International Finance Case Study

International Finance Case Study
International Finance Case Study

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International Finance Case Study

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Please comment/answer the following two questions.

1.  What might have been some of the reasons Apple chose to raise debt capital in 2015 by issuing bonds denominated in Swiss Francs.?

2. Several large foreign corporations, such as Toyota, Siemens, and British Petroleum, list shares in U.S. stock exchanges.  What are the main costs and benefits for these corporations to raise equity capital in the U.S.?

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The reasons why Apple chose to raise debt capital in 2015 by issuing bonds denominated in Swiss Francs

In 2015, the yields on European bonds hit a record low. Among the most affected were Germany and Switzerland. Given this situation, Apple Inc. took the opportunity to seek funding for capital processes that were due that year. These were mostly stock buybacks and payment of dividend due (United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 2015). In addition, Apple Inc. is among the crop of few companies with an AA1 credit rating. This implies that the firm is very attractive to investors in both the US capital markets, as well as the various international markets.

The main costs and benefits for foreign corporations to raise equity capital in the U.S.

Unlike in the past, multinationals are increasingly adopting to raising funding in capital markets abroad rather than at home. This is largely owing to the increasing rate of globalization, and the various benefits drawn by the firms. Among the benefits of global companies such as Toyota, Siemens, and British Petroleum raising capital in the US include a better standard of governance in the US capital markets…..

International Finance Case Study

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British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study
British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

British Airways Total Quality Management

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Assignment Overview

Total Quality Management (TQM) has an important role in any company; with the implementation of this program, companies can continuously improve their performance. Thus, organizations will be able to considerably meet their internal and external clients’ needs in terms of services and product quality, and develop an efficient and profitable business.

The paper below analyzes how this concept was implemented by British Airways, since it is among the first companies to implement such a program.Anca MADAR, Implementation of total quality management Case study: British Airways, Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series V: Economic Sciences

• Vol. 8 (57) No. 1 – 2015, Retrieved from http://webbut.unitbv.ro/BU2015/Series%20V/BULETIN%20I%20PDF/16_Madar_A.pdf

Case Assignment

  1. Identify the quality problems for British Airways
  2. Summarize the implementation of TQM by British Airways and the outcomes.
  3. Provide suggestions to improve implementation and results.
  4. Comment on how effective it would be if British Airways employed Six Sigma techniques.

British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

Assignment Expectations

  • Use the information provided in the Background readings. Do any additional research as necessary.
  • Review the information in the British Airways case study and become familiar with the products and processes.
  • There is no set response to the case questions, so do not hesitate to think outside the box.
  • It is essential to provide a well-written paper with detailed analysis.

Quality Management (TQM) is the organization-wide management of quality that includes facilities, equipment, labor, suppliers, customers, policies, and procedures. TQM promotes the view that quality improvement never ends, quality provides a strategic advantage to the organization, and zero defects is the quality goal that will minimize total quality costs. While this special topic on TQM is not a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of TQM, several key concepts will be discussed.

An important basis for justifying TQM practice is understanding its impact on total quality costs. TQM is rooted in the belief that preventing defects is cheaper than dealing with the costs of quality failures. In other words, total quality costs are minimized when managers strive to reach zero defects in the organization. The four major types of quality costs are prevention, appraisal, internal failure, and external failure.

Prevention costs are the costs created from the effort to reduce poor quality. Examples are designing the products so that they will be durable, training employees so they do a good job, certifying suppliers to ensure that suppliers provide quality in products and services, conducting preventive maintenance on equipment, and documenting quality procedures and improvements. In a traditional organization that does not practice TQM, prevention costs typically comprise the smallest percentage of total quality costs.

A good example of good product design occurs in all Honda products. Honda produces a wide variety of items, including automobiles, ATVs, engines, generators, motorcycles, outboard motors, snow blowers, lawn and garden equipment, etc. To say the least, Honda engines last a long time. For example, Honda Accords typically run for well over 200,000 miles.

Employee training is also a very important prevention cost. For instance, employees in a vegetable/fruit packaging warehouse need to know what a bad vegetable/fruit looks like, since customers will not want to find spoiled produce in the store. Lifeguards at a swimming pool must know proper procedures for keeping swimmers safe. In many circumstances in both manufacturing and service businesses, the training of employees can make an enormous difference in preventing defects.

Supplier selection and certification are critical prevention activities. A product or service is only as good as the suppliers who partner with an organization to provide the raw materials, parts and components, and supporting services that make up the final products and services that the end customers receive. For example, a home furnishings store might use an outside subcontractor to install carpeting, but if the subcontractor fails to show up on time, tracks mud into the customer’s home, or behaves in a rude manner, the store’s reputation will suffer. Similarly, a car manufacturer who purchases defective tires from a supplier risks incurring high costs of recalls and lawsuits when the defects are discovered.

Preventive maintenance is necessary for preventing equipment breakdowns. Many manufacturing companies use sophisticated software to track machine usage, and determine optimal schedules for regular machine maintenance, overhauls, and replacement.

