Thursday, December 26, 2019

The United States And The Civil War - 859 Words

For the first half of the 19th Century the, still relatively young, United States began to face many conflicts regarding civil rights as well as continuous opposing views between the North and South. One of the more prevalent issues at the time, even though both Democrat and Whig parties attempted to avoid talking about it, was regarding the institution of slavery and whether or not it was â€Å"right†. Another issue that arose was whether or not the country would go to war with Mexico after Democrat, and current president at the time, James K. Polk went to Congress with a declaration of war with the claim that on American soil, Mexico had caused the shedding of American blood. Furthermore, the war against Mexico would eventually ignite the debate of slavery even more and unfortunately lead to the events of the Civil War. The idea of abolishing slavery was becoming more popular during the 19th century and that struck fear into the South. In retaliation, the South configured th e idea of going to war as an opportunity to add more land to the country. However, southerners desired that the land obtained from the war would enter the union as slave states. Southern states were under-represented in the House and the addition of more slave states to the union would provide a shift in power towards the South and those Democrats representing the South that would allow them to be at ease knowing there was no threat to the institution of slavery. The Democrats of the South managed toShow MoreRelatedThe Civil War : The United States1622 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil War divided the United States with its’ origin in the struggle to preserve the Union from the Confederacy’s succession. A war to maintain the United States quickly progressed to battles fought because of the controversial beliefs on slavery in the North and South. In the coming of the Civil War there were questions and confusion that many Americans were faced with in the words of the South ’s succession. During the war, families were torn due to the men lost to the Union or Confederate causesRead MoreThe United States Civil War918 Words   |  4 PagesThe United States civil war is thought of as what determined what kind of country we would be today. The U.S. civil war, otherwise known as the war of the states, began on April 12, 1861, and lasted until 1865. It consisted of the North (the Union) or the â€Å"free states†, against the South (the confederates) the slave states. When Abraham Lincoln became president in 1860 he made promises of free territories, which caused a division between men who owned slaves and men who agreed with Lincoln. SlavesRead MoreUnited States And The Civil War1668 Words   |  7 PagesUS Civil War United States of America was formed as a result of the revolution that continued from 1776 to 1783. After that, United States was divided into two wings/ parts that are the southern and the northern parts. Then conflict between the two aroused because the northern and the southern societies were totally different of each other in terms of economic structure, social class, politics and other social matters especially slavery. The civil war, that started in 1861 and ended in 1865, wasRead MoreThe Civil War : The United States909 Words   |  4 PagesThe Civil War was one of the most pivotal and significant moments in the history of the United States of America. Therefore, its impact of the Civil War was tremendous, and in many ways has shaped the way the United States has evolved into the present. The Civil War brought lots of beneficial changes to America including economic, agriculture, military, and people’s lives. During the Civil War, women stepped out of their domestic do mains to help or support their husbands in the field, or other soldiersRead MoreThe Civil War Of The United States1605 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil War of the United States was a major and influential event in the history of our country. The Civil War shaped our nation and how we think of liberty in general. Such a big event in our antiquity must have been caused by a series of dominant events. However, a War of this size has many effects to go along with it. The most common effect thought of is the freedom of slaves, however, the Civil War was not just a war fought for freedom. One major cause of the Civil War was the issue of slaveryRead MoreThe Civil War Of The United States1561 Words   |  7 PagesCivil War Slaves Freedom can be defined as, â€Å"the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint†. (Definition) Everyone in the United States of America is entitled to this basic human right, presented to us by our founding fathers, though it was not always that simple. Even though it was in the Constitution, many people living before the mid 18th century in the United States were not extended this right, due to their nationality or lack of fortune. Someone lackingRead MoreThe United States And The Civil War920 Words   |  4 Pagesknown in the United States as simply the Civil War as well as other sectional names, was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865 to determine the survival of the Union or independence for the Confederacy. Among the 34 states in January 1861, seven Southern slave states individually declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy, often simply called the South, grew t o include eleven states, and although they claimed thirteen states and additionalRead MoreThe Civil War Of The United States1233 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å"Blundering Generation† Division among a population for opposing goals wasn t a new concept brought to light by the Civil War. Almost one hundred years prior to the Civil War, inhabitants of the thirteen colonies fought against each other towards their differing support for their wages of unity. Patriots fought Loyalists for coalition of the colonies, and likewise Northerners now fought Southerners for the preservation of the Union. The imminent breakup of the Union, likewise to the dissolutionRead MoreThe Civil War Of The United States1440 Words   |  6 Pages The Civil War was one of the most deadly wars the United States ever fought it was fought between the North and South and to this day still leaves a big mark on the history of the United States. Though the Civil War seemed to be clear cut on what happened during the conflict its cause is to this day seemingly undecided. Was it the simple piece of legislature called the Kansas-Nebraska act that started it or the election of the United States president Abraham Lincoln that caused the turmoil? EitherRead MoreThe Civil War Of The United States1082 Words   |  5 Pagesof the United States was the Civil War. The Civil War is often remembered as the war to end slavery. While that did play a part of the Civil War the larger issue at hand was the annihilation of the United States of America. The Confederate States of America wanted to break away from the United States and form their own country. The Confederate States of America, or more commonly known as the Confederacy, was formed by seven slave states located in the southern region of the United States. The economy

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Behaviorism, Operant And Classical Conditioning - 1309 Words

This quote ties in to our topic of discussion, psychologist or any researcher at that matter will always be questioning. This is how we have come to learn as much as we have today. The psychologist were always coming up with new ideas and concepts and challenging them until they figured out how behavior works. Behaviorism is a school of thought that was joined from no other than John B. Watson. Behaviorism is the theory or doctrine that human or animal psychology can be accurately studied only through the examination and analysis of objectively observable and quantifiable behavioral events, in contrast with subjective mental states. Behaviorism was a movement in psychology and philosophy that emphasized the outward behavioral aspects of thought and dismissed the inward experiential, and sometimes the inner procedural, aspects as well; a movement harking back to the methodological proposals of John B. Watson, who coined the name. There are a couple of main components within behaviori sm, operant and classical conditioning. Operant conditioning in which an operant response is brought under stimulus control by virtue of presenting reinforcement contingent upon the occurrence of the operant response. B.F Skinner the more radical behaviorist coined the operant conditioning theory. He believed that through series of reinforcement a behavior will increase or a series of punishment a behavior will decrease. There are two types of reinforcement and two types of punishment.Show MoreRelatedBehaviorism And Classical Conditioning And Operant Conditioning Essay1504 Words   |  7 PagesBehaviorism is one of many theories in the field of psychology. It can be applied in different learning scenarios for different research purposes. Biographical information will be provided about the founders of the theory who are John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner. However, the information will focus more on their early education and known achievements. Furthermore, you will find different th eories regarding behaviorism such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In order to understandRead MoreBehaviorism Theory Of Classical Conditioning1700 Words   |  7 Pages Behaviorism is a theory that behavior can be altered through conditioning. Behaviorism does not focus on thoughts or feelings of the subject, just their behavior. Ivan Pavlov was a major part of this movement of behaviorism with his theory of classical conditioning. The most important part of classical conditioning is that it is done through repetition. In his experiment he began with noticing that an unconditioned stimulus like dog food causes an unconditioned response like salivation. He thenRead MoreWatson, Skinner and Tolman Essay1627 Words   |  7 Pagesfounder of behaviorism and B.F. Skinner is the founder of radical behaviorism, but Edward Tolman marches to a different drum and is known for developing cognitive theory. Herein we will compare and contrast each theory and formulate how eac h theory is imperative in 2012. John B. Watson Born January 9, 1878 John B. Watson is credited as the founder of behaviorism. Behaviorism is a theory that equates behavior to conditioning. Typical examples of behavior conditioning are classical conditioningRead MoreBehaviorism : A Psychological Perspective1018 Words   |  5 PagesPsychology 101 11/2/15 Behaviorism Behaviorism is a psychological perspective that focuses on an individual’s behavior. The main theorist behind this perspective was John Broadus Watson, who established the psychological school of behaviorism. Through his behaviorist views, he spectated the behavior of humans and animals when put into different situations. Watson published and article titled â€Å"Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it† where he explained his position on behaviorism. Watson stated that PsychologyRead MoreBehaviorism And The Operant Conditioning Theory Essay1415 Words   |  6 Pagesonly responded to external stimuli. Behaviorism, as explored by the before mentioned, is a biological basis of learning and focuses exclusively on observable behaviors. This includes Thorndike’s theory of connectionism, Pavlov’s classical conditioning and the well-known conditioning theory from Skinner—the operant conditioning model. However, many researchers did not like the one-size fit s all explanation of behaviorism. Cognitivism grew in response to behaviorism in an effort to better understandRead MoreClassical Conditioning Vs. Operant Conditioning Essay1088 Words   |  5 PagesDefine Classical Conditioning and Behaviorism. b) Identify the two major characteristics that distinguish classical conditioning from operant conditioning. Classical Conditioning is a type of learning process of an individual when they come in contact with certain stimuli. According to Pavlov, a Russian psychologist, he developed several experiments on learning and he discovered that classical condition is the basic form of learning for an individual. However, according to Pavlov, behaviorism is theRead More The Science of Psychology Essay1078 Words   |  5 Pagesto psychology, the most important being structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt, behaviorism, etc. The approach that deals with learning is behaviorism. Behaviorism was a movement in psychology and philosophy that emphasized the outward behavioral aspects of thought and dismissed the inward experiential aspects. It was proposed in 1913 by John B. Watson, who is known as the founder of behaviorism. Behaviorists are mainly concerned with the manner in which organisms learn orRead MoreBehaviorism s Theory Of Psychology983 Words   |  4 PagesClassification Behaviorism claims that â€Å"consciousness† is neither defined nor unable concept; that it is merely another word for the â€Å"soul† of more ancient time (Watson, 1970). However, behaviorism holds the subject matter of human psychology it focus on the behavior or activities of the human being. Etymology The word behaviorism originates from the Middle French word behavior, meaning the observable activity in human and animal. This term was coined in 1913 by the United States psychologistRead MoreUpchurch Shawna EDUC 205 Learning Theory Paper1384 Words   |  6 PagesAugust 14, 2014 Behaviorism Behaviorism is one of the most used theories in education. Due to it can fit in both a classroom setting and at home. Educators had sought out the reason why for many years. But due to each child learns a different way so should the educator. Behaviorism was study by many great Psychologists over the years. Just to name some that had done work and publish books on the subject are, John Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Clark Hull, and B.F. Skinner. Behaviorism is defined as,† aRead MorePsychological Conditioning and Theories of Behavior1013 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction- In the field of psychology, behaviorism was one of the theoretical ideas that changed quite drastically during the 20th century. Behaviorism tried to diminish the emphasis on the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind, instead putting forward a new way to look at human behavior that is empirical (observed, quantified, and measured). Ivan Pavlov, for instance, was researching the digestive systems of dogs and led him to the discovery of classical condition, a way to modify behaviors

