Sunday, March 17, 2013

"Southwest Airlines" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati

The effectiveness of Southwest Airlines’ execution of its low-cost / low-price / no-frills strategy to the business traveler

I think the effectiveness of Southwest Airline’s execution of its low price/ low cost/ no frills strategy had been a good fit for me so far. I usually travel and shop with Southwest Airline and pay my own ticket whether it is for personal, business or vacation purposes. I have tried so many airlines but the one that I have liked the most from Southwest Airline is the low prices with no frill strategy and with a good quality service. I have always compared the ticket prices but I have finally decided to shop with Southwest Airline. I do always check the service locations or areas of Southwest operations and the areas had been good for me so far.


 Airplane maintenance and safety records are essential to a successful business performance

Southwest airline maintenance and safety records show that it has had history of maintenance problems and has failed to operate and fly on time rather canceled and failed. The cracks in the fuselage of the plane has caused the flights to be canceled before flights or has done emergency landing in different airports or military bases within the United States of America. According to the records, the Federal administration aviation inspectors have reported to the congressional investigation that southwest airplanes have flew at least 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks.
I would suggest that in order to improve its image with the, related to airplane maintenance, it needs to purchase new planes, spare parts and inspect its planes each three months for maintenance purposes.
The sustainability of Southwest Airlines’ strategy into the future

I guess the sustainability of Southwest Airlines’ strategy in to the future depends on to the performances, maintenance, low prices and services of the Southwest Airline for the satisfaction of customers.
There is possibility of growth if Southwest airline shall keep its prices low, offer good quality service, keep a good record or history of maintenance and also keep customers always happy and satisfied or merge with other airlines in order to save money for purchasing new planes and increasing its revenues.
"Southwest Airlines" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati
Southwest Airlines’ culture

 Southwest Airlines culture is different from other airline competitors. Culture is the key at the Southwest Airlines. Some individuals call Southwest’s unique culture goofiness, and that keeps the moral of employees high. It has low prices compare to any other airlines and the employees of Southwest Airline have never gone out on strike and it has led all its flights on time The flight attendants and its employees have friendly attitude during the flight.

Southwest Airlines’ management believes that employees come first and customers come second

I think it is a great idea and I agree with South West Airlines’ management believes that employee come first and customers come second but it will be outstanding to give priority for both because they are correlated to each other.
Employee is the king and is so is the customer and they are both very important to be taken care of because if the company takes care of employees the employees will take great care of your customers and will keep them happy and satisfied and they will return back to you. It is a good idea to treat employees as customers are treated and that can be done through specific recruitment, training and retention strategy. The attitude and natural characteristic of employee is important to consider before hiring employees. If the employee is not motivated to be service oriented, then skills are useless to help customers.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc" by M.Azim Ulfati.

 The constant bashing of Wal-Mart by the media impacted Wal-Mart's ability to operate effectively
There has been lots of negative aspects in the Wal-Mart business which has affected the employees’ morale, wages and benefits and has violated the standards, both in the company’s own business operations and in the supply chain. 

Based on assessment there has been lots of employee turnover and a lot of employees who wanted to have a long term career or career plan, they have not planed to make a career due to negative experiences of Wal-Mart in the past. The senior executives of Wal-Mart have neglected in many cases and have ignored the problems instead of solving them and have brought loss and damage to the company and as well as, it has made the sales company to suffer.

Wal-Mart's shift in strategy from "just saving money" to "saving money to live better" and the impact to Wal-Mart suppliers, customers, and employees

I think it is Wal-Mart’s shift in strategy from “just saving money” to “ saving money to live better” was an outstanding strategy on all aspects of Wal-Mart. Not only this strategy is a healthy way of living for the consumers and employees but also it is a great way and chance to follow, save money and gain the trust of more customers. This encourages and impacts the customers, suppliers and all employees to come to Wal-Mart all the time for their businesses and save money on their businesses or products.

Wal-Mart changes the prices from high to low on daily basis or give special discounts some times and that shifts aligns with the company’s values.

 A strategy for Wal-Mart to leverage its cost-efficient operations business model worldwide, leading to financial stability and a desirable return on investment to shareholders
I guess it is crucial for Wal-Mart to have healthier living commitment and a low pricing strategy by offering organic products locally grown at lower prices so that the customers can afford to buy and refer always to Wal-Mart and use the locally grown food. To use this strategy it will influence among other business and will keep the company competitive with other stores worldwide and further more it would lead to healthier environment plus a good financial stability by having low prices.
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati


The stand out features of the companies’ approaches to managing operations
The Baldrige Program oversees the nation's only Presidential award for performance excellence while offering criteria, assessments, tools, training and a community for those dedicated to helping organizations improve.
The recipients who are recognized by the Baldridge performance excellence for the Baldrige award are based on the quality, the standards, innovative performance, management, financial practices, outstanding customer service satisfaction and outstanding employee.
For instance Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, which had the standout features in designing quality missiles for the military, was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2012.

The impressive attributes about the companies’ policies and procedures
The attributes, which has impressed me so much, and I find it very impressive is the great customer service, customer loyalty and its success to strategic marketing, a well-crafted game plan and persistence. The customers have rated the company above the DoD industry average. Based on my assessment, this company always give first priority to the customers which it gives the company a competitive advantage in all other contracting business with DoD and other Departments of the USA government based on the needs and wants.

