Case study 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

2 - Case Study Example The reason one experiences pain in the right upper quadrant is because of the position of the gallbladder, and what happens to the gall bladder whenever it is blocked by the gallstones. The gall bladder has the cystic duct through which bile flows into the duodenum. A blockade of this duct means that bile cannot pass through. It becomes concentrated in the gall bladder causing irritation and inflammation. This inflammation causes pain that radiates to the surrounding parts. This is why an individual with gallstones experiences pain in the right upper quadrant that may further extend to the back (Whitney & Pinna 565; Bluth & Benson 1). When one eats, more bile is produced from the liver, and this goes into the already inflamed gall bladder. The act of eating stimulates the gall bladder to contract and push the bile into the duodenum for the normal digestion process. Because of the existence of the gallstone on the cystic duct, the contraction causes pain (Crutchlow, Dudac, MacAvoy and Madara 213). If Martha gets lucky and the doctor finds out that the gallstones can be dislodged, they will pass through the duodenum. Here they can be dissolved using ursodeoxycholic acid, or can pass through the intestine (DeBruyne, Whitney & Pinna

Proposal document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Proposal document - Essay Example advancement of technology has brought with it additional academic pressures since professors expect that students can harness the information highway optimally to enhance the learning process and, concomitantly, expectations have risen insofar as quality of student output is concerned. Currently, there are four hundred public computer stations at the IUPUI library that provide access to campus electronic resources and to the internet, but they are not connected to the net either locally or wirelessly. In fact, it is not possible to download data on some computers in the library that are not equipped with the necessary software. The Policies: One of the variables that make things difficult is the set of policies imposed at the library. In the IUPUI library, there are four types of computers that students are permitted to use with added caveats, as listed below: The problem is the inability to download data using all computers available at the IUPUI library. This is a direct fallout of the library policy as detailed supra. Limiting the types of PCs that may be used for downloading data to only two categories, i.e., PCs with yellow tags and MAC computers, reduces the computer units usable in downloading certain software in furtherance of their assignments and projects. According to the Help Desk Supervisor, Adam, there are only eighty-six PCs on the third and fourth floors with yellow tags. Although MAC computers can also be used to download data, many students are not be able to use them due to their unfamiliarity with MAC computers. Even with the assumption that MAC computers are fully utilized, the paucity of units available is an impediment that is beyond the control of students needing access to PCs. Computer Information Technology (CIT) major students, like me, are left with no recourse but to purchase their own Laptop computers and bring them to the library, which is an undesirable and avoidable stop-gap measure. An analysis has been carried out by me to

The Resource Based View Analysis

The Resource Based View Analysis This report reviews empirical studies of the resource-based view (RBV) and examines the benefits and limitations of RBV as the best strategy route in the developing a firms strategy. By having a clear and focused strategic intent, it mobilises an organisation towards achieving the desire position. Through analysing its internal and external environment using the resource based view and Porters industry analysis respectively, firm would be able to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. The key to a resource based view is through an understanding the relationships between resources, capabilities, competitive advantage, and economic rent. The RBV identified characteristics of advantage-creating resources such as value, rarity, imitability and Organisation (Clulow et al, 2007; Barney, 1991). In contrast, porters industry analysis focuses on lower cost and product differentiation in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Despite the conflicting issues, the resource based view has examined issues and new directions that will help to clarify the value and boundaries of the RBV by integrating with Porters industry analysis. Porters framework and the RBV of the firm basically perceived the primary role of strategy as achieving a unique competitive advantage (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). Thus, both frameworks can complement each other as they emphasise in different dimensions of strategy (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). (200 Words) Introduction The resource based view of the firm (RBV) is one of the contemporary strategic management concepts to develop a firms strategy. The primary objective of this report is to accept or reject the contention that resource-based view analysis (RBV) has a strong relationship with firms performance in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. This report reviews the literature on competitive advantage and firm performance. It is divided into five main components. The first section summarizes the literature on competitive advantage from two viewpoints, the Resource Based View (RBV) and Porters Industry Analysis (IA). The second section discusses on the strengths of the RBV in reviews with the literature on strategic intent, threshold resources, capabilities, competitive advantage, core competencies, sustainable competitive advantage and VRIO. The third section illustrates Porters IA in reviews with cost, differentiation, and market focus. The fourth section deliberates the criticisms of the RBV and illustrates how researchers have or have not overcome some of these boundaries. The fifth section is a review of an integration of the RBV and Porters IA in the proposed model of core competencies, competitive advantage and firm performance (Chabert J. M., 1998) (185 Words) The Resource Based View of the Firm Thompson et Al (2010) point out that RBVÂ  [1]Â  uses a companys VRIOÂ  [2]Â  strengths and competitive capabilities to deliver value to customers in way that rivals find it difficult to match. The RBV emphasises the internal capabilities of the organisation in formulating strategy to achieve a SCAÂ  [3]Â  in its markets