External Business Environment Essays (Examples)

Running head: Tata Group and the External Business Environment Tata Group and the external business environment 4Tata Group and the External Business EnvironmentAfter China and Brazil, India is the world's third-largest developing market. Investment in India has increased due to the liberalization of the policy regime and greater access to the financial markets. Tata is India's biggest corporation, with operations in seven industrial sectors vehicles, chemicals, information technology, consumer items, manufacturing, and consultancy. There are now more than 90 companies in the sector. Ratan Tata is the organization's director; he is a popular and respected corporate titan. Different factors affect the competitiveness of the industry either directly and indirectly. As the business environment changes, the Tata group has to reconfigure its activities to exploit global opportunities.The significance of Environmental resources possibilities and StabilityNatural resources account for a large portion of many countries' income, even more so than assets expressed in…

Harley Davidson External Business Environment

Strategic Business Plan Outline

The Analysis of H-D's External Environment

The industry external environment compounds an array of comprehensive forces that relate to the organization. External environment analysis of an industry facilitates an understanding of an organization position comparative to other organizations in the same industry (Worthington & Britton, 2006). An awareness of the external forces working across the industry players plays a handy role in organizations strategic planning. It also facilitates an organization's awareness on their relative opportunities and threats allowing them to plan considering their capabilities focusing on the available resources (Worthington & Britton, 2006).

The understanding of the external environment works to improve an organization's competitive advantage and potential sustainable growth with the industry dynamics at play (Peng, Wang, & Jiang, 2008). The external environmental forces can influence management decisions in running an organization. The results of such influence produce ripple effects…

Environmental Scan of the Restaurant Industry

PEST analysis remains a critical business tool essential in aiding the identification of macroeconomic factors that could affect the business. Specific measures encompassed in this tool are political, economic, social, and technological. Restaurants can improve their decision making processes and timing. PEST analysis is essential in tackling future challenges and highlight opportunities (Ho, 2014). Engaging this tool in analyzing the industry helps dissect the macroeconomic factors that determine the future of 3 Squares Restaurant with the United States and specifically Minnesota where it is headquartered.

Political Factors

Squares Restaurant is affected by factors emerging from the political industry in the restaurant industry. Political factors segment discusses the effects of government intervention on the micro and macroeconomic environments. Significant political factors affecting include:

Public health policies are evolving especially in need to increase awareness towards discouraging the consumption of fast foods. Increased concerns about the…

Business environment is mainly characterized by various human economic activities including the production, sale, and purchase of goods and services that are carried out with the main objective of earning profits. Generally, the business environment can be described as a set of conditions that facilitate and promote the human economic activities. This environment is basically comprised of the internal business environment and the external business environment. The internal business environment includes the factors that are within the control of business while the external business environment refers to factors that are beyond the control of the business enterprise. One of the most common aspects of the business environment and human economic activities is the economy, which is generally influenced by various factors.

ole of Business in the Economy:

Business is defined as the management and coordination of individuals and resources in order to achieve specific production objectives, with the main goal…

Business Environment

Interaction of the Business Environment

The environment of a company is much like the natural world in that there are many layers to any single organization (Marques, 2007). Political forces are present because there are factions and beliefs within a company which cause different politics to be formed. The economics of running an organization are a different facet of the environment which many consider the most important part of the business (after all the business of business is to make money), but it is actually a piece of the larger while which is neither more important or less than any other. Very business also has a social component. All of the different relationships that occur in the wider world can be found in any large organization. Another part of the environmental whole that affects every other part has to do with the technical functioning of the business. Technology…

UK National Environment

In UK, the allocation of resources is purely based on the forces of demand and supply. This form of economy is a free economy in which competition is embraced and firms have to become efficient to increase their level of competitiveness. The government only intervene to provide the necessary infrastructure and to ensure that consumers are not exploited by the businesses. Besides, the government will formulate policies that ensure fair competition and collect revenues for the country development agenda. With these, businesses must ensure that they operate within the law and abide by the regulations that are set by the state. Barr Company can therefore conduct business in a competitive industry without government interference on what form of business to do or the amount of prices to charge on their products. The management has large latitude of choice to make on how to produce, what to produce,…

Business Environment in Taiwan

Taiwan is an island situated approximately 180 kilometers (Eastern Asia) away from southeastern coast of mainland China. Having a geographical area of 35,883 Km2, Taiwan is officially part of the Peoples epublic of China (PC) although there is much tension between Taiwan and China regarding statehood of Taiwan. The U.S. however does not acknowledge Taiwan as a separate state. Taiwan has a population of 23 million (consisting three main ethnic groups i.e. Taiwanese, Mainland Chinese, and indigenous people) and Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan. Of late, relations between Taipei and Beijing have been cordial. Taiwan follows a civil law system and has a multiparty democracy as governance system (Department of Investment Services, 2013). Being a thriving economy based on hi-tech industrial base and trade relations with most of the developed world, the country is deemed an important destination by multinational corporations (MNCs) for the…

