Criminal Case Defense

When a person gets arrested for a crime, that person will remain a suspect until proven guilty otherwise in court. This person will then have the chance to avail himself with the best legal representation available. â€Å"A defense consists of evidence and arguments offered by a defendant and his or her attorney(s) to show why that person should not be held liable for a criminal charge† (Schmalleger, 2010). Generally speaking, there are two types of defense: factual and legal. When talking about factual defense, this simply means that the defendant claims that there was no crime committed. An example of a factual defense is when the defendant claims that he or she was not in the crime scene, usually called an alibi or proof beyond reasonable doubt does not exist. There are two possible outcomes on a factual defense: acquittal or lesser punishment. A legal defense in contrast is when a defendant may confess to committing the crime but disagrees with his or her accountability because of a certain variable supporting the act such as mental incapacity or insanity. In a legal defense, factual guilt is immaterial for assertion and the defendant may defend his or her act with justifications, excuses or prove that constitutional rights or other laws have been violated by the government concerning evidence, relevant materials or witnesses about his or her case. A legal defense may have multiple outcomes such as acquittal, reduction in punishment, exclusion of evidence, exclusion of witnesses and more. There are two forms of legal defenses. The two forms of legal defenses are justifications, in which the defendant admits to committing the act in question but claims is was necessary in order to avoid some greater evil, and excuses, in which the defendant claims that some personal condition or circumstance at the time of the act was such that he or she should not be held accountable under the criminal law† (Schmalleger, 2010). To better understand the two forms, an example of a justification is when a son is trapped in the neighbors tree house and the father has to trespass and possible destroy his neighbors property to let his son free. The fathers reason for trespassing someone else’s home and also damaging property is justifiable because his intention was to save his sons life. An example of an excuse is killing someone while sleep walking. The excused actor admits to doing harm but claims an absence of personal culpability. â€Å"Justifications and excuses are affirmative defenses, that is, they must be raised or asserted by the defendant independently of any claims made by the prosecutor. This is a variance from the general rule that places the burden of production and persuasion on the government. For affirmative defenses, defendants bear the burden of production, that is, they must assert the defense at the time required by law. Failure to raise an affirmative defense in a timely manner acts as a waiver of the defense. States vary about the burden of persuasion placed on the defendant. Some require the defendant to prove the defense; others shift the burden to the prosecution to disprove defense† (Schmalleger, 2010). Many variables are included when the conduct in which the violated law may be justifiable. Six different defenses fall under justifications. Necessity for one is a justifiable defense to a criminal charge in which the defendant claims that it was necessary to commit some unlawful act in order to prevent greater evil or harm. If a man deemed that it was necessary to destroy windows in a burning house to vent the smoke and save victims in it from smoke inhalation and help them escape, he justifies his act on destruction of property to save lives and avoid harm. Another is self-defense simply means to defend one’s self from harm or threatening situations. To protect one’s self is a right and a natural response but has limitations. If an attacker for example punches a victim, the victim has the right to defend himself or stop the situation to progress by attacking the attacker as well until the threat is ended. In this example, if the threat was ended by the victim knocking the attacker unconscious and the victim is aware and still kept hitting the attacker until he dies is no longer self defense. If the threat no longer exists the victim should go away and call the authorities and let them handle the situation from there. In self defense, reasonable force must be presented when defending a case. When another person is being victimized and a person defends the victim from harm this defense is called defense of others or sometimes called defense of a third person. Defense of others always requires that the defender be free from fault and that he or she act to aid an innocent person who is in the process of being victimized. Defense of home and property also falls under justifications. Four situations which are protection of personal property, defense of home or habitation, defense of another’s property and use of mechanical device to protect property are justifiable means when using protection of property as a defense. In most jurisdictions, the owner of property can justifiably use reasonable non deadly force to prevent others from unlawfully taking or damaging that property† (Schmalleger, 2010). An example of unreasonable deadly force to protect property is shooting an unarmed trespasser but shooting while being robbed by an armed robber who has intent to kill is reasonable use of deadly force. The fifth defense that can be used as a justification is resisting unlawful arrest. This is a very sensitive case and requires factual and accurate evidence when resisting unlawful arrest from peace officers. Last defense to be covered under justifications is consent. â€Å"Consent is a justification offered as a defense to a criminal charge, that claims that the person suffering as injury either agreed to sustain the injury or accepted the possibility of injury before the activity was undertaken† (Schmalleger, 2010). In the remaining of this paper, the second major category of defenses which is â€Å"excuses† will be discussed followed by the analysis between the legal and medical perspectives on mental illness and insanity. In most cases, excuses are personal in nature. Defendants would claim that their actions were based on some disability or some abnormal condition such as intoxication, insanity or immaturity. There are several excuses recognized by law which includes: duress, intoxication, mistake, age, entrapment, insanity, diminished capacity and various syndromes to a limited degree. However, where a defendant suffers from a know disability, that disability alone is not sufficient to excuse him or her of criminal responsibility. Insanity and mental illness are probably two of the biggest issues and also hard to prove in court as an excuse. Many defendants throughout the years won a case using insanity and mental illness as an excuse. Some scientists and medical experts have been studying the human mind, and although the studies are far from complete and still difficult to fully understand, there are distinctions and differences concerning insanity and mental illness. On a medical perspective differentiating the two; â€Å"symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning ight be a mental illness and when symptoms cause distress even beyond scope of problems mental illness comes with it might be considered insanity in which the person is no longer responsible for his or her actions† (Helium inc. , 2009). Insanity is a social and legal term rather that a medical one. Psychiatrists speak instead of mental disorders rather that use the term insanity which makes is difficult to fit into legal categories, either way, the legal concept of insanity has its basis in some disease of the mind. The lack of mens rea or showing that mens rea was present but accompanied by a mental disease of defect affects criminal liability in a case. In conclusion, a criminal defense consists of evidences and arguments offered in court by a defendant through an attorney to show why the defendant should not be held liable for crimes charged against him or her. There are many aspects in a criminal case defense a defendant needs to adhere to in order to prove innocence. Criminal defenses have two types and under legal defense, defenses may be built upon three bases which are alibis, justifications and excuses. Under excuses, insanity and mental illness was covered in a medical and legal perspective. In some jurisdictions due to the difficulties with assessing insanity from a legal perspective, insanity has been eliminated as an excuse in court in regards with a criminal charge. However defendants in all jurisdictions may still claim presence of mental disease at the time of the act which eliminates the mental culpability or mens rea needed for the criminal activity.

