Category: Business 11471

How the Concept of product life cycle applies to Regal Marine products

Product life cycle is an extremely essential strategy in the marine vessels production. The results of having a life cycle plan enables Regal Marine to organize and lay down measures that incorporate the well being of the company and the surrounding environment. The coming up with a life cycle of their products; helps Regal Marine evaluate and understand the performance of the new models and try to improve on the future innovations. Though one may view that the essence of the life product life cycle is only a marketing tool, it also works effectively practically in the assessment of the contributions made at every life stage towards the wholly environmental impact of the product, and subsequently leads to the coming up with ways to improve on the vessels in question (Birmingham et al, 2006). A life cycle assessment of boats brings practical knowledge of the vessels technology with respect to social, economic and environmental factors. Thus, the product life cycle concept of Regal marine is essentially applicable in ensuring that the organization remains at the helm of excellence in the Industry as well as it retains it quest for making greater returns in the Industry.

Regal Marine strategy to remain competitive in the marine production Industry

Regal marine being in a highly competitive production Industry has the obligation to strategize effectively to remain as a top performer. It employs the strategy of market leader to stay competitive and effectively high achievements in the Marine Vessels Industry (Creating Competitive advantage, 2008.) Regal marine comes up with up to date designs of vessels that possess high technology and are exceedingly effective. Surveys conducted among their customers, dealers, consultants, and other relevant sectors help acquire views on the vessels aspired for. It also ensures that it improves tremendously on its innovations and quality of vessels, while still enhancing the growth. In order to make more profits and gain competitive advantage, it calls for the delivery of high quality products and satisfy customer better than the competitive partners. (Creating Competitive advantage, 2008 Regal Marine clearly analyses it production requirements and effectiveness in satisfying the customer by improving the quality and efficiency of the boats. Regal achieves the above by putting to task its engineers and designers to using the current and effective technology like, the Computer Aided Designs (CAD) program, in the innovation of the vessels. New models get produced quickly and hit the market before the competitors. The models are also remarkably accurate and stable, and performance analyzed prior to production (Boat Design Software Review, 2009). Regal collects information from the suppliers, dealers and customers and uses it to improve on the innovations while encompassing development of the company as a whole.

Benefits Regal Marine is achieving by use of CAD technology rather than traditional drafting techniques

Computer Aided Designs is the use of computer developed software, to come up with a 3D sketch of the boat of interest. A design that works and floats; get created and a final model observed as a wire frame or as a concrete object on the screen (Boat Design Software Review, 2011). It is the most efficient means of defining the hull form offering designers means of analyzing the stability and performance. This brings out a specialist boat design that has designs in mind; thus can be manipulated by adjusting the curves and the area of the boat. The computerized program then calculates and gives the results of the final design and informs of any compromise in the design (Boat Design Software Review, 2011). The new models innovated are then made in large numbers and later joined to make a large number of boats or marine vessels. On, the other hand the traditional method seeks corrections and modifications in the actual planning and modification of the vessel, and wholly relies on the designer which may be tedious. Therefore, it calls for more time and resources a factor that is detrimental to the companys quest to cut on production cost and time. The 3D design software is a truly essential strategy in the sense that, the final drawing can be converted to a flat plan that can be handed to the boat builder. This design is also accurately convertible with the computerized cutting for boat building and structural parts created and pieces of a boat created via computer cutting (Kasten, 2011). Vessel building of any size by manual lofting and cutting has become almost entirely incredible with large ships; and it is not done as it is time consuming and extremely expensive. Thus, by use of CAD technology, Regal Marine is using little time and resources produce high quality vessels. The method proves remarkably effective for Regal Marine, in their quest to remain competitively at the helm of excellence unlike the use of the traditional methods of drafting.

References

1. Birmingham, R. Downie M. Jackson S. Landamore, M., & Mesbahi, E. (Jan 2006). Life Cycle and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Selected Technologies for Sustainable Inland Boating.
2. Boat Design Software Review. (2011). CAD (Computer Aided Design) Programs; the Independent Review Site. Web. 
3. Creating Competitive advantage. (2008). Principles of Marketing. Web.
4. Kasten, M. (2011). Computerized Cutting for Boat Building, Kasten Marine Design, Inc. Web.

Introduction

Failed start-ups are not unique to a competitive business environment. However, in case large brands suffer losses due to unreasonably designed projects, this causes significant resonance and serves as an example for other organizations. As such a failure, the case of Coca-Cola in 1985 will be considered, in particular, the market launch of an updated beverage called New Coke. Inadequate market research, the biased analysis of demand, and confidence in brand strength became the main reasons for the failure. To increase sales of the new product, manufacturers should have resorted to interacting with the target audience and introducing a test batch of New Coke to the market.

