...CASE: CORWIN CORPORATION Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 2. INTRODUCTION 4 3. PROBLEM STATEMENT AND DISCUSSION OF PROBLEMS 5 3.2 DISCUSSION OF PROBLEMS 5 3.2.1. POOR PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS 5 3.2.2. NO DETAILED SCOPE SPECIFICATIONS 6 3.2.3. LACK OF TOP OR SENIOR MANAGEMENT SUPPORT 6 3.2.4. LATE INVOLVEMET OF MIDDLE OR FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT 7 3.2.5. POOR CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS 8 4. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS OF SOLUTIONS 9 4.1. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS 9 4.2. DISCUSSION OF SOLUTIONS 9 4.2.1. EFFECTIVE PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS 9 4.2.2. DETAILED SCOPE SPECIFICATIONS 10 4.2.3. TOP OR SENIOR MANAGEMENT SUPPORT 11 4.2.4. EARLY INVOLVEMENT OF MIDDLE OR FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT 13 4.2.5. EFFICIENT CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS 13 5. CONCLUSIONS 15 6. RECOMMENDATIONS 16 6.1. EFFECTIVE PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS 16 6.2. DETAILED SCOPE SPECIFICATIONS 16 6.3. TOP OR SENIOR MANAGEMENT SUPPORT 17 Top management support should always be there in an organisation to provide sufficient executive level support and make management decision. Tough the other members on the management level are not available; the business should be able to continue without showing any gap. Therefore, Corwin needs to do the following: 17 6.4. EARLY INVOLVEMENT OF MIDDLE OR FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT 18 6.5. EFFICIENT CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS 18 Corwin Corporation must put in place an efficient change management process that will address all the scope changes. 18 PMBOK (2008:93), the Perform Integrated...
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...Case Analysis Corwin Corporation Project Management Failure by Jane Mauret EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report has been prepared to examine the reasons why the Peters/Corwin project, instigated in late December 2011, was terminated during the testing phase by the client. This led to financial loss for Corwin and cessation of relations with Peters, an important customer. Corwin has long-standing internal protocols with regard to project selection around product-based initiatives from outside clients. However, in this instance, these measures were entirely overlooked. Thus, the project failed to meet the brief due to lack of proper management at the initiation and execution stages. This analysis points up three major areas of concern, namely: project selection (includes staff competencies); managerial support (includes organisational culture); and communication issues (for internal and external stakeholders). Out of the discussion, conclusions were drawn which then helped formulate practical recommendations to address issues raised now, and to ward off future repetition. 1. INTRODUCTION This report seeks to isolate the reasons why a recent collaboration with Peters Company (PC), a company with which Corwin Corporation (CC) had an established and healthy working relationship, floundered. Not only did CC lose out financially but its future potential revenues from Peters have been jeopardised. CC’s strong reputation has received negative publicity at a time of global recession...
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...Corwin made some major mistakes in its handling of the Peters project. The first mistake was in its project selection process. New product development does not fit within Corwin’s conservative, risk-adverse market expansion focus. Although Corwin had a product selection policy in place, they did not formally evaluate the request from Peters against the policy. Instead, management at Corwin allows the 5-year profit sharing incentive to influence negatively its decision making process. If Corwin had of followed its policy and process, the project might never have been accepted. Corwin agreed to a fixed price contract. In a fixed price contract, the vendor takes on the majority of the financial risk. Fixed price contracts work well in situations where the requirements are clear and the vendor is confident that they can meet the requirements for the agreed price. However, the Peters project did not fit the criteria for a fixed price contract. Peters was only able to provide a rough draft of product specifications. Incomplete specifications are at high risk for change. Changes to product specifications can affect the cost, which can negatively affect Corwin in a fixed price contract. In addition, the contracts manager at Corwin was unfamiliar with fixed price contracts resulting in his inability to watch out for the best interests of the organization. If Corwin had followed its normal pricing process, they might have proposed a might higher cost for the project and Peters might...