and industries (Henry, 2008). It holds that firms can earn sustainable abnormal returns if and only they have superior resources and those resources are protected by some form of isolating mechanism preventing their diffusion throughout industry (Value Based Management.net, 2011). The Resourced Based View Assumptions The RBV of firms is based on two main assumptions involved resource diversity and resource immobility (Barney, 1991; Mata et al, 1995). According to Mata et al. (1995), resource diversity concerns whether different firms possess bundles of different resources and capabilities; while resource immobility refers to a resource is difficult to obtain by competitors because it is inelastic in supply or costly. These two assumptions can be used to determine whether an organisation is able to create a SCA by providing a framework for determining whether a process or technology provides a real advantage over the marketplace (Brown, 2007). Thus, the RBV tends to focus on the types of resources and the characteristics of these resources that make them strategically important, the dynamic capability perspective which focuses on how these resources need to change over time to maintain their market relevance (Powell, 2007). The RBV as the best strategy route in developing a firms strategy Today managers are moving manufacturing offshore to lower costs of labour, rationalising product lines to capture global scale economies, instituting quality circles and just in time production, and adopting Japanese human resource practices. It was believed that the application of concepts like strategic fit (between resources and opportunities), generic strategies (low cost, differentiation and market focus) and the strategy hierarchy (goals, strategies, and tactics) have often aided the process of CAÂ  [4]Â  (Hamel and Prahalad 1989; Andrews, 1971). Most companies have approached competitor analysis that focuses on the existing resources like human, technical and financial of present competitors. Whereas, the only threat those companies aware are those with the resources to erode margins and market share in the future. There are few Japanese companies possessed RBV, manufacturing volume or technical competence of U.S. and European leaders. For instance, Canons first halting step s in reprographics business looked pitifully small compared with the $4 billion Xerox powerhouse (Hamel and Prahalad 1989). Strategic Intent Strategic intent envisions a desired leadership position and establishes the criterion the organisation will use to chart its progress where Komatsu set out to encircle Caterpillar. The concept emphasises an active management process that involved focusing the organisations attention on the essence of winning, motivating people by communicating the value of the target, leaving rooms for individual and team contributions, sustaining enthusiasms by providing new operational definitions as circumstances change and using intent consistently to guide resource allocations (Hamel and Prahalad, 1989). Strategic intent captures the essence of winning. For example, the Apollo program where landing a man on the moon ahead of the Soviets was as competitively focused as Komatsus drive against Caterpillar. It is stable over time, in order to challenge global leadership; one of the most critical tasks is to lengthen the organisations attention span. It provides consistency to short term action, which leaving a room for reinterpretation as new opportunities emerge (Hamel and Prahalad, 1989). A firm is said to have a CA when the firm can produce more economically and higher customer satisfaction, and thus enjoy superior performance relative to its competitors (Barney, 1991; Peteraf, 1993). Whereas, Porter (1985) defined CA as the ability to earn returns on investment consistently above the average for the industry by focusing on the companys external competitive environment and how they position themselves against that structure (Halawi L. A., Aronson J. E, and McCarthy R. V., 2005). In contrast, the RBV of strategy points not to industry structure but to the unique cluster of RCÂ  [5]Â  that each organisation possesses (Henry, 2008; Collis and Montgomery 1995; Stalk et al, 1992). Firms Outperform and Maintain Competitive Advantage The Benefits of RBV RBV is best applied for the kind of assessment of a firms existing resource portfolio discussed by Barney (2001) or when exploiting the firms stock of resources to move into new product markets, as in the tradition of Penrose (1959) (Sheehan and Foss, 2007). There are two fundamental reasons for making the RC of the firm the foundation for its strategy. First, it provides the basic direction for a firms strategy and second, they are the primary source of profit for the firm. The RBV perceives the value derived from management skills, information capabilities, and administrative processes can also be regarded as scarce factors able to generate economic rents (Sheehan and Foss, 2007). The concept of a dynamic capability was developed to explain why some firms have been able to outperform their competitors over long periods of time and despite significant changes in the marketplace (Teece et al, 1997). Firms as bundle of Resources Threshold resources are defined as the unique combination of assets and capabilities within a firm that enable firms to develop and implement strategies to meet customers minimum requirements and to improve its overall performance (Scholes J. G., and Whittington, R., 2008). It can be classified as either tangible or intangible resources. Tangible resources refer to the physical assets that a firm possesses and can be characterised as physical resources. In order to add value, these physical resources must be capable to respond to marketplace changes. Intangible resources comprise of human and organisational capitals. It may be embedded in routines and practices that have developed over time within the organisation (Henry, 2008). It includes knowledge based economy, the tacit knowledge and specialist skills of many employees which are difficult for competitors to imitate (Henry, 2008). Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) differentiate between knowledge that can be seen as tacit and explicit. An explicit knowledge or knowing about is shown through communication that can be readily transferred therefore it requires some form of protection like copyright. Whereas, tacit knowledge or know how cannot be codified and it is revealed through its application and acquired through practices such as beliefs and perspectives (Henry, 2008). RBV and Organisational learning The RBV stresses the significance of developing and enhancing those resources that are distinctive, in particular, distinctive capabilities (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997). Ten3 Business e-Coach (2001) defined capabilities as the capacity for a set of resources to interactively perform a business process. Capabilities, are the type of resources that is a source to SCA because they are based on organisational routines and processes, which are socially complex, knowledge-based (explicit and tacit) and difficult to observe and imitate. A firm is able to possess dynamic and operational capabilities, where dynamic capabilities are defined as those processes that allowed the firm to change its resource base in some ways to meet the differences in strategic and competitive challenges (Zubac et al, 2010; Helfat et al, 2007). The concept of a dynamic capability was developed to explain why some firms have been able to outperform their competitors over long periods of time and despite significant changes in the marketplace (Teece et al, 1997). It is specific and identifiable processes involved conceptualisation, product development, strategic decision making and alliancing (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000, p. 1105). Conversely, operational capability is the firms capacity to combine, assemble and deploy the firms assets using pre-determined activities, routines, processes and the skills of its employees to make products and services that are a source of potential profits to the firm available to its customers (Spanos and Lioukas, 2001). However a firm will usually focus on certain capabilities consistent with its strategy such as if a firm is pursuing a differentiation strategy, they would focus on new product development, whereas a firm which adopting low cost strategy would focus on improving manufacturing process efficiency (Henry, 2008). Capabilities, however, are not built in short term basis, they are dependent on a firms personnel, its knowledge and understanding of the marketplace and customers requirements and operations (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997). The Competitive Advantage of RBV Competitive advantages and disadvantages in resources are equivalent to strengths and weaknesses respectively, which stimulate cost and differentiation advantages or disadvantages in competitive product markets (Valentin K. E., 2001). An understanding of industry structure guides managers toward productive possibilities for strategic action, which may include positioning the company to be better cope with the current competitive forces, anticipating and exploiting shifts in the forces, and shaping the balance of forces to create a new industry structure that is more favourable to the company (Porter, 2008). The CA gained by these key intangible assets and capabilities is then reflected in superior performance of the firm in financial terms such as higher profits, increased sales or market share (Clulow et al, 2007; Hunt and Morgan, 1995; Collis and Montgomery, 1995; Fahy, 2002; Wilcox-King and Zeithaml, 2001). The Competencies of an Organisations Henry (2008) evaluated competency as the internal capabilities that firms require in order to be able to compete in the marketplace. In addition, Zubac et al (2010) defined CCÂ  [6]Â  as the collective learning of individual members within the firm and their ability to work across organisational boundaries. Prahalad and Hamel (1990, p. 82) stated that: The skills that together constitute core competence must coalesce around individuals whose efforts are not so narrowly focused that they cannot recognise the opportunities for blending their functional expertise with those of others in new and interesting ways. Thus, a CC or strategic capability can be thought as a collection of features that a firm possesses which enable them to achieve CA. Honda and BMW are examples of the organisations that have achieved CC in a way they configure their value chain respectively (Henry, 2008). RBV and Sources of Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) Barney (1991) suggested that there can be heterogeneity or firm-level differences among firms that allow some of them to SCA. Ten3 Business e-Coach (2001) describes SCA as the continued benefit when an organisation is implementing a value-creating strategy that is not being implemented by current or potential competitors and when these competitors are unable to imitate the benefits of this strategy. Therefore, the RBV emphasises strategic choice, changing the management of the firm with the important task of identifying, developing and deploying key resources to maximise returns (Powell, 2007). Bharadwaj et al. propose a framework of SCA for a firm is derived from the assets and capabilities of the firm. The extent of the service firms SCA is basically determined by the degree of imitability inherent in the firms resources. Kerin et al (1992) presented an integrative framework of the literature on first mover advantage, suggesting that the realisation of SCA, through market pioneering, is contingent on the resources that a firm possesses (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997). Strategic resources and Superior performances As a source of CA, RC must have four attributes which is VRIO in order to outperform others. A resource must be valuable as it enables the firm to conceive or implement strategies that improve its efficiency and effectiveness through lower costs and incline of revenue (Ecofine, 2010). Substitutability refers that there must be no strategically equivalent valuable resources that can be exploited to implement the same strategies (12manage, 2008). For instance, Wal-Mart sells most of the same merchandise as its major competitors, but the effectiveness and innovation of its logistics system ensures that it is the market leader in its field. Wal-Marts valuable and imitability point-of-purchase inventory control systems and cross-docking distribution plants have resulted in competitive advantage relative to its major US competitor, K-Mart (Olavarrieta and Ellinger, 1997; Barney, 1995). Porters Framework Porters Industry Analysis There are three sources that is irreproducible such as market structure that limits entry, a companys history which by definition will require time to replicate and tacitness in relationships refers to the routines and behaviours which cannot be imitate since the organisations themselves are unsure how they work (Henry, A., 2008). Porters mentioned that there are only two generic studies to compete either through low cost or product differentiation that lead to superior performance (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). To assist managers in understanding, improving, and implementing a low cost or differentiation strategy, Porter (1985) developed the value chain framework; it is a generic activity template that is used to decompose the firm into the individual activities it undertakes to create value for the customer (Sheehan and Foss, 2007). Economies of Scale Cost leadership is achieved through the aggressive pursuit of economies of scale, product and process simplification, and significant product market share that allows companies to exploit experience and learning effects (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). Dell being one of the organisation are protected by scale economies in their direct-sales method, efficient lean-manufacturing approach, expertise in logistics and supply-chain management. Hence, these capabilities provide it with CA and which its competitive rivals have found difficult to imitate (Henry, 2008). Differentiation and Core Competencies A differentiation demand for creating a product that customer perceives as highly valuable and unique (Hax A. C. and Wilde II D. L., 2003). The first-mover advantage refers to firms which benefit from the learning and experience they acquire as a result of being first in the marketplace like Toyota has achieved CC in the production of petrol-and-electric hybrid cars (Henry, 2008). Hence, a CC should provide access to a wide variety of markets, make significant contribution to perceived customer benefits of the end products and difficult to imitate. Honda is one of the organisations that focuses on the technical excellence of 4-cycle engines, have enabled it to leverage its CC to compete in markets from motorcycles to automobiles to a broad range of gasoline-engine products (Grant, M. R., 2001). Market focus Strategy can be viewed as building defences against the competitive forces or finding a position in the industry where forces are weakest. For instance, Paccar, a firm with heavy-truck market, has chosen to focus on one group of customers that is owner-operators. They have customised every single part of the value chain to work well with the forces in its segment. Thus, Paccar has earned a long-run return on equity above 20 % (Porter, 2008). Criticisms RBV Implications The RBV of the firm is a contemporary theory that provides insights on both strategic and organizational issues. An often-recurring critique on the RBV is that its core logic contains circular reasoning in the specification of the relationship between rents and resources (Truijens, 2003). Foss (2000) argued that the VRIO attributes in the RBV that valuable and rare resources can be sources of SCA is tautological. RBV has little attention on the important issues of how resources can develop and change over time. Likewise, the dynamic role played by individuals within organisations is often assumed to be self-evident and therefore seldom addressed (Henry, 2008). Another critique is that it is not sufficient clear in the RBV on how resources contribute to firm-level value creation and that operationalisation is therefore difficult (Sheehan and Foss, 2007; Priem and Butler, 2001) The RBV emphasises on the role of human capital in the creation of CA, which at the same time caused issues for accountants in terms of total business and intangible asset valuation (Toms, 2010). Accountants similarly are concerned with controls which prevent misappropriation of resources that ultimately are shareholders property. Thus, a theory of value also needs to be one of accountability (Toms, 2010). Conclusion Activity drivers and resources share many similarities, both resources and drivers influence a firms cost and differentiation position, and both need managerial involvement in the sense that drivers must be made controllable, while resources must be organized (Sheehan and Foss, 2007). Although these frameworks have often been presented as conflicting views; they can contribute greatly to the development of a strong business strategy. Since they emphasised different dimensions of strategy, they can complement each other. By integrating these frameworks, it enables activity-based view solves implementation issues that are unresolved when using the RBV (Sheehan and Foss, 2007; Barney and Arikan, 2001). It enhances many of the individual weaknesses of the two views. The activity-based view is weak in its assumptions about factor markets, which would be addressed by the RBV (Sheehan and Foss, 2007; Teng and Cummings, 2002). Thus, Porters industry analysis remains crucial and the choice should not be seen as one of either but rather one of complementarity. (2371 Words)

Cyranos Inevitable Destiny Essays -- essays research papers

Cyrano's Inevitable Destiny Who should take the blame for this tragedy? In Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano is portrayed as a valiant hero who exhibits humorous intelligence as well as great generosity. However, if we examine the play more carefully, we would find that Cyrano is personally responsible for his downfall; his constant aspiration for perfection and excessive deception eventually leads to his death. Such ornery behavior is exhibited when he adamantly insists on being himself, when he feigns the love letters for Christian, and when he hesitates to tell the truth and confess his love to Roxane. These acts ultimately aid in his defeat, leading us to conclude Cyrano is the only one to blame for his own destruction. Throughout the play, Cyrano exhibits his obstinate and presumptuous personality. He adamantly believes that his way is the only way and he defies any opposing force that comes against him. He refuses to listen to any sound advice from his friends. The most obvious example is when he refuses De Guiche's offer to be his patron. Instead of accepting the advice from his best friend, Le Bret, he has a rousing â€Å"No Thank You† tirade in front of the Cadets where he openly refuses to be under De Guiche’s patronage, proclaiming that living under another man's honor is beneath him. â€Å"Seek for the patronage of some great man, And like a creeping vine on a tall tree Crawl upward, where I cannot stand alone? No thank you!