Historical Development of Hr Manager (Ireland)

Historical Development of Hr Manager (Ireland) In explaining the historical development of the personnel function of the Hr manager, I will begin by giving a brief description of the 6 different types of personnel manager: The Social Reformer Before personnel emerged as a specialist management activity at the beginning of the 20th century there were those who intervened in industrial affairs to support the severely under privileged factory workers. The Acolyte of benevolence The first people appointed with specific responsibility for improving the lot of the employees were welfare officers who saw there role as dispensing benefits to the deserving and unfortunate employees. The motivation was the christian charity of paternalist employers who provided these comforts, partly because employees deserved them, but mainly because he was willing to provide them. The Humane Bureaucrat The first 2 phases were concerned predominantly with the physical environment of the work and the amelioration of hardship among â€Å"the workers† . As organisations increased there size, specialisation was emerging in the management levels as well as on the shop floor. This led to the growth of personnel work on staffing the organisation, with great concern about role specification, selection. Training and placement. The consensus negotiator Personnel managers next added expertise in bargaining to there repetoire of skills. Where the personnel manager could at best be described as a remembrancer of the employees the trader union official could be their accredited representative. Organization man Then came a development of the humane bureaucracy phase into preoccupation with the effectiveness of the organization as a whole, which should have clear objectives and a wide spread commitment among organisation members to those objectives. The approach was also characterised by candour between members and a form of operation supporting the integrity of the individual and providing opportunities for personal growth. Manpower Analyst The last distinct historical stereotype was the manpower analyst. The humane bureaucrat was concerned to get a good fit between a particular worker and a particular job: Employees were individuals. Next I will give a brief outline of the different eras in the development of the Hr manager in Ireland. 1940s and 1950s: The Welfare Stage It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when personnel management first appeared in Ireland. Barrington (1980:90) indicates that a personnel function had been established in the civil service after the First World War, but its official recognition in the private sector is probably best dated from the setting up of an Irish branch of the Institute of Labour Management, the forerunner of the Institute of Personnel Management (IPM), in Dublin in 1937. The meetings of the Institute of Labour Management were held in the recreation hall attached to the Jacob's Biscuit Factory and were attended by a small group of individuals, mainly women, who acted as welfare supervisors in Dublin factories such as Wills, Maguire and Patersons, Williams and Woods and Jacob's. These companies had strong Quaker traditions and were concerned with the health and well-being of their employees. The second issue which emerges from an analysis of the foundations of personnel management is its dominance in the early years by women. This appears to have resulted in difficulties for both men and women intent on careers in personnel management. For men there was the worry of developing a career in a profession with a female image. However, for many men this dilemma was resolved by the industrial relations focus which was to emerge in the 1970s in which bargaining and negotiating with trade unions became very much a male preserve and one with a much more dynamic image. For women the incursion of men into personnel management has created long-term problems. The 1960s: Growth and DevelopmentPersonnel management grew slowly in the 1950s and 1960s in Ireland; then as now the fate of personnel function was inextricably entwined with economic developments The 1970s: The Industrial Relations EraPersonnel management grew steadily during the late 1960s and early 1970s. A survey by the Irish Management Institute (Gorman et al. , 1974) estimated that the number of personnel managers working in firms with over 20 employees increased from around 100 to about 400 between 1964 and 1973. Throughout the 1970s this growth continued so that by 1981 there were an estimated 770 private sector firms with a designated personnel office. The main areas of activity associated with the personnel function were outlined in a submission by the IPM to the Commission: manpower planning; recruitment and selection; employee evaluation, training and development, career development promotion etc. ; remuneration and benefits; industrial relations (i. e. policy and practices in relationships with unions and union representatives, procedure agreements covering recognition, disputes, grievances, redundancy, etc. negotiations with full-time officials and with shop stewards); employee communications and consultation; organisation development (i. e. organisation and job design, various approaches to securing higher employee involvement and motivation, opinion surveys and survey feedback, etc. ); personnel administration – contracts, attendance, turnover, medical and welfare facilities, safety at work, employee performance indices etc. The 1980s: Cost CutterBy the 1980s, personnel departments were well established in Irish organisations. A survey by Murray (1984: 21) of 141 manufacturing firms found that 74 per cent had a personnel function and that the status of the personnel function appeared confirmed with many personnel managers having access to top management decisions. The economic difficulties of this decade are reflected in the themes of the IPM's annual conferences. In 1983 this was ‘Survival Management'; in 1984 it was ‘Job Loss: the Price of Being Competitive'; in 1985: Social and Political Change: the Implications for Personnel Management; in 1986 ‘The Uncertain Future'; and in 1987 ‘Meeting the Challenge'. The 1990s: Strategic Planner and Business ManagerThe 1990s have seen attention turn to the roles that the personnel practitioner might play as business manager and human resource specialist, these roles involving an active contribution to ‘competitive advantage'. The historical analysis of the development of the personnel management role raises several critical issues. Is there a dominant role in Irish organisations in the mid 1990s? Do the roles which have developed over time co-exist or have some disappeared? Are some roles better than others and, if this is the case, better for whom? A superficial analysis of the situation suggests that there has been a great deal of continuity in personnel management over the years and that the issues that have concerned the personnel manager and the personnel profession have remained remarkably constant, although perhaps portrayed using very different language. The analysis has revealed that many of the challenges facing the personnel practitioner have remained constant and the need to manage the employment relationship, no matter the terminology that is used to describe this relationship, is one which is central to the personnel role. The management of the psychological contract as a critical issue for the 1990s may represent for the personnel profession a return to its roots. Now we’ll examine the emergence of the Hr manager as a professional. Some industry commentators call the Human Resources function the last bastion of bureaucracy. Traditionally, the role of the Human Resource professional in many organizations has been to serve as the systematizing, policing arm of executive management. In this role, the HR professional served executive agendas well, but was frequently viewed as a road block by much of the rest of the organization. The importance of the human resource function has become evident especially with the onset of global competition. Not only do human resource managers have to think more strategically and in step with corporate planning managers, they have had to address real and hard issues about the impact of intense competition on employment stability. It is one thing to think with executives on how the human resource section can support corporate activities. It is another to actually implement cost-savings policies with regards employment. The role of the Hr manager must parallel the needs of his or her changing organization. Successful organizations are becoming more adaptive, resilient, quick to change direction and customer-centered. Within this environment, the HR professional, who is considered necessary by line managers, is a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate and a change mentor. HR directors, and occasionally HR managers, may head up several different departments that are each led by functional or specialized HR staff such as the training manager, the compensation manager, or the recruiting manager. Human Resources staff members are advocates for both the company and the people who work in the company. Consequently, a good HR professional performs a constant balancing act to meet both needs successfully. The role of the HR professional is changing. In the past, HR managers were often viewed as the systematizing, policing arm of executive management. Their role was more closely aligned with personnel and administration functions that were viewed by the organization as paperwork. When you consider that the initial HR function, in many companies, comes out of the administration or finance department because hiring employees, paying employees, and dealing with benefits were the organization's first HR needs, this is not surprising. In this role, the HR professional served executive agendas well, but was frequently viewed as a road block by much of the rest of the organization. The role of the HR manager must parallel the needs of his or her changing organization. Successful organizations are becoming more adaptable, resilient, quick to change direction, and customer-centered. Within this environment, the HR professional, who is considered necessary by line managers, is a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate and a change mentor. At the same time, especially the HR Generalist, still has responsibility for employee benefits administration, often payroll, and employee paperwork, especially in the absence of an Hr assistant. Depending on the size of the organization, the HR manager has responsibility for all of the functions that deal with the needs and activities of the organization's people including these areas of responsibility. David O'Callaghan Carrigaline 2009

Manufacturing strategy Essay

1.1 Introduction to OFF Shoring and NEXT Shoring: Off shoring is the type of relocation of an industry or an company of a business from one country to another i.e typically an operational process, such as manufacturing process. Next shoring is â€Å"the transfer of business or manufacturing processes to companies in a Nearby location. Where both parties may be benefited from one or more of the following dimension of proximity i.e Cultural, linguistic, political etc., 1.2 Understanding the change in Market, Manufacturing Cost and Technology: Over the decade Manufacturing cost, market and Technology has played an important role in selecting the location of the Manufacturing industry weather it has to Off shored on Next shored. Therefore understanding these three are the major factors for selecting the location of an Industry. Combination of economic force is fast eroding in developing nations cost advantage as an export platform for developed countries market. Mean while with an increasingly flexible work force and a better corporate sector is becoming more attractive place for manufacturing many goods consumed in the developed countries. An Analysis conducted by BCG (Boston Consulting Group) that by sometime around 2015 for many goods destined in the developed countries manufacturing in their neighbouring place is more economical than producing in the developed nations. The key reasons for this thought are mentioned below, Wage and benefits increases of 15 to 20 % per year at the average in developing countries which will slash the advantage over low cost states in the Developed countries. Because Labour accounts a portion of Products Manufacturing Costs. Transportation Cost, Duties, supply chain risks, Industrial real estates and other cost have increased considerably in the past decade this also plays a role but this additional cost will be differed at the minimum level when compared to developed and developing nations. Technology which is another major factor for choosing the Location of Manufacturing Industries. Where Automation, R&D and other measures to improve the productivity in developing nations may reduce the manufacturing price but in modern decade Technology is wide spread it reaches every nook and corner at a rapid phase than in the 60’s. Market is the main criteria  for an Industry to be started. An Industry which has started Next to its marketing area will have an advantage of immediate feedback, customer response to the product. Thus gives them an edge for R&D to develop their products to further level. Thus from our understanding change in Market, manufacturing cost and Technology will have a say on setting up an OFF Shore or a NEXT Shore location for an Product. 