Company †Strengths and weaknesses Analysis Essay

Application Assignment †¢Application Assignment on Situational Analysis and SWOT common to all themespgs MM-112 to MM-122 PART B and C (to be submitted together) (15+ 5 Marks) Company –Strengths and weaknesses Analysis Remember this assignment is in continuity to the previous marketing assignment. Here we do a strength and weakness analysis for our company vis -a- vis competitors. We need to know: A. What special strength/ competence or assets company has to satisfy the needs of customers? B. Who competes with us in meeting those needs and what is their competence, strength or asset? Can we scale our own firm and the major competitors on those competencies and strengths? This kind of an analysis follows a 3-step process. 1Identification of all our Competitors. Competition does not stem only from products or firms that compete directly for your market share but also from any company that satisfies the same customer need. (Refer to the ‘Market concept of competition’ at the end of the assignment ) 2List the areas in which your organization or the competitor has the competence. Needless to say that these areas should be industry relevant. An indicative list of the areas in which a firm can have strength / competence is listed below. Innovation ?Ability to develop innovative products ?Amount of Rs. spent on R&D ?Patents that a company has to its credit ?Technical product or service superiority Manufacturing ?Favorable Cost Structure ?Flexible production operations ?Access to Raw materials ?Quality of work force ?Capacity ?Outsourcing Finance- Access to capital ?Ability to generate funds in the short and long run ?Ability to use debt and equity financing ?Parent firms willingness to finance Management ?Quality of top and middle management ?Knowledge of business ?Culture ?Strategic goals and plans ?Entrepreneurial thrust ?Planning or operation system ?Loyalty ?Quality of strategic decision making. Marketing ?Product quality reputation ?Product differentiation ?Brand name recognition ?Customer orientation ?Breadth of the product line ?Segmentation ?Distribution ?Retailer relationship ?Advertising / Promotional skills ?Sales force ?Service Customer base ?Size and loyalty ?Market share ?Growth of segments served This list is only indicative to serve as a guide to the major areas in which a firm can have strength/ competence. You can add on or delete items to suit to your company and industry. 3Scaling your organization vis – a – vis the competitors on the parameters listed above-The Competitive strength Grid *(Please refer exhibit at the end of the assignment) Once the strengths / assets relevant to the industry have been identified, one has to scale one’s own firm and the major competitors on those strengths. One such grid has been done for the Luxury car market. The left side of the grid identifies the areas in which a luxury car maker can have strengths/ competencies namely product quality, product differentiation etc. On the right side various brands have been scaled with either less than average, average or above average position with respect to the strength/ competence identified. For ex. Cadillac has above average position in product quality, average when it comes to product differentiation and less than average on dealer satisfaction, all 3 areas being key to success in a car market. Assignment questions 1. Identify all the major competitors to your product. (Already done in part A of the assignment) †¢ICICI bank †¢HDFC †¢SBI †¢Deutsche Bank †¢Citibank †¢Goldman Sachs 2. Identify and list all the major strengths/assets/ competencies relevant to your industry. Core competencies: †¢Customer service †¢Risk management & Compliance †¢Strategy & Development †¢Strong leadership and management †¢Sales, marketing and Operations †¢Client base and brand 3. Scale your firm and any two other competitors on these strengths in a Competitive Strength Grid as is shown in the example. HSBCICICI bank Deutsche Bank †¢Customer service †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Good relationship management †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Good relationship management †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Risk management & Compliance †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Strategy & Development †¢Reach to global markets †¢Presence in emerging economies †¢Specific to one country †¢Reach to global markets Strong leadership and management †¢Business expansions & Leadership support †¢Culture of developing and retaining leaders †¢Strong international management and leadership †¢Business expansions regionally †¢Strong management presence †¢Business expansions & Leadership support †¢Strong international management and leadership †¢Sales, marketing and Operations †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales Client base and brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Your local banker approach †¢Internationally renowned brand †¢Strong regional brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Internationally renowned brand 4. Do you have a competitive advantage superior to that of the competitor in any or more area? Do you see major areas for improvement in any competitive area? The areas of competitive advantage are: †¢Strategy & Development †¢Reach to global markets †¢Presence in emerging economies †¢Strong leadership and management †¢Culture of developing and retaining leaders Strong international management and leadership †¢Client base and brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Your local banker approach †¢Internationally renowned brand Areas for improvement: †¢Larger presence in retail operations in emerging economies †¢Leveraging technology to increase efficiency, access to markets and risk management †¢Innovation by providing weekend banking and banking in non official hours PART C Assignment question 1. Based upon PART A and Part B of the assignment, consolidate the Strengths , Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for your organization into a SWOT Grid.