† (Cyrano, p.75) However, Cyrano should have realized that with De Guiche’s support he would have a higher status and a more stable economic source. The reason why Cyrano's ingenuity is never publicly recognized is because his poems are never published. Not only does he not have funds to pay for their publication, but his poems are often spontaneous and thus recapturable in their context without the situation to which it applied. A number of his poems are also on the objectionable because of the merciless way he regards others. If he would seize this brilliant opportunity, he would have made more friends and fewer enemies, and he would not have died so young. It was his impudent satire that infuriated his enemies to the point of conspiring his "accidental" death. This somewhat rash action reflects on Act I when he threw a bag of gold to th... ...rano thinks that Roxane doesn’t have to know the truth since it doesn’t mean anything anymore. It is ironic in Roxane’s discovery that it is Cyrano who has waited his whole life to tell her he loves her. It is hard to understand why Cyrano has waited so long to unfold the truth. If he had confessed his love to Roxane earlier, Roxane would definitely appreciate it and the couple then would have lived happily together. Instead, Cyrano’s ornery behavior has caused Roxane to love only once, but to lose that love twice. This is not fate nor coincidence. In complete control of his life, Cyrano is arrogant, deceptive, and hesitant in his actions; this ultimately leads to the great tragedy. As a result, we conclude that Cyrano has technically jeopardized himself. If Cyrano had not been so stubborn when he refused to be under De Guiche’s patronage, had not been so generous to feign the love letters for Christian, and had he not been so hesitatant when he deciding to confess his love to Roxane, the tragedy could become a romantic love story with a sweet ending. Again, Cyrano must hold all the responsibility for his actions and he must recognize that only he is to blame for this tragedy.

Apple Corporation: Ethical and Social Responsibility Essay

Apple Inc. is an American corporation that is located headquartered in in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells electronics like computer software, online services, and personal computers. It’s very well known for hardware products like the Mac computers, iPods, iPhone and the iPad. Its online services include iCloud, iTunes Store and App Store. Its software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems the iTunes media browser and the Safari web browser. Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976 to develop and sell personal computers for people to use. It was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 1977, and was renamed as Apple Inc. on January 9, 2007. Apple is the world’s second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics and the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia (Cantrell, 2006). Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012. On September 30, 2013, Apple surpassed Coca-Cola to become the world’s most valuable company. As of June 2014 Apple425 retail stores in fourteen different countries. As well as the online Apple Store and iTunes Store which is the world’s largest music retailer. Apple is the largest publicly traded corporation in, with a market profit of $446 billion by January, 2014. As of September 29, 2012, the company had 72,800 permanent full-time employees and 3,300 temporary full-time employees worldwide. Its worldwide annual revenue in 2013 is $170 billion. Apple’s brand loyalty is different than any other product. People love Apple products because they are a long lasting product that is going to last forever. At one time, Apple was actively engaged by the company, but this was after the phenomenon was already firmly established. Apple supports the continuing existence of a network usage. Mac users previously meet at the European Apple Expo and the San Francisco Macworld Conference & Expo trade shows, where Apple normally  introduces new products each year, to both the industry and public. Apple Store openings can draw crowds of thousands, with some waiting in line as much as a day before the opening or flying in from other countries for the event. The New York City Fifth Avenue â€Å"Cube† store had a line as long as half a mile. Apple is one of several highly successful companies founded in the 1970s that the traditional notions of what a corporate company should look like in organizations (Fisher, 2008). Apple was a game changer when they were started, no one ever thought they would be as successful as they were. Other successful companies with similar aspects from the same time frame include Southwest Airlines and Microsoft. As the company has grown and been led by a series of chief executives, each with his own idea of what Apple should be, some of its original character has arguably been lost. And that’s something you can’t change, different leaders of any company are going to have different ideas that they are going to bring to the table tha t can be good and bad sometimes. Apple still has a reputation for having individuality and excellence that reliably that has talented people into its company. This is great in that it gives employees to voice their opinion about the way things should be going and suggest any ideas for improvements (Stuart, 2013). To recognize the best employees, Apple created the Apple Fellows program, awarding individuals who made extraordinary technical or leadership contributions to personal computing while at the company. I love this about apple this shows that they really appreciate their employees. When a company show they love their employees the employees will tend to work harder. Apple is also known for strictly enforcing accountability. Each project has a directly responsible individual. This means that if something was to go wrong they would know the person that they would need to go to directly. Apple has a great social and ethical responsibility within their company. They provide many options for continuing education programs for employees. Apple Inc. is one of the most valuable companies around the world. This is incredibly profitable corporation but socially responsible one. It has proved to be the good companies and have done a good job with social and ethical responsibilities by continuously focus on violating the child labor, toxic conditions and other conditions of their code of ethics. The company focuses on good working conditions, adoption of environmental friendly manufacturing  process. The company also supports Product Red Campaign by contributing its revenue to fight against malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS (Wozniak, 2007). The company operates in full compliance of rules, regulations and laws of the country in which it is operating. Following are many examples which can prove that the company has met all its responsibilities. The company has stopped the use of underage labor in 10 manufacturing places in China including Foxconn. The company has eliminated bribery