How the companies emphasize continuous improvement and the use of rewards and incentives
Lockheed Martin has been working very hard and continues to work hard to improve their services and products for the government in designing different, best quality parts and delivering on time, every time. It relies on the collaborative efforts of its workforces for delivering continuous improvement and performance excellence. What gets measured in Martin Lockheed, it gets accomplished and what gets accomplished gets rewarded.
Strong reward and recognition programs propel team thinking and provide an incentive to improve continuously. Recognition may be small but significant -- of the verbal "thank you" variety, gift cards or a pat on the back. Team performance also delivers team rewards, such as the catered lunch serving and so on.
 " Shangri- La Hotel" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati
1.)" Assess how employee training and development impacted Shangri-La Hotel strategy to delight Customers Each and Every Time". 
I think any companies that want to grow and improve its business; it needs for well-trained employees and best customer service and sales. Shangri La- Hotel employee training and development has impacted the company for great sales, customer service, customer loyalty and inspiring of employees whether the class is instructor-led, online or instructor interactive Web-classroom training. The training of employees has been very effective and useful in China, which has brought credibility and growth to the company. The employees of Shangri-La Hotel have always delighted its customers with the skills and knowledge that they have gained through trainings. The customers have always walked in and out happy.

2.) "Evaluate whether or not Shangri-La Hotels' heavy investment in employee development yields a profitable return to the company."
Shangri- La Hotels’ heavy investment brings lots of credits and trust in employee development and with that it allows the company to have profitable incomes or returns because if the company trains the employees and the employees can deliver great customer services and keeps the customer happy and satisfied, then this would bring in more customers and will gain more and more credibility, trust, popularity and growth to the company.
3.) "Evaluate Shangri-La Hotel at maintaining service quality in the expanded markets and suggest what it may have done differently in high-wage counties."
Shangri-La Hotel has been doing well so far in maintaining service quality to ensure that the hotel can compete and can stay on the top. It has had a great service and quality strategy through employee training and development. I guess in high wage counties, it still needs to improve its strategy in maintaining qualified professionals that it has invested on them and that can be done by rising the salaries of those professionals and as well as offering bonuses to the employees based on economy of the county.
"Strategic Role of Employees" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati
"Select a company that you believe uses its employees to achieve a competitive advantage. Discuss how the employees effectively execute the strategy and how the company can sustain this position over time."
The company in which I currently work is one of the USA contracting companies. Competition is an issue of service and product in our company. Well-trained employees are the key to our business success. They’re the cream of the crop, often having the strongest stake in the company’s future that the company can sustain it over time. 
I think there is a linkage between competitive strategy, Human Resource practices and performance. Also Human Resource practice results from different human resources existing within the organization. Human resources practices have a major impact on the employee’s performances.
The human resource practices the competitive advantage through employees. They ask the employees certain questions in order to find out what are the problems; challenges and barriers to their potential and what shall be done to motivate them and how do they execute the strategy.
These questions are asked weekly and some times bi-weekly as follows:
What is the nature of your job?
How is your performance being managed?
Are you happy with your current contract?
How is your contract negotiated and what influence has this on your performance?
What are the major factors in your performance?
Do you or your managers review your performance regularly? How?
How do you identify the weakness points in your performance?
What would you change to make your performance more effective and how? Why?
Do you think that Trust, Reward, Development, and Promotion leads to effective performance? How? 

The employees of the organizations have claimed the following points play the most important roles in improving their performance and long term loyalty which both lead to a great competitive advantage.
-High job security (if the jobs disappear through Economic, Technical, Social and Political changes then the employer will offer alternative employment or at least help the employee to find another one)
-High wages
-Good communication and strong respect for individuals.
-Personal development such as training, reward and social relationship.
-Performance reviewing and setting goals and objectives.
-Job description
-Good manager with a good qualification and vision.

Furthermore the company considers some of the other important strategic roles of employees as follows.
-High-performing and innovative employees
-Their productivity and exceptional capabilities.
-The importance of employee training the safety.
-Productivity and customer satisfaction within the company.

 -A corporate strategy and plan that builds commitment- a competitive business strategy and strategic plan for increasing the chances that an organization will be successful and success builds commitment. In addition, if the plan and the strategy are clear and well communicated, not only will your employees be more motivated, but also knowing the strategic direction will help them remain focused. Corporate values that are measured and rewarded can also align behavior and build commitment. (David)
- Understanding of the roles, purpose of the team clearly and having their clear operational goals for the missions.
-Effective rewards for driving performance- when monetary rewards are tied directly to performance and the metrics for each goal, you reinforce the message about what is important. Individual and team monetary rewards, coupled with non-monetary excitement factors, can play a major role in ensuring focus and consistent performance. (David)
-Team member support for increasing individual performance, effective communications and feedback for reducing errors and frustration. (David)

Reference:
David, C. (n.d.). Top 10 management on the strategic role of employee training overview and analysis read more: http://computersight.com/software/top-10-management-on-the-strategic-role-of-employee-training-overview-and-analysis/
Written by M.Azim Ulfati
  Introduction
In this paper the main topic will be about Foreign Market Entry and Diversification of a  A Company and other companies. The first part is to create an argument for diversification of an A Company business that will be presented to the board of directors or business investors then I will develop a strategy for diversification indicating the products and industries for the diversification and how synergies may be gained from the diversified activity of A Company after that I will identify and discuss the foreign market that the company should enter and will discuss the strategy it should use to enter the market.  I will also discuss the challenges that company may face in the foreign market, and how it might respond strategically to minimize the impact of these challenges.
Further more I create a scenario when it would not make sense for the company to diversify or expand into a foreign market and will provide support for my rationale and lastly I will assess how the company that will create a business environment conducive to ethical behavior.

