...Matt Olbrantz ENGM 5550 2/08/2011 Interim Assignment #2-Case Study; Warren Buffett It was apparent at a young age that Buffett was destined for success. His parents, grandparents knew he was a gifted as a child and eventually would turn into something great. He had something that no one else had, a savvy for business ethics and profit. It is incredible to me that by the time Buffett finished high school he had $6,000 in savings. And even more incredible to have almost $10,000 by the time he got out of college. Buffett took what he learned as a young boy about selling everyday items like gum and used the same philosophy in making billions in the stock market. As a young boy shades of brilliance were apparent, selling lemonade, bubble gum, then the purchase of pin ball machines for use in barber shops and then selling them for a profit. Buffett began trading stocks at a young age with success. It was obvious Buffett knew what he was doing as an adolescent and I think this set the foundation’s for his strategies later in life. It also shows that he would not invest something he was not familiar with. Who is not familiar with gum, lemonade and pin ball as a kid?? Warren Buffett was first exposed to formal training in investing at Columbia University, where Buffett studied under Prof. Ben Graham. Graham developed a method that identified undervalued stocks and this was Buffett’s cornerstone approach of what is now called “valued investing”...
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...President Eisenhower nominated Earl Warren to be the Chief Justice of the Untied States Supreme Court in 1953. The Warren Court, succeeding the Vinson Court and preceding the Burger Court, dated from 1953 to 1969. The Associate Justices of the Court changed throughout the sixteen years that Warren was Chief Justice. In 1953 the Associate Justices were: Black, Reed, Frankfurter, Douglas, Jackson, Burton, Clark, and Minton. Harlan replaced Jackson after his death in 1954. Minton and Reed retired and were replaced by Brennan and Whittaker. Stewart joined The Court after Burton’s retirement, and after Whittaker was deemed disabled White joined in 1962. Frankfurter retired and was replaced by Goldberg, and Fortas joined after Goldberg’s resignation. Clark retired in 1967 and Marshall joined the Court shortly after Fortas resigned. The Warren Court was a liberal activist court, because the decisions made expanded...
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...Case 1: Warren Buffet a) Buffett portrays intrinsic value as “The only logical way to evaluate the relative attractiveness of investments and businesses.” (Bruner et al, 2009 p.7) It has accorded such importance because it can be used to estimate the value of the businesses ongoing operations and not the companies stock. Through the calculation of the discounted cash flows, and moreover the net present value of the forecasted performance, we can therefore figure out whether the investment holds the potential to generate value. By comparing these amounts to ones within the market and therefore being able to identify certain businesses that are very undervalued. The alternatives of valuing an investment include calculating the book value or accounting profit. Buffett rejects the alternatives to intrinsic value because he believes that the conventional accounting approach or methods follow certain rules that do not accurately forecast the future of the investments performance. (b) The very essence of Buffett’s investment philosophy is that of his use of intrinsic value to determine the quality and future value of an investment, instead of basing it on accounting reality. However, accounting profit should be used hand in hand with intrinsic value because it helps clarify managements skills and how they put their capital to use. Buffett calculates the discounted cash flows of the particular company, therefore understanding its economic reality. Rather than the financial statements...
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...Group Project for CISB233 Principles of Management and Organisational Behaviour In a group of min 2 and max 5, solve all three case studies and questions given. During Week 14, there will be a presentation session for all groups. Thus, as a group, prepare the followings; 1. Presentation slide - to be used during presentation a. List of group members b. Answers for all questions of the three case studies c. Answers for Question 4 – try to inject creativity for this one. DO NOT USE ONLY TEXT. 2. Printout version of the presentation – to be submitted during presentation d. It can be the printed presentation slide or word documentation. The printout version should explicitly answer the questions. Should not be in point forms. Case Study 1: Humanized Robots? Helen Bowers was stumped. Sitting in her office at the plant, she pondered the same questions she had been facing for months: how to get her company’s employees to work harder and produce more. No matter what she did, it didn’t seem to help much. Helen had inherited the business three years ago when her father, Jake Bowers, passed away unexpectedly. Bowers Machine Parts was founded four decades ago by Jake and had grown into a moderate-size corporation. Bowers makes replacement parts for large-scale manufacturing machines such as lathes and mills. The firm is headquartered in Kansas City and has three plants scattered throughout Missouri. Although Helen grew up in the family...