in one and dangerous working conditions in two facilities thus adhering to its policies and procedures in a se nse. The company has well laid down policy for hiring, training and workers safety and it makes sure that the policy is completely followed by the suppliers if they want to establish the business relations with the company. In the year 2010, the company has terminated its business with three suppliers, where management was not able to show its commitment to the supplier’s policies of Apple. Some of the methods Apple can utilize to ensure that the suppliers adhere to wage and benefit standards are as follows. The company can undergo compliance monitoring program announced and unannounced at the supplier end. Meaning they can come in at any time to make sure the company is complying with apples rules. It may include factory audits, cross checking the reports, corrective action plans and verification measures for ensuring the compliance of the code of conduct. The supplier needs to uphold the rights of the workers and has to establish the discrimination free work place. There are a lot of companies where workplace discrimination happens and people don’t know about. This is great that apple keeps tabs on the suppliers to make sure they are adhering to the rules. The suppliers are not expected to harm workers verbally or orally and they need to be treated with respect and dignity. I feel that Apple doesn’t need to do anything else that have met the responsibility to make sure that apple employees are being treated fairly. According to apples publications and responsibilities there have been few violations from the supplier companies. Based on my research the violation that they have had they were able to catch early on, before they get outta hand. Not saying that apple is perfect they have had some violation but they are able to catch them before it’s too late. Apple employs about 36,000 full-time people at its more than 350 retail stores around the globe. About two thirds of the stores are in the U.S. Apple Store workers are typically  paid about $9 to $15 an hour at the sales level, and up to about $30 an hour at its Genius tech support teams. Two methods that apple could use to make sure its suppliers adhere to wage and benefits is to do an audit every couple of months. This would ensure that all of the employees are getting paid what they are supposed to be paid. During this audit they will be able to catch any mistakes in pay that are going on. Another tool that they could use to insure that wages are being paid correctly, is to keep an open relationship with the employees. Telling the employees to let apple know if anything is going wrong, so they can correct is immediately. I do believe that apple customers would be willing to pay more, apple is a great product that they stand behind. It has long lasting quality. If apple had to increase the price point to give employees a raise consumers would be willing to do that. If it wasn’t for the workers there would be no ap ple products. I definitely think they should raise the price on iPhones and iPads they are the major two products that apple sells. People will pay any price for those two items because they are the most widely used. Apple uses a 3 point marketing philosophy thirty-five years after they adopted this it still works for today. This philosophy remains at the core of what makes Apple so effective at creating and profiting from loyal customers. Apple’s original three points Empathy: We will truly understand their [customer] needs better than any other company. Focus In order to do a good job of the things we decide to do, we must eliminate all of the unimportant opportunities. Impute People DO judge a book by its cover. We may have the best product, the highest quality, the most useful software, etc if we present them in a slipshod manner, they will be perceived as slipshod; if we present them in a creative, professional manner, we will impute the desired qualities. Apple has used these principles to become the world’s most valuable company measured by market capitalization and one of world’s most valuable brands. Here are ten strategies Apple has used to become one of the world’s greatest marketers (Weyhrich, 2002). I think one thing that apple could do to help improve their marketing strategy would be to improve their products with the features that people like. As an iPhone user myself I would love to see a larger screen. If apple would use a larger screen it would make the phones more completive with some of the Android phones. I also think apple should lower the price point on their  higher end electronics like the iPad and mac book, people really love those items but many people can’t afford those items. Apple also uses a good marketing tool call The Exclusivity Technique is typically executed with relative success by businesses giving a select subset of customers a special deal on goods or services. For examp le some companies make certain offers exclusively available to existing customers or Facebook fans. This is the Exclusivity Technique at its most basic form. The exclusivity technique works by making the eligible subset of customers feel special. This creates a better customer business relationship and is proven to increase brand loyalty. Apple have taken this technique and put their own spin on it to develop what has been one of the most successful, and probably low-cost marketing techniques of all time .Instead of making a special offer exclusive, Apple made their entire iPhone product range exclusive. The cherry on top for Apple is that they orchestrated the Exclusivity Technique to make their mobile phone the world most popular, despite it supposedly being exclusive. This is a great technique in that customers love to feel special, by apple making them feel special that makes customers really want to keep using their products. I know me as a customer I love to feel special when I’m buying a product from a business and they make me feel special. I would be more willing to buy products from that company more often. Reference Page Cantrell, Amanda. Apple’s remarkable comeback story, CNN, March 29, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2007. Fisher, Anne (March 17, 2008). â€Å"America’s Most Admired Companies†.Fortune 157 (5): 65–67. Stuart Elliot (September 29, 2013). â€Å"Apple Passes Coca-Cola as Most Valuable Brand†. The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2013. Wozniak, Stephen. â€Å"Homebrew and How the Apple Came to Be†, Digital Deli. Retrieved March 2, 2007. Steven Weyhrich (April 21, 2002). â€Å"Apple II History Chapter 4†. Retrieved August 18, 2008.

