Strategic Management Essay -- essays research papers

Strategic Management QUESTION The study of the external environment is a crucial step in the mapping of business strategy for an organization. Discuss how the assessment of external forces can be performed with business examples to support your analysis. CONTENT PAGE 1. Question Paper 2 2. Introduction 3 3. PEST Analysis 4 (3.1) Political Legal Environment 4 (3.2) Economic Environment 4 (3.3) Social Environment 5 (3.4) Technological Environment 5 4. Industry Analysis 5 5. The Michael Porter Five Forces 6 (5.1) Threat Of New Entrants 7 (5.2) Rivalry of existing firms 7 (5.3) Threats of substitutes 7 (5.4) Bargaining power of buyer 8 (5.5) Bargaining power of suppliers 9 6. Conclusion 9 7. Bibliography 10 8. References 10 Introduction Business environment is an element that will affect all the activities of an organization. Beside, it will bring firms both opportunities and threats because of its uncertainties. Business environment is uncertain, complex & dynamics; organization should apply more flexibility & discontinuity ways to manage them. A firm cannot control the environment because it is unpredictable in its direction and speed of change, such as interest rates, rate of inflation and exchange rate. Business environment can classifies in two categories that are internal environment and external environment. Internal factors close to the company that have a direct impact on the organizations strategy, these factors include employee, customer, suppliers, shareholder, banker etc. External environment comprises those factors and trends outside the organisation that might have an influence upon an organisation and its future. Many external factors can have an effect upon an organisation - from changes in government legislation to the entry of new competition into a market.... ...; more the fact that your supplier realizes you can do it and so needs to respond accordingly Bibliography : http://IMBA 702 Cases.htm Strategic Management and Business Policy Entering 21st Century Global Society (Sixth edition) ?Thomas L. Wheelen & J.David Hunger http://www.Marketing Environment.htm References: Strategic Management and Business Policy Entering 21st Century Global Society (Sixth edition) ?Thomas L. Wheelen & J.David Hunger Business Policy and Strategic Management (Fifth Edition) ?Lawrence R. Jauch & William F.Glueck. Management of Business for GCE A Level & LCCI (2nd Edition) ?Vincent Gabriel Management (Third Edition) ?Kathryn M Bartol & David C Martin Strategic Management Awareness and Chance (Third Edition) ?John L Thompson Strategic Management Theory and Pratice ?G.A.Cole BA MA MIPD MIMgt, Strategic Management (International Edition) ?Alex Miller Gregory G.Dess Strategic Management (McGRAW-HILL International Edition) ?Gregory G.Dess & Alex Miller http://www. Porter's Five Forces.htm http://www.IMBA 702 Cases.htm http://www.Marketing Environment.htm http://www. Business Competition.htm http://Activity 1 - PESTEL analysis.htm

Jack London Essay -- essays research papers

Jack London was a prolific writer, one of the most widely read American writers of the early 20th century. During his short life, he wrote fifty books, plus many articles and short stories. Besides being one of the most widely read authors, he was also the highest-paid. However, Jack London did not spend all of his time writing. Besides being an author, he also was a gold prospector, a homeless, a pirate, a sailor, and a factory worker. London was determined to live an adventurous life: I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dryrot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time. (Parks and Recreation) This attitude fueled Jack London’s daring life. But his brash spirit eventually lead to his demise. London lived a short life, dying at age 40. He was known to be strikingly handsome and was a celebrity. His passionate writings were famous for his ideas on the struggle of survival and the questions of death. London’s novels were usually based on nature and adventure, coming from real life experiences, which appealed to millions of readers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack London was born on January 12, 1876 in San Francisco, California. The relationship between his mother, Flora ...

