the creation of loyalty through accounting for healthiness to suit the modern changes. Finally, the corporation can narrow down the objective of extensive expansion in order to focus on a less market and learn quickly.
Conclusion
Burger Fuel worldwide operates in an environment that is characterized by high competition due to innovation advancement and high demand for fast foods. In the particular surrounding the threat of competitors is consistent and thus the implementation of effective strategies is required. The company is objected at making more ventures to fresh market and particularly the American market. This market is essential for growth since it is characterized by high innovation and demand for foods from the huge market. However, competition will be the primary challenge of the firm since most of the firms in the market are well grounded globally. To overcome this kind of competition Burger Fuel is necessitated to build a differentiation position that will make it an automatic part of the intensifying competition since most of its strategies are already adopted. However, the millennial group which holds the need for healthy, safe, affordable and quality products is not being concentrated on.
The corporation has built a good image due to quality, healthy excellence and quality services. Therefore in order for the firm to retain its competitiveness in the new expansions, burger Fuel should adopt differentiation to be superior to other operators within the markets. Burger Fuel must possess the capability to sustain an international perception, expand into fresh markets and utilize of all the economic changes that will support its approaches on expanding its market segments. Operating in the fast food sector requires high knowledge in understanding the changing trends and preferences which will enable the firm in satisfying the needs adequately. So that this can be achieved and diversify its menu the corporation is required to adopt focus, costing leading and differentiation approaches that best suits its marketing needs and the necessity to decrease operation cost.
Appendices
Appendix 1: Need for Healthy Foods
Appendix 2: Fast Food Industry Statistics
References
Amos, T. (2008). Human resource management. Wetton, Cape Town: Juta.
Armstrong, M., & Armstrong, M. (2011). Armstrong's handbook of strategic human resource management. London: Kogan Page.
Dhar, R. L. (2008). Strategic human resource management. New Delhi, India: Excel Books.
Drejer, A. (2002). Strategic management and core competencies: Theory and application. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books.
Ercetin, S. S., & Bağcı, H. (2016). Handbook of research on chaos and complexity theory in the social sciences.
Freeman, R. E. (2010). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge University Press
Griffin, R. W. (2012). Fundamentals of management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Grünig, R., & Kühn, R. (2002). Process-based Strategic Planning. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2007). Strategic management: Competitiveness and globalization; [concepts and classes]. Mason, Ohio [u.a.: Thomson South-Western.
Hoskisson, R. E., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2013). Competing for advantage. Mason, OH: South- Western/Cengage Learning.
Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E., & Hitt, M. A. (2012). Understanding business strategy: Concepts plus. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Kabst, R., & Matiaske, W. (2005). Special issue: Human resource management and economic success. Mering: Hampp.
Magretta, J. (2012). Understanding Michael Porter: The essential guide to competition and strategy. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Review Press.
Militello, F. C., Schwalberg, M. D., & Financial Executive Research Foundation, Inc. (2002). Leverage competencies: What financial executives need to lead. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall.
NZME. (2017). Burger Fuel Worldwide Limited .Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/burger-Fuel-worldwide- limited/news/headlines.cfm?o_id=600653
Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast food nation: The dark side of the all-American meal. Boston: Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Sekhar, G. V. S. (n.d.). Business policy and strategic management. S.l.: I K International Publi.
Sengupta, S. (2005). Brand positioning: Strategies for competitive advantage. New Delhi [u.a.: McGraw-Hill.
Sharma, S. K. (2009). Handbook of HRM practices: Management policies and practices. New Delhi [India: Global India Publication Pvt Ltd.
Singh, M. (2008). Strategic management and competitive advantage. New Delhi: Global India Publications.
Truss, C., Mankin, D., & Kelliher, C. (2012). Strategic human resource management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Valentine, S., Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2013). Human resource management. Cengage Learning.
Zoephel, M. (2011). Michael porter's competitive advantage theory: Focus strategy for smes. Place of publication not identified: Grin Verlag Ohg.