Product Failure Description

The case of New Coke is a prime example of a bad marketing decision. Taylor (2017) views this failure as one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the global Coca-Cola corporation and notes that its current management remembers and fears precedents. In 1985, Coca-Cola launched a new line of drinks under the same brand but with a new name and minor changes to the can design (Tanusondjaja, Trinh, & Romaniuk, 2016). Nevertheless, this decision caused a wide public response and turned out to be the most unsuccessful marketing step in the entire history of the corporation. Millions of dollars were spent on the creation of the new product, but in the end, the updated Coca-Cola did not stay on the market for three months. Consumers were extremely unhappy with the new product, and the management had to go back to the previous version of the drink in an emergency mode. This example of failure can be explained in terms of mistakes made in planning the product implementation and potentially efficient steps to take to avoid costs.

Reasons for the Failure

As one of the main reasons for the presented failure, one can call inadequate market control. According to Islam (2019), the lack of information from the target audience is a significant flaw if the introduction of a new product is planned for the general public. Another potential cause of failure is biased demand data. Islam (2019) mentions market equilibrium as one of the essential criteria for a successful business and notes that if the market is oversaturated with specific goods, demand will be low. Finally, Coca-Colas management confidence in the strength of its brand and its impact on consumers marketing habits is another reason for failure. As Tanusondjaja, Trinh, and Romaniuk (2016) remark, the image of goods is shaped by buyers, and the case of New Coke confirms the lack of interest in the product even of the well-known brand. These factors led to the failure of the new product in the American market.

Ways to Increase the Chances of Success

By following a distinctive promotion strategy, Coca-Colas management could have achieved a more successful marketing campaign. Birkinshaw and Haas (2016) note that prior engagement with target audiences could have increased the chances of positive consumer acceptance of the new beverage line. As another measure, a test batch of the product could have been presented instead of the total restructuring of production. Such a strategy, as Kotler and Keller (2015) argue, is a logical step to introduce new products to the public and avoid risks. By following these approaches, Coca-Colas managers could have reduced the likelihood of New Cokes failure.

Conclusion

The case of New Coke proves that an inadequate marketing campaign may lead to a new product failure, despite significant funds spent on advertising. The lack of target market analysis, poor customer engagement, and overconfidence in brand strength are the key causes of failure. Interaction with the public regarding a new beverage line and introducing a test batch to the market could have been potentially effective measures to avoid high costs and the failure.

References

Birkinshaw, J., & Haas, M. (2016). Increase your return on failure. Harvard Business Review, 94(5), 88-93.

Islam, M. T. (2019). Market failure: Reasons and its accomplishments. International Journal of Economics and Financial Research, 5(12), 276-281.

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2015). Marketing management (15th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Tanusondjaja, A., Trinh, G., & Romaniuk, J. (2016). Exploring the past behaviour of new brand buyers. International Journal of Market Research, 58(5), 733-747.

Taylor, B. (2017). How Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Amazon learn from failure. Harvard Business Review, 10, 1-4.

Introduction

The Fred Factor is the best-selling book and is written by Mark Sanborn, who is well known internationally as an author and speaker on team building and leadership. The book, in narrating the real story of Fred Shea, a postman, underlines the significance of being fervent about ones life and work. This attitude motivates us to go the extra mile to add value for all who we meet in our everyday life. Fred is a postman with the spirit of serving everybody whom he deals with during the course of his duty. Although on the face of it, delivering mail appears to be a very simple and mundane task, Fred is able to transform his job into a pleasure activity not only for himself but for all his customers also. His dedication and positive attitude in providing the best possible mail service make him a class apart in bringing happiness to all the people he deals with. Everybody can learn a great deal by applying the same dedication and attitude as Fred to positively influence ones own sphere of life and influences.

Book Summary

The Fred factor is a true story about the life of Fred, the postman who worked as a postman in Denver. The story of Fred is narrated in a few pages, and the remaining parts of the book comprise the learning drawn by Sanborn from Freds life. Fred essentially deals with his mundane job as a postman with a lot of excitement and is always on the lookout for opportunities to add value for all those that he deals with during the course of his duty. After introducing himself to his clients, he tries to know their needs and lives. Once he gets to know the needs of people, he starts to respond to those needs in whatever ways possible for him. When mail recipients are out on a trip, he makes special arrangements for the delivery of their mail. He rectifies the instances of wrong deliveries of mail by delivering them to their actual recipients. He takes the added pains to perform postal duties in the neighborhood even when he is not on duty. Since Fred is very enthusiastic about his work, he never gets bored with the work and instead gets immense satisfaction from the job. In keeping with the examples set by Fred, even during adverse circumstances, Sanborn has formulated an entire philosophical way of living and working.

