Internet

Introduction

SnowSports Interactive was founded by Steve Kenny as the CEO, Michael Brett as Vice-President for Engineering, and Shubber Ali as Chairman on May 2005 at Brisbane, Australia.  The main concept of the company is to provide tracking and Internet services to skiers and snowboarders using Global Positioning System (GPS) and 802.11 wireless technologies that would provide the skier’s or snowboarder’s location and actual information for speed, runs and distance.  The company is a member of I.Lab, Queensland’s State-wide Technology Incubation Strategy which allows the company to work with the most brilliant people in the country. Later on, the company recruited more competitive executives with vast technical business skills and experiences.

 The company was originally funded by Steve Kenny, Shubber Ali and their friends, families and some investors who were willing to take the risk.  In 2006, the company was positioned in 1$1.5 million mark at $3.50 a share while facing a drawback on funding and capitalizing on global expansion.  It was a golden opportunity for the company since there was a scarcity of ski tracking companies which lead to the recruitment of Mike Wallas, CEO of Enterprise Growth Solutions, who was expected to stabilize the investors of the company.  Government fundings through COMET (Commercializing Emerging Technologies),  Commercial Ready  QLD Innovation Start-up Scheme, and the Federal Government’s Export Market Development Grant were secured by the company to somewhat sustain the need for financing.

  Steve Kenny led the company in promoting its tracking technology and wireless Internet in system in ski resorts. In March 31, 2006, the company signed an agreement with  Buller Ski Lifts Pty Ltd and Mt. Buller ; Mt. Stirling Alpine Resort Management Board Pty Ltd to provide wireless Internet connection to the ski customers in the resort which was called “whispar”.  The agreement required the company to set up its own office in the resort to monitor the operations and after a month, an increase in the usage of Internet was noticed.

The company aims to intensify skiing and snowboarding experience of people around the world so they developed innovative product which integrated GPS, Wi-Fi, RFID technologies with tracking and analysis software.  They introduced their base product,  the Flaik, a small-sized arm band powered by Global Positioning System (GPS) that can record the position and time of the users and transmit the information to a network. The Flaik can be appealing to ski and snowboarding customers because it can keep performance statistics for comparison. It offers convenience because of its tracking characteristic.

 SnowSports experiences difficulties in finding investors for their global start up because of the complexity of the business nature they have.  They know that they have to package their business offer entrancingly in order to attract investors.  In their quest to expand globally, they tentatively decided to raise their capital needs through partnerships with ski resorts in other countries.  The partnership will be set up as a limited liability company comprised of SnowSports employees and the local team. Each SnowSport ski resort partner, the company offers two options for the infrastructure; lease or purchase of the license and services.

Complementary services are attached with the service like upselling of performance statistics, wireless Internet access or whispar and rental of the devices for the non-members which can generate more revenue.  SnowSports people are keen on innovating their products through research and development in order to maintain their competitive adage.  Patents, copyrights and their trade secrets will help in protecting their intellectual property.  However, the company is aware of their disadvantages as compared to other companies which include limited track record, forecasted losses,  intellectual property, national and international regulations, specific country laws, dependence on third party suppliers, schedule delays, seasonal market fluctuations, and competition and this dilemma is being addressed by the company by coming up with contingency plans and actions.

  The Snow Sports industry was vast.  Its success is dependent on factors like the environmental conditions of each country.  Moreover, as the technology grows, innovations on sports are also on the way.  Companies formulated and manufactured different kinds of items to satisfy the growing needs which open the gates of opportunities.  There are several competitors like NASTAR, Slope Tracker, Suunto, and NAVMAN who offer similar products but SnowSports can differentiate itself by providing low-cost and user-friendly service.

Opportunities are numerous specifically in North America where 493 ski resorts exist with a total annual revenue of  USD $2 billion and Canada where 244 ski areas operated in Ontario alone.The challenge for the SnowSports executives is how to device an effective global start up plan that would attract investors.  Another crucial point is what type of global strategy will they adapt and where will they implement it.

