...Hardtech, Inc Case Study Analysis (Harvard) Homework #3 IE560 Spr 2016 #1 HardTech, Inc) Hardtech, Inc. should implement a matrix organization per Ryan’s recommendation to complete their three new initiatives. This will allow each initiative to be run by a discrete, dedicated project team. The project teams will consist of employees from each of the relevant departments allowing deep subject matter expertise as needed to complete the project successfully. This allows for more adaptability of the work force and quicker response times to complete tasks and close the project within the desired timeframe. A matrix organization enables this because employee resources, road blocks, and conflicts specific to that project are coordinated and solved by a dedicated project manager. The project manager achieves this by keeping a master schedule that holds each employee accountable for project time, cost, and quality while simultaneously battling scope creep. Traditional/functional organizations operate at the opposite end of the spectrum which tends to be more rigid (not adaptable), lacking broad subject matter expertise, and keep people protecting their own slice of the pie (their specific department). Matrix orgs force people to work for the good of the organization as a whole. #2 Mearl Oil Case Study) Mearl Oil Company implemented environmental impact targets (EITs) to protect human health and the environment from pollution at its facilities and plants. This was...
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...BACHELOR OF ARTS IN BUSINESS STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH NAME : STEPHANIE ROBERTS COURSE NAME: MANAGING STRATEGY COURSE CODE: BUSI1484 PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENTS: PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT 1; GLOBAL FORCES AND THE WESTERN EUROPEAN BREWING INDUSTRY DATE OF SUBMISSION: 09/02/2012 1. (i) PESTEL ANALYSIS OF THE WESTERN EUROPEAN BREWING INDUSTRY The PESTEL framework provides a comprehensive list of influences on the possible success or failure of particular strategies (Johnson et al, 2008, p55). PESTEL stands for Political, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal. Political- Governments in Europe were campaigning strongly against drunken driving. This affected the propensity to drink beer in pubs and restaurants. Economic- Some low consumption European markets have been showing good growth. Pubs have suffered as a result of large supermarket chains such as Tesco and Carrefour who often use cut price on beer to lure people into their shops. The result was that an average of about 50 pubs closed per week during the recessionary year 2009. Social- There was increasing awareness of the effects of alcohol on health particularly in the UK. This led to a growing hostility to excessive alcohol consumption in pubs. Beer consumption in the UK as well as in Germany began to fall as a result of this. Wines were becoming increasingly popular as Europe was turning off beer. There was an increasing demand for Exotic imported beer more especially...
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...responsibilities of a business and how its actions affect its employees, customers, and business partners can be tricky at time and not fair to all. In the case of Brawl in Mickeys Backyard (Lawrence & Weber 2011), two corporations, Walt Disney and SunCal, are battling for prime real estate in downtown Anaheim. Both companies want this land for different projects, but at the same time, have the same interest to make money for their company. The main focal company in this debate is SunCal, while Disney is considered a company, they are looked at as a stakeholder because stakeholder refers to a person or group that is affected by an organization’s decision or operations (Lawrence & Weber 2011), while at the current time (with no housing being built yet) Disney is merely a nonmarket stakeholders. This of course could change if housing is built and Disney and Suncal, now operating inside of the resort area, are conducting business with each other. Do to the fact that no houses were built all parties involved are considered nonmarket stakeholders to SunCal. These nonmarket stakeholders are Disney employees who stand to gain from the subsidized lower income housing. The city of Anaheim, who’s choice to change the zoning of the resort area to allow for personal family dwellings or can choose to deny the request. As well as other companies in the resort area who would lose building space as a result of the housing development. All of these current nonmarket stakeholders could change...
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...decline of 53,000 in part-time work was partially offset by an increase of 35,000 in full-time. Compared with a year earlier, the number of part-time workers was down 1.9% (-62,000), while full-time employment grew by 2.0% (+274,000). Social and Demographics: Marketing communications has always played a key role in creating an image to attract a target market. Budweiser and Bud Lite are popular brands in the NFL and NASCAR, and true fans will then purchase those specific brands. It becomes their brand of choice. Labatt Blue had sponsorship ties with the NHL and Canadian teams and the CFL and several teams but recently, Molson has taken over the sponsorship of The Toronto Maple Leafs, which Labatt used to have. This was a huge loss for the company as Toronto is the largest city in Canada and generates one-fifth of the gross domestic product of Canada. This being said, The Air Canada Center sells Molson Canadian rather than Labatt at hockey games. There are 18,800 seats at the Air Canada Center, and say at least 16,000 people purchase at least one beer, which costs $8.00, that is $128,000 in sales that Labatt...
