...journalists, editors, production designers, HR personnel and management. The print media industry is going through tough times. Technological advances and access to free information have had a negative effect on sales and revenue raised through advertising. It’s led to serious questions being posed about the future of the industry. The need to adapt like any other industry in today’s climate is present. Added to this the economic recession has not helped. Newspapers are a staple in people’s expenditure however value for money is still sought. There is plenty of competition and the product needs to maintain high standards. Whilst I was working for the company Alpha were looking down every avenue in order to reduce costs. Alpha had an organizational structure that placed a lot of power in the northern headquarters. The owners worked predominantly from there and had far less direct contact with the midland office. They would come for meetings every 2 weeks to assess the office and discuss company matters with the midlands management. The atmosphere was always poor when they visited. It felt like someone was checking up on us. Employees were anxious and concerned about looking the part rather than being focused on their jobs. This atmosphere undoubtedly had an effect on productivity on the days surrounding...
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...Intended Organization At Trader Joe's, our mission is to bring our customers the best food and beverage values and the information to make informed buying decisions. There are more than 2000 unique grocery items in our label, all at honest everyday low prices. We work hard at buying things right: Our buyers travel the world searching for new items and we work with a variety of suppliers who make interesting products for us, many of them exclusive to Trader Joe’s. All our private label products have their own "angle," i.e., vegetarian, Kosher, organic or just plain decadent, and all have minimally processed ingredients. Joe Coulombe, the founder of Trader Joe's, knew that he needed to make a change in his business. He could no longer complete...
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...Satisfaction Examine the approach Trader Joe’s uses to promote a positive work environment for its employees. Determine at least three (3) ways in which Trader Joe’s is able to increase job satisfaction and performance. What is the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance? Before we can find a connection between the two, we must first examine how attitude influence behavior. An attitude refers to a “predisposition to respond positively or negatively to someone or something” (Schermerhorn, Osborn, Uhl-Bien, & Hunt, 2012). In other words, it is the way we feel about various things in our environment (e.g. people, school, or work). At work, for example, our attitude depends on how we feel about being there, which influence how we behave. One of the most common job attitudes is job satisfaction. Job satisfaction refers to the feelings or attitude a person has toward their job, either positive or negative (Schermerhorn et al., 2012). There are many factors that are able to affect the satisfaction level within a work environment. Smith, Kendall, and Hulin (1969) designed the Job Descriptive Index to measures these factors. The JDI measures five facets, including satisfaction with: the work itself, quality of supervision, relationship with co-workers, promotion opportunities and pay. These components are important for managers and leaders to be concerned with because they often determine the success of an organization. Trader Joe’s, for example, is a company...
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...Marketing Plan for Snapple Date: Dec. 5, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………….………………………………………….…….pg. 2 COMPANY DESCRIPTION…………………………………………………………pg. 3 STRATEGIC FOCUS AND PLAN…………………………….………………….....pg. 3 SITUATION ANALYSIS…………………………………...……………………..…pg. 5 MARKET-PRODUCT FOCUS…………………………………………………….…pg. 7 MARKETING PROGRAM……………………………………………..…………….pg. 8 FINANCIAL DATA AND PROJECTIONS……………………………...…………pg. 10 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE……………………………………………….pg. 11 IMPLEMENTATION………………………………………….………………….…pg. 12 EVALUATION AND CONTROL…………………………..………………………pg. 13 Executive Summary Snapple is a well-known brand of iced tea and fruit drinks. It is a publicly traded company owned by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. They are best known for their slogan of “Made From the Best Stuff on Earth” and Snapple Fact Caps. The company’s mission is to be the best beverage business in the Americas. It will achieve that goal through their philanthropic and sustainability efforts as well as building on their brand. The ready-to-drink industry is very competitive - containing teas, soft drinks, sports drinks and bottled water to name a few. The food and drink market is constantly changing. The current market trends are focused on health and wellness as well as its’ consumers being sure that the brands they use fit into their lifestyles. Consumers are more informed and knowledgeable than ever and it is important that a brand can deliver a message and product of the...
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...Question # 1- Examine the approach Trader Joe’s uses to promote a positive work environment for its employees. Determine at least three (3) ways in which Trader Joe’s is able to increase job satisfaction and performance. Job satisfaction can be described as an attitude that reflects an individual’s feelings towards one’s job, co-employees and the environment in which one works. These feelings can either be positive or negative. A person who enjoys what he or she does will be satisfied and have a positive feeling. A person who does not like his or her job will be dissatisfied and have negative feelings towards the job (Schermerhorn, Osborn, Uhl-Bien, & Hunt, 2012). Job performance can be described as what leaders in an organization or business expects of their employees as they carry out tasks or activities assigned to them (“Job,” 2014). Trader Joe’s as a company promotes a positive work environment for its employees by creating an environment where everyone is involved in the activities of the company. This company has a benefit package that is better than most companies in the industry. It pays its employees wages that make and keep them happy. There is an environment where every individual is valued as well as what each member of the company can contribute to the business. Trader Joe’s creates an environment of fun where everyone enjoys what they do from the manager (captain) to the employees (Lewis, 2005). Three (3) ways in which Trader Joe’s can increase job satisfaction...