1-Create an argument for diversification of your business that will be presented to the board of directors or business investors. 
 A diversified company is a collection of various and individual businesses. This collection of businesses, whether related or unrelated, will cause the strategy- making and decision-making tasks for these collection and/ or groups of businesses to be even more complicated, important, and crucial than ever before ("Foreign market entry,”)
Diversification is a very essential and vital move for any business or company. A business must only know the need to diversify. It must also know of when to diversify.
So long as a company has its hands full attempting to capitalize on profitable growth
opportunities in its present company, there is no urgency to pursue diversification. The big risk of a single-business company, of course, is having all of the firm's eggs in one industry basket. If the demands for the industry’s product is eroded by the appearance of alternative technologies, substitute products, or fast-shifting buyer preferences, or if the industry becomes competitively unattractive and unprofitable, then company's prospects can quickly dim. ("Foreign market entry,”)
    Diversification is going to be the key to the longevity of our service and products in A. Its smallest competitors, Simply B offers World wide linguistic, intelligence and technical support while another largest competitor C, offer linguistic, intelligence, technical support; and have begun to offer minimal linguistic services. “Diversifying entrants pose a bigger threat in increasing rivalry and challenging incumbents’ market share. Right now, C is the leader in diversified product lines, although our competitors offer a variety of services and products. A Company will improve on quality in order to become a threat to the competitors. If A does not diversify, it will quickly become irrelevant in the market, like its smaller competitors. If it plans to succeed and increase longevity it must diversify and improve upon what its competitors offer.
Currently, A is the government’s leading provider of translators, interpreters and cultural advisors, with more than 8,000 personnel in 13 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. In addition to language translation service, A provides intelligence support and training and technical solutions. ("Company,”)
            Its Service is inserted in a rapid change environment principally because of lightning fast technological development and advancement. In this environment the threat of product obsolescence drives company to improve present products and to develop new products to assure sales and profit stability. Therefore, as the language application life cycles are completed, new life curves with other applications must be started. Additionally the company is experiencing growth and effective use of new managerial techniques which facilitate the development of, and planning and control in, multiproduct and services.
            Due to the fact that A Services already has very high technological resources the company can use this expertise to leverage a cross-business value chain relationship strategy. With that strategy the company will diversify into related business with essential value chain, gaining more competitive advantage potential than companies that diversify into business whose value chains are totally unrelated. Then A Services could transfer skills and technology from the applications with languages to applications for another languages in general. In this way the company can reduce costs via sharing use of common facilities and resources, and utilizing the company’s well-known brand name and services and to grow services sales.

2-Develop A Strategy For Diversification Indicating The Products And Industries For The Diversification And How Synergies May Be Gained From The Diversified Activity.
    As a way to increase popularity and customer base loyalty, marketing, research and development will work with designers and distributors on a linguist, contractor employee line for plus capacity of the services. Currently capacity of service and finding the right and qualified human power in a specific field is difficult to find for working and deploying overseas and being a way from their family.
C is the leading company in providing human power services but that company provides human power at a high cost and they are extremely expensive for the clients to offer. Our A offers the best service in a reasonable price to the customers where they can afford and that have made it the global leading company and with that it vigorously executes specialized operational solutions to support the unique program management requirements of customers worldwide and the result create remarkable experiences and they have been very successful for development of their diversified strategy and activities that they offer.
3-Identify and discuss the foreign market that the company should enter and discuss the strategy it should use to enter the market.
Globalization has made the world flat where ideas, information, skills, and technology are being easily transferred across boarders. Such movement promotes companies from all over the world to enter new markets. Foreign market entry has become very popular over the years, and companies seek to enter such markets in order to achieve financial growth. Companies who are entering a foreign market undergo a complex process in order to penetrate the new market accurately. The company must have the opportunity, appropriate resources and skills, an adequate entry mode, and most importantly the right timing. Each of these factors mentioned above have to be chosen accurately in order for the company to successfully enter the new market.  (Jung, 2012)
And each of the above mentioned factors have been chosen accurately and it has been able to enter foreign market successfully.
When a company decides to become international, it must be careful in selecting when to enter the new foreign market. Timing is key. The organization has to take into account several factors regarding the market and the company itself. The foreign market must be ready for such investments; hence, the targeted industry must ensure opportunity and should contain the right settings to facilitate market entry (Jung, 2012). As previously mentioned, an organization needs certain resources to come into new marketplaces.   These resources can be described as technological, marketing, and financial resources. Also, organizations as a whole should be capable to undertake such action. With all of these factors taken into consideration, a company should be able to enter a foreign market efficiently and effectively. (Jung, 2012)
Once a company decides in entering a foreign; the organization must choose on an entry mode. Past research on entry...
Over the last decades, the world has increasingly become a smaller place offering more opportunities to potential and existing companies in terms of markets to explore. Barriers to trade have fallen, technologies have been improved, and these are only two of many more important factors that serve as incentives to internationalize, creating a favorable environment to get on board and start the process. Nevertheless, the decision to expand business activities to foreign markets is extremely complex. The initiative, to be fully rewarding, must be thoroughly planned and undertaken.
The strategy, which a company should use and enter the foreign market, is diversification strategy. Diversification is a set of strategies. These strategies involve all the dimensions of strategic involvement. It can include internal, external, related or unrelated, horizontal or vertical, and active or passive dimensions either singly or collectively.
Diversification involves a substantial change in the business definition singly or jointly in terms of customer functions, customer groups, or alternative technologies of one or more of a firm’s businesses.
There are different types of diversification strategies.
Concentric Diversification
When an organization takes up an activity in such a manner that it is related to the existing business definition of one or more of a firm’s businesses, either in terms of customer groups, customer’s functions or alternative technologies, it is called concentric diversification.
Concentric diversification is of three types:
Marketing related diversification
Technology related diversification
Marketing and technology related diversification
Marketing related concentric diversification:
A has considered all the above-mentioned strategy for entering foreign market so far successfully. Since its services are already in many different countries like the United States of America, Germany, Kuwait, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Turkey and the company should enter in one of the other poor countries where the donor countries help a lot. There is the need for the international donor organization where many donor countries need linguists and contractors for the communication purposes. They need to use their multi national business strategy, where the company would vary a little in the company’s strategic approach in response to differing local market, competitive conditions and local preference. With the whole business based on online applications, by entering a foreign market, A has been able to coordinate activities across many different countries and should continue to coordinate their activities and build competitive advantage.