1.3 Drivers for OFF Shoring and NEXT Shoring: 1.3.1 Drivers For Next Shoring Manufacturing companies look to externalise back office Responses on impact of Next-shoring on supply chain, services to focus on core operations. Risk associated with supply chain management are increasing in low-cost countries Labour wage rates in offshore locations in emerging synchronization economies like India, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are increasing, as workers are demanding higher wages. Cost of shipping goods around the world is rising due to Lead times and higher fuel price Eastern Europe has emerged as a location for Next-shoring operations, backed by favourable factors like highly skilled talent, especially technical talent and close proximity to end markets like the UK. Other factors include cultural similarities, time zone and strong data protection laws Tax incentives are usually not the main driver but they could tip the balance just as manufacturing taxes may make a country less attractive. 1.3.2 Drivers for OFF Shoring: Key driving forces for demand shifts to the developing countries are economic growth, demographics and rising incomes in emerging markets, in particular in Asia. further major factors driving this trend are: – Localisation of products to address local mid market – Proximity to demand and regional raw materials resources – Vast scale of operations and flexibility – Diligence and industrial skills of workers – Better â€Å"time to market† and reduction of logistics costs ASIAN economies have emerged as major sourcing destination for global  companies. Growth of the employable population and increased investments in the region. National/regional regulatory effects (safety standards, etc.) and free trade agreements. Within Asia itself, a shift can be noticed as rising wages and higher costs in china are making manufacturers consider other locations in southeast Asia. ASIAN countries like India, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam provide a dynamic talent pool with highly educated and young people as well as lower wage costs. 1.4 Debate on â€Å"In future, next shoring, not the off shoring, drives manufacturing location decision† According to me I accept the topic â€Å"In future, next shoring, not the off shoring, drives manufacturing location decision†. In the Next future next shoring is what the manufacturing industries will consider to have competitive edge over the market. Over the past few decades there has been an advantage over the cost (like Labour, land) in developing countries over developed countries. Eg. In India, China, etc., where the manufacturing industries have got much cheap labour force and land for their industries to start. They have enjoyed a great success by installing their manufacturing units in these low cost locations. But in recent years the advantage over the cost has shrinking due to globalisation and annual wage rise, which might see off their advantage over the developed nation. Rewind 15 or 20 years. Offshoring was all the rage. As far back as 1979, companies were starting to send manufacturing to low-wage destinations like India, China, Taiwan and Vietnam to lower labour costs. According to John Shook of the Lean Enterprise Institute, â€Å"There was a herd mentality to offshoring and an inability to see the total costs.† Today, wages in Asia are rising from 15 to 20% annually, according to The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). As a result, the economics of manufacturing in India, China, Taiwan and Malaysia aren’t as appealing as they once were. In fact, today, manufacturers are doing something that would have been unthinkable a decade ago: they’re bringing manufacturing home. A few examples: in January, Bill Simon, Wal-Mart U.S. President and CEO  committed to buy $50 billion of American-made products over the next 10 years. Similarly, after producing appliances offshore for years, General Electric is moving production operations back to the United States. GE CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, stated in the Harvard Business Review that outsourcing â€Å"is quickly becoming outdated as a business model for GE Appliances.† According to The White House blog, Ford, Apple, and Caterpillar are making large investments in U.S. facilities. Thus according to the above points I accept â€Å"In future, next shoring, not the off shoring, drives manufacturing location decision† 1.4.2 A Case Study for selecting Next Shoring than off shoring: Melville, N.Y.-based MSC Industrial Direct Company, a direct marketer and distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations supplies, distributes approximately 600,000 industrial products from 3,000-plus suppliers to 320,000 customers. Global sourcing is here to stay, whether operations are in Mexico, China, or other countries, said by Doug Jones, the company’s executive vice president of global supply chains in 2013. There is just as much opportunity in global sourcing as there was five years ago—if not more. â€Å"They used to be focused on China or India, but their Shanghai office now is looking at a number of countries.† There is pressure to source in America, and MSC Industrial Direct’s product offering takes that into account. â€Å"The way we go to market is to have a ‘Made in the USA’ product in every category,† Jones said this earlier this year. G lobal sourcing does brings challenges, however. The company follows a rigorous process to qualify a new production source, with a focus on quality. MSC also weighs the impact of lead time on cost and service. We realize our service model increases from 10 or 15 days to 180 days from purchase order to receipt if we source in China or India,† Jones explains. â€Å"We weigh the additional investment in lead time and inventory, currency valuations, and other factors, and make sure our total landed cost (TLC) still looks good or almost equal to cost in USA, Where they receipt the product at much less time. Monitoring TLC is no small task at MSC, which maintains a global sourcing team dedicated to managing it. This add further cost to monitor. On considering all these MSC starts to Next shoring its supplier base to market  area 1.5 Conclusion Thus from the above case studies and market analysis it’s time to move on from OFF shoring to Next shoring in the Near future which seems more economic and fruitful for manufacturing sector. Even though OFF shoring at present seems more economic currently but in the Near future we are expecting the wage rise factor which would nullify the cost advantage in developing nations and will make the manufactures to rethink on their strategies of OFF shoring and tends to change their strategy for Next Shoring. Thus â€Å"In future, next shoring, not the off shoring, drives manufacturing location decision† PART-B 2.1 Role of Korean Culture in Samsungs Success: It has become increasingly important for employees to have vested stake in the growth potential of its company. People expect a participatory work environment where they can feel a sense of dignity, pride, and ownership of the organization’s vision. Samsung Mobiles strives to build a creative organizational culture, and acknowledges that the investment we make in strengthening the core competencies of our employees will have a direct impact on our competitiveness. We actively promote a flexible organizational culture that allows employees to pursue a healthy work-life balance, in a dynamic, creative and challenging work environment that is not risk-averse. As an international company we embrace individuals with different background and abilities. Korean Culture :- Work & Life Balance through Work Smart Samsung Mobiles has not only contributed to balancing work and life but also to improving productivity by adopting a flexible work schedule in Korea to help eliminate unnecessary overtime and to maximize work performance through effective time management. We introduced a pilot, flexible work schedule in  our TV, mobile phone, and consumer electronics sectors beginning in 2009 and expanded it to all divisions in 2010. Under this new effort, employees arrive at work between 6.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. and to work eight hours per day. As of March 2012, approximately 65,000 Korean employees have taken advantage of this system out of a total of 100,000 Korean employees. Samsung believed it is important for everyone to be able to assume personal responsibility for their time. This will continue to contribute to a working atmosphere that allows employees to focus on their job in an autonomous and creative atmosphere. Thus they branded this as Work smart strategy. This helped Samsung a lot in its success. Work Culture that Encourages Learning and Development Samsung Mobiles has established a Creative Development Research Institute System to provide employees with opportunities to pursue creative new ideas that take full advantage of their talents and professional passions in a way that encourages taking risks. This new initiative encourages employees to be more entrepreneurial in developing creative ideas that can become new businesses. Once an employee’s plan is accepted, they may concentrate on the project as a member of a task force for up to one year. During this period, they will be free from their usual responsibilities and may receive a dedicated work space, development expenses and necessary equipment as appropriate. Successful outcomes are encouraged through an incentive program; however they are not subject to penalty if they don’t achieve their goals. The first outcome of the Creative Development Institute, ‘eyeCan,’ was launched in February 2012. The eyeCan is a special mouse for the disabled, which allows its user to use a computer using eye movement. Samsung Electronics will continue to support similar technology projects that our  talented workforce introduces to assist those in need. 2.2 Analysis of Samsung Mobiles using P.E.S.T and Poter’s 5 Force Model: As the main objective of this thesis is to analyze the European and the U.S. mobile phone markets, the selected framework supports this aim by approaching the markets on two different levels. Primarily, the analytical framework focuses on micro-environment i.e. looking at the markets from the viewpoints of the actors (suppliers, distributors, customers) and from that of competition. To analyze the contribution of each of these actors and other sources of competition, another well-established model, Porter ´s five forces, will be utilized (Section 2.3). Where necessary, the observed phenomena are also interpreted from a wider, macro environmental perspective although more detailed analysis of macro-environmental factors will be omitted. The exclusion is justified by the fact that competition, even though influenced by the macro environment, takes place within the micro environment. In addition, concentrating on the micro-environment allows a broader and more in-depth treatment of th e most relevant actors present in the micro-environment. On another dimension, the framework applies two different conceptual approaches, namely, international business (IB) environment and industrial organization (IO) economics. These approaches together serve to supplement the strongly microeconomics focused framework with suitable concepts grounded in the strongly 7 related IB and IO disciplines. While the industrial organization focuses on the company/market boundary from the perspective of imperfect competition, international business focuses on the qualities of international markets and companies operating across country boundaries. These approaches will be discussed in detail in Section 2.4. The analytical approach of the thesis is summarized in . Figure 1. Analytical framework of the study 2.2. Macro-environment By definition, the macro-environment involves factors outside of the direct  control of the business. These factors, then, include the economy, government policies, social changes etc. A firm may, for example, be influenced by new legislation or changes in taxation policies but the firm rarely has power to shape them itself. Thus, macro factors have the ability to fundamentally change the environment of an organization but the relationship is typically one way. (Gillespie, 2007) One of the most utilized frameworks to analyze the macro factors is the PEST analysis. The PEST framework stands for â€Å"Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal† and is used for analyzing the macro-environment in which companies operate and which also significantly affects each business independent of its size (Johnson et al., 2006:65) in each case including (or excluding) some factors and giving more weight to some in comparison to others. However, it always aims at capturing the essential of the macro-environment under a few broad categories to facilitate understanding and management of each factor within the business and to identify the key drivers of change (Johnson et al., 2006:69). Table 2.1. Components of the PEST analysis (Gillespie, 2007) Even though the macro-environment will not be analyzed in detail in this thesis its influence in a company’s decision making processes is evident as well as its ability to change to conditions under which competition takes place. For example, the Finnish government’s decision to allow bundling of mobile phones had a direct impact on both handset manufacturers’ and mobile operators’ business. Thus, references to the macro environment and changes in it will be made alongside the analysis on companies and their micro-environment. 