Market Segmentation and Product Positioning
Prepare a 4-5 page research plan to support introducing a sporting goods and apparel shop with a Service section for custom products (i.e. custom made baseball gloves, restringing of tennis rackets) for Your Marketing Plan to the U.S. market. In addition to stating your marketing objectives, you are required to:

o Identify the marketing segment for the product and explain why this segment was selected;

o Discuss the target market and why these customers will be targeted;

o Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and treats) analysis for the company;

o Describe the market position for your product and service.

Support your recommendations with at least 2 reference sources that discuss the nature of the product, use of market research methods related to the product, or considerations in conducting research, and cite your references using APA style.

You are a Market Analyst who has been collecting and analysing information about a specific company : house of frazer
This report needs to be a formal structured report which will
? briefly describe your company;
? summarise the market position of your company in relation to six competitors (use secondary data from MINTEL & other sources);
? summarise the financial performance of your group?s company in relation to the six main competitors in the sector (use graphs and tables which you have prepared of relevant financial ratios);
? explain the external economic factors which may influence the company?s position and financial performance in the future
You are required to use the Internet and conventional research methods to collect data to substantiate the evidence used in your report.
You may use shared graphs created for your presentation.

This paper is for Finance class -Company Analysis for NETFLIX
I need:
->1 page on Market position of NETFLIX both locally and internationally.

->1page- Discussion and Analysis: Discuss how the NETFLIX is doing compared to the industry with specific reference to a notable firm in that particular industry (for example Blockbuster). In your analysis and discussions, answer whether you will own or short this stock and why (very important).

Yur point in the discussion and analysis needs to bebacked up by data based on following company ratios:Ratio Analysis of the five (5) years

1. Profitability Ratios

2. Debt Management:

3. Market Value:

4. Asset Management

(The reference of company names is purely hypothetical and situational based. The Hypothetical Company I work for is called "Able Corporation")

Details:
The research Iconducted of the fiercely competitive U.S. PEPT industry has revealed two major participants, Smith & White Corporation (S&W), a very large and aggressive domestic manufacturer, and Makatume, a Japanese powerhouse.

Smith & White markets a full line of moderate quality professional and consumer tools. It also markets such products as lawn and garden, hobby tools, and kitchen appliances, all under the same brand name as its power tools. It is a multi-national conglomerate that has dominant shares in all the markets in which it operates. Its strength lies in a unified strategy across all its product lines, power tool and non-power tool, of building and maintaining brand equity through massive amounts of national media advertising. The leverage gained through strong brand equity compels retailers, particularly the Big Boxes, to stock many of the S&W's products because of high end-user demand.

This demand-pull marketing strategy also has the synergistic effects of obtaining relatively higher prices, advanced placement, co-op advertising, high profile self space, and cross promotion.

S&W does have some significant weaknesses. These include high costs due to old manufacturing plants located in high labor cost urban areas, market confusion between its professional and consumer tools, and negative feelings on the part of its distributors stemming from a perceived abuse of their dominant market position. It also doesn't have much of a presence in the fast growing cordless segment.

In addition, a major hidden weakness is S&W's huge size, which makes it unwieldy in reacting to market phenomena during periods of rapid change.

Makatume markets only professional tools, which are highly regarded by tradesmen for their quality, robustness, and durability. It controls over 50% of the Japanese market and has leveraged that position to become the second biggest player in the U.S. market. For the past several years their sales in the U.S. have been aided by favorable exchange rates, although many economists now forecast a reversal of this advantage over the next two years. Makatume has an extremely strong cost position due to its relatively new manufacturing plants in Japan.

Makatume's greatest product strength is in the fast growing cordless segment. It controls a dominant 70% market share of the professional cordless market. Makatume's early entry into this segment, is both a blessing and a curse. By entering the market early, Makatume has been able to obtain its dominant market share, but it is now locked in to lower voltages due to wide acceptance of its interchangeable battery system. As the technology of battery efficiency progresses, Makatume is faced with a dilemma: Does it introduce its own higher voltages, thus legitimizing that market for others to enter, or does it wait until it has to respond to being outflanked by its competitors when and if they introduce their higher voltages?

The rest of the market is made up of several domestic and foreign niche competitors, none of which has greater than a 5% share of the total market. A phenomenon to watch, however, is the growing strength of Far East imports from China, which are beginning to make their impact on consumer tools because of their low price and good value. The yuan is the relevant currency affecting Chinese imports.

We can often better see ourselves when reflected through the perspectives of others. In this exercise you are to take the vantage point of the industry leaders, S&W and Makatume. This has the advantage of helping to anticipate competitive positioning that may effect the successful execution of Able's strategy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Based on the narrative above, please answer the following questions from the perspective of being their Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis. (For real world situations always keep in mind that the status and plans of competitors can almost never be known except through an analysis of their actions, and even then almost never with certainty. Dealing with imperfect information is one of the essential aspects of the economic problem.)

How would you address each company's weakness?
If you were Makatume, what would you do about higher voltages?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Nike Strategic Position Analysis

MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW THE COMPANY COULD IMPROVE BOTH ITS CURRENT STRATEGIC AND FINANCIAL POSITION AND SUGGEST WHAT MOVES IT SHOULD MAKE IN THE NEAR AND LONG-TERM TO ACHIEVE CERTAIN OBJECTIVES. IN ORDER TO DO THIS, YOU MUST FIRST ANALYZE:
1 THE INDUSTRY IN WHICH IT COMPETES
2 ITS COMPETITORS
3 ITS CURRENT STRATEGY AND COMPETITIVENESS
4 THE STRATEGIC ISSUES/PROBLEMS IT MUST ADDRESS
5 ITS STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES

Format/Structure of Research Project

The research project must answer the questions below in this order:

1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF NIKE: DESCRIBE THE COMPANY YOU HAVE CHOSEN, INCLUDING THE COMPANYS MISSION, ITS SIZE, PRODUCTS, MARKETS ETC.

2. ASSESS THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDUSTRY? WHAT KINDS OF COMPETITIVE FORCES ARE INDUSTRY MEMBERS FACING? WHAT FACTORS ARE DRIVING INDUSTRY CHANGES AND WHAT IMPACTS WILL THEY HAVE?

WHAT MARKET POSITIONS DO RIVALS OCCUPYWHO IS STRONGLY POSITIONED AND WHO IS NOT? DEVELOP A THOROUGH COMPETITOR PROFILE FOR EACH MAJOR RIVAL (3-4 rival competitor profiles, Reebok, Adidas, UnderArmor, Puma). WHAT ARE THE KEY SUCCESS FACTORS IN THIS INDUSTRY

3. ASSESS THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. HOW WELL IS THE PRESENT STRATEGY WORKING? DEVELOP A COMPANY PROFILE, INCLUDING A SWOT ANALYSIS. ARE THE COMPANYS PRICES AND COSTS COMPETITIVE?

COMPUTE KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS, COMPARE TO INDUSTRY AND INTERPRET. SUMMARIZE THE FIRMS COMPETITIVE POSITION USING A COMPETITIVE STRENGTH ASSESSMENT. IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN THE CORE ISSUES FACING THE COMPANY

4. IDENTIFY THE COMPANYS VIABLE STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES AND EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF SUCCESS FOR EACH. MAKE, SUPPORT, AND EXPLAIN SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FIRM. OUTLINE A PLAN OF ACTION.

Personal Application Paper (FedEx)

**** Please see the (upload file) for a clear description ****

*** Pretending you are working in FedEx when writing the paper. ***

*** FedEx (http://www.fedex.com/us/) ***

The paper should demonstrate an understanding of the industry and the competitive position of the organization (FedEx) within it. Please eliminate possible duplications, provide transitions between the sections, and make appropriate suggestions or recommendations how business strategies applied to your organization (in this paper, FedEx).

**** This paper requires a lot of academic research and analyzing. Please cite reference Using APA citation format. Prefer to use a lot academic sources such as LexisNexis sources****

The following are the characteristics of the Paper.

? The paper integrates that material with prior knowledge of your organization/industry.
? The paper goes beyond merely describing concepts and strategies the organization; it demonstrates critical thinking and analysis of those concepts and strategies, and it brings in the research relevant to student?s industry.
? The paper offers suggestions for further enhancement of the company?s strategies (required for A-level work).
? The paper connects concepts and applications of each particular week with previously learned material. (required for A-level work).
? The paper is clearly and grammatically written and well organized (required for A-level work).

Paper Rubric

? ? Paper demonstrates exceptional understanding of the material.
? ? Presented material is always integrated with prior knowledge of the organization/industry and material about the sections.
? ? The paper always goes beyond the simple description of organizational strategies. It critically evaluates and analyses them.
? ? The concepts, strategies and theories presented are integrated and always build on prior learning.
? ? For each major section, suggestions for further enhancement of company?s strategies are presented.
? Graduate level writing is reflected throughout the paper, including accurate spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure.




Sections of the paper

**** Your organization will be FedEx. Please pretending you are working in FedEx when writing the paper. ****

***nEach section should be about one page (300 words), however, it can be adjusted depend on the material of each section. ***

Part 1: Marketing Foundations
Write a description of the marketing function of FedEx
Some questions that may guide you in this part:
What is the company?s orientation towards the marketplace?
Who are your customers?
Does your company pay attention to or measure customer satisfaction?

Part 2: Strategic Innovation and its role in marketing
Assess the role marketing plays in an organization?s strategic planning
Assess the new product (for FedEx should be its service) development process in the context of an organization?s strategic objectives.
Analyze the concept and theories of innovation and its implications for business development.


Part 3: Strategic Marketing Planning ((with the SWOT, this part maybe little bigger than the others)
Discuss the Strategic Marketing Planning in your organization.
Some questions that may guide you in your posting:
What are the competencies of your organization.
Please talk about the companies SWOT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis)
How does your organization?s vision and mission shape its strategy?
How the marketing plan guide the organization to a leading position in the market.

Part 4: Understanding Markets and Buyers
Discuss how your organization conducts its Marketing Research and organizes its Marketing Information system.
Some questions that may guide you in your posting:
How do socio-cultural, psychological and situational factors impact your customers? purchasing decisions?
Analyze consumer needs and behavior and how they affect an organization?s ability to deliver superior value to customers.
Analyze the use of marketing information systems and innovative technologies in the organization.

Part 5: Positioning and Competitive Advantage
Discuss your organization?s primary customer segments and their differences.
Some questions that may guide you in your posting:
What positioning strategy does your organization use with those segments?
How does your organization utilize its competitive advantage?

Part 6 ? Product, Service and Branding Decisions
Discuss various product levels in your organization.
Some questions that may guide you in your posting:
What is your product mix, how important is packaging, services and warranties?

Part 7: Pricing Decisions
Discuss pricing strategy of your organization.
analyze various aspects of the marketing mix - product, place, and price- and innovative strategies to develop and sustain the organization?s market position.

Part 8 Distribution Decisions
Discuss your organization?s channel design.
Some questions that may guide you in your posting:
Does your company utilize Integrated Logistics Systems?
Discuss how the company benefits by using more than one channel of distribution. (retailer stores, phone sales, catalog sales, on-line)
Explain how the distribution system does or could operate as either a vertical (VMS) or horizontal (HMS) marketing system

Part 9: Integrated Marketing Communications Decisions
Discuss your organization?s marketing communication strategy.
Does your organization have an Integrated Approach to all its communications?
What promotional tools are utilized?
How are the organization?s advertising, sales promotion, event marketing, and Direct marketing to promote its product and service?

Part 10: Suggestion and Recommendations
Make appropriate Suggestion and Recommendation on the company business strategies in the coming future.

Review the paper. Please eliminate possible duplications and provide transitions between the sections.

Describe a fictitious company and provided its background. Then, you are ready to start building the marketing plan with a focus on segmenting and positioning your product and service.

Naming the company
Building a brief strategic mission statement
Researching and deciding on the foreign market for the product and service

A. Write about your company.
1. Write a detailed company background. Address the following items at a minimum.
2. Create a strategic mission statement.
3. Determine and decide upon at least one (1) foreign market for the product and service. Provide your rationale for this market.
B. Write about your marketing plan.
4. Discuss the potential audiences for a marketing plan and the needs of those potential audiences.
5. Identify the marketing segment for the product and provide a rationale for this segment.
6. Discuss the target market and provide a rationale for this target market.
7. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) for the company.
8. Create the market position for your product and service. Explain your rationale.
9. Support your marketing plan with at least two (2) reference sources that discuss the nature of the product.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.


Analyze the marketing framework including the concepts of the 5Cs, STP, and 4Ps.
Evaluate and target customer segments and positioning products within these segments.
Evaluate and target customer segments and positioning products within these segments.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in marketing management.
Write clearly and concisely about marketing management using proper writing mechanics.

A. Write about your company. 21st Century Fitness

1. Write a detailed company background. Address the following items at a minimum for full credit:
2. Create a strategic mission statement.
3. Determine and decide upon at least one (1) foreign market for the product and service. Provide your rationale for this market.
B. Write about your marketing plan.
4. Discuss the potential audiences for a marketing plan and the needs of those potential audiences.
5. Identify the marketing segment for the product and provide a rationale for this segment.
6. Discuss the target market and provide a rationale for this target market.
7. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) for the company.
8. Create the market position for your product and service. Explain your rationale.
9. Support your marketing plan with at least two (2) reference sources that discuss the nature of the product.

check out www.21stcenturyfitness.com

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
Analyze the marketing framework including the concepts of the 5Cs, STP, and 4Ps.
Evaluate and target customer segments and positioning products within these segments.
Evaluate and target customer segments and positioning products within these segments.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in marketing management.
Write clearly and concisely about marketing management using proper writing mechanics.

In this Session Long Project, work as a marketing consultant to develop a feasible marketing plan for your client. Conduct both secondary (search secondary sources) and primary research (interview customers or conduct surveys) in order to glean the necessary information for your marketing plan. When conducting primary research, you will collect only qualitative data (i.e., personal in-depth interviews with at least three target customers) for this study.

It is important to conduct quality market research on your focal product/company in order to develop realistic and workable marketing plans. Generally speaking, there are two types of research. One is secondary research, which refers to data collection using existing sources, and the other is primary research, which is your own data collection for the specific study at hand. The purpose of market research is to collect usable information to make more informed decisions on the business problem, thus increasing the chance of business success in the marketplace.

Here is the Marketing Plan Outline, which provides information on:
1.The format for your final SLP.
2.A list of topics for the marketing plan.

In this module SLP, conduct the issue analysis for your marketing plan, and develop goals and objectives, as well as the specific marketing strategies.

Issues Analysis

The SWOT analysis and the outcome of the primary research efforts are the basis for the issues analysis. Here the primary focus should be on the charge for your research project. What are the most important issues and decisions that the organization is likely to face when trying to sell the new brand iPad 4? Furthermore, if the previous research steps (situation analysis, SWOT analysis, and primary research efforts) have shown that previous marketing efforts were unsuccessful (and why), then include the lessons to be learned as issues.

In general, issues can include, but are not limited to (the issues depend on the charge of the respective marketing plan and are likely to differ from plan to plan):
?Should the company focus on the charge in question?
?What rate of growth is necessary and sustainable?
?Does the company need to increase promotion to thwart the competition or to successfully reach its target market?
?Does the company need to develop new promotional efforts to reach the identified target market?
?What would be the most promising way of communicating with the target market?
?Does the company need to increase the target market?s knowledge base?
?Does the company need to address/change the target market?s belief systems?
?Does the company need to develop persuasive messages tailored to the specific brand at hand?
?Does the organization need to work on its reputation?
?Is the company?s current distribution in order?
?Should the company review its pricing strategy?
?Does the company anticipate any major competitive attacks in its current markets?

Note: Be realistic when proposing issues. For example, suggesting that the company should invest funds in stocks or real estate is not appropriate for the marketing plan. First, it has nothing to do with the charge at hand; second you are unlikely to have enough information to address this issue in the following sections (i.e., Goals and Objectives, and Marketing Strategies).

Goals and Objectives

Goals and objectives both need to be driven by the issues analysis.

Establish corporate goals: qualitative statements of desired general accomplishments that are indicative of the direction and priorities of the company or the outcome that the company hopes to accomplish (e.g., improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, increase consumer knowledge, change consumer beliefs, persuade the target audience to buy the new brand, have the most recognized and effective advertising campaign in the industry, improve service quality, have lower prices than all competitors, increase market share, produce the most loyal customers in the industry).

Set specific measurable corporate quantitative objectives: targeted dollar amount of sales; number of iPad 4s sold; targeted market share; and so on. That is, express the goals you have outlined above in quantitative (numerical) terms, and place them within a time frame. In other words, the objectives are driven by the goals you outlined above. Avoid listing objectives that have nothing to do with the identified goals.

Note: If you are dealing with a new product (i.e., your charge), do not express objectives for the first year in percentage terms. In other words, stating that you would like to increase awareness by 5% for a new product does not make sense, because a new product will start out with a market share (or awareness) of zero and 5% of zero is still zero. In such a case, phrase your objectives differently (e.g., the objective is to increase the brand awareness among 10% of the target market within the next six months).

Have at least one goal. Make sure that those goals (and your objectives) focus on your charge and also reflect your issues analysis. Have at least two objectives for each goal.

The format for this section should appear as follows:

Goal 1


Objective 1

Objective 2

Goal 2


Objective 1

Objective 2

Marketing Strategies

Marketing strategies encompass recommended positioning, competitive differentiation, and customer value strategy. These include a description of your target market, intended image/position in the market, and the value proposition.

A. Target Market Definition

The process of selecting a target market is one of the most important decisions an organization can make. Most organizations segment the entire population into groups with homogeneous needs. For a market segment to be viable it must be measurable,meaningful,marketable. A segment is measurable if its size can be determined, its purchasing power can be estimated, and other characteristics can be identified. It may be difficult to segment on the basis of social class, but easy to segment along income levels. A segment is meaningful when it is large enough to have sufficient sales and growth potential to serve in the long run. A marketablesegment is one that may be reached and served efficiently. In general, a company wishes to serve the largest possible homogeneous group that also seems to be most likely to be persuaded to buy the product in your charge.

When companies write the marketing plan, defining the target market often proves to be the most challenging aspect of the plan. However, if you do not choose the right markets to target, you will often never achieve complete success. Too often, companies see that their solution can serve the needs of multiple markets and they try to establish multiple markets at the same time. Ultimately, this may lead to failure because they overextended themselves and did not successfully meet the needs of any market. Choose a well-defined market when you write your marketing plan and stick to it until the market dictates a change.

Bases for segmenting consumer markets include demographic, benefit, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics. Demographic segmentation includes the characteristics of age, family size, family life cycle, gender, income, occupation, education, religion, race, generation, nationality, and social class. Benefitsegmentation describes why consumers buy a product (e.g., makes me feel good, makes me feel useful, etc.). Psychographic segmentation encompasses lifestyle (e.g., outdoors, athletic), and personality (e.g., compulsive, gregarious). Behavioral characteristics include occasion (e.g., Valentine?s Day, birthday), usage rate (e.g., light, medium or heavy users), or attitude (loyalty).

Note: You do not have to use all of the above-listed bases for segmenting consumer markets. However, demographic segmentation and benefit segmentation will always have to be used. Follow the instructions below:

1. Primary (and Only) Target Market
?Describe the primary target market in demographic terms (use the descriptors that are most useful in terms of your charge).
?Describe the primary target market using benefits sought by that market.
?Describe the primary target market using one of the following bases: geographic, psychographic, benefits sought, or usage (depends on your target and your charge).
?Estimate the number of customers in your primary market.
?Justify the choice of your primary target market (if applicable).

This section is very important. Do not take shortcuts.

B. Strategy Statement

1. Image/Market Position

Positioning is the act of designing the offering and its image so that both occupy a meaningful and distinct competitive position in the minds of the target market.

What is the intended image you wish the product to portray? What is the position you wish the product to obtain?

2. Value Proposition

Why should customers buy from the agency instead of its competitors?

What does the agency have to offer to its customers that outperforms its competitors? products?

SLP Assignment Expectations

Use the following outline to organize your paper. Note that the letters ?a, b, c?? and the numbers ?i, ii, iii, iv?? below are used to show the major issues you need to include in your paper, but should not be used to format your paper.

V. Issues Analysis (2 pages maximum)
1.Given your complete marketing analysis, what are the key issues that the company/organization must understand in order to address the charge that is being considered?i.Note: This section concisely identifies the most important issues and decisions that the organization is likely to face when trying to sell the product in your charge.
?Bullet points (or numbered statements) are acceptable.


VI. Goals and Objectives (2 pages maximum)
1.The goals and objectives should be stated clearly and concisely.i.(Think S.M.A.R.T. i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable & Result Traceable).

2.Each goal/objective should be easily understood given your previous analysis and summary of key issues.i.Do not ?discuss? the goals/objectives. Just present them.


VII. Marketing Strategy Statements (2-6 pages)
1.Note: These are literally statementsi.Do not provide detailed descriptions.
ii.These statements will guide your implementation.
iii.These statements should be logical given your analysis and goals.