4-Discuss the challenges that company may face in the foreign market, and how it might respond strategically to minimize the impact of these challenges.
A operates in dynamic markets where the window of opportunity opens. Its survival and success is determined by how quickly, efficiently and holistically they predict and act upon foreign opportunities. How ever this company may face with some challenges like any other countries and I would like to talk more in details that not only A but also many other companies may face the following changes when doing business in foreign market.
1-Political Environment challenges
High levels of uncertainty in terms of continuity of government policies, changing political philosophies that may be evident in targeted market.
These uncertainties in political changes may include general instability, expropriation, operations’ and finance, Uncertainty about target’s value, Difficulty in “absorbing” acquired assets, Slower startup, High risk and high commitment.
2-Entry challenges,
In order to enter the foreign market it is very difficult to break in to a market and compete with other companies. There will be tariff and non- tariff challenges, Potential costs of trade barriers, Transportation cost, Foregoes potential location economies, Difficult to respond to customer needs well, Licensing agreement, Lack of control over operations, Difficulty in transferring tacit knowledge, Negotiation of a transfer price, Monitoring transfer outcome, Potential for creating a competitor
3-Legal environment challenges
The company may face legal environment challenges because the court law decisions may have upon a company’s globalization attempts. These cultural, political, geographical differences pose threats and challenges to global firms and as well as legal system and affect the business transaction. The environmental challenges can be the common law system, which is derived from English law and found in England, USA, British common wealth countries, which include for instance, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the former British Colonies in Africa and India. The civil or code law system derived Roman law and found in most European nations, Japan and non- Islamic and non- Marxist countries. (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011)
The Islamic legal system derived from the interpretation of the Holy Koran and followed by Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other Islamic countries. (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011)
The Marxist legal system, found in Marxist socialist countries such as Russia, the 
republics of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China, as well as other Marxist socialist states who rely on economic, political and social policies as the center of their legal systems (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011)
4-Market Potential and Market Size challenges
5-Cultural challenges
Culture is considered among the most challenging aspects while selecting a market. Although language, different culture and preferences still have an impact because of company’s history and accelerated pace of internationalization and technology development the company faces more difficulties and more competition. I think that a successful marketer must be a student of culture because it deals with a group’s design for living and it is pertinent to the study of international marketing. Therefore, culture is integral to the marketing concept, which is based on satisfaction of wants and needs of potential buyers. Culture has also impacts on the way messages concerning the ability of the product or service to satisfy the needs and wants, are received and interpreted. This is even more so in international markets, where cultures differ markedly from one international market to another. When designing a product, style, and other related marketing activities, and if they are to be operative and meaningful, they have to be acceptable to the related cultural market. We can say that culture is very evident in all marketing activities, for example: in pricing, promotion, packaging, and styling. (Brakeman, H.G./Bell J.H.J./Penning’s)
6-Technological challenges,
Technology is vital for gaining a competitive advantage while competing in international markets, and is a major driver of globalization, because it allows companies to produce products or services more cheaply and with a better quality. (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011)
Technologies may offer consumers and businesses more innovative products and services such as Internet banking, new generation mobile telephones, etc. furthermore, technology help companies to better distribute and serve customers, for example: books via the Internet, flight tickets, online but some countries do not have good technology to do business online and run almost all of the business with the help and assistance of technology.
In order to respond the challenges in the foreign market and to minimize the impact of challenges in a company, then the company needs to do the following performances.
1-It is very important for companies whether in domestic or international, large or small, that want to conduct business without taking in consideration the political environment of the country where they intend to operate. An examination of target country’s political orientation and environment is part of the preliminary screening stage of market select. Any company considering doing business outside of their own country should carefully study the government structure of the target market as well as the political systems of the targeted country. (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011)
Interest in politics is the first dimension listed in many frameworks examining export environments. This is largely due to the fact, foreign firms must try to make their activities politically acceptable or they may be subjected to politically condoned harassment (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011)
Government involvements in business are related with making policies how best to promote the national interest. Any firm engaging in international marketing should also be aware of the importance of sovereignty to national governments and its consequences for global business (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011).
Always asses the risk when selecting target markets because of high level of uncertainty in terms of government policies, changing political philosophies that are evident in targeted market It is extremely important for company while considering strategies to be used during internationalization stages to consider all aspects of political risks.
2- And in order to reduce the impact of entry challenges in a company, the company needs to obey the rules and well train and manage their staff to handle the entry challenges based on the tariff and non tariffs rules and regulations because usually entry rules and regulations are imposed by governments in order to protect domestic industry or to ensure that companies entering from foreign markets conform to trade relation’s arrangements with other countries.
3- when it comes to legal environment challenges, the company hast to study the legal environment rules and regulations of each country and environment, manage and follow them to the best of its knowledge and always consider international business due to the impacts that court of law decisions may have upon a company’s globalization attempts.

