Organisational Strategy & Decision Making Essay

Organisational Strategy & Decision Making - Essay Example Marketing efforts is a dynamic concept and demand company to regularly monitor and assess marketing capabilities. The assessment of the strategic and marketing position is done with the help of strategic tools and techniques like Ansoff’s matrix and Porter generic competitive strategies. The recommended strategic actions are also provided in accordance with the strategic analysis done with the help of above mentioned tools and techniques. 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Introduction Starbucks Corporation, a global and reputed American coffee company engages in the selling of coffee, hot and cold drinks, other beverages and items such as cups, tumblers, and mugs. The coffee products of the company hold big image and reputation across the world with the market capitalisation of $40 billion and with the sales of 1.2 billion pounds (Starbucks Jumps as Profit Increases on U.S. Sales Gain 2012). Starbucks Corporation functions on the basis of mission statement-‘to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time’ (Starbucks Corporation 2012). The company is dedicated towards sourcing finest quality coffee beans in order to deliver enriched quality coffee to its customers and known for their genuine service, pleasing atmosphere, and superior quality. The underlying essay aims at analysing and reviewing strategic position of the company in order to determine its strategic position. Internal and external audit has also been performed in order to gain idea about the internal and external environment of the company. Analysis of strategic position helps in outlining appropriate strategic action that should be adopted by the company in coming period. Internal and external audit Internal and external audit analysis of the business organisations are performed with the purpose of gaining idea about their existing capabilities and limitations. Business plans and strategies are formulated in light of assessed capabilities and limitations. In this regard, tool named SWOT analysis has been used in order to gain idea about their existing strategic capabilities. SWOT analysis represents strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. Strength and weakness analysis will represent internal audit for company while opportunities and threats will provide external audit of the company. Internal audit The most apparent strength for the company is strong brand image and identity of the company in the coffee business. Starbucks owns an impeccable and recognisable brand image in the coffee business. The strong brand image and identity facilitate the company to gain strong foothold and enters new markets across the globe. The company owns deep product portfolio with distinct features like Gourmet Coffee, regular drip coffee, Frappuccino blended coffee, and many more. The deep product portfolio enables the company to target wide customer base and delivering enriched purchase experience. The product quality and excellent customer service complements and support the existing brand image of the company (Starbucks raises 2013 forecast, defies industry trend 2012). The regular and active involvement of company in environmental and ethical practices acts as another strength for Starbucks. Eco-friendly practices related to energy conservation, climate controlling and maintenance are some of such eco-friendly practi

Classical Opera and Popular Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Classical Opera and Popular Music - Essay Example The combination of sound and rhythm are particularly important in music as they enable people to relate to music and drive out the desired intention. Historically, music has been used to make life lively, entertain people and pass messages to the community. Music has gone through stages from the simple forms of art to the complex technologies that are used today to come to compose and record songs. This paper will discuss the evolution of music from the classical opera style to the modern popular music, and elaborate on the similarities and differences of the two music forms. Classical opera was introduced by the Greek and Roman societies, and was related to their scientific and cultural practices of the time. During this time, there were no inventions in drama and music (Naxos). However, religion and tradition had great influence on music of the day since during occasions related to the two there were performances that highlighted music. Classical opera is a form of art that incorpo rates lots of orchestral, lyrical and theatre techniques. Classical opera evolved over time and combined dissimilar genres to be become a form of music. Although it was performed on stage by using the stage, acting and costumes, the words in the operas were sung in order to make the audience more attentive so that they could get the message being passed and enjoy the performance. In classical operas, there existed two forms of singing, recitative and aria types of dialogue. Recitative operas consisted of harmonic conversation that was not accompanied by melody and the aim of this singing was coming up with a plot. Aria reefers to music that was accompanied with a melody and emotional attachments meant to capture the eyes and ears of the audience. In the early nineteenth century, the two forms were joined to form the arioso style, which combined melody and singing. Another component of opera is musical accompaniment, which was used to set the mood for the performance, and this enable d the audience to connect the scenes in the opera. Classical Opera music first came into existence from performances called ‘intermedi’, which were started to celebrate important events such as weddings or holidays (TheatreHistory). The performances were accompanied by simple musical accompaniments that had single lines of melody for catching the attention of the audience. This practice was known as monody and had originated from a prior style known as madrigal, which was a form of singing that used a polyphonic strategy but became outdated. The performances of this age of opera were undermined by some irrelevant scenes, and this stunted advancement of drama and music. A German composer, Christophe Gluck came in to help people fix music into lyrics and he played a significant role in the advancement of opera. This made performances to be dramatic since there was a relation between the performance and the musical background. This purged the recitative opera and music was used for expression. One of Gluck’s compositions was the Orfeo ed Euridice, which was a tragic based mythology from Greece that is still performed in cinemas today (Fuller). In this composition, he made action important in performance since they could help people associate with the scenes. The audiences were prepared for the later scenes from the preceding scenes and this significantly improved drama. The other famous opera is the Magic Flute in which singing was accompanied by dialogue, and this enabled