To most of the people Uber is just a simple synonymous term of a taxi while to most of the drivers, basically view it as a referral service. The uber basically depend on technology for their operations. Moist of the android phones, IOS and the windows types of phones has the capability to enjoy the use of the GPS which enhances both the driver and the passenger to keep track of one another’s location. This helps to solve the anxiety that most of the passengers have on what time their ride will arrive (Panzarino 2013, n.p). All payments are technologically processes and it directly cuts off the charges for the passenger from their credit cards and immediately they cut off their share and the rest they send it directly in to the driver’s accounts. This paper therefore will discuss on the various reasons as to why I choose Uber Company, pros and cons of the company, career prospects and the employment benefits.
Uber, the ride-sharing company launched in 2010, offering service to millions of people. It is present in more than 60 countries around the world and it is revolutionising the taxi industry by offering great services and by connecting riders with drivers through their technology application. It has been substantially growing in the last 3 years by doubling riders and drivers every 6 months, and mostly because of their hour flexibility. They offer different cab services to please each of their customers (Pullen 2014, n.p).I chose Uber because I’m very familiar with the company’s organisation. I’ve been mostly interested and informed about the company’s structure in the last year, especially from a driver’s point of view.I’m currently studying IT and Business and I can see both technology and business working together within the Uber company. They are working hard to maintain and improve their technology advances.This company offers good opportunities and almost all the time you can aspire to a job in so many different countries. You are also given the chance to work with amazing people coming from a good background (MIT, Facebook, Google…). Uber company faces competition from taxi’s and company lyft as some people have no knowledge on how the company operates as others find it costly. Uber Company however, has its advantages as well as disadvantages that the company is working towards improving so as to achieve high rates of profit (Pullen 2014, n.p). Some of the advantages that the company has are that the pricing structure of the company is flexible, the company also does not require an advanced booking, and it has the option of fare sharing with anyone thus allowing cost sharing. The drivers and also the passengers rating is available in this company and thus allows the company to constantly improve following the ratings of the customers and that of the various drivers. I believe in the Uber’s product as many people keep investing and supporting the company even if it’s hard to place the product everywhere due to so many law and policies differences coming from town to town, from country to country.From a manager point of view, I made my research and realised my ideas could could help to improve the next upcoming steps towards the company’s future (Pullen 2014, n.p).
Job Hours
Uber, the transport revolution nowadays, offers their services to people I could have never imagined until I heard the first time about it. Being a guy working among more than 2,000 people is a small scale if we think about the numbers of the company. And that’s obviously without all the drivers, as Uber considers them partners, more a self-employed status.Working in the headquarters’ office with so many talented people it’s an exciting idea. That it’s a job I would like to have and I would try to work hard and do my best to make the company better, sometimes even losing track of time at doing different tasks.I’m happy with the 9-5 hours but sometimes I understand that I need to put some extra effort and work longer hours. However, I know I can manage sometimes my hours and even work from home. There are pros and cons, as in everything. I look forward to the pay incentives and the rewards towards my job role in the company.
Pay It’s hard to reach the point where you can get some shares from the company. It would happen only if you make a revolution, if you come with a new idea that would help the entire organisation. Then, the only motivation I see in working for Uber is the pay statements and the rewards the company has for their employees. I would rather go for the flexible payment and rewards to acknowledge the work delivered. The most important thing is to have the job appreciated through the pay and the incentives from the company.