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...good story needs its hero and its villain. In Gary Alan Fine’s book, Difficult Reputations: Collective Memories of the Evil, Inept, and Controversial, he urges the importance of history’s villains, and those with controversial reputations, in modern society. Eight case studies are used to show how controversial figures in public memory (ranging from Benedict Arnold to Henry Ford to Fatty Arbuckle) acquired difficult reputations and the effects that those reputations had on the American people. In Fine’s introduction, he makes a case for the relevance of figures with difficult reputations. American society has a tendency to focus on reputational heroes such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln who represent the center of American morality. Fine argues that those with difficult reputations are just as important because they represent the boundaries of morality. Portrayals of these figures as villains are thus examples for the people of what is morally unacceptable in American society. Fine then explains the importance of reputational entrepreneurs in the construction of reputations. He defines reputational entrepreneurs as those who help construct reputations in ways that benefit their own agendas. In the case of morality, reputational entrepreneurs can benefit society by constructing negative reputations for those whose actions are immoral. However, as shown in Chapter 7’s demonstration of literary circles in New York in the mid-1800s, reputational entrepreneurs can be...
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...The case study was depicting a case of culture shock as Mr. & Mrs. Warren Oars lacked knowledge on the Japanese culture and the indifference between the American and the Japanese way of doing business. There are 2 scenarios in the case; the first one is the aggressive approach of Mr. Oars to the Japanese Executive as he was trying to present his proposal of penetrating the Japanese market and the second is the lack of knowledge of Mrs. Oars in of the female role in the Japanese culture as she was so confident that it would be easy for her to be a part of a multinational Japanese corporation because of her well respected lawyer status in the Unites States. The main problem of the American Auto Suppliers company is how they can win over the Japanese market against the Japanese automakers which could affect their market greatly and could be the cause of the companies fall. AAU is now trying to negotiate Japanese executives to partner up their company in order to win over the local consumers but because of Mr. Warren Oats aggressive approach to the Japanese executives it may have cost there company a chance on winning over the Japanese market . There are 2 possible strategic approaches in the case; the first one could be partner up with a rival local company of the Japanese automakers. An advantage to this approach is that you would increase your chances of winning against the Japanese automakers because now you will have 2 different styles in marketing and introducing your product...
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...Enterprise IT at Cisco Case Write-Up | Summary: Enterprise IT at Cisco Systems is an interesting case that demonstrates what happens when a company’s IT infrastructure is decentralized. In the case of Cisco, the word decentralized was demonstrated in how the individual departments conducted business in their own ways and not in conjunction with other business functions. At one point, this approach was encouraged as it was believed to allow departments, and the people running them, the ability to avoid company politics, to ensure their priorities were met, and to encourage each department and individual the opportunity to be creative and innovative, which is a fundamental component of Cisco’s company style. Brad Boston, CIO of Cisco, believed that it was possible to retain that company attitude of innovation in a more centralized manner to decrease redundancy and formally integrate systems. While there was a great deal of pushback from employees, and the full centralization will take a great bit of time, Boston was making the best choices for the company. 1. How did Cisco find itself in such trouble with regard to its internal IT in 2001? Why didn’t the single ERP system help more? Why didn’t this ensure more consistency? As briefly mentioned above, Cisco found itself in such trouble as a result of allowing every department and employee operate freely and with little regard for what others were doing. As stated on page 4 of the case study, “Boston also discovered...
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...end to inequality and therefore alleviate poverty. it is believed by some economists that redistribution is the only way to make the world equal again , these economists also believe that redistribution is the role of the government (Browning, 1989) while others believe it is the role of the citizens and the government . Inequality is a major global problem which leads to loss of GDP, health, lives and others. Inequality is a cancerous growth that needs to be cut down (Gostin, 2007) in this research report will elaborate on the inequalities of the world and how it ties to poverty, using the theme of discrimination, based on race, caste and gender. It will show how discrimination leads to inequality and poverty, with the help of various case studies and examples, it will also give recommendations on how the inequality can be reduced. The global inequality shows that 80% of global health is in the hands of 15% of the "privileged." (Milanovic, 2011) What is poverty? Poverty is described as the thing that deprives humans of their fundamental human rights and needs. (Weebly, 2012). Poverty can also be described as an absence of wealth, health, social security and so on. Poverty is also a very complex term, therefore it is not that easy to describe therefore there are various definitions that explain poverty. It can be said that there are different types of poverty such as * Relative...
