Bmw free essay sample

This case explains the elements that make up BMW’s strengths and weaknesses and illustrates the circumstances that surround the group in the mid 2000s. After an outline of the automobile industry, the case examines the product portfolio and the performance of the automobiles division of the BMW group. Students are likely to relate readily to the issues in this case, since the product and brands of the BMW group are well known. Also, as the products in the case are very desirable to most people, many students are likely to own or desire one. 2. Position of the case The case is best used as part of a strategy course dealing with positioning, branding, product portfolio and corporate strategy. It can also be used as part of courses that deal with strategic marketing issues, specifically brand development and management. The information on the automobile industry is limited, but sufficient for students to attempt some initial industry analysis, before moving on to consider the specific issues of BMW’s capability and positioning. We will write a custom essay sample on Bmw or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The case may be presented to students in two main ways: †¢ As an initial scenario that students will explore by themselves, with a general brief that requires them to identify and discuss the issues they see as critical in the case. Students who are used to an independent pattern of learning will favour this approach, and arguably they will learn more than in many other ways. This approach may also be extended to involve students in researching further some of the issues in the case, on the basis of an assessment of the existing information. As a self-contained scenario that is used by students as a source of information to answer a number of specific questions set by the tutor. †¢ 271  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor’s Manual 3. Learning objectives The main learning objectives that students should achieve after working through this case study are †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Practising the competitive analysis of an industry Assessing the strategic capability of a company Practising the segmentation of a market Relating the factors that are key to the success in a market to the resources and competences that a successful player must possess Identifying positioning options Evaluating the importance of brand management as a competence that is critical to successful differentiation Choosing directions and methods for the strategic development of a company. 4. Questions for discussion The case supports a number of questions that together will help students to achieve the learning objectives. The following are questions that students should be able to address from the information in the case. The questions also indicate the type of issues that students should be discussing if the more general teaching approach is used. 1. What main trends are identifiable in the business environment in general and in the automobile market in particular in 2004 that might affect BMW strategy? 2. Using Porter’s five-forces framework, attempt an analysis of the competition in the automobile industry in 2004; adopt the BMW perspective. Consider the time horizon of strategic planning, and attempt to identify what future changes are likely for that period in the light of the factors at play in the macro-environment. 3. What were the critical success factors in the market segments in which BMW competed? How do BMW’s competences compare to these? Was BMW able to acquire and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage? 4. Discuss BMW’s sources of competitive advantage. What route(s) does it appear to pursue on the strategy clock? 5. What directions and methods of strategic development does BMW appear to follow? Evaluate their effectiveness in light of your understanding of the market segments in which the group competes. 272  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor’s Manual 6. Discuss the corporate strategy issues relevant to BMW as a group. 5. Case analysis 5. 1 What main trends are identifiable in the business environment in general and in the automobile market in particular in 2004? The information in the case is limited, but it is clear that the industry was in the mature phase, therefore fiercely competitive, mostly on price, except for companies that managed to differentiate their products. The industry, characterised by global convergence, driven by technology push and market pull, was highly consolidated, with a few companies generating most of the output. The consolidation was driven by the need to generate economies of scale and of scope. Most suppliers of automobile parts were undergoing the same process. Two important related features of the market were the search for differentiation through design and the trend towards customisation, implemented on the back of a few major ‘platforms’. Given the maturity of the market, quality was no longer a differentiator, and branding was a major competitive tool. 5. 2 Using Porter’s five-forces framework, attempt an analysis of the competitiveness in the automobile industry in 2004; adopt the BMW perspective. Consider the time horizon of strategic planning, and attempt to identify what future changes are likely for that period in the light of the factors at play in the macro-environment The first issue that students must address in answering this question is to clarify the part of the industry and market to which they are going to apply Porter’s model. An accurate segmentation of the automobile industry is hard to perform because of the scarce information. Nonetheless, students should at least pose the question. So at a minimum they should identify some of the segments in which BMW competed, for example high performance saloon and sport cars. Potential entrants These segments were already crowded, made attractive by the premium price that the products sustained and increasingly attractive to players that could produce and promote differentiated automobiles. Examples were VW with Audi models and Ford with Volvo and Jaguar models. Ford had entered the market of luxury cars with a low-cost strategy. Potential entrants were a significant threat. 273  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor’s Manual Product substitutes Products competing for buyers’ disposable income in the segments where BMW competed ranged from other vehicles (e. g. motorbikes, boats) to leisure products (e. g. cruises), to properties (e. g. timeshare holiday homes). This is another significant threat. Power of buyers The power of individual buyers was very limited, since they had little bargaining power: they did not represent a threat. However, especially in the performance/ executive saloons range, fleet managers and car rental companies were powerful enough to exercise pressure on companies’ profitability. Power of suppliers Suppliers had little power: the attempt by some to differentiate their products by supplying ‘systems’ rather than ‘parts’ (i. e. the whole dashboard rather than some of the instrumentation) had given them little power, as their products were custom-made, thus unsuitable for most other buyers. Also, carmakers were capable of backwards integration. Competitive rivalry This was fierce. The industry was in a mature stage, with no growth, with little scope for differentiation, apart from (increasingly costly) branding, as quality had become a requirement, rather than an option. Design was also becoming a necessary requirement, but the increasing use of the same platforms for a number of models to reduce costs made many cars look very much the same. Exit was difficult, given the high asset intensity prevalent in the industry, and possibly political issues. In these conditions, competition for non-differentiated products was increasingly on price (often in the form of incentives), which had the effect of depressing the profitability of the whole industry. Future changes The changes that one could envisage taking place in the strategic time horizon of 5–6 years to the end of the decade were largely further intensification of the trends identifiable in the mid 2000s. 274  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor’s Manual †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Further consolidation of the industry, with smaller companies being acquired by the few big groups. A search for niches, on a global scale. Growth of cooperative links (joint ventures, strategic alliances), especially to enter new markets. Increased importance of IT in strategic decision making, in developing and managing knowledge (e. g. CRM), in managing the supply chain and in controlling operations. 5. 3 What were the critical success factors in the market segments in which BMW competed? How do BMW’s competences compare to these? Was BMW able to acquire and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage? The competences needed to underpin the critical success factors of players in the segments in which BMW competed were: Sound management of the supply chain and of the value system, through vertical integration and/or effective cooperation links to generate a high perceived value for buyers BMW achieved this by controlling most of the activities in the value chain, to ensure the high level of quality that buyers expect. Effective distribution network The control exercised by BMW on the distribution network contributed to its high global visibility, ensured top quality customer service and precious market intelligence. Size: the successful company is big enough to achieve high economies of scale and to deter predators BMW was large enough to achieve the desired economies of scale and scope that were required to be competitive in the segments in which it competed. The size, however, could be cause for some concern. In the mid 2000s the Quandt family seemed to be determined to keep its control of the group. Could this attitude change? What factors could influence it? 275  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor’s Manual Above all, a strong brand that buyers associate with quality, prestige, status The BMW brand was very powerful: customers associated it with solid German engineering and craftsmanship. The brand was very prestigious – ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ – and reassuringly expensive: it was perceived as a must by successful executives around the world, and by those who aspired to become so. The vigorous product development was exploiting the power of the brand to extend the reach to other segments, still with differentiated products. What were the limits of such a strategy? To sum up BMW appeared to possess the competences that related to the critical success factors: its continued growth in the face of a generally stagnant automobile market testified to that. . Discuss BMW’s sources of competitive advantage. What route(s) does it appear to pursue on the strategy clock? BMW was very successful in pursuing route 4 – differentiation – on the strategy clock. The sources of competitive advantage that sustained such strategy were: 1. Improvements in product Through design expertise, vigorous RD, solid craftsmanship, continuing use of manual input in production operations were perceived by buyers as value-adding factors. Marketing-based approaches The ‘differences’ of BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce automobiles were effectively communicated to the markets: the concept of the ultimate driving machine was used to summarise the benefits accruing to buyers. 3. Competence-based approaches BMW seemed to exploit effectively the interrelationship of its strong RD, design capabilities, and sound engineering. Unlike many other German companies, BMW was successful in appropriating the additional revenue accruing to its products as a result of being produced in Germany (or under strict company supervision). BMW’s major competence in the mid 2000s was its brand management and communication. 276  © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Instructor’s Manual To sum up In the mid 2000s, BMW was successfully pursuing a differentiation strategy. It did so by offering a (perceived) improved product, which was realised through core competences embedded in the organisation and the benefits that the product would bring to buyers were effectively communicated to the market. The brands of the BMW group drove the buyers’ choice and generated extra revenue through their willingness to pay a premium price. What directions and methods of strategic development does BMW appear to follow? Evaluate their effectiveness in light of your understanding of the market segments in which the group competes BMW was following simultaneously a strategy of product development and market development. The continuous development of new models in new segments was coupled with entry into new markets, in particular China, Eastern Europe and India. The strategies appeared to be very effective and the response given by the markets demonstrates this. A question mark on the wisdom of the strategy in relation to its long term effects on the power of the brand is appropriate. 5. 6 Discuss the corporate strategy issues relevant to BMW as a group The corporate strategy issues relevant to the BMW group in the mid 2000s were of two kinds: 1. Portfolio management. The range of products generated by the group could be a cause for concern in relation to the different competences required to market, say, a Mini and a RollsRoyce – even considering that all the group’s products have in common the fact that they are differentiated. Perhaps more importantly, the expansion of the BMW brand range might weaken the brand that is now also supporting the other two, RollsRoyce and, especially, Mini. 2. Independence. Privately controlled but small in size when compared with the five giants, the group must rely on the loyalty of the family that owns a controlling share of its equity. The group’s survival if such loyalty were to falter was very much in doubt.