2.3. Micro-environment The micro-environment can be defined as consisting of â€Å"stakeholder groups that a firm has regular dealings with† (Gillespie, 2007). For the purpose of this thesis, the focus will be on suppliers, distributors, customers and competition as illustrated in Figure 1 following the concise definition of micro-environment by Gillespie (2007). Suppliers In regard to its suppliers, any company generally needs to address questions such as â€Å"Can they provide the quality we require at a good price?†, â€Å"Can they adjust to changes in the supply volume?† and â€Å"What is out power relative to our suppliers and vice versa?† Increasingly, however, large multinational companies in particular are concerned about the ethicality of their suppliers’ operations. Recently, for example, Samsung was alleged to have used so called ‘blood metals’ in their mobile phones, to which Samsung responded by implementing yet more stringent systems to track the origin of its raw materials (Yle, 2010). Especially in the business of mobile phone manufacturing, suppliers and supply chain management (SCM) play a crucial role. Since mobile phones, smart phones in particular, contain numerous highly specialized components and modules, handset manufacturers generally acquire most of the components, software and even ass embly from their suppliers and subcontractors (see the mobile phone value system in Figure 9). Samsung, for example, lists 35 countries as its main supplying locations and applies its so called Code of conduct to all its business partners. In the Code of conduct (Samsung,2011f) Samsung states that â€Å"†¦Samsung encourages its partners, subcontractors, or suppliers to strive beyond legal compliance in areas such as governance, human rights and the environment. Samsung incorporates ethical, social and environmental criteria in its procurement agreements and commits to monitoring the performance of its partners and to taking immediate and thorough remedial steps in cases where the ethical performance of its business partners comes into question.†- Samsung Thus, mobile phone manufacturers rely on suppliers to varying but generally great extent and can even be held responsible for choosing suppliers that use e.g. child labour or non-recyclable materials. To construct an iPhone, Apple, for example, sources its Retina display from LG, the A4 processor from Samsung, gyroscopes from STMicroelectronics, touch sensitive panels from Wintek and TPK, and chips from Skyworks Solutions and TriQuint Semiconductor (Apple Insider, 2010). However, some conglomerates, e.g.  Samsung manufacture most of the modules in-house which enables cutting down the number of suppliers and facilitates integration in the production process. Even if the recent business wisdom has advised companies to divest non-core functions and focus on a few core competencies, Samsung has proven that conglomerates may be highly profitable while retaining their non-core parts. Unlike Motorola, Samsung kept its component manufacturing in-house and focused on synergies from producin g both components and end products. (Hyà ¶ty, 2011:250-252) Distributors The second essential element of a company’s micro-environment is distributors. The choice of distribution channels is critical for a number of reasons. Firstly, the distributors strongly influence the final sales price of each product and thereby directly affect the sales quantity. Second, the distributors and later retailers play an important role in how the product is presented to the customer and, to some extent, how it is positioned relative to competing products. Finally, the choice of the distribution channel affects how customers perceive the brand. While Samsung, for example, utilizes a wide range of sales channels for its Samsung branded products, it sells its luxury phone brand Vertu (typically gold and diamond decorated, ranging from $6000 to $300 000) only in Vertu and Samsung flagship stores (Vertu, 2011; Dialaphone, 2007) In the mobile handset business, the distribution channel plays a crucial role. While in Europe most mobile phone manufacturers rely on a large number of individual distributors and retailers, in North America the bulk of handset sales is carried out by mobile network and virtual operators (see Figure 22). The long-lasting dominance of mobile operators over distribution in the United States has allowed them to introduce additional requirements related to e.g. tailoring and branding of phones, and together with subsidies a commanding position in the industry. Still, the choices related to distribution come down to the same basic questions, i.e. what are the total costs, how is the brand communicated, how flexible is the distributor etc. Customers The third element of the company’s micro-environment is customers. In this  respect, it is common to separate between individual consumers and organizational (or industrial) customers (or buyers). While consumers are traditionally considered less rational and impulsive in their decision making process, companies tend to be viewed as professional buyers following strict budget, cost and profit considerations. (see e.g. Webster & Wind, 1972; Baumgartner & Steenkamp, 1996) These kind of clear differences in purchasing behaviour have been questioned (Wilson, 2000) and today’s B-to-B marketers widely recognize that emotions play an important role also in business buying decisions (Kotler & Armstrong, 2006:178). In the mobile phone business, consumers represent an enormous variety of tastes, preferences and affluence. In developing countries, the sales of low-end mobile phones (often under $50) dominate, while in developed markets of e.g. Europe and North America, consumers often opt for more advanced models incorporating cameras, GPS navigation, Internet browsing etc. Moreover, most of these consumers appreciate value added features and post-purchase services provided by the manufacturer (e.g. Apple App Store, Nokia Ovi Store and Google Android Market) and often base their purchase decision on the combination of the phone and the availability of these services (see e.g. Singh & Goyal, 2009). Industrial buyers, on the other hand, tend to value services related business use of the phone (e-mail, data security etc.) and supplier’s ability to provide a communications solution to the company instead of only handsets. Finally, with regard to the mobile phone industry in Europe, Asia and the United States, there are some significant differences in customer profiles. While in Europe & Asia a handset manufacturer can sell both directly to the consumer and via distributors and retailers, in the United States the only major customer is the operator that, then, functions as a distributor and retailer. This, obviously, has its effect on what kind of marketing is needed to reach the end customer. Competition The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines competition as â€Å"the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by  offering the most favourable terms†. (Merriam Webster Online, 2011) Correspondingly, The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics states that â€Å"competition arises whenever two or more parties strive for something that all cannot obtain.† (Stigler, 2008) In this thesis, these competing â€Å"parties† are handset manufacturers who act to â€Å"secure the business† or â€Å"strive for† the limited resource, i.e. the money, of their customers. In terms of developed economic theory, competition is one of the most researched areas of economics. Economists generally differentiate perfect and imperfect competition, concluding that no other system is more Pareto efficient than perfect competition. According to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 1999) perfect competition is defined by four conditions: a) There are such a large number of buyers and sellers that none can individually affect the market price. This means that the demand curve facing an individual firm is perfectly elastic. b) In the long run, resources must be freely mobile, meaning that there are no barriers to entry and exit. c) All market participants (buyers and sellers) must have full access to the knowledge relevant to their production and consumption decisions. d) The products should be homogenous. Imperfect competition, thus, occurs when any of the criteria for perfect competition is not satisfied, e.g. when there is information asymmetry between buyers and sellers, either buyers or sellers are able to influence prices or products are not homogenous. In regard to the mobile phone industry, there is a clear case of imperfect competition. Firstly, the three largest manufacturers Samsung, Samsung and Nokia held about 64 % of the global unit sales in Q1/2010 while the tenth largest Huawei had 1,3 %. (Gartner, 2010) This kind of a market situation is generally referred to as an oligopoly â€Å"in which producers are so few that the actions of each of them have an impact on price and on competitors† (Merriam Webster Online, 2011). Second, there are fairly high barriers to entry due to the capital intensive nature of the business. In addition,  gaining market share generally requires significant investments in marketing and established manufacturers can benefit from advantages of scale. Poter’s 5 Force Model The Porter’s five forces model has been criticized, for example, for its underlying assumptions. Firstly, an industry is assumed to consist of an unrelated set of buyers, sellers and substitutes and competitors that interact at arm’s length. Second, companies can gather wealth that allows them to erect barriers against existing competition and new entrants thereby creating structural advantage. Finally, the prevailing uncertainty is assumed low enough to permit predictions about the participants’ behavior and choose a strategy accordingly. In addition, one should also note that the model was developed more than 30 years and, since then, new industries have been born and the old ones taken new shapes. In an argument that the classical model such as the Five Forces and value chain analysis were designed for the analysis of traditional industrial firms and do not apply well to today’s knowledge-intensive companies. Figure 2.2 Porter’s Five Forces –model The rationale for choosing the Five Forces framework was as follows. The model was to be well-known and tested. Even though Porter’s model has been criticized for its applicability to certain industries and for its assumptions, few models have gone through such thorough testing and prevailed. While no model is perfect the limitations of the Porter’s framework are, nevertheless, well-known and documented. Finally, the use a widely accepted framework facilitates reading and interpretation of the results as opposed to some other model with less prevalence and academic/practitioner interest. Table 2.2 Opportunities and Threats for Samsung Mobile 2.3 Suitable Business strategy to overcome threats and grab Opportunity in Samsung: Global R&D (Research & Development) In 2003, Samsung invested 3.5 trillion won ($3 billion) or 8% of total revenues in R&D. It acquired 1,313 US patents in 2003, ranking it 11th in  the world in US patent awarded. (Exhibit 9) Samsung has about 19,700 researchers working in R&D. Researchers account for approximately 34% of its total employees. Every year, R&D engineers developed about 100 new technologies and they work on the development of core technologies in the fourth generation (4G) mobile communications and in next generation memory chips. Samsung’s Information and Telecommunication R&D Center is in Suwon, where the company’s headquarters are located. This R&D Center was designed to incorporate all of its business specialties—semiconductors, electronic components, multimedia, and telecommunications—to maximize technological synergies among them. The Suwon R&D Center also interconnects with other R&D centers, both in Korea and in other countries. In the mobile business, Samsung has applied for 12,000 patents in Korea and 25,000 patents overseas since 1998. The main focus of R&D is the development of new technology standards for 4G communications and the mobile Internet. Samsung holds approximately one hundred patents related to 3G and 4G technologies. Recently, Samsung sold its cdma2000 1x EV-DO system to Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Global Marketing Samsung’s clever marketing strategies played an important role in lifting Samsung’s image from that of a low-end manufacturer to that of a global digital technology leader. For effective global marketing and branding, Samsung established a new organization to deal with its integrated global marketing activities. Eric B Kim, who used to work at IBM, was recruited to lead the Global Marketing Department. One of his most important decisions was to cease all existing contracts with 55 advertising agencies and to sign a $400 million contract with one ad agency, FCB Worldwide. Since then, Samsung has unveiled a series of corporate branding campaigns and the slogan, â€Å"Samsung DIGITall: Everyone’s invited.