Analysis

SnowSports is going through the process of birth pains and in this phase, it is a “make it or break it” scenario so to start up their global expansion, effective business strategies and model should be followed religiously.  Financially, the company is not capable of expanding on its own and forming partnerships with ski resorts is the best way to expand.  Tactical alliance can be built by the company and a ski resort partner where in the business venture will mutually benefit both parties in terms of cost and revenue.  However, negotiations should be polished in order to ensure that the partnership will perform. The outcome of a negotiation should be a win-win situation for both parties.  The company should also study to the culture of the country where they will set up partnerships in order to prevent communication conflicts that might hinder partnerships to be formed.  Moreover, cultures differ in each location and an in depth study on the cultural models and distinct management styles of each location can stipulate better strategies and models to adopt.

In terms of determining market targets, the company’s aim to provide differentiated service to its customer at low cost may not help in increasing their revenue. Since they have competitive advantage among their competitors in terms of quality and features of the product, a better pricing strategy like differentiation where customers pay higher premium for higher quality can be implemented.  This would boost their sales and revenues.

When it comes to global strategy or model, the transnational strategy is more appropriate for the company since it is more cost efficient while providing emphasis on the unique needs and cultures of each market.  It is more flexible because the company can set the limits for each nation.  However, this is a bit complicated and hard to implement but with good relationship with a ski resort partner, it would be easier than it should be.

Opportunities are vast for SnowSports in Canada and US and the good about it is the fact that Australians, Canadians and North Americans are very similar when it comes to culture. They all have informal cultures and this would be another advantage in forming alliances and partnerships.  Putting up relationship with Japan would be a bit risky because of the language and culture barrier that would somehow increase the cost for such expansion.

Conclusion

I therefore recommend that SnowSport’s global start up should take-off with international alliances with ski resorts since there is a scarcity in funding for such expansion. A study on the culture and management style of each location will help in generally getting a bird’s eye view of the partner’s norms and practices that would help in negotiation and forming alliances.  The pricing strategy that should be implemented by the company is the differentiation strategy that would emphasize the competitive advantage of their product.  This can also be a form of launching their brand and their image.  Moreover, this will help in increasing their revenue and sales thereby making funds available for more expansion and research and development of products.  A transnational form of business strategy will help them in forming alliances globally.  This is cost-effective and more needs-focused. US is the best way to start off a global expansion with all the opportunities and few number of competitors.  Lastly, the company should also give ample attention to protecting their intellectual properties via patents and copyrights in all countries where they will operate.

The furniture industry is a very lucrative business that ps domestic and international markets. With that fact in mind, it goes without saying that different channels of distribution exist with regards to delivery of furniture from manufacturer to consumer. Furniture manufacturers who target the domestic market segment have three (3) major marketing distribution channels: (1 ) Through online shopping portals, (2) through public showrooms in malls, and (3) through prouder by catalogue. Online shopping portals.

With the rise of the digital age, the use of the net is to just limited to advertisements, but has transcended to become a means of direct shopping via the Internet. Online shopping portals like Amazon . Com, Testamentary. Com, and Alabama. Com are just some of the mediums widely used by consumers to buy an assortment of products suitable to their needs. The success of online shopping portals can be attributed primarily to its wide reach of consumers and its ease of access-?one click away as long as internet is available.

However, this also means that a lot of choices are available for consumers to choose from prompting companies to always try to innovate ND improve on product designs and concept. Also, customer feedback and satisfaction is difficult to track. Internet traffic and thousands of mail per day are difficult are problems to be addressed. Public showrooms in malls and buildings. Public showrooms are one of the most known venues for selling furniture.

It is very effective for selling because it exhibits the products in actual with tasteful arrangements while you sell. Customers are able to see for themselves the quality of the product and be active in choosing process before buying. However, public showrooms tap sees consumers than online shopping portals. This goes without saying that people in the immediate area are the primary consumers of the furniture. Prouder via Catalogues.

Some companies use catalogues in selling their products wherein consumer choose a product of their choice and place an order by giving the item name of what they are going to buy. It is then delivered to them after a time at their doorstep.