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Mergers and Acquisitions for Poison Pill Defense - myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theMergers and Acquisitions for Poison Pill Defense. Answer: Introduction Mergers and Acquisitions are considered as two of the major aspects in the world business over the years. In general, mergers and acquisitions refer to the process of consolidation of the companies. It needs to be mentioned that there are various forms of mergers and acquisitions; they are acquisitions, mergers, tender offers, consolidations and others (Cartwright and Cooper 2012). The main aim of the report is to analyze and evaluate different dimensions of mergers and acquisitions and the report is based on the provided case study of Earling Construction Plc and Manco Construction Plc. Manco Plc should take the following steps to defend the takeover bid by Earling PLC: Manco Plc should adopt the strategy of Poison Pill Defense to defend the takeover from Earling PLC. Under thus strategy, the target company that is Manco Plc is required to dilute their shares in such a manner that Earling PLC needs to incur large amount of expenses for obtaining the controlling percentage of share (Rhee and Fiss 2014). As per the provided case study, the economic crisis badly hit Earling PLC economically. In this situation, the company would think twice before incurring large expenditure for the acquisition of Manco Plc. Apart from the above, Manco Plc can also adopt the strategy of Stock Repurchase to defend takeover. Under this process, Manco Plc needs to repurchase their shares from their shareholders to prevent this takeover from Earling PLC. Manco Plc can adopt these two techniques (Auerbach 2013). In general, Manco Plc can take the following techniques to defend any potential takeover: Manco Plc can adopt the strategy of Staggered Board under which only one third of the directors are reelected annually. Manco Plc can adopt the strategy of Shark Repellants in which the acquirer companies need a supermajority vote requirement for the takeover of the company. In addition, other techniques are Golden Parachute, Greenmail, Standstill Agreement and others (Ferris, Jayaraman and Sabherwal 2013). According to the provided case study, it is advised that Earling PLC is the predator and Manco Plc is the target. The justification is provided below with definition. Predator: In the process of mergers and acquisitions, a company with sufficient financial power can easily bear the associate risks of the process of takeover. For this reason, financial stronger companies are regarded as Predators. In this case, Earlings PLC has financial superiority than Manco Plc and thus, needs to be considered as predator (Jordan 2016). Target: In the merger and acquisition process, companies with less financial capability are considered as Target; as they can be easily takeover by more financially stable companies. As per the provided case study, Manco Plc needs to be considered as target due to their poor financial condition (Shi, Sun and Prescott 2012). As per the provided case study, Earlings PLC offered Manco Plc 4.75 per share while the actual value was 10.50 per share. It can be seen that Earling PLC is offering very less amount of the actual share value. However, in case of Management Buyout (MBO) strategy, Manco Plc can get higher price of share value than the offering of Earling PLC. For this reason, Manco Plc might consider a potential MBO (Mao and Renneboog 2015). The advantages and disadvantages of MBO are discussed below: Advantages The main advantage of MBO is that it increase the motivation of the employees as the overall success of the business create positive impact on them. The new owners of the business can make effective business decisions based on their experience as they have been the employees of the company for years. In case the business was a part of large group, MBO increases the efficiency of the business as the management does not have to discuss the decision with the head management of the group (Berry and Green 2016). Disadvantages In the process of MBO, the new management is required to put much effort to turn the business in a successful one. This can be considered as a disadvantage. In case, the business is struggling due to the lack of strengths, skills and vision of the management team, then the MBO is not going to be much helpful for the company (Mao and Renneboog 2015). Three major types of acquisitions are Horizontal Acquisition, Vertical Acquisition and Concentric Acquisition. These are discussed below with example: Horizontal Acquisition: Horizontal acquisition refers to the acquisition of one company by another company in the same industry. The main advantage of horizontal acquisition is that it expands the capacity of the acquirer while keeping the business operations same. The companies in this acquisition process involve in the selling of same product or services (Ferreira et al. 2014). Example: The acquisition of Instagram by Facebook can be presented as a major example of horizontal acquisition. This acquisition took place in the year 2012 and the reported value was $1 billion. It is regarded as horizontal acquisition as both Facebook and Instagram operates in the same industry with same services that is photo sharing (Forbes.com 2018). Vertical Acquisition: Vertical acquisition refers to the acquisition of one company by another company in the same industry, but both of them occupy different position in the supply chain of the industry. The main advantage of vertical acquisition is that it establish cooperation between the companies by improving efficiency and lowering the overall cost (Frsard, Hoberg and Phillips 2014). Example: The acquisition of PayPal by Ebay in the year 2002 can be well presented as the example of vertical acquisition. This can be considered as the example of vertical acquisition as both the companies operates in the online platform, but provides different services. Ebay involves in online shopping, but PayPal involves in online payment and money transfer (Forbes.com 2018). Concentric Acquisition: In the process of concentric acquisition, the two companies involved belong to the same or related industry, but they do not involve in the offering of same products or services. However, these companies may use similar distribution channel (Risberg 2013). Example: The acquisition of Travelers Insurance by Citigroup can be considered as a perfect example of concentric acquisition. This is called concentric acquisition as both Citigroup and Travelers Insurance belong to financial industry, but both of them involves in the offering of different products and services (Forbes.com 2018). From the provided case study, it can be seen that both the companies that are Earling Construction PLC and Manco Construction Plc belong to the same industry that is the construction industry. From this, it is clear that both the companies involves in the offerings of same construction related products and services. Hence, it implies that both the companies operates in the same industry and sell same products and services. For all these reasons, the acquisition of Manco PLC can be classified as horizontal acquisition as it possesses all the features of horizontal acquisition (Ferris, Jayaraman and Sabherwal 2013). The seven reasons of acquisition for Earling PLC are discussed below: The major reason of acquisition for Earling PLC is survival. The case study states that the economic crisis of 2008 affected Earling PLC in a bad manner. In this kind of situation, acquisition was one of the ways for Earling PLC to survive and remain in the competition (Cartwright and Cooper 2012). It is possible for Earling PLC to ensure growth from the positive effects of acquisition. Most of the time, acquisition ensures satisfactory and balance growth of the business (Vazirani 2012). It would be possible for Earling PLC to gain necessary competitive advantage and bigger market share due to the acquisition as it improves the distribution and marketing networks. It would also help Earling PLC in developing wide customer base (Cartwright and Cooper 2012). Diversification of products and services world be another reason for Earling PLC for adopting the strategy of acquisition and it can complement the current product and services of the company (Vazirani 2012). It can be happened that the management of Earling PLC failed to identify eligible successor of the company. In this situation, the option of acquisition can provide Earling PLC with the option of eligible leadership (Vazirani 2012). Reduction or cutting of costs could be another major reason for Earling PLC for acquisition as the acquisition of two companies with same services is effective in cost reduction (Vazirani 2012). Better financial planning would be possible for Earling PLC due to the positive effects of acquisition. The collective finances of both the companies can be resulted in better financial planning (Cartwright and Cooper 2012). Among many cases, the acquisition of Volvo and Renault in the year 1993 as both the companies failed to address the ownership structure of them after the process of acquisition. Both the companies were supposed to save $5 billion from this acquisition. However, the main reason for the failure of this acquisition was the consideration of the problem related to the combination of investors-owned company with the government-owned company. Due to this acquisition, the shareholders of Volvo would have left with 35% stake in the combined company and the rest was controlled by the government of France (Nytimes.com 2018). Thus, the shareholder of Volvo could not accept the selling of the prized company to the French Government. These were the major reasons for the failure of this acquisition. The acquirer companies can use various ways to pay for the target companies in the process of take over. Three of these major ways are discussed below: Payment in Cash: Cash payment is considered as one of the most popular ways for the payment of takeover in acquisition process. Cash transaction is considered as clean, instantaneous and it does not require high level of management as compared to the stock payment. The shareholders who are not able to sell their shares prefer the payment of takeover through cash (Harford, Humphery-Jenner and Powell 2012). Most importantly, the shareholders do not have the worry about the future performance of their companies that has impact on the amount they will be paid. There are both advantages and disadvantages of the process of cash payment. In the process of competitive bidding, the target companies always prefer cash payment for the process of takeover. However, the main disadvantage is that the shareholders of the target company will not receive any dividend in case the company performs well in near future. It implies that the shareholders of the target company are taking cash instead of fut ure performance bonus and they ate blocked from any future gains (Harford, Humphery-Jenner and Powell 2012). Payment with Stock: It is considered as another popular ways of payment in the process of takeover. In the process of payment with stock, the shareholders of the target company swap their shares for the shares of the acquirer company (Fu, Lin and Officer 2013). The payment by the shares is essential for the target companies when their shareholders do not want to recognize any kind of taxable gains in the near future. It implies that the shareholders of the target companies do not have to pay income taxes on the acquisition process due to the absence of cash transaction. This option of financing is considered as the most safe way to pay for the takeover as both the acquirer and the selling company share the risks on an equal basis. In case the stocks are overvalued, the particular way becomes largely beneficial for the acquirers (Fu, Lin and Officer 2013). At the same time, the acquirer firms have to bear the risk of decline in the stock price. Thus, there are both advantages and disa dvantages. Debt Acquisition: The agreement to take on the debt of the seller is considered as one of the major ways of the payment for takeover and it is also considered as a viable alternative of cash payment and share payment (Phan 2014). For many business organizations, debts become one of the major forces to be acquired. In this position, it is the priority of the debtors of the target companies to be acquired by a company that can pay the debt. At the same time, from the point of view of the creditors, this way can be considered as one of the cheapest way for the acquisition of assets. At the same time, this way is also beneficial from the perspective of the shareholders of the target company as they do not have to pay income taxes until they receive the payment of debt. At the time of takeover under this payment process, the sellers is required to be sure about the financial stability of the acquirer (Phan 2014). In case the acquirer become bankrupt, the shareholders of the target or sell er company would be fallen under the creditors of the acquirer. Thus, this way also has certain advantages and disadvantages. Advised Finance Technique: The above discussion evaluates three ways of payment for a takeover. It can be observed that all the three ways have some advantages and some disadvantages. Based on the above discussion, it is advised that Earling PLC should adopt the way for cash payment for the takeover considering the advantages of this technique. Payment through cash is a clear process that needs less management involvements. After that, the shareholders of the seller company do not have to depend in the performance of the shares as the payment is done in cash. Most importantly, the shareholders of the seller company cannot claim any future gain of the company (Ferris, Jayaraman and Sabherwal 2013). For all these reasons, Earling PLC is required to adopt the strategy of cash payment for financing the takeover. It needs to be mentioned that there are many risks involved in the process of acquisition and there is not any exception of this fact in case of Manco PLC. From the provided case study, it can be seen that Earking PLC is considering offering a paper offer to Manco PLC for acquisition that is one share of Earling PLC is for every share of Manco PLC. In case, this deal is extended, Manco PLC can face some deals. First, Manco PLC can lose the deal as it is a good deal for the company. After that, there is a possibility that Manco PLC can face legal risks due to not compliance with the laws and regulations. Most importantly, Manco PLC can face the risk of closing down the business due to be not acquired (Weber and Yedidia Tarba 2012). Conclusion As per the above discussion, it can be seen that Manco Plc should adopt the strategy of Poison Pill and Stock Repurchases against the takeover of Earlings Plc. The discussion also shows that Earling Plc is the predator due to financial superiority and Manco Plc is the target. The study shows the advantages and disadvantages of management buyout in the process of acquisition. As per the above discussion, three kinds of acquisition are there; they are Horizontal Acquisition, Vertical Acquisition and Concentric Acquisition and the takeover of Manco Plc by Earling Plc is the example of horizontal acquisition. It can also be seen that the companies can use various strategies to pay for the process of acquisition like cash payment, stock payment, debt acquisition and others. References Auerbach, A.J. ed., 2013.Corporate takeovers: Causes and consequences. University of Chicago Press. Berry, D.F. and Green, S., 2016.Cultural, structural and strategic change in management buyouts. Springer. Cartwright, S. and Cooper, C.L., 2012.Managing mergers acquisitions and strategic alliances. Routledge. Ferreira, M.P., Santos, J.C., de Almeida, M.I.R. and Reis, N.R., 2014. Mergers acquisitions research: A bibliometric study of top strategy and international business journals, 19802010.Journal of Business Research,67(12), pp.2550-2558. Ferris, S.P., Jayaraman, N. and Sabherwal, S., 2013. CEO overconfidence and international merger and acquisition activity.Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis,48(1), pp.137-164. Forbes.com. (2018).Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceupbin/2012/04/09/facebook-buys-instagram-for-1-billion-wheres-the-revenue/#4190d4b24b8a [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. Forbes.com. (2018).Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2014/10/03/the-real-reasons-paypal-sold-to-ebay/#5de1ef07698b [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. Forbes.com. (2018).Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/2005/01/31/cz_rl_0131citi.html#7f0346eb668f [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. Frsard, L., Hoberg, G. and Phillips, G., 2014.The incentives for vertical acquisitions and integration. Working Paper Series. 13 April 2014. Available: https://ssrn. com/abstract= 2242425 or https://dx. doi. org/10.2139/ssrn. 2242425. Accessed 6 July. Fu, F., Lin, L. and Officer, M.S., 2013. Acquisitions driven by stock overvaluation: Are they good deals?.Journal of Financial Economics,109(1), pp.24-39. Harford, J., Humphery-Jenner, M. and Powell, R., 2012. The sources of value destruction in acquisitions by entrenched managers.Journal of Financial Economics,106(2), pp.247-261. Jordan, C., 2016. The London Stock Exchange-Prey and Predator.. Mao, Y. and Renneboog, L., 2015. Do managers manipulate earnings prior to management buyouts?.Journal of Corporate Finance,35, pp.43-61. Phan, H.V., 2014. Inside debt and mergers and acquisitions.Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis,49(5-6), pp.1365-1401. Rhee, E.Y. and Fiss, P.C., 2014. Framing controversial actions: Regulatory focus, source credibility, and stock market reaction to poison pill adoption.Academy of Management Journal,57(6), pp.1734-1758. RICHARD W. STEVENSON (2018).Volvo Abandons Renault Merger. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/03/business/volvo-abandons-renault-merger.html [Accessed 5 Mar. 2018]. Risberg, A., 2013. 13 The Stake of High Failure Rates in Mergers and Acquisitions.Mergers and acquisitions: The critical role of stakeholders,52, p.247. Shi, W., Sun, J. and Prescott, J.E., 2012. A temporal perspective of merger and acquisition and strategic alliance initiatives: Review and future direction.Journal of Management,38(1), pp.164-209. Vazirani, N., 2012. Mergers and Acquisitions Performance Evaluation-A Literature Review.SIES Journal of Management,8(2). Weber, Y. and Yedidia Tarba, S., 2012. Mergers and acquisitions process: The use of corporate culture analysis.Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal,19(3), pp.288-303.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics Essay Example