Personality Identifier Essays

Personality Identifier Essays Personality Identifier Paper Personality Identifier Paper Personality Identifier: the four temperaments According to some psychologists, bible scholars and theologians there are four basic temperaments that determine our personality types. Research reveals that this study goes far back as many as a thousand years. When we are able to identify who we really are and our temperamental tendencies, we are better able to regulate ourselves. Being aware of our personal tendencies allows us to create self-control and self-discipline within ourselves to avoid unnecessary pitfalls within our lives. If someone is aware that they are more prone to succumbing depression, that person can lean on God to help them control negative emotions and harmful thoughts that would encourage that depression. Knowing our own personality type better assists us in our relationships with others. Everyone that we do not get along with cannot be deemed evil sometimes its as simple as a clash in personality types. What If that person Is someone that you cannot avoid, Like your boss? Understanding your personality type and your bosses personality type will give you the Information that you need to properly manage that relationship. There Is thing worse than going Into work every day to work for a boss that you do not get along with. But when you can navigate others by identifying their personality type you are more likely to have a better relationship with that person. Aside from boosting our relationships, understanding your personality type can better your ministry, your family relations (especially if you are a parent) and even your business. Although there are four basic temperaments, many of us are a combination of two. The following are examples of the combinations: Mel-Color, Color-San, San-phlegm, Phlegm-Mel, Melisa, Color-Phlegm; as well as the reverse of the latter: Color-Mel, San- Color, Phlegm-San, Melville, San-Mel, and Phlegm-Color. The order of temperaments Is determined based on which temperament was the dominant temperament within an Individual. SANGUINE The first temperament type is called sanguine. This is the most emotional type. The Sanguine is the popular person who wants to fun out of every situation and always wants to be the life of the party. Sanguine love to talk and carry lot of influence. The Sanguine are the easiest to spot because they make grand entrances, love attention, attract people with their magnetism, exude charisma, and tell funny stories. What they want to hear from you is how attractive they are, how you like their hair, make-up, clothes, dangling rhinestone earrings or anything else they have put on to ensure that you notice them. They live for the externals and want you to get excited over their style, sense of humor or new red sports car. Sanguine are popular, talkative and the center of attention at all times, no matter the setting. They are warm, caring, and enjoying?its easy for something to warm tenet near Ana teen nave an tourist AT response. Although at times, teen may speak before they think they are sincere and loving. Never at a loss for words, this extrovert is everybodys friend but this person will also be the first one to forget you. The Sanguine lives for the moment, and tends to go with the flow easily. They are quickly distracted, therefore not very reliable. But shes so lovable that her friends tend to pass off her weaker tendencies, saying, Thats Just the way Sandy is. A person with a sanguine temperament is affectionate, loving, cheerful, optimistic, hopeful, and confident. Because of their bubbly personality, they often appear phony ND comes on too strong. They are apt to dominate the conversation or talk too much about themselves. In their enthusiasm, they may exaggerate the truth, waste time, and forget obligations. The Sanguine has more natural inner-beauty qualities than the other temperame nts. They can work on calmness and on controlling their tongue. This trait can be assisted by using Gods Word, particularly in Colombians 4:6, Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man. Sanguine are frequently not disciplined, and this is, of course, very difficult for the third personality yep called melancholy to understand. Sanguine wear their heart on their sleeve, but they very easily forgive and forget. As quickly as a Sanguine will discover a new hobby or pursuit, that love of it can be lost when it ceases to be engaging or fun. An example of a sanguine in the bible is the Apostle Peter. Another example is King Saul. Both were quite unstable in their emotions. That is why even why Jesus changed his name from Simon meaning reed to Peter meaning stone. We saw how Peter changed dramatically when he was filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2 and 3). He came a Christenings, stable, reliable and faithful man of God and one of the greatest apostles that ever lived. This is what happens when we allow the Spirit of God and Gods word to shape our emotional life. CHOLERIC The second temperament or personality type is called choleric. The Choleric is the powerful person who wants to take control of every situation and make decisions for others. Choleric love to work and they possess dominance. They are identified as the Powerful Person and are easy to spot because they walk with authority and appears to be in charge of everything. Such people dont want to waste much time on trivial activity with no obvious results or converse with people who have nothing to say of significance. They are frequently telling other people what to do and pointing out the dummies of life. They accomplish more than any of the other personality types, can quickly assess what needs to be done, and are usually right. They dont need to be affirmed on their looks, but they love praise for their accomplishments; their speed in problem solving; their constant goal setting, their loyalty to God, church, mother, business, or country; and their sense of fair play. If you are a Phlegmatic- the fourth personality type; you get worn out Just watching these people, but if you want them to be impressed with you, tell them how amazed you are at how much teen accomplish In a very snort time. I nee may never nave notable you Detour but they will suddenly see you as a person of great discernment. The Choleric is the no-nonsense person?practicality is her way of life. Self-sufficient, active, and hard- working, the Choleric gets it done. Ill do something, right or wrong, is a phrase that characterizes them. They get the Job done, whether the results are perfect or not. Choleric plan quickly, almost intuitively sizing up what needs to be done, then follows through with the plan. You wont catch them deliberating too long over details. This dogmatic person is a born leader, very keen and capable of responsibility. They will take a stand and stick to it, no matter what?a good and bad aspect of the temperament. As they will not be influenced by what others think and is also the least sensitive or sympathizing of the other four temperaments. You learn to steer clear of the Choleric if you want a shoulder to cry on?theyll Just diagnose your problem and give you a solution. Yet, when you come to understand their personality, they are fun to be around and very capable. The choleric person is an extrovert. They are sure of their ability to handle any situation and can motivate others to action. Their personality perhaps has more weaknesses than strengths. For instance, they are quick tempered and easily angered. Choleric temperaments are irritated easily. The Choleric will have to work at developing the inner beauty of a calm spirit. The person who identifies with this personality type can find in Gods Word the best way to grow, in Philippians 2:13, which says, For it is God which works in you both to will and to do f his good pleasure. The words of James chapter one verse nineteen may also be helpful: Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. An example of the choleric in the bible is the Apostle Paul. But when he encountered Christ, he became a very broken and changed man. MELANCHOLY The third temperament is called melancholy, who is also known as the perfect person who wants everything done in order and done properly and who appreciates art and music. Melancholies love to an alyze are cautious. The Melancholy Perfect Person is usually neatly put together and intellectual looking person. These people are usually quiet, reserved, and a little ill-at-ease in social situations where they dont know everyone. They would rather talk quietly with one person in depth than banter with a group. They consider compliments on clothes and external niceties to be trivial and want to hear about the inner virtues of integrity, wisdom, and spiritual values. Often times melancholies marry Sanguine who cant find their way inside these deep virtues and who keep telling them how cute they look. When we dont understand these differences, we are giving out the very treasures that everyone wants but the melancholies. The Melancholy is very sensitive and easily hurt and tends to take what others say in humor as personal and hurtful. Since Sanguine and Choleric say whatever comes to their minds without weighing their words, they often deflate the Melancholy who is waiting for someone to approach them and say, l understand you. And really mean it. The Melancholy is ten analytical, systematic person, won ladder over eat a ills. An extreme Introvert art, teen are constantly analyzing themselves, and others. Though sometimes they can be at the height of happiness, they are more prone to the dark, gloomy and depressed odds, during which they are extremely withdrawn. Not given much to large crowds ?they usually detest group gatherings and doesnt seek to make new acquaintances. They have a few friends, to whom they are extremely faithful. Self-sacrifice is a great pleasure for a Melancholy, and they feel things rather intensely, though you wouldnt always know it. They are the studious, brainier type, and facts roll easily off their tongue. They can hide much away their brain and would rather read or study than interact with others. Gloominess, irritability, and depression characterize the Melancholy. They often times can be sad and unhappy. A melancholic personality type is very frequently gifted with intellect and talent. They are self-disciplined and usually finishes every project they start. The Holy Spirit may have more work to do in the Melancholy because of the need to develop qualities of their inner beauty. The Melancholy will find help in such verses as Colombians 3:15 and 16: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colombians 3:2 will also help, And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth An example of melancholy in the bible is Moses. When he met God in the burning bush, his life changed, and he became a very meek man. Because of the change within Moses God was truly able to place Moses in his divine destiny, to be a deliverer of Gods people. PHLEGMATIC The fourth personality type is called phlegmatic. The Phlegmatic is the peaceful person who wants to stay out of trouble, keep life on an even plane and get along with everybody. Phlegmatic like to rest and show steadiness. I have met many in my life and it is amazing how quickly we can learn to spot these people therefore giving us the ability to approach them correctly. The Phlegmatic Peaceful Person is amiable, easy to get along with and relaxed. These people fit into any situation, can blend in with the wallpaper and modify their personality to get along without conflict. They laugh with those who laugh and cry with those who cry. Everyone loves the low-key nature of the inoffensive phlegmatic, and though they are not loud like the Sanguine, they do have a witty sense of humor. They often lean while standing and sit in enforceable recliner chairs if at all possible. They dont need a lot of praise like the Sanguine, nor do they want to be in charge like the Choleric or get to deeply involved like the Melancholy. They do appreciate being noticed every once in a while, being included in conversations that they themselves wont push into on their own. Being told that they are of value and their opinion is respected means much to them. Since they often marry Choleric, whose idea of value is wrapped up in how much is accomplished in a given day, they do not get appreciate much Tort tenet quiet Ana gentle split. I nee, In turn, Tina It Doolittle to praise the constant projects of the Choleric because it wears them out Just thinking of them. The phlegmatic is a super introvert. It is difficult to rouse them to action. At times they can be selfish and stubborn but most of the time they are easy to get along with and cheerful. Phlegmatic people are conservative and usually neat, efficient, and dependable. The Phlegmatic is the easy-going, happy-go-lucky person. They are enjoyable to be around, is always happy and gets many pleasures from life, yet he is quite laid-back and doesnt get too excited about much. Phlegmatic would rather take the blame, whether its their fault or not, than stir up controversy or pick a fight. On the Job, they do not seek out the power or the limelight, but rather they work steadily, patiently, and methodically. They are reliable, patient, and methodical in their dealings, and can either work alone or with the most difficult personalities. They naturally have a dry sense of humor and their wittiness keeps their companions laughing constantly. Phlegmatic dont get ruffed about much and is the same, consistent, caring person each time you see them. They tend not to get too involved n things, and would rather sit back and watch the action. A phlegmatic is gracious and kind to all?they love every one and they all love him back. The phlegmatic has some natural inner beauty. Compassion for others is an area they may need to improve. Romans 12:10 says, Be kindly affectionate one to another In honor preferring one another. An example of a phlegmatic in the bible is Abraham. After he listened to Sarah about having a baby with her servant Hager, he did not have a problem with allowing Hager and Shame to live with he and Sarah. Hussars attitude began to change toward Sarah and their relationship become very toxic. Sarah pleaded with Abraham to send Hager and Shame out but Abraham contested.

