...environment of the company. After that the report covers the business plan of the company with its strategic planning section, and how the company is able to implement its strategic planning. Whereas the focus of strategic planning is on the whole organization and the focus of the business plan is on a particular product or service. Contents Executive Summary: 2 Introduction and Company background: 4 Task 1 5 1.1 The importance of external factors affecting Marks and Spencer Group: 5 1.2 Analyze the needs and expectations of stakeholders of Marks and Spencer Group: 7 1.3 Analyze the major changes taking place in the external environment that will affect strategy of M&S: 8 Task 2 8 2.1 Use appropriate tools to analyze the effects of current business plans 8 2.2 Review the position of M&S in its current market 9 2.3 Evaluate the competitive strengths and weaknesses of M&S 10 Task 3 10 3.1 Use modeling tools to develop strategic options for M&S 10 3.2 Develop a comparative understanding of activity from organization which competes with Marks and Spencer Group 11 3.3 Create options to form the basis of future strategy of Marks and Spencer Group 11 Task 4 12 4.1 Propose a suitable structure for a strategy plan that ensures appropriate participation from all stakeholders of M&S 12 4.2 Develop criteria for reviewing potential options for a strategic plan of M&S. 13 4.3 Construct an agreed...
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...Contents 1.Introduction 2 2.The Situation 3 2.1 Background of M&S 3 2.2 A Fiercely Competitive Clothing Market of M&S 3 2.3 The Rationale: Why does HRM Contribute to Increasing Competitiveness? 4 3 Analysis of Current Situation 5 4. Respond to the HRM Weakness 9 5. Evaluation on HRM Approach Implemented by M&S 10 6. Conclusion 11 References 12 1.Introduction In recent business environment, competition has become a core issue due to its crucial impacts on company development in terms of market and profits. This dissertation will introduce proper and effective strategies to overcome the problems so that the company would be turned into higher competitive stance. Additionally, this article aims to analyze the competitive environment from both internal and external of Marks and Spencer plc (M&S), to evaluate the reasons why it has gone wrong ever since 1997 and to identify how the changes of human resources management could help M&S sharpen its competitive edge. This paper is divided into four parts. The first part focuses on the background M&S has been facing ever since 1997 that the company is suffering from a great crisis. The current situation is analyzed in the second part by using the SWOT model to examine the positions and environment of M&S. The third part emphasizes on discussing the human resources management policies that M&S used to respond the weakness discussion during the SWOT analysis. The final...
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...in the industry. And for more than half a century M & Spencer was the epitome of enlightened capitalism. It dominated the British high streets and provided shoppers with quality and value clothing unrivalled by competitors. It was one of Britain’s largest high profile retailers selling variety of goods and services such as clothes, food, furniture and loan services. But its glory has started to crumble when it profits began to fall since 1998. M & S has been facing their worst times ever. Their problems began at the start of financial year April 1999. They suffered almost from financial ruins. Since the event of its failure, M & S has been taking more than several attempts to recover their losses. Extensive studies and researches have been conducted to find out the root causes so as to come up with appropriate strategies for development. Most of the studies started with the company’s profile. Below is an analysis of the company’s profile and the validity of one strategic management models to Marks & Spencer’ experiences. Marks & Spencer’s organization culture is characterized as a reflection of “taken for granted fashion” that is an attitude shared by members of the organization. The beliefs and basic assumptions operate unconsciously among the members and also exist at the organizational level. The assumptions and taken for granted fashion have taken its roots from the basis of the organization’s success. During the 80's Marks & Spencer experienced a massive growth of interest...
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...Part 01 Executive Summary M&S as an organization has faced a number of challenges in its 130 year existence, but has successfully weathered each challenge as it presents itself with relative aplomb. The foundation upon which the whole business has rested since its inception in 1884 was in its initial form, involved selling carefully chosen, good quality goods with low margins, and achieving volume sales (relatively speaking, at least) through Michael Marks' Penny Bazaars in the North West of England. This strategy was overwhelmingly successful, and continued to be the central tenet of M&S strategy for many years. M&S sailed through the depression and several recessions, but at the end of the 1990's something went severely wrong. Profits were falling year on year and the footfall in the stores was lower than it had been for several years. From the year of 1991 to 1998 it started to regain its profit again. But from 1999 the situation started to worsen again. This report sets out many of the reasons for that failure then concludes by suggesting and evaluating the strategic options open to the organization going forward. The report concludes that drawing on the substantial capital resources of M&S, brand and product development are the appropriate measures to take in order to put M&S back on the retail map. 1|Page Part 02 Strategic Profile and Case Analysis Purpose Strategic Profile The case study provided several descriptions on the basic elements of the company...