2.Target Market Definitioni.Note: This is a short, final description of who your action plan will be intended to reach. You may simply be restating target population previously identified.
?Describe the target market in demographic and/or psychographic terms.
?Describe the key benefits/behaviors this target market seeks/prefers.
?Estimate the number of customers in this segment.

3.Strategy Statementsi.Value Statement ?Why should ?customers? adopt your strategic initiative?
?What does your initiative provide (or what do you suggest it provide) in order to encourage/support behavioral change?
?Identify ?the set of benefits that the strategy offers.?

Note: The value proposition is intangible, but it is made tangible through specific offerings/activities.

ii.Proposition Statement ?What is the key proposition on which the strategy and its activities should be based?
?Refer to the ?4 Ps? of marketing.

iii.Accessibility Statement ?What information or support materials must be made easily accessible?
?Refer to the ?4 Ps? of marketing.

iv.Communication Statement ?What method of communications should be sought? Print/radio and other traditional media? Social networking?



Note: Use double-spaced, black Verdana or Times Roman font in 12 pt. type size. Include a title page and references. Revise your Module 3 SLP based on the feedback from your professor and your additional research, and include the SLPs from Modules 1-3 in the Module 4 SLP.

Explain clearly and logically the facts you find about your company and charge, and use the required reading to support your positions on the issues. Do not repeat or quote definitions. Your use of the required readings to support your opinions (that is, contentions or positions) should demonstrate that you understand the concepts presented.

Paraphrase the facts using your own words and ideas, employing quotes sparingly. Quotes, if absolutely necessary, should rarely exceed five words.

Academic papers at the master?s level should include citations and references. Look at different sources, especially credible and reputable resources such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Businessweek, and The Economist, to find the information for your paper. Also use Trident University?s online library databases such as ProQuest and EBSCO to find information for your project. Your discussion on each topic should be a synthesis of the different sources. Taking shortcuts on the number and quality of your sources will result in a poor-quality marketing plan that will be of no use to your client.

Also, it is important that you reference your sources throughout the text of your marketing plan. Take the following paragraph as an example:

?As a result, telephone interviewers often do not even get a chance to explain that they are conducting a survey (Council for Marketing and Opinion Research, 2003), and response rates have steadily declined (Keeter et al., 2000) to reported lows of 7% (Council for Marketing and Opinion Research, 2003). This decrease presents a problem because not only does it increase the cost of conducting telephone surveys, but it also leads to questions concerning the generalizability of the results (Struebbe, Kernan & Grogan, 1986; Tuckel & O?Neill, 2002).?

There are different citation and reference formats such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. No matter which format you adopt for your marketing plan, make it consistent throughout the plan.

Also note: The marketing plan should use third person business writing. Avoid ?we,? ?our,? and ?you.? Do not use contractions in business writing.

Guidelines for handling quoted and paraphrased material are found at:

Anonymous (n.d.) Purdue Online Writing Lab. Copyright ?1995-2011 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. Accessed 3/9/12 at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Anonymous (n.d.) Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing. Purdue Online Writing Lab. Copyright ?1995-2011 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. Accessed 3/9/12 at:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

Anonymous (n.d.) Avoiding Plagiarism. Purdue Online Writing Lab. Copyright ?1995-2011 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. Accessed 3/9/12 at:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/1/

Your SLP should not simply be a list of facts. Take the facts you find about the company, the charge, and the environments that the company faces, and explain how you think those facts will affect the financial future of the product or brand in your charge. The emphasis in grading your paper will be on the breadth and depth of your discussion of each topic, critical thinking, the clarity of your discussion, and the proper organization of the paper

Example Outline below:

Outline for Completing the Marketing Plan Assignment
MKT501? Strategic Marketing
Use this format to plan your research and complete the SLP assignments. Your final paper in module 5 SLP should follow this outline. Note that the letters ?a, b, c?? and the numbers ?i, ii, iii, iv?? in the outline below are used to show the major issues you need to include in your paper and you may not use these letters and numbers to organize your paper.
I. Cover Page (1 page)
a. Marketing plan title
b. Course title and number
c. Your name and date
d. Name of Instructor
e. Executive Summary (2 pages maximum)
f. Summary of what plan is designed to achieve
g. Summary of key elements of internal environment and external environment analysis (only points that are relevant to understanding the action plan, only the point, not the analysis)
h. Summary of primary research (include key conclusion(s) and reference the key data that supports the conclusion(s)).
i. Summary of prescribed goals and strategic approach to achieving them.
j. Summary of key actions that are outlined.
II. Table of Contents (as many pages as needed)
III. Product Statement (2 pages maximum)
a. Describe the company/organization
b. Provide brief background of the organization
c. Describe charge you have for this marketing plan
d. Provide a brief overview of what issue you are studying, and how a marketing perspective can help address the issue.
IV. Situation Analysis (3-6 pages)
NOTE: only include sections which are relevant to your charge. The relevance of each section of analysis should be clear to the reader.
a. External Environment Analysis
i. Context Analysis
? Industry forces that might impact success of any actions taken
ii. Competitor Analysis
? Any organization or message which may prevent any actions taken from being successful
2
iii. Technological and Economical situation Analysis
iv. Political, legal and cultural Analysis
b. Customer Environment Analysis
i. Customer Analysis
ii. Collaborator Analysis
c. Internal Environment Analysis
i. Company Analysis
V. SWOT Analysis (3-6 pages)
a. Strengths and Weaknesses(Internal)
i. Strengths
ii. Weaknesses
b. Opportunities and Threats (External)
i. Opportunities
ii. Threats
c. SWOT Table
VI. Primary Research (3-6 pages)
a. Qualitative research
i. Identify that subjects and the research process
ii. Identify the purpose of your research
? What issues did you want to study?
iii. Present the key findings
? Questions used in this analysis should be included in the appendix.
? Complete report of each interview should be included in the appendix.
iv. Present a concise conclusion of what you learned
VII. Issues Analysis (2 pages maximum)
a. Given your complete marketing analysis, what are the key issues which the company/organization must understand in order to address the charge that is being considered?
i. NOTE: This section concisely identifies the most important issues and decisions that the organization is likely to face when trying to promote the product in your charge
? Bullet points (or numbered statements) are acceptable.
VIII. Goals and Objectives (2 pages maximum)
3
a. The goals and objectives should be stated clearly and concisely
i. (Think S.M.A.R.T.).
b. Do not ?Discuss? the goals/objectives. Just present them.
i. Each goal/objective should be easily understood given your previous analysis and summary of key issues.
IX. Marketing Strategy Statements (2-6 pages)
a. NOTE: These are LITERALLY STATEMENTS.
i. Do not provide detailed descriptions.
ii. These statements will guide your implementation.
iii. These statements should be logical given your analysis and goals.
b. Target Market Definition
i. NOTE: This is a short, final description of who your action plan will be intended to reach. You may simply be a restating target population previously identified.
? Describe the target market in demographic and/or psychographic terms.
? Describe the key benefits/behaviors this target market seeks/prefers
? Estimate the number of customers in this segment.
c. Strategy Statements
i. Value Statement
1. Why should ?customers? adopt your strategic initiative?
2. What does your initiative provide (or what do you suggest it provide) in order to encourage/support behavioral change.
a. Identify ?the set of benefits that the strategy offers?
b. NOTE: The value proposition is intangible, it is made tangible through specific offerings/activities.
ii. Proposition Statement
1. What is the key proposition on which the strategy and its activities should be based?
a. Refer to the ?4ps? of marketing.
iii. Accessibility Statement
1. What information or support materials must be made easily accessible?
a. Refer to the ?4ps? of marketing.
iv. Communication Statement
a. What method of communications should be sought?
i. Print/radio and other traditional media?
ii. Social networking?
X. Marketing Implementation (2-6 pages)
a. Follow the format provided in the module 5 SLP.
4
b. Remember, you should suggest at least 2 actions to be taken which can help achieve your stated goals and which are consistent with your strategic statements.
c. What is the cost/budget of implementing the suggested actions?
XI. Marketing Budget (1 page)
XII. References

Previous SLP1 below:


Overview ? Apple Computer Founded in 1976 with a marketing model based on integration, aesthetics and design, never a low price leader, always an innovator. Introduced iPhone in 2007; 2013 Apple Iphone 5 series sold 9 million devices in initial three days of launch. By November 2013, all major US cellular companies offer the IPhone and over 760 mobile customers in China as well as millions globally. Currently has about 17% of market share. (Apple signs deal, 2013).
Competitive Analysis ?
? Android currently dominates market, Windows growing (81% or so Android phones)
? Apple around 13% - but all profitable
? Apple and Samsung, though, are only manufacturers making money
? HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia and BlackBerry all lost money in 2013
? 81% of Androids are ?junk phones? and make no money
? Real world usage ? Apple has overwhelming share of smartphone and table app sales, Apple?s iOS is making the money (Bradley, 2013).

Market Description - Market is truly global, Apple has a top tier reputation in all markets, and is seen as a status symbol in many.
? Segmentation ? middle-upper middle class individuals, small home and offices, larger businesses with design focus
? Targeting ? turn the ordinary into something extraordinary, worry less about price and more about justification and lifestyle
? Value proposition ? Focus on value and design to build, build through tribe mentality
? Consumer Behavior ? Push the envelope and ease of use, be part of the innovative generation and first line of consumer
? Push the elite and exclusivity angle ? while Android and Windows have many apps, push the fact that many Apple apps are unique and trademarked for Apple OS only
? Apple offers more seamless integration between phone, tablet, laptop and computers
? Buying decision process- consumer must be engaged; merge IPhone with other Apple products ? push consumers as ?Apple Users.?

Distribution Review ? Available only through certified Apple locations certain cellular distributors; usually also offer IPads as well; service must be done at a designated Apple center or cellular manufacture; product is global in nature.
? Design and Engineering done in the USA; Manufacturing with partners (Asia and China), global distribution to decrease costs
? Applications (Software) can only be written by authorized Apple vendors
? Tight control on exclusive market; low price elasticity and price wars
? Designed to increase perception of luxury and aesthetics
? May limit exposure to some markets
Micro and Macro-Environmental Issues
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Pioneer innovator, quality Lower market share due to higher price Synergistic relationship with partners Android and now, new upgraded Windows Phones
Global branding, high impact brand Dependency on CEO and Charisma Huge and consistent market growth Comparably expensive as industry catches up
Strong R&D Switch often to new models Growing CSR and sustainable market issues High product substitution effect
Strong presence in educational market Eroding share of educational Market Increasing demand for cloud, music and seamless integration Can Apple continue to innovate?
Still unique after 35 years Apple stores limit opportunities Partnerships and synergisms Loss of Steve Jobs, market perception

Environmental Solutions for pushing Market Share ?
? Clearly, Apple is a successful, multidimensional and global corporation. Sales have more than doubled between 2005 and 2009 domestically and more than tripled internationally
? Focusing on the ability to have a phone, pad, and computer device that are all interconnected and can handle any conceivable business situation is paramount.
? Updating the iPhone and continually pushing the envelope with new editions keeps the market price elastic, competitive, and ensures continued sales and new customers.
? Rumors abound about Apple introducing a new, compatible HD Television platform, which would certainly increase visibility and market share.
? Apple must improve their image as a globally responsible and sustainable corporation that thinks globally, not just locally. They need to push their proprietary system as something special that deserves protection, and come out looking like the hero rather than the villain.
? Apple needs to push towards its strengths. Apple is not, nor has never wanted to become, a manufacturing company. Instead, Apple is an innovator of electronic devices, and they wish to retain that expertise.
? Partnering with other organizations that are more focused on manufacturing allows Apple to retain its core knowledge, its proprietary technology (Satell, 2013).











REFERENCES USED and CONSULTED

Apple Signs Deal to Open Connection between iPhones and China Mobile. (2013, December). The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/22/apple-iphone-china-mobile-deal?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
7 Key Strategies That You Must Learn From Apple?s Marketing. (2009). Retrieved from: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/7-strategies-apple-marketing/
Bradley, T. (2013, November). Android Dominates Market Share, But Apple Makes all the Money. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tonybradley/2013/11/15/android-dominates-market-share-but-apple-makes-all-the-money/
Deidu, H. (February 27, 2012). The Value of the OS X Monopoly. Asymco. Retrieved from: http://www.asymco.com/2012/02/28/the-value-of-the-os-x-monopoly/
Linzmayer, O. (2004). Apple Confidential 2.0. San Francisco, CA: No Starch Press
Satell, G. (2013, April). Why Apple?s Future is Uncertain. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/04/24/why-apples-future-is-uncertain/

SLP 2 below:
Marketing Research: Products and Brands
Introduction
In previous years, Apple Inc has progressed from being an abstract participant in the computer market to a major player in the technology market. Through courageous advancement, they have developed items that have totally changed the technology market. As a result, their brand recognition has increased significantly, and they have added remarkably to their legion of dedicated supporters. The Apple Company is about design, their electronic items are fashionable, their advertising is trendy, their hardware and software are stylish, and like all factors fashionable, there is a substantial price tag. However, like all other factors of fashion, consumers are unpredictable and their tastes frequently change with the next big technology improvement. In addition, Apple company still dominates over every aspect of their item lines, this in previous times turned out to be a mistake that directed them to a specialized niche in the PC market. The following is a SWOT analysis of key strengths and weaknesses as well as important threats and opportunities.
Strengths
Factor I ? iTunes
The iTunes line is a leading source of income for the company. This has rendered various Apple products to be compatible with Windows platforms.
Factor II -Loyal Customers
Apple?s loyal clients mean that the company does not have to contest with opponents about prices but concerning reliability and performance. From the financial performance of the company, it has no debts. This is an indication that Apple Company can invest in any challenge that management believes to be appropriate for its course. Because Apple always produces its current items, the company will always entice new clients or motivate repeat purchases from current clients. Apple?s leading suppliers serve as business presentation points. At these points, clients who doubt any features of Apple?s items can get to test them. Finally, apart from telling clients about the features of all Apple?s items, Apple?s website is also used as a sales route to clients who prefer to buy online and direct from Apple company (Bradley, 2013).
Factor III - User Interface
Without a doubt, apple company technicians have an outstanding ability for picturing simple, user-friendly customer interfaces. The Mac computer was the leading innovator in the personal computer segment. The iPod trend was based not only on the physical design, but also similarly on the ease of use of its click-wheel user interface. The iPhone and iPad then changed the tablet and smart phone categories. All past Smartphones were forced into a feature-phone classification, and all past tablets were totally killed as the iOS was so far in advance. The apple User Interface has now expanded into the Cloud. The company has incorporated their iCloud service in such a smooth manner that it is almost clear to the customer. The customer takes a picture on the iPhone it is instantly submitted to the Picture stream in iCloud, and reveals upon the person's iPad or computer. It will also show up on other specified customers, sharing the same folder.
Weakness
Factor I ?Products
Apple relies heavily on product launch dates to attract attention for its clients. Moreover, the company has poor relationships with other key companies in the marketplace with the ability to take Apple to new levels. However, this only possible through partnership with the companies. A perfect example has been Microsoft company organization. Lastly, compared with the other opponents who have powerful existence in various markets, Apple?s existence is mainly concentrated in Asia, United States and European countries.
Factor II ? Compatibility
As a response to a recognized risk from Google, Apple Company recently relaxed, extremely strict limitations for designers that desired to develop applications for the iPhone. It has now allowed them to use a broader variety of computer 'languages' with Apple?s operating system iOS. As apple makes 40% off every application sold, they are extremely protective in nature regarding compatibility concerns, and they have failed to react to issues in a timely fashion. All these are weak points that have triggered them to lose business relationships and income in this and plenty of other occasions (Linzmayer, 2004).
Opportunities
Factor I ? iPhone
The smart phone industry is still expanding, so I anticipate ongoing growth. Additionally, as I outlined, the smart phone is a product that is changed on a regular pattern, guaranteeing continued sales. Critics like to snicker at the highest market share of Google?s Android operating system OS, but Apple still maintains the highest market share of revenue in the market. In the end, to investors, this is what matters.
Factor II ? iPad
There will be tremendous growth in this segment. The iPad is projected to continue dominating the market for some years to come. Ultimately, it will be expected to share the market with rivals. However, in this rapidly growing market, this will not hinder its growth. Most notable, the iPad will be remarkably strong in the enterprise.
Factor III? Mac Computers
With iPads and iPhones leading the way in the business, and the reputation of the brand in third world countries, Mac PCs continue to flourish in terms of sales. Now, the growth rate is sluggish, but this is in comparison to the competitors which is experiencing a slow down. This implies that the Mac is acquiring market share, gradually, but continuously.
Factor iv? Other areas
Rumor has it that Apple will launch a new iTV set. While this is just but a speculation, it remains to be announced and proven. As for other items, Apple is predicted to change something every few years. At least for now, they will be depending on the progress of current items. This will keep providing for both development and outstanding profits to the investor.
Threats
Factor I ? Competitors
Despite the recent market share, Apple sales are still lagging behind competitors in the PC industry like HP and Dell. Additionally, other Smartphones, which function with multiple carriers, cause a significant risk as the only service provider approved by Apple for the iPhone is ATT, which Consumer Reports rate as the lowest service provider for customer satisfaction. For one of Apple?s leading items, the iPhone, to remain associated completely with a partner that customers have indicated so much discontent with, can endanger Apple?s strategy of interoperability among their items. This is because the iPhone serves as a major inroad for customers, to purchase these other items (Satell, 2013).
Factor II ? Pricing
Although apple increased revenue in 2012, this was due to laptops and the iPhone with its related applications. In reality, the revenue of Apple from personal computer systems and iPods were down. Based on Forrester Research the ratio of buyers who believe that better costs exceeds brand commitment has been continuously increasing (Satell, 2013). Additionally, the recent financial crisis has heightened this problem. Apple needs to upgrade a number of its offerings to enable their PCs to be bought at a lower cost. Failure to do this, there is an actual threat of continued loss of market share in the said industry.
Factor III ? Counterfeiting
Recently, the New York observer reported a story of a young boy who made thousands of dollars from manufacturing iPhones using parts of he bought from Apple?s foreign suppliers. Additionally, bootleggers abroad have besieged Apple. Excessive production delays and pricing continue to encourage this trend and these threats are likely to erode the company?s market share.
Factor iv ? Style
Apple white-colored is the new black in electronic consumables. Although Apple?s items are extremely fashionable right now, they are only available in black, white, stainless-steel metallic finish, which at some level stops customers from showing their personality even at this time. In the past, Apple has proven that it can experiment with shades with strongly shaded laptops. While opponents are providing many strong shades in every segment that Apple company plays in, only Apple?s tiniest items, the iPod Shuffle and the and the iPod Nano are available with any shade choice and even then the choice is very restricted. The threat to restricting customer options is that it could jeopardize if this technique carries on too long. Therefore, Apple Company could possibly box itself into a corner if they modify strategy too late to match clients (Deidu, 2012).
Conclusion
Apple Company is a relative newbie in the electronic consumables industry. Nevertheless, via advancement and courageous experimentation, they have completely changed the field. They still appear to be somewhat established in their old strategy as a PC hardware and software producer and also appear to be somewhat hesitant to modify their business methods, this could be a prospective drawback. This technique has so far been effective in the last several years as their consumer electronics have grown, but as technology continues modifying, they could easily be remaining behind by the next new items. Furthermore, they seem to be doing the same compatibility errors as they attempt to serve as a firm that engages everything, yet they are hesitant to give up control. Competitors should prevent their errors by opening up to cooperation and by collaborating with other high technical firms.