The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics Essay One of the most critical, if not the most critical aspect of team dynamics is communication. Effective or ineffective communication can lead to a team being extremely efficient and successful, or inefficient and a terrible failure. â€Å"Ineffective communication can be a source of discontent in a team† (Newson, 2006). The purpose of team communication is to enhance team performance; therefore, it is each team member’s responsibility to ensure effective communication. Communication is an observable aspect of coordination, and insights into observable behaviors which predict high or low performances can be gained by team communication analysis† (Hutchins et al. 1999). Four crucial elements teams must possess to communicate effectively are a willingness to have open authentic discussions, active listening, willingness to confront conflicts, and understanding. There are several factors a team has to consider when creating the environment for open authentic discussion s. One of the key factors is determining how each individual on the team communicates, and to access each individual team member’s strengths and weaknesses as it pertains to clearly expressing their views and opinions. Once this information is captured, then members will have a better understanding as to how to get all team members to participate in discussing key topics related to team goals. It is important that team members who are more expressive do not use this as an opportunity to dominate a more introverted team member. Clear objective conversations should be encouraged. Team members should present information in a very black and white manner (factual). Open discussions are a great way to get to know your team members. These discussions will reveal thing about your teammates that will help in your team’s communication process. So, encourage open discussions, this will lead to team trust. When team members are having discussions it is necessary that everyone is being an active listener. Team members should show an interest in the information being delivered by the speaker, before responding or reacting to anything that was said by the speaker. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Communication in Team Dynamics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Team members should ask questions and/or summarize the information that was given to ensure understanding. Active listening can also be called sympathetic listening and it can be broken down into a four-step process. First, mimic the content. Second, rephrase the content. Third, reflect feelings, i. e. , understand the other persons feelings as well as your own. Fourth, empathize, rephrase the content and reflect feelings (Christol, 2008). The goal here is to try to understand the person’s thoughts and feelings to gain a better understanding. Asking questions such as â€Å"Let me make sure I heard you correctly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"Let me make sure I have everything†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , is an excellent sign that someone is actively listening. In class discussions are a perferct example of listening actively. While the professor is speaking the student is having constent conversation with the professor to ensure their understanding. Active listening can be taught and is a skill that needs to be practiced and incorporated into our daily communication. Being able to confront conflict within a team is also key to communication. There will not always be harmony within teams. Sometimes when things are not made clear, conflict shows it’s ugly head. A team charter is an example to how to make things clear within a team, which should address specifics about exactly what to expect from team members in order to achieve the team’s overall goals (University of Phoenix, 2008). There will be times where team members will have to agree to disagree in order to resolve conflicts. Remember, a team consists of three or more people and each person is unique in their own way. Therefore, it’s not a matter of if conflict will happen, it’s a matter of when will conflict happen in my team. No one likes to confront conflict by nature; however, we need to know how to confront it whenever it arises. Honesty is a great approach when confronting conflict. Team members will have a greater respect for you if you can approach them with honesty. This ties back to having those open authentic discussions. Although being open and honest may step on some toes, ultimately, it’s worth it in order to resolve the conflict. If things can’t be resolved among team members, it is ok to involve a mediator such as a faculty member, but beware. Faculty members will revert to your team charter to determine what your team agreed upon as it pertains to conflict resolutions. Be sure your charter is very specific. There will be instances that will be unavoidable and uncontrollable when dealing with teams. We are human beings and life happens whether we want it to or not. Our children get sick, our cars break down, and family members pass away. These are just a few of the things we need to have some level of understanding when it comes to teams. Once again, here is where the charter will play a role. There needs to be a revision in the charter that pertains to what if a team member is not able to participate on an assignment due to an emergency? How will this be addressed as a team? If the team has built a solid relationship, it will not be difficult for the members to step up in the absence of another member. However it is critical that the team member who is experiencing the emergency contact the other team members the moment it is known that he or she will not be able to deliver or perform the task the other team members expect them to have. If this is done, this will allow the other team members to make whatever adjustments they need to their schedules to manage the unexpected added responsibility. Life happens, but with effective communication there is no challenge that cannot be managed. In conclusion, according to Jim Temme and Jeanine Katzel (1995, 14), involvement must truly be auspicious. Team members need to hear each other’s suggestions and act on them when needed. To participate authentically means all ideas are ok and good ones are rewarded with positive feedback. When team members criticize each other’s ideas causes them to keep things to themselves. Team intimacy is achieved when there is open communication and no fear of making comments. Keeping in mind the authentic discussions, active listening, willingness to confront conflict and understanding are the keys to effective communication within teams. References Christol, T. (2008, May). Active Listening vs. Effective Listening. Tactical Response, 6(3), 60-62,65. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from ProQuest Central database. (Document ID: 1489166611). Newson, P. (2006, December). Participate effectively as a team member. Nursing Residential Care, 8(12), 541-544. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database. Temme, J. , Katzel, J. (Jan 9, 1995). Calling a team a team doesnt mean that it is: successful teamwork must be a way of life. Plant Engineering, 49, n1. p. 112(2). Retrieved July 22, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find. galegroup. com/ips/start. do? prodId=IPS University of Phoenix. (2008). Week Two overview. Retrieved July 22, 2008, from University of Phoenix, Week Two, rEsource. GEN300- Managing Learning Team Conflict.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on The Embalming Of Mr. Jones