Sanborn introduces the following Fred principles:

• everyone makes a difference
• success is built on relationships
• continually create value for others
• reinvent yourself regularly

Sanborn also presents similar ideas by giving examples of a flight attendant who takes pride in his job by entertaining passengers with announcements that are humorous. He cites the example of the hotel worker who takes the pains to bring breakfast for his client from outside. He has also narrated the story of Colon Powell, who displayed immense energy and perfection in performing cleaning duties while still a young boy.

In Part Two of the book, Sanborn discusses how to become a Fred in keeping with the four Fred principles. He gives lively examples and advice in regard to being empathetic and being interested. At times he comes up with thought-provoking counseling by saying tell the truth (Mark Sanborn, Page 52), which is a core value of the book. The book also considers the difficulties and implications of always being truthful and emphasizes other less demanding lessons such as add good stuff (Mark Sanborn, Page 54). Part Three of the book deals with developing people as Freds by locating them, educating them, rewarding them, and making demonstrations of behavior that is like Fred. In Part Four of the book, we get to know that Fred has an interest in music and that as a boy, he used to repair drums. We also know that he is married and his wifes name is Kathie. In fact, by telling about Fred, Sanborn is getting his readers to think about actions that Fred would have taken in any given circumstances. The author has purposely not gone into much detail about Fred because otherwise, his full and detailed story may have made readers get less convinced in becoming Fred-like.

Personal Work Experience

There are a number of examples in my work life where I have come across people with Fred-like qualities, and the most dominating is regarding James, who is an insurance agent with the insurance company that I work for. Typically life insurance covers are taken by salaried people to cover their life against unforeseen and sudden death as also to avail of tax exemptions in addition to gaining appreciation in their accumulated funds over the period of the life insurance policy. Most insurance agents have the attitude to sell insurance policies at the fastest possible in order to become eligible for commissions and to meet their given targets. They do not appear to have any concern for giving maximum benefit to the insured but rather aim at selling fast so that the company benefits and, in turn, they get their due commissions. However, James is different, which is why he has chosen to remain an agent for the past nine years instead of rising up the corporate ladder by way of promotions and incentives. I sense an immense pleasure in him when he goes about his job in advising people about the best cover for them in keeping with their unique personal circumstances in regard to age, employment, dependents, and investment goals. Unlike his colleagues, he goes the extra mile in making a detailed case study about each of his prospective clients in showing the break up of each parameter that has significance in the interest of the prospective client. He puts the interest of the client before that of the company and advises sincerely in regard to the open options that would yield the maximum advantage in terms of return on investment. This attitude has led him to become the top-performing agent in the company, and his earnings by way of commissions have gradually risen to become one of the highest. He takes a personal interest to remain in touch with each of his clients and keeps personal track of the movement of funds, and advises his clients at appropriate times when they should switch over to other investment schemes. He does not mince words when clients ask him to do things that other agents would never do, such as having the policies delivered personally at their home or to have a check collected for deposit of insurance premium. If at all there is a death claim on the policy, James ensures that the bereaved family does not undergo any hardship and pushes vigorously in the company to have the claim paid immediately. He has gained a reputation within the company for always demanding to have something is done that is genuine and which warrants immediate attention. I admire James for the way he works selflessly in keeping his clients happy and satisfied, and I am sure he does so because he enjoys what he does.

Conclusion

All the messages inferred from the book are not entirely new since the ideas pertaining to being more open-hearted and generous during the conduct of our daily life have occupied major discourses throughout history. However, the book has a lot of significance in terms of the philosophy of life. The book impresses upon the reader that we must accept life the way it is, particularly in regard to work, however mundane and boring it may happen to be, and that life has to be approached with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. The hidden optimism that Sanborn conveys relates to the fact that even if work is boring and mundane, we can change attitudes towards enjoying the same nature of work so as to bring about immense satisfaction from the same. The Fred factor is a big appealing factor for the management of companies in energizing and cheering up a workforce that is not motivated. A systematic demonstration of the principles narrated in the book can bring about far-reaching positive changes in the corporate environment. Essentially the book encourages managers to look at life and work in a more optimistic manner that enables the tasks to be completed with greater efficiency and satisfaction. By effectively imbibing the four Fred principles, corporate managers and executives can reinvent themselves on a regular basis because they will be able to build successful relationships and create immense value for the people that they deal with in their work environment. The Fred factor offers innumerable examples of ordinary people with ordinary jobs who cover the extra mile on a regular basis to make people happier with their extra zest and vigor. This is the central core of the motivating factor, as suggested by Sanborn, that can help people to make a happier and more satisfying working environment.

References

Mark Sanborn, Fred Factor, 2004, Bantam Dell Pub Group.

The Indian pharmaceutical industry in the 1990s presented both an opportunity and a challenge for foreign companies. On the one hand, the developing country had a steadily growing market of eight hundred million people and an expanding middle-class. On the other hand, the nation had strict rules concerning the patent law, and the citizens did not spend much on medications due to their financial limitations. Eli Lilly (EL) was one of the largest drug-producing firms worldwide which were interested in entering the new environment and decided to follow the path of international cooperation to do it. The company formed a joint venture with the Indian manufacturer Ranbaxy which allowed both to achieve their specific goals and build a mutually beneficial partnership.