A Comparison between British and Indian Political Party Systems Essay

It is a cardinal truth that party system has now become an inseparable part of the political tradition of any country. But due to the differences in perception, values, outlook, beliefs, culture, party system varies from country to country. Thus, some countries are dominated by a single party, some others have developed a two-party system, but still others have evolved a multi-party one. Of course a comparison between India and Britain will make the issue crystal clear. India had been under the British rule of nearly two centuries and, hence, it was legitimately expected that they would have some basic similarities in political system and structure. But, as a matter of fact, their political system has engendered queer dissimilarities in practical politics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, British tradition has taught the politicians the value of tolerance and cooperation. So the Opposition agrees that the Government, due to its majority support, rules the nation and the Government, in its turn, admit that the Opposition has the inherent right to criticize it. This inter-play between the Government and the Opposition is the life-blood of the British politics. â€Å"If the Opposition constantly obstructed and the Government consistently voted it down, the dictatorship of the majority would soon be established† (Jennings, 88). In this sense, he writes that the Opposition is an essential part of the political system. Sir William Harcourt had, however, pointed out that â€Å"The function of the Opposition is to oppose the Government† (p. 78). But Sir Jennings has aptly shown the folly of such contention. According to him, the real function of the opposition is to oppose the wrong policy of the Government and to support its beneficial actions. This is why often the Prime Minister and the opposition leader meet together and discuss the matters of public importance. They even try to formulate common policy and draft the Bills on the basis of an agreement. In this connection, Sir Jennings observes, â€Å"Many proposals of the Government are not opposed, because there is general agreement† (p. 89). During two World Wars, two major parties sunk their differences and worked together through the War-Cabinet. Even during the peace time, they come nearer in order to fight out national crisis. Thus, when in 1931, the Labor Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, â€Å"†¦intended to resign due to a split in his party, the cabinet was saved by the Conservative Party which joined it in order to avert a constitutional crisis (Majumder, p. 375). This ‘National Government’ functioned till 1936 without any internal crisis and it clearly indicates that the political culture of Britain has taught the leaders to unite together during any national crisis. Sometimes, the point of view of two different political parties was opposite. But the Prime Minister allowed the Conservative Ministers to express their own view. This is known as ‘Agreement to Differ’.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But political system in India is quite different. The Government hardly listens to the Opposition and the later, in its turn, is never friendly to it. While the former depends upon it brute majority, the later is depended upon a policy of obstruction. The discussions in the Parliament, thus, often become a â€Å"worse than a primary-school debate† (Sikri, p. 184). The opposition leaders are sometimes arrested or abused or humiliated in an unseemly manner. In fact, politics of power in India has thrown the Government and the opposition to two hostile camps and nothing seems to be unjust in such tussle. For example, in 1999, the Central Government was ousted by one vote in an ugly manner. But the parties in the opposition which united together in order to topple the Cabinet, could not tie up for forming a new one. Similarly, the Central Government of every political color has lavishly used Art 356 of the constitution with a view to dismissing the state governments formed by the opponents. Thus, between 1950 and 1996, such President’s Rule was promulgated 93 times for political reasons (Source: Lok-Sabha Secretariat, India). In this sense, it can be held that the central weapon has been more abused than used. In other words, a constitutional, lacuna has often been exploited by the power mongers at the Center in order to let the opponents down. Secondly, the British political system has also convinced the leaders to give more importance to public service than to party interest or personal gains. Thus, in 1923, Bonar Law, the Prime Minister, resigned on grounds of health. But in India, the leaders are more concerned with power – they are prepared to retain or snatch it by means, foul or fair. If they can capture power, they try to stick to it till death or defeat. It is to be remembered that in 1834, Lord Melbourne, the British Prime Minister suffered a setback due to a split in his party. He then asked the King, William IV, whether or not he would remain in his office. Acting upon the royal advice, he actually stepped down. But in India, neither a Prime Minister nor a Chief Minister quits his office in this way. It too suggests that political system in India is quite different. Thirdly, Britain has a two-party system. However, Ogg admits that, â€Å"†¦besides the Conservative party and the Labor Party, there are also the Liberals† (p. 552). But, in fact, the liberals faded out during the nineteen thirties. But, in India is a multi-party system. In 1991, 445 parties registered their names with the Election Commission. True that, at the beginning, the Congress dominated the political scene and, consequently G. Austin held that, â€Å"The Congress was India and India was the Congress† (p. 8). Truly, India had â€Å"one-dominant party-system† (Morris-Jones, p. 174). But gradually, various parties based on religion, region, localism, language, caste, creed and personal ambition came up in rapid progress. In fact, the â€Å"†¦diversities of population have now created a pluralistic society and this mushroom growth of political parties has affected