Documenting quality is a necessary prevention cost because it helps the organization track quality performance, identify quality problems, collect data, and specify procedures that contribute to the pursuit of zero defects. Documentation is important to communicating good quality practice to all employees and suppliers.

Appraisal costs are a second major type of quality cost. Appraisal costs include the inspection and testing of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods. In addition, quality audits, sampling, and statistical process control also fall under the umbrella of appraisal costs.

Inspection and testing of raw materials is very important, since substandard raw materials lead to substandard products. Raw materials used for a bridge determine the strength of the bridge. For example, soft steel will erode away faster than hardened steel. Moreover, the concrete bridge decking needs to be solid, as concrete with air pockets will erode and crumble faster, creating an unsafe bridge.

Finished goods and work-in-process inventory also need inspecting and testing. For example, worker error is quite common in the home construction industry, and this is why inspections occur frequently on newly constructed homes during and after the construction process is complete. Building inspectors ensure that the house has the proper framing, electrical, plumbing, heating, and so forth.

Quality audits and sampling are also important appraisal costs. Quality audits are checks of quality procedures to ensure that employees and suppliers are following proper quality practices. With sampling, a company can ensure with confidence that a batch of products is fit for use. For example, a wooden baseball bat manufacturer may test 10 out of every 100 bats to check that they meet strength standards. One weak bat can signal that quality problems are present.

Statistical process control (SPC) is the final type of appraisal cost. SPC tracks on-going processes in manufacturing or service environments to make sure that they are producing the desired performance. For example, a restaurant might statistically track customer survey results to make sure that customer satisfaction is maintained over time. In manufacturing windshields for automobiles, SPC might be used to track the number of microscopic air bubbles in the glass to make sure the process is performing to standard.

Internal failure costs are the third category of quality costs. This cost occurs when quality defects are discovered before they reach the customer. Examples of internal failure costs include scrapping a product, reworking the product, and lost productivity due to machine breakdowns or labor errors. Internal failure costs are typically more expensive than both prevention and appraisal costs because a great deal of material and labor often has been invested prior to the discovery of the defect.

If a book publisher prints 10,000 books, then discovers that one of the chapters is missing from every copy, the cost of reworking or scrapping the books represents a major loss to the company. It would have been much cheaper to have procedures in place to prevent such a mistake from happening in the first place.

In the case of internal failure cost due to machine failures, FedEx and other courier services cannot keep up with demand when a conveyor belt breaks down in the package distribution center. Major delays and costs occur when such incidents occur. Other examples include a road construction company having a road grader break down, a tool and die shop having a CNC machine break down, and a farmer having a combine break down during harvest time.

External failure costs are the fourth major cost of quality. External failure costs occurs when the defect is discovered after it has reached the customer. This is the most expensive category of quality costs. Examples include product returns, repairs, warranty claims, lost reputation, and lost business. One spectacular example of external failure cost was when the Hubbell telescope was launched into space with mirrors that were ground improperly. When the telescope was turned on, instead of a magnificent view of stars, planets, and galaxies, the scientists could see only blurred images. The price of correcting the problem was over USD 1 billion.

External failure costs also occur when the wrong meal is delivered to a restaurant customer, when a computer breaks down shortly after it was purchased, when the wrong kidney is removed from a patient, and when a poorly designed automobile causes the death of drivers and passengers. Because of the enormous costs of internal and external failures, all companies should strive for zero defects. Successful TQM practice dictates that pursuing zero defects will result in the minimization of total quality costs by spending more on prevention and appraisal activities in order to reduce the much higher costs of internal and external failure.

British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

References:

Global Text Project (2017), Operations management: Special topic: Total Quality Management. OpenStax CNX. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/contents/2a279ebf-9d2b-4e95-8682-195a1afc2d4b@4

Required Reading

British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

Optional Reading

British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

Crucial source: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJk_I1h914I

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British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

Among the top goals of modern organizations is the improvement in the efficiency of operations. The increase in operational efficiency of the firm ties in to the improvement of performance, an increase in the quality of products and services, as well as an increase in profitability. One of the metrics and procedural strategies used by organizations to ensure the achievement of the listed improvements is the use of Total Quality Management approach.

This approach is a philosophy within business management that ensures the improvement of the quality of products and services offered to consumers through a firm-wide incentive to manage quality in the entire organization (Madar, 2015, p. 126). This paper looks into an example case of British Airways by highlighting a number of quality problems and the process of implementing Total Quality Management in the firm.

Quality problems facing British Airways

Prior to the implementation of a Total Quality Management approach to improving the operations of British Airways in September of 1988, the company had a number of issues that were perceived to be behind the inefficient operations at the organization. These problems were the focus of the TQM program in an attempt to increase quality at British Airways. The following section contains an outline of these quality problems facing the organization.

Engineering based company

Since the formation of British Airways, the company had been operating primarily as an engineering-based firm. The focus of operations in the company hangars was the main contributing factor to the operational focus on the engineering element of the business (Madar, 2015, p. 128). This was problematic for the company since the processes from the engineering operations were not directly measurable from the satisfaction of their customers. In essence, therefore, by focusing mainly on engineering processes, British Airways was flying blind to the quality expectations of the consumers of their services.