Federal Express Canada Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Federal Express Canada Analysis - Case Study Example Hence, the company must immediately respond to these issues in order to ensure long terms sustainability. Logistics computerization is one of the most recommendable policies for the FedEx to improve its logistics and customer service operations. The company has to raise additional finance. It also has to recruit more skilled employees to implement the planned changes. Finally, the FedEx should develop potentials systems to monitor the performance efficacy of the implemented changes. Background Federal Express or FedEx is a North American shipping company notable for its ‘fast response to customer requests and constant tracking of every shipment’ (McDougall & Dorken, 1998). The company (as cited in McDougall & Dorken, 1998), employs nearly 137,000 people worldwide (including 3,500 in Canada) and offers shipping services to 212 countries; and every night, FedEx planes carry approximately 2.9 million packages weighing a total of nearly 2 million pounds. The FedEx maintains 60 shipping facilities in Canada to meet Canadian shipping needs from coast to coast. The organization gives primary focus on Quality Management and Assurance and attained ISO 9000 for its operations worldwide. FedEx is the first service based company that has won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the US. The company has a good reputation in the shipping sector and maintains a huge potential customer base. Statement of Issues While analyzing the case scenario, it is clear that the FedEx has some potential issues with its logistics management and customer service practices. McDougall & Dorken (1998) clearly indicate that the company failed to meet shipping requirements of Desktop Innovators and the situation caused the DI to suffer from huge business loss. The DI placed a shipping order on FedEx to send two boxes from Kitchener, Ontario to Simpsonville, South Carolina. The DI wanted to get those two boxes at the destination by 12th October so that the firm’s deale r would get plenty of time to transfer them on to Charlotte, where the trade show had been arranged. However, only one of those boxes was delivered at Simpsonville on time and therefore the DI could not display its software packages at the trade show stalls. Similarly, the FedEx did not timely and properly respond to queries raised by the DI’s Office Manager Anita Kilgour. Hence, Kilgour could not get actual status of the DI’s goods in transit and this situation caused great confusion to both Kilgour and the dealer. While scrutinizing the FedEx’s service delivery policies, it is obvious that the company violated its delivery terms and conditions, which the client had been had been promised at the time of order placement. Situation Analysis The identified issues relating to the two management areas (logistics management and customer service management) raise many potential threats to the FedEx’s long term sustainability. Effective logistics management is c rucial to customer satisfaction since customers are the end users of a firm’s all logistics activities. It is obvious that every shipment is intended for a particular purpose and therefore it will be of no use if the shipped goods are delivered late. In other words, the FedEx’s weakness in logistics management would lead to huge troubles in future since the company handles millions of packages every day. If once a customer

Commnuincation skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commnuincation skills - Essay Example Passive listening is one directional communication whereby the receiver does not give feedback or make inquiries and probably may or may not comprehend the message of the sender. Passive listening is known to lead to mistakes that are costly, employees being unhappy and customer dissatisfaction. Some passive listening examples include listening to radio and television. Passive listening is one of the most common forms of listening in today’s world. While active listening is a two directional communication where both sides are contributing, as well as engaging in conversation. Furthermore, in order to become a better active listener, studying and training are necessary (Shwom and Snyder 36). Therefore, it is safe to utter that the listening skill that would enhance better communication would be active listening. In order to develop better active listening skills as well as bring success within a workplace of which every employer seeks, they are three main categories that need e mphasis, namely; accurate hearing, comprehension and interpretation, and lastly response. For example, distractions from the environment like noise from vehicles or ongoing construction sites can be considered a hindrance to accurate hearing while for comprehension and interpretation, which would include the language factor. An example to this would be if someone speaks in a different language, like say Spanish it is impossible to comprehend and interpret what has been said if the person does not know Spanish. In order to combat this, one needs to be multi-lingual, and this is where employers’ of multinational companies invest in, as well. In addition to being a more effective listener in comprehension and interpretation, the in cooperation of non-verbal communication and verification of personal understanding through queries and paraphrasing is necessary. Some examples of non-verbal communication would include voice of tone, facial expression, body language, as

Canadian national identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Canadian national identity - Essay Example According to public opinion polls, Canadians are proud of their diversity since it reflects the admirable qualities of caring, accepting, and tolerance. Canadians have developed a fairly intense complex about their national identity. Most Canadians share universal conceptions. The Canadian media has identified that 85 percent of Canadians identified their nation with typical behaviors and a typical accent language (Diakiw, 2011). There are numerous historical events that have shaped the current Canadian national identity. Some of the events include the participation of women in World War I, the creation of social welfare services and implementation of the third party system. Canadian political system has led to collective bargaining and equal rights for all workers (Diakiw, 2011). Immigration restrictions especially Asian immigrants and treatment of minority groups during the 20th century including residential schools, aboriginal issues and treaties led to emergency of shared values of tolerance and acceptance of diversity (Berdun & Montserrat, 2007). The Official Languages Act and Canadian role in international peacekeeping led to emergency of a culture of tolerance and caring attitudes among the nationals (Berdun & Montserrat, 2007). Canadians are proud of the cultural image. Canadian government has facilitated the strengthening of national identity and heritage. A unified and tolerant Canadian national ideology inspires many Canadian nationals. Canadian government has promoted cultural diversity and heritage through limiting the effect of foreign influence such an American influence. The official symbols such as the Flag of Canada was modified in order to align it with Canadian culture. Prominent symbols such as the loon, Canada goose, beaver and Canadian horse are some of the symbols that Canadian national identity with in the society (MacKey, 1999). The government has also changed the