† One of Samsung’s major global branding strategies is Olympic sponsorship. In  1996, Samsung was an unofficial sponsor of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, having sponsored the Samsung Expo in the Pavilion of the Main Stadium. In the same year, Kun Hee Lee was selected as an IOC member, and Samsung received an opportunity to participate in TOP (The Olympic Partners). The IOC proposed that Samsung participate in sponsoring the home appliance category for the Olympics. However, Samsung wanted to utilize the opportunity to promote a high-tech image, and felt that the home appliance category was not enough to emphasize Samsung’s technological advances. Samsung set its sights on the telecommunications category and believed that, through the Olympic sponsorship, it could shed its image as a low-end home appliance maker and reposition itself as a high-tech mobile communications company. To win the sponsorship negotiations, Samsung concentrated its marketing resources on the mobile phone business. Samsung’s Key Issues to rectify their threats Though Samsung has continued its success in the mobile phone business, it faces a number of challenges to keep the growth momentum in the future. First, competition in the mobile phone market will become more intense. Lower entry barriers will bring in more competitors to the market, and the â€Å"digital convergence† will accelerate the competition even further. Companies from other industries such as PCs or network services will compete directly with Samsung. As such, it will have to devise more creative win-win strategies in the highly uncertain digital convergence landscape. Second, the sustainability of Samsung’s high-end strategy, which was attributed to Samsung’s brand building, may be in question. Samsung has achieved high profit margin, which is comparable to that of Nokia, mainly based on its high price, while Nokia has done so based on its cost dynamics. In terms of per-unit cost, Nokia spends less on R&D and marketing. One might doubt whether the high-end strategy can really be sustainable. As the mobile communications market becomes saturated, future revenue sources  will come mainly from emerging markets (China, Brazil, India, Eastern Europe, etc.). First-time buyers in emerging markets tend to prefer affordable phones. This could hurt Samsung unless it begins to cover the low and middle-end markets. Nokia and Motorola, as well as many newcomers from China, have already targeted those emerging markets. How to compete in the low and middle-end markets, while preserving its premium brand image, will be important questions in Samsung’s future growth. Third, Samsung is highly dependent on foreign companies for core technologies and modules. For example, it sources core CDMA base-band chips from Qualcomm and sophisticated camera-phone modules from Japanese firms. Consequently, the proportion of royalty payment in total manufacturing cost is likely to increase unless Samsung develops its own technologies. Some industry experts argue that most of Samsung’s patents are on applied technologies, which are developed based on others’ patent-protected core technologies. Recently, Samsung experienced a shortage in the supply of Qualcomm chips and camera-phone modules. This suggests that Samsung’s high dependency on core technologies and product modules would threaten not only its future profitability but also its competitive position. Product Life Cycle of Samsung Galaxy : For my analysis it will be useful to understand how Samsung has introduced its Galaxy Smartphones. The introduction stage of a product is one of the most important, because in this stage a company positions its products in the market. In order examine the strategic choice of the company I need to understand the strategic possibilities in the introduction stage of a product. According to Kotler and Keller, company’s positioning and differentiation strategy must change throughout the life of its products. I will give a brief description of the stages of the product life cycle and strategic possibilities in each of these stages. According to Kotler and Keller to be applicable to a product the assumptions behind the life-cycle are that the product must have limited life; sales go through different stages, with different challenges, opportunities and problems; profits change at different stages; products require different manufacturing, financial, marketing, purchasing and human re source strategies in each life  cycle stage. The Smartphone products fulfill these assumptions. Kotler and Keller recognize 4 different Life-cycle stages for a product. Introduction Stage Introduction is a period of slow sales growth as the product is just introduced. It is also recognized with heavy advertising. According to Shaw (2008) in the introduction stage a company can choose by penetration strategy or niche strategy. A penetration strategy involves aggressive marketing mix and product for the mass market offered at a low price. A niche strategy according to Shaw (2008) involves a narrow market segment and a higher price. In this stage Shaw (2008) recognizes only two possibilities targeting the mass market with low price and a niche strategy involving higher price. Looking at the smartphone market it is possible for the companies to target mass market with higher price as for instance iPhone & Nokia does. This is also due to the affordable terms of the mobile operators where people can buy the Smartphone on leasing. 6.2 Growth Stage This is a period of rapid growth and market acceptance. Here the profits are higher. According to Shaw (2009) in the growth stage companies can choose between two strategic options these are segment expansion and brand expansion. In segment expansion, the company can add new target segments, with their own marketing mixes. Strategic alternative to segment expansion might be brand expansion. This strategy adds new products or variations to the existing line. The strategy delivers to the customer segment bigger choice, or greater value. Some of these strategy ideas might be delivery, gift-wrapping (Shaw, 2012). 6.3 Maturity Stage In maturity stage the sales are lower as the product is already bought from most of the Potential buyers (Kotler and Keller 2009 p.490). According to Shaw (2010) in Maturity stage it is common for a company to employ s stable marketing mix. As the Product moves further on the curve harvesting strategy becomes necessity. 6.4 Decline Stage Here sales decline and profits erode (Kotler and Keller 2009 p.490). In this stage Shaw (2011) recognize only divesting strategy as an option. The following picture shows the life cycle of Samsung Galaxy (first model in Smartphone ) by Samsung which was launched in 2008. Where in the introductory period it was blooming since it was on affordable cost. This model was soon hit in the market. In 2009 its has started its tremendous growth. In around 2010 it reached its maturity state. Where Samsung enjoyed a lot on its success. This encouraged Samsung to do R&D in Galaxy model and they started to develop a lot newer version. Due to introduction of new models and everyone had the current model, Galaxy has started to decline in 2011. Figure 2.2 Product Life cycle of Samsung Galaxy

Whether underdevelopment is a consequence of colonial legacy Essay

Whether underdevelopment is a consequence of colonial legacy - Essay Example Whether underdevelopment is a consequence of colonial legacy? Superior technologies had enabled the colonial powers to seize control and many of the social processes of the western colonial powers were implanted into the colonies via missionary schools, army barracks, hospitals and local government structures which reported back to the colonial metropolis. It has been pointed out that in the later colonial phase, these colonial territories, despite efforts to make them into effective satellite states with government from a distance, suffered three main disadvantages: the administration had divided loyalties between the metropolis and the colony, it was alien and could not understand the needs of the colonised people, and because of its alien nature it lacked legitimacy and the ability fully to engage the local people in concerted and planned efforts. The governments of colonies tended to be conservative, and lacked the will to make progress. This affected both the higher echelons which had ties to the colonist country, and the subordinated loca l people. It is this enforced stagnation and apathy that is perhaps one of the most potent elements of the colonial legacy, and it provoked reactions ranging from violent struggle to exploitative imitation in middle years of the twentieth century as newly independent states set about connecting with their pre-colonial past and building a new post-colonial future. This paper examines the link between under-development and colonialism, looking at two countries in particular: Mauritania, which is a former French colony located in North West Africa, and India which is a former British colony located in Asia, and at some overarching effects which apply to both examples. Definitions of Underdevelopment Before turning to the examination of the two sample countries, it is important to be clear what is meant by the terms â€Å"development† and â€Å"underdevelopment†. For most people these words are related to economic and political factors like wealth, and a stable, well-gover ned society but some analysts, such as Sen (1994) include intangible qualities such as freedom of choice and the fostering of all kinds of human capabilities through education, travel and the flourishing of local and international cultures. A good definition of development is that it â€Å"seeks to enable people to lead full, productive, satisfying and worthwhile lives by raising their incomes and improving other components of their standard of living such as life expectancy, health, literacy, control over their own destiny, personal libertay and freedom , and as essential steps for fulfilling human rights† (Arimah, 2004, p. 400). The term underdevelopment, in the light of these wider definition, therefore means much more than widespread poverty and economic weakness, and embraces also social and cultural deficits which impact negatively on the quality of life of the population. Mauritania Fifteen of the 20 poorest countries in the world are on the African continent, (Arimah, 2004) and since this is also the continent which has most thoroughly suffered the ravages of colonial exploitation, there is a deep suspicion that the underdevelopment that we see today and the past colonial history may be causally connected. There is some debate in the literature about whether the so-called â€Å"scramble for Africa† was motivated by strategic/military considerations, or by economic

The Role of International Employer Branding Research Paper

The Role of International Employer Branding - Research Paper Example Every organization needs to hire efficient people and with the different pressures that currently prevail in business industries; there is a need for employers to treat their employees with care and rationality. Strong management of employer brand has been the concern of business organizations more when expectations from the working employees are severe in nature (Barrow and Mosley). The concept of employer branding includes attention and consideration of the values of people. Through employer branding, organizations tend to express their values more such that the goals and objectives of the organizations may be managed in the right directions (Sparrow, Brewster and Harris, 118). Studies reveal that the most important expectations of employer branding include ease in attracting candidates, recognition as employer of choice, increased rates of retention, shortened time-to-fill, delivery of vision and values program, higher job acceptance rate, increase in number of unsolicited resumes , setting a standard and framework for all HR activity, increased appreciation for people activity among wider business, benefits to the service delivered to commercial customers, and large number of internal fills (Rosethorn, 63). The present study considers all these factors and focuses on an understanding of employer branding at an international level. 2. Definitions: While considering a study on employer branding, it is essential to understand its meaning and the key issues associated with it in terms of its use within business organizations. 2.1. Defining Key Issues of Employer Branding: There are certain key issues that define the role of employer branding in an organization. The most significant issues include the mandatories, objectives, process description of creating an employer brand, and discussion of the issues. Employer branding needs to take the responsibilities of coordination among the HR departments and employees, the reduction of cultural differences, the strategi c approach to long term economic benefits and incorporation of innovative research methods. The objectives in this regard involve presenting the employer in the best manner, ascertain confidence, direction and exclusivity, enhance contentment, enthusiasm and identity of working employees, and promote the USP of the organization. The process description involves planning, description and leadership issues being handled by employer branding (Wimmers, 14-15). Employer brand effectively considers the issues arising from the relationship of the employer and the employees. Thus it includes the experiences of all working employees and their expectations from their employer, involving issues like compensations, working environment, opportunities for growth, type of products and types of customers, as well as the expectations that an employer might have from its employees (Praeger, 82). 2.2. Brand Identity: The image or identity of a brand represents the perception of customers and employers in their minds about a particular brand. A brand identity is a message that is communicated to the world about itself by means of advertisement, forms of products, name, visuals, and other signs and symbols. It is essential in this regard to focus on what people are considering to be the message about the brand and what the actual message is since the perceptions might differ