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...international development studies. A number of new actors have appeared on the scene and are changing the attitudes towards and the setting of development, in particularly in Africa. To argue that changes on this scene is a novelty would be obscene, with possible references to the plethora of different development paths followed by individual states, the widely differing politics of international development and in particular the big shifts in the international paradigms surrounding aid and governance. The reasons for the current change on the international scene are many. First, and most relevant to this paper, there is the entry of “new” states on the scene. These are states that most often have risen to a middle-income level (e.g. China, Brazil, South Africa), and now are looking to either widen their altruistic reach, look out for geopolitical interest, gain political influence or to secure access to future growth markets and scarce resources – or maybe all of the above. It is worth to note, that they have all been present for a long time, but just recently have attained the interior economic welfare to increase their aid support (Rampa et al., 2012; Dreher et al., 2011; Wouters et al., 2012). Another very big driver of change is the entry of private financing into the field of development. Private companies, famous philanthropists and celebrities now venture into the field of development. Some of the famous examples are Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who come with an...
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...Global Sourcing Development at IKEA – a Case Study Paper prepared for the 25th IMP conference Jens Hultman1, Susanne Hertz1, Rhona Johnsen2, Thomas Johnsen2 1: Jönköping International Business School, P.O Box 1026, SE-551 11 SWEDEN E-mail: jens.hultman@ihh.hj.se, susanne.hertz@ihh.hj.se Tel: +46 0(36) 10 10 00 2: Audencia Nantes School of Management, 8 Route de la Joneliere, BP 31222 – 44312 Nantes Cedex 3, France. E-mail: tjohnsen@audencia.com; rjohnsen@audencia.com Tel: + 33 (0)240 37 46 25 Abstract This study explores the dynamic process of global sourcing development through a case study of the Swedish home furnishing giant IKEA and its supply network concerning the PAX wardrobe system. The paper provides a synthesis of the existing global sourcing literature by dividing this growing body of research into three major themes: globalization processes and stages, motives/drivers, and organizational design and management. Moreover, the paper integrates the global sourcing literature with the established literature on the internationalization process of firms. Comparing the existing research on global sourcing and internationalization, we propose two research questions focused on: (1) the ways in which the IKEA global sourcing and supply chain development process resembles a linear stages process, and (2) the principal drivers of the development of global sourcing within IKEA. Relating the findings of the global sourcing process in the case of IKEA, the paper suggests that the...
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...BACHELOR OF COMMERCE (B.COM.,) PAPER – 2.1 MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS UNIT – I CHAPTER - I SECTION - I Definition of Managerial Economics Managerial economics refers to those aspects of economics and its tools of analysis most relevant to the firm’s decision-making process. According to MeNair and Meriam, managerial economies consists of the use of economic models of thought to analyze business situations. Some writers consider managerial economics as the integration of economic theory with business practice for the purpose of facilitating decision-making and forward planning by management. The underlying idea of all these definitions is that managerial economics means economics applied in decision-making. So we may consider managerial economics as a special branch of economics bridging the gap between abstract theory and managerial practice. It may be pointed out here that effective decision-making at the firms’ level calls for a careful analysis of a choice between alternative courses of action. Economic theory offers a variety of concepts and analytical tools which can be of considerable assistance to the manager in his decision-making process. In fact actual problem-solving may require many skills and tools which are not available in the traditional economist’s. For example, knowledge of accounting and of statistical concepts and methods, which are not taught in economics, can help the analyses to apply more effectively the economic...