Absence of quality control measures

Prior to September 1988, British Airways did not have in place a system to monitor the quality of operations across the firm. While there may have been individual processes to monitor the service delivery or the manufactured parts in the engineering division, there was no firm-wide incentive to have a measure of quality control for the entire organization. This has been a particularly problematic concern since any attempts at progress did not have conclusive measures to determine progress. The various quality concerns and measures to rectify the problems would not be efficient without quality control measures in the organization.

Absence of cost control measures

A significant cause of losses for any business venture is high and uncontrolled costs. In the generation of the Total Quality Management plan, it was a requirement to collect data on the various costs affecting British Airways (Madar, 2015, pp. 128 – 129 ). This was instrumental in the development of a focused plan that could help increase efficiency in the operations of the organization. The costs involved in the implementation of Total Quality Management in British Airways included monetary costs, time costs, and labor costs among others. The identification of such costs that ate into the resource allocation of the organization occurred in order to stamp out unnecessary costs, ensure efficient allocation of resources, and therefore better overall management.

Summary of implementation of TQM by British Airways

The implementation of Total Quality Management in British Airways has been a long and continuous process. This process began with the privatization of the company in 1987, and the benefits from the project have continued to trickle down to date. There was only one way to achieve the new vision by management, which was the creation of a leaner firm that would be a global leader through better management of resources and development of relationships between the managers, staff, and the customers. This way was to employ better management strategy, of which Total Quality Management approach carried the day…..

British Airways Total Quality Management Case Study

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Businesses and the Balanced Scorecard

Businesses and the Balanced Scorecard
Businesses and the Balanced Scorecard

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Businesses and the Balanced Scorecard

Compute activity-based costing rates for a law firm, and then write a 1–2-page analysis of the role of the balanced scorecard approach to performance management.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria • Competency 3: Operate service-based cost accounting systems.

Compute activity-based costing for a service business.o Compute budgeted overhead rates for cost pools.
• Competency 4: Apply cost analysis to assist management decision making.
o Analyze the impact of preparing a balanced scorecard on a business strategy plan.
o Compare and contrast three organizations’ use of the balanced scorecard approach.

Context

In contrast to a job-costing system that collects costs for each unit produced, process-costing systems accumulate costs in a department for an accounting period and spread them evenly, or average them, over all units produced in that accounting period. For example, a print shop collects costs for each order, a defense contractor collects costs for each contract, and a custom homebuilder collects costs for each home that is built.

Process costing is used when it is not possible or practical to identify costs with specific lots or batches of product. Process costing assumes that each unit produced is relatively uniform. If a product moves through various stages during its assembly or creation, it is likely that the costs were accumulated by the department and applied at the end of the assembly line. For example, it is probably not important for Intel to know whether the cost of the 10,001st microprocessor chip is different from chip number 10,002, particularly if the unit cost is calculated primarily to value inventory for external reporting purposes.

Businesses and the Balanced Scorecard

Resources

The following resources are required to complete the assessment.
• Assessment 5 Template.
• Cutler, T. R. (2010). The language of cost. Industrial Engineer, 42(9), 47–50.• Jagolinzer, P. (2000). Cost accounting: An introduction to cost management systems. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing.• Kren, L. (2014). Tracking value created by efficiency improvements in a traditional overhead cost management system. Engineering Management Journal, 26(1), 3–7.

• Lee, R. T. (2013). Target: Carrying costs. Industrial Engineer, 45(8), 38–42.• Marshall, P. D., & Dombrowski, R. F. (2003, February/March). A small business review of accounting for primary products, byproducts and scrap. National Public Accountant, 10–13.
• Pachura, R. (1998). When is enough, enough?. IIE Solutions, 30(10), 33–35.• Rao, S. S. (1997). ABCs of cost control. Inc. Tech, 19(9), 79–81.• Rikhardsson, P. M. (2004). Accounting for the cost of occupational accidents. Corporate Social – Responsibility and Environmental Management, 11(2), 63–70.• The payroll handover. (1997, August). Management Today, 13.
VanDerbeck, E. J. (2013). Principles of cost accounting (16th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.o Chapter 9.

Businesses and the Balanced Scorecard

Assessment Instruction

For this assessment, complete the following two parts:

Part 1: Use the Assessment 5 Template (linked in the Resources) and the scenario it contains to compute activity-based costing rates for a law firm. Also compute the budgeted overhead rates for each of the three cost pools identified in the template.

Part 2: Consider what you know about cost accounting and service businesses as you write a 1–2-page analysis that addresses the following:
1. Analyze the reasons a company should bother with a balance scorecard approach to performance measurement when its primary goal is to earn a sufficient return on investment for its shareholder.
2. Search online for and examine organizations currently using the balance scorecard as part of their financial and strategic planning. Select three different companies or organizations, and compare and contrast their use of the balance scorecard approach.

Write your analysis in Microsoft Word. Use 12-point font, and double space. Follow APA style for citations and references.
Submit both the completed template and the Microsoft Word document for this assessment.