Brief:

In this project, I have been asked to show the development of two countries. The information was researched from books, resources, internet etc.

Method:

The two countries that I have chosen to write about Is Canada and Kenya. I have chosen Canada because of its interesting facts and the fact that it is a developed country. The other country I have chosen is Kenya, I choose this because it is a developing country and I wanted to see the similarities and differences between them. I also wanted to choose Kenya because of its interesting features and cultures.

There many factors to focus on, in this project so I will both show my findings and research in forms of tables, pie charts, bar charts.

TABLE OF FINDINGS

I have researched my two countries using the internet. I then printed this information out to show that I have done my research. To make life much simpler, I collect the necessary parts of the research, and complied this into one easy to read “Table of Findings”

The 12 Factors

As you can see, I have chosen 12 factors to compare the two countries:

I have chosen Roadways, Railways and Airports because I wanted to see the transport difference. I was hoping this would then show the huge difference of how developed one country is and how underdeveloped the other is. A MEDC would have a high number of transport facilities because of their wealth. A LEDC would have a small amount of transport facilities. The effect of not having these transport facilities could mean that they could be losing valuable money. This is because when they have the produce e.g. food, products. There is no way in which they can transport it to other parts of the world. This is shown as Canada has 1.042,300 km of roadways, whereas Kenya has only 63,547 km of Roadway. Meaning Canada has a superior development over Kenya.

I chose Internet users, Telephone Mobile Cellular and Internet host because of it interesting fact and figures. I was hoping this information/research would show how modern the country is with new electronic gadgets. I think that, it would be recommended that a country have a high technologic wealth, because the 21st century is all gadgets and tech. A MEDC would have a high number of communications and gadgets because they can afford to have telephone lines and other sources of power.

Whereas a LEDC has a much lower number simply because the wealth is not there and they cannot afford to have the sources of power e.g. Telephone exchanges and telephone lines. In the table, you can Cleary see that Canada has far more internet users, having over 25,000mill. Whereas the developing country Kenya, only has 3.36mill. As Canada has the higher number of users, they are able to trade with overseas businesses, and increase their economy rate. Kenya has a select minority of Users meaning there are only some people trading with overseas countries. Meaning that economy rate could be much higher, if only they were able to boost the amount of trade happening around the world.

I have chosen Oil Consumptions, Exports, GDP per Capita because I was hoping it would show the wealth of each of my country. As I have information about their trading and the county’s average pay. The MEDC’s in the world have a high economy rate because of its power and trading. Although Kenya trade with other countries it still has a lower rate proving it is a LEDC.

I have chosen Birth rate, Literacy, and Infant Mortality because:

Birth rate:

This should show how developed the country is because the lower the Birth rate the more developed the country is. This is because a higher birth rate means a higher population. This creates other critical issues, to do with accommodation and the country’s wealth. However the lower this outcome is the better because most of these issues are evaded and therefore a more powerful and wealthy nation.

Literacy:

As shown in the “Table of Findings” the Literacy rate for Canada is very high meaning that there educational system has been effective. This also mean that higher salary earnings for new qualified employed of the future. This in turn would boost the GDP per Capita because the higher earnings would increase the average. However, for Kenya it is much different story because there Literacy rate. They only have 90.60% male, and a 79.97% female literacy rate, which means that; there education system is only applied to a selected minority (only the rich.) A MEDC would have a very high percentage because they are able to fund schools and other resources to educate students and adults. An LEDC has minimum funds for education, so it’s GDP and economy rate would be lower.

Infant Mortality:

Infant mortality rate is the number of newborns under the age of five, divided by the number of live births during the year.

As you can see from the information produced, Canada has a very low Infant Mortality Rate. This is very good statistics because they have more live birth than death. As a MEDC, these statistics indicate that the health care system is of high standards. They are clean, hygienic and have high success rate. Kenya however has a very high Infant Mortality rate. Meaning that they have an unsuccessful birth rate and a very high child death rate, This LEDC has very poor health standard for hospitals. The rich may have private doctors for their own use, but for the large population, Hospital health care is unhygienic and unfunded. This means that they have a very low success rate.