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...1000: How the To… Home Magazine About Store Log In / Register Business Literature Financ e Global Perspec tive Innovation Marketing, Media & Sales Operations & Manufac turing Organizations & People Rec ent Researc h Strategy & Leadership Sustainability Thought Leaders ARTICLE TOOLS Auto, Airlines & Transport Consumer Produc ts Energy Healthc are Tec hnology MOST READ MOST E-MAILED adv ertisement strategy+business on Facebook Like Chinmay Sohoni and 15,215 others like this. SHA RE PDF E-MA IL R EPR IN TS PRIN T 1. Current s+b Issue 2. The Power of the Post-recession … Best Business Books 2010 15 Y ears, 50 Classics The Global Innovation 1000: How … Best Business Books 2010: Innova… 3. 4. 5. Sign up for free s+b email new sletters Subsc ribe to s+b Advertise in s+b ONLINE INNOVATION PROFILER For a new assessment tool from Booz & Company, designed to help evaluate your company’s R&D strategy and the capabilities required, visit: www.booz.com/innovation-profiler. RESOURCES Barry Jaruzelski and Kevin Dehoff, “Profits Down, Spending Steady: The Global Innovation 1000,” s+b, Winter 2009: Last year’s study showed that most companies were sticking with their innovation programs in the early stages of the recession — and many were boosting spending to compete in the upturn. Barry Jaruzelski and Kevin Dehoff, “Beyond Borders: The Global Innovation 1000,” s+b, Winter 2008: This study revealed for the first time how R&D money is benefiting...
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...Business Proposal: Sweet Crush By: Richard Stewart ECO/561 February 17, 2015 Bob d’Alessio Selected good: Yael's Healthy Dessert “Sweet Crush” Introduction Sweet Crush is lighter than ice cream and more refreshing than frozen yogurt. A revolutionary dessert, inspired by Asian shaved ice and snow desserts, with an exquisite, unique taste sculpted into a work of art. Your healthy, low calorie alternative to frozen desserts contains only natural ingredients with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Frozen dessert, particularly ice cream, is one of the most prominent sectors of production due to its wide market scope and popularity. However, it is threatened by the increasing concern for healthy diets due to its fat, calorie, and sugar content. As a result, the demand for a healthier version of ice cream with retained or even improved sensory properties arises. Yael responds to this demand by launching a new kind of frozen dessert which is based on non-fat milk and fruit, therefore improving the nutrient content. Economical analysis of the product, including market structure, associated costs, elasticity of demand, and pricing and non pricing strategies is provided below. Market Structure In order to identify the suitable strategies for the product launch, it is essential to identify the type of market structure in which the product will engage in. The product is a differentiated version...
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...C. M E R L E C R A W F O R D STRATEGIES FOR NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Guidelines for a critical company problem C. Merle Crawford is a faculty m e m b e r at the University o f Michigan. In spite o f much evidence o f its success, many managers hesitate to establish a policy for new product development. Their indecision often arises f r o m two reasons: they fear that a defined strategy may discourage innovation and they are uncertain how to formulate a new product strategy. The author o f this article discredits the f o r m e r notion and, in reply to the latter, proposes the guidelines f o r developing such a statement. As new products are essential to the continued success o f most firms, the strategy must exist and must be operant i f the firm is to avoid wasted time, effort, and money as well as employee confusion and discouragement. For longer than most of us care to remember, Dan Gerber has been proclaiming that babies are his business, his only business. With some nostalgic regret I read recently that he has altered his strategy: he now permits limited diversification b e y o n d products for babies. A leading toiletries manufacturer has an equally tenacious, though unpublicized, commitment to only those new, nonfood, packaged goods that do not compete itemto-item with Procter and Gamble. Richard Rifenburgh, president of Mohawk Data Sciences, manufacturers of peripheral computer equipment, was cited recently in Fortune as a man who, at the present time, would...