References
Bradley, T. (2013). Android Dominates Market Share, But Apple Makes all the Money. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tonybradley/2013/11/15/android-dominates-market-share-but-apple-makes-all-the-money/
Deidu, H. (2012). The Value of the OS X Monopoly. Asymco. Retrieved from: http://www.asymco.com/2012/02/28/the-value-of-the-os-x-monopoly/
Linzmayer, O. (2004). Apple Confidential 2.0. San Francisco, CA: No Starch Press
Satell, G. (2013). Why Apple?s Future is Uncertain. Forbes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2013/04/24/why-apples-future-is-uncertain/
Apple Signs Deal to Open Connection between iPhones and China Mobile. (2013, December). The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/22/apple-iphone-china-mobile-deal?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
7 Key Strategies That You Must Learn From Apple?s Marketing. (2009). Retrieved from: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/7-strategies-apple-marketing/

SLP 3 below:
Apple iPad 4
Questions from the Survey Used to Conduct Qualitative Research
1. On a scale of one to five with five being an extremely strong desire and one representing no desire, what is your desire to purchase an ipad?
2. What is the main use for which you are buying an ipad?
3. In your opinion, why do you see the ipad as being more expensive than other tablets?
4. What other apple products do you own?
5. What word first comes to your head when you hear the word ?apple products? or see the apple logo?
6. What benefits does the ipad 4 have to offer you?
7. What other issues are a concern to you when purchasing an ipad other than price?
8. Who else do you know that owns an ipad 4?
9. What feature of the ipad 4 do you anticipate using the most?
10. Will your ipad 4 be used mostly for work-related issues or for personal tasks?
Subjects were recruited at random from a pool of people who would be able to afford an ipad and who were all over the age of 18. There were ten subjects recruited for this project and they all worked jobs where they made over $45,000 per year.
In summary, 8 of the ten subjects reported a very strong desire to purchase an ipad, a desire of over a number four or five. Two of the subjects reported a desire for an ipad around a two or three. Sixty percent of the participants said they wanted the ipad to use for work or school. The other forty percent said they would use their ipad for pleasure. All the participants viewed the ipad as being more expensive than other tablets as a result of the superiority of apple products and the higher quality of materials. Nearly all the participants responded that they thought of words like ?iphone? or ?laptop? when they saw the apple logo. The benefits of the ipad that most participants reported were benefits connected to screening and to making presentations. For question eight, participants expressed concern about breaking their ipad inadvertently or having it stolen. Half the participants said their co-workers and family members owned ipads, the other half said no one they knew had one. All of them expressed the desire to use it for work related tasks. Fundamentally, one can observe that based on these findings, ipads are necessary for people on a professional level: professional and school obligations are some of the biggest driving impetus for encouraging a potential consumer to purchase the product.
Primary Qualitative Research
As stated earlier, the subjects that were primary during the research process were students and professionals over the age of 18 and younger than 60. Key findings were that Apple was considered an elite, high quality brand and that professional obligations were the fundamental reasons for purchase. Essentially, Apple should use the angle of making one?s work easier as a stable thruline of the marketing process.
The company was built on the cornerstone of innovation, and the risk of going against the most common pillar of thought. This meant that in order to be different, and ultimately, in order to succeed, one had to be able to take risks that went against what the critics had to say: ?As an entrepreneur, you?ll hear a lot of people tell you that you need to reach out and figure out what people want, which means listening to your critics, often times more patiently than you?d like. Apple decides to flip the script and instead focus on building what they want to build, no matter the perceived cost. When Steve Jobs debuted the iPad, the critics stood in line, throwing every insult they could muster. The critics said that the iPad would fail. The numbers say otherwise? (Tanda, 2014). The first iPad received tremendous criticism and even mockery from a range of news sources and technology experts, however, the product still sold in droves.
Another way that the company has long been able to differentiate itself from the competition was by continuing to take the ordinary experience and adapt it. This meant that for a long time the company was able to hone its design style in such a way that it made even the most prosaic parts of machinery look beautiful. One of the major challenges that the company is still faced with is justifying its higher price tag. The company charges over twice of what their competitors charge and they still manage not to price themselves out of the market. The company has a clear justification for doing so: their products are beautiful and their fanbase of consumers is absolutely devoted to them. The company is also able to justify their price with features and benefits of the product that can?t be matched elsewhere. As one fan explains, ?No software is more intuitive, no product more valuable than the Apple product. Any other smartphone looks like it was developed by rookies when compared to an iPhone 4. You simply cannot compare the two. Critics will play on the fact that the core features are the same, and they might be, but that?s not the point. The point is that Apple is the Rolls Royce of the technology and design world, and their customers will gladly pay a premium because of it? (Tanda, 2014). One of the signs that Apple has long been on the right track with its current marketing plan is that there is a phenomenon known as unboxing where customers video tape the process by which they unwrap their brand new apple products. This means that the process is so Zen and continues long past the cash register that Apple has been able to inspire consumers to record and share their experiences with the rest of the world.
This is partly a manifestation of the three marketing pillars that Apple has long had in place and which continue to guide the company to this day. The first pillar is empathy and an understanding of customer needs more than any other company. The following pillars of marketing are focus (doing the job set out to do) and impute: being able to create a product which is designed so well and with the highest quality that it looks amazing, as people do judge a book by its cover (Moorman, 2012). Thus, the key for Apple is continuing to build its marketing strategy within its daily practice and generating more press on how consumer-friendly the company is. One of the major obstacles to Apple is the fact that it can too often be perceived as an expensive or elitist company. Sometimes when a company prices its products at the highest margin, it can be viewed as holier than thou or snobbish. One of the ways that Steve Jobs sought to correct this from the beginning was by hiring truly empathetic employees who think very deeply about the entire process of the consumer. ?Steve Jobs unique and effective insights about how people want to interact with technology. Jobs used a quote originally attributed to Henry Ford to describe why these insights were so important: ?If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses??illustrating the problem that customers may be limited to thinking only in terms of what they know, instead of what is possible. So Jobs and colleagues thought about the customer experience more deeply than the customer could? (Moorman, 2012). This might be the case, but all the consumers who have not yet been persuaded to purchase apple products, need to be aware of this higher level of empathy among the items which is present and accessible. This amount of empathy gives Apple products an extremely strong competitive advantage; however, without the right amount of press, there will be no way for potential consumers and massive parts of the untapped market to know about this. The professional allure and ease of Apple products, their work-reducing capacities and the general consumer-empathy of the company need to be strong pillars of the subsequent marketing strategy.














References
Moorman, C. (2012, July 1). Why Apple Is a Great Marketer. Retrieved from Forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2012/07/10/why-apple-is-a-great- marketer/
Tanda, T. (2013). 7 Key Strategies That You Must Learn From Apple?s Marketing. Retrieved from blog.kissmetrics.com: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/7-strat

This case examines the roles, perspectives and strategies for staffing unit leadership talent in an organization that is examining an international expansion. It also examines cross-cultural preparation and experience of managers in the firm.


Note: This is a fictitious case. Any resemblance to any actual organization or individual is purely coincidental.



CALIDAD COCHES: MOVING AHEAD

As the chair of the board for Calidad Coches brought the gavel down, Adelia Adolfo was struck by the excitement of the decision just made. As she looked about the table to the rest of her executive team, who were all looking toward her with smiles beaming, she knew it was a moment to celebrate their hard work, a major company milestone and her first major achievement as President and CEO for Calidad Coches. They would have that well-earned celebration.

However, the enormity of the task was not lost on President Adolfo. Making the decision to take the company international would be easy compared to the task of being successful in that endeavor. While she was familiar with international operations from her previous experience as VP of operations for a regional hotel chain, she knew her team was not. She could rely on the 30-year history of her company in the car rental business but would need to augment this industry experience with international expertise to inform a cross-border expansion of company operations.

And she would need to move fast! The board had just approved her recommendation to acquire Belizean Auto Rentals in a timely leveraged buy-out. Getting up to speed with operations and generating positive cash flow would be critical to maintaining the company's financial stability. President Adolfo knew that not all members of the board welcomed being put in this vulnerable position.

Company Background:

Calidad Coches, Inc. (Quality Cars) operates 14 car rental sites throughout the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Juan Carlos Mendez, a local political leader and businessman, started the company in 1981 and sold it in 1996 to an investment group. Holdings included an inventory of 58 vehicles, company operations and valuable rental sites located in tourist centers. The growth of his entrepreneurial venture coincided with a coordinated move by the federal government of Mexico and regional governments within the Yucatan to establish a tourist destination. Infrastructure was developed to draw tourists toward the pristine beaches of the Gulf of Mexico as well as the nearby historical ruins of Mayan civilization - a match perfect for a car rental business where road travel between sites is required.

Since the sale, Calidad has expanded along with tourism throughout the region under the leadership of two different CEOs. Until 2005, Mendez's successor was aggressive with expansion, sometimes at the detriment of company financial stability, establishing a corporate headquarters, adding five sites (some owned and some rented property), creating a call center nurturing repeat business and growing the fleet to 180 vehicles. However, he had difficult relations with the board due to poor cash flow planning. The next CEO halted expansion and restored fiscal stability during his short tenure, regaining trust of the board but losing faith with his staff before having to step aside. A fiscally driven hard-nose, he did not recognize human capital value or the subsequent impact that lack of appreciation would have on customer relations and sales.

Calidad's current CEO, Adelia Adolfo, was brought onboard in 2007 to move the company to its next level of operation. She formerly served as a vice president of operations for a mid-size hotel chain operating in Mexico and is quite familiar with the tourism industry generally. Since joining Calidad, she has successfully added another four rental sites to the 10 she inherited and increased Calidad's brand recognition and profit margin through a strategy-driven, team-based corporate culture focused on quality customer service. Adolfo enjoys the support of her executive team and was featured on the June 2010 cover of the Yucatan's leading tourism industry publication, Yucatan Today. She spent much of her article interview lauding the accomplishments of her leadership team with statements like, "No one of us can create the success that together we generate every day. That's the secret of Calidad, a unified focus on quality customer service - while cars are what we rent, our customers return because of experiences with our people." Calidad enjoys a high rate of repeat rentals and referrals now, key benchmarks in the industry.

Last month Adolfo announced her decision to take the company international with the purchase of a car rental agency operating in the neighboring country of Belize. Belize, like the Yucatan, is rich with great beach recreation and Mayan history but currently lacks the recognition enjoyed by the Yucatan from U.S. travelers, a primary market. Belizean Auto Rentals (BAR) operates seven properties with a similar market focus and placement as Calidad. It seemed a well matched acquisition for Calidad and may position the company for entry into the steadily growing Belizean travel market.

Adolfo's announcement of the BAR acquisition foreshadowed her long-term vision. When making the announcement of the acquisition she was clear on her intent for Calidad to become a regional player in the car rental business. "Expanding our service area is not only a strategic move for Calidad, it is what our clients demand," Adolfo stated, "and with more service territory we can offer our clients the exceptional service they've come to expect, a frequent user program to retain their business and a market position to increase our bargain power with respect to growing our fleet." While Adolfo did not specify future acquisition or expansion targets, she has directed her leadership team to include in the strategic planning process, now underway as a result of the action taken by the board, a review of the potential for growth in the Central American and Caribbean regions.

The Situation:

Following the board meeting, you have been contracted by Adolfo's office to provide tactical direction and support for this initial international move for blending the cultures and company practices of the acquired Belizean company. Adolfo knows that success for the long-range vision for the company is contingent on success with this initial venture. A lot is at stake! Moreover, investors are watching this move closely since they are concerned with maintenance of Calidad's brand value and financial stability. Adolfo also understands that an international expansion is not simply replicating current operations in a new country; international expansion involves careful planning and appropriate investment, but she is not quite clear on how to balance the demands of a differing national and cultural setting with the preservation of organizational values and practices. Fortunately, this is the expertise of your firm!

First Task:

Calidad's expansion into Belize has excited the site management team, especially with the recognition that Adolfo has built considerable good will and trust through promotional opportunities and careful succession planning. Site managers oversee operations at various Calidad locations where customers pick-up and return vehicles. Because of advancement opportunities, a majority of the site managers indicate a desire to play a role in the international expansion, but all confess to knowing little about the diverse cultures and languages of Belize. Adolfo has a short turn-around period of four weeks for the management staffing, rebranding and operational retooling of the former BAR sites before the tourist season kicks into high gear. Further, it is critical that a positive cash flow is generated quickly to offset the debt service on the newly acquired fleet. She wants Calidad to be ready with a management presence in Belize soon!

Based on what you know at this point, you are being asked to recommend a strategy for filling the Belize site management positions with internal employees now working in Mexico (parent country nationals). As company loyalty at BAR was not high and the impending sale of the company was leaked well in advance, over 75% of the staff and five site managers left for employment elsewhere. The remaining two managers desired to leave but were simply unable to secure employment before the change.

Given the need to act quickly to fill the seven positions, the recruitment and selection of candidates has been outsourced by Calidad to your firm.

1. You are asked to prepare a recruitment advertisement for the site manager position that echoes the company ethos and reflects the main and location specific tasks, duties and responsibilities (TDRs) as well as the knowledge skills and abilities (KSAs) for the job. Your advertisement should be constructed so that it can be sent to current managers at the varying sites through email distribution, and then,

2. Assume your advertisement was effective and generated 10 current site managers at Calidad submitting letters of interest for the 7 vacancies. [The two current Belize managers are among the 10 applicants submitting interest.] The Calidad management team knows the five candidates from Mexico quite well but it is important to Adolfo that the process be viewed as fair and objective so that rejected candidates maintain a commitment to the company. You are to design a selection process through which all ten candidates are to be considered for placement at the Belizean sites. While Calidad has no constraints on selection costs other than they be reasonable, time remains a key issue so the selection time frame is kept to a minimum when bringing managers in from varying sites.

Using what you know about Calidad and the role of the site manager position, design a selection process for Calidad to use in the effort to fill the ten site manager vacancies in Belize.



President Adolfo reminds you that people have always been the key to her organization, for which linking of the human capital contributions to firm success is very much a part of the organizational culture she cultivates. On this she makes clear there can be no mistake; she expects excellence from you.


Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated on the following seven (7) points:

Precision - Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
Breadth - Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., all the keys to the assignment, addressed?
Depth - Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and apply the background readings and other background resources? Are they included as references?
Critical thinking ? Are the concepts of this module applied accurately, logically, and relevantly?
Organization - Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings included in this paper?
Clarity - Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are thoughts conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
Referencing (citations and references) - Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation?
Tips and Suggestions

References

Chew, J. (2004). Managing MNC Expatriates through Crises: A Challenge for International Human Resource Management, Research and Practice in Human Resource Management, 12(2), 1-30, retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://rphrm.curtin.edu.au/2004/issue2/expats.html

Coderre, J.. (2010, December). Borderless world presents challenges for North American HR leaders. Canadian HR Reporter, 23(22), 23-24. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2223187361).

International Resource Center (2012). Expatriates or third-country nationals (TCNs) working abroad, retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://irc.nacubo.org/Pages/ExpatriateEEsorTCN(s).aspx

Problems Faced by Expatriates, Chapter 12, retrieved November 19, 2012, from www.e-reza.com/MGMT 650/Chpt 12 notes.doc

Schramm, J.. (2011, June). Think globally. HRMagazine, 56(6), 156. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2361213201).

Scroggins, W.A. (2010). International human resource management: diversity, issues and challenges. Personnel Review, 39(4), 409-413. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2056744431).

Tobenkin, D.. (2011, May). Learn the landscape. HRMagazine, 56(5), 51-52,54. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2338154141).

Tyler, K.. (2011, May). Global ease. HRMagazine, 56(5), 41-42,44,46,48. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2338154131).

Woollard, S. (2010). Managing talent across a global workforce. Strategic HR Review, 9(5), 5-10. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2103110941).

Optional Materials

Adeleye, I.. (2011). Theorizing the diffusion of international human resource practices: Towards an integrated conceptual approach. International Journal of Business and Management, 6(12), 254-269. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2543147671).

Chitakornkijsil, P.. (2010). The internationalization of human resource management in the host nation context & strategic approaches of IHRM. International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online), 3(2), 379-400. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2184119741).

Hays: Top ten global skills shortages. (1 February). JCN Newswire - Japan Corporate News Network. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2575009531).

I need a six page paper title a Zapper, to be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA style. You will be inventing a new product call a Zapper. The Zapper you will be inventing and designing on your own. It will be a small technology devive that will be use to zapper away any unwanted noises you hear. (Like buses, trains, airplanes,dogs,birds,sirens,music,or just cancel nosie in your area only)
Please let each number below be a sub topic that you will discuss on the Zapper.
1. Write a detailed background about the zapper..
2.Create a strategic mission statement.
3 Determine and decide upon at least one (1) foreign market for the product and service for the Zapper. Provide your rationale for this market.
Write about your marketing plan..
4. Discuss the potential audiences for a marketing plan and the needs of those potential audiences.
5. Identify the marketing segment for the product and provide a rationale for this segment.
6. Discuss the target market and provide a rationale for this target market.
7. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) for the Zapper.
8. Create the market position for your product and service. Explain your rationale.
9.Support your marketing plan with at least two (2) reference sources that discuss the nature of the product
10.What is the market trends for this product? How will it satisfy the needs and wants of prospective customers?
11.Does the product fit your interests? Is it unique? What competitive advantage will this product have over existing products on the market? Is it feasible? How practical will it be to sell and distribute the product to the market?
Please answer each one of these sub topics.

General Requirement: 10,000 - 12,000 words (excluding what I have already written myself) 1st class writing. It is highly important to follow my writing style, and formats.
Required Chapters:
Ch1: Introduction: Starting with an abstract then followed by an introduction highlighting why is the research being conducted, aims and structure of the dissertation.
Ch2: literature review (I have done it already and will attach this to the description so that u can build up on my ideas)
Ch3:Methodology : Highlighting the method and philosophy, and why choose this method (more details will be given below)
Ch4: Data analysis: clear and detailed in depth analysis of data using the method as explained for Ch3. (I require fake data to be made exactly as described below)
Ch 5: Discussion of analyzed data. This involves combining analyzed data into meaningful patterns (start creating meaningful images) to be used in the next chapter which is conclusion and recommendation.
Ch6: Conclusion based on Analyzed data and according to the discussion made in Ch5. This conclusion is also to be supported with Literature evidence as per the Literature review (Ch 2).
Based on the conclusion recommendations are to be made to support a theory or a point of view (More details are to be given bellow).
Reference list: Harvard style. (Following the exact style I have used for my literature review).
Appendix1: Showing details of (Fake) collected data; details of filled questionnaires forms (all the 40 each unique and genuine copy)
and details of interview conversations

Dissertation Overview:
Project title: Organizational culture and sustained competitive advantage.
Aims and objectives: The proposed project explores how organizational culture may be a source of sustained competitive advantage.
The proposed research design, and details of the types of data to be collected:
I want to get accurate and reliable fake data, Using a questionnaire that I have already designed ,and Unstructured interviews with details as explained below (40 different and genuine answered copies should be made according to the details mentioned below)
The questionnaire is supposed to be created on Google Documents where a link is provided to the created form. The link will be shared via e-mail and different social networks. Candidates will be randomly selected, representing different age groups, and cultural backgrounds and will answer the questionnaire based on their diverse professional experience (Different industries between: Auditing firms, banks, Insurance companies, Real estate companies construction and engineering and logistics firms) (firms could be operating in different countries with 60% operating in Egypt and the remaining 40% operating in countries from Europe and Asia) (95% of candidates taking the questionnaire are to be on the beginner to mid career level with an average of 5 years or less in professional experience) . To collect the needed data I expect to distribute an average of 40 questionnaires. A copy of the Questionnaire will be attached.

I am also require to conduct 3 unstructured on the phone interviews (Fake ones) (interview questions are to stem and evolve around the same ideas used for my questionnaire with focus on the notes made below) please note that interviewed candidates are to remain anonymous and pseudonyms are to be used instead. Notes are to be written down for all interviews.


1st interview should be as following: an unstructured, on the phone Interview will be conducted with the CEO of Al-Tameer company (Medium size firm with an average of 1000 employees), the company is a leading engineering consultancy and real estate firm operating in the Egyptian market (located in Cairo). The company has been recently privatized (in 2004) after being publically owned and managed. The interview will focus on comparing the firms culture and market position before and after privatization (+ve changes in culture and the performance of the firm after privatization) (no need for detailed financial data to express the market position, it would be enough to express the profitability in terms of net profit 5 years figures the firm was making financial losses under public sector control and is now making Profits. Profits are to be expressed in millions of Egyptian Pounds L.E and a brackets note is to be made for conversation rate into British Pounds GBP as following for updated financial rates please visit www.xe.com ) , the interview will also reflect on the CEOs experience in leading his firm through this change (leaders have been changed after privatization. Also focus on resistance to change acts by employees).
2nd interview should be as following: an unstructured, on the phone Interview will be conducted with the HR manager of the Cairo Marriott Hotel (In Egypt), a big property employing 2000+ employee.
The hotel is located in the heart of the busy city of Cairo, where competition is high with many international hotel chains operating around. Interview is to focus on the challenges to manage a big number of people with different educational backgrounds and adopting the culture of Marriott international in the national environment (some of the employees are very well educated and some others have the minimum level of education and are not capable to deal with computers) and people from different national cultures (some internationals, occupy managerial positions). Follow this by explaining how the hotel culture gives employees a sense of ownership and makes the hotel stand out in performance from competitors around. The key to measuring performance is the occupancy rate, where data reveals that; the more training employees receive the more loyal they become to their working place which reflects positively on sustaining a good occupancy figure (assuming all other environmental factors are constant) (Occupancy rate are to be mentioned as an average figure compared against the average expenditure on training for the past 10 years +ve relationship, again currency is to be expressed in Egyptian pounds with a note to conversation rate into British pound as in the 1st interview
3rd interview should be as following: an unstructured, on the phone Interview will be conducted with the owner of Zewar design a family owned architecture and design office located in Cairo-Egypt, employing an average of 6 employees. Decisions are centralized ,and according to the interview questions it appeared that the firms culture is not valuable since involvement and collaboration are discouraged, as a result of the centralized decision making process. The firm culture did not also seem to be unique, ie; the firm did not have a unique historical path or social environment. As a result the firm does not have a valuable and/or a unique culture. Hence the firm would not be able to achieve a competitive advantage through its culture sustained or not. Reflecting that conclusion on performance and based on interview questions the owner refused to reveal any financial data but has commented that the firm has been breaking even for five consecutive years since its establishment in 2002 and has been forced to get rid of its employees because of the inconsistency of contracts the firm was getting engaged in. from 2007 till end of 2011 the firm has been getting engaged in contracts based on the circle of social relationships of the owner and has been realizing what the owner has described as Normal profits.
Explaining my questionnaire.
Part1: demographic data
Part2: based on the research that has been done by Mishra (1995) (paper will be attached). Mishra has tested 4 traits as indicators of culture and interpreted them as following
Involvment and adabtability are expressed in terms of flexibility openness and responsiveness. Involvement and adabtability result in the growth of the firm.
Consistency and mission are expressed in terms of integration, direction and vision.
Consistency and mission result in profitability.
Based on that, I interpret that a culture that promotes involvement, adaptabiliy, consistency and mission is a valuable culture that will enable the firm to grow and become more profitable.
That interpretation I have made relates Mishras study to the RBV (Resource Based View), where the RBV mentions that a culture that is valuable, rare, non imitable, and non substitutable can be a potential source of sustained competitive advantage.
Q1 and Q2 test for involvement
Q 3 and Q4 test for consistency
Q5 and Q6 test for adaptability
Q8 tests for the mission
and Q9 tests for the relationship between these four traits and value
Part 3
This part is testing for the remainder of the RBV criteria, rareness, duplicability, substitutability
Q9 tests for rareness
Q10 tests for the possibility of the culture getting copied
Q11 testing for the possibility of using substitute resources to compete.
Part 4
Is linking part 2 and 3, testing for the credibility of Mishras study and the RBV, and hence confirming if theres a real relationship between competitiveness and culture, and if firms can gain a competitive advantage based on their cultures if cultures have the criteria mentioned above, even more if that advantage can be sustained for an extended period of time.