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F Robert Nozick's How Liberty Upsets Patterns Essay

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Assignment #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Developing New Design Strategies Essay Example for Free

Developing New Design Strategies Essay The ignorance of environmental values/impacts that are ranged from local to regional scales in the design and construction processes, burdens the inconveniences of the â€Å"contemporary† living milieus. Locality bears particular values in terms of natural, built and cultural context that constantly shape the local identity throughout the ages. Exclusion of this set of values in the development of the built environment, in conjunction with the consumer wise approaches of global trends, is ended up with an unsatisfactory living milieu. In this respect, the lack of environmental and socio-cultural aspects especially in the building design is the vital issue behind the questioning of existing understanding towards the context and its products. 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Consequently, the prevailing vernacular architecture started to lose its peculiar values and distinct architectural characteristics according to this reciprocal interaction. Although, the vernacular house is constantly developed by the considerable alterations of its mass in the form of limited additions and subtractions for responding the changing lifestyle and immigrants’ demands in time, the general characteristics of the rural house form is sustained (Numan and Dincyurek, I.112). Especially, after 1950’s, the sustainability of the vernacular architectural identity is only limited to the conscious or unconscious conservation of the existing vernacular settings instead of the continuation of the vernacular building activities. The impacts of â€Å"Annan Plan and its Referenda for Re-unification of the Island†, which was proposed and organized by General Secretary of UN in 2004, extremely influenced important features, including political, socio-cultural, and economical parameters, of the Island. Undoubtedly, the vernacular architecture of the Island implicitly affected from this important development (Dincyurek and Turker, 3385). Although, the reunification was not realized because of its rejection in the referenda by the majority in the Southern (Greek) region, the encouraging (opportunistic) atmosphere of this reunification and optimistic projection for the common future are kept before and after the referenda. This positive atmosphere accelerated the growth of the construction activities especially in the Northern (Turkish) region in terms of summer houses or second houses for the local people and foreign investors. After â€Å"Annan Plan†, the sudden increase in the housing developments particularly in Northern part is noticeable. Despite of this boom in construction activity, the format of this development cannot be considered as the improvement in the field because of the repetition of the ready-made design schemes, which are not related with the contextual realities. Besides the other reasons, the search for economically cheaper global trends in architecture (Turker and Pulhan), which can bring the most of the benefits for the recently established construction firms, can be stated as amongst the reasons to the construction activities, which are deviating from the quality and characteristics of the vernacular architecture. In brief, the recent housing developments have no relation at all with the vernacular architecture of Cyprus. The Search in Understanding the Association between Cyprus Vernacular and Current Architectural Developments Many scholars stated the different associations between vernacular building traditions and current architectural developments (Asquith and Vellinga; Oliver; Warren, Worthington and Taylor). Rapoport attracts the attention of the researchers to four main points on the issue: mainly, the ignorance of the vernacular context; the acceptance of vernacular but no attempt for getting useful lessons; the copy of the vern acular settings; and the use to get lessons and applied to the new design (55). According to our investigations, similar series of attitudes can be observed in the interpretation of vernacular architecture of Cyprus. These are; †¢ To ignore the presence of vernacular totally †¢ To imitate the whole form of vernacular †¢ To establish an association with the vernacular †¢ To interpret and to get valuable lessons from the vernacular building heritage. In general, the vernacular architecture is a course that is generated by local values and needs, environmental necessities and availabilities, and continuously changing impacts. It is an evolving process which is shaped by trial and errors. It is also influenced by the local and regional constraints. This process does not deny the accumulation of the building tradition of the past. Furthermore, it may adapt itself to the changing parameters of the context. The conscious and unconscious responses are quite influential on this kind of evolution. There is no place for direct interference to this proce ss. These general characteristics of vernacular architecture can be observed in Cyprus vernacular as well until 1950’s. The process of Cyprus vernacular architecture suddenly stopped by the rapid introduction of the new â€Å"modern lifestyle† and its requirements to the Island, especially in the second quarter of the 20th century (qtd. in Schaar, et al.). The vernacular building tradition could not adjust itself to these significant changes in the way of life and building activities. After this interference to the vernacular building process, different approaches and attitudes can be noticed in the built environment of Cyprus, which are mentioned in the above lines. a. To ignore the presence of vernacular totally The penetration of almost similar houses, which are the repetitive products of the modern trends, into the vernacular environments is extensively developed in the Island. The realm of high-style or grandiose architecture and its necessities are familiarized in bot h urban and rural areas of Cyprus (Figure 1a). In some examples, the harmonization of the stylistic understanding of modern architecture and the local needs is developed (Figure 1b). On one hand, these limited examples are providing correct answers to the response of the contextual needs by considering modern lifestyle and technological advancement. On the other hand, the majority of the recently built architectural examples exhibits the repetition of the unsatisfactory and insufficient architectural, structural and constructional solutions, which do not correspond with the realities of modern lifestyle, new building materials, techniques and technologies (Figure 1c). b. To imitate the whole form of vernacular In the new building design, the approach of copying or imitating the whole form of vernacular houses is rarely encountered in Cyprus. However particularly in the rural areas of Cyprus, only a negligible number of examples, which are totally copied or imitated from vernacular house by the traditional builders has seen. The rarity in this kind of examples is due to the adaptation of the new modern lifestyles by the natives and also the formal unfamiliarity of the immigrants of the Island. On the other hand, the exceptional examples of the imitation of existing forms cannot verify the efficiently continuation of the vernacular building tradition. a. Grandiose attitude of domestic architecture b. Synthesis of modernist lines with local realms c. Unfamiliar approach to the context Figure 1. Different design attempts in modern residential architecture of Cyprus c. To establish an association with the vernacular The design attitude of conscious or unconscious establishment of association with the vernacular in the new design is extensively practiced in the recent building activities of the Island. However, it is not an attempt to completely copy the existing form. Without understanding the vernacular building tradition, the examples of this approach show signs of either too romantic or superficial attempt of an architect. Instead of identifying all aspects, which generate the vernacular building tradition, only few design parameters, or considerations, or architectural elements of vernacular building are particularly emphasized in this approach. In general, the architectural elements or spatial formations are repetitively used in the recent housing developments without considering their genuine reasons and usages in the vernacular building tradition. According to the varying emphasis of establishing an association with the vernacular, different concepts and attempts are noticed. c.1. Making association with the vernacular through the senses In some examples, the design is mainly based on the reference to the memories of the past spatial experiences. In other examples, it is also possible to establish an association with vernacular either by emphasizing the sense of place/building or by the repeating of the shared images of vernacular in the new design. One of the examples is extremely remarkable. The architect (who he is also the owner) achieved an association with the vernacular in his new house by recalling the past experiences based on vernacular forms, shapes, and space. This example is not indicating a particular house type of Cyprus vernacular. With a romantic/passionate approach, the formations of space are based on the possible resemblances of his past spatial experiences, whereas he is forced to leave his own house in his childhood because of the bi-communal conflicts. However, the reconstruction of a house form, which is existing in the memories, in another place actually does not meet the realms of new context but only fulfilling the sense of identity and belonging. Instead of using earth as available local building material, and adobe as locally accepted construction system, the architect preferred to use stone as material and bearing wall as structural system for achieving the rebirth of his dreams in an existing vernacular house. Therefore, the aim for â€Å"the sense of belonging† is experienced. (Figure 2) c.2. Making association with the vernacular through the building materials and construction techniques Besides, the formal, visual and textural peculiarities of the traditional building material and construction techniques, which help to constitute a vernacular image in the new projects, they are still preferred in some of recently built houses because of their environmental, especially climatic performances. The stone wall construction, where the local material is available, is widely used with the purpose of achieving micro climate in the interior spaces. Figure 2. The house example which was developed based on recalls of past spatial experiences To create an accentuation in the similar pattern is another reason for the usage of traditional building material and methods in the recently developed areas (Figure 3). Stone as a construction material is selected and applied especially in some parts of the typical reinforced concrete frame buildings. Sometimes, it is possible to observe the re-use of old building materials, or existing structural/architectural members in the new constructions. This harmful attitude of professionals accelerates the destruction of vernacular houses and settings in sake of gaining unethical profits. Figure 3. Traditional materials were used in this example to make accentuation in the context c.3. Making association with the vernacular through the use of building elements The building elements, which form the essential components of vernacular architecture, are commonly used in the new buildings. The formation of significant building elements of vernacular such as arch, arcade, inner or outer hall, is realized in the recent building developments by using either traditional or contemporary building materials and its techniques. However, in these examples, where they convey particular building elements of the vernacular form, it is possible to notice the repetition of common mistakes in terms of environmental, architectural, structural or functional aspects. †¢ Position and orientation Position and orientation decisions of the house and its components, are important design concerns in the vernacular architecture of Cyprus.