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...Ola abiola 11634 Business strategy INTRODUCTION Marks and Special background M&S otherwise known as Marks and spencer was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks was born in 1859 in Slonim, Belarus. In 1882 ,he moved to England to escape anti-Semitic discriminate , but had few friends and little money. He came to Leeds, a growing industrial town with a population of over 160,000. He was attracted by its large Jewish community and job opportunities in the thriving clothing trade. At the time Marks couldn't speak English and had no money or particular skill but had a very sharp mind for business and understood what customers wanted and needed . Initially he travelled the towns and villages of West Yorkshire, selling wares from his bag. He later set up a permanent market stall in Leeds, the latter which developed into a successful retail business. Unusually, he always displayed all his goods with clearly priced labels. He started hiring sales assistants to run the stalls. , Selling simple stock such as haberdashery and hardware goods, he adopted the slogan 'Don't ask the price, it's a penny'. This fixed price system and the open display of goods made him very popular. In Leeds as Customers liked being able to inspect the goods and knowing exactly the cost, with no need for haggling. In 1890 Dewhirst a cloth manufacturer offered Marks a £5 loan with this Michael Marks was able to buy his first stock for...
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...effective has the strategy of expanding its food range turned Marks and Spencer into success since 2000. * Introduction In the late 1990s, Marks and Spencer had a sudden decline in its sales. Since then, M&S has devoted itself to expanding their customer base by a range of strategies. In this essay, the strategy of expanding its food section will be focused since 2000. * In the first section: I will focus on what food sector strategy after M&S losing its billions. * Basing on its core values: Quality, Freshness, Value, Standards of innovation, Ethical Sourcing and Healthy eating. * Branded food: reduce the non-M&S branded lines, and introduce another 100 exclusive international food brands. * Plan A sustainability strategy: Since 2007, M&S launched Plan A to inspire their customers and to improve things for the better and act with integrity. * E-Business: encouraging people to buy their products online by developing knowledge and confidence in them. * In the following section: I am going to analyse how these strategies work to M&S. * SWOT analysis: I will operate this analysis to find out the following points of the organization in the market: Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threat. * Stakeholders, Board of Directors, suppliers, customers, employees * Conclusion * Reference 1. Plan A Report 2014 http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/plan-a/b6867fa1340d482da1ebde62c099dd69 2. M&S Plan A sustainability...
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...Abstract 4 Distribution Channel 5-6 Distribution Strategies 7-8 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10-11 INTRODUCTION Few producers sell their goods direct to the consumers, however most use third parties or intermediaries to bring their products to the market. They try to forge a distribution channel- a set of independent organisation involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by the consumer or business user. This report will examine the way Marks and Spencer’s sell their goods direct or indirect to the consumers. The following features will also be examined: • How M&S channel members are selected • How M&S channel members are trained and motivated • What is M&S distribution strategy • What is the structure of M&S distribution strategy To obtain the above information the following strategy were used • Journals • Websites • Books • Telephone ( no information given ) •...
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...MBA 405 - Global Organisational Environment Content |1. Abstract |Page 4 | |2. Task 1: Learning log |Page 5 - 12 | |3. Task 1: Summary of academic journal |Page 13 -14 | |4. Task 1: Reference |Page 15 | |5. Task 1: Indexes |PDF file | |6. Task 2: Marks and Spencer operation report |Page 16 - 26 | |7. Task 2: Reference |Page 27 - 28 | ABSTRACT MBA 405 - Global Organisational Environment Probably everyone will agree that at the beginning of the 21st century, the impact of globalisation on countries, societies, businesses and individuals have been much more evident than ever before. Especially for businesses and organizations, globalization has impacted considerably on the way businesses are operated, managed and developed. Success of businesses and organizations have been so dependent on how well and proactively they have responded to the global organizational environment...