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...Corwin Corporation Project Management Failure Case Analysis Executive Summary The purpose of this article is to explore the real reasons hidden behind the event of project termination between Corwin Corporation with the Peters Company. The decision of taking this project was made slapdash by Corwin Corporation just a few weeks before Charismas under the pressure of Peters Company. After three months, the project was finally cancelled just on the early testing stage by the client unilaterally. This project failure led to not only financial loss for Corwin, but also cessation of relations with Peters Company which is one of the most important and also a difficult customer. Corwin as the synonymous with quality has stringent requirements for any project selection around product-based initiatives from outside client. However, under the pressure and the temptation of further undefined manufacturing contract from Peters, the requirements were completely neglected. The project failed to meet the client expectation due to lack of proper management at the pre-project and on-going phases. The major concerns of the failure include: project selection; staff competency; management support; project planning; and project communication between internal and external stakeholders. Introduction This article is prepared to seek the reasons of Corwin Corporation’s project failure. Hunting mistakes that Corwin made during the project initiation and execution stages and provides recommendation...
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...How do Global Retail Companies utilize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? “A Comparative Study using Hennes & Mauritz (Sweden) and UNIQLO (Japan)” Authors: Greg Jogie Ayaz Shukat Master thesis – FE2413 Spring 2010 Supervisor: Eva Wittbom How do Global Retail Companies utilize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? Abstract Abstract Corporations around the world are today acknowledging more and more the need of long-term sustainability strategies integrated into their core businesses. This has led to the use of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework. H&M and UNIQLO are no different. They are established global retailing companies and heavily affected by the consumers demand of a sustainable work process. The demands are often heard when news hits of problems in the supply-chain. This can be issues like unsatisfactory working conditions in factories, environmental issues caused by production and general imbalance of labor policies. Such problems have put pressure on the companies to enact a proper reporting framework for their sustainability efforts and that is the focus of this thesis. The objective is to understand how well the organizations‘ have been using CSR and the goal is to look at their behavior within their supply chain processes and their environmental focus. We will then benchmark them according to the sustainability measurement framework called Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). GRI is a framework widely used by the top global companies...
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...enterprise, and are also affected by it. 2. According to Porter, what determines the level of competitive intensity in an industry? According to Porter, the level of competitive intensity is determined by 5 basic competitive forces namely: (1) Threat of new entrants to a market (2) Bargaining power of suppliers (3) Bargaining power of customers or buyers (4) Threat of substitute products and (5) Degree of competitive rivalry 3. What should be scanned in the task environment? There should be an analysis of relevant elements in the task environment such as: (1) Competitors (2) Suppliers (3) Regulators (4) Strategic Partners (5) Labor and (6) Customers. 4. Discuss how a development in a corporation’s societal environment can affect the corporation through its task environment. 5. How can managers identify external strategic factors? a. Environmental uncertainty b. Issues priority matrix c. New entrants d. Entry barriers e. Rivalry f. Substitute products g. Bargaining power of buyers and suppliers h. Bargaining power of other...
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...Unit VIII Article Critique Columbia Southern University DBA 7553 1. Introduction of the Article This article is found in the Directors and Boards magazine. It is written by Donald P. Delves who “is president of the Delves Group, a compensation and corporate governance consulting firm that advises boards of directors” (Delves, 2012). The article is titled “What about everyone else? The problem may not be that executives are paid too much, but that employees are paid too little.” 2. Statement of the Problem Studied In this article, Mr. Delves examined why people complain about executive pay, how companies used to inflate employee earnings, and how companies can increase employee wages now. 3. Significance of the Problem Studied With sky rocketing pay for many executives over the last few decades, many employees have wondered why their pay has not also increased. In the past companies have used stock options to provide incentive for employees and to use these as a pathway to increase employee pay. However with the economic recession and many of the changes in accounting practices, companies could no longer use this incentive to increase wages for employees. Thus Mr. Delves presents the question, “what do we do about [increasing employee incentives]?” (Delves, 2012). If this question can be answered, it has the potential to not only increase employee productivity but also to provide them with increased opportunities. ...