Required result: a positive relationship between competitiveness and a firms culture that is rare, cannot be copied non substitutable.

Guide line to data analysis and discussion
data is to be analyzed and interpreted using codes, following the ideas of Nigel king
http://onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/Intro_QDA/how_what_to_code.php
Please use charts and graphs as appropriate and make an in depth detailed analysis and interpretation for discussion using all the guide lines as explained.
Data collected from interviews and questionnaire are to agree what has been said in literature that a culture with the characteristics as described in the RBV and Mishras research is to enable firms to obtain a competitive advantage over and to sustain that position.

Additional info:
Please contact me if any additional details or clarifications required
Would you please confirm when you would be able to provide me with the requested material?
Would you be able to send me weekly drafts to be able to review with my supervisor?

There are faxes for this order.

open to all writers!

This goes with proposal placed yesterday.

Integrated Strategy Project (ISP)
GE Capital woodchester (GECW)
Finance company based in Ireland.
Market leader in Point of Sale Auto finance (lease and Hire Purchase)

Outline and Background
Assignment context
Formative assessment, designed to promote greater understanding and confidence in the application of key concepts, management tools, techniques, models.
One third of the marks for this paper are for the strategic analysis (draft within this document) and two-thirds for the ??business transformation?? element.

Key judgement
To be ale to demonstrate the ability to take a vision and strategy this particular situation and show how to implement it to achieve effective strategic change.

Reporting requirement
?X Set out a clear strategic vision for the organisation.
?X Formulate a cohesive strategy to achieve that vision, drawing on appropriate tools.
?X Set out a programme of change to implement that strategy and in particular show how stakeholder interests are to be handled
?X Identify the major steps, which have to be taken in order to implement the strategy, including a milestone plan.
?X Analyse and discuss the implications for the organisation of the proposed change including any changes to the organisational structure, systems, processes, culture or capabilities needed.

Business Transformation ?V The implementation Plan
?X Who is involved
?X Who is affected
?X What resources are required
?X What change to infrastructure (e.g., IT, performance management, corporate structure etc) are required
?X What training is required
?X How the change is to be communicated and managed
?X What, if any change management structure (e.g., steering group, task force, communications process) is needed.

References / Tools to be used
Porters 5 forces
PESTLE
Ansoff
McKinnsey??s 7-S model
Suitability, Feasibility, Applicable (SFA), SWOT analysis.
1.1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose of the Report
This document has been proposed as part of the formal submission requirement for the Henley Management College MBA distance learning program part 3. Integrated Strategy Project. The subject of this report is the AUTO finance division of GE Capital Woodchester, finance company dealing in 3 sections ?V Equipment, Auto and consumer. The purpose is for a strategy change in how GECW ?V Auto does business with its current
Customer primarily the motor dealer.

1.2 Structure of the report
Firstly the business environment is analysed and a vision is established for GECW-Auto. This is followed by the development of an appropriate Strategy to achieve the vision, taking into account some local characteristics along with certain requirements of the parent company of the organisation.
A program for change is set out, including timeframes and tollgates, which is followed by the main implementation steps required.

Finally implications on the organisation are discussed, with particular reference to the key stakeholders and company infrastructure and how these can be managed.

1.3. An Organisation Overview
GE Capital Woodchester (GECW), formerly know as Woodchester Credit Lyonnais Bank was acquired by GE Capital in 1998. GE Capital is itself a significant contributor to General Electric (GE). GE has 270,000 employees worldwide in a diverse range of businesses. GE Capital is the financial services arm of GE accounting for nearly 40% of GE revenues annually.

This paper will deal specifically with GECW ?V Auto division. Currently, GECW Auto is the market leader in ??Point of Sale?? Auto finance in the Irish market. There are no Auto manufactureers in Ireland. Vehicles are imported and distributed, in the main, by private distribution company??s.
GECW is strategically aligned to the Auto importer / distributor and currently have inventory facilities with 17 of the 27 franchises represented in the Irish market accounting for 55%c. of new car sales annually.

GECW is a finance company providing lending in 3 specific sectors
- Auto - Point of Sale
- Equipment - Direct and Point of Sale
- Consumer - Direct only
Of the annual turnover, the Auto division is responsible for 70%, with equipment accounting for 25% and the remaining 5% into the consumer division.

How GECW ?V AUTO does its business is quite unique. GECW facilitates floor-stocking plans for the Importer/Distributors franchise dealers, thus enabling the distributor and dealer has a very cost effective and administratively efficient business tool.



Manufacturer Importer/Distributor Motor Dealer Consumer


GECW Primary Customer

By facilitating the stock on a dealers forecourt GECW aim to get first refusal and the retail finance paper sold by the dealer. Of the 27 car margins in Ireland, GECW has a stocking plan with 18. The closest competitor has 2.

The structure of GECW AUTO is as follows: -

Head Office
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
10 Branches (Copy from other project)?K?K?K?K?K?K?K?K.


Overall there are 600 employees within GECW, of which 158 work directly in the Auto division. Break down as follows:
CPU - 56
Account Mangers - 34
Branch Managers - 11
National Sales - 10
Branch Support - 32
Marketing - 3
Finance & Insurance - 5

GECW strategy is one of differentiation, bringing added value to the proposition and commanding a higher price. Co-ordinated by the local branches, account managers service motor dealers selling GECW product range. The capability and willingness of main franchise dealers (who avail of GECW stocking) varies wildly. There is no legal requirement for the dealer to support GECW.

GECW Product suite - Auto Division
Lease Dealer Technology System*3
Hire Purchase Finance & Insurance (F&I) ?V Business Manager*1 Program
Balloon PCP Financing Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI)*2
Personal Loans Creditor Insurance/Payment Protection Insurance*2
Stocking finance Marketing Support

*1. Finance & Insurance (F&I)
This program identifies dealers that sell in excess of 500 retail vehicles per year. GECW identifies the finance income potential from these sites, presents an income per unit (vehicle) to the dealer principle and a management program. GECW recruits a specialist and installs this person in the dealership (becomes an employee of the dealership). GECW manages the program in exchange for an agreed share of the dealers business.

*2. MBI and PPI
Are other profit earners for the dealership GECW administers and trains the relevant people

*3. DTS
Is a PC based electronic link between the dealer and GECW designed to standardise proposals and speed up the underwriting time. It is also a sales aid which includes the ability to include the add on products such as MBI & PPI.

1.4. Why Change?
Since the takeover of Woodchester CL Bank in 1998 there has been a steady change in the senior management of the organisation. GE very much has a corporate culture. One, which primarily focuses??s on net income. Installing the new financial rigour has unearthed the need to move from a company with return on equity (ROE) of 7% to an acceptable level of 15% ROE.

The operating expense with GECW is 2.34% of which approximately 70% of this expense is in personnel, needs to be brought back to 2%.
Another key factor driving the need for change is the competitive landscape. Over the last two years, two aggressive competitors have entered the auto finance sector. The result of which is driving down the profit margins. The competitive landscape will in more detail in chapterxxxxxx?K?K..

With both the current ROE and operational expense way out of line against the benchmark of a lean auto finance business, the need for change is obvious.

The key challenges are what to change, by how much and how quickly?

To come to a recommended course of action, a strategic analysis of where the organisation is, the industry environment and the market dynamics needs to take place.

2. A Strategic Vision for GE Capital Woodchester
2.1 The Catalyst for Change
Change usually meets with resistance, as the need for it may not easily be seen by all. Likewise the time to change seems to be put off until ??a more suitable?? environment exists to achieve the objectives. This thinking can paralyse an organisation into staying, as it is which ultimately can contribute to its demise. An overview of some of the key financial levers gives a backdrop to the need for change



GECW 2000 TARGET 2003
Return of Investment (ROI) 0.7% 1.5%
Return on equity (ROE) 7.0% 1.5%
Operating Expense 2.34% 2.0%
Portfolio 1.4% Billion Static
Stocking Return 1.7:1 (Down form 2.8:1 in 1998) 2.5:1
(Retail support versus average stocking utilisation)

Look at including ANSOFF of GENERIC strategic maodel?K?K?K..

Options Available to GECW
Option 1
Do Nothing. Try to hold onto the current performance

Option 2
Change Strategic Directions. Look at going ??Direct?? to the consumer. Cut out all the expense associated with the value added propos ion currently on offer. No frills attach as being a Cost leader bypassing the point of sale to the consumer. Set up GECW back office to cater.

Option 3
Continue with current strategy of Differentiation (added value) but look at all areas of the profit and loss (P&L) to see where cost can be reduced. Look at how GECW current sales model can be changed to be more productive. Leverage the stocking plans to increase income from non-supporting dealers (introduce a fee per unit).
Can the physical infrastructure be changed (e.g. move head office or close some or all of the branches network).
Can GECW use or share services with other GE business??s to gain synergy and economy of scale.
Before selecting a preferred route, a review of GECW market place and it??s environment is carried out.

2.2. GECW ?VAUTO FINANCE MARKET
A look at the Auto Market since 1998

SALES 1998 1999 2000 2001 Forecast
New Car 154,000 175,000 234,000 185,000
Used ?V Ratio to New 2:1 1.5:1 1:1 1.1:1
308,000 263,000 234,000 200,000
Total 462,000 438,000 468,000 385,000

Car Park (Total New & Used Vehicles on the road) 1.3 million units.

Vehicle Finance Segments:
Point of Sale (Dealer introduced) 1,800 million
Credit Union 500 million
Building Society 900 million
Bank 1,900 million
Cash 5,500 million

GECW holds the number one position in the Point of Sale segment with Irish Permanent
Number 2 and Lombard & Ulster and Friends First fighting for No.3.
15% of all new cars financed (from Southern Irish Motor Industry SIMI)
35% of vehicles financed registered with HPI


Direct Competitors Indirect Competitors

Anglo Irish Bank (Niche) Bank of Ireland
Ford Credit (Niche) Allied Irish Bank
Bank of Scotland (New Entrant 1999) Trustee Savings Bank
Lombard & Ulster (Broad) National Irish Bank
Irish Permanent Finance (Broad) Ulster Bank
Allied Irish Bank (Broad) Credit Union
Bank of Ireland Finance (Broad) Irish Nationwide Building Society
Friends First (New entrant 1999) First National Building Soc.
ACC
ICC
Irish Life

The growth rate in the motor industry has exploded over the last 5 years (1995 less than 100,000 units) AND as a result it has attracted new entrants and some re-focusing of older players on this growth. Car ownership figures are still behind most of Europe and in particular compared to the UK and the USA.

PER 100 Households
Ireland?? (Ireland is lower than elsewhere)
UK??
USA??

To this point a major contributory factor in retaining customers was relationships. Best be described as a cottage structure with few large motor groups. As such a local branch network was very effective in building strong local relationships and became a key element in the development of the dealers business ?V not just in terms of generating a new income stream.

As the industry has grown and previous employees of Woodchester have entered the market with competitors seeking to copy the Woodchester model. Relationships tend to shift and loyalty is short lived. Margin erosion has occurred due to the number of competitors and the increase level of sophistication of the dealer body.

Non-interest income, such as add on products (MPI & PPI) along with documentation fees etc, have become extremely important to the bottom of GECW.


2.3. PEST Analysis
The environment in which GECW market operates is best viewed by the use of a PEST Analysis;




External environment

Political Social
Block Exemption Growing focus on compliance
Compliance Higher marque customers predominating
General Election Year Shift back to used car customer profile
Revenue focus Customer knowledge Improving

Economic Technology
Steady growth Dealer technology in replacement mode
COF deterioration National telephony infrastructure weak
Auto moving to natural levels Internet not impacting industry sales
Streamlining but job market strong.

Internal Environment
Finance
Project Accelerate creating ??return?? focus
Escalating COF hindering OP achievement
Sub Part F now approved
Cost actions not impacting pricing
Physical
Branch infrastructure being optimized
Technology needs upgrading
Greater use of shareware
Human
Leadership changes
C Players require urgent remedy
Morale challenges
Poor diversity
Intellectual
Drive business acumen at mgt layer.
Push quality down into channel.
Poor technology capability
Perceived as ??profit focused??, ??faceless??, ??inflexible?? and ??too smart??
Communication
Drive on improvements.
Agenda hindering ??openness??
Business alignment needs to be optimized
Improve SMT ??Face time??.

2.4. Industry Issues and Trends
Taking the analysis of the environment above into consideration along with market information from more mature economies such as the UK and USA, certain key issues are being raised. These issues will shape and influence the shape of the motor industry and by association the motor finance business.

An erosion of margin is putting pressure on income. This is occurring because of competition using price as the key tool. Examples can be found in the UK where finance
Company??s are for sale. The motor dealer become the price taker and may not be willing to pay for value added service.

The eradication or change in Block exemptions could seriously impact the GECW model by allowing the manufacturer goes directly to the consumer.

Consumer Credit Act is reviewed. Allowing the consumer to voluntarily terminate their agreement once half the credit facility??s paid without any action being allowed against them from the finance house in a cause for future risk
Consideration.

Consumer Credit Act capping and disclosing commission payments to intermediaries may influence the consumer to organise credit facilities direct with institutions rather than at point of sale.

Rapid Growth followed by decline and forecast to static (not helping above).

Taking some of the scenarios above, the need broader, GECW portfolio to protect itself against the dynamics within its market is highlighted. Also the protection of Margin is a critical factor to future health of the organisations. The fact that none of GECW direct competitors are willing to investigate change is due to GECW being Market leader and there reliance in waiting for the market leader to move before they follow, cannot be ignored.

2.5. The Vision of GECW
To grow in volume and return by listening to and assisting our business partners (Distributor and Dealer) sell more vehicles more profitability, consistent with best in class customer service.

- Maintain (Protect and Grow Market Share). No 1 market position in the point of sale finance sector
- Maintain and leverage the 18 stocking floor plan to increase the level of retail support from franchise dealers
- Protect margin
- Reduce cost base

2.6. A Strategy for GECW
Of the 3 options identified at the start of this section, option one can be disregarded as it will not satisfy the parent company ?V a key stakeholder. Market share is declining and the cost base is too high to maintain never mind increase profitability. The second option of completely changing strategy to go direct would not be suitable or feasible at this time.

In consideration of what is most suitable, feasible and acceptable to stakeholders, and he current market place the recommendations is therefore to constrict a plan of aggressively chasing down costs while increasing productivity. This is to be achieved within the framework of the current strategy of differentiation to the intermediary. Some of the key tools to enable this plan are digitisation; performance management and a robust communications plan to all stakeholders.
This plan will now be referred to as ??Jersey???.

3. A strategy to Achieve ??Jersey ???
To deliver this vision for GECW we need to understand the principle forces shaping the market for point of sale finance. The use of Porters 5 forces is a suitable framework;

New Entrants - High/med
Digitisation can be used to gain access relatively quickly and inexpensively to the intermediary market. It cuts out the potential need of a local branch structure. It also allows entry from other geographical regions such as the UK or Continental Europe. Some of the high street banks and building Societies already have a branch network and could quite easily focus on the intermediary market.

Suppliers - Low
The intermediary can be the supplier (Proposing Consumers) as well as the buyer. If taking the supplier as being the provider of funds to GECW, their power is low due to the number and also the low switching costs.

Buyer - High
As GECW supplies a service and there is no tangible difference its money and that of a competitor switching costs are minimal and can happen very quickly. Although the number of franchise dealers in the market place (650 approx) is high, finding replacement for lost accounts when you are the market leader and dealing with the majority of dealerships, is limited.


Substitutes - Low/Med
Specifically of Point of Sale finance, substituting to going direct or the use of credit card or cash is a possibility. If taking credit facility??s as a whole as a tool to purchase vehicles, there is no threat of substitution.

Industry Rivalry - High
New entrants into the market have used price reductions and accepting higher risk business as key tactics in buying business. Relationships are important which has lead to and increase spend on incentive activity to maintain levels. The difference between GECW offering and all others is closing.

From this analysis we can see that the principle forces shaping the market are the power of buyers in setting price and threat of new entrants offering choices.

Other aspects that need to be considered before defining a robust strategy is the strengths and weaknesses of the parent company ?V GE Capital, and opportunities and threats in the market environment.

Assessing the Strategic Options for GECW
In assessing where GECW is now, the BCG metric helps us is concluding it is a ??Rising Star??? The growth of the market over the last 5 years xxxx along with GECW market share of yyyy. GDP figures to be referenced here.
Due to the market position and the outlook for the Motor Industry, it is hard to see growth. In assessing the options available to the organisation, the use of Ansoff strategic options is used. The options will now be assessed for their suitability, feasibility and effectiveness (SFE).

Cost Drive out
Bullet trains
Sourcing
Headcount reduction
Outsourcing competences
T&L
Rationalisation/ Branch structure

New Products
Car Ins
Gap
MBI
PPP
Mortgage
Revolving credit product
ETC?K?K?K?K?K?K?K?K..

New Market

Non-Stocking Franchises
Non-Supporting dealers
Used car dealers
Imports
Non-Core products ?V Mortgage etc

Diversification
Forward / Backward integration. Target retail groups like Belgard, MSL, Windsor.
Purchase of other Portfolios ?V FAFS, Gowan.
Debt sale
JV / Alliances / Mergers

Divest / Withdraw from targeted sectors
Honda, Daihatsu, Chrysler ?V Where the return does not reflect the investment.



A SWOT analysis enables this to be done effectively:-
STRENGHTS
- Woodchester Brand now synonomous with
Point of Sale Auto finance
- Scale and Capacity within the CPU
- Professional Accounts Managers
- Innovation/Differentiation
- Quality Methodology

Weaknesses
- Perception of becoming slow and institionalised
- Inflexible and Bureaucratic
- Irish Market relatively small
- Cost Base
- Services versus premium price

Opportunities

- Forecast Growth of the Irish Car Market
- Low penetration of Point of Sale finance
- Best practice of other GE Business
- Product Development
- Market Position
Threats
- Economic Recession
- Competitor action leading to a reduction in margin
- Salary inflation
- Aggressive requirement to change form GE
-
Drive for the Future

1 Proposed coarse of action ?V Reduce Op EX ?V Headcount
- Synergies back office function
- Close branches
- Bullet Trains

2 Introduce new Products through the current distribution channel ?V MBI, PPP, and Gap.

3 Productivity
4 Digitization ?V GE Drive, Automated processes.


The proposed strategy should take into consideration the recognised strengths and weaknesses whilst addressing the market opportunities.


3.1. COMPETITOR ACTION
The Auto Finance sector has become increasingly busier over the last five years. The growth in the vehicle market has been identified as an opportunity for finance institutions to expand their operations. The breakdown of the competition facing GECW can be identified as follows;
- Operate with the dealer as being the primary customer
- Irish Life and Permanent Finance
- Lombard and Ulster Bank
- Anglo Irish Bank
- Bank of Scotland
- Friends First

Irish Life and Permanent would be the second and Friends First & Bank of Scotland third to GECW in terms of market share of Auto finance. Interestingly, both Bank of Scotland and Friends First are only in the auto finance sector over the last two years.
Generally the strategy employed by IL & P is to concentrate with two franchises (OPEC and NISSAN) where they have a vice like grip on dealer franchise. Outside of this they concentrate on target geographical areas as opposed to a national approach.
Friends First and Bank of Scotland are chasing a national coverage with strategic local offices being set up to facilitate account managers coverage of a defined area. Friends First do not have a stocking relationship at present but Bank of Scotland has acquired the KIA franchise recently, which underpins their commitment to the Auto finance market.