The strategy pursued by EL in India can be considered right since, instead of strictly relying on its own capacitates and starting anew in a challenging market, it focused on finding an experienced partner. Ranbaxy was a well-established business in India, by working with them, EL managed to solve the problems of dealing with the local regulations and producing medication at a low price. The Indian company, because of its recognized status, could receive all the necessary approvals from the government agencies without any obstacles. The manufacturer offered their productions facilities and low-cost services, compared to the Western firms, which allowed EL to avoid spending extra resources on setting up their own operations. Moreover, the two companies chose to sell only those drugs which were competitive and affordable for the local consumers. This yielded substantial profits to the joint venture and made it one of the leading pharmaceutical businesses in India. Thus decreased its potential expenses and achieved success in a new market, which indicates the strategy was correct.

The Joint Venture of the two aforementioned companies had proven beneficial and provided both of them with positive results. The performance of this partnership can be considered successful because of the strategy they used and the fact that in 2001 they became the forty-sixth largest pharmaceutical company in India. Moreover, many other subsidiaries of the Western businesses, which entered the local market, did not manage to survive, which again demonstrates the effectiveness of this Joint Ventures approach. The cooperation expanded the knowledge bases of the two firms, for example, EL gained a valuable insight into the Indian pharmaceutical industry. While Ranbaxy learned about the Western approach to business, the importance of teaching its employees the company values. By building a joint venture, EL and Ranbaxy achieved exceptional performance and derived much useful information from their partnership.

The right strategy for EL to follow concerning its cooperation with Ranbaxy would be to continue working with them while at the same time creating a separate subsidiary company. This will allow them to target different social groups, the Joint Venture will produce affordable medications for the majority of the consumers, and the subsidiary will manufacture drugs for the middle and upper-middle-class citizens. This strategy can be implemented by persuading the Ranbaxy executives not to sell their share in the venture and offering them to produce the more expensive medications for the new company. Thus, EL will extend its partnership with the Indian colleagues and further promote its brand in the country.

Cooperation with the pharmaceutical manufacturer Ranbaxy allowed Eli Lilly to establish itself in India and achieve significant success. The strategy of the Joint Venture was the right choice since it allowed to reduce the potential costs and effectively deal with the countrys regulatory bodies. The successful performance of the partnership is evidenced by its high ranking among the local drug companies. It taught both companies valuable lessons, EL learned about the Indian pharmaceutical industry, and Ranbaxy discovered the Western business approach. EL should continue its work with the Indian colleagues and, at the same time, find its separate subsidiary to address different price ranges. It will help expand the companys presence in India and satisfy the demands of the growing middle-class.

The organizational structure of a company is significant, as it may influence the implementation of business solutions. In this study, the example of the Heineken Company will be considered in terms of its structure, corporate culture, and the role of leaders. This corporation has shown outstanding results in its market segment and can serve as an example of how proper organization can improve the overall success of a company.

Heineken is a Dutch brewing company that demonstrates excellent performance in its business sphere. The companys management bodies are the Executive Board, responsible for making important organizational decisions, and the Executive Team, managing the global issues of the corporation (Our leadership.). Besides, the companys Supervisory Board assists in decision-making and controls both the global affairs and Heinekens affiliates (Our leadership.). It is possible to notice that the organizational culture of the company is characterized by the corporate division and distribution of tasks. This structure allows different departments to concentrate on their responsibilities; at the same time, they can communicate with each other and assist in defining business strategies.

In order to boost its production, Heineken uses different business strategies, such as the development of existing products and the analysis of the current market situation. As an example of the first strategy, it is possible to mention that the executive board attracts leaders from other corporations, such as Krups (Gido et al. 349). The leaders of the company are ready to work with other professionals and collaborate for mutual benefit. As Gido et al. emphasize, the company uses multidimensional leadership, which means that it attracts leaders for control over particular issues (349). The tasks of specialists and their leaders are distributed within one project: some people may be involved in the production, while others can be responsible for the design (Gido et al. 349). The companys Directors determine its business strategies; at the same time, they work together with other important bodies, such as the team of supervisors.

To sum up, Heineken is an example of how effective organization and leadership affect strategic success. The leaders and the most important bodies in the company are its main decision-makers; at the same time, they constantly communicate and assist each other. As a result, the distribution of responsibilities and the decisive role of the companys leaders help to define business strategies and take necessary actions.

Works Cited

Gido, Jack, et al. Successful Project Management. Cengage Learning, 2017. Our leadership. The Heineken Company. Web.