Carrer Prospects:
As Facebook connects now more than 2 billion people, I see Uber catching the idea to reach almost every person around this planet with the app. It’s enough to use the service at least once, and not necessarily in your own country, since you have the opportunity to use the app everywhere with the same account.By being in a group with such an extraordinary mindset it’s easy to get the most of it and excel in the company. For example, make a career, which is one of the most important things nowadays, having the opportunity to bring to life new ideas, and grow through working out every problem.The scariest part of a job is getting at that point where you get stuck. That’s the point I would never end accepting because I know I can start again and again until I pass the state of failure.In Uber I see good future perspectives, and not a point where you can get to an end. The carrer prospects among Uber will be more and more exciting since there appears to be a competitor coming along such as the company Lyft. The transparency and the equality within the team working for Uber is very important. The co-workers find themselves in a safe place which helps increase their peace of mind. According to the various employees working in the company, it is evident that the company has a role in changing the world that we are living as some think that it is a great opportunity to be a part of an organization that is transforming the lives of a million of citizens. Other employees are able to personally develop themselves through their continuous performance in having to make complex decisions. Employees in this company are heavily involved in the each and every function within the organization and thus they are able to drive product decisions (Uber n.y, n.p).
Employee Benefits
When living in a capitalistic world, even with the globalisation, it’s very hard to keep that peace of mind in terms of our future. So, there are benefits that can help people relax when thinking of the pension scheme. I agree with all the benefits that a normal job has to offer. It’s important to have a private health insurance coming from the company. Even more training in different fields for the employee, that are handled by the company, are a great incentive and something anyone would wish for. A fair system amongst all of the employees, with transparency and motivational training are essential. To reduce stress from the job you can spend some free time with your family and friends, which improves the quality of the time spent at work. It’s important to look for solutions for both company and employee to satisfy both sides. There has been a legal battle for Uber Company as to whether to whether to categorize their company drivers into being employees or being independent contractors. The company after considerations in 2016, it decided to give their drivers a chance to save for retirement. Thus uber drivers in several cities have been given the retirement plans by the company through the betterment program which is an automated investment service. Thus the drivers will be able to register for the betterment program directly through the use of the uber app (Conger 2016, n.p).
The uber company promotes equality among all as all kinds of people has an opportunity to use their services since their services are affordable to all social classes hence catering the needs for all their customers. There is also the option of uberTaxi which involves the normal taxi customers, UberX form of service of the uber company involves the working adults and especially those who are in a rush. The UberPool category involves services rendered to the non working group of passengers. There is the option for the lowest cost option and also there is the uber black which caters the needs of the high class kind of passengers as they are more expensive. Thus the uber black services offer posh rides from their professional drivers (Haykinson 2013, n.p).
For the company to meet its demand it uses the surge mechanism where it automatically realizes any situation of any rise in the demand and a fall in the supply and it thus adjusts consequently in relation to the level of shortage. In doing this, it increases reliability especially when the demand fails to be met by their drives; they encourage their drivers to be readily available and thus ensuring that they meet all their demands. This therefore makes Uber Company more competent as compared to their competitors. The use of this surging strategy is to meet the company’s goal of promoting encouragement to their drivers to get out and seize the opportunity of working at the busy hours and hence increasing the supply to meet the high demand (Pullen 2014, n.p).
The company is facing trust as well as safety issues that it has to address as soon as possible through the installation of panic button for the passengers, carrying out of background checks on both the passengers and the drivers’ so as to ensure that trust is built and safety is administered. The company should also consider having insurance coverage and especially for accidents.
In conclusion, uber name is one that is catchy and through its quality services. It has been able to capture its shares of the market through the adoption of the great application with excellent advertising strategies and social media marketing and the professional employees. The background technology is one of the core reasons as top why the company is popular as it enhances reliability through the connection of both the drivers and the passengers and a smooth interface mechanism that transfers reports errors.
References
Haykinson, I. (2013). Fairness vs. Availability: a defense of Uber’s surge pricing. Retrieved from: http://medium.com/this-happened-to-me/f6684fe46e0
Panzarino, M. (2013). The Uber App Now Lets You Tell Your Friends When You Will Get There With A Live ETA Map.