How Computer Mediated Communication Affect Students English Language Essay

How Computer Mediated Communication Affect Students English Language Essay There are many genres in computer-mediated communication which are e-mails, chat-groups and the World Wide Web, etc. CMC is one of the popular forms of written language nowadays. CMC also changes peoples way of thinking. The CMC discourse affects students writing competence in a certain extent. This research discovers the occurrence of CMC discourse in students writing and how CMC affects their writing competence. Chapter 1 Introduction Since the rapid development of Internet and mass media, people are more rely on using Internet and mass media to obtain information. (Flanagin and Metzger, 2000) Internet covers almost all the topic that people know that is an ocean of information. It is much more quickly searching information though the Internet than reading entire books or collections. People exchange data and communicate thought different genres of Internet devices. Internet seems become an inevitable part in education and communication. Many new formats of media appear, like online forum, instant message program, short message service (SMS), etc. Language maintains social relationship between people, which is a sub-filed of linguistics called sociolinguistics. When new formats of communication appear, language patterns also change to distinguish whether people belongs to the group or not. The wording students use in the Internet will be different from the formal ones. Scholars like Crystal (2001) called the use of computer for communication computer mediated communication (CMC). There are asynchronous (delay) communication tools and synchronous (real-time) communication tools in CMC. Electronic mail systems (e-mail), newsgroups and bulletin board system (BBS) are the examples of asynchronous communication tools; instant messaging systems, like MSN Messenger and QQ, are the example of synchronous communication tool. One of the major advantages of such synchronous CMC is to bring together geographically dispersed students, and add immediacy and increase motivation. Teachers are encouraged to use CMC in their teaching, but the impact of CMC which is affect students writing competence negatively, especially second language (L2) learners. Computer equipments are essential in L2 classroom, no matter which level the students are. Writing competence shows students comprehensive language ability. Most importantly, students use the computer as a learning tool and entertainment in their leisure time. Teachers cannot measure the negative effect that CMC language brings. As students may think that using CMC language is trendy and more fashionable, they tend to use the wording in the Internet and this writing style may affect their formal writing unconsciously. This research paper investigates how computer-mediated communication affects students writing competence at Beijing Normal University- Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC). UIC is the first university that cooperated by Mainland China and Hong Kong. It is a new liberal arts college to serve China and the world. Chapter 2 Literature Review The previous chapter has a brief introduction on this research paper. According to Qin (2010), CMC is multi-dimensional and takes many forms synchronous (participants are on-line at the same time and interactions occur at the same time) or asynchronous (participants need not to be on-line at the same time). CMC can be one-to-one or many-to-many communication. Consider the following figure: Figure 1 CMC features From the Figure 1, there are main types of CMC. The forms of CMC may then be classified depending on they are synchronous or not and on the number of participants who are involved in the interactions. The full name of IRC is internet relay chat. According to Jarkko and Darren (1993) it is a protocol for real-time Internet text messaging (chat) or synchronous conferencing. It is mainly designed for group communication in discussion forums, called channels, but also allows one-to-one communication via private message as well as chat and data transfer. A MOO is a text-based online virtual reality system to which multiple users (players) are connected at the same time. (Rawn, James, 1995) CMC also characterized of the structures of interaction: one-to-one interaction, one-to-many interaction, and many-to-many interaction. (Qin, 2010) For example, Lee (2002) suggested that a mailing list like the Linguist List would be and example of one-to-many CMC system, where a message is oftern sent to an unknown group of recipients. According to Beauvois Eledge (1996), CMC is a channel for synchronous or asynchronous written exchanges which is an excellent facilitator of communication. Swaffar (1998) also said that CMC engages learner more frequently, students have greater confidence and enthusiasm in communicative process. December (1996) suggested a more comprehensive definition of CMC: Internet based, computer-mediated communication involves information exchange that takes place on the global, cooperative collection of networks using the TCP/ IP protocol suite and the client-server model for the data communication. Messages may undergo a range of time and distribution manipulations and encode a variety of media types. The resulting information content exchanged can involve a wide range of symbols people use for communication. Language in Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) mentioned that CMC means communication between humans using the medium of the computer like e-mail, World-Wide Web, chat rooms (Crystal, 2001). Mobile phone text messaging can also be seen as a variety of CMC, although it does not use a computer as such. CMC also claimed that there are several notable linguistic features of CMC, such as orthography, vocabulary, grammar, discourse and text, paralinguistics and graphics. CMC demonstrates a mixture of features drawn from prototypically spoken and prototypically written media. Since CMC text-type is more informal, spoken style of writing, students may get used to write the informal forms in their assignments. There is a relationship between CMC and writing competence. According to Wang, CMC has played its irreplaceable role in language teaching classroom especially in collaborative writing. It also brings new challenges on language teaching. Beauvois (1997) found that LAN (local area network) does not only improve the students writing but also their confidence and general ability to express them. However, LAN is based on the synchronously interaction, it is thus basically a type of oral language rather than formal writing, which according to Beauvois, may also result in better spoken language. The discourse characteristics that commonly use in CMC language are orthography, vocabulary, grammar, discourse and text and paralinguistics and graphics (Crystal,2001; Ooi, 2002). Orthography means the informal (phonetic) spelling, speed-writing (especially with mobile phones) and absence of capitalization (even with pronoun I and proper names). For example, do wot I did; thx 4 ur txt; ill be over later on in the day. (Crystal,2001; Ooi, 2002) Vocabulary means informal wording, use of injections and use of in-terms and abbreviations, like ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing), IMHO (in my humble opinion and LOL (laugh out loud). There are also formal abbreviations, for instances DNS (domain name system), BBS (bulletin board system and BBC (blind carbon copy). (Crystal,2001; Ooi, 2002) Grammar means telegraphic language and multiple coordination/ subordination in sequence. For example, Have forwarded the N e-mail. (Crystal,2001; Ooi, 2002) Discourse and text mean the use of interaction features (e.g. questions), stream of consciousness writing, message-comment structures in e-mail and hypertext. (Crystal,2001; Ooi, 2002) Paralinguistics and graphics mean spaced letters. Multiple letters, alternative markers for emphasis (!!!!!, $%^%$#), capitalization, little or excessive punctuation, emoticons (WOOOOOW, hahahaha). (Crystal,2001; Ooi, 2002) Research Question: How CMC language affects students writing competence? The next chapter outlines the methodology of data collection and analysis this research. Chapter 3 Methodology In the previous chapter, the literature review stated that there are different characters of computer mediated communication discourse, like lexicon, graphology and orthography. In this research, a quasi-experiment was used to investigate the possible characteristics of CMC in students writing. Achen (1986) stated that Quasi-experiments are something other than a random sample of the relevant population with random assignment to treatment and control groups. Although quasi-experiment is not a real experiment that can show the accurate result from control group and experimental group, it still has its necessity in this research. Achen (1986) pointed out that sue to randomization may be physically, economically or politically impossible and controlled field trials may be impossible, quasi-experiment is necessary used in research. Firstly, people sometimes cannot fully measure all the factors causing a result, so it is necessary to based on quasi-experimental evidence. Secondly, the assignment to experimental and control groups must be taken as fixed, and all hope of randomization abandoned. (Achen, 1986) Pretest and posttest are another methodology that used in this research, showing the relationship between students writing competence and computer-mediated communication discourse. Group TimeÆ’Â   Exp O X O Cnt O N O (O= observation or measure; X= treatment; N= no treatment) Firgure2: Pretest and Postest From Figure2 (Yan, 2012), if change from pre- to post-test for treatment group and not for control group (or not as much), change can be attributed to the treatment) assuming proper experimental controls) Teachers face difficulties in enhancing students writing competence, especially the vocabulary and grammar rules. New mass media, like mobile phones and the Internet, are used in communicate the messages through network and those media change the language style a lot for people to fit in the Internet needs. (Bennett, 2003) The Internet brings a huge freedom on writing for students (Liu, n.d.), students not only using CMC discourse in daily communication, but also in their works. Teachers take writing competence as the most seriously compare to other competence, however CMC discourse brings certain negative effect on students. (Liu, n.d.) According to Liu (n.d.), the Internet is a double edge sword. It brings a lot of convenience, but also traps those immature students. If students addicted on surfing the Net and chatting through different synchronic response tools (like ICQ, MSN), they neglect the classic readings since these readings are not as interesting as CMC discourse. Writing competence is not only including using correct grammar, right word choice, but also including the correct and healthy values that students express. It is an influential way to promote negative values through Internet. Students writing competence can not be improved if they keep influenced by CMC discourse. In the chapter of literature review, lexicon, graphology and orthography are the three main characters of CMC discourse. The research is based on these characters to analysis students writing competence when they start engaging with English CMC discourse. This research may help teacher to find out the relationship between writing and help them to figure out a balance between CMC discourse and writing competence. Some teachers may overuse the Internet in their teaching, and bring negative effects to their students. The findings of my study may also contribute to raising both teachers and students awareness of using computer mediated communication. 3.1 Background information of the targets There are eight targets in this research, who are all Year 1 students come from the major of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) in Beijing Normal University- Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC). As the entrance requirements of English score is higher than other major in UIC, which requires 110 out of 150 in Chinas college entrance examination (Gaokao). All the targets scored the minimum marks in their English Gaokao, which illustrated their original English competence better than some other students in UIC. The researcher gives the subjects a list of selected CMC discourse that is commonly used in chat rooms, texting and BBS. (Appendix1) After they know CMC, they need to write a 100-word essay every week. There is not limitation on their writing topics. The whole experiment lasts about a month. This research also aims at helping them adapt a totally new learning environment which is using English as the medium of instruction. UIC is a liberal arts school and uses English as the medium of instruction. It is much difficult for TESL Year 1 students to adapt; due to there are many linguistics terms and higher requirements on writing competence. 3.2 Data collection The subjects were TESL Year 1 students who have little influence by the Internet, so the research finding will be more accurate. It is because the enclosed education system in China, students are not allowed to leave high schools except weekends. As the new and released, teacher is responsible for not only teaching but also for students personal safety. One of the researches said that the most effective ways to ensure students safety is not allowed them leave the campus without permission and abandon other extra curriculum activities. The only thing students can do in the campus is study hard so many of them do not have chance to surf the Net in Chinese, let alone English. There are eight participants joint this experiment. Both data from pre test and post test are also needed in the research. According to Dimitrov, and Rumrill (2003), pretest-posttest are widely used in behavioral research, which aim to comparing groups and/ or measuring changes from the experimental treatments. A quasi-experiment will be conducted because it is difficult to do a full experiment, since we cannot find a group of people who have never touch the Internet to be the control group. Also there are some other reasons that can affect students writing competence. Organize pretest-posttest control group design which allows researcher to control the variable of time and maturation. In most schools and classrooms, random selection is not possible. The groups of participants are nonequivalent, so their characteristics are different too. It is better to do quasi-experiment to avoid threat validity. Johnson (2008) mentioned that validity is the degree to which a thing measures what it reports to measure. 