Organization Behavior

NIKE Marketing Analysis

Business environment consists of numerous factors and forces that impact the business organizations' ability to operate competitively and profitably in their industry. These forces exist at both micro and macro levels and require the business organizations to show quick response to the uncertainties and complexities which may arise in the business environment from time to time (Cadle, Paul, & Yeates 2010). These forces impact each and every aspect of the business operations like marketing decisions, segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies, consumers' buying behavior, marketing or promotional activities, and others (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel 2012). This paper presents a report on the marketing analysis of Nike, Inc. -- a well-recognized brand in the clothing, sportswear, and footwear manufacturing industry of the world. The major sections include; impacts of micro and macro environments on Nike's marketing decisions, the segmentation criteria which it uses in different markets, the…

External and Internal Environments for Amazon

External and Internal Environments

Two segments of the general environment

Everything being equal, it is the primary objective of any company or business to gain a bigger market share, grow, affect its bottom line, and be successful. In order for the business to accomplish its goals, the business should deal with all its stakeholders who include suppliers, employees, shareholders, customers, competitors, and society. A business will encounter stiff competition in all its market be it locally or internationally for it to achieve its objectives and goals. For a business to gain competitive advantages over its rivals within the industry, it must be able to understand the present and predict future trends. The business should also take into consideration the internal and external environments of the business industry, which will impact the business activities directly and indirectly. Jeff Bezos founded Amazon, which is the world's…

Internal company and the External Environment
Based on your research, what are the key drivers for success in the large office supply store industry? This section should be at least 2 pages in length.
There are key success factors for the large office supply store industry. One of the key success factors is location and significance. It is imperative to note that one of the most pivotal success factors for any business is its location. This is the same case for large office supply stores. It is imperative for such corporations to locate their retail stores in a high-traffic area, for instance a mall or a highly frequented intersection. Furthermore, it is essential to make certain that the business is situated near consumers that the corporation seeks to target. The utmost potential customers for office stationeries comprises of the corporate or business consumers, therefore positioning a store in the area…

.. Of key people, but this material is rarely organized in a fashion that allows for its transmission to other. Employee turnover can negatively affect firm performance through loss of social capital. We expand this by taking into account the tacit knowledge that firms lose when employees leave" (p. 50). Although it is difficult to quantify the value of the tacit knowledge lost when downsizing takes place, it is reasonable to conclude that a company may be shooting itself in the foot by intentionally terminating qualified and knowledgeable employees who represent a potential asset rather than the liability reflected in the downsizing approach.

Conclusion

The research showed that the term "downsizing" as well as the more palatable term, "rightsizing," refers to the practice of companies terminating employees in an effort to become more streamlined and profitable. These terms can also refer to the elimination of redundant positions, temporary layoffs, allowing…

global business environment and organizations are vying with each other to obtain a share in this global business market. Innovation and intellectual property protection have become crucial for business success under these increasingly competitive market environments. The fast paced business culture and the changes that Organizations encounter require good leadership skills from the business manager. Today's managers have to be proactive and anticipatory of these change requirements. They have to possess good risk management strategy to be better prepared for unforeseen market changes. A consistent effort at process improvement and a customer centric business focus has made Quality management an integral part of every business. Project management therefore involves 'communication management', 'risk management', 'quality management'. These business concepts, when applied to the classroom environment help the students imbibe these managerial skills and result in significant improvements in their academic performance, stimulate their creative thinking, and their decision-making ability. A brief…

"Opening up the financial system to foreign capital flows can lead, and has led, to disastrous financial crises, which have resulted in great pain, suffering and even violence" (Mishkin, 2006, p.9).

Directly linked to the previous disadvantage and the basic definition of globalization, is the fact that the interdependence of sectors and institutions increases in a global market. In this instance then, a financial crisis within one country or within one institution is likely to generate negative effects upon its partners. The most relevant example of chain reaction to a financial crisis is the current situation, in which the global community is threatened with economic collapse due to the financial difficulties of the United States. The situation is similar in terms of politics or the social environment.

Globalization has often been assimilated with Americanization, meaning by this the desire of the American corporations to transcend boundaries and get access to…

Then, another, and probably the most obvious, application of operations management is that of achieving cost reductions. ichard Stylves offers the most conclusive example of Henry Ford, who sought to integrate assembly lines using the most cost effective commodities, including labor force. The aim of operations management is then that of reducing expenditure and increasing operational efficiency. Its applications are present at all organizational levels, from resource allocation to product distribution. Amazon.com has successfully integrated these principles by establishing its warehouses in adequately chosen locations which allow it to efficiently and automatically distribute its products to worldwide consumers.

Carter McNamara agrees with most of the previous findings, but his article is more of a generalist one, in which the author simply states that operations management has applications in "purchasing, control and coordinating function of management, product and service management, quality management, inventory management, logistics and transportation management, facilities management, configuration…

Some of the problems that this type of approach offered were:

Reliability issues -- many of these marketing directors had their own host perspective (local responsiveness) and the headquarter perspective (global integration), but none of the overarching overview that someone coordinating all the activities in other countries might have.