My graph shows me that Canada has a high bar meaning that it has a very high GDP per Capita. However, Kenya has a low bar meaning that it has a very poor GDP per Capita rate.

This means that on average the salary in Kenya is only 1,600 per person, for an economy to grow this number needs to increase. This is caused by dangerous, underpaid jobs, which decrease the rate of GDP per Capita. Therefore, this indicates me that Kenya is less developed whereas Canada id much more developed. The effect of this are- economy won’t increase, meaning it will be harder for them to develop.

This information researched over on the internet was quite surprising for Kenya. I was expecting the Exports rate for it to be much higher as they are trading with foreign countries, with food and products. This means it is less developed. I think I have also chosen good countries to write about, because one is very underdeveloped and the other has a huge difference than Kenya.

As you can see from this bar chart, you can immediately see that Canada has a bigger bar chart. So what does this mean? This means that, Canada has 5.221 million more telephone receivers than Kenya. Thus, Kenya has less than Canada. The effect of this are that they less communication with other countries, and less trading.

This graph is showing the amount of internet users there are in Kenya and Canada. As you can clearly see, Canada has far more users than Kenya. This advantage can be very useful in the 21st century, because most people interact using social networking sites, and this can have a damaging effect on the countries that do not have many users. This is because business happens on the internet, and products, which Kenya make and grow, can be bought over the internet, but not having many users means they are losing lots of money.

Measuring Development

This table shows a comparison of the two countries. It ranks each country by the factors chosen, the better the number for each factor, it is ranked as 1. If it is worse than it is ranked 2. It can be ranked by how ever many country’s you write about. In this case, it is only 2 countries, but in other tables, it can be 5 etc. Therefore, the rank for 5 countries is added up and the lower the numbers are the most developed. However, the higher the number the less developed it is.

Conclusion

Now that I have finished my project, I have analysed all my data and have concluded that Kenya is far more underdeveloped/developing than Canada. This is because they are not branching out amongst other countries through the internet and other communication. This can be shown it the “Internet Users Pie Chart” it clearly shows the small minority of people using the internet.

From all my data and analysis, I can confidently say Canada is a MEDC. Whereas, Kenya is an LEDC. This is shown by the pie charts I have done. The Exports Bar chart has clearly shown that Canada has far more export income than Kenya, in fact more than most countries. This is because of its communication with other countries and nation. This is again referring to the amount of Internet users, each country has to trade. Kenya is of course a developing country, it has a high Birth rate, and a high Infant Mortality.

However, Kenya can change. There are key points, for them to become developed.

* Equal Societies- There are different tribes and cultures within Kenya, and if they are to become equal to an equal society, it would save money with no more fighting. (Buildings from fighting won’t have too be restored)

* Freedom from Poverty- Poverty is almost like an accessory in Kenya. It won’t go away until they act on it. They need support from other Nations and countries (through communication) to bring down the rate of deaths from this killer.

Evaluation

How could I of improved my project?

I have had many lessons for this project. Unfortunately, I did not finish within the lessons, and so I had to do it as homework. I think I need the extra homework extension, because I did not manage my time wisely. Otherwise, I would have finished it within the time bracket. I think that I could have presented my work neater on paper, as I had to type it up on the computer.

More/different factors?

I think that I should have picked more factors to do with population. This is because I only have information about Birth rate, and not Death rate or Life Expectancy. I think telephone mobile cellular was inappropriate because I did not know what it was.

Presentation of Data?

I think that I should have presented some of the data in a population pyramid. This is an easier way of telling whether it is developed on not, because of it shape.

Inaccurate or surprising factors?

I did not find any inaccurate date, because I used up to date figures for my project. I was very surprised with some of the factors to do with Kenya. Exports were very surprising because I would have expected this to be quite high. They normally trade food product with many countries and given this information, I was expecting it to be high.