4-The company needs to asses foreign markets and do an estimation of international market potential constitute significant challenges that many internationalization companies have failed to meet.
5- The company needs to asses and be a ware of the cultural sensitivity and issues that are very sensitive to one’s culture and to accept the differences between cultures by assessing in an objective, not creating stereotyping. There are many numbers of cultural concepts that assist in clarifying cultures in broad terms like, religion, tradition time, language, space, and familiarity and consumption patterns.
6-Technology is vital for gaining a competitive advantage while competing in international markets, and is a major driver of globalization, because it allows companies to produce products or services more cheaply and with a better quality. As I mentioned above that some countries do not have good access with good technology or if they do they may have some limitation so the company has to assess the technological environment and consider alternative ways of approach where they can solve and minimize technological challenges. (Jusuf & JusuBiljanaf, 2011).

5-Create a scenario when it would not make sense for the company to diversify or expand into a foreign market. Provide support for your rationale. 
      There are seemingly three simple questions to be answered to find out whether it will make sense for the company to diversify or expand in to a foreign market or not. Expanding to other markets or diversification can be very challenging, unpredictable and a very high-stakes game, in fact there is little conventional wisdom to guide managers as they consider a move that could greatly increase shareholder value or seriously damage it. Although by expanding A Services to foreign markets the company might be able to enhance potential to build a global brand name with significant power in the marketplace, this scenario seems to be much more risky than diversification. In fact changes in foreign politics, taxations and increase competition can have dramatic consequences in the business, especially if the company is not prepared to spread the risk among other business.
        Therefore diversification seems to be the better strategy to achieve a sustainable advantage, which can result in the creation of enormous shareholder value. This is because A company strengths allow the company to create something unique. By identifying company’s unique and unassailable competitive strengths the company can move beyond a business-definition approach and instead launch a diversification effort based on its strategic assets. Every move makes sense for a rival or for the companies in the industries, it does not make sense for your own company or industry; the race to globalize sometimes leads people to overestimate the size of the prize. It is important to find out that are there potential benefits for our company? Do we have the necessary management skills? Will the cost outweigh the benefits? Considering A Company main strategy concerns “Language and technical services” the company can build on their excellent skills in technology and flexible payments to start new applications in language and launch similar applications for many other languages. In this way the company will not be so dependent of the one region language service and can consolidate their position in market before expanding into foreign markets.
The last things that the company needs to consider are to look carefully at its existing business. If the company does not have the right manager to cope with a divaricating strategy can not integrate the diversified business into one company or ring fence the new operations as a business in its own right, the organization is not strong enough to be an umbrella where its core values resonate across the group then it does not make any sense for the company to expand in to a foreign market.

6-Assess how the company will create a business environment conducive to ethical behavior.
I think ethical behavior in a business environment is extremely important and that is acting in ways consistent with what society and individuals typically think are good values. Ethical behavior tends to be good for business and involves demonstrating respect for key moral principles that include honesty, fairness, equality, dignity, diversity and individual rights and increasing consumer trust. However, the given nature of the activity in which the business is engaged would temper and define the outer limits of ethical behavior and the mode in which it manifests itself, on the part of business institutions and their managers. Even knowing that the company is inserted in a highly competitive industry, which it is also feasible to create greater opportunities for unethical behavior, the company must behave ethically.
But the question is how? Given the existence of opportunities in order to create a business environment conducive to ethical behavior the company must be engaged in ethical behavior in the marketplace and these attitudes must flow from the top level managers to the low level.  In fact, managers’ ethical values serve as example to influence each employee’s choice of ethical/unethical behavior, while corporate culture supports each decision as the right thing to do.
Additionally the company must develop a minimum level of ethical business conduct such as norms and minimal conduct behaviors. It must consider a business conduct for the organization to conform to the prevailing societal norms, traditions, and culture of the relevant environment especially if the company decides to expand into foreign markets. Finally to create a business environment conducive to ethical behavior it is necessary to extend higher ethical standards of fairness through the way the corporation and its managers interact with its stakeholders in Brazil or around the world.

Reference

1- (n.d.). Foreign market entry and diversification. Business and Management, Retrieved from http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Foreign-Market-Entry-And-Diversificaion/135828
3- Jung, W. (2012). Foreign market entry essay. Retrieved from http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/176825.html
4- Barkema, H.G./Bell J.H.J./Penning’s, M.J., Foreign Entry, Cultural Barriers and Learning, Strategic Management Journal, 17,2, 1996, pp. 151-166.
5- Jusuf, B., & JusuBiljanaf, A. (2011). Factors that influence entry mode choice in foreign markets. 5.4. Legal Environment, 22,
6-Jusuf, B., & JusuBiljanaf, A. (2011). Factors that influence entry mode choice in foreign markets. 5.7. Culture
7- Jusuf, B., & JusuBiljanaf, A. (2011). Factors that influence entry mode choice in foreign markets. 5.8. Technological Factor

 "China’s Unethical Practices" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati

"The regime in China has been known to manipulate it currency creating a competitive a world competitive advantage for the manufacturing of goods. Evaluate the impact to the U.S. manufacturing industry and make a recommendation on how the U.S. should deal with the practice of currency manipulation."
I think that manipulation of China’s currency and its unethical practices impacts to the US. Manufacturing industry. Chinese currency manipulation undermines American manufacturing and our very own job-creating efforts.
The unethical practices includes stealing intellectual property of the US, flooding the US market with cheap goods, child labor, wage and hour issues and poor working conditions, the traditional gift giving for the purpose of building network connections, bribery concepts and corruption affects all the shareholders of the USA in the business. These practices have a lot of negative impacts to the USA economy and business of the companies that can take the businesses of the United States of America down in the long term.
I think the United States of America needs to pass a bill and enforcement of a trade law and include new ways of administration and management to fight currency manipulation and improve oversight of currency exchange rates and the Treasury Department should undervalue and trigger tough consequences and sanctions for Chinese’ s unfair trade.