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...Professor Thomas Hughes April 20, 2013 University of Phoenix Environmental Scan Environmental scanning is the monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of information from the external and internal environments to key people within the corporation. A corporation uses this tool to avoid strategic surprise and to ensure its long-term health (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010, p. 254). When scanning the external environment a company looks for opportunities and threats. The external environment involves natural factors, societal factors, and industry factors. These variables must first be examined. The internal environment is an organizational analysis of a company’s strengths and weakness. Understanding strength and weakness will allow a company to determine the opportunities they can take advantage of. The internal environment consists of structure, culture, and resources. Gathering information is the first process in strategic planning. It allows a firm to create value, and sustain a competitive advantage. Firms measure their strategic effectiveness by using measurement guidelines. This paper will examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is a multinational retail chain headquartered in the Bentonville, Arkansas. The company was founded by business man Sam Walton in 1962. It quickly grew and by 1967 Walton owned 24 stores doing $12.7 million in sales. Today Wal-Mart is the third largest...
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...THE B L A C K SWAN The HIGHLY I mpact IM of the PROBABLE Nassim Nicholas Taleb U.S.A. $26.95 Canada $34.95 is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpre dictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9 / 1 1 . For Nassim Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. A BLACK SWAN Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is that humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focused on generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and time and time again fail to take into consideration what we don't know. We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate oppor tunities, too vulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, and not open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the "impossible." For years, Taleb has studied how we fool our selves into thinking we know more than we actually do. We restrict our thinking to the irrelevant and inconsequential, while large events continue to surprise us and shape our world. Now, in this reve latory book, Taleb explains everything we know about what we don't know. He offers...
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...General Growth Properties Christina Dukes (CD) Pamela Davis (PD) Claudia Botello (CB) Edgar Garcia (EG) June 28, 2011 Table of ContentS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (CD) 1 INTRODUCTION (CB) 2 Background / History (of the Company) (CB) 2 Mission Statement (CB) 3 Mission (CB) 3 Business (CB) 3 Major Goals (CB) 4 Corporate Philosophy (PD) 4 Strategic Evolution (PD) 4 Intended Strategies (PD) 5 Emergent Strategies (PD) 6 Stakeholders (EG) 6 Internal (EG) 7 External (EG) 7 Purpose of the Report (CD) 8 Chart for Team Activities (CD) 10 EXTERNAL ANALYSIS (EG) 11 Industry Profits (EG): 12 Industry Segments (EG): 13 Industry Analysis/Porter’s Five Forces (EG) 13 Risk of Entry by Potential Competitors (EG) 14 Entry Barriers (EG): 14 Economies of scale (EG) 15 Product Differentiation (EG): 15 Capital Requirements (EG): 16 Switching Costs (EG): 16 Cost Disadvantages Independent of Scale (CD) 17 Government Policy (CD) 17 Expected Retaliation (CD) 18 Power of Buyers (CD) 18 Power of Suppliers (CD) 18 Threat of Substitutes (CD) 19 Intensity of Rivalry among Established Firms (CD) 19 Industry Attractiveness/Profitability (CD) 19 Summary (Results) of Five Forces (CD) 20 Economic (CB): 22 Technological (CB): 23 Political/Legal (CB): 24 Global (CB): 25 Summary of Analyses and Impact (CB): 25 Strategic Group (PD) 26 Assumptions (PD): 27 Capabilities (PD): 28 Competitive Advantages (PD): 28 Current Strategies...
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...McKinsey Global Institute May 2013 Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy The McKinsey Global Institute The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company, was established in 1990 to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving global economy. Our goal is to provide leaders in the commercial, public, and social sectors with the facts and insights on which to base management and policy decisions. MGI research combines the disciplines of economics and management, employing the analytical tools of economics with the insights of business leaders. Our “micro-to-macro” methodology examines microeconomic industry trends to better understand the broad macroeconomic forces affecting business strategy and public policy. MGI’s in-depth reports have covered more than 20 countries and 30 industries. Current research focuses on four themes: productivity and growth, the evolution of global financial markets, the economic impact of technology and innovation, and urbanization. Recent reports have assessed job creation, resource productivity, cities of the future, and the impact of the Internet. MGI is led by McKinsey & Company directors Richard Dobbs and James Manyika. Yougang Chen, Michael Chui, Susan Lund, and Jaana Remes serve as MGI principals. Project teams are led by a group of senior fellows and include consultants from McKinsey’s offices around the world. These teams draw...
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...THE INTELLIGENT INVESTOR A BOOK OF PRACTICAL COUNSEL REVISED EDITION B E NJAM I N G RAHAM Updated with New Commentary by Jason Zweig To E.M.G. Through chances various, through all vicissitudes, we make our way. . . . Aeneid Contents Epigraph iii Preface to the Fourth Edition, by Warren E. Buffett viii A Note About Benjamin Graham, by Jason Zweig x Introduction: What This Book Expects to Accomplish COMMENTARY ON THE INTRODUCTION 1. 1 12 35 The Investor and Inflation 47 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 2 3. 18 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 1 2. Investment versus Speculation: Results to Be Expected by the Intelligent Investor 58 65 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 3 4. A Century of Stock-Market History: The Level of Stock Prices in Early 1972 80 General Portfolio Policy: The Defensive Investor 88 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 4 5. 101 124 Portfolio Policy for the Enterprising Investor: Negative Approach 133 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 6 7. 112 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 5 6. The Defensive Investor and Common Stocks 145 iv 155 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 7 8. Portfolio Policy for the Enterprising Investor: The Positive Side 179 The Investor and Market Fluctuations 188 v Contents COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 8 9. Investing in Investment Funds COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 9 213 226 242 10. The Investor and His Advisers 257 COMMENTARY ON CHAPTER 10 272 11. Security...
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