According to Buchanan and Badham (1999) ‘Change Management’ is a political turf game. Critically discuss this claim and illustrate the key features of your discussion using examples of organizational change from recent New Zealand corporate and public sector history (use publicly available sources). Introduction Organizations are neither the rational, harmonious entities celebrated in managerial theory nor the arenas of apocalyptic class conflict projected by Marxists (Bacharach&Lawler, 1980). Hardy and Clegg (1996) believe that modern organizations passed by the guild structures and as organizations grew larger, skills become increasingly fragmented and specialized and positions become more functionally differentiated.

Organizational change is part of and a result of struggles between contradictory forces, also change management practice is related with endeavoring to manage their competing demands (Prichard, 2002). To understand why and how to change organizations, it is first necessary to understand their structures, management and behaviour. As Mintzberg and Quinn (1991,xii.cited in Burnes, 1996) has observed: Whether we realize it or not, our behaviour is guided by the systems of ideas that we have internalized over the years. Much can be learned by bringing these out into the open, examining them more carefully, and comparing them with alternative ways to view the world- including ones based on systematic study.

These ‘systems of ideas’, or organizational theories are crucial to change management in two respects. First, they provide models of how organization should be structured and managed. Second, they provide guidelines for judging and prescribing the behaviour and effectiveness of individuals and groups in an organization. It is clear that in many organizations there is no clear understanding if the theories. Change cannot hope to be fully successful under circumstances (Burnes, 1996). An understanding of organizational politics requires an analysis of power, politics and organizational change.

Power, politics and organizational change Power has been defined by Weber (1978) as the ability to get others to do what you want them to do, even if this is against their will, or to get them to do something they otherwise would not (Dahl, 1957). Power is embedded in everyday life, it is much more than negation and repression of the actions of others. ‘Rather than A getting B to do something B would not otherwise do, social relations of power typically involve both A and B doing what they ordinary do’ (Isaac, 1987). Power is the capacity to influence decisions while politics is the actual process of exerting this influence.

Organizational politics is the management if influence to obtain ends not sanctioned by the organization or to obtain ends through non-sanctioned influence means (Bacharach, 1981). Power and politics both relate to pursuit of self-interest and overcoming the resistance of others. Organizational politics is power in action in organizations, it is emerging in activities to get one’s way in an organizational setting. Power, politics and change are inextricable linked. Uncertainty and ambiguity are created by change. The more uncertainty and ambiguity are setting, the more scope of creative input (Buchanan;Badham1999)

Turf game

Many writers refer to organizational politics as games. Pfeffer (1981), in his major work on power in organizations, took a view that decisions in organizations are the result of games among Players with different perceptions and interests. Mintaberg (1983) listed 13 political games that are common on organizations, the key ones being: games to resist authority, games to counter resistance, games to build power bases, games to defeat rivals and games to change the organization. Buchanan;Badham (1999) viewed organizational politics as a game in which the players complete for different kinds of territory-for turf.

Turf usually combines not only areas of influence and power, but also status and reputation in society. Turf is often related with use power to control territory or resources, such as company, people and money. Where there are scarce resources in organizations, the psychology of scarcity and comparison take over. In such situations, possession of resources becomes the focus for comparisons, the basis for self-esteem and, ultimately, the source of power (Zaleznik, 1970).

Turf game can be viewed individuals and groups using political strategies and tactics to defend and extend their turf. Individuals struggle to enlarge their personal turf; groups struggle to protect their collective turf. It might be comforting to believe that individuals and groups within organizations are supportive for each other. Both individuals and groups pursue courses of action to promote their interests, regardless of the organization’s formal goals and objectives (Morgan, 1986).

Winning the turf game

In order to look at how to win the turf game, firstly, we should focus on political behaviour. Buchanan&Badham (1999) viewed political behaviour is based on personal ambition, organizational structures that create roles and departments which compete with each other, and in primary decisions which cannot be resolved by reason and logic alone but which rely on the values and preferences of the key actors involved. Conflict is viewed as a critical condition leading to power and political behavior. The sources of conflict are competition for scarce territory-for turf and conflict over incompatible goals. In the same way that conflict can be either constructive or damaging. Secondly, looking at change agent. Change agent can be defined someone who want to use ‘will and skill’ to engage in the political organizational change.