The strategy employed by the main competitors is two pronged:-
1) Price - will always be cheaper than GECW. If GECW drops price, so will the competition. Likewise if GECW increase price, the competition will follow but maintain their gap.
2) Shadow GECW - The overall product offering by GECW (incentives, dealer technology, additional add on products such as PPI or MBI) tends to be followed in some shape or form.

Indirect Competition
Bank of Ireland Building Societies
Allied Irish Bank Credit Unions
Trustee Savings Bank
National Irish Bank
Ulster Bank

The High street banks above tend to offer cheaper rates to the customer at tactical times of the year i.e. the first quarter when 40% of the vehicle purchasing will be done. They also adopt a ??full?? strategy in trying to entice the consumer into the bank and have their facility arranged prior to visiting the motor dealership. They are then very aggressive in cross selling to their customer base throughout the lifetime of the agreement.

Credit Unions are seen as more friendly and local for the consumer. There is also an unfounded belief that the Credit Union is cheaper. Restrictions on the amount that can be borrowed along with an Inadequate IT system means that this competitor is limited in terms of reach. There is medium term plans to invest in IT and when this happens, this will be a formidable competitor.

Building Societies at present generally tend to re-act to consumer requests when asked. They are currently not a major threat.


3.2. Defining the Strategy
There are inherent risks involved in any of the strategic options available to the organisation. Based on the company position and the analysis carried out along with the requirement of the key stakeholders (namely GE), the proposed strategy is as follows:


Attack the Cost Base
- Branch Networks - P & L (Bullet trains) - Synergy between GE business (Operations)

Maintain Market Share
- By targeting new accounts (Ford, Toyota)
- Rind fencing price sensitive dealers

Profitability - ROI
- By concentrating on Dealers that will pay premium for service
- Reduce service levels where price is an issue
- Leverage stocking facility (fee per unit)
- Introduce new value adding product (MBI)
- Increase non interest charges where possible
(Settlements, documentation fees etc.)
- Joint Ventures with niche players
Structure
- Reduce layers in order to become more flexible
- Concentrate on speed
- Reduce ??Span??
- Robust Process improvements




Essaytown
??Business Transformation?? for this point on?K.

Instructions and context is on the Front (first) page?K..

Implementation Plan
Who is going to do it?
When is it going to be done?
How is it going to be done?
How much is it going to cost?
What is the end game?

Summarise plan
Realistic
Optimistic Outcomes!
Pessimistic

You are required to perform an in-depth, longitudinal analysis of The Ford Motor Group and the industry in which it operates and submit one report.

-The report should be type written, double-spaced, using 12-point size font, and should not exceed 25 pages (excluding cover page, tables, figures, appendices, references, and endnotes).

-The report should contain the following sections:
(1) A cover page
(2) Table of contents;
(3) Executive Summary of project;
(4) Company Background/History;
(5) Analysis section (including Environmental/Industry analysis, Competitor analysis, Company SWOT analysis, and Tracking/Discussion of company performance over time; at least 5 years);
(6) Important issues and problems faced by the company and reasonable solutions to these issues/problems; (including social responsibility)
(8) List of references;
(9) Exhibits (Tables and charts).


ITEMS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS PART (SECTION 5):

The Industry Environment
-A brief history of the industry (development stages)
Global/local market position (e.g., size of major markets, products, customers and end users, pricing structure). This is an introduction to the industry.

The company's external environment
-Identify and profile the major strategic groups (You may use size, market share, and other critical and relevant variables to identify viable strategic groups in the industry).
-Key success factors (What does it take to succeed in this industry, or in each strategic group? What can a company do to gain a competitive advantage? What does it take just to survive in this industry?).
-Identify and compare key strategies pursued by major players in the industry. You are also expected to discuss which strategy seems to be most successful in the industry, and why.

The Macro Environment
-Special strategic issues facing the industry (such as changes in governmental policies,
changes in demographics, globalization, etc.).

Competitor analysis- What are other companies currently doing
Company SWOT analysis- This table should be included as well as a written explanation
Tracking/Discussion of company performance over time; at least 5 years- financial outlook- also in include stock analysis if applicable


Company Analysis (Section 6):

Key Strategic Issue
-From your industry analysis and your competitive advantage analysis of the firm, identify a single major strategic issue facing the company (the best issues are typically either major problems to be solved, or major opportunities to take advantage of).

Alternatives
-Develop, in detail, two or three viable strategic alternatives. In each alternative you should:
show how it addresses the key strategic issue.
show the ability of the company to successfully pursue each alternative (from competitive advantage analysis, and financial analysis).
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative.

Make sure you completely discuss all of the above for the first alternative, and then do the same for the second alternative. Do not jump back and forth between discussing each alternative.

Recommended Course of Action
-Select one alternative and discuss why this alternative was chosen over the other.

Implementation
-Discuss how the recommended course of action can be implemented and how the
disadvantages and risks of the chosen alternative can be minimized or handled

Company's Social Responsibility
-Explain the company's current position on being ethical and moral.



There are faxes for this order.

INDUSTRY PROJECT:
Objective: the objective of this paper is to tie the relationship of Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting and Financial Management. This is achieved by having the students us Financial Accounting information and do managerial analysis. The student is to pick a company of their choice and use one of the large web based financial companies such as YAHOOfinanace.com.

I work for an orthopaedic company called DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson owned company) out of Warsaw, Indiana. I would like this to use this company for this paper. You cannot use the company "Zimmer", as this company was used for an example paper the instructor provided. I will add (below the requirements) this sample paper for this requested paper to resemble.


REQUIRED SECTIONS OF PAPER:
1.TREND ANAYLSYS (minimum of 10 items): The student should complete a trend analysis utilizing the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow for the organization. A basic analysis of what trends are developed and why. Possible solutions can be acknowledged.
2.RATIO ANALYSIS (minimum of 10 items): The student needs to also obtain industry ratios for the industry that this company is in some finance companies will automatically calculate these for you. The student may calculate the ratios themselves if desired. A comparison to the industry needs to be done that includes ratio comparison and acknowledgements of key drivers to the business. When analyzing the ratios the student should be able to identify if the company is strong or weak and reasons for their conclusions. Suggested ratios to be analyzed: Current Ratio, Quick Ratio, Inventory Turnover, Days Sales Outstanding, Fixed Asset Turnover, Total Asset Turnover, Total Debt to Total Assets, Times Interest Earned, Profit Margin on sales, Basic Earning Power, Return on Assets, Return on Common Equity, and Stock Price to Earnings.
3.SWOT ANALYSIS (from a financial standpoint): In the SWOT analysis the student needs to, from a financial standpoint, identify the companies Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This analysis can be done utilizing analysts remarks and articles on the company. It is helpful if the student uses a company that either they know something about or that is doing something interesting such as acquisitions, bankruptcy and so forth.
4.OVERALL ASSESSMENT (1 paragraph): The student is to indentify if the company is either: excellent, average or poor condition financially and give their justifications.
5.RECOMMENDATIONS (minimum of 5): Discuss recommendations the student has for the company. Should the company become more conservative or less conservative. If the company has a large growth opportunity how is it best to obtain funds for this growth being utilizing existing cash flows, debt or additional equity financing. If the company should exit markets what should they do with the cash.

Minimum standards (deductions from the grade will result in failure to meet these):
1.Paper must be 10 pages (minimum) typed (double space) 12 pt.
2.Title page identifying student, class, company and a required proofreader.
3.The company financials and ratios used should be attached to the back of the paper.
4.A works cited/bibliography page.

Possible additional research websites: quicken.com, multexinvestor.com, etrade.com, moneycentral.msn.com, rmahq.org, yahoo.market.com, NYSE.com, Hoovers.com, Smartmoney.com, schwabnet.com, edgardata.finsys.com, buyandhold.com, and Morningstar.com.




EXAMPLE OF REQUESTED PAPER:


Enhancing the quality of life for patients worldwide

Company Overview
Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (Zimmer) is a global leader in the design, development, manufacture and marketing of reconstructive orthopaedic implants. This includes hip, knee, extremity, dental, spinal implants, and trauma products. These products restore function in joints that are diseased or have suffered trauma. The company also distributes orthopaedic surgical products (OSP). Some OSP products such as tourniquets are used in surgery while other products such as slings and braces aid in post-operation rehabilitation.
The company has operations in over 25 countries. They market products in over 100 countries throughout Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Corporate headquarters are located in Warsaw, Indiana, with more than 100 manufacturing, distribution, and warehousing facilities worldwide. The company sells products direct to healthcare institutions, through independent distributors, and direct to dental practices.
Zimmer identified three corporate strategies that focus on the ability to ENABLE, to INNOVATE, and to GROW. Identified trends below will tie back to the companys strategic initiatives and strategy.
Trend Analysis
Income Statement
Zimmer reported net sales of $3.9 billion in 2007. This represents a 12% increase in reported sales of $3.5 billion in 2006 and an 18.6% increase over reported sales of $3.3 billion in 2005. The company continues to do well by increasing sales every year. This substantial growth is attributed to several factors. The percent of sales generated from new products continuously increases, demonstrating the companys committed investment towards innovation and strategic initiative to innovate. New products generated 21 % of sales in 2005, 24% in 2006, and increased to 25% in 2007. New products representing growth include Gender Solutions Knee Femoral implants, Gender Solutions M/L Taper with Kinectiv Technology, Trabecular Metal Acetabular Cups, Dynesys Dynamic Stabilization System, and PALACOS Bone Cement.
The company has grown sales in all regions. In 2007, sales in Americas grew 10%; Europe grew 16%; and Asia Pacific grew 12%. Sales growth was evident in all product segments. The extremity product sales increased 34% and dental sales increased 23%, representing the growth leaders for the company. The Bigliani/Flatow Complete Shoulder Solution and Coonrad/Moorey Total Elbow led extremity sales. The Tapered Screw-Vent Implant System led dental sales. All other segments reported growth including 12% in knees, 11% in spine, 9% in hips, 8% in OSP and 6% in trauma. Existing products representing growth include the NexGen LPS and CR Flex Knee, NexGen Rotating Hinge Knee, NexGen LCCK Revision, Trabecular Metal Primary Hips, and Zimmer Periarticular Locking Plates.
The knee and hip business represent the largest amount of sales. The knee products generate 42% of the companys sales and continue to hold the number one market position at 28% of the $5.8 billion dollar market. Hip sales generate 33% of Zimmers sales and also hold the number one market position. The company holds 26% market share of the $5.0 billion dollar market. Other product segments generate 3% to 6% of the business and hold 3% to 22% of the global market share.
Cost of revenue for the company increased at 18.4% from $739 million in 2005 to $875 million in 2007. Cost of revenue increased just slightly lower than the increase of total revenue at .2%. As total revenue increases, the cost of revenue will also increase. A major factor of this increase is due to the large amount of new products being introduced. The company has a strategy to innovate, and the cost of revenue will continue to increase as new products are being produced.
Research and development increased 19.4% from $175 million in 2005 to $209 million in 2007. The company continues to increase spending and invest in research and development in all product segments based on the corporate strategy to innovate. Investments were made in 2007 to research and development facilities in Warsaw, Indiana. The company continues to research genetically engineered tissues such as soft tissue biological repair and replacement. Research is being conducted on cartilage regeneration and cell-based therapies. Zimmer collaborated with ISTO Technologies and announced that clinical trials began in 2007 for DeNovo ET Engineered Tissue Graft. Additional research is also being conducted on advanced metals.
Th company also signed an agreement with Regeneration Technologies, Inc. (RTI) in 2007 to distribute a new allograft bone paste in flowable and moldable formations. Approval was received by the FDA in 2007 on the Zimmer NexGen LPS-Flex Mobile Bearing Knee and the Zimmer M/L Taper Prosthesis with Kinectiv Technology. The company will continue to invest heavily in research and development in order to keep new, innovative products in the pipeline and continue to remain competitive and a leader in the orthopaedic market.
Selling and general administrative costs increased 18.2% from $1.2 billion in 2005 to $1.4 billion in 2007. This is expected to increase as revenues increase. Revenues increased 18.6% indicating that selling and general administrative increased slightly below that at 18.2%. The company has a corporate strategy to enable. They have increased and innovated training and education through the Institute, which has increased costs. The company has also launched an extensive Direct-to-Patient campaign focusing on the Gender Solutions Knee and Back in the Grove Community Healthcare Program aimed at providing consumers joint replacement information. Zimmer has invested in the enhancement of the companys quality systems, information technology efficiency, and expanded their compliance program.
The companys interest expense decreased substantially from $14 million in 2005 to zero in 2006 and 2007. Zimmer had zero interest expense for two years, making this a strength of the company.
Net income increased 5.5% from $727 million in 2005 to $773 million in 2007. Zimmer continues to increase net income. Factors affecting the increase include higher operating profit, lower acquisition expenses, and decreased interest expense.
Balance Sheet
Cash and cash equivalents increased 90.1% from $245 million in 2005 to $466 million in 2007. The largest increase came in 2007 with $466 million compared to $268 million in 2006. This would indicate the company could possibly be preparing to buy another company for cash. The companys strategy is to grow and would be successful in growing by buying another company to complete their portfolio. The company could also be preparing to buy additional manufacturing space or another facility.
Net receivables increased 22.3% from 583 million in 2005 to $829 million in 2007. This is consistent with the increase in revenues. As revenues increase, net receivables will also increase.
Inventory grew 24.6% from $583 million in 2005 to $727 million in 2007. This is due to several factors. Zimmer retains ownership to the majority of products sold while consigning to healthcare institutions and distributors. The company implemented an initiative in 2007 to increase U.S. field consigned inventories to better position the distributors to quickly react to local demands from doctors and hospitals. Investments were also made to facilities which enable the production of additional inventory to reduce backorders.
Property, plant, and equipment also increased at 36.9% from $708 million in 2005 to $971 million in 2007. One of the companys strategic initiatives is to grow. Zimmer invested heavily in facilities around the world. Manufacturing and distribution facilities in Warsaw were expanded in 2007 as part of a $66 million dollar project. The expansion added 100,000 square feet to the distribution center and 120,000 square feet to the manufacturing facility. In 2007, a Global Enterprise Resource Planning project kicked off to implement a single, global ERP system to set global operational and data standards. Investments to property, plant, and equipment are considered a strength of the company and positions the company for growth.
The company purchased Centerpulse in 2003 resulting in an increase in goodwill. Goodwill increased 7.9% from $2.4 billion in 2005 to $2.6 in 2007. Acquiring Centerpulse was important for Zimmer to gain sales and market share. Zimmer paid top dollar for the company while competing with extremely high offers from other orthopaedic companies. In 2007, the company acquired Endius Inc., a spinal company, for $80 million. They also acquired ORTHOsoft, Inc., a computer navigation company, for $50 million. These acquisitions attribute to increased goodwill. The company did have a reduction in goodwill of $61.4 million due to a decrease in tax liability under FIN 48.
Accounts payable rose 18.4% from $413 million in 2005 to $489 million in 2007. This is consistent with the increase in revenues, cost of revenues, and increase in selling expenses. Long term debt decreased 45% from $231 million in 2005 to $104 million in 2007. This is a strength for the company as it continues to pay off debt.
Retained earnings increased 82.8% from $1.9 billion in 2005 to $3.5 billion in 2007. This includes a reduction in retained earnings of $4.8 million due to the decreased tax liability under FIN 48.
Cash Flow
Total cash flow from operating activities increased 23.4% from $878 million in 2005 to $1 billion in 2007. The principal source of cash was net earnings of $773 million. This is a 5.5% increase over net earnings of $732 million in 2005. However, 2007 net earnings reflected a decrease of 7.4% from 2006 earnings of $834 million. This is due to reduction in earnings of $169.5 million paid in a settlement to the Department of Justice. The company used $53.3 million of cash towards investments to support sales growth. Accrued but unpaid dollars to healthcare professionals under contracts amounted to $23 million in 2007.
Total cash flow from operating activities increased 57.9% from $311 million in 2005 to $491 million in 2007. Contributing factors for this increase were the acquisitions of Endius and ORTHOsoft at $160.3 million. The company also invested in additional instruments ($138.5 million) and information technology that contributed to a small increase. Investments were also made to property, plant, and equipment through expansion of facilities in Warsaw, Indiana, Puerto Rico, and Switzerland.
Cash flows from financing activities decreased 17.6% to $399 million in 2007 from $484 million in 2005. The repurchase of common stock affected this in 2006 and 2007. Change in cash and cash equivalents increased an incredible 152% from $78 million in 2005 to $198 million in 2007. Zimmer is in a strong financial position for investment to carry the company forward. The companys corporate fact sheet states, Our strong cash flow generation positions us to return value to stockholders through strategic acquisitions, investments in our business, and share repurchases.
Ratio Analysis
Zimmer is a financially successful company as proven by their above average industry ratios. They lead and surpass the industry in nearly every ratio. The P/E Ratio (price per share/earnings per share) for Zimmer is 16.51 compared to the industry ratio of 4.17. The expectation for future earnings and the value of this company is good. The quick ratio is 1.74 for the company versus the industry ratio of 1.58. The quick ratio measures the current assets, less inventory, divided by current liabilities. A quick ratio of one or higher is favorable. Zimmer is way ahead of the industry and the S&P of 1.03. This is a big strength of the company and puts them in a great financial position. The current ratio measures the current assets divided by the current liabilities. The companys current ratio of 2.73 is also higher than the industry ratio of 2.07 and the S&P ratio of 1.27. This demonstrates the companys ability to meet current obligations. Total debt to equity is 5.98 versus the industry debt to equity of 23.15. This is due to Zimmers low debt (long term debt decreased 45%) and increased assets of 15.9%. Zimmer is doing much better than their competitors in managing debt and has tremendous financial strength. This puts the company in a stable position should there be a downturn in the economy.
The majority of all profitability ratios exceed the S&P but more importantly exceed the industry. Gros margin (ratio of companys operating revenue to sales) of 76.43 substantially exceeds the industry of 8.52 and S&P of 37.05. This demonstrates very efficient operations of the company. Operating revenue (sales revenue minus cost of goods sold) of 27.16 also exceeds the industry of 2.66. Net profit margin (ratio of net profits to sales) of 18.84 versus the industry of 1.94 and S&P of 11.25 proves the company is efficient and profitable as the higher net margin ratio, the better.
Zimmers efficiency ratios are performing above the industry, proving the company provides a good return to their investors. Return on assets (net income divided by total assets) for the company is 14.07 compared to the return on assets of 1.58 for the competition and 8.14 for the S&P. This demonstrates the companys ability to use their assets to generate earnings. The return on investment ratio of 13.13 is higher than the industry of 2.20 and S&P of 11.15. Return on equity (12 months net income divided by common stock equity) of 14.36 is well above the industry of 3.11 but slightly below the S&P of 20.37. This important ratio measures how well a company performs for its shareholders. Zimmer performs well within the industry but slightly below other companies outside the industry.
The revenue per employee ratio is calculated by taking the revenues divided by the total employees to show the labor intensity of the company. Zimmers revenue per employee is 541,500 compared to the industry of 340,163 and S&P of 862,606. This suggests that the competition expects more of their employees than Zimmer does, making this a strength of the company. Inventory turnover ratio (cost of 12 month sales divided by average inventory) is 1.31 versus the industry ratio of 0.52 and S&P of 9.39. The higher the number, the better the company is moving inventory. Zimmer moves their inventory better than the competition. Companies outside the industry move their inventory better. Orthopaedic companies normally must take an entire set of implants (along with several different types of sets) into surgery. The doctor will chose the appropriate size needed and only use (buy) that particular size and type.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Total Revenue increased by 18.6%
Gross Profit increased by 18.6%
Operating Income increased by 6.8%
Interest Expense decreased 100%
Net Income increased by 5.5%
Cash and Cash Equivalents increased by 90.1%
Inventory increased by 24.6%
Net Receivables increased by 22.3%
Property, Plant, and Equipment increased by 36.9%
Total Assets increased by 15.9%
Long Term Debt decreased by 45%
Retained Earnings increased by 82.8%
Total Stockholder Equity increased by 16.3%
Cash and Cash Equivalents increased 152%
P/E Ratio 395% higher than industry
Current Ratio 31.8% higher than industry
Total Debt to Equity 74.2% lower than industry
Gross Margin 897% higher than industry
Operating Margin 1021% higher than industry
Net Profit Margin 1023% higher than industry
Return on Assets 890% higher than industry
Return on Investment 596% higher than industry
Return on Equity 461% higher than industry
Weaknesses
Total Cost of Revenue increased by 18%
Selling General and Administrative increased by 18.2%
Total Liabilities increased by 13.9%
P/E Ratio 61.9% lower than S&P
Return on Equity 70.5% lower than S&P
Receivable Turnover 50.2% lower than S&P
Opportunities
Increasing global obesity will raise global market
More active lifestyles will increase number of procedures
Longer life expectancy will increase number of procedures
Desire for less invasive approaches will increase MIS procedures
Younger patients undergoing joint replacements
Increasing demand for Gender specific implants; Zimmer first to the market
Significant new products scheduled for release in 2008
Shift in demand to premium products
Acquisition of Endius, Inc. which will increase spinal sales and market share
Acquisition of ORTHOsoft, Inc. to bring innovative tools to marketplace
Announcement to additionally invest in spine and dental products
Plans to develop additional manufacturing facility in Ireland
Threats
Increased compliance requirements will create roadblocks
Stricter governmental policy/reimbursement practices will make business difficult
Increased pressure from competition; potential loss of sales
Business highly dependent on distributors to sell
Business highly dependent on receiving raw materials from suppliers
Adoption of hip resurfacing will threaten hip sales growth



Overall Assessment
Zimmer is a financially strong company that is well ahead of the industry. Revenues continue to increase annually. Significant investments continue to be made in Research and Development ensuring the company will always be working towards improving processes and bringing innovative products to the market, keeping them ahead of the competition. The company has little debt and spends cash towards the investment of additional companies to gain market share and expand their product portfolio.
The companys 2007 annual report sums it up well and states, Solid financial results and market changing product innovations demonstrate that our deep-seated commitment to enhancing patients lives also represents sound strategy and the foundation for continuing progress.
Recommendations
Cost of revenue for Zimmer increased 5.5% from 2005 to 2006 and 12.2% from 2006 to 2007. Any decreases in the cost of revenue would increase profits. Improvements to scrap rates on certain products would improve costs. Other processes could be improved to speed up production time on products that are difficult to make. A clear understanding of product demand would ensure the production of correct quantities, which would also decrease costs.
Selling and general administrative costs could also be reduced. While it is a strength to attract employees to the company with a Revenue/Employee ratio higher than the industry, it could also mean that Zimmer has a more relaxed environment resulting in additional costs.
Another recommendation would be to reduce liabilities. Total liabilities increased 13.9% with a significant increase in accounts payable of 23.3%. Considering the long term debt decreased 45%, total liabilities should have also decreased. The company should also continue to reduce long term debt as they have in the past.
While the P/E ratio for Zimmer is well above the industry, it is 61.9% below the S&P. The value of the company is good, but may not be as good as other companies in other industries. Any improvements the company could make to the P/E ratio would attract additional investors from different industries. This is also true with the companys return on equity. While it is a strength within the industry, it is a weakness compared to companies outside the industry. Any improvement could attract additional investors from outside the industry. The company could improve this by increasing revenues, reducing cost of revenue or operating expenses, which increases net income.
Zimmers inventory increased by 24.6%. On one hand, that is a strength of the company as they increase manufacturing capacity to make sure the right products are on the shelf when needed to minimize backorder. On the other hand, it represents a weakness as the amount of inventory has significantly increased.
My final recommendation would be to continue to invest in and research genetically engineered tissues, cartilage regeneration, computer assisted surgery, and minimally invasive surgeries. These technologies are the wave of the future and position the company to service the surgeon and patient of the future.