7. Research findings, Analysis and Evaluation

The results of the primary research are fully supported by the findings of the secondary research and backed by the general theory in the area of global marketing strategy. The marketing directors of both companies in all different regions (Asia, Latin America, Europe) have admitted to adapting their marketing strategies as much as possible to local specificities, but also recognized the important role that the headquarters and central marketing department played in the way they made their decisions, especially since the central departments were also coordinating the marketing budgets and were working towards creating economies…

Change Management Scenario

The contemporary business environment is rapidly evolving. Globalization has taken over the organization environment, and with this business is forced to undergo continuous and rapid change driven by increasing stakeholder expectations, new technological advances, and competition that is not only global, but viral (Bendell, 2005). This has resulted in a dramatically different business environment in which the modern business, in order to survive and prosper, is forced to evolve and regularly revise their internal and external business processes. Typically, aggressive and rapid change management systems germinate within the private sector -- only after trial and error, testing, and numerous permutations did they become standard within the public sector organization. This paradigm, however, changed in the late 1990s with a combination of rising client expectations to effectively address major socio-culture, economic, and demographic issues, and change in governmental oversight and minimal requirements pushed management in the public sector…

Business

How forces in and outside of business firms are changing the management task, altering business operations, and modifying stakeholder expectations?

Business, particularly those heavily emphasizing technology, are constantly changing. In many instances these changes are occurring due to a combination of internal and external factors. These factors often modify stakeholder expectation because the fundamental business itself has shifted. A very dynamic force that is changing the management task is that of globalization. Globalization is particularly contentious because it has no geographic limits. Competition can now come from anywhere at anytime. As such, management must be cognizant of the changing dynamics prevailing in their respective industries. The auto industry, for example, has directly felt the impact on globalization and stakeholder expectations. The auto industry prior to foreign competition was characterized by large fixed asset costs, hefty legacy and pension obligations, and slow innovation. However, through globalization the Japanese's were able…

Business Plan

In order to accomplish our mission we set forth the following strategic goals, they include:

Build the Financial perspective of our business by addressing how shareholders view the firm and which financial goals are desired from the shareholder's perspective. Goals are closely linked to the business lifecycle and must be adjusted over time. For example, in the early stages, our goal is revenue growth, but as the company becomes more sustainable, profitability will become more important.

Increase customer value by discovering what a customer's needs and value expectations are and then meeting or exceeding these expectations. Some examples of things that customers value include a broad selection of products, quality, service, performance, and low price.

Achieve operational excellence through the internal productivity that optimizes those business processes that will best satisfy customers. Productivity is more than efficiency; it depends on the value of the products and services (utility,…

Business report compares the two Australian service providers where by various aspects are critically looked at in respect to the design elements of a retail store environment. The elements are categorized into exterior facilities, general interior, store layout, interior displays and the social dimensions. Each of these design elements are categorically looked into differently taking into account the services being offered by the two chosen service providers namely Fadez Barbershop and Gloria Jean's Coffees.

The two chosen service providers are unique in their own way having been selected from different industries. Various design elements in comparison with the ussell's Model of affect are discussed and how they relate in different ways. ussell's model of affect talks about the various arousal levels that the consumers achieve when in contact with the mentioned design elements of a retail store environment, the interpretations and the impact they have that affects the buying decisions…

This means that you must continually monitor and communicate about possible changes, pertaining to the overall scope of the threat. Once this occurs, is when an entity will have an effective security procedure that will adapt to the various changes that are taking place.

This is significant, because this information can be used to corroborate the overall nature of security threats that could be faced by the SME. Where, this information is useful in helping to identify and address possible operational considerations that must be taken into account. As a result, this will help to provide not only a glimpse of possible security challenges that will be faced, but it will also help to establish an effective IT security protocol.

When you compare this with the previous source, this information can be used to highlight specific security threats that the company we are examining could face. Where, it discusses the…

External Analysis Southwest Airlines

One of United States' most successful airlines in the business is Southwest airlines. The company has been one of the most successful businesses in the economy with no case of worker layoff or strike being recorded in the organization. The company has dedicated its commitment to ensuring it provides a favorable environment for its workers. The company's corporate culture has played a significant role in the success of the company as it recognizes the workers emotions. Positive attitude is influential in the workplace as the workers become more productive. The air transport business is in an industry where profit maximization is a challenge to many players. The struggling economy and the increased number of players in the company make the industry unfavorable for business. The industry is also affected by the increased price of fuel which increases the cost of transportation. The paper conducts environmental analysis…

This allows for greater levels of planning and cooperation, and fills in the information gap that currently exists between the factory floor and the rest of the supply chain.

Lexmark provides an example of waste. Recently, the company found itself with more than $1 million in scrap from one lot. Engineers had insufficient information to isolate and fix the problem, so were instead relegated to crisis control. With more accurate data from each step of the operation, the engineers could have been more involved in the process and made improvements along the way before it became a large-scale crisis.

Through web-based business applications, engineers can now examine a defective printer cartridge and then use a thin client to put a hold on the entire batch if necessary, regardless of its physical location (anywhere in the world)

In conclusion, it is apparent that e-business is making its mark on the business…

In the modern business environment, communications policies also pertains to electronic transfer and storage of business information and correspondence. Likewise, communication policies dictate the rules differentiating permissible and impermissible uses of communications equipment for personal use as well as the privacy rights (if any) permitted employees on company time and equipment. Finally, communications policies also outline the expected protocols for business communications between co-workers, particularly with respect to the expected supervisory functions (ussell-Whalling 2008).

In my current company, the organizational culture permits "reasonable" personal use of company equipment and time, provided it does not amount to more than a nominal expense or compromise any aspect of efficient business operations. The privacy rights of employees to personal information disclosed or stored on company equipment is nonexistent and explicit acceptance of that policy is ensured through the computer log-in system that requires daily confirmation in the log-on process.