Uber (n.y). Passionate People JoinUber. Retrieved from:
https://join.uber.com/#roles
Conger K. (2016). Uber Offers Retirement Plans To Drivers As Legal Battle Continues. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/24/uber-offers-retirement-plans-to-drivers-as-legal-battle-continues/
Pullen J.P. (2014). Everything You Need to Know About Uber. Times Inc. retieved from:
http://time.com/3556741/uber/
The best option for Advaark would be to diversify and take on the new business opportunity created by the marketing strategy industry. Over the years, Advaaark has built its reputation as a creative agency and has established good relationships with its clients. Its success in the producing creative advertisements allowed the company to grow into a mid size firm with over 400 people and an annual billing of 550 million dollars. The company prides itself on creative innovation and this is what it has always offered to its clients. While the company may be in a good position, it should take the opportunity to diversify into other markets such as business strategy as failure to do so could see the company fading out and failing to generate adequate revenue in the future.
At present, Advaark fits into the star category of the BCG Growth-Share matrix. The firm works with a skilled workforce that is very creative and effective when it comes to meeting the demand for creative advertising. As a result, the firm has benefited from high profits and high revenue. The company has a very strong market share not only because it is a dominant player in the creative advertising market but also because of the various barriers to market entry that exist in the creative advertising field. Although the firm has had a significant growth rate, a lot of capital has been incurred in providing services. However, the high revenue generated and profits made allow the firm to assert dominance in its market. While Advaark has the potential to rise to the cash cow category in the BCG growth-share matrix, such a move will only be achieved if the firm takes up the opportunity to diversify.
Evaluation of the business marketing strategy under the VRIO analysis suggests that the best move for the firm is to diversify as this would not only boost its strengths, it would also create more opportunities while at the same time eliminating threats and remedying weaknesses. The value for the marketing strategy market that Advaark ought to diversify into is estimated to be worth 1.3 billion dollars with an annual expected growth rate of not less than 16 percent. Since Advaark is already established as a creative agency, diversifying into business strategy will play to its strength as it already has related experience in the market. When it comes to rareness, various companies are offering marketing strategies to different clients. The number of companies offering the services may be a threat as they could increase the level of competition in the market. However, the service is rarely offered by advertising agencies and this presents an opportunity for Advaark to assert dominance as one of the few advertising firms offering business strategy to their clients. The service is also difficult to imitate and this makes it difficult for some organization to enter into the marketing strategy market. A challenge for Advaark will be felt in that it will have to hire new employees who are better equipped with the demands of running a business strategy arena. Another challenge will arise in the need for different appraisals and reward schemes to ensure that the company retains its employees. While creative advertising employees are generally easy to retain, more efforts will have to be implemented in the case of employees running the business strategy arena.
Another strength that the company could use is its organizational structure which will allow it to better use business marketing strategy to its advantage. Since the company already has loyal clients, business marketing strategy will allow Advaark to not only provide them with different services but also create the opportunity to attract new clients. However, Advark main weakness lies in the fact that it lacks the expertise needed to successfully venture or create new markets. Although this may be challenging, its success in creative advertising is proof that the company is capable of entering and dominating a market. The best move for Advaark will therefore be to diversify into the business strategy arena.
British Airways prides itself on ensuring the safety of all its millions of passengers who use our services on a daily basis. The goal is to ensure that all passengers enjoy their flying experience from the moment they step into our doors to the moment they reach their destination. As such, all members of staff are required to offer the highest quality of service to all clients so as to facilitate a great experience with British Airways. As it is your desire to be part of the British Airways team, you are expected to live up to the respectable image and efficiency that the airline has established in its years of operation. As a member of staff, you will be expected to use your skills and services in a professional manner to ensure that your duties are accomplished to the maximum. As a busy airline, delays and flight cancelations cause a lot of complications and as the operations manager, you will be required to navigate through these, and other complications to ensure that clients receive the assistance they need to enjoy their experience with British Airways.
Flexibility is another requirement as airlines can be quite demanding. Irregular shifts are part of the jobs and all staff members are expected to show up during their designated work hours. In order to preserve fairness, employees are not allowed to pick their shifts. However, the work schedule is structured in such a way that the shifts are convenient enough for all staff members to allow them to perform their best. Bonuses, appraisals and other benefits are some of the perks of working with British Airways. If your qualifications meet our criteria, you will be welcomed as the operations manager and get to share in the British Airways experience.