The Role of Literature in Cultural and Society Development

Jibran Khalil Jibran once said, â€Å"All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind. † It is in everyone, it’s locked away, hidden and for the gifted, it comes out to give us the very languages we are using today. Literature, like music and film and theatre, is an art. As a matter of fact the purest form of art. Life, for many if not all, in scales that vary is pretty much the same journey measured by experiences, fortune, luck and love. We cannot all express them in a poetic or artistic manner but we all experience them nonetheless. Most of us go through this wicked and unmerciful thing called life without ever being able to express those fortunate moments and hardships to others and more importantly to ourselves. We have reached an age where generations no longer pay mind to literature in a direct and hands on way. The new generation, including myself, doesn’t explore the poet within, as cliche as this may sound. Speeches from our presidents and world leaders don’t sound like they were fabricated from something real. They were written by politicians and campaign specialists whose aim is to shock and awe, but sadly with facts and numbers, not with the humane and sentimental approach for which speeches and words were meant. The role of literature in society is to help enhance our way of thinking and perceiving our surroundings. It heightens our level of expression and speaking. You simply become that much more articulate and creative! Almost every book or novel that we read results in a push to our perception of life. In Milton Albrecht's â€Å"The Relationship of Literature and Society†, he adequately states that literature â€Å"reflects† society; its supposed converse is that literature influences or â€Å"shapes† society. On a daily basis we come across some kind of literary event. Something you could write a poem about, maybe even a book. More often than not they are overlooked, but it’s the creative minds that will always seize these moments and grant us the literature that will always help us relate. We live in a world where we desperately need a lifeline or a beacon that will always remind us that we are not robots or corporate machines. We live in a world where people want to escape their daily responsibilities and commitments to something more heartfelt. We live in a world where we absolutely and undeniably need literature! While it is physically written in words, these words come alive in the imagination of the mind, and its ability to comprehend the complexity or simplicity of the text. Literature enables people to see through the lenses of others, and sometimes even inanimate objects; therefore, it becomes a looking glass into the world as others view it. Like Thomas Edison came up with electricity, like Alexander Graham Bell gave us the telephone and like Mark Zuckerberg invented FACEBOOK, literature perhaps started with man discovering his ability to create. When this happened he realized that he could not only express his emotions in writing but in the process deliver messages of import to society carefully hidden in beautiful and crafted words. He decided that he could play with words to entertain and captivate people who would read them. In the olden days distance was of course a problem and so maintaining a history of world literature was impossible. People in different parts of the world, using different languages and writing in different periods of time tackled literature differently. This has left us with books and creations that enrich our society and our heritage as a race. Even the most voracious reader can never hope to read all the books out there. There must be a reason for that, shouldn’t there? I mean many customs and cultures have withered over the centuries, many habits and arts have withdrawn into the abyss. But not literature! Literature inspires whole nations to rebel and change. This is the power of literature. It shapes, it moulds and in the process entertains. It helps us learn about human nature in all its foibles and greatness; it lets us learn about the human past and our own pasts, and about other cultures. When we discover literature we can travel to any place at any time, even to the future, and see how others view the same world. It helps people get an in-depth view of life in someone else’s shoes, whether it’s the writer’s or someone else’s, may it be fiction or based on real life experiences. Whatever the case may be, reading a book, for instance, can put you in a totally different world, so foreign to you that you are bound to learn something from. Reading, in my opinion, affects you on a much more personal level than watching a movie, therefore, after reading a book or any other piece of literature, the reader gains something which in turn he or she will inevitably bring into society whether it is a point-of-view, a new outlook or simply added knowledge or information. That person will carry what he/she learned on with them for years to come or probably forever and will most likely pass it on to other people and they in time will also pass n that newly acquired â€Å"crumb† of knowledge, causing a chain reaction of knowledge, if you will. After all, knowledge is one of the very few things that can never be taken away from you, and once anything is learned it inexorably triggers a change in that person, small or big, good or bad, that change will unavoidably occur and be brought with that person into society affecting how he or she would choose to converse with and/or treat others, how they would react to and handle cert ain situations and possibly the basis of their decision-making. All of these things, in one way or another will most definitely have an impact on society as a whole and on its individual units. Literature and writing, though obviously connected, are not synonymous. Several pieces of literature that left a mark on our culture and society were passed down through oral tradition before they were ever fixed in written form. Take Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey that was dated all the way back to the late Bronze Age and handed down through different cultures by oral tradition before ever taking a written form. Regardless of the form that literature may take, whether it’s in form of a novel or poem, movie or music, or just a simple oral form, it is undeniable that it bares several advantages for the person that actually takes the time to understand and appreciate it and eventually share it with others. You know? I may not be the most suitable person to be giving this speech or preaching about the importance of literature. I may not have experienced the true hardships and joys of life. But one thing I believe is that no matter when I express this importance, be it today or in 50 years after life has taken its toll on me, it will always be true. Novels, books, words and literature are here to forever and always shake the very foundation of our world. To shake us, rattle us in hopes that those crumbs that Jibran spoke of would fall into a page and form future cultures and societies to come. People nowadays, including myself sometimes, can be so apathetic and indifferent to our society and its people and oblivious to the fact that literature and education in general is a tool that can change that apathy and help shape us to become more well-rounded individuals that are somewhat free of the ignorance that can so easily destroy us without us even knowing it. The sad but apparent truth is that people these days don’t give reading and literature their just significance, most people probably never will, maybe it’s because of all the available distractions such as social networking and he like. The only solution for this problem is for previous generations to enlighten this generation on the importance of literature and how it can affect our society instead of constantly criticizing it. In the end, the people that criticize our generation forget who raised it, but that’s a different issue for a different time. I cannot be emphatic enough when stressing the importance of literature and reading and the rewards they so inconspicuously possess. After all, the famous author Mark Twain once said, â€Å"The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man that cannot read them. †