Works Cited
Beginners Guide to Financial Statements. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 5 Feb. 2007. 21 Nov. 2008 .
Corporate Fact Sheet. Zimmer. 2008. Zimmer, Incorporated. 3 Nov. 2008 .
Form 10-K for ZIMER HOLDINGS INC. Yahoo! Finance. 2008. 31 Oct. 2008 .
Ratios. Reuters. 2008. 22 Oct. 2008 .
2007 Annual Report. Zimmer. 2008. Zimmer, Incorporated. 3 Nov. 2008 .
Understanding Financial Ratios. Money-Zine. 2007. 21 Nov. 2008 .
Zimmer Holdings, Inc. Yahoo! Finance. 2008. 22 Oct. 2008 .

This is going to be a Marketing Plan on the cell phone company Nokia. Focus on Nokias new NSeries- N95 cell phone. I need a bibliography with at least 15 references in MLA format. Please have different sources on the 15 references. Get sources from different website, not just from google or yahoo.
Please include annual report and 2 academic journals in this marketing plan.
The following MUST include in this Marketing Plan.
Executive Summary:
Presents a brief summary of the main goals and recommendations of the plan for management review, helping top management to find the plans major points quickly. A table of contents should follow the executive summary.
Current Marketing Situation:
Describes the target market and the companys position in it, including information about the market, product performance, competition, and distribution. This section includes:
? A market description that defines the market and major segments, then review customer needs and factors in the marketing environment that may affect customer purchasing. Targeted segment, customer need, corresponding feature/benefit, market environment (i.e. market trend, potential market, market growth rate, market share.)
? A product review that shows sales, prices, and gross margins of the major products in the product line
? A review of competition, which identifies major competitors and assesses their market positions and strategies for product quality, pricing, distribution, and promotion
? A review of distribution that evaluates recent sales trends and other developments in major distribution channels. A list distribution channels, sales trends, developments in major distribution.
Threats and Opportunities Analysis:

The SWOT Analysis [Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities(might be competitors weaknesses), and Threats(might be competitors strengths)] assesses major threats and opportunities that the product might face, helping management to anticipate important positive or negative developments that might have an impact on the firm and its strategies. Youll want to highlight and explain each issue within the SWOT. Tips: consider 4Ps, positioning, target market, market environment, etc. of our own company as well as our competitors

Objectives and Issues:
States the marketing objectives that the company would like to attain during the plans term and discusses key issues that will affect their attainment. (Is it mainly a marketing issue or distribution issue or pricing issue orWhere do we put weight on?) For example, if the goal is to achieve a 15 percent market share, this poses a key issue: How can market share be increased?

Marketing Strategy:
Outlines the broad marketing logic by which the business unit hopes to achieve its marketing objectives and the specifics of target markets, positioning, and marketing expenditure levels. It outlines specifics strategies for each marketing mix elements and explains how each response to the threats, opportunities, and critical issues spelled out earlier in the plan. Please include positioning, product strategy, price strategy, distribution strategy, marketing communications strategy, marketing research, marketing organization in the marketing strategy.

Action Programs:
Spells out how marketing strategies will be turned into specific action programs that answer the following questions: What will be done? When will it be done? Who is responsible for doing it? And how much will it cost?
*This is one of the most important components as it is your true test of implementation of your innovative plan.

Budgets:
Details a supporting marketing budget that is essentially a projected profit-and-loss statement. It shows expected revenues (forecasted number of units sold and the average net price) and expected costs (of production, distribution, and marketing). The difference is the projected profit. Once approved by higher management, the budget is the basis for materials buying, production scheduling, personnel planning, and marketing operations.

Controls:
Outlines the controls that will be used to monitor progress and allow higher management to review implementation results and spot products that are not meeting their goals.

This is a team assignment and I believe we are about 60% to 70% done with the assignment but we have had two people on our team not contribute. Now we are in a fix, because our paper and PPT is due on Monday at noon. I would like to send you what we have thus far and see if you can help us with a little more research to fill in the case study steps that our team mates did not complete. Also, I noticed alot of redundancy as I edited the document today and I have been working to eliminate. I am also concerned that the some of the team members have placed the correct content under the correct steps. Good news is that we have been given an example of a case study that we are to follow "professor loverde's case study" (which I am attaching) and so I would like to attach this as well as a template reference that we need to align with.

Also, the document that we have put together thus far "tylenol cyanide case" has alot of color highlights, and this is really just my way of communicating with my other team mates. I used grey in the text when I felt that the content in grey actually matched the steps or appeared to align in some way. Problem I see is that my team mates are not really working through the case study front to back and they are duplicating content every time they submit something - - and not necessarily answering the steps properly. Could you please look at what we have, and help me to make sure the content under each step is correct, and the steps where content is missing / including the Summary or Conclusion is filled in? (also, when we are done, the school will run this through plagerism software so please cite properly) - I left a few great extra references - that we can go to for more content if we need to.

When I get this back, I still have to put a PPT together - so I am in a little rush to get this back. I will make one slide for every PPT - so I hope the case study will easily allow me to see this.

Is there a way to get this by Sunday evening? - time isn't important - it can be late, but just Sunday so that I have time to work on the ppt.








Johnson and Johnson Tylenol Case Analysis

Team C
PHL 323
March 1, 2010

?

Abstract

Taking responsibility and immediate action in the face of a huge crisis is a requirement for any U.S. corporation if they are to survive and maintain their market position and reputation. These types of organizations are expected to be socially responsible to their employees and the public not only if they are directly involved in a crisis involving their products or services, but also if there is an indirect association. In 1982 Johnson and Johnson was faced with this challenge. They were indirectly involved in a catastrophe which killed seven people because their leading pain killer Tylenol was tampered with and unassuming consumers became the victim of such an atrocity. The way in which Johnson and Jonson dealt with the situation is the basis or our case study. In fact, their response was remarkable and commendable. The outcome of this catastrophe created a new standard in crisis management. The company was applauded for how they responded while prioritizing the consumer over their monetary losses. As a result, Johnson and Johnson recovered and within months after the crisis their markets share exceeded all expectations.
This paper will discuss the entire case; dissect the elements of the case, symptoms, goals of the organization, management theory, diagnosis the barriers Johnson and Johnson, the media and the public viewed during the crisis, solutions proposed, action plans they used to overcome barriers, consequences to the plan, action plan to the larger context, external forces, implications for two directions of corporate integrity, and it will interpret the original case elements in light of the larger horizons of the era. Johnson and Johnson was seriously affected by the chain of events caused by this crisis, but how they handle this challenge, and how they moved through the process is the very reason they not only survived but are thriving today.

Step 1; Elements of the Case
Company Facts
Johnson and Johnson firm incorporated in 1887. The firm provided sealed surgical dressing which was germ-free, wrapped and ready to be used. In the late 1880s this was considered modern medicine and for antiseptic treatment of wounds. Johnson and Johnson had subsidiaries in more than fifty countries worldwide. McNeil Consumer Products is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson developed the painkiller called Tylenol. As an oath to the public, Johnson and Johnson created a Credo statement, written in Robert Johnson in 1943, conveying and prioritizing their responsibility to their consumers. This statement is posted on their website today as Our Credo Value and demonstrates the emphasis on being socially responsible to everyone who uses their products http://www.jnj.com/connect/about-jnj/jnj-credo/?flash=true).
Actual Crisis
On September 30, 1982 CEO, James Burke of McNeil was notified that seven people died from the Chicago area from cyanide laced Tylenol after ingesting the capsules. People died within minutes of taking the capsules. The perpetrator placed deadly cyanide into the Tylenol bottles. The nation was warned that there might be a connection between the deaths and Tylenol. Suddenly Johnson and Johnson was faced with explaining to the world how a well know product was suddenly killing people. In response to the information at hand, the Police in Chicago proactively led the charge to notify their communities. Three national television networks reported details on the evening news and they focused on 24 hour coverage, which was new at the time. The next day the Food and Drug Administration advised consumers to avoid the Tylenol capsules, "until the association with deaths had been be clarified" (Tifft, 18). Johnson and Johnson issued a public relations response immediately naming their number one priority, to protect the consumers using their products.

Step 2; Symptoms of the Problem ??" (VIC)
The crisis created a nationwide panic and because of the new twenty four hour media the news reached the public quickly. One hospital in Chicago received 700 calls in one day. Johnson and Johnson received 1411 calls over 10 days. Across the country people were admitted on suspicion of cyanide poisoning in to hospitals for observation (Tifft, 18). Johnson and Johnson worked with the media to distribute information about the poisonings to the public as quickly as possible. When the news spread copycat criminals began to tamper with the products and add to the crisis. FDA confirmed more tampering had taken place, but this did not actually reach the public. The total number of actual tampering was 36 (Church, 27).The Food and Drug Administration counted 270 incidences of possible product tampering (Kaplan, 1998).
Additional symptoms to the problem were that Tylenols market share plummeted after the crisis. Since Tylenols name was tied to the tampered goods, they were held indirectly responsible for the deaths of seven people, and possibly more as view by the public. J & J needed to figure out how to deal with the crisis, protect the public and lastly not destroy the reputation of their products or their company. The decision was made by the company to first take responsibility and action to address the patients affected. Next, the protection of the potential consumers at risk recognizing that not everyone may have heard the news once this crisis was made public. With the onslaught of death, and potentially more death to result, the public and experts felt that Tylenol could not recover from horrible atrocity. The public also felt that the Tylenol product wasnt safe anymore ??" market share dropped from double digits to single digits within weeks (Mitchell, 1989).

Step 3; Identification of Goals ??" (Vic)
In 1982, Tylenol controlled 37% of the pain killer market, approx $1.2M and became the leading painkiller outselling Anacin, Bayer, Bufferin, and Excedrin. Seventeen to eighteen percent ne earnings of Johnson and Johnson were from Tylenol sales. Profits placed Johnson and Johnson in the top half of the Fortune 500 (Berg, 1998). The company had been doing well for years and was on track to grow market share by at least 15% over the next year. Tylenol was to the product that would lead this company to further success. That is until the Tylenol laced cyanide crisis came to be. This calamity changed the strategic plan, management goals, parent to subsidiary goal across the organization ??" within a 24 hour period. Instantly, an immediate crisis mode was assumed and a reassessment and reprioritization of their goals and immediate actions required jolted every executive, manager and employee in the organization.
Immediate Goals once Crisis was Revealed
Reacting to the news, when Johnson and Johnson was faced with the initial situation; it had to make some tough decisions that would severely impact the future of the company. Rather than think in financial terms only, CEO James Burke immediately turned to the company's Credo. Written by Robert Johnson, back in 1943, the document defined the focus of the company as its customers. With this as its inspiration, Tylenol used the media to promptly begin alerting people of the potential dangers of the product.
James Burke, CEO developed a strategy team of seven key members. Prioritizing goals to protect consumers first, save the product next and company reputation would follow. They realized that they needed to be socially responsible, alerting the nation through the media and work closely with the Chicago Police, FBI and the FDA. Strategy plans were to prevent more deaths, additionally this kind of tampering in the future. First they needed to remove all Tylenol products from Chicago shelves and immediate surrounding areas as quickly as possible. And although there was a slim chance that there was more contamination in other areas of the country, they didnt want to take the chance. Therefore, they recalled all Tylenol products from every shelf across the U.S. (Atkinson, 2) (Broom, Center, Cutlip, 381). Working with the FDA they dispatched scientists to determine the source of the tampering. http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring01/Hogue/tylenol.html. They also used 1800 ??" hotlines to disseminate information about the situation.
The next set of goals was to re-release a new product that would restore consumer confidence. This was a critical step and only if this happened would the public view the product as safe.
Step 4; Management Theory ??" LANCE)
When Johnson and Johnson were faced with the Tylenol poising scandal they needed to find a way to protect the public and uphold their name. Negative media would only hurt their companys reputation; Johnson and Johnson adopted the Contingency Management Theory. The Contingency theory is a behavioral theory that claims there is no best way to organize a cooperation, to lead a company, or make decisions (12 Manage, . 1, 2010). It also states, When managers make a decision, they must take into account all aspects of the current situation and act on those aspects that are key to the situation at hand (McNamara, . 2, 2010). Johnson and Johnson decided on a two-phase plan, which consisted of customer safety first before profits and themselves (Kaplan, 1998). This was a strategy to win back public trust. Johnson and Johnson protected the public by ordering a massive nation-wide recall of Tylenol and stopped production of Tylenol capsules. This recall accounted for about 31 million bottles or about 100 million dollars in lost revenue (Effective Crisis Management, n.d.). They also were proactive about warning the nation about their product by using the media. They worked with Chicago police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Food and Drug Administration to help catch the culprit who tampered with their product (Kaplan, 1998) {wasnt this already stated? lets decide if it goes here or there?).
Primary Essentials
Assistant Director, Robert Andrews, who is in charge of public relations receives and reacts to the first days of the crisis. Robert Andrews accepts a phone call from a Chicago new reporter. A medical examiner had given a press conference because people were dying from poisoned Tylenol. The news reporter wanted the comments and position taken by Johnson and Johnson, specifically surrounding their plan to remedy this crisis. Robert Andrews was hearing this information for the first time and did not know the particulars to the sudden death of customers by taking the Tylenol product. {so what did he say publically? Was it a press conference?}
Portion # 5 Diagnosis and Barriers (Lance)
Two off duty firemen originally discovered the Tylenol poisonings while at home listening to their police radios (Kaplan, 1998). The Tylenol capsules were found to have 10,000 times the appropriate dose of cyanide for killing a person (Kaplan, 1998). During this time there were no tamper resistant precautions on over the counter medications. All bottles of Tylenol were from four different lots of production, two different Tylenol manufactures, and the poisonings only happened in the Chicago area. (Kaplan, 1998). McNeil Consumer Products confirmed that tampering did not take place at their plants. A spokesperson for McNeil confirmed their level of strict quality control. Authorities concluded that any tampering must have occurred once the Tylenol had reached Illinois (Beck, 33). Process was as follows: Bottles reached department stores and were placed on the shelves. Suspect took bottles off of the shelf, placed Cyanide in the bottles and then they were placed back on the shelves at five different stores in Chicago (Mitchell, 1989). Quickly they discovered that the capsules came from four different plants and lots. They were then taken from different pharmacies and believed to be distributed within one week, to one month. The problem remained that there could still be more contaminated Tylenol on shelves or in consumers medicine cabinets, there was simply no way to clarify this exposure.
The barriers that Johnson and Johnson faced were extensive. They had to figure out how to protect the public while upholding their reputation of Tylenol as a safe effective pain reliever. Time (to reach the public?) was the main barrier in protecting the public. This would prevent more people from ingesting the tampered Tylenol and also put a stop to the copycat criminals (what would?). The second large barrier was to uphold Tylenols reputation. In 1982 Tylenol controlled the largest market share for over the counter pain medication (Effective Crisis Management, n.d.), although, it was clear that both the media and their competitors did not believe they could hold on to this market position for long. Advertising geniuses told the NY Times "There may be an advertising person who thinks he can solve this and if they find him, I want to hire him, because then I want him to turn our water cooler into a wine cooler" (Knight, 2). Never the less, Johnson and Johnson moved forward and did not want to be viewed as disregarding public safety like other companies in similar crisis mode Perrier (Broom, Center Cutlip, 59). They realized that they would focus on regaining market share AFTER patient safety issues were addressed ??" and only if they were successful here would they be able to improve public relations and restore consumer confidence in their products.
Portion #6 Diagnosis and Solutions (Lance)
The solutions of the two major problems that Johnson and Johnson faced were massive. With 31 million bottles sold, Johnson and Johnson had to spread the word quickly on the nation- wide recall. They had Chicago police on loud speakers driving through neighborhoods warning citizens of the poisonings and the connection with Tylenol (Kaplan, 1998) . Media was contacted to help distribute the information about the tampered Tylenol recall. They worked with Chicago police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Food and Drug Administration to offer information and to be in direct involvement with catcing the criminal (Kaplan, 1998). Johnson and Johnson offered a $100,000 reward for the capture of the killer (Kaplan, 1998).
STOP HERE Johnson and Johnson offered to exchange all Tylenol capsules for Tylenol tabs that were already purchased (Kaplan, 1998). This would have the public still using their brand as the pain reliever of choice. Johnson and Johnson improved the safety of their product by introducing the first triple seal tamper proof packaging (Kaplan, 1998). This was a major help in restoring the publics confidence that Johnson and Johnson was trying to fix this unfortunate problem. They also decreased the price by 25% and offered another $2.50 coupon for those who purchased Tylenol. Johnson and Johnson also sent 2250 representatives to talk with the medical community to regain their trust and support (Kaplan, 1998). This helped regain the trust of the medical community. The medical community would help by prescribing the drug to their patients which would help restore public confidence about Tylenol.
Other alternatives, which Johnson and Johnson could have leveraged publically through the media, could have been to have the President of the company provide a sincere apology. Also explain the facts about the incident and what the company was presently doing to fix the problem. This could have helped the public to regain the trust in Johnson and Johnson.
They offered a $100,000 reward for the capture of the killer (Kaplan, 1998). Finally they offered to exchange for all Tylenol capsules for Tylenol tabs that were already purchased (Kaplan, 1998). They introduced the first triple seal tamper proof packaging that was up to the Food and Drug new regulations (Kaplan, 1998). Along with this they discontinued the capsule (bead) form and developed a solid tablet tab. Reduced the price for Tylenol and provided coupons for $2.50 off any bottle of Tylenol (Kaplan, 1998). Finally 2250 people were sent from Johnson and Johnson to talk with the medical community to regain their trust and support (Kaplan, 1998). Their main goal was now was to restore the publics trust and confidence in their product - although they realized that this could only be accomplished if the public viewed the product as safe.