Jessica Mitford wrote a book, entitled â€Å"The Embalming of Mr. Jones,† about the malpractices of funeral homes. The specific excerpt that I read described how bodies are embalmed. She wrote this to explain to the general public, who at the time were uneducated about what happens in funeral homes, about the exact way a body is embalmed and placed for display. Her book brought a better awareness to what really goes on in funeral homes. This made the government realize they must be more involved with what goes on, because funeral homes are just like any other businesses in addition to that they can increase the chances of creating a public health risk. Embalming is a practice that has been done for ages. I believe that modern-day embalming techniques work splendidly. I have attended four funerals in my life, and each of the deceased looked so peaceful and healthy in their caskets. This appearance is really one of allusion, but it is worth it because of the comfort it provides for the deceased’s loved ones. Viewings are just a nice tradition. If we stopped having viewings, what would happen to the bodies of the deceased? They would be stored in a morgue until placed in a casket and buried. This reminds me too much of the past practice of tossing dead bodies, wrapped in sheets, into burial pits. It just seems too cold and uncivilized. On the other hand, when I asked my family their opinion on embalming and viewings, the consensus seemed to be â€Å"Viewings are for the living.† My mother, in particular, was most against it. She did not understand what the purpose was of draining a body of its blood and filling it up with chemicals. She figured all you needed to do was put an excess amount of make up on to make the deceased look more alive. I explained to her what I read in Jessica Mitford’s essay about embalming, but she still stuck to her opinion. Despite my family’s reaction to my questionings, I know that no... Free Essays on The Embalming Of Mr. Jones Free Essays on The Embalming Of Mr. Jones Jessica Mitford wrote a book, entitled â€Å"The Embalming of Mr. Jones,† about the malpractices of funeral homes. The specific excerpt that I read described how bodies are embalmed. She wrote this to explain to the general public, who at the time were uneducated about what happens in funeral homes, about the exact way a body is embalmed and placed for display. Her book brought a better awareness to what really goes on in funeral homes. This made the government realize they must be more involved with what goes on, because funeral homes are just like any other businesses in addition to that they can increase the chances of creating a public health risk. Embalming is a practice that has been done for ages. I believe that modern-day embalming techniques work splendidly. I have attended four funerals in my life, and each of the deceased looked so peaceful and healthy in their caskets. This appearance is really one of allusion, but it is worth it because of the comfort it provides for the deceased’s loved ones. Viewings are just a nice tradition. If we stopped having viewings, what would happen to the bodies of the deceased? They would be stored in a morgue until placed in a casket and buried. This reminds me too much of the past practice of tossing dead bodies, wrapped in sheets, into burial pits. It just seems too cold and uncivilized. On the other hand, when I asked my family their opinion on embalming and viewings, the consensus seemed to be â€Å"Viewings are for the living.† My mother, in particular, was most against it. She did not understand what the purpose was of draining a body of its blood and filling it up with chemicals. She figured all you needed to do was put an excess amount of make up on to make the deceased look more alive. I explained to her what I read in Jessica Mitford’s essay about embalming, but she still stuck to her opinion. Despite my family’s reaction to my questionings, I know that no...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

To Garnish vs. To Garnishee

To Garnish vs. To Garnishee To Garnish vs. To Garnishee To Garnish vs. To Garnishee By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders about the verbs garnish and garnishee: I have been hearing a radio commercial that mentions how the IRS can â€Å"garnish one’s wages.†Ã‚   I always thought garnish referred to decorating food or something, but when I looked this up online, apparently garnishee is the word that has fallen out of use, and garnish in reference to wages is correct. Can you tell me if this is in fact the case? Both words are used in the sense of taking money owed to a creditor from a person’s wages. Garnish has seniority; the verb garnishee began as a noun derived from the verb to garnish. The noun and verb relating to decorating food come from the same source. Old French verb garnir meant â€Å"to fortify, to defend, to provide.† The earliest example of garnish, meaning â€Å"provide or furnish a place with a means of defense,† is dated c.1400. Another 15th century meaning of garnish was â€Å"to fit out with anything that adorns or beautifies.† By the 17th century, garnish was used in the context of decorating servings of food. Another meaning of of garnir was â€Å"to warn.† This sense survives in the legal term garnish: â€Å"to obtain a court order directing a party holding funds (such as a bank) or about to pay wages (such as an employer) to an alleged debtor to set that money aside until the court determines (decides) how much the debtor owes to the creditor.† The noun garnishee is a legal term meaning â€Å"a person or entity, quite often a bank or employer, which receives a court order not to release funds held for or owed to a customer or employee, pending further order of the court.† The earliest OED citation for garnishee used as a verb is from a US newspaper dated 1896. Although the use of garnishee as a verb has declined, the noun remains a common legal term. In modern usage, wages, as well as salads, are garnished. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†Artist vs. Artisan

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Compare and contrast two opposite cases where Web 2.0 tools have been Essay

Compare and contrast two opposite cases where Web 2.0 tools have been used to build an identity and encourage participation, and explain why you think one was successful and the other wasnt - Essay Example What is common in both the viewpoints is the idea that the new developments in information and communication technologies certainly change the way we interact, civic engagement and community creation. The participation has the ability and potential to make the difference. The awareness about the possibilities of participation is a defining feature of the present democratic societies. â€Å"The crisis of political participation† is the product of the dilemmas of this awareness on participation (Bryan, Tsagarousianou and Tambini, 1998, p. 3). However, more electronic democracy could only be achieved through universal availability of internet and open discourses on internet. According to Bryan, Tsagarousianou and Tambini (1998), although access to information network is a public right, the cost and private ownership of such infrastructure and technologies lead to a tension between both. Bughin, Chui, and Johnson have asserted that â€Å"companies will need a combination of incentives of encourage customer participation† (2008, p.28). In the case study of Coloplast’s web supported community of health care practitioners, it has been found that â€Å"web communities in the professional market build on preexisting communities, enabling community members to intensify the activities of the community to expand its reach† (Andersen, 2005, p. 49). It could be seen as an example of identity building and community creation. In the content analysis of the sites and blogs for the 10 Democratic candidates in the 2004 US presidential election, it has been revealed that â€Å"candidates promoted interactivity online through technical means such as enabling asynchronous feedback in blog comments as well as fostering an environment of participation through textual appeals and strategy† (Trammel, 2006, p.42). Here, there in no actual participation, just networking for the purpose of vote