Value Chain Analysis of Michelin Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Value Chain Analysis of Michelin Group - Essay Example As per Value Chain Analysis there are specific activities that cumulatively determine the position of the company. These are the primary and secondary activities. Primary activities include inbound logistics, Operations, Outbound logistics, Marketing and sales and Service. The Support activities are Procurement, Human Resource Management, Technology Development and Firm Infrastructure. (Roberts, 134-35) The Value Chain Analysis of Michelin would be based on these criteria. The position of Michelin in the tire industry is very well placed. The main aspect of the success story of Michelin is that they produce quality materials at an affordable price and is wonderfully backed by very efficient team of after sales service. In addition to that Michelin is helped in an extremely positive manner from the field of advertisements. The Michelin Man can be enumerated as a icon in not only the tire industry but the essence has reached beyond that. However, it can be mentioned that the inability to tap the heavy automobile industry in a full extent remains a greater weakness of the company. In this context it should be mentioned that the Annual Report 2006 promises to better this particular sector. In today's world market of tire business Michelin holds a very prominent presence. With the current market being a $100 billion industry the position of Michelin is noteworthy. These two leading figures were followed by Goodyear with 17.2% of the market share. (King, 122) The rest of the market segments were divided among other average sized manufacturers with a cumulative amount 28.8% of the market share. Further more, it was reported that an additional 17% of tire sales was instrumented by local producers. (Lock, 245-46) Thus being a huge player if the world tire industry the effective Value Chain Analysis of Michelin becomes more important. The Value Chain Analysis can be enumerated as below: Inbound logistics of Michelin shows that the raw materials and storage and handling c harges of materials increased by about 12% from 2005 to 2006. On the other hand it was found that the Operations relating to the production of products was almost at par with the last few years (2002-2006) with an increase of 6%. (Annual report: 2002, 201)The same cannot be said for the operations outbound segment and there was an increase of 5% on the valuation of production channeling. However the Marketing and sales indicated that the company showed an additional usage of 9.6% for the means of promotion and advertisements. The services sector under the determination of Value Chain Analysis showed that the total valuation was raised by about 3% reflecting the developing market structure in favor of the company. (Kar, 201-205) The support activities when taken into consideration also show a similar amount of development in terms of net valuation for the company. The procurement factor reflected the variables that enabled Michelin to get the best possible materials for the lowest pr ice and in this context it ca be summarized as a net gain of 15% in relation to 2005.

Experience Working in the medical environment Essay

Experience Working in the medical environment - Essay Example The institution’s location is also suitable for learning. My background study into the institution also identifies competent staffs that are ready to mentor students in the profession’s scope and in leadership. Consequently, studying in the institution, instead of an alternative institution, will improve my chances of completing the program and my chances of securing a job and advancing in the field, besides empowering me with operational and leadership for the field. Compassion for patients is, however, my main reason for pursuing the field of study and this developed from an experience in which care personnel mistreated my friend during our early adolescence. The friend had collapsed and when we took him to the nearest health facility, the personnel appeared preoccupied with other patients and presumed that the friend could have been under influence of drugs and that we could be an illegal gang. This treatment hurt me and I purposed to work in an environment in which I can interact with patients in such a condition and offer them the necessary services. My secondary objective into the field is to play a leadership role and ensure that medical assistants offer patients proper treatment.Working in the medical environment has been my dream and the scope of work of a medical assistant, that involves clinical service, seems to offer an opportunity to fulfilling this dream.