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Businesses and the Balanced Scorecard Essay

Balance score card is the current approach used by the management as thinking, it consists of both financial and non-financial indicators. Balance score card is based on three areas which are responsible for the success of the company (Shutibhinyo, 2013). The areas that balance score card do focus on; financial perspective, internal business perspective, learning and growth and customer perspective.

Financial perspective; this is a perspective that is modified the company performance by comparing market future price or value of the stock with the current value.  The second area that balance scorecard puts an emphasis on is the customer perspective; this is how company customers view the company (Shutibhinyo, 2013). Under this perspective, there are four areas that the company should consider. These include customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and acquisition of customers and market share of the company.

The third perspective is the internal business perspective; this perspective gives an idea of how a company can stay ahead of its competitors by emerging the top in the market. A company has to review its internal structure to ensure that both customer’s demands and shareholder’s interests are considered in order for the company to reach the higher limits set by management.

The fourth and last perspective of balance scorecard is learning and growth perspective; a company must be innovative in order to achieve its growth desires. Company growth involves having competence staff and degree of uniqueness of the products that a company produces. Staffs should set their profession to match any technical changes for example change in tax laws. This is needed for full customer satisfaction and improve the corporate image (Shutibhinyo, 2013).

This approach is used by companies because it is based on both financial and non-financial performance. The approach focuses on maximizing the shareholders wealth and meeting consumer demands. Non-financial issues that balance score card address ii customer satisfaction, self-motivation, and innovation…..

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Burberry’s Mobile Marketing Campaigns

Burberry's Mobile Marketing Campaigns
Burberry’s Mobile Marketing Campaigns

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Burberry’s Mobile Marketing Campaigns

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Case Assignment

Imagine you have been hired as a consultant to the VP of marketing for Burberry. The VP wants to get an objective opinion from someone outside the company who is familiar with current digital marketing basics.Your job is to write a short memo of 750 -1,500 words critically analyzing Burberry’s mobile marketing strategy. Note that the company has decided to use mobile social platforms to reach its target markets.

Read and cite required articles listed above, including additional research you have done, to address the following issues:

• Evaluate the assumptions behind Burberry’s mobile marketing campaigns, with a brief introduction of the company mobile marketing efforts.

• Analyze the effectiveness of Burberry’s mobile marketing campaigns by applying relevant branding and promotion concepts. Also specify the criteria you use to evaluate the effectiveness.

• With the increasing popularity of mobile media and social media, what would you recommend to Burberry regarding its mobile promotion strategy? Explain why.Do not spend a lot of time digging in the company’s website and do not just rehash what the company did; instead, introduce a critical perspective.

Focus on the Case articles as well as relevant background reading. There are no right answers; after all, you do not have inside information. You will be evaluated on your understanding of the background materials and your logic reasoning. In particular, show your understanding of the way a change in target market affects the company’s promotion strategy.

Also, give some thought as to how Burberry’s mobile marketing meshes with other elements of its marketing program, for example, merchandising (product management), channel management, and pricing.

Assignment Expectations Regarding Your References and Defense of Your Positions 

Write clearly, simply, and logically. Your memo should be 750-1,500 words long, excluding title pages and references, but quality of writing is more important than length. Use single space, black Verdana or Times Roman font in 12 pt. type size.

Check the following link for business memo format:

http://www.fsb.muohio.edu/heitgedl/Memo%20writing%20tips%20ACC333%20SP06.pdf.

Back up your positions or opinions with references to the required reading found in the Module 1-2 Backgrounds. In using those references, demonstrate your understanding of the concepts presented. Rather than grading on how much information you find, emphasis will be on the defense of the positions you take on the issues.

Also remember that:

• The “why” is more important than the “what.”

• The defense of your positions on the issues is more important than the positions you take.

Do not repeat or quote definitions. Your use of the required reading to support your opinions (that is, contentions or positions) should demonstrate that you understand the concepts presented.

Do not include definitions or summaries of the readings, or simply describe what the company did. Instead, your responses to the questions should be analytical and should demonstrate that (a) you understand the principles from the background reading and (b) you can apply them to this particular case. Vague, general answers will not earn a good grade.

Avoid redundancy and general statements such as “All organizations exist to make a profit.” Make every sentence count.Paraphrase the facts using your own words and ideas, employing quotes sparingly. Quotes, if absolutely necessary, should rarely exceed five words.

When writing an academically oriented paper, you will uncover many facts about the product. If you paraphrase the facts, cite the sources in your text and link those citations to references at the end of the paper.

Here are some guidelines on how to conduct information search and build critical thinking skills. 

Emerald Group Publishing. (n.d.). Searching for information. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/learning/study_skills/skills/searching.htm

Emerald Group Publishing. (n.d.). Developing critical thinking. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/learning/study_skills/skills/critical_thinking.htm

Guidelines for handling quoted and paraphrased material are found at:

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Academic writing. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/2/

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/1/

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Is it plagiarism yet? Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/

Your paper consists of arguments in favor of your opinions or positions on the issues addressed by the guidelines; therefore, avoid the following logical fallacies:

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Logic in argumentative writing. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/01/

Mobile marketing spending is increasing in recent years due to the popularity of smartphone and mobile commerce. Burberry is starting to use the mobile apps to reach the target market. Burberry is the first brand to use a ‘Snapcode’ on Snapchat as it looks to give visitors in its stores access to exclusive content.