Sourcing Scenarios Case Questions

Julien Levesque June 17, 2010 MISM 2301 Sourcing Scenarios Case Questions Case 1: Outsourcing 1. Develop a table that captures the â€Å"pros† and â€Å"cons† of this corporate decision. Pros| Cons|Improved quality * Operational and management activities * Accurate record of transactions| Jeopardy of quality * Poor communication between suppliers * Testability * Qualifications of outsourcing company| Cost effective * Lowers cost service to the business| Quality of service * Stakeholders are affected and there is no single view of quality| Allows them to focus on the core business * Financial services| Image of company * Public opinion regarding outsourcing * Staff turnover| Operational expertise and access to talent * Too difficult or time consuming to develop it in-house| Communication problems with transferred employees * Company knowledge could be jeopardized| Standardizing business processes, IT services, and application services * More access to services because th ey have more resources and time to devote into other aspects of their company| Security, legal, and compliance issues * Fraud * Liability for actions is there but only until employees transfer| 2. List the reasons why Southwest chose outsourcing? Was it the right choice? * Business growth required the need for hardware and software upgrades * This was the RIGHT choice It is important to keep clients happy and be able to satisfy their needs while remaining profitable * IT can enable business processes * This was the RIGHT choice * Easier to analyze transactions * Make more informed decisions when manipulating information * Outsourcing vendor hired many of the IT staff * This was the RIGHT choice * Knowledge of clients and necessary procedures * Hardware and software updates meet client needs * This was the RIGHT choice * There was a fee-based arrangement so they only pay for what they need and use Case 2: Partnering 1. Develop a table that captures the â€Å"pros† and â€Å"c ons† of this corporate decision. Pros| Cons|Better customer service (focusing on their expertise)| Unregulated subsidiaries may have problems incorporating IT if they don’t have their own personnel| Increased efficiency and cost management| Should discuss decision with investors since they are affected| Wide range of technical personnel who are only employed when needed| Protocol for different subsidiaries may conflict with the IT that the partnering company wants to install| Flexibility of personnel| | Can serve different needs of each subsidiary| | 2. List the critical success factors (CSFs) in making this partnership work. * Meetings with the IT personnel and all groups to see if they can develop a plan together * Focused goal * Communication * Flexibility * Commitment to the project—financial and practice Case 3: Unwinding an outsourcing relationship 1. Use a table to list the major risks associated with this in-sourcing solution and how SRS mitigated each ri sks. Major Risks| SRS Mitigation|Data integrity| Converted to run on new software and testing| Controlled environment for data center| Located within building so it is accessible to staff and IT| No thorough understanding or knowledge of hardware and software being ordered| Clause to have vendors explain in detail all of the hardware they would employ and how it would be configured to work with their product offering system| Staff’s adoption and integration of new system| Staff training and testing| 2. List the critical success factors (CSFs) in making this arrangement work. * Understanding of needs and what hardware can be configured to best suit needs * Thorough training for employees so they know how to use hardware * Data integrity and testing * Standardizing system so it is easy to get any additional IT help and to reduce costs