Response 2
While the job position of a researcher in entertainment broadcasting can be quite lucrative, the success of people holding this position is determined by the nature of the organization as well as the determination of the employee. Your interest in the field and evaluation of all the possible opportunities and challenges is therefore well informed and to the point. While both big national broadcasters and small media companies that are independent do offer the job position, the most suitable pick would be a position at big national channel broadcasters. This is because they have a better organizational structure, have a good human resource department and have the means to offer good salaries to settle any financial concerns.
However, such organizations have a higher workload and as a researcher, the job requirement may force you to work long hours and at times even the weekends or holidays. While this is part of the job requirements, benefits, holiday pay and bonuses are offered as incentives to commend employees on their hard work. Big corporations offer employees the opportunity to become better at what they do and that they are comfortable doing their jobs. However, there is a lot of competition especially in lucrative positions such as being a researcher. While being successful is faster in smaller independent companies, the competition in big companies helps the individual to put more effort into becoming better so as to get the management position. Your decision to work with big national broadcasters is therefore well informed and the best approach to becoming the successful researcher you desire to become.
The biggest mistake that Saviotti, Abelli and Profumo made was failing to address the needs of the parties involved were met and that they were comfortable with the merger. The three young individuals were modern managers tasked with the mission to modernize the banking system in Italy and resulted to use a technical merit to frame the situation. However, they failed to address the needs of the two key players, Mediobanca and Cuccia, and this left them feeling threatened by the merger. As a result, the two resulted to mobilizing their extensive networks in a bid to influence board members and either directly or indirectly pushed them in their favor. An example of this is the case where Cuccia sought out managers like Desita and Fausti as they shared common ideals.
In order to gain the support needed for the merger, Saviotti, Abelli and Profumo should have placed more emphasis into developing strong positions in the network of the merger so as to ensure that their actions were effective. This could have been achieved through the establishment and maintenance of strong working relationships with the government and the central bank. Good working relationships would have been an added advantage in showing everyone the benefits of the merger (Belingheri, Casciaro & Mcginn, 2003). Since the merger would have affected both organizations, the government and all shareholders, establishing good relationships with them would have provided the cooperation needed to ensure that the merger was a success. The relationship would have also created good lines of communication allowing for sharing of information which would have helped put the fears that Mediobanca and Cuccia had at ease.
Another approach that would have made the merger a success is the same as the one Cuccia employed to get members on its side. The three should have targeted board members from both Cuccia and Mediobanca and all their allies and intervene so as to ensure that they would go along with the merger. One way to achieve this would have been to create a rift between them and provoke them into implementing a shareholders pact. They ought to have created a rift between Fazio and Bazoli so as to get the support of the central bank by curtailing Bazoli’s influence on him. Another approach would have been to make the foreign banks more susceptible by encouraging them to vote as a block as this would increase their stake and make them more receptive of the merits that the merger could create (Belingheri, Casciaro & Mcginn, 2003).
Other than engaging in indirect means of encouraging board members of both companies to support the merger, Saviotti, Abelli and Profumo should have presented the merger as a development project that would push the companies into the future. The three should have presented the merger as a means of dropping the traditional, outdated and undesireable way of conducting business and replacing it with a modern, ideal and global way of operating in the future. In doing so, the three will have managed to convince the parties involved that the merger is not a risk but rather a change that would help them benefit from all the opportunities that the future had to offer (Belingheri, Casciaro & Mcginn, 2003).
Lastly, Saviotti, Abelli and Profumo should have put more effort into discovering what each key player in the merger wanted and came up with ways to offer it to them. Mediobanca for instance did not want one organization to possess too much shares. In response, the three could have presented a solution where an organization like Unicredito rids itself off of Mediobanca sock following the merger (Belingheri, Casciaro & Mcginn, 2003). Although the approach that Saviotti, Abelli and Profumo took created more problems than solutions, they are problems that could have been solved had they taken time to evaluate the situation.