Read the following articles related to mobile app marketing campaign by Burberry, mobile app design, and the digital marketing trends. Note that you can find the articles without links in our online library databases using the search box on

TLC Portal.BI Intelligence (2015). Here’s where digital ad spending is going over the next five years. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/mobile-will-drive-ad-spending-across-digitial-formats-2015-7

Burberry launches on kakao (2015). Newton: Questex Media Group LLC. Burberry launches global partnership with line. (2015, Feb 05). M2 Presswire.DeMers, J. (2014, Aug. 15).

10 online marketing metrics you need to be measuring. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/15/10-online-marketing-metrics-you-need-to-be-measuring/#65eec53b355f

Goodfellow, J. (2016). Burberry is printing codes on its products to encourage customers to use Snapchat in-store. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/burberry-partners-with-snapchat-discover-2016-4?nr_email_referer=1&utm_content=BISelect&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=BI%20Select%20%28Tuesday%20Thursday%29%202016-04-05&utm_term=Business%20Insider%20Select

L2 think tank: Burberry runs lunar new year WeChat campaign (2016). Chatham: Newstex. 

Magrath, V., & McCormick, H. (2013). Marketing design elements of mobile fashion retail apps. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 17(1), 115-134.

O’Reilly, L. (2012, Sep 20). Burberry to put mobile first in mix. Marketing Week (Online).

Roderick, L. (2015, Sep 18). Burberry in snapchat first as it premieres new fashion collection online. Marketing Week (Online).

Roderick, L. (2016, Apr 04). Burberry uses first ever snapcode to let in-store customers unlock online snapchat content. Marketing Week (Online).

How to conduct a marketing audit (n.d.). MarketingTeacher.com. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/marketing-audit/

Introduction to financial statements for marketing (n.d.). MarketingTeacher.com. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/marketing-and-finance/

Marks, R. E. (1997). Market structure and competition (October 9). Retrieved from http://www.agsm.edu.au/bobm/teaching/ECL/lect03.pdf

Marketing Research (n.d.). MarketingTeacher. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/introduction-to-marketing-research/

These Web pages explain concepts of the Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning.

Building Customer Relationships. (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions, New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www.pearsoncustom.com/mct-comprehensive/asset.php?isbn=1269879944&id=11770

Building Customer Relationships (Audio). (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions, New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www.pearsoncustom.com/mct-comprehensive/asset.php?isbn=1269879944&id=11448

Segmentation (n.d.). MarketingTeacher. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/segmentation/

Targeting (n.d.). MarketingTeacher. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/targeting/

Positioning (n.d.). MarketingTeacher. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/positioning

Perner, L. (n.d.). Segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Consumer Psychologist. Retrieved from http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/cb_Segmentation.html

Here are some useful links on market segments:

Nielsen. (n.d.). MyBestSegments ZIP code look-up. Retrieved from https://segmentationsolutions.nielsen.com/mybestsegments/Default.jsp?ID=20&menuOption=ziplookup&pageName=ZIP%2BCode%2BLookup

Nielsen. (n.d.). Nielsen PRIZM – Understanding social and lifestage groups. Retrieved from http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/tutorials/Nielsen_PRIZM/engage.html

Nielsen. (n.d.). Segment Details. Retrieved from https://segmentationsolutions.nielsen.com/mybestsegments/Default.jsp?ID=30&menuOption=segmentdetails&pageName=Segment%Details

TETRAD. (n.d.). Demographics. Retrieved from http://www.tetrad.com/category/demographics/

This article explains considerations internal to the firm that affect its financial health:

Porter, M. (1980). Generic strategies. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/generic-strategies/

These Web pages explain the forces external to the firm that affect the financial health of a product or company:

PEST Analysis (n.d.). MarketingTeacher. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/pest-analysis/

Managing External Forces (n.d.). Marketing Tutorials. KnowThis. Retrieved from http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/managing-external-forces/

The following readings relate to product management strategy:

Products and Services. (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions, New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www.pearsoncustom.com/mct-comprehensive/asset.php?isbn=1269879944&id=12052

Products and Services (Audio). (2014). Pearson Learning Solutions, New York, NY. Retrieved from http://www.pearsoncustom.com/mct-comprehensive/asset.php?isbn=1269879944&id=11699

Product decisions (n.d.). KnowThis. Retrieved from http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/product-decisions/

This series of Web pages explains that product decisions over which firms have control are forces that determine the financial health of a product or company:

Product strategies (n.d.). LearnMarketing. Retrieved from http://www.learnmarketing.net/product.htm

The following articles explain and illustrate branding:

Aisner, J. E. (1999) More than a name: The role of brands in people’s lives. Working Knowledge for Business Leaders Series. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/2598.html

Beyersdorfer, D., et al. (2011 January/February). Preserve the luxury or extend the brand? Harvard Business Review. 89:1/2(January/February):173-7.