Love - veterans homelessness Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Love - veterans homelessness - Research Paper Example The term â€Å"homeless veterans† has been explained in two steps in the Congressional Research Service article written by Perl (2011). According to Perl (2011), a homeless veteran is a person who has actively served in the military, naval or air force and was not discharged dishonorably. At the same time a person is considered a homeless veteran if he or she satisfies the definition of â€Å"homeless veteran† according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. According to the Act a person is considered homeless if he does not have a proper nighttime residence or his nighttime residence is temporary or not appropriate for human beings. In this paper I aim to discuss the veterans homelessness in San Francisco. I intend to explore peer reviewed books and articles for an in depth analysis of the literature, history and current status of the homeless veterans. At the same time the city policy towards the homeless shall also be discussed. Towards the end some of the main causes of homelessness among veterans shall be discussed. Homelessness has been a problem in the US since 1980s. However with the American involvement in the Iraq and Afghan war the problem has become much stronger as scores of veterans that have served the country are found dying on the streets. Veterans suffer all kinds of homelessness but their number is greater in the chronically homeless category when compared with the non-veterans. According to a survey carried out by the VA and quoted by Stone (2008), there are about 2, 075 homeless veterans in San Francisco. Out of these, 533 have been categorized as â€Å"chronically homeless†. A chronically homeless person is an individual who has a disabling condition, is homeless for more than a year or has four episodes of being homeless in three years. The needs of the homeless veterans are almost similar to the demands of the general homeless population of San Francisco.

Emotionally intelligent leaders and their impact on followers' Essay - 1

Emotionally intelligent leaders and their impact on followers' performance and well-being A critical review of the literature - Essay Example These have become increasingly important elements of Emotional Intelligence in every organization. It plays a vital role in leadership and management and has an influence on the employees working in an organization. In the first part of the paper, we will focus on critical review of emotional intelligence in leadership and how they have an influence on employees. In the second part, a reflection for practice will be presented with evidences from literature and evaluation of EI scores. Critical Review of Literature Leadership & Emotional Intelligence at Workplace Research indicates that leaders who constitute high level of emotional intelligence in the workplace are getting better outcomes and increased work performances by the employees. Building and sustaining relationships is an important aspect of management and the recognition of these emotions through self management and relationship management enhances the emotional intelligence of leading bodies. These may also help leaders re spond better in various difficult situations and be able to understand the complexities in situations. An increased amount of self awareness through emotional intelligence causes empathy and understanding among the leaders and the subordinates as stated by Collins(2011). Even though it has been believed that personality and psychological traits may appear to be somewhat stable (Costa, 1992) but in reality this may not be the case, managers can improve their leadership skills by understanding their strengths and weaknesses through self-awareness and self-regulation and understand and enhance a leadership style, Jennings(2012)which may have a profound impact on the environment. However, there can be few unanswered questions which need to be examined like determining a natural style for an appropriate situations and ways to achieve the desired impact of that leadership style. It is also necessary to measure and see if these levels of emotional intelligence will have a positive impact o n employees or not. Some scholars argue to that emotional intelligence may not perceived as too important for senior managerial positions Crandall(2007)while some claim it is difficult to attain intelligence as it is a part of an individual’s personality. Some scholars believe that emotional skills can be developed and enhanced through learning and experience (David R. Caruso, 2004). Higher levels of emotional intelligence in leadership give rise to higher productivity in the organization in the following areas; Participative Management When a leader shows empathy in building relationships with the employees then they welcome and acknowledge feedback from employees relating to any task. They also value interdependency between work groups. Leaders executing emotional intelligence in the workplace are always seen as good listeners and always implement change by getting input from employees and subordinates, cooperate with the workforce to understand their emotions and foster go od working relationships in the workplace (Lorne & Robert, 1991). Self Awareness, Straightforwardness & Composure As cited by Gallagher(2012), when emotional intelligence supersedes, the leader or the manager has a clear understanding of their strength, weaknesses and they are able to control their expressions and responses in stressful situations. In return, the employees may feel at ease during work and

Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Principles - Essay Example Businesses are the driving force behind an economy. In the United States there are nearly 29 million businesses operating. These businesses create nearly 120 million jobs. Business organizations are imperative towards the well being of a society. Not only do businesses provide jobs for people, but they also produce products and services that consumers desire. For instance Apple Computers is the top producer of smartphones in the world with its famous iPhone series. The business world has evolved in the 21st century with the arrival of e-commerce. There are millions of websites that offer products and services. The two largest online retail establishments are Amazon and EBay. The success of a business enterprise depends on the abilities of its managerial staff. The manager of an organization is responsible for the performance of the company as well as the performance of its employees. A good manager is able to motivate his staff to achieve higher levels of performance. There are different levels of management. Management is divided into three levels which are: upper level, middle management, and lower level. The lower level management positions are typically referred to as supervisors. An example of a middle level manager is the manager of a division of the company. In a publicly traded company the upper level management is the executive management team. The executive management team is led by the chief executive officer (CEO). The CEO of a firm is the most powerful and influential person within the company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act made the CEO responsible for the content of the financial statements of a company. If fraud is detected in these statements the CEO could face jail time. CEOs have to establish both yearly operational plans as we ll as strategic plans for the long term. Some important skills and abilities that managers must possess are analytical abilities, leadership, superb verbal and