Business ethics reflects a…

In addition, we might ask ourselves if the richer nations have or not a greater responsibility as far as the research and development in the area of sustainable energy are concerned. (Reid, environmentalleader.com)

elieving that there are such energy sources or consumption policies which would allow the planet's resources to be maintained for a longer period, while making sure that all the nations are provided with a comfortable living is rather naive. Under these circumstances, it has been argued that doing the moral thing means choosing the least terrible solution. The problem is that this implies a relativistic evaluation of the matter which impacts the manner in which the moral principles are conceived.

efore stepping into a debate regarding the character of the moral principles, we may state that we agree with the opinions which state that there is no such thing as objective moral principles."Ethics can be seen as…

Business Ethics

An ethical issue refers to a situation whereby an organization is required to choose amongst alternatives that must be evaluated as either wrong or right. For example, an ethical issue arises when a business company opts to make as much profit while pollution the environment, the dilemma here being the regulation and social consequences. The company management may opt to bribing the regulation implementing organization as long as they continue making short-term profits before the law catches up with them, by then they may be forced to attire with the rule or shut down but they will have made as much finances than when they may have started and the consequences on the social life will have reached the stage where it affects their health and made the environment unbearable. The principle of autonomy; which requires individuals to be left on their own independence to conduct their activities,…

This same thing would apply to the business purchase as well, as this is the stage when he sits back and goes over his decision, and if he has a doubt about the product at this stage, he would probably never repeat purchase at this company again.

Chapter 6, class notes," n. d.) customer is influenced by many factors when he is making a decision to buy a product or a service. His basic upbringing, his culture, the media, the important role that a role model may play in his life, and the influences that he may have from certain groups of persons may all play equally important roles, and in addition, marketers and advertisers too may obviously influence the consumer in attempting to influence or persuade them into making the all important purchase of a particular product or service. ("Consumer buying behavior," n. d) Although there are certain dissimilarities…

Business

The Inclusive orkplace

In the modern business world employees expect more and have more rights than ever. To accompany this, employees are seen as core contributors to an organization. The workplace has changed from one where employees blindly follow the guidelines of the company to complete tasks, to one where employees are central to the organization. Employees are also more educated than ever before.

In recent decades, issues like employee empowerment, collaboration, teamwork, self-managed teams and cooperation have all become important. Each of these issues have the idea of giving more and getting more at their basis. In Ideas that will shape the future of management practice (Bohl 1996, 8), human resources is described as being the way of the future, "e will see a more mature articulation of the importance of people as a firm's only sustainable competitive advantage." The change is described as giving high reward for…

In order to achieve this target, the personnel operating in a foreign subsidiary should take part in trainings regarding the locals' customs, traditions, way of thinking, language etc. Additionally, studies should be carried out for concluding if the company's products or services are adequate to a certain foreign market. For instance, a company wishing to sell beef on the Indian market where the cow is considered to be a sacred animal or an organization which designs white packages for its products sold in Japan where this color represents mourning will surely lead to collapse. Let's take, for example, the McDonald's case which has developed a successful transnational strategy. The king of fast-food chains has tailored its menus according to the gastronomic habits of the foreign markets it has entered. Just imagine the disastrous outcome of a hamburger with pork sold in an Arab country. In conclusion, molding over the foreign…

Hometown Deli -- Environmental Analysis

The Hometown Deli was established by grandfather in 1952 in our hometown. The Deli has a product mix that consists of many different kinds of specialized coffees, teas, a full service bakery, homemade soups, sandwiches, and salads. The Deli has been a local hotspot for many years and has served as a community gathering place. Unfortunately, business has been steadily declining over the last five years and there has been rumors emerge that another Deli, Wall Street Deli, might enter the market as a local competitor. Although grandfather was an expert at running the deli, it lacks any modernization and many of the orders were previously taken with pen & paper or even just memory; the Deli essentially still operates the same as it did in 1952. This analysis will be comprised of a Porter's Five Forces analysis that will help the Deli kwon more…

On the other hand, applicable laws do have authority and under the concept of moral relativism, it may be justified that any duly passed law be complied with (Svensson & Wood, 2008).

One lesson from this case might be that laws between entities in different sovereign nations can be much harder to enforce than laws between entities within the same nation. In the future, Pakistan and other nations might want to make sure that their contractual agreements contain mechanisms that make them enforceable across international borders. On a broader level, another lesson might be that ill-gotten gains should not be promoted by governments in the first place. Those who believe in the supremacy of divine law might consider the position in which Pakistan found herself to be an example of God's reminding us of the obligation to conduct ourselves ethically toward our fellow man.

eferences

Creffield, Lisa. "Why you can't…

Business - Management

External Environment Analysis

Southwest Airlines is the nation's low fair, high customer satisfaction airline. It mainly serves short haul cities, offering single class air transportation, which aims for the business commuter as well as leisure travelers. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) classifies Southwest Airlines as Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation - 481111 (North American Industry Classification System, 2011).

When conducting an external analysis it is important to look at Porter's five forces to determine the competitive strength and therefore magnetism of a market. Porter's five forces comprise five forces from horizontal competition and vertical competition. These forces are: threat of substitute products, the threat of established rivals, and the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers and the bargaining power of customers (Porter's Five Forces a Model for Industry Analysis, 2010).