Christ, P. (2009). Understanding the importance of branding (October 28). Retrieved from http://www.knowthis.com/insights/marketing-professionals/trends-developments/1559-understanding-the-importance-of-branding

Clark, D. (2011 March) Reinventing your personal brand. Harvard Business Review. 89:5 (March):78-81.

Edelman, D. C. (2010). Branding in the digital age. Harvard Business Review. 88:12 (December):62-69.Introduction to brands (n.d.). Marketing Teacher. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/introduction-to-brands/

Klein, K. E. (2008). A practical guide to branding. Bloomberg Businessweek (June 9).

Tauber, E. W. (1981). Four branding alternatives: A branding strategy based upon brand extension. Marketing Teacher. Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/four-banding-alternatives/ 

Zax, D. (2010). For Millennials, brands may be as important as religion, ethnicity. Co-Create(November 17). Retrieved from http://www.fastcocreate.com/1679028/for-millennials-brands-may-be-as-important-as-religion-ethnicity

The following article explains brand personality:

Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research. 24:4(March):343-372.

These articles address the question of celebrity endorsements:

A Teakettle with Star Power? The Upsides and Pitfalls of Celebrity Brands (2011).Knowledge@Wharton (April 27). Retrieved from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2761

Star Blight: The Perils of Celebrity Endorsements (2006). Knowledge@Wharton (September 6).Retrieved from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1552

Stone, M. (2012). How Retailers’ Love Affair With Celebrities Will Blossom In 2012. Forbes (January 4).

Check the professional market research reports from IBISWorld database to find the industry analysis for your cumulative Session Long Project.

IBISWorld Overview (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.IBISWorld Forecast (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.IBISWorld Data and Sources (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.IBISWorld Navigation Tips (n.d.). IBISWorld, Inc., New York, NY.

Check the following links for proper APA citation and reference format:

Purdue University Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). In-text citations: The basics. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/.

Cornell University Library. (n.d.). APA citation style. Retrieved from http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/apa

Golden Gate University. (n.d.). University library: Research help. Retrieved from http://www.ggu.edu/libraries/university-library/research-help#citation-guide

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (n.d.). The center for writing studies. Retrieved from http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/citation/apa/intextcitation/

Below is a partial answer to the above homework questions by one of our writers. If you are interested in a custom non plagiarized top quality answer, click order now to place your order.

Burberry’s Mobile Marketing Campaigns

Internal Memorandum

January 15, 2018

To:       VP of marketing, Burberry

CC:     

From:   Your Name, Marketing Consultant

Re:       Opinion on the digital marketing efforts by Burberry

Mobile marketing efforts

Burberry, a luxury clothing and apparel design, production and sales company, is among the top businesses in its industry. The firm, whose headquarters are in London, England and with operations around the globe, uses a variety of operational and marketing models to ensure they remain a top brand. With competitors such as Chanel, Gucci, Dior, and Louis Vuitton, Burberry has to employ innovative solutions to engage consumers and push for purchases. In the recent past, Burberry has adapted to the use of mobile technology in a bid to push for the increase in market share and sales for the brand.

A unique approach by Burberry to the marketing of their brand and merchandise has been the use of mobile marketing. The use of mobile marketing refers to various approaches used by companies to lure and inform their customers about their products and services. In using this method, the targeted customer is one who uses a mobile device for communications, media usage, learning, and entertainment. The methods used in mobile marketing are designed for the mobile device with a smaller screen size. Given the increasing size of the mobile phone market, as well as the constant rise in the number of mobile users, such targeted mobile marketing efforts by corporates are expected to have a large impact.

Assumptions behind Burberry’s mobile marketing campaigns

A first assumption is the continued growth of the mobile market. By investing heavily in mobile marketing Burberry assumes and heavily believes in the growth of the number of users of mobile devices. With this assumption, the company relies on the increasing numbers to upsurge the sales. In addition, the company assumes that their consumers are among the growing number of people who prefer having a mobile device such as a tablet, iPad, or smartphone in addition to a computer or laptop. This is in addition to those who are assumed to use mobile devices as their primary means of accessing information (Nagao, 2015).

Despite these assumptions having research data to back them up, they still are assumptions since there are a number of Burberry customers who prefer to visit the traditional brick and mortar shop as opposed to using the various e-commerce alternatives (Nagao, 2015). The assumption that the use of mobile devices will continue to rise may also be halted with the introduction of an alternative form of technological communication that may render devices such as the smartphone obsolete.

Another assumption by the company is that their online presence mirrors the sales. While the various online digital campaigns have been relatively successful, the use of online metrics and numbers may not accurately reflect the expected sales figures. Such figures as the number of daily or monthly visitors to a given webpage, or the number of clicks on an online advertisement, the number of likes on social media postings, or the number of followers may not necessarily translate to sales. However, as per Burberry’s reports, the firm’s sales have increased since the launch of the mobile marketing campaigns (Burberry PLC, 2017)….

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Case Study: Operations Strategy at Galanz

Operations Strategy at Galanz
Operations Strategy at Galanz

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Operations Strategy at Galanz

The case study is about operations Strategy at Galanz

Students are to write about this case.