The Greek challenge for European economic integration Dissertation

The Greek challenge for European economic integration - Dissertation Example The paper scrutinizes the likely economic effects to individual European nations as a result of the exit of the Greek nation with the burden of the debts incurred with entry into the euro zone and the use of the Euro as a result. Introduction Economic integration among countries involves the countries joining hands to achieve one economic goal. When countries integrate economically they benefit in the increased revenue as a result of the reduction of the trade tariffs. The reverse is true for the countries not in economic integration as such countries will suffer high trade tariffs set by their counterparts that will in the long run make trade expensive and not easy to run. Economic integration involves countries making their counterparts easier to trade with. This involves coming up with a common currency akin to the Euro that is used by the states in the European Union as a form of currency. The countries can also make trade between them easier by providing goods and service needed by the one country say x in exchange for what the other country say y produces and is needed by x. The main concepts of economic integration include the following. ... It was originally formed by six countries that are Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, Germany and France. Currently the union boasts a list of 27 members after entry of other European countries over the years. The idea to come together as united nation was informed by the following. To help rebuild each other after the economic destruction occasioned by the World War 2. This was also meant to foster peace and stability in the European countries through economic development as economic instability was perceived to bring about political instability through support of growth of extremists in facism and communism. This was informed by the breaches done during the world war and efforts to heal the wounds so caused as a result. Further the integration was meant to foster bilateral ties between the European nations. In addition the intergration was meant to bring unity between east and west Europe that was separated and to counter threat from the Soviet Union. After the formation of t he European Union, countries in the union decided to come up with a common currency to facilitate trade between the member nations in the bloc. With the use of a common currency the countries are able to carry out trade efficiently and the transactions are effective. The Greek nation Greece is a member state of the European economic integration. It is said to have joined the euro zone in the year 2001. Initially, the union was only meant for the country in the higher upper end like Germany and France as opposed to the countries in t he periphery like Greek. The country however, managed to convince the members of the euro zone for it to be considered into the integration. This Greek nation thought will help prosper it economic growth with the

Reading Responses of Long Day's Journey Into Night by O'neill, Essay

Reading Responses of Long Day's Journey Into Night by O'neill, Copyright 02 - Essay Example Most prominent in the book is the theme of addiction and drug abuse. The man of the family, James Tyron, is a worried man about his sons and wife. Mary, the wife is nursing morphine addiction as Edmund and Jamie struggle with alcohol addiction. In addition to these struggles, James has financial problems despite being a considerably wealthy man. All his wealth is tied up in assets. These tribulations befalling a man at the same time would make the strongest of men to crumble. Further, Tyron’s family is in chaos with itself. Everyone has problems and no one is willing to take responsibilities for anyone’s muddle. Act II begins as Jamie and Edmund taunt each other over stealing their father’s liquor. The two sons steal their father’s wine and top it up with water so that their father does not realize. Jamie is suspicious over everything. Edmund has an involving task of supervising his mother not to resume abusing morphine despite his addiction. He cares for his mother and is worried about her condition despite himself. Edmund is reluctant to take a test to ascertain his health condition for the fear of traumatizing his mother. He suffers but perseveres it for his mother’s sake. He says: promise not to worry yourself sick and to take care of yourself (ONeill, 23). O’Neill’s work is full of tension. James’s house is full of suspicion. In Act II, Edmund accuses his brother of being suspicious over everything. The characters in the play contribute to the dissonance. Jamie’s suspicion causes tension in the house. He complains that he had been put in the dark for 10 years about his mother’s addiction. He, therefore, trusts no one in the family. To him, everything that goes on is akin to a scheme. Moreover, the two sons are not sure of their mother’s morphine addiction state. When Mary left the main bedroom to go sleep in a spare bedroom due to her husband’s snore, Edmund suspected she was up