Step 7: Action plans to overcome barriers

A. Over the past decade, consumer groups, health care providers and others have shown an increasing interest in supplying consumers with more and better information about medicines. The hope is that consumers, armed with greater knowledge about the medicines taken will empower consumers to make educated decisions about their health care.
B. This action plans seeks to improve the quality and availability of information that will be provided to consumers. The rationale for the plan is providing consumers with useful information during a crisis which shall reduce the risk of panic, distrust, and reduce injury, and improve health outcomes. Action plan tools are:
Dealing with negative media
Open Communications
Public Safety
Establish a hot line
Establish a new triple safety seal capsule
Implement a tamper resistant product including packaging
Terrorism
Rectification Program to consumers
Encourage activities to increase consumer understanding and awareness
Promote consistency with federal regulations
Establish criteria for the development and distribution of product
Establish an emergency plan to recall tampered and contaminated product
Develop a mechanism for the workplace and employees
C. The Tylenol case is an example of a company that overcame many negative barriers. Developed crisis communications during a public out cry. Johnson and Johnson responded to the Tylenol poisonings by disseminating risk information which included enough detail for the consumer to understand. Outlined the hazards and pre-cautions. Public information allowed consumers to distinguish between warnings about improper use. Warned about life-threatening symptoms, and explained specific directions, and cautions to seek medical attention immediately. Information is important to inform, and warn consumers to protect them from harm.
D. Johnson and Johnson designed a remediation and rectification program that would win forgiveness from the public. The forgiveness and sympathy program offered compensation to help the victims of the crisis, and their families. Counseling and financial assistance programs were available. The programs lessened the negative publicity, and targeted advertising to gain the trust of consumers to use the Tylenol product again. This was a positive action.
E. Johnson and Johnson developed a program which confronted and addressed the issue of terrorism. The strategies and approaches that are implemented involved:
Re-structured the production process.
Re-designed the packaging of the product by initiating the first every new tamper resistant packaging.
Training and education programs on hostage taking, sabotage, and workplace violence.
Organizational policies that mandate the prevention, and recurrence of tampering in the future.
Implemented new random inspections procedures prior to product shipment to retailers.
Re-defined the mission statement
Re-defined the goals statement
Restructured and added a new department called Public Affairs.
A. The Public Affairs department established a positive relationship with the new media.
F. Johnson and Johnson realized that the costs to assume the responsibility of corporate obligation would be expensive in the beginning but, in the end it would win back the trust of the consumer. Johnson and Johnson knew that lawsuits for loss of life, and negative press coverage would damage the reputation of the company. This will cause long term effects. Johnson and Johnson developed a nation wide education process to give necessary tools to consumers. The first education process is to raise the awareness of consumers about the importance of the new tamper resistant packaging. Information about signs of a broken seal, opened package, and opened containers. The second education process involved the 1-800 hot lines for consumers to call. The third education process established a 1-800 line for news organizations to receive pre-taped messages with updated statements about the crisis with accurate and correct information on national television.

Step 8: Consider probable consequences to the action plan
Johnson and Johnson did not presume a crisis would hit the organization. This is shown in how the situation was handled the first 24 hours. Johnson and Johnson was in denial, and did not phantom that people died from taking the Tylenol product. The organization realized the need for an emergency action plan prior to a crisis. Johnson and Johnson established standards the incorporated responsibility to the consumers, stakeholders, and families. Johnson and Johnson adopted the attribution theory. This theory states that people make judgments based upon control, internal, and external.
As a result of the Tylenol crisis, Johnson and Johnson realized that public and private initiatives and advances must be made. Useful information to consumers. Written information shall be specific. Efforts to increase the cultural competency of oral and written communications shall reach underserved populations.
Johnson and Johnson are committed to experiencing open communications will all the news media, consumers, and health care providers. Johnson and Johnson shall work with all media outlets to help maintain the organizations reputation, trust, and make good on the mission and goal statement. Johnson and Johnson will honor all offers for free replacements of caplets in the new triple resistant package. A monitoring system shall be developed in quality control for a period of safety surveillance, drug distributions, and inventory management, lot number labeling for safety assurance. Johnson and Johnson implemented guidelines on the bar-coding system for drugs to prevent mix ups, and secure product traceability.
Johnson and Johnson have incorporate a plan for drug distributions, and corrections of inappropriate trade practices such as pending settlements, global pricing, which could undermine the trust.
Drugs supplied by the Johnson and Johnson company have a major impact on the life, and health of consumers globally. To maintain corporate responsibility Johnson and Johnson have a high level of ethics, reliability, and transparency. Johnson and Johnson have the responsibility for greater political and corporate behavior, an open business structure, compliance with the code of practices.
Johnson and Johnson realized this action plan is a working document, and must be updated regularly. This can be updated by role playing, exercises, and seminars. Johnson and Johnson realized that first impressions count, and almost impossible to change, the company needs to show that safety to the consumer is the number one goal and mission. Positive steps are taken to ensure the future of the corporation.
The only negative consequence that might affect Johnson and Johnson does not possess an action plan for the new drug industry visions. The new drug industry vision is to ensure the safe supply of drugs, impose duties on production and marketers. (Berge, 1998)
Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical company is primarily responsible for supplying the medical frontline with the necessary information on drugs through package insert warnings.
Step 9: Action plan to other companies
Johnson and Johnson took positive action to stop competitors from expounding on the negative media by doing the right thing. Johnson and Johnson care about employees, shareholders, customer safety, and the quality of the Tylenol product. Johnson and Johnson have a vision or producing products with indications, and effects beyond those required for conventional non-prescription drugs, and respond to public trends. Johnson and Johnson are developing a plan that will concentrate on efforts to maintain the trust of the public. Johnson and Johnson is the leading company in public-focused policies that promote global competitiveness of the industry.
Step 10; Consider the external factors - TEREK

Step 11; Assess the implications for the two directions of corporate integrity - TEREK

The training and changes outlined above should have a positive impact within the company for the overall synergy of the employees while at the same time improving reputation and value for internal and external stakeholders alike. It is highly probable that the employees that are guilty of discrimination in this case may find it difficult to change the way they interact with their fellow employees. Even though this will be a difficult transition period for them the end result should prove to be a better work environment for everyone concerned. If these changes do not take place the company will certainly be involved in additional lawsuits which have already proven to be much more costly than implementing these changes across the company. XXalso has to consider its reputation in this day and age when corporate image is a very real and tangible asset. Consumers and stockholders alike have become very fickle about which companies they back or buy from based on public opinion of how a company fits in to our overall society today.

Step 12; Interpret the original case elements in light of the larger horizons of the era - TEREK

Language here is simply an example of how this section is presented ??" what is written here has nothing to do with our case study.

The elements of this case are somewhat surprising considering that it happened in the not too distant past. American society has condemned ethnic and sexual discrimination for decades even though there are still pockets of resistance to these shifts in thinking throughout the country. With as much cultural diversity as there is at a global company like XXit seems almost impossible that this kind of treatment was prevalent at the corporate level for so long. In this case it is assumed that the company must act within the guidelines set by the society in which it resides. The outcome could be very different if we moved the company headquarters to a Middle Eastern country where traditions and ethical standards are very different than they are in the United States. If this company was in a country where women are considered inferior to men and people with different religious ideas would be ostracized our action plans would not even be considered. In fact there probably would not even be any cause for concern at all. The practices that brought about the lawsuits would have been considered both acceptable and expected.

Conclusion (LANCE) AND I WILL HELP HERE TOO (VIC)

I am adding this in because we can pull these concepts into our conclusion (Vic)
The features that made Johnson & Johnson's handling of the crisis a success included the following:
They acted quickly, with complete openness about what had happened, and immediately sought to remove any source of danger based on the worst case scenario - not waiting for evidence to see whether the contamination might be more widespread
Having acted quickly, they then sought to ensure that measures were taken which would prevent as far as possible a recurrence of the problem
They showed themselves to be prepared to bear the short term cost in the name of consumer safety. That more than anything else established a basis for trust with their customers.
http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/crisis02.html (keep reference here for now ??" vics note)


References (not in order or edited yet ??" still needs to be done and double checked with content)
12 manage. (2010). Contingency Theory. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://www.12manage.com/methods_contingency_theory.html
Effective Crisis Management. (n.d.). The Tylenol Crisis, 1982. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall02/Susi/tylenol.htm

Kaplan, T. (1998). The Tylenol Crisis: How Effective Public Relations Saved Johnson & Johnson. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TylenolMurders/crisis.html
Kaplan, T. (1998). The Tylenol Crisis: How Effective Public Relations Saved Johnson & Johnson. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TylenolMurders/crisis.html

McNamara, C. (2010). Brief Overview of Contemporary Theories in Management. Retrieved February 22, 2010, from http://managementhelp.org/mgmnt/cntmpory.htm

Berge, D (1990) Department of Defense Crisis Communication Strategies
Retrieved from http://americanfraud.com February 25, 2010
Broom,G (1982) The Tylenol Scare, Newsweek October 11 Retrieved from
www.ou.edu/deptcomm/dodjcc/groups/02C2/Johnson%20&%20Johnson.htm
February 25, 2010-02-25
Beck, Melinda, Mary Hagar, Ron LaBreque, Sylvester Monroe, Linda Prout. "The Tylenol Scare." Newsweek. October 11, 1982.

Tifft, Susan. "Poison Madness in the Midwest." Time. October 11, 1982.

Church, George J. "Copycats are on the Prowl." Time. November 8, 1982.

Knight, Jerry. "Tylenol's Maker Shows How to Respond to Crisis." The Washington Post. October 11, 1982.

Broom, Glen M., Allen H. Center, Scott M. Cutlip. Effective Public Relations, Seventh Edition. Prentice-Hall Inc. 1994.
Mitchell, Mark L., Economic Association International 1989: The impact of external parties on brand name capital: the 1982 Tylenol poisonings and subsequent cases.

(Our Credo Value, http://www.jnj.com/connect/about-jnj/jnj-credo/?flash=true) (J & J web site) Reference








References below here
may be good reference to look into in order to complete this paper ??" although they have not been cited in the paper thus far.

12. "Tylenol Murders." http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TyelenolMurders/
Beck, Melinda and Agrest, Susan (February 24, 1986). Again, a Tylenol Killer. Newsweek. National Affaires, page 25. United States Edition.
Beck, Melinda and Foote, Donna (November 8, 1982). The Tylenol Letter. Newsweek. NationalAffaires, page 32. United States Edition.
Beck, Melinda; Monroe, Sylvester; Buckley, Jerry (October 25, 1982). Tylenol: Many Leads, No Arrests. Newsweek. National Affaires, page 30. United States edition.
Beck, Melinda; Monroe, Sylvester; Prout, Linda; Hager, Mary; LaBreque, Ron (October 11, 1982). The Tylenol Scare. Newsweek. National Affaires, page 32. United States edition.
CBSnews.com (July 25, 2002). Bitter Pill: A Wife on Trial.
Viacom Internet Services, Inc.
Cooke, Jeremy R. (October 18, 2002). PSU Alumnus Recalls 1982 Tylenol Murders.Collegian .
Dietz, Park (February 14, 2000). Product Tampering: The Proliferation of Product Tampering.
Douglas, John and Olshaker, M. (1997). Journey into Darkness. Mass Market Paperback.
Fink, Steven (2002). Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable. Published by iUniverse, Inc. Lincoln, NE. U.S.A.
Hobbs, Dawn. Ask John Douglas, who wrote the book on how to profile killers.
Kaplan, Tamara (1998). The Tylenol Crisis: How Effective Public Relations Saved Johnson and Johnson
Kowalski, Wally. The Tylenol Murders.
Manning, Jason (2000). The Tylenol Murders.
Mikkelson, David P. and Barbara (January 15, 1999). Horrors: Tylenol Murders.
Newsweek (December 27, 1982). A Librarian Ends A Tylenol Manhunt. National Affaires, page 19. United States Edition.
Tifft, Susan (October 11, 1982). Poison Madness in the Midwest. Time.
Time Magazine (December 21, 1987). The Widow is the Suspect.

J & J received positive press for how they handled the crisis
o Was viewed as responsible and swift
Public relations must support new charter, responsible to the people that use the product



Here is the teachers example of a case study format we are supposed to follow:
Sample of W5 paper
Posted: Tue 02/09/2010 10:57 AM , by: Lorin Loverde ( [email protected] ) Previous | Next

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Loverde Case Analysis ??"
PHL 323
University of Phoenix ??" Lorin Loverde
May 18, 2009





Abstract

Diversity in the workplace should be commonplace in todays world. But, there are still companies that have outdated ideas when dealing with diversity in todays culture. In 1994 several lawsuits brought attention to the world that XXwas a company with misplaced ideas and ethical standards. Using the Loverde Case Model, this paper breaks down what the elements of this case are, some of the symptoms that caused the problems, goals of the company, management theory used, diagnosis and barriers the company faced, new solutions the company must take, action plans that must be used to overcome barriers, discuses the consequences to the action plan, compares the action plan in regard to the companys larger context, considers external factors, assess the implications for the two directions of corporate integrity, and interprets the original case elements in light of the larger horizons of the era. XXunfortunately failed to grow with society in regards to equality within the workplace.





Step 1; Elements of the Case ??"

There are several elements of this case, some of which are sub-elements. In other words, some elements are parts of a larger, more general element. These sub-elements must be listed as separate entities from the larger element because they have dual roles, one role as themselves and the other role as part of the larger element. The following is the list of elements in the case.

XXCorporation (now Chevron XXCorporation as of 2001)
XXs corporate image
XXs corporate culture (before, during, and after the legal case)
The Executives and the management team of XX
The specific executives who made the racist/sexist remarks
Minority employees of XX
All employees of XX
Minority Americans
The general American public
Stockholders and other stakeholders in and of XX(both American and international)
Consumers and the business community
XXs Human Resources Department
Racial and gender discrimination laws and American societal norms
XXs company policies (specifically their anti-discriminatory policies)
Racism/sexism in America
Racism/sexism in workplace environments (especially where it involves promotions from subordinate to management level positions or pay scales and raises)
XXs public and internal (to the company) response to the allegations and the court case
Corporate integrity
Diversity







Step 2; Symptoms of the Problem ??"

XXs problems caused many symptoms. The company and its employees mostly experienced these symptoms. The symptoms themselves were also problems. Thus, XXs problems resulted in even more problems that the following symptoms caused.

Racist and sexist management
Dictatorial management
Cultural and gender gaps
Lack of ethical conduct (on the part of the company, and the racist/sexist executives)
Loss of employee pride in company
Loss of employee morale in company
Loss of good employee relations and interactions between subordinates and management
Ignorance of diversity
Loss of the value that diversity gives to a company
Loss of opportunity for minorities (higher positions in company)
Loss of money for minorities (higher pay)
Loss of respect (for each other as co-workers and for management by subordinates)
Loss of control over employees (the executives were clearly out of control)
Loss of good corporate image
Loss of company revenue (from customer boycotts and stock price drops)
Loss of revenue from businesses buying from and selling to XX
Loss of prospective employees who could add value to the company
Loss of company and personal money (payment of fines and legal fees)



Step 3; Identification of Goals ??"

Initially, XXs goals were those of most every other company ??" the general, company-wide goal was to maximize profitability; the individual, personal goals of each employee were to make good money and to move up in the company. These goals were easily attainable had the executives maintained proper personal ethics and had the company kept up with its human resources responsibilities. Once XXs problems became public, their goals not only changed, but also increased. The existing goals now had challenges to them and new goals were added. Listed below are all of the goals, in general chronological order, from the initial goals through to the revised and additional goals. Keep revenue incoming and increasing
Keep competitive in the market
Cultivate and maintain a good corporate image
Hire, retain, and maintain productive employees
Subordinate respect of superiors
Control of employees
Maintain the good ol boy executive club
Corporate image damage containment and repair
Regain market share and trust from stakeholders
Eliminate racist and sexist management attitudes
Improve diversity awareness and appreciation
Revise and improve corporate policies
Revise and improve management styles
Control of executives
Executives earning respect
Executives respecting subordinates
Equal employee opportunity for promotions and good pay
Eliminate cultural and gender-gaps
Restore ethical conduct
Restore employee pride in company
Restore employee morale in company
Improve employee relations and interactions between subordinates and management




Step 4; Management Theory -

In the former Soviet Union, "Jewish people could not complain, could not voice their opinions," he said. "XXremindedme of the former Soviet Union." (
In the mid 90s, prior to the discrimination lawsuit, XXmanagement was perceived by their employees as a militant dictatorship, running a vertical, top down management model with low ethical standards and a race discriminatory approach to hiring employees. Their leadership styles not only discriminated against race, but also gender, which lead to resentment among employees that were not in managerial positions. I've seen too many managers remain in their positions or even promoted despite a track record of bad business decisions (Vault.com, 2000)
Founded in xx the company was shortly thereafter renamed XX. Problems first began in xxxx when a lawsuit was brought against XX for contaminating water within the country of xx. That lawsuit was then followed in 1994 when management officials were secretly caught on tape making racially biased, discriminatory remarks. Finally in 1999 a gender-biased lawsuit was posed against XX and cost the company more than an additional 3 million dollars. Call it a curse, call it a bad publicity, call it bad management.
The anti-discriminatory wrongdoings were exposed as extending outside people of color. In xx chemists raised a lawsuit against their supervisors claiming anti-racism. Both scientists had been XXfor many years and been part of productive teams. When they were both fired on the same day in January, they raised claim to anti-racism. The claims were met with this response from XX spokesmen, We regard charges of widespread anti-Racismin the company as unsubstantiated."


Step 5; Diagnosis & Barriers -

The 1994 discrimination case that was eventually settled in 1999 resulted in a 175 million dollar payout. The lawsuit case was based on statements made in meetings behind closed doors amongst company officials, which were secretly caught on tape. With statements such as, "All the `jellybeans' are going to stay at the bottom of the bag," and in another statement "I'm still having trouble with x. Now we have y.
As discussed within this class, management plays a strong part in the ethical foundation of a company. With senior management portraying such poor ethical behavior it becomes understandable how such prejudicial behavior and statements led to these lawsuits and negative media.

Step 6; Diagnosis & Solutions -

XXmanagement failed to realize that the behavior that goes on behind closed doors in the boardroom would continue downward through the management chain. Failing to live up to proper ethical standards they drove a car on the wrong side of the road for too long and eventually were involved in a multi-car accident.
XXmust take a new approach. Managers should be trained in cultural diversity and a new zero tolerance policy towards discrimination must be established. The corporate culture of the company should be refreshed with ideas on how to unify the company. Finally a more diverse workforce must be created with the opportunity for people of different race, and religion and that all employees be allowed the equal opportunity to be promoted. In summation this plan should [seek] input from our employees, numerous organizations and individuals, and we looked at the best practices in industry.




Step 7; Action plans to overcome barriers -

a.XXis in dire need of a company wide diversity-training program. Starting with top-level management and filtering down to the lowest level employee. XXmust have a program that covers all employees equally. As the workforce becomes more diverse, XXmust have a program that encompasses a diversity of cultures, ideas, experiences, perspectives and people. b.There are several alternative types of programs from which to chose: 1.Mentoring programs that help employees grow and learn from other employees with increased focus on gender and race.2.Manager specific training that helps improve manager awareness of cultural differences and provides the skills necessary to deal with these cultural differences.3.Outreach programs that let employees meet and talk to outside agencies about problems within the company.4.Diversity training and education programs that help managers and employees alike learn the specific differences they should be aware of like race, color, gender, age, national origin, and sexual orientation.c. XXbeing a global company with branches all over the world would benefit more from a diversity-training program that reflects the overall values of the company and shows that they want a workforce that reflects the race, gender and ethnicity of the communities where the company operates.
d. XXneeds to design a diversity program that uses a variety of tools, strategies and approaches to help attract, retain, develop and support a diverse, world-class workforce. These tools are:
1. Training and education programs that teach diversity.
2. Organizational policies that mandate fairness and equality for all employees.
3. Mentoring programs.
4. Performance appraisal systems that is nondiscriminatory.
5. Career development programs.
6. New employee orientation program that is broken down into three major components.
a. Vision and values of the company pertaining to the company culture.
b. Team building that helps new employees start building strong working relationships focusing on diversity.
c. Buddy System that helps build work relationships and navigate the company diversity program with experienced peers.
7. Manager training programs that educate managers on how to better treat and communicate with employees from a diversity point
e. XXmust learn how employees diversity can shape their work habits, work style, interpersonal communications and interaction in the workplace. To manage diversity effectively, it is important that each supervisor and employee be aware of his or her own diversity and understands how different cultures influence each other within the company framework. The initial cost of this program will be prohibitive in the beginning, but is nothing compared to the lawsuits the company faces if these problems continue.

Step 8; Consider probable consequences to your action plan -

a. The only negative consequence of putting a diversity program into place at XXis the resulting changes themselves. Employees that have worked at XXin the years before now will have to accept change. The result may lead to distraction, and possible loss of key members of the workforce that cant adapt to the new ethical standards and cultural changes. Racist language and behavior on the part of employees and managers in the past was normal behavior at XX. Changing the culture within the company along with changing the employees views will be a challenge.
b. The positive consequences of a diversity program are having all employees know and understand that discrimination at any level is wrong. Having a system of checks and balances allows the company to move forward into the future. Diversity efforts can substantially increase the companys productivity and profits over the long run.
c. Another positive consequence will occur as the company culture changes. Companies that do business with XXwill see that change in other ways; including improvement in employee work habits and attitude. They are likely to see a more diverse group of employees working and an overall improvement in employee attitude toward their jobs. These internal signals will indicate that XXis moving forward within the company keeping pace with the world in general. XXmay witness in an increase in profits while direct competitors may see a profits decrease as companies that refused to do business with XXin the past because of concerns about company culture and ethical practices begin to feel more comfortable doing business with them as these changes take place.