Gatsby Expository Paragraph

His love for Daisy took him far out of reality and turned him into a temporary zombie. The imagery of foul dust floating shows that Gatsby love for Daisy is a parasite in his mind and t hat the dust is pointless, like his love for Daisy. Daisy truly takes Gatsby away from his current t state of mind, when he thinks of her that's all he can focus on. Also, after Gatsby has given N kick and Daisy a tour of his house, he describes Gatsby)ads doubtful expression and how that eve en â€Å"Daisy tumbled short of his dreams† (95).This shows that Gatsby idea of Daisy maybe even more powerful than the reality of the situation. Having committed so much time to Daisy, any thing that â€Å"falls short† of his perfect outcome with her will let hurt him very emotionally in a b ad place. This shows how Gatsby visions of Daisy take him out of reality and make his dread ms unachievable. When Gatsby is thinking about Daisy, he is taken out of reality because his ex peculations of this ex traordinary life with her are not realistic.Right after Gatsby party when In k describes Gatsby as reminiscent and â€Å"talked a lot about the past† and that â€Å"he wanted t o recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy/' (1 1 0). This goes back to how unachievable something in the past is, it was already over and cannot be changed. Also, Gatsby/s idealism is taking him away from reality and its implying that part of Gatsby past has been wasted on an unrealistic situation of Daisy and Gatsby being together, w hen Daisy already was with Tom.

Difference Between Backing Up and Archiving of Data Essay

Explain the difference between ‘backing up’ and ‘archiving’ of data, state the process taken for both and give reasons why they are necessary. It is important to know the basic differences between backup and archiving information, in order to prevent loss of important files on a computer. There is a big difference between the two and it comes down to variables between short term and long term storage. Backing up important data files on a computer should be done often, sometimes once a day or more. Thinking of it like a short term insurance policy, backups can be done using USG keys, disks, even to tape. Sometimes this information is overwritten each time it is saved, as new tiles are being added. Backups are primarily used for operational recovery, to quickly recover an overwritten file or corrupted database. The focus is on speed, both to back up and recover, and on data integrity. Archives, on the other hand, typically store a version of a file that no longer changing, or should not be changing. For example, an accountant for a small business that uses QuickBooks will back up his files regularly in order to prevent a disastrous loss of inform. He will entrust that information to an online backup system that is updated at the end of each business day. This way, if a problem occurs with the individual computer or network, then there is a way to resurrect the book without having to enter a month of work. Archiving, on the other hand, is the equivalent of a long term insurance policy for files that are rarely accessed or never changed. This type of storage creates a history of the files in an authentic form that can be accessed weeks from now or years from now. The storage media for archiving requires that it have a long, stable life. If the owner of the company died tomorrow, where would you begin to look for important documents? Or what if an audit of 2003 came up? Creating an archive is essential to traching down vital information to a company or individual. Typically, archives have been stored on magnetic tapes in the past, but with cost of online data archiving solutions becoming more practical and inexpensive, you will see more use of them. Offsite data archiving is highly recommended in the even t of a disaster. Another way of looking at the differences is that backup contains multiple restore points, allowing you to go back in time in case of a virus, accidental deletion or accidentally saving over a file. Archived information will only store a singly version of a file and this is rarely changing, if ever at all. Often archived data will also span decades of files. Archiving may require certain policies or rules that approve who have access, how long the records need to be stored etc.