Diversification is the expansion of the product range and reorientation of sales markets, as well as the development of new types of production implemented to improve business efficiency, develop perspective areas, or prevent bankruptcy. It should be noted that diversification by its nature, can be related and unrelated. Related diversification is a frequently used strategy that assumes that the corporation does business in several different industries, with transactions in them being somehow connected.

Unrelated diversification involves entering a new market through a business unit that does not have such operational connections. As a rule, different types of diversification occur in distinct ways. Internal development is more suitable for related diversification, and alliances, mergers, and acquisitions for unrelated diversification.

In recent years, AliBaba Group, having finally strengthened itself in the e-commerce market, is actively exploring new promising areas of business. In addition to the e-commerce platforms themselves, the company has launched AliFinance, a private loan platform for entrepreneurs, and Aliyun, a cloud computing and data mining service (Havinga et al. 17). Also, AliBaba Group has initiated eTao (search engine for products) and Yuebao (personal finance) (Havinga et al. 17).

These platforms, which starts to provide new products and services, were operationally connected with e-commerce activities. Therefore, the company has not resorted to interaction with external market participants but created them through internal development.

At the same time, when the new business areas in which the company enters are very different from e-commerce, other diversification options are used. For instance, an alliance and acquisition were used to create AliHealth. AliBaba Group jointly with the Yunfeng Capital acquired then called Citic 21CN, which manages data on pharmaceutical products (Ahmad par. 1). Also, in spring 2018, Alibaba Group purchased Chinese online food delivery service Ele.me as a ready-made start-up (Hitters par. 4). Thus, it can be argued confidently that the company used internal development resources to diversify in the spheres more related to e-commerce, and alliances and acquisitions for unrelated diversification.

Works Cited

Ahmad, Ruzaini. Can Alibaba Health Information Technology transform Chinas pharmaceutical industry? BusinessTech Insider. 2020. Web.

Havinga, Marieke, Martijn Hoving, and Virgil Swagemakers. Alibaba: A case study on building an international imperium on information and e-commerce. Multinational management, edited by Rien T. Segers, Springer, Cham, 2016, pp. 13-32.

Hitters, Heavy. Alibaba merges its two food delivery platforms Ele.me and Koubei. Technode. 2018. Web.

Introduction

The field of organizational behaviour (OB) has become a crucial area of research and application in organizational management. It focuses on understanding and influencing peoples behaviours that have an impact on organisational outcomes. According to Scott (2008), the field has evolved from the scientific studies of management, principles of bureaucracy, administrative theories of the managements role and human relation studies on employees. Thus, organizational behaviour is an interdisciplinary field derived from ideas and research from a wide range of fields concerned with the behaviour and interaction of humans (Baker & Sinkula 2009). For instance, Robbins (2009) indicates that theories and ideas developed in psychology, sociology, industrial psychology, communication and anthropology.

The importance of organizational behaviour in management has been widely studied. According to Wang, Law, Hackett, Wang and Chen (2010), the contribution of organizational behaviour to the field of management is not only wide but also an important part of organizational management. Studies have shown that knowledge in organizational behaviour contributes to the effective management of people and resources (Barney, 2006). Moreover, it has been shown that OB contributes to the development of proper organizational culture, enhance people performance and organizational outcomes (Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman& Gupta 2011). Although there has been a growing volume of information from empirical research in the contribution of OB to management, more studies are needed to define the contribution of OB to the achievement of sound organizational culture and the overall performance outcomes, especially from the perspective of case studies (Denison 2010).

In particular, studies have shown that quite a large number of specific areas of OB contribute to the enhancement of organizational performance and outcomes. For instance, specific areas of management that influence cultures such as leadership style, motivation by reward systems, power play, politics, organisational structure and national culture of employees/managers have a profound impact on the outcomes, whether applied singly or as a combination of one or more areas (Gordon & DiTomaso 2009).

Therefore, the proposed study seeks to add further insights to the field by examining the contribution of OB to the formation of sound organizational culture and the overall performance outcomes of the target organization, paying attention to specific areas that influence culture, particularly motivation by reward systems, power play and national/international culture of managers and employees. The study will focus on a case study, using a real organization to examine the relationship between OB and achievement of sound organizational culture and performance outcomes.

Study questions

The study will attempt to answer the following questions:

1. How does the management at the company perceive motivation by reward systems, power play, organisational structure, and the national culture of employees?
2. What is the organizational culture of the company?
3. What are the companys general performance outcomes?
4. What relationship exists between the companys OB management, its culture and performance outcomes?
5. What factors need to be changed to influence the culture in a way to improve organisational outcomes?

Study hypothesis

It is hypothesized that there is a relationship between specific aspects of OB (motivation by reward systems, power play, organisational structure, and the national culture of employees) have contributed to the establishment of a unique organizational culture at the company (case study), which have helped the organization achieve a sound culture and enhance its performance outcomes.