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Internation World AIDS Charity Day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Internation World AIDS Charity Day - Essay Example The rationale of the event is to collect money that can be used to subsidize the medication for management of AIDS in the affected countries (Sharon, 2011). Our goal is ensure that every person infected with AIDS gets the required medication regardless of individual economic status. The event is on its 20th year and so far over six hundred billion dollars have been raised. It has attracted the support of many international celebrities who have contributed both materially and in kind for the cause. Our vision is to raise sufficient funds to finance not only the purchase of drugs but also raise public awareness on the issues related to AIDS. We also seek to encourage further research on finding a cure for AIDS. To this end, our long term strategy is to work with the leading pharmaceutical companies and researchers to put more effort in finding a cure for the disease. The date of the ceremonial commemoration is on 1st July. The chosen location will be in London. Other commemorations wil l be marked in all major cities in the world. The venue will be at the Oxygen arena. All proceeds from the event will go to charity. Strategic Aims Objectively, the event seeks to raise funds for the purchase and supply of drugs for the treatment of AIDS victims in the developing countries. We intend to raise fifty million dollars that will be used to buy the drugs to be distributed in these countries. We also intend to secure commitments from world leaders that this scourge will be tamed and appropriate programs will be put in place to curb its spread. The â€Å"AIDS free world† accord which details elaborate plans to wipe out the pandemic will be presented to the leaders to persuade them to take deliberate measures to lower the rates of new infections in their countries. In addition, the event also aims to put more emphasis on the research for a permanent cure for the disease. Research on this field has been sluggish. Consequently, the event aims to gain a clear commitment from leading pharmaceutical companies and researchers that research for a cure will be given a priority. Objectives One of our objectives is to raise funds towards the support of AIDS medication. Our target is to raise over fifty million shillings in cash. To obtain these funds, we will design arm bands, t-shirts, caps, and bandanas to target people attending the event. The sales will begin on days set before the start of the major event. In addition, branded merchandise will be availed in selected outlets to make them accessible to the public. Another strategy to raise funds will be through organizing a charity concert before the main event. Leading musicians will be invited to entertain participants at a nominal fee. In fact, the invitation of leading artistes will serve a twofold function of attracting larger crowds to the concert and also increase the sales of the branded merchandise. The event will also run an online campaign through the social networking sites to raise funds. We intend to spur online interest on AIDS as an imminent threat to humanity. The other objective for the event is to raise awareness concerning AIDS in the developing countries. The rate of HIV/AIDS infections is highest in the developing countries. The disease is most prevalent in African countries. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about forty percent of the documented infections (Luter, 2010). The implications are dire considering that most of those infected are the breadwinners for their families. The result is that their

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Social media negative impact on teenagers Essay Example for Free

Social media negative impact on teenagers Essay Many types of social media display a ‘bad boy’ image which consists of addiction to substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), violence, emphasis on luxurious material possessions and lack of moral values. It is this ‘bad boy’ image that severely impacts the minds of teenagers. It is very common to find a video of a celebrity portraying a character that is addicted to substance abuse. For instance, Youtube is filled with plenty of music videos, movies and pictures that display celebrities with numerous addictions to substance abuse. Examples of such celebrities include, Nicolas Cage (alcohol addict) in the movie Leaving Las Vegas and Leonardo DiCaprio (drug addict) in the movie The Basketball Diaries. When a celebrity plays a fictional role of an addict, many teenagers pick up the addiction. Teenagers tend to think that such types of addictions are ‘cool’ as their icons engage in such addictions. In addition, social media portray a lot of violence that amuse teenagers. For instance, cp24.com shows videos and pictures of gangsters and thieves shedding blood of innocent people. In such situations, culprits are often seen settling problems through violence rather than through peace. Teenagers pick up on this depiction of brutality and think that it is better to solve a conflict through violence in order to gain a popular image in society. Also, social media is actively engaged in promoting exquisite materialistic goods. For instance, Facebook displays many pictures of celebrities endorsing expensive products. Examples of such endorsements include Michael Schumacher (Ferrari, Lamborghini) and Jessica Simpson (Gucci, Prada). Teenagers that look up to their icons come to the conclusion that in order to be popular one must acquire such luxurious goods. Moreover, social media places a great emphasis on acting immorally. For example, etonline.com shows real life situations of celebrities lying, stealing, and taking part in scandalous affairs. Teenagers are often taken into believing that such irresponsible acts are normal and expected to be followed. Thus, it is fairly evident that social media plays a vital role in exerting a strong negative influence on teenagers.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Intern Experience Reflection Essay -- Reflection Paper, criminal justi

As I continue exploring the aspects of Family Inc., I find myself becoming more amazed at the tragedies that occur in the lives of juveniles. Society is always pointing the finger at the children, blaming them and punishing their negative actions. With a deeper look at the family system behind these children, I have found an empathy for the delinquent children. The organization is not only for delinquent children, but it is thought that children with incarcerated parents have a higher risk of going into the prison system. Especially since these children most likely get placed with grandparents, they could become more rebellious and hard to handle. Since learning the mentor database system, I have seen a bit more of the actual family aspect of the mentees. I have been updated and informed of children, the stories of their parents, and how they got where they are now. The circumstances that I have heard about are things that I could not even imagine going through myself. Growing up in Philadelphia and even having close friends with troubled homes has not prepared me for the issues I hear. It is no wonder these children lose their self-control. I guess this just shows the cycle of the criminal justice system. The streets create criminals, whether it be through poverty or simple environmental stressors. The criminals have children, like everyone else. Their children are subject to the living situations that come with losing a parent to the system, which in turn pushes them to the streets. They follow the same path their parents walked down. I see Family Inc. as an institution that creates a fork in the road, giving the child the options to go the right way and steer clear of crime. The mentor is a guide to show the light to the r... ...me to college. I finally get to see what I learned in the class come alive in the professional world. I now yearn to learn more about my career choice from the classroom, so I can continue to make use of it in the real world. I have even decided that I might change around a couple of my classes to figure out what juvenile classes are offer the coming semester. Overall, I am enjoying the experience. I am taking each day as it comes, learning as I go. I think that working with Family, Inc. is a good interning experience. I find it to be a good mix of my life goals and personal interest. I am currently a mentor, orientation leader, and university ambassador at school and I have always been one to be there to help new people adapt. I guess this has always been in my mind because, now that I think of it, even in my lower level jobs, I trained new employees.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Travel Agency Strategy

H Travel Agency Strategy Plan February 25, 2013 This paper will look at the challenges that the travel agency is facing, detailing a plan for change based on observations of challenges that the HR department is facing. Using metrics to explain change and how they can assist senior management during the planning process. Furthermore there will be an outline for the determination of the HR strategic plan combined with methods for the recruitment and selection methods. The details provided should help in assisting the travel agency overcome their challenges with a new plan to help them grow and become a formidable opponent to the competition.The travel agency appears to have challenges with the employees and the HR department. There are no goals or structure for the employees to rely on, and no goals to achieve. There are six major functions of HR that are needed to be implementing in order for the change to begin in the Travel agency. According to Byars and Rue (2008) The Society for H uman Resource Management (SHRM) has identified six major functions of human resource management: 1. Human resource planning, recruitment, and selection. 2. Human resource development. 3.Compensation and benefits. 4. Safety and health. 5. Employee and labor relations. 6. Human resource research. (Byars & Rue, 2008). The HR department can start to outline a plan if HR, management and the employees all have clear communication and direction of what the HR department is for and how they assist the company and the employees. The challenges that the HR department will face is using, HRP (Human resource Planning), to align the company’s overall strategic plan with the appropriate employees in place to achieve this goal.According to Byars and Rue (2008) Human resource planning (HRP), also referred to as workforce planning or personnel planning has been defined as the process of â€Å"getting the right number of qualified people into the right job at the right time. HRP involves appl ying the basic planning process to the human resource needs of the organization. To be effective, any human resource plan must be derived from the strategic and operational plans of the organization.In essence, the success of HRP depends largely on how closely the human resource department can integrate effective people planning with the organization's business planning process. 5 Unfortunately, HRP is often inadequately tied to overall corporate planning. (Byars ; Rue, 2008). There are four statistical modeling techniques that can be used by the HR department to forecast the needs that the agency will need. The can use time-series analysis, personnel ratios, productivity ratios and the regression analysis.Another technique that can be used is benchmarking, â€Å"benchmarking involves thoroughly examining internal practices and procedures and measuring them against the ways other successful organizations operate. ’ Byars and Rue (2008). In order to meet the Demands of the co mpany and put a solid plan into place, a skills inventory should be completed to see what types of employees the company has and their skill sets to determine future training and advancement opportunities. A skills inventory consolidates information about the organization's human resources.It provides basic information on all employees, including, in its simplest form, a list of the names, certain characteristics, and skills of employees. Because the information from a skills inventory is used as input into promotion and transfer decisions, it should contain information about each employee's portfolio of skills, not just those relevant to the employee's current job. (Byars & Rue, 2008). The next step will be metric for the HR department to gather data that can be used to show the senior management areas of improvement, or areas that need a deeper focus.These metrics can show where the company spends the most of their time and money along with, areas of the company or departments tha t do not meet the desired metric goals. Metrics can show productivity based on a set desired goal for the companies employees. Metrics refers to any set of quantitative measures to assess workforce performance. Examples of metrics that HR might use include such things as analysis of the cost per hire, average length of time to fill a position, training cost per employee, turnover cost per employee, and new-hire performance by recruiting strategy. Byars & Rue, 2008). The reason that metrics are so important to the decision making of the senior staff is that they provide a starting point for the company to see where they need to start their focus for change. Being able to evaluate an employee’s performance will help coach and mentor the employee. Metrics provide real numbers that can show areas were training is needed to get the employees to a desired output or percentage goal. Communication of the desired results or a t new strategic plan can be tricky, especially to a skeptic al bunch that has really had no definition or goals in place.They are going to want to know what is in it for them. Communication is the key to ensure understanding. The whys must be answered, why this necessary, why are we doing this what is in it for me. In order to communicate these new changes all of these must be answered. The goal is to let the employees to know what HR does and what will be changing, for instance career planning, development and training. This will be to ensure that all employees have or will have the knowledge and skills to perform to the level that the company wants their employees to be at.Letting the employees know that they are here to assist them in getting to where they want to be, while providing them an outline of career path and training to keep them interested. Where there is room for advancement there is room for recruiting new staff member with skills to help the company grow. When it comes to recruiting, there are several methods that can be use d. Using internal sources at first, the organization will keep moral up as they seek already trained and qualified personnel.Another method is reaching outside the organization to bring in new talent with other perspectives and fresh ideas to bring to the team. â€Å"Organizations have at their disposal a wide range of external sources for recruiting personnel. External recruiting is needed in organizations that are growing rapidly or have a large demand for technical, skilled, or managerial employees. † (Byars & Rue, 2008). The external sources bring all types of employees plus they bring a wider skill set to choose from. Other sources include using job boards, advertising, web sites, job placement agencies, employee referrals and walk- ins.When it comes to the selection process there are things that need to be looked at, what exactly is the company in need of, where do they want to go, where have past internal and external employees gone within the company. Use the metrics to see what has panned out in the past. In conclusion the travel agency has been lacking clear direction for future growth. In order to grow and to achieve success, the HR department and management need to determine how to incorporate the strategic plan and goals of the company into the HRP.The HRP will then create goals, training and structure for growth in the company by determining what the company has in terms of employees and their skills. By determining the skills of employees then HR and management can determine the new metrics based off of the old ones and by using the metrics they can determine what changes need to be made first. By determining where the company is lacking in production will the help senior management determine what types of employees are needed for future success. References Byars, L. L. , & Rue, L. W. (2008). Human resource Management (9th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Apple Strategy Management Essay