Looking back over the span of American history since 1607, what Essay

Looking back over the span of American history since 1607, what historical evidence supports Kinzer's assertion - Essay Example They vary in heritage and their ancestors came from different coasts. However, they share commonalities in valuing enjoyment of rights, liberty, fairness, and equal treatment of people which serves as purposive guide in their way of life. It is from this context that America has been historically intervening in varied nations in the name of freedom. It’s also from this political purview that Stephen Kinzer, prominent writer author of Kinzer, Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, pointed that America perceived itself as ‘a peculiar, chosen people, the Israel of our times.’ Kinzer (2006), a political analyst, perceived that most of the intervention done my American government in other sovereign nations is motivated to protect its business interests from possible restriction and regulations-- such as demands for taxation, labor laws and environmental protection, through geopolitical strategies. Kinzer (2006) pointed that these rest rictions imposed by nations, where American multinational companies are operating, are perceived anti-American, repressive or probably dictatorial. When conflict is heightened, the intervention could either be considered economic, political or an operation for liberation from perceived tyrannical governments. He cited that US lead-participation in overthrowing governments was evident in Hawaii in1893 to Iraq in 2003. Kinzer (2006) also contended that American-led or supported coups d'etat in Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Nicaragua, Honduras, Iran, Guatemala, South Vietnam, Chile, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq was a result of similar causes and motivation. Critical of its view, Kinzer argued that in 1898, US helped local rebels in Cuba to overthrow the Cuban government. Is this messianic political view of America indeed evident in the anal of its history? In the 16th century, under Colonial America, it was reckoned that Europeans traversed to America for economic r easons, to escape religious persecution and they settled at what they called the New World. Many of them lived with the assistance of Native Americans and started farming to produce corn grains and tobacco. They also engaged themselves in mercantilism to increase political power and wealth—thus, the extraction of gold and silver from North America and subsequently brought to London market. Mercantilism was protected by government through trades’ regulation and by providing subsidies for emerging industries to develop exports and control imports. The period was however characterized with smuggling, an American way to dodge out trading restrictions of European nations. Conflict rose as pirates launched several attacks. Conflict heightened until Seminoles from Georgia killed the remaining Indian residents at Florida. The regions of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, California and Kansas were also explored by Spanish conquestadores. Missionaries were sent in these a reas to propagate Christianity and to declare historic claims. American conquered and recovered the sites

MARKETING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE CUSTMER SATISFACTION Essay

MARKETING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE CUSTMER SATISFACTION - Essay Example A comparison of the expectations that a customer may have had as a result of any marketing and the subsequent reality after the purchase of a product, service or trying out of something that had been the subject of a marketing campaign can result in the customer being satisfied or dissatisfied with their closer interaction. Customer satisfaction determines the repeat purchase behaviour of a customer, their word to mouth recommendation and loyalty to a firm as well as any long term business association. It is far more expensive to gain a new customer then it is to retain an existing one and customer experiences do get repeated to others in the market. Marketing involves the whole customer interaction with a company or firm and any expectations that a customer has as a result of marketing have to be fulfilled in reality. Thus, the marketing strategy that is pursued by a firm does determine the profits that it can make and the success that can be enjoyed. This dissertation proposal atte mpts to present a research project that will try to investigate ingredients of marketing that can give rise to customer satisfaction in an age of computing, telecommunications and information technology networks. Marketing is about making people aware of solutions for their human and social needs in a cost effective and appropriate manner so that profits can be made for those who are providing the solutions as well as those who are communicating the message about the existence of the available solutions (Kotler, 2005, Chapter 1). Although effective marketing can take many forms, it should be able to satisfy the target audience and meet their need for information about what is available in a manner that is both pleasing and informative. If information is conveyed in a manner that is pleasing and exciting, then it is very likely that potential customers will be attracted to a product, service or solution for which they perceive that they have a need. The scope of marketing