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...Case study for Preparing Corporate Finance Sem 1 Re-sit Examination (*these are the actual case studies used in the exam) Case Study Guidelines In 2005, the Spanish telecom giant, Telefonica made a bid for O2, a British wireless carrier. The bid created headlines for being the second largest ever, all cash offer in telecom history. With consolidation taking place on a major scale in the European telecom sector, Telefonica too looked for a channel for expansion in the booming sector. The case chronicles the expansion strategies of Telefonica and the reasons behind its bid for O2. Case 1: Telefonica snaps up O2 as European consolidation continues In a move that will certainly arouse the interest of other European mobile operators, Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica could be about to gain entry to two of Europe's most important markets, the UK and Germany, with its bid to acquire UK-based mobile operator O2 for GBP17.7 billion ($31.3 billion). Under the terms of the deal, Telefonica is offering 200p ($3.53) per O2 share, which represents a premium of approximately 22% over the closing price of the operator's shares of 164.25p ($2.90) on Friday October 28, 2005. The two companies expect to save E293 million ($351 million) a year by 2008 from economies of scale. More importantly, however, the offer has received the approval from O2's board of directors. Commenting on the deal, Telefonica's chairman, Cesar Alierta, said that the move would boost Telefonica's growth...
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...Mo 30.09.2013 | Case study: MNE competitive advantages | CASES Grolsch: Growing Globally Pankaj Ghemawat, Jordan Mitchell ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form DESCRIPTION Grolsch reassesses its international strategy in light of the company's recent acquisition by SABMiller, the world's second-largest brewer. Grolsch was the 21st-largest global beer brand, sold 51.5 percent of its volume in international markets, and exported to 70 countries. However, its poor profitability in international markets--four countries alone accounting for two-thirds of foreign sales--and churn of markets and distribution partners raised concerns about the company's international strategy and execution. Grolsch's 60 years of history in foreign markets provides a rich backdrop to introduce a range of international strategy topics, including performance assessment, rationale for expansion, market selection, and choice of entry mode. Questions 1) Why did Grolsch globalize, and how well has it performed internationally? 2) What are the key elements and limitations of its emphasis on adaptation, in particular? 3) What changes would you suggest to Grolsch’s historical strategy? Mo 14.10.2013 | Case study: International alliance | UTV and Disney: A Strategic Alliance (A) Atanu Adhikari, Rama Deshmukh ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form DESCRIPTION The case describes the dilemma faced by the senior vice-president of business...
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...Case Study: The Environmental Impact of the J and J Chemical Fire Background: The J&J chemical company is a manufacturing facility that provides and delivers portable sanitation products and services to more than 80 countries. Its headquarters and main manufacturing plant is located on Olympic Drive in Athens Georgia. This 30,000 square foot manufacturing plant produces portion control deodorizers, green products, non-formaldehyde, formaldehyde liquids, fragrance enhancers, cleaners, degreasers, hand sanitizers, and soap. The rear portion of this plant’s parcel borders the edge of Trail Creek, a major tributary for the Oconee River. The Oconee River is a two hundred and twenty mile long river that runs from North Georgia down to Wheeler County, where it joins the Ocmulgee River. These two rivers form the Altamaha River and ultimately empty into the Atlantic Ocean near Brunswick and The Golden Isles. Problem: On July 28th, 2010 a spontaneous combustion of several chemical stored in the manufacturing plant caused a fire to start. This fire burned for more than 8 hours, causing toxic smoke to fill the air and released contaminated chemicals into nearby Trail Creek. No one was in the building when the fire started, and no firefighters or anyone else was hurt while battling the blaze. The Athens-Clarke County Fire Department used thousands of gallons of water to fight the fire. This large amount of water usage “caused the stream to be highly polluted”, according...