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...Comparison of eBay.com and Alibaba.com Thomas Liquori o h T a m i L s o u q . i r e m Digitally signed by Thomas Liquori DN: cn=Thomas Liquori, email=thomasliquori@a ol.com, o=thomasliquori.me, l=New York, NY Date: 2010.09.05 16:57:16 -04'00' 12/16/2009 Professor Reddi: BUS451 By: Thomas Liquori, Danauda Benjamin, and Anca Barbu EBay.com Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 3 EBay.com Products and Services .................................................................................................................. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Comparison of eBay.com and Alibaba.com Ebay.com Financial analysis .......................................................................................................................... 6 Ebay.com Last Three Year Financial Graphs ................................................................................................. 7 EBay.com TOWS Matrix Analysis .................................................................................................................. 9 EBAY.com TOWS Matrix Graph ................................................................................................................... 13 Competitive Forces for ebay.com ............................................................................................................... 14 EBay.com Industry Rivalry...
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...includes the largest store at Marble Arch, London. In addition, the Company has 150 stores worldwide, including over 130 franchise businesses, operating in 30 countries. Background of the Company * Marks and Spencer (M&S) of Britain (often referred to as Marks & Sparks by locals) is a general retailer that sells clothes, gifts, home furnishings, and foods under the St. Michael trademark in the UK, Europe, the Americas and Far East. * The company also operates financial services segment, which accounted for about 3% of the company’s 1998 profits (Dow Jones Industrial 1999) * Marks & Spencer started as a stall in 1884 by Michael Marks in the Leads market using an L5 loan from a wholesaler * Its philosophy is to sell durable merchandise at a moderate price. It has merchandise made to its specifications. * By 1901, the company acquired 35 Outlets as well as a new partner, Tom Spencer * By 1949 all the company’s stores carried mostly private label (St. Michael) products produced by British suppliers (De Nardi-Cole 1998). Case Background * Britain has often been called a country of shopkeepers, and Marks & Spencer (M&S) is undoubtedly the shop keeping leader * With nearly 300 stores in the United Kingdom, M&S is the country’s largest retailer : it holds 17 percent of the UK clothing market * Its marble arch store in London is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the store that takes in more revenue per square foot than...
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...Background 3 Introduction 4 Communication Objectives 5 M&S Christmas campaign into SMART terms: 5 Identify target audiences 6 Communications Mix 7 Communications tools 8 Evaluation of effectiveness 11 Marketing Research Techniques 12 Conclusion 14 Reference List: 15 Appendix 16 Company Background Marks and Spencer is one of the biggest public trading company in the world. In the last 129 years, M&S has been transformed from a single market stall to a successful international multi-retailer. Their business is now spread in more than 50 countries and employs almost 82,000 people. M&S now operating in many different markets including Beauty; Food; Drinks; Technology; Clothing; Energy; Banking; Cosmetics and Perfumes…etc. In 2005, they used a tag line “this is not just any food…” This tag line convinced the consumer that they are not just buying high quality of food; they are also buying a high quality of life. Each of these values has helped M&S to become a personal product to their customer. * Please watch Appendix 1 on YouTube for 150 seconds video advert Introduction Every year Christmas is one of the most important festivals in the western society. All retailer business invest large amount of money into advertisement to promote their company. M&S have giving the public an image of “old fashioned” in the past decade. This year they are tying to turn thing around. M&S have launched their Christmas campaign recently. This year...
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...Social Responsibility (CSR) beneficial to a company’s performance? CSR—A double-edged sword for company’s performance Starting from the refined corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies issued by the European Commission in 2011, a stinging debate is being aroused on the influence of CSR to the whole society. The most influential critic is Noble Prize winner Milton Friedman, who regards CSR as a waste of stockholders’ money (1970). However, many other articles claim, opposite Friedman, that CSR actually improves companies’ financial performance in the long run (Bagnoli and Watts, 2003; McWilliams and Siegel, 2001). There are plenty of arguments on CSR’s influence on company’s performance. As far as I am concerned, CSR plays as a double-edged sword in company performance. The definition of CSR is quite easy to understand. According to Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), CSR is defined as “achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities, and the natural environment.” McWilliams and Siegel (2001:117) describe CSR as “actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interest of the firm and that which is required by law.” These suggest that a socially responsible corporation should take a step forward and adopt strategies and business practices that go beyond the profit requirements and contribute to some social-friendly activities. However, when companies choose to engage in CSR activities, what they are taking...
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