Reference
Belingeri M, Casciaro T and McGinn K, (2003) “Abelli and Saviotti at Banca Commerciale Italiana (A)”
I plan to move to Abu Dhabi the capital city of UAE which is one of the largest in UAE. This town therefore has a higher cost of living as it has a higher population and thus the demand for housing and goods and services is relatively higher thus making the place to have a higher cost of living. Therefore as compared to other cities such as Dallas, Abu Dhabi city has a more cost of living with 12%. In this case, my position and monthly salary will play a bigger role in ensuring that I afford to live in this city. I am very confident that the new company’s values and objectives would complement my own strength and enthusiasm. As I take this big move from my current place of work to this city, I have to consider so many factors such as the salary, allowances, benefits, work duration of the contract, bonuses as well as the working conditions of the place. I have to carry out some cost adjustments that fits into the new city’s living standards thus enabling me to settle well and cope up with the place at ease without affecting my performance at work. Therefore I intend t negotiate for a raise in my salary of up to $250000 per month not inclusive of all the bonuses, allowances and all the benefits so that I can be able to cater for all moving costs. Approximately $100000 will cater for accommodation costs while $500000 will cater for my upkeep, $20000 for all the travelling expenses, $20000 for savings and all the rest will cater for my studies as I am planning on furthering my study. In this case I plan to work at Abu Dhabi for duration of two years during which I will enroll with the University for a Masters Degree in Business and management and after this contract I intend to go back to US where I can now settle permanently. Therefore the working hours should be favorable as I intend to be doing some researches related to my masters at night and on weekends. I will be looking forward to being offered a financial security by the new firm and in this I will be able to incur all the costs that will come along with new environments adjustment.
Being culturally diverse is one of the important elements that will enable me to adapt to the new area and thus I have an added advantage to the employer. It will thus be easy to cope and to establish a good relationship with my fellow colleagues at work and even with my neighbors at home (Dlabay & Scott 2006). I love learning new cultures and thus I value each and every culture and in this case, it will be enjoyable working in this culture and upholding their values. I also plan on signing a contract with the company for duration of two years and in this case, I will have a chance to secure my job.
Establishing a proper budget at the onset of each new month will enhance me too effectively and incur all my costs monthly. With the current technological advancement, I will apply some of the basic technology in making a detailed diary on the listing of all the things that I spend on throughout the week and the month. These economic transactions recording using the technological skills will enhance a proper record of all the inflows and outflows of the finances and thus proper monitoring of the cash will be made. I believe that with proper negotiation skills will enable me to negotiate for a raise in my salary thus allowing me to be able to survive in the new city. I will therefore focus more on the interests instead of positions and in this I will be able to explore all my interests so as to attain a mutual gain between me and the new employer. With the integration of all the knowledge, expertise as well as capabilities, I strongly believe that I will be able to perform the allocated activities, responsibilities and tasks (Augustin & Coleman 2012). I believe that this new environment will offer great development to self and to the new workplace. I am ambitious and a team player with passion to learn and face new challenges to enhance mutual benefits of institution and self. I believe in being efficient and effective in service delivery throughout my contract duration. With the right organization of finances, the cost of living will be enhanced and therefore there will be an easier time to adjust to the costs. With proper management of time as well as finances, I will be able to succeed in accomplishing my goal of graduating in masters level as well as completing on my contract successfully. Thus in leaving I will have learnt more skills on management of self as well as that of the organization with an adequate determination to soar even on greater heights.
References
Augustin, S., & Coleman, C. (2012). The designer's guide to doing research: Applying knowledge in practice for design excellence. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.
Dlabay, L. R., & Scott, J. C. (2006). International business. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western.
This website is owned and operated by PFS Limited.
Company Registration office is at:
2875 NE 194st St 404, Miami, FL 33180
Edudorm.com provides writing and research services for limited use only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references and in accordance with Terms & Conditions