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...I ~ i APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS SERIES CASE Series Editors LEONARD BICKMAN, Peabody College, Vandelbilt University. Nashvine DEBRA J. ROO. Vanderbilt UnillelSity. Washington. DC I. SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS (ThIrd Edition) by FlOYD J. FOWLER, Jr. 2. SYNTHESIZING RESEARCH (ThIrd edition) by HARRIS COOPER 3. METHODS FOR POUCY RESEARCH by ANN MAJCHRZAK 4. SECONDARY RESEARCH (Second Edition) by DAVID W. STEWART and MICHAEL A. KAMINS 5. CASE sruDY RESEARCH (ThIrd edition) by ROBERT K. YIN 6. META-ANALY11C PROCEDURES FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH (Revl'" Edition) by ROBERT ROSENTHAL 7. TELEPHONE SURVEY METHODS (Second Edition) by PAUL J. LAVRAKAS 8. DIAGNOSING ORGANlZAnoNS (s.cond Edition) by MICHAEL I. HARRISON 9. GROUP TECHNIQUES FOR IDEA BUILDING (Second Edition, by CARL M. MOORE 10. NEED ANALYSI9 by JACK McKilliP II. UNKING AUDmNG AND META EVALUAnON by THOMAS A. SCHWANDT and EOINARD S. HALPERN 12. ETHICS AND VALUES IN APPUED SOCIAL RESEARCH by ALLAN J. KIMMEL 13. ON nME AND METHOD by JANICE R. KEllY and JOSEPH E. McGRATH 14. RESEARCH IN HEALTH CARE SEmNGS by KATHLEEN E. GRADY and BARBARA STRUDLER WALlSTON 15. PARnCIPANT OBSERVAnON by DANNY JORGENSEN 16. INTERPREnVE INTERACllONISM (Second Edition) by NORMAN K. DENZIN 17. ETHNOGRAPHY (Second Edition) by DAVID M. FETTERMAN 18. STANDARDIZED...
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...Outsourcing 1/60 ABSTRACT: The main focus of this project is investigating and exploring the impact of outsourcing on one of the most iconic Danish companies (LEGO), which attracted our attention during the preparation of this project. We decided to focus on a single case study, because we felt that dividing our efforts by investigating more than one company, would not allow us to focus in sufficient detail on the domino effects that outsourcing can have on a singular institution. The main question of this project is “How could LEGO improve the Make-or-buy- decision and the relationship management when it comes to outsourcing”? In order to answer the main question, we must consider two sub-questions stemming from the main issue, namely: “How could LEGO improve the decision-making-process to outsource by taking more influencing factors into consideration?” and “What could LEGO have done differently in its relationship to the outsourcing vendor Flextronics”. We used the Case Study Research method to work on these questions. Doing that, we reviewed theories, which explained the phenomenon of outsourcing on a theoretical basis. After creating a theoretical framework and the database, we analyzed the case (LEGO) for parallels between the theories and their practical experience. Finally, we were able to drawn some conclusions to both the central and subsidiary questions initially posed. In summary, it can be said that LEGO did not take all aspects into consideration...
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...THE ON OT C OP YO CASE STUDY HANDBOOK RP OS T ON OP YO RP OT C OS T THE ON OT C Write Persuasively About Cases OP CASE STUDY HANDBOOK How to Read, Discuss, and William Ellet Harvard Business School Press Boston, Massachusetts YO RP OS T Copyright 2007 William Ellet All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 11 10 09 08 07 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163. The copyright on each case in this book unless otherwise noted is held by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and they are published herein by express permission. Permission requests to use individual Harvard copyrighted cases should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu, or mailed to the Permissions Editor, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163. ON OT C Case material of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration is made possible by the cooperation of business firms and other organizations which may wish to remain anonymous by having names, quantities, and other...
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...1/22/07 3:37 PM Page i RP OS T ElletFM.qxp THE DO N OT C OP YO CASE STUDY HANDBOOK 1/22/07 3:37 PM Page ii DO N OT C OP YO RP OS T ElletFM.qxp 1/22/07 3:37 PM Page iii RP OS T ElletFM.qxp YO THE OP CASE STUDY HANDBOOK How to Read, Discuss, and OT C Write Persuasively About Cases DO N William Ellet Harvard Business School Press Boston, Massachusetts 1/22/07 3:37 PM Page iv RP OS T ElletFM.qxp Copyright 2007 William Ellet YO All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 11 10 09 08 07 5 4 3 2 1 OP No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163. The copyright on each case in this book unless otherwise noted is held by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and they are published herein by express permission. Permission requests to use individual Harvard copyrighted cases should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu, or mailed to the Permissions Editor, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163. OT C Case material of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration is made possible by the...
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