Study rationale

This case study aims to examine the relationship between OB and achievement of sound organizational culture and improved performance outcomes. It will focus on three issues; (i). The managements knowledge and application of OB, (ii), the level and type of organizational culture developed at the company and (iii), the companys level of performance over the last ten years.

The study will review the current and previous performance based on its annual reports. In addition, the organizational culture will be measured under the dimensions of people orientation, innovation and outcome and bureaucratic orientations (OReilly, Chatman & Caldwell 2008).

Proposed Methodology

The proposed study will use a mixed-method approach. It will be both a qualitative and quantitative study. The qualitative aspect will focus on measuring the level and application of OB at the managerial level and the level of organizational culture at both the managerial and subordinate levels. The quantitative component will examine the companys performance over the last ten years based on statistical data obtained from annual reports (Saffold 2008).

Questionnaires will be sent to the employees in the organization to measure the dimensions of organizational culture. In addition, managers will be required to fill questionnaires about their perspectives and applications of OB in managing the company. An in-depth examination of the companys books of accounts will be done, focusing on balance sheets, cash flow statements, and profit and loss accounts.

Data sources

Primary information

• Interviews/questionnaires with the company management
• A survey of the company level of organization culture (questionnaires to focus on employee and management level)

Secondary sources

• Company annual reports
• Publications on general performance

Aspects of MBA syllabus used.

The proposed project will involve the core aspects of Human resource management/ Organisational Behavior.

Proposed chapter headings and subheadings

• Introduction

  • Background information about OB, organizational culture and performance outcomes
  • Background information about the case study
  • Rationale
  • Aims and objectives
  • Terms of reference
  • Study problem
  • Purpose of the study
  • Study questions
  • Justification
  • Scope and limitations of the study
• Review of literature
• Methodology

  • Investigation of companys level and application of OB

    • Focus on managerial behaviour
    • Focus on employee behaviour
    • Managerial knowledge and application of OB
    • Employee knowledge and application of OB
  • Examination of the companys organizational culture

    • Focus on managerial knowledge and development of organizational culture
    • Examination of employee behaviour and attitudes
  • Examination of performance outcomes

    • Examination of corporate annual reports
    • Examination of corporate notes to financial statements
  • Analysis of the relationship between OB and organizational culture and performance outcomes

    • Results
    • Hypothesis testing
• Discussion
• Conclusion and recommendations

References

Baker, WE & Sinkula, J, 2009, The synergistic effect of market orientation and learning orientation on organizational performance, Journal of the academy of marketing science, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 411-427.

Barney, J, 2006, Organizational culture: can it be a source of sustained competitive advantage?, Academy of management review, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 656-665.

Denison, D, 2010, Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Gordon, GG & DiTomaso, N, 2009, Predicting corporate performance from organizational culture, Journal of management studies, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 783-798.

Hanges, PJ, Javidan, M, Dorfman, PW & Gupta, V, 2011, Culture, leadership, and organizations. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

OReilly, CA, Chatman, J & Caldwell, DF, 2008, People and organizational culture: A profile comparison approach to assessing person-organization fit, Academy of management journal, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 487-516.

Robbins, SP, 2009, Essentials of organizational behavior, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Saffold, G, 2008, Culture traits, strength, and organizational performance: Moving beyond strong culture, Academy of Management Review, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 546-558.

Scott, WR, 2008, Organizationa: Rational, natural and open systems, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Wang, H, Law, KS, Hackett, RD, Wang, D & Chen, ZX, 2010, Leader-member exchange as a mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and followers performance and organizational citizenship behavior, Academy of management Journal, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 420-432.

Introduction

Computer-based information systems are designed and maintained using these information systems (Jeffrey et al, 2005). The systems comprise application softwares which is used to support business and organization processes. The most used types of information systems are information technologies because they are responsible for assisting human beings to perform most jobs which human brains cannot accommodate. Information technologies if used properly can be very helpful to an organization and also can become a malleable resource to the management and the executive. Due to the importance of information systems and technologies, many companies and organizations have produced a chief information officers position and other positions such as operating officer and technical officer. The organizations also employ the services of a system analyst whose duties are to analyze the systems specifications to come up with the final design (Jeffrey et al, 2005). To produce a good quality system the organization must be driven by methodologies such as waterfall, tools such as rapid prototyping, and techniques.

This paper will discuss the various challenges managers and other entrepreneurs face in implementing information systems in their organizations. Although information systems are very vital in the running of the business, many entrepreneurs face difficulties while implementing them; this is due to the lack of technical expertise or other reasons that will be discussed in the paper.

Discussion

Significant systems challenges

Organizations face challenges in implementing information systems because these systems require re-engineering of the business to suit the requirements of the systems. This process of re-engineering the business may make the organization lose its customers thus giving competitors an advantage. Some entrepreneurs view these requirements of the ERP as dictatorial and they usually shy away from implementing the information systems in their organization.