"China has been known to violate the intellectual property rights related to technology, goods, and services, harming the companies from which it steals. Make a recommendation on how a U.S. company that has fallen victim to this Chinese practice should respond so as to protect its intellectual property."
The US companies must set up their own manufacturing and trade rules and laws and enforce them in order to have more access and freedom to legally run their businesses. They need to best protect their intellectual property assets and understand the various pieces that make up their IP portfolio that should include trademarks, copy rights, patents and trade secrets owned or used by the company in its business. And also they need to have some suggested practices that businesses can utilize as part of their overall anti- counterfeiting and piracy strategy.
The US Companies should also urge the Administration to continue to press China to abandon its protectionist policies that disadvantage U.S. manufacturing companies, employees and communities and in order to achieve open and free trade, China should end its import barriers on industrial good, export restrictions on raw materials, limit on foreign investments, state subsidies to its manufacturing industries and undervaluation of its currency.

"Detecting Unethical Practices at Supplier Faculty" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati

"Assess the value of having a Supplier Code of Conduct when outsourcing operational functions to international markets and the enforceability of such a code."
A supplier code of conduct is a set of different cultural, legal, social, ethical and environmental rules and practices outlining the responsibilities of proper practices for an individual, company and sets forth a company’s expectation of vendors contractors and others with whom a company conducts business. It is necessary for the supplier to must meet, comply these rules, guidelines, and requirements and communicate the principles of the supplier code of conduct through out their supply chain of command and do business when outsourcing operational functions to international markets and also to enforce those codes.
Most of the companies adopting codes are involved in the marketing or the manufacture of brand-name clothing and footwear and organize production internationally through outsourcing to subcontractors and suppliers. Companies and industry associations in other labor-intensive industries, such as the toy industry, also adopted codes in response to negative publicity. The enforceability of such codes can pave favorable ground of business for suppliers to do business in a clear and compatible method at the company standard.

"Evaluate whether or not you believe a U.S.-based company outsourcing jobs to foreign markets is ethical.""Support your position."
I think there are two sides of the coin to assess and with assessing those, we know that there is also ethical and unethical issues on each side. There is not good profits and productivity on one side but there is more profits and productivity on the other side of coin for the companies however let’s not forget that this is a capitalism system and free market for the businessmen which has been very successful because it has rewarded the businesses and hardworking workers within the USA and overseas to work, and sell products and services across the globe.
The companies who outsources they are not required to have many facilities in the USA and thus they are not taxed and the government does not make money for the services and supplies and also they do not need to follow the same production requirements as those of companies staying in the USA. When companies outsource they nearly always save money, and are able if they want to reduce the prices of their products or keep them much lower than the competition therefore, it hurts the small companies that can't outsource.
Outsourcing jobs to foreign markets have impacts on the employees who have been with the company for many years and that who no longer is needed in the company in the USA. Is it ethical to fire these people and handout their jobs? The answer is that such unexpected firing or laying-off is unethical in today’s standard business. Companies are very responsible to try their best to continue a possible income for employees within the framework of outsourcing. It is ethical and important for the companies to be honest and have an open communication and good planning and aware their personal in advances for the decisions and cutback and outsourcing jobs of the company. They should be given advance notice so that they shall have enough time to look for an alternative or replacement jobs or think about relocating overseas with the company. They should be notified that how long more they could work in the company. It is also necessary for the company to hold some workshops and training conferences on writing their resumes, interviewing techniques and job opportunities and assist them in finding a new job.