Step 9; Compare your action plan to your larger contexts -
a. Respect for diversity should be one of XXs core mission values. This means that appreciating the uniqueness of individuals and their varied perspectives nd fostering an inclusive environment where every person can fully participate. XXwants to be known as a diverse company so diversity must fit into the corporate mission.
b. For the diversity program to work it must start at the top of the company and work its way down. The culture at XXis outdated. Culture refers to a companies values, beliefs, and behaviors. As the diversity program is implemented into the company structure the culture will slowly start to change. As the culture starts to change the mission of the company will also start to change. When the diversity program starts to take effect the company will begin attracting the best workforce encompassing a diversity of cultures, ideas, experiences, perspectives and people.
c. The companys sustainable competitive advantage allows for the maintenance and improvement of the companies competitive position in the oil market. It is an advantage that enables the company to survive against its competition over a long period of time. The strength of the companys culture is one of the most fundamental competitive advantages. When a diversity program affects and changes the culture from within the company, employees will passionately pursue the companys cause and mission, which will put the company in a better position for success.

Step 10; Consider the external factors -
Some socially responsible investors include evaluations of companies workplace policies and practices in their investment decisions. Among the factors they consider are a companys progress on such issues as diversity and workplace culture. Consumers are taking a companys corporate social responsibility reputation like workplace issues into account when making purchasing decisions. Customers, potential employees, investors and the community are increasingly paying increased attention to diversity as part of a companys overall corporate social responsibility.


Step 11; Assess the implications for the two directions of corporate integrity -

The training and changes outlined above should have a positive impact within the company for the overall synergy of the employees while at the same time improving reputation and value for internal and external stakeholders alike. It is highly probable that the employees that are guilty of discrimination in this case may find it difficult to change the way they interact with their fellow employees. Even though this will be a difficult transition period for them the end result should prove to be a better work environment for everyone concerned. If these changes do not take place the company will certainly be involved in additional lawsuits which have already proven to be much more costly than implementing these changes across the company. XXalso has to consider its reputation in this day and age when corporate image is a very real and tangible asset. Consumers and stockholders alike have become very fickle about which companies they back or buy from based on public opinion of how a company fits in to our overall society today.

Step 12; Interpret the original case elements in light of the larger horizons of the era -

The elements of this case are somewhat surprising considering that it happened in the not too distant past. American society has condemned ethnic and sexual discrimination for decades even though there are still pockets of resistance to these shifts in thinking throughout the country. With as much cultural diversity as there is at a global company like XXit seems almost impossible that this kind of treatment was prevalent at the corporate level for so long. In this case it is assumed that the company must act within the guidelines set by the society in which it resides. The outcome could be very different if we moved the company headquarters to a Middle Eastern country where traditions and ethical standards are very different than they are in the United States. If this company was in a country where women are considered inferior to men and people with different religious ideas would be ostracized our action plans would not even be considered. In fact there probably would not even be any cause for concern at all. The practices that brought about the lawsuits would have been considered both acceptable and expected.



Summary
The lack of commitment by XXmanagement in areas of corporate cultural and ethical practices cost the company millions of dollars in lawsuit settlements. The company must implement effective change in a number of areas: management training, changes in company culture, hiring practices, and providing opportunity for employee growth and opportunity within the organization.
Team A believes that with these changes, XXwill become a more culturally diverse company, provide itself with new business opportunities with companies that may have balked at doing business with XXprior to these changes, and also increase employee morale and job satisfaction.















References




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Best wishes,

Lorin Loverde, Faculty




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There are faxes for this order.

In this assignment you will describe your fictitious company and provided its background. Then, you are
ready to start building the marketing plan with a focus on segmenting and positioning your product and
service.
Write a five to seven 6 page paper in which you:
A. Write about your company.
1. Write a detailed company background. Address the following items at a minimum for full credit:
2. Create a strategic mission statement.
3. Determine and decide upon at least one (1) foreign market for the product and service. Provide
your rationale for this market.
B. Write about your marketing plan.
4. Discuss the potential audiences for a marketing plan and the needs of those potential audiences.
5. Identify the marketing segment for the product and provide a rationale for this segment.
6. Discuss the target market and provide a rationale for this target market.
7. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) for the company.
8. Create the market position for your product and service. Explain your rationale.
9. Support your marketing plan with at least two (2) reference sources that discuss the nature of the
product.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
? Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all
sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your
professor for any additional instructions.
? Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the students name, the professors
name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in
the required assignment page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
? Analyze the marketing framework including the concepts of the 5Cs, STP, and 4Ps.
? Evaluate and target customer segments and positioning products within these segments.
? Evaluate and target customer segments and positioning products within these segments.
? Use technology and information resources to research issues in marketing management.
? Write clearly and concisely about marketing management using proper writing mechanics.

Prepare a 6 page research plan to support introducing The Assemblage a startup New York based restaurant to the U.S. market. In addition to stating this marketing objective, answer the following:

1. Identify the marketing segment for the product and explain why this segment was selected?
2. Discuss the target market and why these customers will be targeted?
3. Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and treats) analysis for the company.
4. Describe the market position for your product and service.

Support your recommendations with at least 3 reference sources that discuss the nature of the product, use of market research methods related to the product, or considerations in conducting research, and cite your references using APA style.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Company Introduction, Market Segmentation & Product Positioning
PRODUCT: Liquid-Drop Contact Lenses
WRITE: 5 pages
BUSINESS NAME: Clear Vision, Inc.

SCENARIO: This assignment you will describe your fictitious company and provided its background. Then, you are ready to start building the marketing plan with a focus on segmenting and positioning your product and service. Product Name: Liquid-Drop Contact Lenses. The product can be produced and it can be the future trend to satisfy the needs/wants of many prospective customers by eliminating the costs on prescription glasses and soft/hard contact lenses replacements. With millions of people worldwide, this product will present a unique and advantage edge over current competitors. Benefits from the use of the product, and have results from cost savings over a life span. Sell and distribute the product to the market by utilizing the concepts from the 5Cs (Customers, company, context, collaborators and competitors); 4Ps (Product, price, place and promotion); and STP (Segmentation, targeting and positioning).

A. WRITE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY.
1. Write a detailed company background. Address the following items at a minimum for full credit:
2. Create a strategic mission statement.
3. Determine and decide upon at least one (1) foreign market for the product and service. Provide your rationale for this market.

B. WRITE ABOUT YOUR MARKETING PLAN.
1. Discuss the potential audiences for a marketing plan and the needs of those potential audiences.
2. Identify the marketing segment for the product and provide a rationale for this segment.
3. Discuss the target market and provide a rationale for this target market.
4. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) for the company.
5. Create the market position for your product and service. Explain your rationale.
6. Support your marketing plan with at least four (4) reference sources that discuss the nature of the product.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED w/THIS ASSIGNMENT are:
? Analyze the marketing framework including the concepts of the 5Cs, STP, and 4Ps.
? Evaluate and target customer segments and positioning products within these segments.
? Use technology and information resources to research issues in marketing management.
? Write clearly and concisely about marketing management using proper writing mechanics.
? Formatting requirements: Citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.
? Reference Websites; be sure to follow APA formatting within the text and on the Reference Page.
? ***PLEASE CITE REFERENCES & PAGE NUMBER WITHIN CONTENT OF PAPER***

Instructions on choosing a product for the Class Assignments: The marketing assignments will be completed on a consumer product only. To determine if it is a product or service, ask yourself the following questions: ?Can you ship it in a box to the person who will use it?" and "Is the person using it for themselves or a business?" If what you have chosen is not able to be boxed, chances are it will be something that will make the assignments difficult to complete. In addition, this cannot be a product from an existing company. This has to be a new and different product.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
? What there market trends for this product?
? How will it satisfy the needs and wants of prospective customers?
? Does the product fit your interests? Is it unique?
? What competitive advantage will this product have over existing products on the market? Is it feasible?
? How practical will it be to sell and distribute the product to the market?

Coursework Assignment based on Gap Inc in 2010: Is the Turnaround Strategy Working? Case 11. Exclusively based on Gap's Family Stores

Scope - 3 lines

Section 1 - Situational Analysis
a - Back Ground - 15 lines

b - Evaluate Gap's business environment through a
1 -PESTI analysis ? short intro on why the PESTI was done and then speak on each section and show factors of each
2 -SWOT analysis ? short intro on why the SWOT was done and then list factors of each
3 - Michal Porter's Five Forces Model ? short intro on the model and must say whether each factor is high/low, strong/weak and why it is what it is. Then list as many examples or factors to support each (staying in line with GAP)

Section 2 - Strategy Direction
How did Gap's CEOs perform their roles to ensure a sustained and viable market position?
Vision, Mission, Objectives and Business Model
Speak on each CEO, they were four.

Marketing plan for a healthcare staffing agency with one office in the metro area and one in the suburban area. Would be dealing specifically in the healthcare industry and providing jobs for only those in the medical field. The company intends on helping to staff in home care opportunities, nursing homes, local hospitals and hospice centers in these two areas. It is intended to have two location to serve the metro area as well as suburban areas. The recruitment levels will encompass entry level to experiences healthcare providers including nurses.

Marketing Plan Outline


I. Executive Summary

A high-level summary of the marketing plan.

II. The Challenge

Brief description of product to be marketed and associated goals, such as sales figures and strategic goals.

III. Situation Analysis

Company Analysis

Goals
Focus
Culture
Strengths
Weaknesses
Market share

Customer Analysis

Number
Type
Value drivers
Decision process
Concentration of customer base for particular products

Competitor Analysis

Market position
Strengths
Weaknesses
Market shares

Collaborators

Subsidiaries, joint ventures, and distributors, etc.

Climate

Macro-environmental PEST analysis :

Political and legal environment
Economic environment
Social and cultural environment
Technological environment

SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis of the business environment can be performed by organizing the environmental factors as follows:

The firm's internal attributes can be classed as strengths and weaknesses.
The external environment presents opportunities and threats.


IV. Market Segmentation

Present a description of the market segmentation as follows:
Segment 1

Description
Percent of sales
What they want
How they use product
Support requirements
How to reach them
Price sensitivity


Segment 2
.
.
.


V. Alternative Marketing Strategies

List and discuss the alternatives that were considered before arriving at the recommended strategy. Alternatives might include discontinuing a product, re-branding, positioning as a premium or value product, etc.

VI. Selected Marketing Strategy

Discuss why the strategy was selected, then the marketing mix decisions (4 P's) of product, price, place (distribution), and promotion.
Product

The product decisions should consider the product's advantages and how they will be leveraged. Product decisions should include:

Brand name
Quality
Scope of product line
Warranty
Packaging

Price

Discuss pricing strategy, expected volume, and decisions for the following pricing variables:

List price
Discounts
Bundling
Payment terms and financing options
Leasing options

Distribution (Place)

Decision variables include:

Distribution channels, such as direct, retail, distributors & intermediates
Motivating the channel - for example, distributor margins
Criteria for evaluating distributors
Locations
Logistics, including transportation, warehousing, and order fulfilment

Promotion

Advertising, including how much and which media.
Public relations
Promotional programs
Budget; determine break-even point for any additional spending
Projected results of the promotional programs


VII. Short & Long-Term Projections

The selected strategy's immediate effects, expected long-term results, and any special actions required to achieve them. This section may include forecasts of revenues and expenses as well as the results of a break-even analysis.

VIII. Conclusion

Summarize all of the above.

Appendix

Here are a few details that will need to be covered in this paper:

-Fluor and their Competition in the Construction Industry-

? Business Strategy(s) / Strengths of Fluor
? Company Information
? Competitive Tactics / Strategy / Advantage
? Corporate Strategy
? Differentiation Strategy
? Executive Leadership
? Financial Leverage
? Industry / Industry Information
? Market Position / Segmentation
? Strategic Decisions
? Porter?s Five Strategies / Forces
? Union Relations
? Outsourcing

www.fluor.com is their website, and a great place to begin. Fluor and their competition are currently working to rebuild Iraq, as well. Haliburton is an example of their competition.
This paper is for a Business Administration class; therefore, needs to be written with that in mind. My email address you can reach me at quickly is [email protected] for any questions, or call me at 740 646 0830 anytime.
I believe there will need to be appendices / footnotes and a table of contents page. If this is not clear please feel free to email or call. Thank you.

REQUEST WRITER: RESEARCHPRO

Case Assignment
This case examines the roles, perspectives and strategies for staffing unit leadership talent in an organization that is examining an international expansion. It also examines cross-cultural preparation and experience of managers in the firm.

Note: This is a fictitious case. Any resemblance to any actual organization or individual is purely coincidental.

CALIDAD COCHES: MOVING AHEAD

As the chair of the board for Calidad Coches brought the gavel down, Adelia Adolfo was struck by the excitement of the decision just made. As she looked about the table to the rest of her executive team, who were all looking toward her with smiles beaming, she knew it was a moment to celebrate their hard work, a major company milestone and her first major achievement as President and CEO for Calidad Coches. They would have that well-earned celebration.

However, the enormity of the task was not lost on President Adolfo. Making the decision to take the company international would be easy compared to the task of being successful in that endeavor. While she was familiar with international operations from her previous experience as VP of operations for a regional hotel chain, she knew her team was not. She could rely on the 30-year history of her company in the car rental business but would need to augment this industry experience with international expertise to inform a cross-border expansion of company operations.

And she would need to move fast! The board had just approved her recommendation to acquire Belizean Auto Rentals in a timely leveraged buy-out. Getting up to speed with operations and generating positive cash flow would be critical to maintaining the company's financial stability. President Adolfo knew that not all members of the board welcomed being put in this vulnerable position.

Company Background

Calidad Coches, Inc. (Quality Cars) operates 14 car rental sites throughout the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Juan Carlos Mendez, a local political leader and businessman, started the company in 1981 and sold it in 1996 to an investment group. Holdings included an inventory of 58 vehicles, company operations and valuable rental sites located in tourist centers. The growth of his entrepreneurial venture coincided with a coordinated move by the federal government of Mexico and regional governments within the Yucatan to establish a tourist destination. Infrastructure was developed to draw tourists toward the pristine beaches of the Gulf of Mexico as well as the nearby historical ruins of Mayan civilization - a match perfect for a car rental business where road travel between sites is required.

Since the sale, Calidad has expanded along with tourism throughout the region under the leadership of two different CEOs. Until 2005, Mendez's successor was aggressive with expansion, sometimes at the detriment of company financial stability, establishing a corporate headquarters, adding five sites (some owned and some rented property), creating a call center nurturing repeat business and growing the fleet to 180 vehicles. However, he had difficult relations with the board due to poor cash flow planning. The next CEO halted expansion and restored fiscal stability during his short tenure, regaining trust of the board but losing faith with his staff before having to step aside. A fiscally driven hard-nose, he did not recognize human capital value or the subsequent impact that lack of appreciation would have on customer relations and sales.

Calidad's current CEO, Adelia Adolfo, was brought onboard in 2007 to move the company to its next level of operation. She formerly served as a vice president of operations for a mid-size hotel chain operating in Mexico and is quite familiar with the tourism industry generally. Since joining Calidad, she has successfully added another four rental sites to the 10 she inherited and increased Calidad's brand recognition and profit margin through a strategy-driven, team-based corporate culture focused on quality customer service. Adolfo enjoys the support of her executive team and was featured on the June 2010 cover of the Yucatan's leading tourism industry publication, Yucatan Today. She spent much of her article interview lauding the accomplishments of her leadership team with statements like, "No one of us can create the success that together we generate every day. That's the secret of Calidad, a unified focus on quality customer service - while cars are what we rent, our customers return because of experiences with our people." Calidad enjoys a high rate of repeat rentals and referrals now, key benchmarks in the industry.

Last month Adolfo announced her decision to take the company international with the purchase of a car rental agency operating in the neighboring country of Belize. Belize, like the Yucatan, is rich with great beach recreation and Mayan history but currently lacks the recognition enjoyed by the Yucatan from U.S. travelers, a primary market. Belizean Auto Rentals (BAR) operates seven properties with a similar market focus and placement as Calidad. It seemed a well matched acquisition for Calidad and may position the company for entry into the steadily growing Belizean travel market.

Adolfo's announcement of the BAR acquisition foreshadowed her long-term vision. When making the announcement of the acquisition she was clear on her intent for Calidad to become a regional player in the car rental business. "Expanding our service area is not only a strategic move for Calidad, it is what our clients demand," Adolfo stated, "and with more service territory we can offer our clients the exceptional service they've come to expect, a frequent user program to retain their business and a market position to increase our bargain power with respect to growing our fleet." While Adolfo did not specify future acquisition or expansion targets, she has directed her leadership team to include in the strategic planning process, now underway as a result of the action taken by the board, a review of the potential for growth in the Central American and Caribbean regions.

The Situation

Following the board meeting, you have been contracted by Adolfo's office to provide tactical direction and support for this initial international move for blending the cultures and company practices of the acquired Belizean company. Adolfo knows that success for the long-range vision for the company is contingent on success with this initial venture. A lot is at stake! Moreover, investors are watching this move closely since they are concerned with maintenance of Calidad's brand value and financial stability. Adolfo also understands that an international expansion is not simply replicating current operations in a new country; international expansion involves careful planning and appropriate investment, but she is not quite clear on how to balance the demands of a differing national and cultural setting with the preservation of organizational values and practices. Fortunately, this is the expertise of your firm!

First Task

Calidad's expansion into Belize has excited the site management team, especially with the recognition that Adolfo has built considerable good will and trust through promotional opportunities and careful succession planning. Site managers oversee operations at various Calidad locations where customers pick-up and return vehicles. Because of advancement opportunities, a majority of the site managers indicate a desire to play a role in the international expansion, but all confess to knowing little about the diverse cultures and languages of Belize. Adolfo has a short turn-around period of four weeks for the management staffing, rebranding and operational retooling of the former BAR sites before the tourist season kicks into high gear. Further, it is critical that a positive cash flow is generated quickly to offset the debt service on the newly acquired fleet. She wants Calidad to be ready with a management presence in Belize soon!

Based on what you know at this point, you are being asked to recommend a strategy for filling the Belize site management positions with internal employees now working in Mexico (parent country nationals). As company loyalty at BAR was not high and the impending sale of the company was leaked well in advance, over 75% of the staff and five site managers left for employment elsewhere. The remaining two managers desired to leave but were simply unable to secure employment before the change.

Given the need to act quickly to fill the seven positions, the recruitment and selection of candidates has been outsourced by Calidad to your firm.

You are asked to prepare a recruitment advertisement for the site manager position that echoes the company ethos and reflects the main and location specific tasks, duties and responsibilities (TDRs) as well as the knowledge skills and abilities (KSAs) for the job. Your advertisement should be constructed so that it can be sent to current managers at the varying sites through email distribution, and then,

Assume your advertisement was effective and generated 10 current site managers at Calidad submitting letters of interest for the 7 vacancies. [The two current Belize managers are among the 10 applicants submitting interest.] The Calidad management team knows the five candidates from Mexico quite well but it is important to Adolfo that the process be viewed as fair and objective so that rejected candidates maintain a commitment to the company. You are to design a selection process through which all ten candidates are to be considered for placement at the Belizean sites. While Calidad has no constraints on selection costs other than they be reasonable, time remains a key issue so the selection time frame is kept to a minimum when bringing managers in from varying sites.

Using what you know about Calidad and the role of the site manager position, design a selection process for Calidad to use in the effort to fill the ten site manager vacancies in Belize. President Adolfo reminds you that people have always been the key to her organization, for which linking of the human capital contributions to firm success is very much a part of the organizational culture she cultivates. On this she makes clear there can be no mistake; she expects excellence from you.

Bring in at least 5 library sources to help strengthen and support your discussion.


Assignment Expectations

Your paper should demonstrate critical thinking and analysis of the relevant issues and HRM actions, drawing upon all of the required background readings and relevant sources from your prior courses and your own TUI library search. Use website information sparingly (reputable websites only).

Prepare a paper that is professionally presented (including a cover page, a "List of References," and a strong introduction and conclusion).

Proofread your paper carefully for grammar, spelling and word-usage errors.

Address all aspects of the assignment as stated.

Provide private-sector employer examples of HRM programs, systems, processes and/or procedures as you address the above assignment requirements. Provide names of the employers. Use different employer examples in your case paper than those used in your SLP paper.

Limit your web search and focus instead on your library search. Bring in information from the background readings as well to help add depth and validity to your discussion.

Give authors credit for their work. Cite sources of borrowed information in the body of your paper as footnotes, numbered end notes or APA style of referencing.

Dear Helpmyessay,

Kindly provide the following,

A report that Discuss Americana Company found in Kuwait Boursa, regarding the following points:

1. The company's basic information including the company?s stock symbol, sector, industry, exchange market traded at, the company?s services and products. Also, this part must include a discussion on the key drivers for revenues and expenses.

2. Industry overview and company?s market position: this section focuses on the current situation for the company compared to the whole industry with special reference to competitive environment.


http://www.boursakuwait.com.kw/stock/stock.aspx?stk=704

www.americana-group.com

Always paraphrase and do not use quotations, no plagiarism please document will be submitted through turnitin.com.