Information systems are very expensive and they require many resources thus becoming too expensive to many organizations. By putting up such systems in companies, managers are supposed to forego other important projects that are of more importance to the company (Fowler, 2006). Organizations also face another challenge in servicing these systems due to their expensive software. Information systems require additional staff for them to work more efficiently, which means additional costs to the organization. Putting up these systems requires highly qualified people, and the organization is supposed to hire them to install these applications. This process of hiring these professionals means additional cost to the organization thus making the process expensive.

Another challenge faced by organizations in implementing information systems is the need for high accuracy for them to work effectively and efficiently. These systems usually reduce in performance if a simple error occurs in the system thus lowering the standards of a company and giving a negative result. The lowering of company standards leads to losses and a company might go out of the market. Such errors in the systems usually occur due to malicious damage such as a virus which slows the system and reduces the output and functionality of some applications (Jeffrey et al, 2005).

Most organizations when designing their systems use a system development life cycle (SDLC) which requires that the system analyst must have the results of the initial stages before proceeding to the next stage. This means that there is little involvement of users who will finally use the system thus making it difficult for them to follow the procedures (Jeffrey et al, 2005).

Information systems lead to the opening of information boundaries in organizations thus causing problems within the company or organization. Through these systems, all employees can send and receive data from within and outside the company thus posing as a threat to the companys accountability and integrity. The kind of information which flows through these information systems is not monitored and can easily harm the organization if they fall into the hands of an enemy (Jeffrey et al, 2005). The information systems also transfer data to other businesses which might put the organization at risk of exposing its businesses secrets which are very vital. Such challenges usually force many entrepreneurs to shun these new technologies and prefer other methods of storing confidential data.

Problem Statement

Many organizations face the challenge of maintaining information systems. This challenge is brought about by the significant and continuous developments of technological systems. Maintenance of information systems means that the information systems which have been installed in the organization should be repaired and updated to be of importance to the company in the running of the businesses of the day.

This research is important to the business fraternity because it will help many entrepreneurs to understand information systems and be able to solve this critical issue. The project will come up with significant solutions to the problem hence making it valuable and important to many organizations. This project aims to be able to come up with cost-effective solutions for maintaining information systems in organizations. Therefore, it is important to marshal all resources that are available to see this project through. The success of the project will provide an amicable solution to the business people since they will no longer worry about the new technological advances.

Conclusion

In conclusion, information systems are very important to the management of every organization and they should be embraced. Information systems help in internal reporting in an organization thus enabling information to flow faster (Jeffrey et al, 2005). Though the systems are important, they usually change the way employees work, and therefore employers need to train their employees on the use of such technology. It is also recommended that organizations should hire qualified technicians to install these applications because they are very complex for normal skilled people. By hiring such staff one would be cutting costs and saving time. Information systems are being reviewed every day and entrepreneurs need to stay updated with the current situation.

Reference

Jeffrey, A., Joey F., & Valacich, S. (2005). Modern Systems Analysis and Design Fourth Edition: London.p.5-35 (01).

Technological Infrastructure: UAE and U.S.

Innovations in technology open a plethora of opportunities for rapid and extensive progress in an array of domains, from personal communication to business to industry. Therefore, the analysis of the technological infrastructure of the UAE and comparison to the one of the U.S. as a stellar example of technological infrastructure will give insights into the UAEs opportunities for further development. Due to the focus on building competitiveness and promoting continuous technological development, the technological infrastructure of the UAE is currently comparable to that one of the U.S.

Indeed, according to a report published lately, the UAE has taken 16^th place in the global ranking of technological infrastructure efficacy, which makes the innovations in the UAE context comparable to those of the U.S. (Augustine). Shaikh Mohammad, the official leader of the UAE, made the following statement: Every year, the UAE makes a new achievement in the way towards global competitiveness (Augustine). Therefore, the focus on the unceasing development is what makes the UAE technological infrastructure effective, with both incremental and disruptive innovations being represented in it. The current power supply is impeccable due to the well-thought-out logistics network that strives to make the UAE the supply chain nerve center and not merely a logistics hub (Donati).

The focus on the unceasing growth and incorporation of innovativeness into the development of technological infrastructure has made it possible for the UAE to reach the standards set by the U.S. in the specified domain. With the use of technological infrastructure as the vehicle in advancing the states economy, the UAE has managed to create the breeding ground for the unceasing progress of its technological infrastructure.

Potential for Digital Forms of Retail

Given the current fast pace at which the technological infrastructure is developed in the UAE, it will be safe to assume that the country will have numerous options for developing digital retail forms. In fact, the UAE has already entered the realm of the digital economy, with a large number of its companies have represented themselves in the online market (UAE Leads World in Mobile Penetration Rate  New Report). However, the UAE is yet to explore other potential forms of digital retail.