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...willing come forward believing it is their duty to protect those who speak out to protect from waste and government fraud. I chose to write on this article because it covers a few topics we have covered in our class including whistleblowing, ethics, big business, Acts put in place to protect businesses, employees as well as the government. Some corporations believing that some leeway should be presented for those who are found guilty of only slight oversights in their companies. The article states that Corporations are not fond of the False Claims Act (FCA). Defense contractors, drug makers, health-care providers, and others say that whistle-blowers are abusing an old federal law meant to deter fraud against the government. A Republican senator however, defends the statute as a “shield against corporate rip-offs. The FCA will allow individuals to sue companies doing business with the government as a deterrent to fraud. If this suit succeeds, the individual may keep a portion of the recovery. In a small percentage of cases, the Justice Department will defend the whistleblower’s side, this will make it more likely the suit will succeed in court or settle with a large sized payment by the defendant corporation. The law itself was strengthened in 1987 and since then the government has recovered a total of $42 billion in FCA claims. Now as a result, attorneys are getting more aggressive in searching out potential clients. This is a...
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...Dr. Watson–– The Time Epitome As the years progressed, more acclaimed plays and classic literatures have been reinterpreted and reproduced into films and network shows. The mix of visual impacts, powerful throwing, and cinematography makes an encounter that cannot be matched by other media; consequently, arousing a new round of explorations for twenty-one-century aesthetic needs and infusing vitality into these classics. The incredible Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are not special cases joining the trend. A convention of the relationship between the detective and the sidekick has supported Doyle’s stories for over one century, in which Dr. Watson has been an iconic character complementary for the eccentric and intelligent Holmes. The brilliant creation of Dr. Watson, according to T.J. Binyon in “Murder Will Out,” provides readers with the authentic and plausible adventures by his narratives “through his prosaic, stolid personality”(10). Dr. Watson as the narrator not only helps Doyle develop the stories by hiding vital aspects of mysteries from readers but also represents the majority of Victorian middle-class men, as Panek supported in “Beginning” (80). “His very averageness makes him the representative of societal norm,” added by April Toadvine in “Watson Effect”(52). Hence, observing and analyzing the alterations of Dr. Watson within current Holmesian adaptations provide an insight into how modern-texts continue to use Watson to represent and cater to...
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...Family Life Assurance Company is a fortune 500 company that was started by three brothers in 1955. The company is known for pioneering the supplemental insurance industry and was also the first insurance industry to offer a cancer policy. These major accomplishments all came about due to the Amos brother’s personal life experience with their father, whom after having worked several years and retired from a well-established company that offered great benefits, was still unable to pay his bills, after being diagnosed with cancer. As is the case with most families that have someone battling cancer, the surmounting cost of cancer treatment can put a severe strain on the family and cause the family to seek other means of covering health costs such as: savings accounts, loans, employers or friends. This ordeal propelled the brothers into wanting to help others and therefore, started their own health and life insurance company which is better known today as AFLAC. At the end of the first full year of operation, the company 6,426 policies and just over $388,00 in total assets (NATC,13). Since the 1950’s the company has seen significant growth due to it’s continued dedication to providing products that are needed and service that is unsurpassed. In 1964, Paul Amos introduced “cluster selling,” a virtually new concept in insurance marketing.”(NATC, 13) By the mid sixties the company was selling insurance in 11 states and covered 37 states by the 1970s. The company continued to grow...
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...chemistry; exploits children with its advertising; is responsible for torture and murder of animals; poisons customers with contaminated meat; and exploits its workers and bans unions. At first, McDonald’s ignored the London Greenpeace campaign but when it grew and was taken up seriously by more and more groups around the world in 1989, they decided to take extreme measures against the group. McDonald’s hired seven private investigators to spy on the London Greenpeace to find out who was responsible for the production and distribution of the leaflet. And to be able to file a libel case they will need names of individuals. So the spies penetrated to the group to get names and addresses, took letters sent to the group, got fully involved to the group’s activities, stole documents and took photographs. In 1990, McDonald’s filed libel cases on five members of the group. The company wanted those five to retract what they said in the leaflet and apologize. Three of the five retracted and apologized but two of them decided that they would fight in court to ensure that McDonald’s wouldn’t succeed in silencing their critics. And this was the...