"Assume that you have to make the decision to outsource work to a foreign market. Determine what country would be your best option. Explain your rationale"
As I consider all the ethical code of conducts, and will be outsourcing to farm out jobs from the USA home base to other country for the purpose to cut costs. I would choose India and will transfer the company’s technology development, customer service, financial and administrative jobs because India is the leading recipient of the outsourcing information technology functions like software development and maintenance and business process outsourcing.
Not only that, it also has many prestigious technical universities, but the Indian Institute of Technology stands apart as one of the world's best. India produces 75,000 IT graduates and 2 million English-speaking graduates annually.
Furthermore, labor costs have crept upward over the years but have been offset by falling telecom rates. Typical salaries range from $5,000 to $12,000 for technical staff, while back-office salaries range from $3,500 to $7,500.
And lastly, outsourcing is so ingrained in the fabric here that the Indian government has a national minister specifically for IT. The government favors IT foreign ownership and imposes no export taxes.
"PepsiCo" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati
"PepsiCo has historically trailed the Coco-Cola Company in carbonated beverage sales. Suggest a strategy that may enable PepsiCo to close the gap in this market. Explain how this may allow PepsiCo to achieve the number-one market position."
I think that Pepsi Next is obviously designed to fill the gap between normal sugar cola drinks and diet colas, trying to appeal to consumers that may sometimes prefer lower-calorie drinks but are concerned with the taste or the social image of diet drinks and vice versa and and in order to close the gaps it also needs to improve their strategy, improve quality of the products, the other gap is the lost Pepsi drinkers, it needs to win the Pepsi drinkers back from the Coca Cola Co and with that Pepsi needs to announce more strategic investment to growth for its share holders, increase advertising and marketing support, building a social media program is an exciting opportunity to allow PepsiCo to achieve the number one market position. As U.S. Consumption of carbonated soft drinks has steadily declined in the past decade.
Part of that comes down to the array of alternative beverages the market now offers. Part of it comes down to health concerns in a nation with an obesity problem. Also I think Pepsi company has to refocus Pepsi and modify its products and focus on water, juices, teas and sport drinks besides its top brands like Aquafina and Gatorade and while it trails soft drinks sales, it should lead the world in ready to drink teas through Lipton and creating more and more healthy food through its Quaker Oats, Gatorade and Tropicana divisions and strengthen its global nutrition Group to deliver breakthrough products.
Further more, it’s an opportunity to dramatically change the way it connects with customers and other constituents - a chance to tap into conversations, learn more about how your brand is perceived, promote your product or service in new ways, and ultimately grow its business. Often the things that the PepsiCo learn in the social media program can inform them more traditional marketing efforts as well, as it engages directly with its audience and learn more about what makes them tick.
Social Media Marketing has helped and will help more and more Pepsi to localize social marketing efforts in different culture contexts to gain more customer insight than it would have otherwise and close the gap in the market, which it has historically trailed the Coco-Cola Company in, carbonated beverage sales. Consistency of brand image is necessary on a global scale, but it is equally important to leverage the local social media platforms and understand the local consumers in order to carry out successful and efficient campaigns.
Social Media Marketing would create platforms to target multiple consumer segments with all these varying platforms using habits. For example, somebody who registered both on Facebook and Twitter probably does not use them for the same purpose. The saying that “ Facebook is on the social graph and Twitter on the interest graph” still holds. It is generally believed that Facebook friends are interested in the person while Twitter followers are interested in the topic, not necessarily the person. Twitter is more open and dynamic than Facebook, but tweets also fade into the crowd faster. If one carefully checks Coca-Cola and Pepsi’s Facebook and Twitter pages, one would discover that they do not have the same style at all. The Facebook page of Coca Cola is a place for anybody to express any feeling, while Pepsi’s page is neatly managed by a team, aiming to elicit dynamic interactions with the consumers which correspond closely to Pepsi’s fun image.
Other social platforms such as YouTube have even looser connections, but can attract users with a different manner. Pepsi Company analyzes these platforms carefully and chooses the correct strategy, which corresponds to their brand image and company vision.
Social Media marketing help Pepsi Company to understand what the followers want.
Social Media Marketing helps Online and offline events for Pepsi to gain more customers. Pepsi Company chooses to launch both offline and online campaigns separately.
Building relationships, brand loyalty, and business in very important, but it’s also an amazing tool for search engine optimization, opening more doors for people to find you online than anyone could have dreamed of a decade ago via the following Social Media Marketing.

"Take a position on whether PepsiCo’s actions of spinning off its fast food establishments created value for the shareholders."
I think in my idea PepsiCo, the world largest snack maker and second biggest soda producer lost in the past few years and the shares jumped to Coca Cola Co, the largest soft drinks maker. Breakups are accelerating as Kraft prepares the spinoff of its North American grocery unit to focus on snack food. The combination of snack and beverage portfolios create significant value for the shareholder through synergies driven by a common customer base and distribution platform, supplier leverage and shared infrastructure. The value of combined portfolio can be greatest in international markets, which share many activities, and PepsiCo is well positioned to make profits in North America for the successful integration of its bottling business.
PepsiCo’t s market value had dropped so many billions of USD in the past two years, while Atlanta based Coca-Cola’s have gained many billions of profits in the past few years.

"Predict the next international market for PepsiCo and if the Power of One strategy is likely to be successful." "Explain."
My anticipation about the next international market for PepsiCo is that, it will launch and invest more money on ad campaigns. It will push more of their efforts on the quality of the products and making healthier and nutritious brands than Coca Cola Co, it will reduce Calorie and sugar in the beverages. Also it will try and win back cola drinkers lost to other beverages. Pepsi’s research suggests that sugar and carbohydrates is an issue for some consumers, but a reasonable proportion of these consumers have not warmed to the taste of diet colas. Therefore, these ‘sugar-avoiders’ have migrated to non-cola beverages as a better product solution for their needs and preferences.
There fore I would say that PepsiCo would be successful if it tries its best to improve their strategies and to satisfy the needs and wants of customers.
Diversification" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati

"Take a position as to whether or not your believe diversification increases shareholder value in a given company."
Diversification is a corporate strategy decision matter and is an essential tool available to investors. It is a decision taken at the highest level those impacts on the fundamental direction of firm and enables them to capture broad market forces while reducing the uncompensated risk associated with individual risk. Moving towards diversification has sometimes been compared while some firms succeed, many others get lost forever. In fact, in no other area of corporate strategy do so many companies made such disastrous decisions. Nonetheless, the attraction of growth and new opportunities continues to be irresistible for most companies.
We all know that many companies are diversified companies, like Apple, Microsoft, Walt Disney and Nokia.
What is vital is that each of these firms seeks to find a coherent path of profitable growth as it takes on new challenges.
If I was an investor, I would use diversification corporate strategy. I will picture a diversified firm as a collection of individual businesses to compete in diverse industry environments; I will have multi business and multi industry corporate strategy.
For instance I will open multi restaurant businesses. I will do business in each restaurant differently from what I do in other restaurants.
Diversification tends to spread through industries where growth and profits decline.
For example, I had stock shares of Oil Company few years ago and there was a declining demand for oil in that year and I was not able to sustain growth and profit in oil stock shares in the stock market.
I was using diversification strategy and I had shares from many different companies like bank of America, AT&T, Fort Motor and so on. I lost in oil stock shares but because of my good diversification strategy and increasing demands in AT&T and Bank of America stocks in the market, I benefited from my shares with these two other companies.
I had a friend who had also stock shares of Oil Company and he lost four hundred thousand USD and was left broke. He lost his house and whole almost every thing in his life and was so miserable because he did not have any previous diversification strategy.