The first threat is that of the threat of new entrants into the…

It in this manner, therefore, that mediation is preferable.

2.3

OLE of MEDIATO in the INDUSTY

Acting as a bridge between the parties, the mediator, arbitrarily, assumes either a purely facilitative role in which he restrains himself from interfering, or serves as an evaluator where he evaluates the nuances of the case and recommends a basis for settlement. However -- and this is where mediation differs from arbitration -- the mediator is limited from mandating a particular outcome which causes the mediation process to manifest itself as inherently non-binding 14.

A creative mediator practices extremely acute listening skills in order to tease out the interests that are most important to each party. To that end, he or she will identify different preferences amongst the parties and design a package where each party receives what it values most and concedes what it values less than the other party.

Focus will be…

Organization Behavior

ASDA Stores

Business ASDA

ASDA Stores is a large scale retailer in the United Kingdom. It has grown over the decades by regularly expanding its business operations all over the country. Currently, ASDA Stores is present in more than 564 locations and offers a wide array of grocery items, general merchandise, and financial services. The business operations of ASDA Stores are affected by a large number of environmental factors. These factors fall under political and governmental forces, economic forces, social, cultural, and demographical forces, technological forces, legal forces, and environmental forces. All these forces have a direct impact on the company's sales, operations, and financial performance. In order to encounter the environmental challenges and operate in the most competitive and profitable fashion, ASDA Stores has to carefully analyze these forces and design its strategic directions in the best interest of its business affairs.

The resource management practices of…

Corporate-level strategy centers its focus on determining a company's core business amid the existence of other businesses. This core business ultimately determines the company's corporate image, influencing its marketing and advertising plans and programs. An example of a company that adopts the corporate-level strategy is PepsiCo, which is primarily known as a beverage business company for its product Pepsi Cola, its core business despite the existence of its other businesses in the food and beverage industry, known also to manufacture products from brands such as Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Tropicana, and Quaker Foods.

Steven Reinemund, CEO of PepsiCo, Nobuyuki Idei, CEO of Sony Corporation, and Leonard Riggio, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc. are three business leaders who are able to maintain their firm/company's leadership in the beverage, electronics, and trade books business, respectively. Their ability to identify the needs of their customers and determining their target…

international business expansion process.

International recruitment and selection brings a number of challenges for business organizations. They not only face difficulties in hiring the desired skillful staff from the host country, but may also have to deal with severe financial and cultural diversity issues. Through this research study, an effort has been made to highlight the major challenges and issues which make the international recruitment and selection process more complex and challenging for multinational organization.

The research report starts with an ample introduction to the esearch question and proceeds by highlighting the core objectives of the research study. The research question clearly states the major objective of this research study in a quite precise and succinct manner. The most important section of the research report is Literature review which has been written after a comprehensive research from a number of academic and industry journal articles and books; most of which…

Coca-Cola leads the world's beverage industry with as many as 400 products and has its presence globally in more than 200 countries. In addition to this, Coca-Cola collaborates with some 320 licenses to produce more than 10000 products in 57 countries. Products range from fashion apparel to holiday decorations and even a Coca-Cola Picnic arbie doll. Every year, licensees sell 50 million licensed Coca-Cola products.

Internal usiness Environment

Core Activities

For over 100 years, Coca Cola still remains the world's largest producer of carbonated soft drinks. The company sells the very famous Coke® with the punch line "Always Coca-Cola" that is still the common man's term for any aerated soft drink.

The company's signature Coke® brand is well recognized by literally billions of consumers, and Coke is sold in almost every country in the world - more than 200 countries worldwide.

Customer ase

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest…

The differences in culture with the American culture will meant the American staff that may go to help open the branches in China will have to take quite some time to learn the culture and the ways of the people there.

The other difficulty will be the language barrier that may exists between the Americans and the Chinese. It may even call for a translator in the initial days as transactions between the American sales people and the Chinese customers, or interaction between the staff themselves may be a big challenge.

On the technical side, the Wal-Mart may have it hard when it comes to acquainting themselves with the market trends and the competition from the older players who are already in operation in China. It will take a lot of research work to be able to know the finer details of the market trends and the ways through which…

Uses of visualization in business analytics include market segmentation analysis and factor analysis to define new audience segments based on psychographics. Visualization is often also used for pricing analysis to determine how elasticity can vary by product and area being sold into.

6. What are the steps involved in effective decision making and how can business intelligence assist in helping executive and managers make better strategic and operational decisions?

Effective decision making inherently must take into account many factors that range from the highly quantifiable to the qualitative if risk is to be minimized and the best possible alternative chosen. BI-based applications, tools and technologies have been designed specifically with these needs in mind of business decision makers. The steps involved in effective decision making include problem rationalization or the defining of the problem parameters, the definition of boundary conditions of the decision, selection of the alternative, execution of the…

Coca Cola -- External Analysis

An external analysis of Coca-Cola (NAICS # 312111 -- Soft Drink Manufacturing) requires scrutiny of the specific industry environment with Porter's 5-Forces model and examination of the larger business environment through a PEST analysis. In his interview on YouTube, Porter speaks of the five factors of Competitive Rivalry, Threat of New Entrants, Threat of Substitute Products, Bargaining Power of Suppliers, and Bargaining Power of Buyers. He also discusses the underlying forces for each factor, examining the Airline Industry, in which all five factors are strong, and the Soft Drink Manufacturing Industry, in which all five factors are "benign," essentially making the Soft Drink Industry "a license to print money" (Harvard Business Publishing, 2008). Porter stresses the importance and flexibility of his five forces, which keeps an organization focused on "underlying fundamentals" so the organization's leadership is not tricked or trapped by the latest trend or…

The market analysis is provided in Table 2.