3.3 Data Coding Scheme and Instrumentation A coding scheme was created from the literature review of CMC language characteristics, which stating the categories of CMC. The scheme included three different levels; they are lexicon level, graphology level and orthography level. On the lexicon level, there are neologisms (new words), abbreviations (short forms), acronyms (formal short forms) and rebuses (combination with numbers and letters). (Crytal, 2001) On the graphology level, there are change words to numbers (use 1 instead of one) and punctuation (use more than one punctuation marks to express emotions). On the orthography level, there are paralinguistics cues (for example hahaha) The research is based on these characters to analysis students writing. There is a evaluate sheet (Appendix 3) that used to count how many times does these properties appear in students writings. Marking the maximum frequency of each properties exit in the writings, finding out the mean and standard deviation of the frequency are the ways to show the data. Mean has three related meanings in statistics, the arithmetic means of a sample, the expected value of a random variable and the mean of a probability distribution. (Feller, 1950) The mean on the evaluation sheet is the arithmetic mean, which is equal to the sum of the values divided by the number of values. (Feller, 1950) Standard deviation shows how much variation exists from the mean. A high standard deviation illustrates the data points spreading out over a large range of values; a low standard deviation illustrates the data points are very close to the mean. In other words, higher standard deviation the category has the more effect on that category from CMC discourse. 3.4 Data Analysis The research question explored how CMC discourse affected students writing competence. The subjects should write one free writing a week, and last a month (they should write four writings in total). There are no topic restricts, they can write any topic they like. The first step is to find out the actual CMC discourse occurrence in their first writing. Then giving subjects some selected CMC discourse, those words are commonly use in chat room, texting and BBS. Asking subjects to write a 100-word essay in the following four weeks, aim at observe how CMC affect writing competence. The aim of the writing is looking into are there any CMC discourse occur in their writing after the researcher give the material to them. Find out the relationship between CMC and students writing competence. Some of the subjects were interviewed in an informal way, like chatting through QQ (a famous synchronic chatting tool in China). The first step was reading and rereading students writings. During the reading and revising the metacommunicative vocabulary should be paid attention to, which indicated how CMC discourse affects their writing competence. According to Xia (2006), the metacommunicative vocabulary is the language that subjects used to talk about their language use in communication. For example, subjects used different short forms in their writing that stated out the importance of shorten their writing time. In their point of view, short forms are their metacommunication vocabulary. 3.5 Result After coding, all occurrences of CMC discourse have been calculated according to subjects writings. Each subject included one pretest writing and three posttest writings, in total was four. Due to it took time to wait for the effect; the quasi-experiment lasted about a month. Table 1 is the summary of frequencies of CMC discourse in subjects writings in week 1, which is the pretest. CMC Discourse Maximum Frequency Mean Standard Deviation Lexicon Level Neologisms 0 0 Abbreviations 6 0.75 2.12 Acronyms 1 0.125 0.35 Rebuses 0 0 Graphology Level Change words to numbers 0 0 Punctuation 0 0 Orthography Level Paralinguistic cues 1 0.125 0.35 Table 1: CMC Discourse in Subjects Writings in Week 1 (N=8) From Table 1, the highest maximum frequency was using abbreviations in one subjects writing. Neologisms, rebuses, change words to numbers and punctuation were not found in subjects writing. It was the subjects writing from Week 1. The result was not out of exception, since the eight subjects have no understanding about CMC discourse. In most of the writings from Week 1, there was no CMC discourse. Correspond with their past lifestyle that they said in informal interview through QQ that lived in an enclosed education system. CMC Discourse Maximum Frequency Mean Standard Deviation Lexicon Level Neologisms 0 0 Abbreviations 5 2.5 1.92 Acronyms 0 0 Rebuses 0 0 Graphology Level Change words to numbers 1 0.125 0.35 Punctuation 4 1 1.41 Orthography Level Paralinguistic cues 0 0 Table 2: CMC Discourse in Subjects Writings in Week 2 (N=8) From Table 2, the highest maximum frequency was using abbreviations in one subjects writing. Neologisms, acronyms, rebuses, punctuation and paralinguistic cues were not found in subjects writing. For the subjects, abbreviation is the easiest category to handle and reduce their time on dropping notes during the class. Therefore, the category of abbreviation has the maximum frequency in Week 2. CMC Discourse Maximum Frequency Mean Standard Deviation Lexicon Level Neologisms 0 0 Abbreviations 7 2.63 2.97 Acronyms 1 0.25 0.46 Rebuses 0 0 Graphology Level Change words to numbers 8 1 2.83 Punctuation 6 1.75 2.55 Orthography Level Paralinguistic cues 0 0 Table 3: CMC Discourse in Subjects Writings in Week 3 (N=8) From Table 3, the highest maximum frequency was changing words to numbers in one subjects writing. Neologisms, rebuses and paralinguistic cues were not found in subjects writing. In Week 3, the data has a little bit different with Week 2. The maximum frequency in subjects writings still was abbreviations. As mentioned in the literature review, abbreviations mean the informal short form, like BTW (by the way). Since using abbreviations can shorten their time in writing, the subjects preferred abbreviations. Some of the abbreviations are not on the list; they searched for extra abbreviations on themselves. CMC discourse was a totally new issue for the Year 1 students in TESL. CMC Discourse Maximum Frequency Mean Standard Deviation Lexicon Level Neologisms 0 0 Abbreviations 10 3.63 3.07 Acronyms 2 0.25 0.71 Rebuses 0 0 Graphology Level Change words to numbers 2 0.25 0.71 Punctuation 3 1.25 1.49 Orthography Level Paralinguistic cues 0 0 Table 4: CMC Discourse in Subjects Writings in Week 4 (N=8) From Table 4, the highest maximum frequency was using abbreviations in one subjects writing. Neologisms, rebuses and paralinguistic cues were not found in subjects writing. This was the last posttest writing for the subjects. The subjects adapted the formal writing style in their English class, so their writing became more academic than the first week. Some of them would create their own CMC discourses, which was not on the list that the researcher gave them. The subjects started to handle the rules of CMC discourse. The research question explored how CMC discourse affected students writing competence. This question is related to whether CMC discourse occurred in their writings. Analysis of the informal interview data discovered different ways that CMC discourse affected students writing competence, such as use abbreviation of everything in writing and peer pressure. Use abbreviation of everything in writing. Most of the subjects said that the most direct effect on CMC discourse was started to use abbreviation. Since when they were in high school, their English teacher told them to remember as much vocabulary as they can. If they recite more vocabulary than others, they had the advantage to enter university. Therefore, they had never experienced using abbreviation before, and surely did not understand the situation in UICspelling is not the most important issue in study. In UIC, students who could handle the academic knowledge and express their own constructive opinion would be success. Note dropping is one of the key elements to absorb academic knowledge through the lectures, so the category of abbreviation has been used at maximum frequency in three weeks out of four. There is a Chinese saying Once you form a habit, it becomes natural to you. All subjects realized the difference between CMC discourse and academic, however they cannot avoid of u sing CMC discourse when they write. They write their heart by their hands directly, without the second thought and double check before handed the writing in. One of the subjects explained the situation that using abbreviation in the writing, It seems that using abbreviation become my habit, no matter on writing drafts or drop notes. The short form of the words comes out naturally. Peer pressure is another reason cause CMC discourse affects students writing competence. The eight subjects in this research paper would communicate with each other, and discuss how much CMC discourse they used in the writing. They take this research as a competition in a certain extend. As the researcher interviewed them in informal way, the subjects showed a sense of competitiveness toward others. They thought that the one who could utilize CMC discourse well would be the winner in the competition they have imagine. One of the subjects said that I can lose my face on using CMC discourse. I can defeat the others, as my English is better than others. The data indicated that the effect of CMC discourse nearly became their writing habit. The data also figured out that peer pressure also affect the frequency of using CMC discourse. The most directly effect of CMC discourse in students writing competence was abbreviations, for instance using informal short forms, like govt. (government) and edu. (education). The next chapter will discuss some limitations of this research and suggest some ways to improve this research. Chapter 4 Discussion The research explored how CMC discourse affects students writing competence. According to the informal interview, CMC discourse had a big impact on their writings. The language transforms with the technology development and ways of thinking in different cultural stages. (Ong, 1967, 1982) According to Ong (1967), there are three stages in the development of cultures: oral-aural, script and electronic stage. All these stages showed the transformation of language. Ong noticed that when language transforms, it will change the way of thinking. Therefore, the ways of thinking changed were reflected in the use of language when people communicate to each other. CMC discourse, as a new format of communication, changes the way of thinking and traditional communication. Form the result of this research, the frequency of using abbreviation affects the subjects writing competence. Due the existence of CMC discourse brought a great impact in their thinking ways, which is a totally new concept to t he subjects. There are two controversial arguments in CMC; (i) CMC has brought negative effects and challenges to standard of language, which affect students writing competence indirectly; (ii) CMC existed as a new form of language and literacy. (Crystal, 2001) If one can handle both languages which use in daily life and standard language, this would be the best situation. No one would worry about how CMC affect students writing competence, but it is impossible for the one unacted on CMC. The problem is the gap between standard language and language change. New form of a language would be standardizing if most people evolving and changing the usage in this way. Due to the limitation of time and resources, this research may not reflect the true effect that CMC language brings to students writing. In their work, it was hard to examine precisely the effect of CMC language. Their original writing competence and English ability may also affect the performance in the writing. Different subjects have vary ability of absorb information, so some subjects may not accept new knowledge in a short period of time. As mentioned in the previous chapter, the English ability of the eight subjects is quite good when they enter UIC. Before they enter the university, they would have a three-month-holiday; most of them would not pay attention to the academic knowledge. Especially, languages, like English, Chinese, need an environment and time to improve. They need time to catch up the language skills and adapt to a difference learning environment. Using students writings may not get the precise result on how CMC affect their writing competence. The result would be more persuasive if comparing their free-style writing than academic writing, sees how much CMC exists in their works. Since the subjects know the researcher expect from them, they would pretend they have influenced by CMC. In the future research, students free writing would have more significant results on the research question. On the other hand, this research just focused on linguistics aspects. If it is possible, the research could include different aspects, like the level of meaning and social interaction. The research would be more all-rounded if there are different aspects. The research lasted about a month, which was too short for getting a persuasive result. If the research could last longer, maybe last for a semester, the result would be more convictive. In future study, the experiment should last longer to show more accurate result. The next chapter summaries findings reported in the thesis and discuss possible implications of this research. Chapter 5 Conclusion The previous chapter has discussed some limitations of this research and suggested some ways to improve this research. This section summarized the findings of this research. The research question is How CMC affect students writing competence in UIC. The tables in Chapter 3 shows the changes of use CMC before and after the subjects receive the list of CMC. The frequency of using CMC has increased obviously, especially in using abbreviations. Since using abbreviations in their note could shorten their time and easier for them to catch up what the teachers talking about during the lectures. There is a negative effect on students writing competence after they engage to CMC language. They can use those selected CMC to drop notes in the future. The ability of drop notes has enhanced. The research also found out that students English competence also affect their writing competence. Chapter 6 Reference Achen, C.H. (1986). The Statistical Analysis of Quasi-Experiments. London, England: University of California Press, Ltd. Beauvois MH. (1997). Technology-enhanced Language Learning. Lincoinwood, IL: National Textbook. Beauvois, M. Eledge, J. (1996). Personality types and megabytes: Student attitudes toward Computer -Mediated Communication (CMC) in the language classroom [J]. CALICO Journal, Vol.13(2-3) Bennett, W. L. (2003). New Media Power: The Internet and Global Activism. University of Washingto