"Given a company that is already diversified, suggest how senior management may determine the most effective strategy and how it should be evaluated."
Studies and mathematical models have shown that maintaining a well-diversified portfolio of 25 to 30 stocks will yield the most cost-effective level of risk reduction. Investing in more securities will still yield further diversification benefits.
I think senior management needs to have a clear strategic vision and the commitment of an effective top management team to determine the most effective strategy and to evaluate it.
The best way to make sure that there is a clear strategic vision is to probe and question.
Also the senior management needs to spread business risk over a variety of industries, achieve greater earnings stability over the business cycle, and take advantage of opportunities for quick financial gain, frequently termed corporate turnaround. Further more it is important to avoid pitfalls of unrelated diversification, select capable manager and have the time to monitor what is going on.
"Corona Beer" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati
 

"Evaluate the effectiveness of Grupo Modelo’s growth strategy for Corona to become the number-one imported beer in the U.S."

Grupo Modelo’s founded in 1925. This company leads beer production in Mexico and distributes and markets it in the in the local and International markets. Corona beer was originated also in Mexico within this Company. Coronal beer has contributed a lot to and has successfully maintained great taste and highest market share in the history.
The effectiveness of Grupo Modelo’s growth strategy for Corona to become the number-one imported beer in the U.S. is to implement a greater campaign ads and more associate its brands image with fun in the sun and the last thing is that it should increase its best quality beer and distribute it all over the United States and other countries of the world. They need to come up with innovative ideas and a better strategy of how to find better market for their products and continue to improve their marketing strategy.

"Discuss how Corona can sustain its position as one of the most desirable imported beers in the U.S. marketplace given the competitiveness of the beer market."

Corona can sustain its position as one of the most desirable imported beers in the U.S. Because of its great quality beer taste in the competitive market and also by increasing the quality and effectiveness of its advertisements in various forums like super bowl and other impressive and interesting sports and tv shows within the United States of America and other countries where other companies can’t.
I think in order to compete with other companies, it also needs to widen their markets, improve marketing strategy and increase the variety of their products and introduce new brands for the satisfaction and attraction of more and more customers.
United and Continental Airlines" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati


"Based on your research of the United and Continental Airline merger, evaluate the challenges experienced during the merger and the resulting impact to the business."
"Assess the effect of mergers and acquisitions on the company’s customers, employees, and shareholders, and determine how what has been learned can be applied to companies doing acquisitions and mergers in the future."

The United and continental airlines merged for the hope of success and sustaining the best quality service as the best and largest company in the world. I guess when these two companies merged, the problems and frustration of customer started. Mergers and acquisitions had many different effects like changing the technology system of the company, operational performance and culture of the company.
Communication system affected the employees in management, getting along with the system and other employees within the company. It created uncertainty environment to the shareholders and made shareholder nervous and insecure and that, which also affected the stocks.

When these companies merged they needed to anticipate and make strategic management plans before merging and when they started to merge they had to accept risk.
They needed to allow enough time to the employees to go through trainings so that they get familiar with the new system, culture, plans, management, technology, equipment’s and all other operational and customer service performances and strong communication with share holders. Once every thing was well set and planned then the company could go and could lead to the positive side by the merger and there would have been hope for achieving outstanding success and achievements.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

"Panera Bread" a discussion of M.Azim Ulfati 
 
"Evaluate Panera Bread’s strategy and its effectiveness with executing the strategy within the competitive fast-casual restaurant marketplace." 

Panera Bread Company is an expanding chain of bakery-café restaurants throughout the United States that targets urban workers and suburban dwellers. Panera is known for its fresh baked goods, made to order sandwiches with the company’s fresh bread, salad, custom roasted coffees, and other café beverages.   Panera has maintained a good business strategy and has tried to employ differentiation strategy to compete against rivals and gain profits and as well as to achieve success for their product and market through the best opportunities. Panera bread is working on improvement of its strategy to inform clients of food specials during the times the clients would not normally show up.   A coupon will be given to the customers along with the receipts. With these coupons, clients will tell others through the “ word-of mouth” technique. Panera can target families into the market to come for a quick, cheap dinner. The company does not have to change the menu since the menu has food for all ages including a children’s section.
Panera strategy is to constantly change the menu so foods are current with the seasons.  
Panera has differentiated its self from other rivals like, Five guys, Pizza hut and others. It has focused on highest quality food and using organic and natural ingredients for their products and every day fresh dough to their locations.

"Discuss the pitfalls to this strategy and the potential impact to the performance of Panera Bread."
I guess the pitfalls to Panera Bread's strategy would be increasing raw material and cost and also lack of the best customer service in the region and lack of wider selection on the menu compare to the rivals and that has the potential impact to the performance of Panera bread. Panera Bread needs to focus more and more on the cost of products, improving customer service.

"Select one of Panera Bread’s competitors and discuss a disadvantage that Panera has with the competitor and how this disadvantage may be overcome."

I would compare Panera Bread with Starbucks. Starbucks has a wider selection and market advantages while Panera Bread does not. Panera’s disadvantage is lack of brand name popularity or lack of presence in most areas of the state and other countries overseas.
Panera bread requires to expand its agencies to many important locations and as well as overseas to maintain an international name and to be able to compete in an international level. Further more it needs to enrich its menu with new ingredients and cater more healthy food than other competitors. And lastly lack of stores in diverse areas within the United States and overseas. It needs to study and find out more populated and good locations for marketing and set up more shops and increase its brand name at local and international levels.