Formerly known as Apple Computer, Apple Inc. has effectively became a successful company in a competitive consumer electronics industry. The firm managed to outsell others by being innovative and differentiating its products through superior service standards and high quality products. To ensure standards are met, Apple outsourced its manufacturing to a reliable third party electronics manufacturing company, Foxconn Technology. In recent years, the smartphone industry is moving towards commoditization. This resulted in intense competition where constant innovation is required to withstand its business marketability. Apple’s strategic capabilities such as having tailored hardware/software systems has enabled the corporation to position itself in term of value, rarity, inimitability and non-substitution. However, to continue gaining its market share as the best smartphone, the corporation might need to review its business suitability, so as to maintain its market leadership in t he industry. This strategic analysis and evaluation report will hence review Apple’s performance and sustainability through using business level strategies before strategic recommendations are decided upon. In order for Apple to continually retain its market position, the corporation might need to consider its business suitability such as its strategic direction. Through market development, the company can increase its presence in new market segments. There is a need to look into its R&D (Research & Development), so that new products with unique features can progressively developed. Table of Contents Introduction (300words) 372 Background Information Apple Inc. is a technological company that had achieved great success in designing, producing and selling its wide range of products categories including Mac, IPad, IPod and IPhone, which brings innovations in computers, media tablet, Portable music players and mobile phones respectively. In addition, Apple also offers a variety of related software, applications, services, networking solutions, peripherals and third-party digital content which represent a revolutionary era for innovation and differentiation of Apple. (reuters). Although touch screens in mobile devices are not new, Apple managed to be the first to achieve mass market adoption for that technology by creating and launching the first IPhone series in January 2007. The IPhone was so much ahead of its time that it virtually created a new category in the market leaving everyone else playing catch up (Elliot, 2012). The Apple’s target market includes teenagers, college and university students, business people, young children and kids and adults. As of September 29, 2012, it had 412 retail stores in 14 countries around the world. (Financial Report 2012) At the same time, Apple had an extensive 72,800 regular employees and an additional 3,300 temporary employees or contractors worldwide (Apple 3 year PnL). Financial Performance According to the financial report, the company recorded total net revenue of $156,508 million during the fiscal year 2012, which shows an increase of 63% over fiscal year 2011. In which net profit accounted for $41,733 million, a 61% increase over fiscal year 2011 (Apple 3 year PnL). As observed from the report, Apple’s gross profit margin had rise from 40.5% to 43.9% in the past 2 years. This is mainly the result of effective implementation of cost-leadership and differentiation strategy over the years. (Find source). Culture The firm’s pervious CEO, Steve Job (from 1997 – 2011) had created a culture in which vision are understood and is live by their employees. He believes that communicating the vision to the employee is almost as important as coming out with new products (Elliot. Jay, 2012). This culture was kept alive even when Tim Cook took over as CEO (from 2011 – current) which essentially kept all Apple’s employees on the same page and enact the vision with true passion (Elliot. Jay, 2012) which is key to strategic management (Find that book) Macro Environment Analysis (700words) 803 PESTEL Analysis PESTEL analysis will be used to understand Apple’s external environment and gain an insight of Apple’s future business potential, market situation and operations directions. There are six elements in the PESTEL analysis; Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (Find source). Considering developments, trends, indicative incidents at the global levels, we identify that Social, Technological and Legal element of the PESTEL analysis pose a much significant impact on Apple’s mobile phone SBU as compared to the rest. Social Apple’s social environment is one of key contributor for its success today and will continue to lead it into greater height in future (wei kang, 2013). It’s ‘think different’ slogan is the unique combination of simplicity, creativity and luxury image into the product that reflects the user’s individual identity and the desire to be different (Schneiders, 2011). Apple’s pervious CEO Steve Job always had a sense of what consumer really wanted and adjusted the company’s products line to meet their wants. In other words he tells them what they should love (VERGANTI, 2010). This is a phenomenon known as the cult marketing in which people do not know their wants until cult marketers present it to them (RAGAS & BUENO, 2005). In simple terms, Cult marketing is actually a tool used in strategy to strengthen customer loyalty (Schneiders, 2011). This element has significant positive impact as it allows Apple to have the strongest customer loyalty in the world and achieve the highest repurchase rate in the electronic field (MacNN, 2006). This effect can be seem worldwide whenever Apple launch their new product, Apple’s fans would camp for days in front of the store only to get one of its newest innovation. This shows that Apple’s users really love Apple unlike most others (NUSSBAUM, 2005). In addition, due to the technology development, Apple’s Products such as the IPhone are no longer being viewed as luxuries but real necessities goods (source). To succeed in the long run, Apple should follow and abide to its guiding principle; ‘don’t follow your customers; Lead them’ which implies that consumer need to be shown a superior alternative which Apple distinguishes itself and provide these alternatives (MacVarish, 2009). Technological The market for mobile phone and other electronic products that Apple offers puts them in a hyper competition environment driven by the fast pace of technological changes. Companies like Apple which manufacture such products will have to continually invest substantial amount of money on research and development (R&D) to produce better performance, new feature and better design products to counter the short life cycle and frequent introduction of new products in the market (source). According to MacVarish, one of Apple’s guiding principle for their innovation strategy was ‘Be your own toughest Critic’. In which, Apple aims to offer new product lines that replaces older products making their them obsolete and thus preventing competitor from doing so. With this principle to beat itself, Apple managed to beat its competitors too (MacVarish, 2009). Ultimately this enable Apple to lead the market as it did in the launching of the different generation of IPhone especially IPhone 5 which become the world’s best-selling Smartphone worldwide during the 4th quarter of 2012 (Maisto, 2013). As a result, Apple’s R&D expense increases exponentially from $1.782 billion in 2010 to $3.381 billion in 2012 (Apple 3 year PnL). Due to their research intensive nature to keep innovation ahead of competitors, Apple becomes less cost-effective in saturated markets and is exposed to greater risk if it’s R&D does not come through (source). Legal The intellectual property war has long being used as tool in technology and management strategy by companies such as Apple to gain strategic advantage against their competitors. Apple alone has filled as many as 250,000 patents for the IPhone and other Smartphone covering the design and functionality of these products (Cusumano, 2008). Apple had lawsuits all around the world with its competitors such as Samsung, Motorola and Nokia both suing and being sued over violation of each other’s patents (source). One such case is the lawsuit in the U.S between the Apple and one of its top smart phone competitor; Samsung in which the jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damage and ordered some of Samsung’s Smartphone products off shelf in parts of the US (source). This verdict allows the IPhone to gain distinctive advantage in the US market and at the same time helped Apple in advertising and broadcast IPhone originality. In addition the amount of damage awarded to Apple could be counted as revenue which eventually increases the profit margin significantly for of Apple that quarter. In conclusion, while most lawsuits Apple filed comes with little success, any court decisions that verdict in favor of Apple’s patents will likely allow IPhone to remain distinctive in the market (Cusumano, 2008). Industry (Competitive) Analysis 815 Michael Porter’s 5-forces model Apple’s competitive position and its attractiveness in the smart-phone market can be explained in analyzing the Porter’s 5-Forces framework (Porter, 1980). Using the competitive forces, it would identify the competitiveness and its ability to position itself with diversification. It will show its sustainability and profitability of its iPhone series. Threat of Potential Entry/Barriers to entry – LOW The smart-phone industry is saturated and poses strong barriers to potential entrants who are keen to enter the market. Presently, there are a few well-established competitors that have a large market share and economies of scale which limits new entrants from entering. Its strong brand presence and consumer loyalty is a hindrance to potential entrants (Bostic, 2013). New entrants require a large amount of capital investment, so as to compete against the market leaders. Due to large economies of scale, it is nearly impossible for this new entrants to enter and gain substantial market share. Sometimes, there is a need for new entrant to innovate such as creating distinctive features or software to compete. But this usually brought about by lack of resources as investing in ample resources does not come cheap. Legal terms such as patents and trademarks serves as a barrier to new entrants. New entrants also face barriers such as legal terms. These are usually patents or trademarks that the dominants players have. This market leaders such as Apple Inc have patents on its designs of iPhones including software such as iTunes. This prevents any infringements from new entrants to copy similar ideas. After all, Apple is still a dominant player in the smart-phone market and competing against Apple really requires a new entrant high start-up costs. Reference: Bostic, K, (2013), â€Å"Study finds 20% of Apple iPhone users switched away from Android in past year†, Apple Insider Porter, M, (1980), â€Å"Competitive Strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors†, Free Press, Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group Rivalry between competitors – HIGH The smart-phone market is very well-developed and there is a high degree of concentration. It is controlled by a few large competitors which are Apple’s strong rivalry. This are dominant smart-phone players such as Samsung, LG and HTC Mobile which has high capital investments. Smart-phones have become a commodities item that any person will require. As such, dominant players have been placing an emphasis on competitive pricing. This will enable them to gain an edge over competitors. These competitors are generally of comparable size with Apple in its operations. Due to stiff rivalry, Apple will differentiate itself in terms of design features and functionalities. Its competitors have also aggressively seek a leadership position in the smart-phone market by constantly innovating and seeking new changes. The result of technology advancement has also caused an increased competition to seek change in the industry. This in turn results in rivalry among smart-phone players to stream line its products and constantly refreshed its gadgets to meet the demand, so as to stay in competition. (Apple Inc Report, 2009). References: Apple Inc. SEC 2009 Form 10-K Filing Page 16 Threat of substitutes – MODERATE It may seems that Apple has a variety of substitutes in the market, but the nature of Apple’s products sets itself apart from competitors. Although it may seem that Apple has an extensive array of substitutes in the market, but its proprietary nature of products sets itself apart from competitors. Presently, its threat of substitutes of its smart-phones (e.g: iPhone5) are still moderate. But competitors are already riding on its successes by constantly innovating and substitutes it with a similar product in the market. In general, Apple sources its parts from various suppliers, thus keeping itself unique in the smart-phone market. As such, Apple still have to constantly stay innovative and price conscious so as to effectively positioned itself against other competitors with a strong branding and following. As such, its differentiation strategy can effectively diversified itself from others. Bargaining Power (buyers) – LOW There are many smart-phone brands in the market that is a substitute to Apple’s iPhones, but the bargaining power by buyers remain low. The main fact is that Apple’s focuses on differentiating its products from its competitors. Its unique designs, features and cult marketing are testimony to its loyalty by buyers. Its niche market in the smart-phone industry also makes buyers less sensitive on product pricing. Customers or loyal fans of Apple are still willing to pay regardless of the price. Although major retailers or businesses have some relative power to bargaining due to its bulk volume, individual buyers still have no control especially on their product pricing. Apple’s lack of third party options also means that buyers have less options for other product. Bargaining Power (Suppliers) – LOW Apple relies on a variety of suppliers in its manufacture for smartphones. Usually, it is not limited to just one single supplier for various components in the assembly of its smartphones. As such, this leaves Apple’s suppliers with less bargaining power over prices. This enables Apple to successfully create a competitive advantage over its competitors in the market (Apple Annual Report, 2012). Due to its bulk quantities of components, Apple Inc can have a leverage over suppliers through negotiating better terms and pricing. This allows Apple to have a lower cost structure and ensures a higher profit margin as compared to its competitors. Apple’s Strategic Capabilities 684 Analysis Apple’s integrated system of hardware and software has enabled the firm to successfully market and develop to be their most valuable strategic resources (Dhaliwal, 2009). It was their former CEO, Steve Jobs that pulled Apple’s back to the growth stage. Apple’s talented team of software engineers, programmers and designers are the firm’s key resources in innovating. This enables Apple to utilize their knowledge to successfully create a tailored hardware and software system which serve as its key capabilities. Its integration in its key capabilities has allowed Apple to create a competitive advantage and sustainability in the market (â€Å"Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition,† 2009). Resource/Capability| Value| Rare| Imitate| Non-substitution| Relationships with OEMs| √| | √| | Retail locations| √| √| √| | Tailored Hardware/Software Systems| √| √| √| √| Figure 1: VRIN Table Applying VRIN, The VRIN model, a four key criteria resource-based view, examines if Apple Inc. uses its strategic resources to create a competitive advantage. Relationships with OEMs Apple holds good relations with its OEM business partners in China. It includes companies such as Foxconn and Hon Hai Precision Industry. This close relationships that the firm maintains with its partners assures that the outputs produced are superior and of high quality. This allows Apple to be ahead of other smart-phone manufacturers who prefers not to outsource production. Value: Its strong relationships maintained with its business partners allow Apple to take advantage of opportunities by Foxconn, such as cheap manufacturing costs. This ensures that the firm can provide a sustained value in its products and thus reducing any threats (Barney, 1991). Inimitability: Competitors can still imitate by following Apple’s strategy of finding an OEM partner. But what sets Apple apart from the rest, is its ability to maintain its development of software, which others has problems imitating despite having an OEM partner. The intention of Apple Inc. is to integrate multiple functions into developing an Apple product. This will ensure Apple’s users get the most value when they purchase the final product. Apple Inc. ability of combining all 5 aspects of key strategic resources/capabilities into one, allows the firm to be ahead of competitors due to its sustained value and its success in taking opportunities and reducing threats. (Barney, 1991). Retail Locations The introduction of Apple’s retail stores provide the corporation with a physical presence and convenience to its customers. It allows Apple to create a store image by providing an attractive store front and superior customer service. This key resource serves as an important value to Apple which is a relative rarity in the industry. Value: Its strategic locations of its retail stores worldwide provide consumers with the ability to reach its products easily. This gives Apple a competitive advantage against competitors. Rarity: Apple’s strategy in positioning its store and differentiating its products ensures that the firm is in a leadership position. Its unique factors of its strategic retail location are a rarity to the organization. Talented software development teams Apple has a capable team of software developers. This are often carefully chosen by the corporation and serves as Apple’s most talented programmers. They assist Apple with introducing important products. But often developers of this caliber are not rare in the IT industry, neither are they tough to imitate. Hence other smart-phone manufacturers such as Samsung Mobile can also train or hire strong caliber of developers too. Industrial Design Capability Industrial design capability is one of Apple Inc. strategic resource that serves as a function of its innovation ability. Its capability of its innovative design teams are valuable to the corporation. Its innovative design teams also have strong teamwork which forms one of Apple Inc. strategic resource too. This enables Apple to indeed be very valuable, rare among its competitors and also its difficulty in imitation. Tailored Hardware/Software Systems Apple Inc. competitive advantages among competitors are having a tailored hardware and software systems. It is one of Apple’s most important abilities as it is only specifically designed and built in its integrated products. Its ‘closed system’ styles also form its specialty as most competitors relied on third party software. One example would be Samsung Mobile adopting the Google’s Android market. Its capability of combining its own design, software development, hardware programmers ensures its competitive advantage. Value: The benefits of having its own hardware and software ensure that the firm provides value to its consumers. Rarity: The rarity of having a dynamic team of talented staff allows the firm to develop specialized hardware and software which are unique to the company. This are important factors which identifies Apple’s power in the industry. Inimitability: Apple’s inimitability in most of its strategic capabilities allows the firm to be of a competitive advantage than its competitors. In particular, its tailored software, iOs app store was developed ahead of its competitor, Samsung mobile who adopted the Google Play store. Though Apple has a talented team of software developers, this is still inimitable as competitors can train and develop staff. In general, Apple’s strong strategic capabilities still prevent competitors from intimidating. Non-substitution: In general, Apple’s products are substitutable with alternative products. The reason that sets apart from its competitors is its brand identity and its tailored hardware and software. This development serves as a unique factor which no third-party can substitute. Sustainability as Competitive Advantage To successfully sustain Apple’s continued performance and competitive advantage, its management may consider seeking exclusive partnerships or arrangements with its OEM partners to bring costs down and probably reaching out to more countries with expansion of Apple’s stores. These strategies will allow Apple to continually lead the market with its dominance and market share. Value The intention of Apple Inc. is to integrate multiple functions into developing an Apple product. This will ensure Apple’s users get the most value when they purchase the final product. Apple Inc. ability of combining all 5 aspects of key strategic resources/capabilities into one, allows the firm to be ahead of competitors due to its sustained value and its success in taking opportunities and reducing threats. (Barney, 1991). Rare In the smart-phone industry, there are many brands that compete directly with Apple iPhones. But what stands out against competitors is Apple’s ability to position and differentiate its products. Its innovativeness in industrial design, specialized hardware/software and its strategic retail location allows Apple to gain its uniqueness in the market. This assures Apple Inc. as a successful organisation due to its brand identity and superior quality.Inimitate Apple’s inimitability in most of its strategic capabilities allows the firm to be of a competitive advantage than its competitors. In particular, its tailored software, iOs app store was developed ahead of its competitor, Samsung mobile who