Digital shopping, mobile payments, and other new forms of retail have been flourishing in the UAE. For instance, the current Internet/smartphone penetration rates in the UAE reach an astounding rate of 173%, which is the highest one in the world (UAE Leads World in Mobile Penetration Rate  New Report). The described trend is also believed to have negative social consequences, which is why efforts to reduce it may be observed in the future, yet the current trend can be seen as important for a company to transfer to the realm of the UAE digital market.

Similarly, the propensity toward using credit cards as opposed to cash when paying for products and services seems to have become a trend in the UAE. As Maceda explains, By 2020, plastic money will clearly overtake cash as a preferred mode of payment, representing a little over 50 percent of all transactions (Maceda). Thus, when establishing a business in the UAE context, one should focus on appealing to the audiences that utilize digital services and tools in their economic experiences. In fact, the change is quite remarkable since UAE residents had a clear and seemingly unchangeable habit of paying with cash rather than using their credit cards (Maceda). Therefore, it can be predicted that the emergent digital market of the UAE is only going to expand in the future.

Works Cited

Augustine, Babu Das. UAE among top five in IMD World Competitiveness Ranking. Gulf News, 2019, Web.

Donati, Marino. UAE Must Become Supply Chain Nerve Centre. CIPS.org. 2016, Web.

Maceda, Cleofe. More UAE Consumers Now Pay with Credit, Debit Cards Instead of Cash. Gulf News. 2018, Web.

UAE Leads World in Mobile Penetration Rate  New Report. CommsMEA. 2018, Web.

Jonathan Anderson is enthusiastic about Fashion design, and his beautiful clothing and accessories brand him among the forward-thinking investors. Anderson has developed the Loewe and JW Anderson brands at the center of his amazing career, which renders his business sustainable in contemporary markets. JW Anderson faces stiff competition from Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane, Mulberry, Jil Sander, Proenza Schouler, Joseph, Philip Lim, and COS. A presentation of the Porter Five Forces Model for JW Anderson is monumental in analyzing its sustainability and eco-conscious collection.

• The threat of substitute products
• Buyers bargaining power power
• Rivalry from competitors
• Suppliers bargaining power
• The threat of new entrants

Rivalry from Competitors: High (Young, 2017; Kumbara, 2020, p. 610)

The intensity of competitive rivalry in the Fashion industry is relatively high. Although most retailers sell similar products, the brand concept underscores the rate at which a company will sell its apparel. JW Anderson faces stiff competition from Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane, Mulberry, Jil Sander, Proenza Schouler, Joseph, Philip Lim, and COS. However, JW Anderson remains competitive through continued innovation, which led to the Loewe brands development.

Buyers Bargaining Power: High (Noto La Diega, 2020, p. 19)

JW Anderson does not have control over buyers because they can buy from other retailers. Consumers in the fashion design industry have little incentive to remain loyal to one company, posing indirect bargaining power.

Suppliers Bargaining Power: High (Talay, Oxborrow, and Brindley, 2018, p.604)

The suppliers bargaining power in the fashion industry is significantly high. The major inputs that JW Anderson needs are available in the third world countries at relatively low prices. Therefore, JW Anderson requires low input prices because suppliers have little control over the industry and are easily replaceable.

Threats from New Entrants: Low-Medium (Kumbara, 2020, p. 399)

JW Anderson has a competitive advantage following the low to a medium threat from new entrants. It takes significant efforts to invest in fashion design due to the need for licenses, insurance, design qualifications, distribution channels, and customers loyalty. Unlike a new entrant that lacks significant expertise, JW Anderson debuted his collection in 2008 (Brara, 2019). He has built a large base of experience to reduce operational costs and improve service delivery. Moreover, the company already has customers, creating a competitive advantage from the beginning.

Threats from Substitute Products: Low (Moghadasi, 2018, p. 7)

The threat of substitutes is negligible because there are little to no substitutes for apparel. Therefore, JW Anderson is tasked with sustaining competition and winning customers loyalty.

Reference List

Kumbara, A., (2020) The analysis of porters five forces in lucky textile group in facing the competition of textile industry, Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting, 1(3), pp.397-412.

Moghadasi, M. (2018) Strategic analysis: A case study of Harley-Davidson.Web.

Noto La Diega, G. (2019) Can the law fix the problems of fashion? An empirical study on social norms and power imbalance in the fashion industry, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 14(1), pp.18-24.

Talay, C., Oxborrow, L. and Brindley, C. (2018) How small suppliers deal with the buyer power in asymmetric relationships within the sustainable fashion supply chain, Journal of Business Research, 117, pp. 604-614.

Young, J. (2017) Harley-Davidson five forces analysis (Porters model). Web.