The Great Gatsby :: English Literature

The Great Gatsby The capacity to dream is a natural characteristic possessed by all mankind. Americans living in a country based on the philosophy of pursuing great American dreams go about pursuing their own goals in many ways. Ironically the American dream itself is the ultimate illusion that can never satisfy those who pursue it. The American dream was only possible when it was a potential. Nick in Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, realized this as he imagines a past when the Dutch first laid their eyes on the vast wilderness of the uninhabited United States. Gatsby’s ideals in this novel are the ideals of all Americans. Gatsby and Americans search for a dream and yet nobody truly understands what it is they are really in search of. People go about fulfilling these dreams by using cheap reality and in the end it does not measure up to the size of the dream itself; the dreamer is bound to be disappointed with every accomplishment of the dream. At the conclusion of Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, the main character Gatsby has recently died and Nick stands facing the front door of Gatsby’s mansion. From this moment, Nick looks at Gatsby’s house for a last time. He sees a swear word on the wall, and like Holden in the book, The Catcher in the Rye, he too crosses the word out; trying to preserve the innocence. Nick wants to keep Gatsby’s dream pure even though it is already lost. Later on while Nick is all alone, everything begins to melt away. He starts to picture how it looked a hundred years ago when the Dutch sailors first reached a new world. Nick’s world becomes the world of idealism, where the physical world doesn’t matter; the great house of Gatsby begins to melt away and finally disappear in Nick’s mind for that moment. Nick sees that, â€Å"†¦for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder,† (pg 189). For that one time the Dutch merchants saw the idea of property in a different way. The Dutch saw the wilderness and trees not as wood- cutters or property owners but as poets, like presented in Emerson’s, â€Å"Nature.† Wood- cutters own the timber physically, but, â€Å"there is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eye can integrate all the parts, that is, the poet,†(Nature). The Dutch saw the beauty of the land and trees and

Harley Davidson Company Essay

Harley Davidson Inc is a company that has been in existence for over 100 years. The company is made up of several other subsidiary companies such as the Harley Davidson Motor Company, Harley Davidson Financial Services and Buell Motorcycle Company. These companies work together in the motorcycle industry with the motor cycle companies dealing with the production and marketing of the motorcycles while the financial services deals with providing financial services to the customers and dealers of the company. Harley Davidson Company has undergone various challenges in its internal and external environment such as the World War I and II, the Great Depression and other internal challenges such as the labor strikes and change in ownership. An analysis of the company portrays several strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the company faces. The company can use the findings of this analysis to develop a grand strategy that can help the company survive the future. The various stakeholders of the company are mostly the customers, the suppliers, dealers, employees, the shareholders and the management of the company. These are the people that are affected by the activities of the company and that also have expectations from the company. The company’s financial performance has been improving during the current financial year due to the restructuring changes that are ongoing. It has reported profits in its operations and also an increase in sales. The strategic issues that the company is facing have also challenged its performance. The shifts in the customers’ tastes and preferences for example have affected the sales of the company’s motorcycles. A grand strategy that focuses on growth through an increase in marketing and an improvement of the company’s product and manufacturing processes can help the company survive the current environment. 1.0 Introduction Companies strive to excel in all manner of situations and overcome the challenges that they face in order to succeed and become competitive. Harley Davidson Inc is once such company. It has been surviving for about 107 years since it was founded in 1903 (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company has its headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was founded by three brothers Arthur, Walter and William Davidson together with a partner, William Harley. The company consists of several subsidiary companies which operate in three continents. The companies include Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) which deals with the production of motor vehicles together with Buell Motorcycle Company (Buell) (Harley-Davidson, 2010). Harley-Davidson Inc also includes Harley Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) which provides financial services to the dealers and customers of HDMC’s products. It also provides insurance policies and programs to the companies and its customers. HDMC sells motorcycles, together with the accessories and spare parts which it also produces. Harley-Davidson is also involved in other activities such as racing and in the production of bicycles and motor vehicles. The company which has been in existence for years now has survived several political and economical challenges such as the World War 1, the Great Depression, the World War 2 and other company trials such as labor strikes and change in ownership. Despite the many challenges it has undergone over its existence the company has been able to survive. The company’s sales have gone off severally, its quality has also been affected but it has been able to regain both the sales and the quality of its products. It has remained tough in the manufacturing of motorcycles and this has made its brands the most sought after all over the world (Davidson, Thompson, & Barger, 2006). The company has also faced competition from other companies based in the U.S and in other countries such as Japan but it has been able to retain and maintain its market share. Further more; the founders of the company were named American heroes through their innovation with the company receiving several awards for its involvement in the two World Wars and other racing events (United States Department of Labor, n.d). This paper discusses Harley Davidson Company providing a SWOT analysis of the company, a description of its internal and external environment, a financial assessment of the organization as well as summarizing the major strategic issues that have faced the company. It also discusses the next grand strategy that the company can undertake in the future to improve its performance. 2.0 Harley Davidson 2.1 History William Harley, Arthur Davidson and Walter Davidson pooled their resources in 1903 to produce their first practical motorcycle (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The three men were assisted by William A. Davidson on a part time basis and by 1905 they had produced eight machines and they hired their first employee then. William Davidson quit his job in 1907 at the Milwaukee Road railroad and joined the Motor Company (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The Harley Davidson Company was later incorporated in September 1907 with the stock of the firm being split into 4 among the four founders.   At that time the staff of the company had more than doubled from 18 employees in 1906. The size of the company had also doubled by then and dealer recruitment had begun targeting the New England Region. In 1908, the company was able to sell its first motorcycle for police duty in Detroit Police Department and a year later they started motorcycles spare parts. In 1912, the company started building its six storey headquarters at Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The building would also become its main factory with a separate parts and accessories department. During the same year the company made its first sales outside the U.S when it started exporting motorcycles to Japan. Its dealership network also grew to become over 200 dealers. A few years later, the company formed a racing department with Engineer William S. Harley who was assisted by William Ottaway. It also started publishing its first magazine, The Enthusiast which became the first motorcycle magazine all over the world (Harley-Davidson, n.d). In 1917, when the World War I started, the company was asked by the military to produce motorcycles to be used during the war. The company produced over 20,000 motorcycles to be used specifically by the military for the war (Speed Ace, n.d). The involvement of the company in producing motorcycles for the military enabled it to survive the war. By 1920 the company had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world due to the number of motorcycles it produced and the size of its facilities. It was operating in over 67 countries and had over 2000 dealers all over the world (Harley-Davidson, n.d). In the year 1941 when the World War II started, the company suspended the production of civilian motorcycles and started producing more military motorcycles (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company also developed specific models for the army and in 1943; the company received the first of its 4 Army –Navy Awards for its excellent performance while producing motorcycles for the army. The company had produced over 60,000 models for military use (Harley-Davidson, n.d). When the war ended, the company wasting no time it resumed the production of civilian motorcycles. In the year 1952, the company was charged with restrictive practices after they applied to the US Tariff Commission for a 40% tax to be imposed on the imported motorcycles (Speed Ace, n.d). In 1953, as the company was celebrating its 50th anniversary, an attractive logo was developed that would depict the engine that had brought the company that far (Harley-Davidson , n.d). During the same year, Hendee Manufacturing Company, the Indian Motorcycle Company in the U.S, went out of business leaving Harley Davidson as the sole U.S motorcycle manufacturer over the next 46 years. The year 1969 was not a great year for the company as the American Machine and Foundry (AMF) acquired the Motor Company and made some changes that affected the company for years to come (Masker, 2007). AMF worked to streamline the production activities of the company and reduced the workforce in a bid to reduce the costs of the company. These changes were beneficial to the company in the short term but they became very damaging to the future of the business and in its long term. The reduction in the workforce led to a labor strike that affected the performance of the company. Furthermore the changes that had been done led to a reduction in the quality of the motorcycles that were produced over the years. The sales of the company were affected and the company almost went bankrupt. It was during this time that the Japanese manufacturers caught up with the company with their better quality, technology and increased stock. The regime by AMF lasted until 1981 when the company was bought back by 13 senior executives who were led by Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson. The group bought the company for about $80 million and they were they able to set up the company to its load of recovery (Masker, 2007). Soon after in 1986 the company was listed in the American Stock Exchange and started to trade publicly in the year 1969. A year later the company was listed in the New York Stock Exchange and it petitioned the International Trade Commission to terminate a five year tariff on heavy weight motor cycles. This was seen as a major step for the company as it boldly stated it was in a position to compete fairly in the market. In 1993 the company celebrated its 90th anniversary with over 100,000 people parading their motorcycles in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company also purchased a minority interest in Buell Motorcycle Company which was manufacturing American sport motorcycles. In 1998 the company opened a new assembly facility that was to be the first of its kind outside the United States. The facility was opened in Manaus Brazil when the company was celebrating its 95th Anniversary and at the same time it bought the remaining interests in Buell Motorcycle Company of 49% (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company has continued to expand its production facilities in Milwaukee, Tomahawk, Wisconsin, and New York and in Pennsylvania (Davidson, Thompson, & Barger, 2006). The company has also been developing more products and improving its products with the latest technology. The company has also developed a Harley Davidson Museum which showcases the motorcycles that the company has developed over the years and other historical items that the company has maintained in its archives. The museum building cost the company over $75 million and is situated in Milwaukee (Rovito, 2006). 2.2 SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis is a framework that is used to audit an organization and its external environment. The results of the analysis help in the planning of any strategic decisions towards the future of the company. The analysis involves identifying the internal and external factors that favor the organization and that also form an unfavorable environment (Stahl & Grigsby, 1997). The strengths of the company include those attributes that help the company to achieve its objectives while the weaknesses are the internal attributes that derail the achievement of the company’s objective and that also harm the company. The opportunities that are in the external environment include conditions that help the company to achieve the objectives. The threats on the other hand, include the conditions that are in the external environment and that challenge the company and affect it in a way that it may not be in a position to achieve its objectives. (a)  Ã‚   Strengths The Harley Davidson Company has several strengths that make it very competitive and profitable. The company has been in existence for over 100 years, and during this time it has established brand loyalty with its customers for its products. This is the major strength of the company as the products of the company are viewed as a culture and not just products. Most of the customers of the company are male and are in the middle-aged age bracket. They normally use the motorcycles for recreational purposes rather than for transport. The main qualities that the customers look for in the company’s product are the brand quality and the style. The company is able to provide these qualities and hence maintain its customers. The computer switching costs are high and once a customer buys a product from the company, they get trapped in buying more of the company’s products. The complementary products that come with the motorcycles also encourage the consumer loyalty. Once a customer purchases a Harley motorcycle, they proceed to buy accessories such as jackets and bandanas from the company. The company has also expanded its operations in different regions within the United States and also in other countries outside the United States. Some of the production plants are located in areas such as York, Kansas City, Tomahawk, and Milwaukee among others (Harley-Davidson, Inc., 2009). The different manufacturing plants have helped in reducing the costs especially in transport. The company has also diversified its activities and acquired several companies in different industries. The company acquired Buell Motorcycle Company which was also in the production of Motorcycles in East Troy, Wisconsin (Wheelen & Hunger, 2002 ). It also acquired the company Eagle Mark in 1995 which was providing financial services to manufacturers of leisure products as well as their dealers and customers. The company acquired Eagle Mark so that it would provide retail financing to its customers, insurance and contracts for servicing. Eagle Mark Company has also been offering planning services on behalf of the North American Dealers in motorcycle floor planning. The two companies have been working together complementing each others activities. The diversification of the company in the motorcycles, related products and the financial services has helped the company to diverse its risks in the industry and in business. Over the years the company has maintained strong relationships with its suppliers. The strong relationship with the suppliers has given the company access to resources that it needs in its production processes as well as the design and development of its products. It has then been able to increase the quality of its goods and improve the features of the brands in a bid to remain competitive. The production process is also reduced in terms of time as the suppliers are able to deliver the suppliers on time reducing the lead time. This leads to a reduction in costs and saves time for the company. The company operates its business in three continents and in various countries all over the world. However it has not been able to increase its foreign sales which are mostly carried out outside the U.S. (b)  Ã‚   Weaknesses The major weaknesses that the company has experienced within its internal operations include the weak marketing strategies that it has applied especially in its foreign markets. The company has experienced low foreign sales over the years as compared to its competitors. In 2009, the international sales only made up 33% of the total unit sales of the company (Pravda.Ru, 2009). The number of dealers in international markets are also very few and this has contributed partly to the low market sales of the company’s products as most of the customers in the market can not access the company’s products through this dealers. The labor conflicts that the company has experienced in some of its plants over the years have been affecting the performance of the company. Dissatisfied workers of the company have held strikes that have contributed to losses for the company as it has had to shut down the production plants during these times. The company has also had to lay off workers during the strikes in a bid to cut down its operation costs as a result of the strikes in other production plants. The labor conflicts have also reduced the investor confidence in the company as the prices of the company’s shares have been affected. (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opportunities The external environment of the company has several opportunities that can benefit the company and improve its performance and market share. The shifts in the trends in the customers’ preferences and tastes in the market are producing an opportunity that the company can exploit to its advantage. The customers’ preferences and tastes have changed especially among the young and hip crowd of customers who the company was once targeting as its sole customers. These customers have shifted their preferences to sporty motorcycles for their recreational purposes. Harley-Davidson Company does not engage in the production of sporty motorcycles; however the increased demand for these kinds of motorcycles is providing an opportunity for the company to develop them and target this new market. The company can grab this opportunity and develop these sporty motorcycles and hence gain from the high demand. The need to restructure the company’s business structure after the company’s subsidiaries have experienced a decrease in performance is providing an opportunity for the company to concentrate in its brands and grow. The new structure of the company will ensure that all the resources of the product are put into good use to help develop the company and expand its operations into other markets. The company will also be able to focus on the development of the products and also develop new products that can help increases the market share in different parts of the world. (d)  Ã‚   Threats The company has faced several threats in the market that have undermined its performance. One of the major threats that the company has faced include the competition in the market. The company has faced a lot of competition from other international companies and manufacturers especially in the heavy weight motorcycles market. Some of the major competitors include Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda among others. The increased competition has led to decreased sales of the company’s products especially in the foreign markets. The competition between these companies is based on the price, quality, and features of the products, the preferences of customers and the reliability of the products among other factors. The switching costs for the manufacturers in the industry are also quite low. With the increased growth in demand and the potential of the market, new competitors are entering the market and increasing the competition. The existence of substitute goods such as cars for transport and other recreational activities has also threatened the existence of the company and the sales. Consumers have a wide variety of products to substitute the motorcycles with and the increase of competitors is also leading to an increase in more brands in the market. This poses a big threat to the future of the company in the market of its products. The changes in customers’ demographics are also threatening the business in terms of sales. The percentage of males who have been purchasing the company’s products especially the motorcycles is declining. The percentages of women who are purchasing the products are however increasing. During the years 2003 and 2004 the percentage of sales that were purchased by men made up 89% with the rest being female. While in the years 2005 and 2007, the percentages had reduced to 88% among the male customers and 12% among the female customers (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The ages of the customers who have been purchasing the products of the company have also been increasing. By 2008 the median age of the customers had risen to 47 from 45 in the year 2004.