Read and analyze the case  and apply the critical thought process as practiced during the in-class exercises. The case must be evaluated from an operations perspective.

Provide a high-level executive summary of the situation from a long term, strategic perspective. In this summary, also include comments as to how well the daily operations align with the company’s strategy. As in the business world, perfect information is not available. Only the facts as written in the case study are available for your analysis.

Develop an action plan and explain in detail the support for this plan, using operations as a basis for your decision. Note: there is no single correct answer for this part of the assignment. Building a strong operational business case from an operations perspective will earn maximum points for this element of the assignment.

Next, answer the questions at the end of the case. Your responses must be clear and concise in relation to concepts from the textbook and class discussions. Direct citations to sections of the text and possible direct pages are required.

It is anticipated that total responses will require approximately ten to twelve pages of typed text. A title page is required. Twelve-point font either Time New Roman or Calibri is required in M/S Word, double spaced with one inch or equivalent metric margins top, bottom and sides of pages.

Assignment scoring:

Content directly relates to concepts from class and the textbook.                 20 points

The analysis reflects critical thinking and supports a business case                20 points

Operations based business case recommendation                                           20 points

Satisfying the format requirements for structure and length                          20 points

Total points                                                                                                     80

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Case study – Operations strategy at Galanz

Guangdong Galanz Enterprises Group Co. Ltd., whose headquarters is in Shunde in Guangdong province of the South of China, began as Guizhou Down Product Factory. The company was founded in 1978 by Liang Qingde as a township enterprise that produced down feather products for export. Owing to increasingly rapid infrastructural changes, government restrictions, and increased business risks, Liang senior decided to halt the operations of the company and conduct market research on a new venture.

His research indicated that microwave ovens were a viable product to manufacture in China. Major factors behind this decision included the increasing growth of the Chinese economy, the stability of the product, and the low initial demand for the product and competition level in the market (Ng, Li, Zhao, Xu, & Lei, 2010, pp. 2 – 4).

Liang Qingde decided to take on the challenges of the microwave oven business head on and began the planning for the production in the early 1990s. Such challenges included finding suitable technical expertise, the purchase of expensive machinery from overseas, and the adoption of foreign technology that required a huge investment. Galanz commenced production in 1992, and by 1995, they were selling 250,000 ovens, taking 25.1% of the domestic market and the position of the leading Chinese manufacturer of microwave ovens (Ng, Li, Zhao, Xu, & Lei, 2010, pp. 4, 13).

In the beginning, the company suffered from the lack of any form of competitive edge. However, owing to the foresight and strategic thinking of the founder, the firm made due with the absence of a competitive edge by making use of the available resources: cheap labor and land. These resources allowed Galanz to produce their products cheaply and, therefore, sell them at a lower price in the market.

Considering the low income in China, as well as the projected economic growth, the low pricing approach endeared a large consumer group that was interested in obtaining convenient equipment, but who were still budget conscious (Ng, Li, Zhao, Xu, & Lei, 2010, pp. 3, 4). Galanz, using this strategy, ensured the increase of demand over the years, which surged to about 25 million in 2003.

The growing demand for microwave ovens led to the need for Galanz to change tact. For example, with the annual demand of 25 million microwaves in China, the company was unable to keep up with the capacity owing to the production limitation of a key component known as a magnetron, which was only 16 million annually.

As such, Liang Qingde decided to outsource its production to meet the current and long-term needs of the enterprise (Ng, Li, Zhao, Xu, & Lei, 2010, p. 4). Such strategies involved the decision to shift operational organization for the benefit of the firm. In this case, the firm adopted two tactics to aid with the long run strategy to continue growth and profitability.

In its chosen strategy of a low cost production approach, Galanz opted to use two tactics; Transfer of the production lines through OEM agreements, and launching of a price war in the markets. In a long-term view, Galanz collaborated with several firms within the supply chain to increase production capacity and reduce costs through OEM agreements. Such other partners included customers such as Fillony and suppliers in Japan and Europe.

The nature of such agreements extended to a number of competitors such as Toshiba, Whirlpool, GE, and Sanyo (Ng, Li, Zhao, Xu, & Lei, 2010, pp. 4 – 5). Such agreements involved the use of excess capacity of such firms and the low cost methods of Galanz to create a winning combination for all parties involved.

A second approach involved the launch of price wars in the microwaves market. After the successful use of low cost production, Galanz followed through with a price reduction strategy across the market, the goal of which was to gain a larger market share. This approach involved repeated price cuts in a bid to reduce the market share of their competitors. Galanz used an improvement model where they based the price of the microwave ovens on the unitary production costs as plotted on a growth curve (Ng, Li, Zhao, Xu, & Lei, 2010, pp. 5 – 6).

The expansion of production capacity allowed for additional cost savings and therefore added economies of scale. At the end of the price cutting strategy, the firm had managed to oust several competitors and solidify their position as the dominant players in the Chinese microwave oven market.