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...much as I hate to admit to it, I have done it my fair share of times. Bribery can be a good or bad thing depending on the situation and how the bribe is used. No matter what I believe that bribery can usually lead to bad consequences. Though it can happen for just small things such as slipping someone a 20 dollar bill to get you into a club, it can also happen in big corporations that are involved in international business. If they are discovered by the government these big companies will pretty much lose everything. For example, “In February of 1975, Eli M. Black, the CEO of United Brands Company, jumped from the 44th floor of his New York City office Building. Black’s jump followed a $1.25 million bribe to Honduran Chief of State General Oswaldo Lopez Arellano to obtain reduced shipment taxes on the exportation of bananas”( Smith 1). This example cost the life of one person as well as high level job positions for 2 people and it hurt the company in a very negative way. This is just one example of a company that has been hurt really badly because of bribery. I will state a couple of more later on in the paper. One way most people don’t know is that bribery happens in the government most often with lobbyists. The whole system is corrupt and its one of those things that is very hard to fix overnight. You also have to remember that some bribery can also be good. It can save lives and it can get people out of trouble when there shouldn’t have been any trouble in the first place. When...
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...A whistle-blower’s lawsuit alerts Galvatrens to deep flaws in its system for uncovering misconduct. How should management and the board respond? HBR CASE STUDY Why Didn’t We Know? by Ralph Hasson COPYRIGHT © 2007 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. It was 9:30 in the evening of what had been a very long Friday when the phone rang in Chip Brownlee’s home study. On the line was Arch Carter, the lead director of Galvatrens, the Houston-based consumer products company that Chip had led as chairman and CEO for the past ten years. “I just got your voice mail,” Arch said. “The parts about a lawsuit and accusations that we manipulated our sales numbers certainly got my attention. What’s going on?” “At this point, I don’t know much,” Chip responded, “but I wanted to give you a heads-up. A former divisional sales manager has filed a lawsuit against the company, charging he was wrongfully terminated because he tried to report an illegal scheme to inflate sales.” Chip had received a copy of the lawsuit that afternoon. As he’d read through the complaint, he’d gotten a whole new perspective on the multiple departures that had rocked Sales dur- ing the past four weeks. The plaintiff was Mike Fields, who had left Galvatrens three weeks earlier. He claimed that he’d come across a plan devised by Greg Wilson, another divisional sales manager. According to Mike, Greg had proposed shipping goods to a few of his bigger customers, billing them, and booking the sales—...
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...well. I feel as though individuals that have issues with their weight need to focus on fixing their own problem rather than wasting time seeking help from everyone else. Taking a fast food company to court because a person is overweight is not exactly an effective way to solve their issue. At the same time, I do believe that there should be some laws that limit the amount of fat and cholesterol in some foods. Nutritional information should be readily available to those who seek it. Not until recently did we notice that more fast food restaurants are displaying their nutritional facts in store as well as online. We are seeing more and more restaurants attempting to offer healthier foods in an effort to reduce the obesity problem in America. I personally feel that this small effort from restaurants will make a big difference with the obesity problems we have right now. People just need to take advantage of these accommodations. The biggest reason for the companies to make this effort is that they are trying to avoid being sued. In the article located in our text “What You Eat is Your Business” by Radley Balko, it discusses how much money is being spent on our society’s health problems and how obesity should not be the public’s concern, it should be the concern of the individual battling obesity. The increase in obesity is frightening...
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... it is used in order to provide job applicants information on both negative and positive aspects of the job (Breaugh 1983). For the rationale of this literature review, we uphold Schreurs’ and Syed’s (2011) explanation of RJP seeing that demonstrates the important position of recruitment practices in enhancing to achieve an organisation’s strategic objectives. This literature review aims to address this through the research conducted by various authors. This review will begin with emphasizing on the purposes of all the findings, subsequently, investigating the current theories in the literature on RJPs by communicating how they are conventionally treated as divergent proportions of the recruitment process. Following the methodological study, outcomes will be discussed, with explicit consideration of RJPs limitations and recommendation to expand on a more effective realistic recruitment processes. PURPOSE Considerable amount of research has been performed on the impact RJPs have on job applicants’ expectations, satisfaction and employee turnover. Schreurs and Syed (2011) show the importance of RJPs in the recruitment function. RJPs meet the expectations of job applicants (Breaugh 1983, p. 618) by producing a group of desirable applicants in order to improve their interest in the job and enhance the prospect that they will accept a job offer (Schreurs and Syed 2011). After exploring the perceptions of individuals, Richardson, McBey and McKenna (2008) supported the use of a...
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