adopted the Google Play store. Though Apple has a talented team of software developers, this is still inimitable as competitors can train and develop staff. In general, Apple’s strong strategic capabilities still prevent competitors from inimitating. Non-substitution Generally, Apple’s products are substitutable with alternative products. The only reason that sets apart from its competitors are its brand identity and ability to keep hold of Apple’s fans. Its talented teams of software developers and tailored hardware/software are an uniqueness to Apple and no third-party can be substituted. Business Strategy 781 Strategy Statement An analysis shows that there is a strategy shift in Apple for its smart Phone business as the company had a change in leadership since 2012. Apple’s current goal is to give its consumer the best product experience by offering superior high and low-middle end products that are user friendly, innovative in design and feature, integrate seamlessly and excellence sales and post-sale support experience for consumers (forbes). Generic Competitive Strategy Apple’s is pursuing a hybrid combination of product differentiation and cost leadership strategy. With the combination of the 2 strategy, Apple managed to achieve high profit margin where it produces its smart phone cheaply and selling them at a premium price. Competitive scope (broad target) Under Tim cook’s (CEO of Apple from 2012- current) lead, Apple started to explore new territory by building on the success of its current smart phone business unit and expanding it into emerging markets. This strategy is seen to be put into action with the announcement of the IPhone 5s and IPhone 5c (a watered-down version of the IPhone series) launch (Apple main website). With the dual launch of the IPhone 5s and IPhone 5c, Apple managed to position its product in both the premium and non-premium category respectively that offers 2 price points. The IPhone 5s will continue to address their current market while the IPhone 5c will catered to more price sensitive customer base especially from the emerging market. Competitive Advantage (Lower cost and Differentiation) Given that Apple will be having a dual IPhone launch with almost the same design, features and running on the same operating system (ISO 7), it will achieve economies of scope where cost factors such as advertising and research and development will be shared. In addition, the 2 IPhone caters to different market segment, allowing Apple to have a larger addressable market where economies of scales can be achieved by driving supplier’s cost down with the promise of increase order quantity. These factors will help Apple deliver cost leadership in the smart phone industry. However despite the increasing effort in research and development to bring about innovation and to differentiate their smart phone, Apple failed to produce sufficient uniqueness and dimension that is valued by their consumer. In fact, Apple is replicating its previous IPhone model with minimum introduction of ‘game-changing’ features. The company’s reduce pace of innovation can be inferred fro m its latest launched flagship IPhone, the IPhone 5s which retains the dimensions and design of its pervious flagship; Phone 5 with little addition to its feature and performance (yahoo news). Value Chain Apple.inc has been able to perfect the chain of activities in innovation. Apple starts from its new ideas of product design through R&D with its strategy capability and extensive funding. Then manufacturers it and finally markets it wholeheartedly. The process of transforming inputs into outputs compromises a number of primary and support activities† (Hill and Jones, 2001, p.133). Each value is considered to be a source of competitive advantage. Value chain analysis is a powerful tool for managers to identify the key activities within the firm which form the value chain for that organisation, and have the potential of a sustainable competitive advantage for accompany. Therein, competitive advantage of an organisation lies in its ability to perform crucial activities along the value chain better than its competitors Technology Development Buying and R&D Inbound Logistics Most components are generally available from multiple sources; a number of components are currently obtained from single or limited sources. Hardware products are manufactured by outsourcing partner primary in Asia e.g. Foxconn. Delegate raw materials acquisition – Apple works with its OEM partners to delegate the raw materials acquisition process but provides some supervision for quality control purpose. Automated receiving systems – Apple has implemented sophisticated automated receiving systems to speed up the receiving process and reduce facility footprint and storage space requirement That is a concern for suppliers. Apple’s smartphone margins are the highest in the industry. But as those margins come under pressure, Apple will push suppliers to cut costs. Flat-panel televisions followed a similar pattern, with margins for screens eventually falling to near break-even levels, says Alberto Moel, an analyst at Bernstein Research.( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323610704578625540722848194.html) Outbound Logistics Apple used variety of direct and indirect distribution channel, such as retail stores,online stores and direct sales force, 3 Rd party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers and value added resellers. Apple continue to expand and improve its distribution capacities by expanding the number of its own retail stores worldwide in order to ensure a high quality buying experience for its product. Economical packing – Apple employed teams of design and engineering experts who develop product packaging that’s slim and light yet protective. Efficient packaging design not only reduces materials and waste, it also helps reduce the emissions produced during transportation. Marketing & Sales http://www.docstoc.com/docs/121102555/Apple-Computer-Value-Chain http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/us-honhai-idUSBRE83T08K20120430 References used: Dhaliwal, A. (2009). â€Å"Apple’s Q4 results beat analysts? Estimates; quarterly profit rises to $1.67 billion.† Top News, retrieved on September 14, 2010 from: http://topnews.us/content/27794-apple-s-q4-results-beat-analysts-estimates-quarterly-profit-rises-167-billion â€Å"Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition.† (2009). Electronic Industry Code of Conduct. retrieved on September 14, 2010 from: http://www.eicc.info/PDF/EICC%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20English.pdf Barney J, (1991), â€Å"Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage†, Journal of Management, vol. 17, no1, p99-125 Identifying the strategy Generic Competitive Strategy Apple is pursuing a broad differentiation strategy. Apple differentiates by offering high-quality, exceptional design, and personalized service. The scope of their strategy is broad targeting customers ranging from unsophisticated beginner users to specials needs power-users. 1) Cost-leadership 2) Differentiation Business Suitability Apple Inc. is concerned with which strategic directions and methods suggested addressed the issues the corporation faced (Johnson & Scholes, 2008). It assists in determining the business suitability of strategic choices which relates to the strategic position. To test on Apple’s suitability on its proposed business strategies, the Porter’s value chain model is chosen to consider the internal factors of the organization. Strategic Directions Market Penetration Presently, Apple’s infrastructure is very well established and developed. But the corporation should still continue in its infrastructure developments, so as to achieve back its high market share in the smartphone industry. Its market penetration business strategy relies heavily on its primary activities such as inbound logistics, outbound logistics; and sales and marketing. To continue moving towards the market penetration direction, its support activities do play apart. The technology development will then be in a position to assist the support to the proposed strategy. Product Development Apple may need to consider a strategic drift to gain a competitive advantage in its business strategy. The product development strategy gets its assistance from support activities such as developing new products to meet customer demands. To increase its firm performance and market share, Apple is introducing new features such as finger sensor on its new iPhone5s and also colored version of its iPhone5c (Apple.com). This new features or product development somehow serves a determining factor whether Apple will achieve its business strategy or affects its corporate performance. Market Development At present, the firm is adopting the market development strategy. It assists Apple in venturing into new market segments. Thus, there is the importance to focus especially on the primary activities of inbound and outbound logistics, sales and marketing. Apple is still able to rely on its OEM partners for resources especially in manufacturing, which serves as Apple’s key competency. To move ahead, Apple might need to enter or develop new market, such as in developing markets which it has zero presence. With its strong alliance partner, such as Foxconn, Apple is able to utilize its logistics part and its strong sales and marketing to open up new market. Hence, these three suggested business strategies are suitable to evaluate the value chain, and Apple can carry any of these strategies ahead. Apple will need to consider which strategy will achieve its overall business objectives to sustain itself in the market. Conclusion Reference List 1) http://in.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?symbol=AAPL.O (reuters) 2) http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AAPL/2634031917x0x444195/E7A8FE5F-8835-46AB-ACC2-6FA28DFB546D/Three_Yr_Financial_History.pdf (Apple 3 year PnL) 3) Porter. ME, (2008), ‘The Five Competitive Forces that Sharpe Strategy’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 86, no. 1, pp. 78-93, Business Source Complete, (online) Available at: EBSCOhost database [Accessed:15 sept 2013] (Porter, 2008) 4) MacVarish, B. (2009, August 13). Guiding Principles of Apple Innovation.brucemacvarish.com. Retrieved January 29, 2010, from http://www.brucemacvarish.com/2009/08/guiding-principles-of-innovation-at-apple1-dont-follow-your-customers-lead-themapple-tends-to-place-less-emphasis-on-evide.html (MacVarish, 2009) 5) Cusumano, M 2008, ‘Technology Strategy and Management: The Puzzle of Apple’, Communications Of The ACM, 51, 9, pp. 22-24, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 16 July 2013. (Cusumano, 2008) 6) http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2012/02/19/nuts-apples-ceo-reveals-future-strategy-google-to-expand-into-hardware/ (forbes) 7) (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/apple-unveils-iphone-5s-iphone-5c-slideshow/five-colors-iphone-5c-cases-photo-181338126.html) (yahoo news) 8)