Table 2: Market Analysis

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Potential Customers

Growth

CAG

Home Office

2%

22,000

22,440

22,889

23,347

23,814

2.00%

Small Office

5%

15,000

15,750

16,538

17,365

18,233

5.00%

Professionals

8%

10,000

10,800

11,664

12,597

13,605

8.00%

Academic

0%

12,000

12,000

12,000

12,000

12,000

0.00%

Other

0%

10,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

0.00%

Total

15.00%

69,000

70,990

73,091

75,309

77,652

15.00%

The company will also use different market strategy to achieve its business goals. Ivy Discover will run a very attractive advertising banner on different websites, which are constantly being visited by target customers, and the business will use several different form of promotion to attract potential customers. The promotion strategy will include discounted package deal. The sale process will include several criteria such as product presentation, relationship building, customer requirements, or needs. The company will build technical products that…

Thee is an advantage in this stategic view to become the biggest and best, and to do it quickly in ode to secue one's position in the maket place.

The geatest stength of the competitive positioning stategy is the ability to descibe maket conditions in a pefect maket. Howeve, its eliance of a single facto fo its analysis, the size of the company in compaison to othe companies in the maket is a key weakness. The following will summaize the compaison and contasts between the esouce-based view and the competitive positioning view of stategic planning.

Similaities of the Two Views

The esouce-based view and the competitive positions view have seveal similaities. Many of these similaities stem fom the fact that they both depend on factos that ae extenal to the company. Fo instance, the activities of consumes and oveall conditions in the economy can affect thei maket position. A majo…

corporate form of "the business corporation," its structure, prerogatives, and procedures, leads to ethical problems arising, or being difficult to resolve. Ethics in business has always seemed to be a struggle, because the main purpose of a business is to turn a profit, and for some businesspeople, that may be at any cost. However, after scandals such as Enron, WorldCom, and Bernie Madoff, among others, business ethics has emerged as an important part of a healthy business environment. The smart business corporation knows ethics and corporate social responsibility (CS) are an important aspect of their daily operations, and yet, businesses still seem to overlook that ideal at the most inopportune times.

The Business Corporation

What is a business corporation? To begin a discussion on ethics, it is important to first define a business corporation. A business corporation is a company doing business that enjoys certain legal protections as a corporation.…

Business Plan for a New Business

Business Plan

Business Name: "Foot Junkiez"

Business Type: Sell customized footwear on eBay which people can put any name or image on them.

Business description

Financial Goals

Nonfinancial goals

Market strategies

External environment analysis: PASTEL

Political

Economic

Social

Technological

Environmental

Legal

Marketing Mix

Product strategy

Distribution Strategy

Promotional Strategy.

Pricing Strategy

Competitive analysis

Foot Junkiez is a customized online footwear store. The area urgently needs an upscale customized shoe shop because the current shops have insufficient selections. Currently, customers that need custom-made footwear must travel long distances to find the right footwear. Foot Junkiez will have an unrivaled, wide-range of different footwear. The size of Foot Junkiez collection is expensive following the different sizes that must be supplied per design. Foot Junkiez has a unique business structure that allows them to have a wide-ranging at the price of only storing one size per design.…

Global Environment

AT&T

AT&T's code of ethics can be found on its ATT.com website (2014). The code exists in accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the company. The code contains nine items: honest and ethical conduct, conflicts of interest, disclosure, compliance, reporting and accountability, corporate opportunities, confidentiality, fair dealing and protection and proper use of company assets. Under each category, the company explains its policies. Under "honest and ethical conduct," AT&T says it will "act with integrity," using a synonym to make a redundant statement. It also says it will "observe both the form and spirit of laws and government rules and regulations," which is the same as line IV, compliance. It will "adhere to a high standard of business ethics," another redundant statement, and without defining "high standard."

The company rather curiously defines "conflict of interest:" as arising when a personal interest interferes…

Business Continuity and Service estoration

The business continuity planning is the identification of potential external and internal threats that can lead to the disruption of the business process, which can lead to a loss of business infrastructures. In other words, the business continuity plan is the response of hazard that threats an organizational business process. The disruption of business operations can be predictable or unpredictable. However, the power outage and the minor network failures are minor problems that can disrupt business operations. However, a real disaster that can disrupt business activities is cyber attacks, flood, and theft of sensitive data. Business organizations can suffer unanticipated losses because of natural disasters, however, the goal of business continuity plan is to assist in recovery in the critical business process.

In the contemporary business environment, disasters are inevitable, and vary in magnitude and types. Disasters are defined as the abrupt destruction of business…

International Business

Five Questions on International Business

What are the approaches international managers seek to understand when instituting change in the international arena?

Change in the international arena may be more complex than in the home nations due to the wider variety of influences and variables that may be present. When looking at the different approaches that international managers may seek to understand in order to institute change, the managers will benefit from understanding different models or frameworks that provide a way of examining the differences that exist and assessing the way in which they may impact on the way change is determined and implemented at an organizational and local level.