Starbucks Competition and Strategy Analysis

Starbucks Competition and Strategy Analysis Executive Summary As coffee drinkers of all ages and sizes increase around the world, Starbucks amongst fierce rivals continues to experience unsurpassed growth sales. Their upscale coffee outlets that deliver pleasing to the eye dà ©cor and brand uniqueness at locations scattered nationally and internationally, their distinct aromas and scents, Starbucks has been able to differentiate themselves from all competitors. The aforementioned characteristics that is Starbucks, has enabled the coffee retailer to increase profitability, expand globally, and attract new customers. With an estimated 17,000 outlets in approximately 55 countries, Starbucks boasts as the largest coffee outlet chain in the world. In North America alone, Starbucks employs nearly 11,000 full-time and 60,000 part-time employees. Additionally, the chain employs over 7,000 outside its United States borders. Through providing top quality coffee beans and distinctive varieties (aforementioned), Starbucks has led the way in revolutionizing the market industry. The chain not specializes in serving coffee, but also teas, juices, pastries of all kinds and now even coffee-flavored ice cream brands that deliver pleasing to the taste and thirst of many loyal, and soon-to-be new customers. Since 1994, Starbucks has enjoyed measurable success through clever mergers and or acquisitions. A few successful ventures include Seattles Best coffee chain now offers a small line of its premium brands on commercial Delta airlines flights and thanks to the ever-increasing Wi-Fi market, Starbucks continues to connect with customers. In 2010, after extensive market surveying, Starbucks introduced three new ice cream coffee-free flavor brands. Starbucks continues to face stiff competition and only through strategic planning hinged upon finding new and creative ways to be innovative will the firm continue to diversify its financial portfolio while enabling its ability to cover liabilities. Introduction Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Starbucks is an international Corporation (www.Starbucks.com) whose stocks are traded on the NYSE under the SBUX ticker symbol. Starbucks is the largest coffee outlet in the world, with close to seventeen thousand shops in approximately fifty countries or provinces, eleven thousand in America alone, over one thousand in Canada, eight hundred in Japan and seven hundred Coffee Shops in the United Kingdom. Starbucks in 2003 was listed as a Fortune 500 firm, ranked 465. By the end of 2010, they were ranked 241. Background Howard Schultz gained control of Starbucks in 1987. Starbucks was founded by three colleagues in 1971 in Seattle who were inspired by a mutual acquaintance Alfred Peet, an established businessman. By 1980 the company had grown to four locally owned stores that turned a reasonable profit every year. It was in 1981 when Howard Schultz, then Vice President of U.S operations for Swedish Kitchen and Coffeemaker equipment decided to visit Starbucks out of curiosity as to how and why the Starbucks was so successful with selling his companys products. Managerially, Schultz was impressed with the company. After much persistence, Schultz landed his first job with Starbucks as head of marketing and research. Overflowing with ideas for the company, Howard Schultzs biggest inspiration and vision for Starbucks future came in 1983 while on a business trip to Italy and the idea of Espresso Bars came fell upon him. After failing to convince Baldwin for the expansion of business, he initially left Starbucks in 1985 and started the Il Giornale coffee bar chain in 1985 and the coffeehouse was very successful. In 1987 after buying out the former owners Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker, Schultz began to quickly begin to realize his full dream for Starbucks and quickly expanded business operations in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Chicago, Illinois, of the same year. By 1992, Starbucks then a recognized publicly traded company on the stock market had expanded nationally to 165 shops. In 2009, Starbucks succeeded by opening about nine hundred additional shops outside the Continental United States. Mission Statement (Actual per www.starbucks.com, accessed on 20 February 20, 2011) Establish Starbucks as the premier distributor of the best coffee on the planet without compromising principles on quality of growth. Our Coffee It has always been, and will always be, about quality. Were passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done.(2, 7) Our Partners Were called partners, because its not just a job, its our passion. Together, we embrace diversity to create a place where each of us can be ourselves. We always treat each other with respect and dignity. And we hold each other to that standard, ensuring the latest technology is implemented for producing superior products to our loyal customers. (4, 8, 9) Our Customers When we are fully engaged, we connect with, laugh with, and uplift the lives of our customers-even if just for a few moments. Sure, it starts with the promise of a perfectly made beverage, but our work goes far beyond that. Its really about human connection. (1) Our Stores When our customers feel this sense of belonging, our stores become a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. Its about enjoyment at the speed of life-sometimes slow and savored, sometimes faster. Always full of humanity. (6) Our Neighborhood Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business. We can be a force for positive action-bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility-and our potential for good-is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead. (3) Our Shareholders We know that as we deliver in each of these areas, we enjoy the kind of success that rewards our shareholders. We are fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks-and everyone it touches-can endure and thrive. (5) Customer Products or services Markets Technology Concern for survival, profitability, growth Philosophy Self-concept Concern for public image Concern for employees Mission Statement Analyzed   I consider this to be a fairly good, and accurate statement although per my rating (based on research), the mission statement lacks two (2) important components: Technology and Concern for employees. The company must evaluate whether it is technologically advanced and even though the companys vision is of concern to its employees, it still should be added to its mission statement. Vision Statement (Actual per www.starbucks.com, accessed on 20 February 20, 2011) To establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world and become a national company with values and guiding principles that employee could be proud of. The vision statement clearly describes the dream or the future of the company that is to be the worlds most well known coffeehouse and also to be the most appreciated and positively graded brand by all levels of people around the world. Finally, the company focuses emphasis in the value of employees and their loyalty, and strives to create a happy work environment. The opportunity for entry of new competitors shows a balance between different firms competing in a market and subsequently, they can be looked upon as a threat to already established firms. One of Starbucks staunchest competitors is McDonalds McCafe which is really catching on globally. Competition is real due to entry level start up costs which can be extremely low and or offered at a bargain price to gain a competitive edge. This probably can explain why Starbucks has recently decided to partner with Burger King which I personally consider a very positive move. Starbucks Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) is illustrated below and compares the coffee firms internal and external factors, based upon strengths (superior or 4.0), against weaknesses (1.0), against its current, and projected market competition. Used effectively, it will give management clear idea about the firms strengths and weaknesses and aid in plotting a way forward that is healthy and most importantly, profitable. Anything in between can be rated from fair, to average to above average to superior. From the illustration below, Starbucks fares a little above average when compared to Dunkin Donuts, yet well below McDonalds. Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) In the External Factor Evaluation or EFE, only external factors, that is, opportunities, and threats, are evaluated. From the illustration below, the following info can be drawn: Gourmet coffee consumption tied in to drinkers educational levels. The higher the level of education the more gourmet coffee on average was consumed, by as much as seventy-one percent. Trends showed sixteen percent of U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis; sixty-three percent only occasionally. The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only thirteen percent and fifty-nine percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002. Also, trends over the past ten-years showed consumers requesting more organic coffees which influenced retailers on the growing environment of coffee beans. Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbohydrates / sugar and calories. International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee. With regards to threats, the 2007-2009 economic recession adversely affected the specialty coffee industry. Recently, trends show consumer concern with nutritional value. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers. Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings. In conclusion, competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complimentary products. This may explain why SBUX has recently announced a partnership with Burger King who has long lagged behind McDonalds, especially in the breakfast arena to start offering Seattles Best coffee products (a subsidiary of Starbucks), in efforts to further close the gap between itself from its the conglomerate that is McDonalds Corporation. External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Matrix Gourmet coffee consumption rose with the drinkers educational level. Those who finished college bought forty-nine percent more gourmet coffee on average, and those with some postgraduate education bought seventy-one percent more Sixteen percent of the U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis, whereas sixty-three percent indulged occasionally The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only thirteen percent and fifty-nine percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002 Another trend that has surfaced in the past decade has been consumer requests for organic coffees, and more emphasis was placed by retailers on the growing environment of the beans Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbs / sugar and calorie International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee Threats The 2007-2009 economic recession adversely affected the specialty coffee industry Recent trends shows consumers are concerned about the nutritional value of coffee products and are demanding nutritional info be posted on the products even in retail outlets. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings Competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complementary products Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix is a summary step in conducting an internal strategic-management audit used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a business, and provide a foundation for identifying and evaluating relationships founded upon those areas. Looking at key Internal Factors, Starbucks most advantageous opportunities lie in expansion in ever-growing Markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China or the BRICs as they are commonly referred. Of note, Starbucks doesnt appear to show any interest in marketing its products through advertisings as much as focusing on the quality of its coffee and that power alone to retain, and attract new customers. Key Internal Factors Strengths Starbucks expects to add approximately 20 net new stores to its global store base in fiscal 2009 by closing approximately 425 company-operated stores in the United States and adding of approximately 60 company-operated stores internationally The company plans to open approximately 65 net new licensed stores in the United States and approximately 320 net new licensed stores internationally Capital expenditures for fiscal 2009 are expected to remain unchanged, at approximately $600 million. Licensing revenues increased primarily due to higher product sales and royalty revenues as a result of opening 438 new licensed retail stores in the last 12 month Strong marketing and promotional campaign such as product placement in major TV series Starbucks also provides electrical outlets and, in some stores, wireless access, for customers who might need to use their MP3 players or laptop computers Starbucks products can be found in convenience stores, grocery stores, department stores, movie theaters, businesses, schools, and even airports Starbucks is rated by Fortune as one of the best top 10 places to work Starbucks also encourages the use of its Web site where customers are able to register their Starbucks cards, receive nutritional information about Starbucks products, shop online, search for careers, and much more Weaknesses 47 percent drop in earnings in one year (2008) For the 26 weeks ending March 2009, Starbucks revenues decreased 7 percent to $4.95 billion and net income decreased 72 percent to $89.3 million Moodys Investors Service recently downgraded Starbucks credit ratings The U.S. company operated retail business continued deteriorating trends For the second quarter of fiscal 2009, U.S. total net revenues were $1.8 billion, a decline of $131.5 million, or 6.8 percent, due to decreased revenues from company operated retail stores Many of Starbucks International operations are in early stages of development that require a more extensive support organization relative to the current levels of revenue and operating income in the United States International total net revenues were $433.7 million for the 13 weeks ended March 29, 2009, down $59.7 million, or 12.1 percent, compared with the same period last year, primarily due to the impact of a stronger U.S. dollar relative to the British pound and Canadian dollar Global Consumer Products Group (CPG) total net revenues decreased by 2 percent to $94.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2009, due primarily to lower margin on sales of packaged coffee as a result of discounting, as well as lower volume to the trade The Strength-Weaknesses-Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis is an effective to that when used properly, gathers, analyzes, and evaluates information which helps firms identify strategic advantages/disadvantages. SWOT Strategies Opportunities Gourmet coffee consumption rose with the drinkers educational level. Those who finished college bought 49 percent more gourmet coffee on average, and those with some postgraduate education bought 71 percent more Sixteen percent of the U.S. adult population consumed specialty coffee on a daily basis, whereas 63 percent indulged occasionally The growth in popularity of specialty coffees has increased, as only 13 percent and 59 percent of people reported daily and occasional consumption, respectively, in 2002 Another trend that has surfaced in the past decade has been consumer requests for organic coffees, and more emphasis was placed by retailers on the growing environment of the beans Consumers are becoming more health conscious and are looking for sweats and snacks that are low in carbohydrates / sugar and calorie International market has a stronger economy and accordingly, consumers would be able to pay premium price for specialty or gourmet coffee Implement product development by introducing organic coffee and disclosing the nutritional content to the consumers (S1, S2, S3, S5, S6, S7, O1, O2, O3) Continue opening more retail stores overseas where coffee is in demand and market has not been saturated by competitors (S1, S2, S3, S4, S9, O6) Develop new products with better nutritional value (S6, S8, O1, O2, O4, O5) Develop a marketing strategy such as Starbucks Combo by offering combination of gourmet coffee and cookie / cake or 2 for 1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the patrons can purchase coffee on Tuesday and get free refill on Wednesday (W1, W2, W3, O1, O2, O3) Establish joint venture with hotels, airlines, and retailers for having mini-Starbucks locations or for serving premium Starbucks coffee in the hotel rooms or during the flights (W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, O1, O2, O3, O6) Threats The 2007-2009 global recession negatively affected the specialty coffee industry Recent trends have shown that some of the consuming public is concerned about the nutritional value of such products as those offered by the specialty coffee sector and have even challenged the correctness of the labeling and calorie information posted on the products available at retail outlets. Volatility in the stocks and coffee price could impact the purchasing power for the buyers Smaller competitors are expanding their markets as well as their product line offerings Competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts are becoming stronger in offering specialty coffee along with other complementary products Implement market penetration strategy by promoting additional licensing retail deals. This minimizes the risks and capital expenditures for Starbucks (S2, S3, S4, S5, T1, T4, T5) Lower prices of popular drinks by $0.50 and promote the price decrease through aggressive advertising (S6, S7, S8, T1, T4) Penetrate market by appealing to a wider variety of consumers (W6, T4, T5) Cutback on some of operating expenses such trying to improve purchasing power and getting better prices from the suppliers and vendors (W4, T4, T5) Create Promotional Strategies Such As Starbucks Combo Or Reduce The Price By $0.50 Per Drink On Popular Drinks Develop New Products With Better Nutritional Value Expand Internationally By Opening Additional 100+ License Retailers Through Joint Ventures Portfolio Analysis: Starbucks BCG Matrix (The Worlds Most Innovative Companies Their creativity goes beyond products to rewiring themselves. Business Week and the Boston Consulting Group rank the best. Accessed and referenced on 20 February 20, 2011 at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_17/b3981401.htm) The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix is enhancing a multidivisional firms efforts to formulate strategies. The BCG allows a multi-focused firm to manage its portfolio by examining relative market share position and the industry growth rate each division relative to all other divisions in the organization. The Starbucks BCG matrix below shows four (4) divisions which include Question Marks, Stars, Cash Cows, and Dogs. Quadrant I shows low relatives market position, high growth industry. Cash needs versus cash generation are high and low. Quadrant II or Star Division identifies best long-run opportunities for growth and profitability. Quadrant III or Cash Cows with high relative market share position but compete in a low growth industry and finally, Quadrant IV or Dogs identifies relatively low market share position and compete in a snail or no market growth industry. Starbucks Income Statements shows steady increases between 2003 and 2005. The revenues on the year 2003 were $4,075,000, while $2,191,000 in year 2004, $6,369,000 in year 2005. Also, the firms growth sales rate for 2004 and 2005 was 56.3%. In conclusion, Starbucks were identified in Star division which means its long-run opportunities for the growth and profitability is overall good. Recommendations Starbucks coffees price are much more expensive than other market competitor products because Starbucks purchases the highest quality coffee beans which means and price-war advantage for its competitors in these challenged economic times. Develop series of new coffee, tea and fruit drinks with better nutritional values for health conscious customers. Initially, enter selected market with predatory pricing strategy and then move to larger market. Starbucks is showing signs of change and that the change has started to work. For the first time in eight quarters, the company posted positive earnings. In fact, all US company operated stores reported positive growth in their sales. For the last few years, the company over-expanded by opening too many stores and some too close to each others. Now, they have done an impressive job restructuring itself and returning back to being profitable by closing some stores and slimming down its workforce over the past few years. They further eliminated excessive waste in their operations and have been trying to be leaner in their day to day business processes. Leading the way in technological media, Starbucks innovative nature has enabled capitalization on the social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, Starbucks even has an iPhone application (accessed at Why Starbucks Has Room to Improve. http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/starbucks-growth-upgrade-profit-price-hikes/1/22/2010/id/26485 20 Feb. 2011.).