Essay on Personal and Professional Development in Health and Social Care part 3

Essay on Personal and Professional Development in Health and Social Care part 3 Essay on Personal and Professional Development in Health and Social Care part 3 Essay on Personal and Professional Development in Health and Social Care part 3Essay on Personal and Professional Development in Health and Social Care part  2In this regard, I believe the protection of rights of employees is very important, especially in the health and social care environment. In the course of my work, I did my best to maximize my effectiveness in promoting and supporting the rights of employees working in my work place. First of all, I monitored policies and practices conducted in my organisation to understand what the organisation expects from its employees. After that, I revised existing legislation concerning employment relations focusing on the health and social care environment in particular. The next step in my professional development and protection of employee rights was the communication with my colleagues. I attempted to find out whether they have any problems and whether they are aware of their rights or not. I found out that employees are aware of the ir rights and I shared what I learned about employee rights with them. In such a way, I informed them of recent changes in legal norms concerning employment relations. In addition, I launched the weblog, where I attempted to collect and publish information related to the employment legislation. In such a way, I believe my effectiveness in the protection of the employment rights was high. At any rate, I did my best to raise the awareness of my colleagues of the importance of employment relations.At the same time, I found out several ways to resolve issues that arise in the course of employment relations in the health and social care environment. First of all, the resolution of issues that may arise in the employment relations normally involve the close communication and interaction between employees and managers or employer. In such a situation, if a problem arises, an employee can report to the manager or employer and ask for the resolution of the issue. The manager should respond t o the issue. At this stage, the possible conflict may be resolved even without its expansion and involvement of more professionals.Another way to tackle issues that arise in the course of employment relations is the involvement of the board, which ahs to make a decision on the particular employment issue, if an employee and a manager cannot come to agreement. In such a situation, the board has to evaluate the dispute and take the decision to resolve the issue.In addition, there is the option, when an employee can file a lawsuit against the organisation, if the employee believes his/her rights have been violated by the organisation. In such a case, the conflicting party can settle the case before the trial, when the employer offers a plausible solution which the employee accepts (Hill, 2006). If parties come to agreement before the case, the settlement accomplishes and resolves the employment issue. If the parties cannot come to agreement and refuse to settle the case, it is the cour t that takes decision to resolve the issue on the ground of existing legal norms.Moreover, there is another option to resolve employment issue. This option involves the collective action. For instance, a union of health care professionals can launch the industrial action against the employer, if employees consider their rights being violated by the employer. In such a case, unions can set their requirements and the employer has the option of either accept or reject their requirements or change policies to settle the case with unions. Alternatively, unions can file the lawsuit or start a strike to protect their rights and interests.Task 4Limits of my work have a considerable impact on work of other professionals in my work place. In fact, I can perform my functions only within those duties and role which I have to perform. In such a situation, I have certain limitations but they are reasonable because I am not qualified in social care for example. Therefore, if I overcome existing li mitations and interfere into the work of social workers, I would deteriorate the organisational performance because social workers are more qualified on social care than I do. In such a context, the limits of my work are essential. On the other hand, the limits of my work impose boundaries which I cannot overcome, even if I want to or have to. For example, I worked with a client, who definitely needed social care services but I lacked social care skills to provide him with required social care. At the same time, I was not qualified to send him to social workers to receive the social care services which he apparently required. In this regard, I could only recommend him referring to social workers to look for their assistance and to resolve his problems.At the same time, I did my best to eliminate barriers between me and my colleagues. I tried to become a part of the team. I used my communication skills successfully to establish positive interpersonal relationships with my colleagues. As a result, I have managed to develop friendly relationships with many of my colleagues and we worked effectively together. My colleagues often shared their experience with me to help me to tackle problems and difficulties that I encountered in the course of my work. Such cooperation with my colleagues was very helpful for me, while the team spirit was very strong since we have managed to work together successfully and performed well as a team, although our qualification and experienced differed substantially.I believe my contribution in our team work was also important because I focused on the enhancement of the effective partnership and cooperation with my colleagues. I understood clearly my role and duties and performed them well. I also tried to help my colleagues but I did not interfere in their work, unless it was a part of my duties and matched my role.My experience has contributed to my professional development. While working in a team, I have learned how important it is t o focus on specific functions and not to interfere into the work of other people, if it is not a part of your duties. Each team member should be fully responsible for his/her own part of the team work and assist other team members, only if they ask about it.On the other hand, I believe that I could perform better, if I had better developed organisational skills. In fact, I am fully aware of the fact that my poor organisational skills made some of my team mates irritated and in several instances they had to do my job because I just had not enough time to do all the job I planned. In fact, I could improve my performance and team work, if I had better developed organisational skills.In such a situation, I could suggest some recommendations concerning my further professional and personal development. First, I would focus on the development of my organisational skills which are really essential in the health and social care environment (Pinkerton, 2000). Second, I would keep using the fu ll potential of my communication skills because they help to maintain positive interpersonal relations with my colleagues and clients. In addition, I would also recommend to develop closer interaction with professionals working in different fields. What is meant here is the fact that I would focus on the closer collaboration with social workers, because I lack competence in the field of social care so far. Hence, I can improve my performance and increase its effectiveness through closer interaction and collaboration with professionals working in different fields.