One of the first models that may be useful is Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions. This is a model which provides a framework that facilitates an understanding of the cultural differences that exist between people of different regions and nations (Dellner,…

Business Plan for a Financial Divorce Software

Business Plan Divorce Software

Business Plan relating to the Sales of a new Financial Divorce Software.

Business Plan relating to the Sales of a new Financial Divorce Software

F

F1

F2

F3

G1

G1(a)

G1(b)

G1(c)

Business Identification

Keys to Success

Company Summary

Industry History

Legal Form of Ownership

Location and Facilities

Management Structure

Products and Service

Market Analysis

Target Market

Industry Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Market Strategy

Ps of Marketing

Price List

Selling Strategy

Sales Forecast

Implementation Strategy

Overall Strategy

Implementation

Control Plan

Financial Statements and Projections

evenue and Cost Estimate

Forecasted Profit and Loss Statement

Forecasted Balance Sheet

Financial Assumptions

Breakeven Point

Financial Position

Capital/Investment Needs

Conclusion

eferences

Executive Summary

Financial planning is involved in every aspect of life. Individuals and businesses have to formulate their daily, monthly, and yearly budgets in order to achieve a balance between their incomes and expenditures.…

Business Plan

Description of the Business

The business is a gourmet candy shop. The shop will sell gourmet candy that has been sourced from all over the world. The shop will operate with one storefront location, and there will be an Internet/mail order component as well.

The rationale for the business is simply. There is a growing trend towards hedonistic approaches to dining. We have seen in the past few years the rise of the bacon fetish, high end craft beer and coffee, cupcakes, the move of fine dining to the mass market and a full embrace by Americans of better quality indulgent goods. Much of this trend can be credited to the aging of the population, as people seek to maximize pleasure. They have the financial means to treat themselves, and seek to balance this hedonism with a desire to be healthy. The intersection of these ideals is where…

The office and administrative expenses would remain constant even to that point, as would the insurance expense.

Exhibit B: Cash Flow Statement, Year Two

At this point, the business is earning a healthy return and Mr. Ahn is receiving will be able to bring in a reasonable salary. The nature of the business may well change at this point. At the maximum revenue of $144,000 per year the pretax profit would be $63,600. As a result, it is likely that a clinic will be formed with other practitioners in order to minimize expenses and increase profitability.

e did not include taxes in our cash flow examples because the company is going to be set up as a sole proprietorship. This means that the income from the company will be rolled into the income for Mr. Ahn, as well as his liabilities. Mr. Ahn's personal expenses are therefore not included in…

External Forces

There are a number of forces that will impact the strategy of Hot ings. The legal and regulatory environment governs a number of different aspects of the business, from licensing to human resources policies to food handling and other aspects of the business. There are regulations at the federal, state, municipal and possibly county levels. Food handling and alcohol are the most important elements within the regulatory environment as violations of these regulations can result in shut down, legal action or the closing off of revenue streams. Proper training must be given to all staff with respect to the different food and alcohol regulations in order to keep the business running.

The economic environment is of critical importance because the number of times people eat or drink outside of the home is dictated in large part by their disposable income. In good economic times, people go out more…

External Analysis Motorcycle Industry

External Analysis of the Motorcycle Industry

Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson, the heavy-bike manufacturer holds the purpose of fulfilling dreams of personal freedom (Purpose: Harley Davidson, 2013). The company functions in segments of Motorcycles & elated Products and the Financial Services. It is however globally known for heavy bikes that have engine displacement of 651+cc (Harley-Davidson Inc. 2013). The company enjoys a unique position in the market yet it is exposed to many new market challenges in recent future. The demand for heavy bikes has increased among those that are not necessarily filthy rich and other companies are also entering the industry. Here is the PEST analysis of Harley Davidson to study what challenges it is facing in external environment.

PEST Analysis

The PEST analysis offers a detailed picture of how the macro environment factors affect the performance of Harley Davidson. The PEST stands for Political, Economic,…

External analysis first begins with an assessment of the macroeconomic conditions of both domestic and international firms. In our current economic environment domestically signals are mixed in regards to recovery or depression. Year over year, the unemployment rate has remained stagnant at historically high levels. This is important because employment rates have a direct correlation to economic prosperity and its subsequent rate of inflation. At 9.1% nearly 1 out of every 11 Americans are without work (1). This figure does not include individuals who are underemployed or working only part-time. When added these two criteria, the unemployment rate soars to above 16%. This doesn't bode well for the macroeconomic environment of the United States as nearly 70% of GDP comes from consumer spending. If consumers are without work, they subsequently will not spend as much to help bolster the economy. Consequently, more jobs can potentially be lost as more companies…

Business Transformation Strategy

GE Capital oodchester is a leading provider of motor car, equipment, and personal finance in the country of Ireland. They offer the most flexible packages for diverse financial needs and as such, have earned the position of leading the personal and capitol acquisition financial services. GE Capital oodchester also provides specialized financing and services and they focus on niches including equipment and car leasing, hire purchase and loans to businesses and individuals across Ireland. Headquartered in Dublin, GE Capital oodchester services the financial needs of its customers through its regional sales centers and extensive dealer and partner network.