Indian unity in an alarming way† (Rout, p. 200). Fourthly, it is true that on occasions, the British leaders like Robert Peel, J. Chamberlain and W. Churchill defected from their party. But such defection was motivated by lofty idealism and not by personal ambition and party integrity. But in India, defection has become a highly profitable business. Between March and April of 1969 as many as 550 legislators crossed the floor and as some of them did it on several occasions, the number of such defection finally reached to more than one thousand. Some of them even changed their loyalties from times within a month. So Dr. Kashyap has rightly observed that such â€Å"large-scale defection has often resulted in the ups and downs of the Cabinets† (p. 6). Sixthly, while public involvement in the election in Britain has made it a popular democracy, India is, in this respect, lagging far behind. In Britain, 80-90 percent people cast their votes, because they know that voting is the basis of indirect democracy. But political system in India is pathetically otherwise. In 1984, the percentage of popular participation in election in India rose to 64, but normally it remains below 62 and in 1962, it came down to 55 percent. Moreover, this percentage is based upon huge number of false votes. â€Å"While British polls reflect honesty and purity of purpose, elections in India have become a costly furze. Capturing of booths, use of armed criminals and dacoits, manipulation in the voter-list, looting of ballot papers and so on have become essential parts of election† (Kapur, p. 425). Seventhly, India has also failed to accept the idea of neutral speaker-ship which is an important aspect of British political tradition. â€Å"He is, as near as a human being can be, impartial† (Finer, p. 475). So, as soon as he takes the chair, he cuts off all relationships with his party and acts as the non-partisan chairman of the House of Commons. But, the speakers in India remain party-men and they often give their rulings in their political interests. So, Dr. Dash has rightly remarked, â€Å"We have not been able to reach the standard of aloofness prevailing in this matter in England† (Dash, p. 262). Last, but not the least, the British political system does not, by any means, admit corruption or turpitude on the part of Ministers or Leaders. Strong public opinion has always condemned such affairs and, on occasions, Mr. Profumo and Mr. Parkinson have to resign from the Cabinet. But in India, a person with nearly a dozen criminal charges can be and remain in the Cabinet. Most strangely, even the people of the country do not bother much with such ugly affairs. Party, Government and the People In modern times, the party system is an essential part of political life. However, in the dictatorial system, a particular political party monopolizes all political power, because it is essentially a one-party rule (Neumann, p. 244).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But, in a democratic system like India and Britain, the government is formed by the people and it is keyed to public opinion. So, the political parties keep up a link between the government and the electorate. In fact, they keep the national life politically (Agarwal, p. 386). Democracy means the rule of the people and as they are guided by the political parties, political life veers around the party system. â€Å"It is the electorate who determines the form of Government and chooses who guide and dictate its affairs† (Garner, p. 495)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But in realistic considerations, people hardly become unanimous – there are conflicting ideas and interests. â€Å"It happens, as in the case of the slavery question in the United States or the Free-trade problem in England, that some paramount issues divide the community† (Leacock, p. 313). Different political parties mould the opinion of different groups and the elections are actually fought on the basis of such issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But ultimately, the bi-party system is far better than the multi party system in linking up the government and the people. In a multi party structure, people’s votes are divided among different political parties, and thus, often popular opinion is hardly reflected in the formation of the government. Often coalition governments come up without the popular intention. But in a bi-party system, the people choose either of the two parties and, hence, the election brings out a better coordination between the party and the Government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From this analysis, it would perhaps be amply clear that at least in a democracy, political life is determined by the party system. Particularly, a bi-party system like that of England creates a close link between the people and the government. References Austin, G. The Indian Constitution, World Press, New Delhi, 1978, p. 8 Agarwal, R.G. Political Theory, S. Chandra Books, Allahabad, 1996, p. 386 Dash, S.C. The Constitution of India, Modern Books, Mumbai, 1984, p. 262 Finer, H. Theory and Practice of Modern Government, Royal Press, New Delhi, 1976, p. 475 Garner, J.W. Political Science and Government, World Press, New Delhi, 1991, p. 495 Jennings, I. The Queen’s Government, Pelican Books, London, 1964, p. 88 Jennings, I. ibid, pp. 88-89 Kapur, A.C. The Indian Political System, New Press Hall, New Delhi, 11th ed. p. 425 Kashyap, S.C. Politics of Defection, Old House Publishers, Chennai, 1979, p. 6 Leacock, S. Elements of Political Science, Constable & Co. London, 1939, p. 313 Majumder, B.B. Rise and Development of the English Constitution, Book Land, Calcutta, 1968, p. 375 Morris-Jones, W.H. Government and Politics in India, Prince Town Publications, Calcutta, 1978, p. 172 Ogg, A. English Government and Politics, The MacMillan Company, London, 1929, p. 552 Rout, B.C. Democratic Constitution of India, New Book Hall, New Delhi, 1979, p. 200 Sikri, S.L. Indian Government and Politics, Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana, 1963, p. 184 The President’s Rule in the States and Union Territories, Lok Sabha Secretariat, Vol. 1, Issue 4, March 1993.