Value Chain Analysis of Michelin Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Value Chain Analysis of Michelin Group - Essay Example As per Value Chain Analysis there are specific activities that cumulatively determine the position of the company. These are the primary and secondary activities. Primary activities include inbound logistics, Operations, Outbound logistics, Marketing and sales and Service. The Support activities are Procurement, Human Resource Management, Technology Development and Firm Infrastructure. (Roberts, 134-35) The Value Chain Analysis of Michelin would be based on these criteria. The position of Michelin in the tire industry is very well placed. The main aspect of the success story of Michelin is that they produce quality materials at an affordable price and is wonderfully backed by very efficient team of after sales service. In addition to that Michelin is helped in an extremely positive manner from the field of advertisements. The Michelin Man can be enumerated as a icon in not only the tire industry but the essence has reached beyond that. However, it can be mentioned that the inability to tap the heavy automobile industry in a full extent remains a greater weakness of the company. In this context it should be mentioned that the Annual Report 2006 promises to better this particular sector. In today's world market of tire business Michelin holds a very prominent presence. With the current market being a $100 billion industry the position of Michelin is noteworthy. These two leading figures were followed by Goodyear with 17.2% of the market share. (King, 122) The rest of the market segments were divided among other average sized manufacturers with a cumulative amount 28.8% of the market share. Further more, it was reported that an additional 17% of tire sales was instrumented by local producers. (Lock, 245-46) Thus being a huge player if the world tire industry the effective Value Chain Analysis of Michelin becomes more important. The Value Chain Analysis can be enumerated as below: Inbound logistics of Michelin shows that the raw materials and storage and handling c harges of materials increased by about 12% from 2005 to 2006. On the other hand it was found that the Operations relating to the production of products was almost at par with the last few years (2002-2006) with an increase of 6%. (Annual report: 2002, 201)The same cannot be said for the operations outbound segment and there was an increase of 5% on the valuation of production channeling. However the Marketing and sales indicated that the company showed an additional usage of 9.6% for the means of promotion and advertisements. The services sector under the determination of Value Chain Analysis showed that the total valuation was raised by about 3% reflecting the developing market structure in favor of the company. (Kar, 201-205) The support activities when taken into consideration also show a similar amount of development in terms of net valuation for the company. The procurement factor reflected the variables that enabled Michelin to get the best possible materials for the lowest pr ice and in this context it ca be summarized as a net gain of 15% in relation to 2005.

How do the benedictine oblates enable the witness of Monastic Essay

How do the benedictine oblates enable the witness of Monastic Spirituality to be expressed in secular society - Essay Example The Benedictine vocation is not carried out primarily by cloistered, celibate monastics. The vast majority of Benedictines in our age are oblates, married men and women from many different Catholic Churches. The spiritual values embodied by the age-old Benedictine monastic tradition is today dispersed among people of the modern society by those chosen few — whose numbers nonetheless are on sharp rise — who have found their calling in the way shown by St. Benedict barely a few centuries after Jesus Christ. Benedictine oblates today represent a promising movement of bringing forth lofty spiritual principles out into the open and amalgamating them into our everyday humdrum existence. This they do by virtue of their thought, word and deed being permeated by the spirit of Christ. : Faith is like love, a very personal and intimate matter. It has a profound beauty and sublimity that cannot be so easily understood by cool rationality. The values and principles that Benedictine monks and oblates cherish and uphold can be best understood from the point of view of deep empathy. This point can be illustrated by a simple example. Some anthropologists study primitive tribes as if they were strange creatures steeped in a culture of ignorance. More mature anthropologists, on the other hand, often try to identify with the subjects of their study, by mingling and living with them, by becoming almost like one of them, by trying to look at the world from their eyes. Benedictine culture and tradition too ought to be ideally studied in the latter manner. 1. Oblates in the Context of Modern Society The Benedictine vocation is not carried out primarily by cloistered, celibate monastics. The vast majority of Benedictines in our age are oblates, married men and women from many different Catholic Churches. Benedictine oblates are lay persons affiliated with a Benedictine abbey or monastery who strive to direct their lives, as circumstances permit, according to the spirit and Rule of St. Benedict. (Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac 2005, p.490). While yet living "in the world," as ordinary members of society, they join themselves spiritually to a particular Benedictine community and seek to observe in the particular circumstances of their lives the important aspects of the Rule of St. Benedict. In the recent years, there has been a renewed interest among laymen and laywomen in associating themselves with religious communities as oblates or members of secular 'third orders'. Oblates do not take monastic vows but choose to live in close connection to a monastery, while integrating the spirit of the monastic rule into their daily lives. Groups of such "secular oblates" have in fact multiplied today in various forms. The term 'third order' generally has been a category for laity who seek to follow a way of life in the world but under the inspiration and spiritual guidance of a canonically approved religious institute.(Seasoltz, 2003, p.248). These groups often are the lay counterpart of particular religious orders. The First Order of the community was its professed male members, the Second Order, the professed female members, and the Third Order, the nonprofessed male and female affiliates (Wynne, 1988, p.164). People of these third orders seek to deepen their Christian life an d apostolic commitment in association with and according to the spirit of various religious institutes. Considerable numbers of people, most of them lay people with family and work commitments and with many involvements which keep them busy, are today turning to the monastic tradition. The main reason for this is perhaps that in monastic approach to life, in its essence though not in the outer form, they are finding practical help in making the ordinary and the everyday life a way to a higher reality. Monastic tradition began as a lay movement, and remained so until its intertwining with priesthood much later on