After the success of Galanz in its two approaches used in conquering the Chinese market, the firm looked to other strategies to grow. These included the adoption of a new pricing strategy, transformation of the operational and manufacturing approach, and a shift in the organizational structure. Galanz chose to use a new strategy based on the market acceptance of the products.

For the manufacturing and operational approach, the firm chose to shift from EOM to ODM. Such a move involved the production of magnetron in-house, increasing investment in R&D, and vertical integration of the supply chain to enhance self-sufficiency (Ng, Li, Zhao, Xu, & Lei, 2010, pp. 6 – 8)….

Operations Strategy at Galanz

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WorldCom Scandal Essay Assignment

WorldCom Scandal
WorldCom Scandal

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WorldCom Scandal

Order Instructions:

Prepare a report describing what was alleged, what was proven, the major players, the outcomes in criminal and civil proceedings, if any, concerning the WorldCom debacle.

WorldCom was not just the biggest accounting scandal in the history of the United States—it was also one of the biggest bankruptcies of all time. The revelation that telecommunications giant WorldCom had cooked its books came on the heels of the Enron and Tyco frauds, which had rocked the financial markets. However, the scale of the WorldCom fraud put even them in the shade.

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Coca Cola social cause Essay

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Coca Cola social cause

Order Instructions:

Tasks:

*Summarize your chosen global, publicly traded organization “Coca Cola”. Who is it? What does it do? Who does it do it to?

*Propose the social cause for your organization and how it supports the mission, vision, and values of the organization.

*Analyze the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). How does your proposed social cause support the strengths and opportunities of your organization while helping your organization to overcome its weaknesses and threats.

Coca Cola social cause

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*Assess the ethical principles and frameworks used in making your selection. Include a discussion of the internal and the external impacts you expect to make with this choice.

*Evaluate any ethical challenges this social cause might present to your employees.

*Justify why it is important for your organization to actively participate in a CSR program and promote a global citizenship effort, including the contribution of the proposed social cause.

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Coca Cola ethical challenges regarding employees

Coca Cola ethical challenges regarding employees
Coca Cola ethical challenges regarding employees

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Coca Cola ethical challenges regarding employees

Research the ethical challenges regarding employees (i.e., diversity, discrimination, sexual harassment, privacy, employee theft, bad leadership, etc.) that your chosen organization has faced over the past five to ten years and that they should prepare to face in the next five to ten years. Once you have developed a list of challenges, consider how having faced those challenges (or knowing that you will be facing them) will impact and be impacted by the social cause you’ve selected.

Tasks:

Propose your findings on the ethical challenges faced by your organization in recent history and the near future. Be sure to:

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Analyze ways in which each challenge was (and/or could be) appropriately handled and areas for improvement.

Evaluate the ethical/moral aspects of your organization that protected it from ethical challenges in the past and could protect it in the future.

Assess how ethical challenges and handling of ethical challenges could positively or negatively impact the charitable cause you’ve selected and how the selection of your social cause could positively or negatively impact the organization and its employees.

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Ingrid’s Audio Haus- ‘Sounds’ like you need a new Staffing System

Staffing System
Staffing System

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Staffing System

Ingrid’s Audio Haus- ‘Sounds’ like you need a new Staffing System

Introduction

Ingrid’s Audio Haus employs approximately 200 employees and has 2 locations in the Omaha, NE metro. Her speakers are handcrafted and designed for superior audio and aesthetic appeal. She started making speakers and subwoofers by hand. Her business grew when friends heard/saw her ‘home-made’ speakers, and wanted some! She has 2 showrooms and craft centers where the boxes are made by master crafts people.

You are her HR practitioner. Ingrid needs a new strategic staffing system for her sales associate position, and she needs you to design it! She wants a presentation that includes either slides or video. If video, she would like an accompanying Slide/Word document.

  1. Core Learning Outcomes

Choose selection requirements consistent with legal requirements.

Critique validity and reliability measures related to selection.

Manage job analysis and create strategy for applying predictor scores.

Assess external and internal considerations of recruitment.

Create legally defensible structured behavioral and situational interviews.

Evaluate utility of ability and personality tests.

Evaluate utility of work sample and assessment center tests.

Inspect production, personnel, training proficiency, and judgmental data.

Develop Staffing Strategy that aligns with overall Business Strategy

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Directions

Given the scenario above, Ingrid would like you to design a simple staffing plan for the sales associates in her showrooms to include the following specifics:

 Strategic Staffing System Proposal

1.         Identify her business strategy, e.g. cost-leadership, differentiation, specialization, or growth strategy.

2.         Develop and write a Talent Philosophy paragraph

3.         Decide on the Nine Staffing Decisions (page 49). Indicate why you selected each.

4.         Include a short example of a policy statement related to either the ADA, ADEA, or Title VII of the CRA. (A few paragraphs)

5.         Decide on a recruitment message and where you would recruit for sales associates.

6.         Choose one selection predictor, e.g. interview, cognitive ability test, personality, integrity test, etc. Tell Ingrid why you selected it, and include its general validity coefficient and why this matters to her.

7.         Decide on a scoring method for the selection predictor you chose.

8.         How would you show Ingrid if the selection system is effective, i.e. what methods of evaluation would you use?

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