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...1) Why do you think Starbucks has been so concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy? Starbuck is a known corporation local and international for their freshly brewed coffee and other products that are offered. Social responsibility helps the company image, to care about the community and the environment, these are positive stand points that define the company self portrait. It's important how you look on the outside, in the end it's all about sales. As mention in the text “people first and profit last” once a corporation can fulfill its duties that benefit the consumer and the parties involve then there is no need to worry about the business profit. 2) Is Starbucks unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees? The text mention “it is better for a company to take some short-term loses than to lose sight of its core values in the long term “yes Starbucks is unique because not many restaurant offer the kind of benefits as Starbuck. The employees are important to the business and it helps to retain them. Offering health insurance, paid time off, and other perks are ways to keep employees happy which lead to great work effort and a successful business. It also helps to lower the business employment turnover rate and save the corporation money because they do not spend much money and recruiting new employees and to train them. 3) Do you think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because of its ethical and socially responsible...
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...to maximize a firms [sp] profit potential, a corporation should match its greatest strengths, with external factors to create opportunities. When assessing opportunities to acquire a new business unit, firms should only seek to acquire units that have strengths that match, enhance or can be combined with the firms established strengths. The article [which? there is no list of references -- you’re supposed to discuss an issue from class before discussing the article] is about how firms are purchasing business units that do not align with their strengths or the vision/mission of the parent corporation. Once the business unit is acquired the viable option is to sell if off in pieces because it is not contributing to the corporations strengths. We agree with the author [sp] premise that diversification should not be pursued unless it will help a parent corporation achieve its already established mission. Corporations should avoid acquiring firms that possess strengths or missions not aligned with the parent corporation. A firm should not see purchasing business units as strength [clumsy]; a corporation’s strength is not an action. A corporation should see the reason why they have accumulated the financial resources necessary to purchase additional business units as their strength. Once that strength is identified the corporation should be pursing business units that have underlining strengths that will enhance the parent corporations [sp] ability to pursue their mission and maximize...
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...Introduction and Course Philosophy: This course covers accounting theory and practice for business combinations, segment and interim reporting, foreign exchange and partnerships. Business combinations cover most forms of mergers and acquisitions, which are common among business entities. Segment reporting is how management disaggregates financial results into meaningful business performance. Foreign exchange covers the basics of currency transactions and translation including hedging, which are common in the global economy. Finally, in partnerships we cover more extensively the formation, operation and dissolution of general partnerships, the most prevalent form of business in the United States. In my career in financial services, I was personally involved in 3 large business combination involving aspects of mergers, segment reporting and foreign exchange that we will discuss in class. You will be exposed to the authoritative accounting literature covering each area and get hands on experience in solving typical problems faced by accounting practitioners. We will complete the entire syllabus. Required Text: Advanced Accounting---11th edition, Hoyle, Schaefer and Doupnik McGraw Hill/Irwin 2013. A separate loose leaf edition, with only the chapters we cover will be available exclusively at the Queens College bookstore. The ISBN for the looseleaf edition is 9780077772932. Acquiring the loose leaf edition gives you the convenience of being able to bring only the chapters...
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...LEGAL FORM OF BUSSINESS In this paper we will compare and discuss different forms of business and their advantages and disadvantages. Following are the different type of business formed to conduct work: 1. Sole proprietorship. 2. Partnership. 3. Limited liability partnership. 4. Limited liability company. 5. S corporation. 6. Franchise. 7. Corporate. 1. Sole proprietorship, The sole proprietorship is a type of business entity that is owned and run by one individual. All the decisions of the business are made by that individual and there is no legal distinction between that individual and the business. Following are the advantages and disadvantages of Sole proprietorship Advantages They have the ability to raise capital either publicly or privately. To limit the personal liability of the officers and managers. Limit risk to investors. Sole proprietorships have the least government rules and regulations affecting it. Owners have complete control over all the aspects of his or her business. The owner can take any managerial decisions that he/ she wants to take. Disadvantages Raising capital for a proprietorship is more difficult because an unrelated investor has less peace of mind concerning the use and security of his or her investment . The investment is more difficult to formalize other types of business entities have more documentation. The enterprise may be crippled or terminated if the owner becomes ill. The business is the same legal entity...