J & J Automotive Sales Essay Example for Free

J J Automotive Sales Essay Replicate business and referrals from pleased clients are fundamental to success in selling. The longer you work in sales as a professional person committed to treating your customers right, the higher and higher will be the proportion of your business emanating from repeat business and customer referrals. By contrast, think about the stereotype of the person we would generally consider the antithesis of professionalism in selling, the used-car salesperson. Of course, there may be some used-car salespersons out there that are professional businesspeople, but by and large their reputation is not exemplary. The reason? We believe it has a lot top do with the fact that the person selling in the used-car lot sees the prospect as an opportunity for a one-time transaction. Seldom will a customer return to that same used-car lot for a repeat purchase, and the used-car dealer virtually never has service facilities for developing an ongoing relationship after the sale. Used-car buyers rarely refer friends and colleagues to the dealer they bought from. When they do, it’s because of the availability of a particular vehicle rather than the dealership per se. Compare that with successful new-car dealership, especially those at the high end, who want you as a long-term customer that will refer friends and colleagues to the store and its salespeople. If you’ve ever dealt with a dealership like that, you’ve enjoyed a personal relationship with your salesperson and the service department reps, which is well worth paying for. You’d certainly agree that your salesperson does not fit the stereotype of a used-car salesperson. It’s just one illustration of a business which appreciates the fact that its survival is contingent upon repeat business and customer referrals. Joe luckily has good dealing relationships with his customers which is a good start in countering this stereotype. Not only must he be aware of the features associated with a variety of models, he must also be familiar with mileage, modifications, rebuilds, and the quirks of each car on the lot. As such, he could work against the stereotype as a slick con artist looking to make a quick buck. Part of this, may be due to the larger commissions used car salespeople like Joe make on each sale, thus encouraging them to complete as many sales possible. While stereotypes abound regarding used car dealerships, it is unfair to cast a negative light on the entire used car industry. The bonded dealers behave like other principals; some are up front and cooperative; others disappear or simply refuse to cooperate. Now while you consider you have seen and heard it all, a new claim presents novel and astonishing facts. For example, you are looking for a second-hand care and Joe activates your stereotype of ‘used-car dealer’. However, the car looks quite good buy. Is he lying to you or is he offering a good deal? If additional information seems to fit your initial judgment then you have category confirmation. You are confirmed, in your view of the salesman and leave it at that. If, however, the category is not confirmed, then you engage in re-categorization, and attempt to find a category that is a better fit – maybe the Joe is re-categorized as ‘helpful assistant,’ who sold cars honestly. Since Joe has this characteristics of passion in cars and the sincere concern to his customers, having this kind of stereotype would not hinder him from obtaining good customers, because he will, of course, gain their trust and as such, would gain good relationship with them. As a customer on the other hand, having Joe as a salesperson of used cars, I would definitely come back to him and get another good deal in buying his cars. The stereotype wouldn’t definitely affect my relationship with Joe as his customer and surely would come back for another deal. AutoNation created a huge business by exploiting the public’s perception of used-car dealers. Middle-volume dealerships with less expensive cars try to increase sales volume by getting uncertain customers the larger dealers ignore. They track sales workers to make sure they follow a prescribed script with customers. Smaller suburban dealerships also concentrate on uncertain customers but some also give special services like loaner cars and pick-up and delivery service in hopes of repeat and referral business. Reference: Kimball, Bob, and Jerold Hall. Selling in the New World of Business. Binghamton, New York: Haworth Press, 2004.