GE Capital oodchester is a wholly owned subsidiary of GE Capital. ith assets of more than U.S.$425 billion, (gecapitol.ie, online) GE Capital is a global, diversified financial services company with 28 specialized businesses worldwide. GE Capital has had an enviable record of growth over the past decade delivering value…

Business Plan Assisted Living Facilities

Residential and Day Treatment Facility

Business Plan

Residay Home and Residential Care provides assisted living solutions for senior adults. Residay Home and Residential Care is dedicated to making the provision of the highest quality care to senior citizens requiring or desiring an assisted living facility. Residay Home and Residential Care is located in the Tennessee Valley Area of North Alabama and is an alternative to the generally larger and less personal senior assisted living facilities specializing in the ability to make provision of a very high level of care in a smaller and more personal environment. Residay Home and Residential Care makes provisions of assistance to seniors in their activities of daily living including assisting with medication, meals, reminders, personal grooming, physical therapy and other such assistance. Further provided by Residay Home and Residential Care are opportunities for companionship, entertainment, and activities, which seniors enjoy…

Business Manager 0668

Transactions Process

Tools for customers

E-commerce payment solutions

Search Engine Optimization

Strategies for improvement

Affiliate Programs

Website advertisement

Search Engine Optimization and webpage rankings

Global business diversity

Business climate

Language

Culture

Infrastructure

Customer elationship Management

Website integration of tools

Discuss how you will facilitate customer payment using e-commerce solutions (e.g., how the transaction will take place, including the tools customers will use).

The customer transactions and payments are one of the important elements of e-commerce strategy. The businesses are required to offer a secure and trust worthy system for their client to manage the financial transactions. There are different transactions handling methods used by the e-commerce-based organizations. These payment methods should be aligned with the overall business transaction handling process as well as appropriate selection of tools and e-payment solutions.

Transactions Process:

The transactions of products produced under the label of Sunny Day salon are mainly related…

Business Proposal

The American economy is undergoing fundamental change. Due primarily to globalization, industries continue to innovate and change. In particular, the rise of the information age has altered the manner in which business is conducted. Technology has now become an integral aspect of all business operations. In many industries however, technology has had very little impact on the fundamental operations of the business. It is these businesses that are unlikely to undergo fundamental change that are particularly appealing to me. For one, these businesses are relatively stable over the long-term. Earnings, profits, and revenues may increase or decrease over subsequent periods. The underlying business however will remain intact. As such, the business that I will own will be a fitness center.

A fitness center is relatively stable in its value proposition to society. More than one billion adults worldwide are overweight. In the United States alone obesity is responsible…

External Environmental Analysis

Overstock.com

This is an online business that offers direct retail sales as well as online auctions both at the international level and locally. It is an online market place where potential buyers can visit for designer brands and home goods at the best price bargains. It also offers a platform where sellers of items can get onto the market platform online and sell their items to other people within or outside the U.S.A.

Porter's Five Forces model and the overstock.com (Mind Tools Ltd., 2014)

Supplier power- this refers to the concentration of other businesses or suppliers that can provide the same service that overstock.com offers. This threat can be rated as high since there are several websites like amazon, ebay among several others that offer the same services.

Buyer power- this refers to the ease with which the buyers of the goods or services can drive down…

This could bring a flood of new competitors to the market. Verizon is working with other wireless providers to gain preferential access to new wavelengths. Previous auctions, including the 2007 auction of the 700 MHz spectrum that Verizon won, came with open-access rules. Verizon is battling the FCC with regards to the regulator's desire for openness rules on all bandwidth, something Verizon considers a threat to be actively combated (Singel, 2009). As a whole, the regulatory environment has become less favorable to the wireless industry of late, with the FCC taking a more active role in micromanaging the industry (Corbin, 2009).

Competitive Environment

An analysis of the competitive environment using Porter's Five Forces model reveals that the competitive environment for Verizon is moderately challenging. There is strong buyer power. The main driver of buyer power in wireless is the low switching cost between providers. Buyers are also savvy and have…

External Analysis of the Portable Saw Mill Industry

Explain three benefits of conducting an external analysis.

For Edward Perry, Timber King's new CEO, external analysis is one of the most strategic activities he can engage in and have his company continually pursue. Of the many benefits associated with external analysis, the top three are staying on top of customer trends and their continual evolution, being able to anticipate and act on opportunities, and getting advance warning of any significant threats (Banham, 2010). These three areas of customer-centered analysis, scanning the external environment for opportunities while looking to mitigate threats must eventually be integrated to the internal systems and processes of Timber King in order for the company to be successful (Feldmann, Olhager, 2008). The company must become highly agile and market-driven for the portable saw mill business to succeed.

Educate Mr. Perry on some of the challenges of conducting an…

External Analysis

Strategic Management: External Analysis

External analysis in organization is important since it examines the threats and opportunities existing within an environment. The only way of differentiating strength or weaknesses from opportunity or threat is to ask whether the issue exist if companies failed to exist. And if it is true, then this is considered as external to firm. Opportunities is a favorable conditions within the environment and it may produce rewards for most organizations, in short, they are the situations that may exist, however they should be acted upon if firms benefits from them. Threats on the other hand, are barriers that prevent firms from meeting their objectives. External analysis is significant for success of every company (Samuels & Perry, 2005). This paper examines the major threats and opportunities in improving the ability of the McDonalds Company to meet the needs of its stakeholders and make their vision…