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...Anthony and Karen were partners doing business as the Petite Garment Company. Leroy owned a dye plant that did much of the processing for the company. Anthony and Karen decided to offer Leroy an interest in their company, in consideration for which Leroy would contribute his dye plant to the partnership. Leroy accepted the offer and was duly admitted as a partner. At the time he was admitted as a partner, Leroy did no know that the partnership was on the verge of insolvency. About three months after Leroy was admitted to the partnership, a textile firm obtained a judgment against the partnership in the amount of 50,000. This debt represented an unpaid balance that had existed before Leroy was admitted as a partner. The textile firm brought an action to subject the partnership property, including the dye plant, to the satisfaction of its judgment. The complaint also requested that, in the event the judgment was unsatisfied by sale of partnership property, Leroy’s home be sold and the proceeds applied to the balance of the judgment. Anthony and Karen own nothing but their interest in the partnership property. What should be the result: With regard to the dye plant- With regard to Leroy’s home- Since Leroy was admitted before the judgment was actually brought upon the partners It would make him liable to subsequent debts of the partnership along with Anthony and Karen, since the dye plant was part of the deal when Leroy entered the partnership it would be considered...
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...organization. The single owner of business has entire ownership and control over the assets and capital invested in the business and he or she is individually responsible (subject to some restrictions) for the expenses and liabilities of the business. • Liability A different advantage, nonetheless, is that the proprietor of this business form is responsible for all the business liabilities. Therefore, if a sole owner business undergo into financial crisis, creditors can originate lawsuits against the sole proprietor. If lawsuits are successful then proprietor has to pay the liability with his or her money. The owners of this business form can, and frequently do, combine business and personal funds and property, unlike partnerships, LLCs and corporations, they cannot do this. • Income taxes Due to the fact that sole proprietorship is not distinguishable from its owner, its characteristics...
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...business owner, companies growing at hyper speed sometimes pay the price for its success. 1.2 DEFINE THE TERM “ MARKET LEADERSHIP.” WHY DO FIRM WORKHARD TO OPTAIN LEADERSHIP? Market leadership is the position of a company with the largest market share or highest profitability margin in a given market for goods and services. Market share can be measured by how much the goods sold in the market. Market leadership is usually understood in terms of the position of a given company within an industry or market, based on three factors. When determining whether a corporation can properly be referred to as a market leader, the profitability of the company will play a major role. Along with how profitable the company happens to be, the market share volume and value will also be considered. While market leadership does not necessarily require the highest profitability margin or largest market share in the industry, a corporation is normally expected to demonstrate a consistent level of profitability from one financial period to the next. That level of profit should be significant and represent a sizable share of the available market. When the company is able to sustain the profitability through shifts in the general economy as...
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...One of the most prominent food and beverage companies in the Philippines is the Republic Flour Mills (RFM) Corporation, established in 1958 by aspiring Filipinos. Dr. Salvador Araneta pursued and succeeded his dream of making a way to save foreign exchange and create local jobs by starting out a local flour mill. Along with his wife, Victoria Lopez de Araneta, son-in-law, Joe Con and associates, Jose Concepcion, Sr., BJ Server, Pete Grimm, Albino Sycip, Zoilo Alberto, Leonardo Eugenio, Francisco Gamboa, Sr., they have come together to become a strong team. Their strength carried throughout endeavors during the difficult state of the Philippine economy in order to operate the mill. One of the issues was the American monopoly in the Central Bank of the Philippines for resisting to grant RFM the mandatory dollar allocation. With persistence and cooperation, RFM has then pioneered the flour-milling industry in the Asian region by starting out as a single company manufacturing bags of flour to a distinguished multi-company enterprise leading a number of branded products. RFM Corporations stands as a strong contender in the Philippine consumer market for offering a wide variety of food and beverage products such as: White King (cake mixes and flour-based products), Fiesta (Pasta and Sauce), Swift (meat based products), Sunkist (fruit juices), Selecta (milk- based products) and Selecta (ice cream, under the joint venture with Unilever). A variety of partnerships, acquisitions and...
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