Analyze the goals Essays

Analyze the goals Essays Analyze the goals Essay Analyze the goals Essay Analyze the goals and objectives using the mission statement as the basis.The Mission statement of Microsoft is as given below:â€Å"At Microsoft, we work to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. This is our mission. Everything we do reflects this mission and the values that make it possible†The above statement tells about the intent of the company. For fulfilling the above mission, Microsoft needs to do specific tasks which are specific and also can be measure. These are known as goals.   Finally to achieve these goals, the company should use certain tactics which are classified as objectives.Looking at the above mission statement it can be said that one of the goals of Microsoft is to be a well-known global player, who would like to help people and businesses from all walks of life. In addition, the company wishes to make people attain their own goals by making them utilize their full potential. To attain this goal Microsoft set its objectives towards more effective worldwide sales and distribution network. In addition to this, the marketing strategy of the company should be designed such that people living anywhere in the world are aware of the company and its products and services. The entire system should be backed by an excellent customer support service which can take real-time feedback of these people.There are some common values that company that wishes to help people throughout the globe, should possess. Some of them are maintaining quality in products, transparency in processes, promptness and efficiency of customer service and concern over environmental issues arising directly or indirectly due to the products and services.Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses, taking into consideration all the environmental factorsStrengthsa.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due to the developmental activities taking place in many developing an d third world countries, the company has a very good chance of developing newer markets. Combined with the excellent brand image the company has, this is one of the biggest opportunity and asset for the company at this stageb.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The presence of Microsoft in multiple countries has given it a very wide exposure and capability to deal with people belonging to various cultures. This could be extremely useful while the company expands to a newer market or newer countryc.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The market of mobile and handheld devices is booming. With some strategic alliances which Microsoft could gain a string foothold in this field. The company’s dominant international presence in the PC market can be a big asset in forging such an alliance.d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even while the handheld device market is on a rise, the desktop systems market is still very strong. The tried and tested software development process ensures rapid development and updates of the existing products. The experience of the company in this market also proves beneficial at the time of product innovatione.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Users rely on buying software from a company that is well-known and provides excellent customer support. Microsoft scores well on these issues thereby getting customer loyalty and this increasing revenuesf.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The superior technical image of the company attracts highly-skilled professional who increase the quality of labor force and in turn help in developing superior quality productsg.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company’s strategy for expansion is very aggressive which makes it a very formidable competitor. Microsoft is also well known for its large number of acquisitions which help it in expanding the product portfolio and also control the competition.(Hafner, Hibbert p. 1, 3)Weaknessesa.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the company enjoys top position in almost every area of software products, its biggest threat is the open-source software. The quality of these software considered by many, to be much better than Microsoft’s products which is not a very good signb.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company’s products of late have been focusing on merely software upgrades. The few new software packages that have been released in the market like Microsoft Visio has garnered pretty lukewarm responses.c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the employees of the company are well-paid and are of a superior quality, the massive number of updates and installation deadline have le d to high attrition rated.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many users feel that the products have a single focus and do not usually work well when installed / combined with other products.e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the company enjoys very good image in the market, the reputation has been often threatened due to its entanglement in antitrust and permatemps Vizcaino litigation. The reputation has been further threatened by the fact that the company is very cut-throat in competition and plays very dirty towards its competitors by stifling their growth in all possible kinds of waysf.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The repeated forays of the company in the wireless market have proved to be pretty disappointingg.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The massive structure of the company which is essentially decentralized in na ture has led to the company having major problems with employee management.h.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Software piracy of commercial and consumer applications software on a global scale threatens revenue streams(Hafner, Hibbert p. 2, 4)Recommend a strategic model for the organization. Justify the choice of the model. Discuss a global strategy for this organizationStrategic modeling for an organization must be done taking care of the mission, goals and objectives of the company. The organizational structure of the company defines what present focus of the company is and paves its way towards achieving long terms strategic goals. The modeling means grouping of the organization into various clusters and their modes of interaction with each other. In addition an organization has to develop an information system to meet the inter- and intra- organizational demand for information processing (Burton, Obel p. 10)The present organizational structure of Microsoft is a decentralized organization which is falling into professional bureaucracy and red tape. To make the organization effective, the structure should be matrix like with a functional base. While there is no need for centralizing the company, a little less formalization would be very beneficial for the internal environment. Being a very big organization automatically means that the company structure is complicated enough. Hence, efforts should be made for more effective communication by cutting of channels (Burton, Obel p. 290-293)Microsoft needs to continue its strategy of building strategic partners across the globe. Increasing the size of its own company should be taken one step at a time, so as to give the management as well as its employees to adjust to the various necessary changes. Forging alliances would make sure that the company stays within the competition and not much of the company structure is disturbed, which is seen to be a very common activity in the co mpany (Menzefricke p. 5). The strategic alliances should be with companies in the newer countries who could act as distribution centers. The company should also start actively foraying in the mobile and handheld device market by actively forging alliances. The focus here should be on product innovation for bringing out quality products, instead of just consolidating the market. This would enable the company in getting quality products which can then be aggressively marketed.Identify the key performance indicators to measure the performanceKey Performance Indicators are used for measuring the performance of each of the defined objectives. Using this, a process can be analyzed based on cause and effect, which can be used to implement strategies having built-in metrics to track and measure the performance.Based on the goals and objectives of Microsoft, its KPIs can be figured out. As the company wishes to grow throughout the world one of the KPI could be market growth. This can be furt her detailed by taking the market growth for each country group or each country. The rate of increase in the market share is yet another KPI, as are the sales or revenue growth rates. Hence, the company should take the sales target combined with the market share and make an analysis of the newer markets entered in a fiscal year to measure its true performance rating. As improving the quality of customer support is also an objective, one of the KPIs could be also be higher rate of customer satisfaction achieved in a given period. This can also be further divided into the percentage of returning customers, response time taken on an average, customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction indices etc. (Woods, Joyce p. 99)Establish the information requirements and hence strategic information systems to give a competitive edge to the companyThe world of business has always been ruled by information. With the advent of digital techniques the technology has advanced at a very fast rate. This as e ffected the way in which information is passed between various channels in business. IT based information systems have become the order of the day. The integration of business with IT ensures many advantages for the company adopting the digital mode of communication (Dobrev p. 7, 9). The major impact is on the enhancement of products, its life cycle, reduction in management levels and ultimately reduction the cost. The company can effectively manage its internal environment and concentrate its external environment. As a company expands the business goals of the managers change. This brings about an increase in the complexity of tasks performed by the managers leading from a structured world to an adhoc unstructured one. Integrating IT with businesses helps in simplifying the process, hence providing for a more effective working environment (Galliers, Leidner p.1, 2)IT inherently depends on systems. While working with IT companies should not only focus on its competitors but should a lso take into consideration its various present and potential collaborators which whom a strategic alliance or partnership could be forged. A classic example is the alliance between Intel and Microsoft which gave both of them a massive increase in sales and revenues along with the lion’s share of the market (Shapiros, Varian p.10). As can be seen this gives a much needed competitive edge to the company intending to employ Strategic Information Systems within the organization.Discuss the ethical and social issues associated with usage of IS/IT in the organization.The emergence of IS/IT systems have brought about newer ways of passage of information and also newer rules to ensure that the information that is passed is authorized and correct. The major problem seen with the software industry is the piracy of the software packages. While many efforts are made to curb this yet the problem seems to lie wit users who do not think that it is a crime to use software without proper aut horizations.The other issue is social in nature. There is a complete profile available of most of the people in the developed people available on the internet. The security when breached causes a breach in the personal data which was heretofore known only to select few. Many people are not comfortable with this scenario and the growing number of internet crimes does not help the situation either.Microsoft faces both the types of issues within its organization. To tackle these issues an attempt should be made to create awareness among people about the nature of their faults related to the software field.Suggest how customer relations could be improved with the usage of strategic systemsCustomer relation is an important aspect for any business organization. In case of smaller business units, the relations are closer knit and personal. The customer-relation process is hence closely monitored and any mistakes are easily found and rectifies. Larger organizations have trouble in maintaini ng customer relations at the same level as the smaller businesses, and this problem increases proportional to the size of the project (Knox p. 9). For global organizations like Microsoft with a dominating presence in almost every country that uses computers and software, the problem is even more acute. Any system used for this purpose in addition to providing inputs for increasing customer satisfaction must also have the additional features of being integrated with the entire system and also have economy of scale.For maintaining the huge database of customers, 100 million of which are in US alone, Microsoft relies on high-end software tools and technology to manage the customer relations across the globe. With sophisticated tools like MS SQL Server 2000, the company can process up to 2 million customer records per day. For getting a comprehensive view of its vast client network Microsoft has designed and deployed data warehouse (Microsoft p. 2-3). This system is used to improve cust omer satisfaction and increase the customer loyalty. The tools can be used to keep in touch with each customer helping the company serve them better. The tool also helps all the units of the company serve their customers in a similar way. This is helpful as the company has a highly decentralized structure with as many as 60 subsidiaries with different niche databases and sizes. Also each customer can be a part of multiple databases, which helps in having a complete profile of the individual customer, helping the company to cater to each specific customer. Finally having a common tool also standardizes the entire system throughout the entire organization (Microsoft p. 6-14).