Change agent is a skilled political activist, who could support information sharing, joint problem solving and collaborative action planning among a political organizational change. Both internal and external change agent play a lot of distinct characters in enjoying the political change or winning the turf game. In additional, using the appropriate strategies and tactics is meaningful in organizational changes. Minzberg (1987, cited in hall et al.1999) has maintained that there cannot be a single definition of strategy. He argued that strategy is a concept pning at least five dimensions: plan, ploy, pattern, position and perspective.

Buchanan&Badham (1999) made a table of ordinary tactics in organizational change, which are image building, selective information, scapegoating, compromise and rule manipulation. ‘Winning the organization games is about overcoming the barriers, human and organizational, to gaining power in the organization with the minimum of effort and the maximum rewards.'(Von Zugbach, 1995, pp.1-2)

Case analysis: Shuguang Chemical Factory( Background Shuguang Chemical Factory, a sulfate chemical company, was founded in 1979. In recent years, it becomes the professional manufacturer of sulfate, food, and medicine series chemical products. By the 1980s and early 1990s, it was a state-owned enterprise. Usually state-owned enterprises (SOEs)( in China offered a generous package of wages and social protection, pensions, heavily subsidized housing, medical coverage, childcare, food, and recreational facilities (Richard, 1996). In 1992, a boom year, output grew 13 percent, and yet two-thirds of Chinese SOEs were loss-makers.

Managers had little incentive to resist wage demands because their future promotion to larger SOEs is determined in part by increases in worker welfare during their tenure. Employees were not eager to work efficiently and did not try to develop new ways to produce more products, because of the recession of SOEs (Jeffrey& Woo, 1999) In November 1993, for the first time, the party identified ambiguous property rights as an important cause of the inefficiency of the state enterprise sector, and decided that large and medium-size state-owned enterprises should experiment with the corporate system, and that some small state-owned enterprises could be contracted out or leased; other SOEs shifted to the partnership system in the form of stock sharing, or were sold to collectives and individuals. In 1994, my father Zhou Mingxiong bought that factory.

The technological changes that the company has adopted in the past have helped it expand its operations and gain a better market share from its competitors. Compared to other companies that started to adopt the new technologies in recent years, Vodafone has gone far and that it is having a better market potential in comparison to its competitors Vodafone has strived to grow in its business as the worlds leading telecommunications and mobile network company.

Its main goal states that it endeavours to maintain a strong but conservative financial position through the implementation of new marketing strategies. With careful management of its net working capital, the company intends to strike a good financial objective in the near future and one of them is the new joint venture with the other companies (Richard, 2007). Through research and development, this company has developed new innovations in the past making it a global prowess.

Currently the company holds to its name a whooping 3,000 patents including numerous licensing agreements around the world making the most innovative company of the century. It was estimated by an annual world report that, the company in technology and innovation is ranked among the top ten companies in the world, the best in UK and second in Europe. This has put the company in one of the strategic positions to out-compete its competitors in the mobile network such as China Mobile Company (Vodafone, 2008).

The strategic and policy planning which has been adopted with reference to technological changes in the industry has incorporated the following issues; identification processes, responsibilities and products for web development and other forms of mobile communication. The company’s policy on laws and regulations has also been severely affected by legal suits that have brought the company to a lower level. Some information informative policies have not met the required strategic awareness to all the staff members and other employees in the industry.

Other policies that touch on security concerns involve copyright intellectual property which will make sure that users are restricted and know their boundaries. To implement all these policies, several additional technological advances need to be put in place first with a view to meet the policy requirements of the company (Grant, 2005). General Strategies to Vodafone’s Board of Directors New product development especially when it comes to adopting new technologies is one of the areas that need to be improved. The internet is one of the tools that are needed to be incorporated in its marketing technology.

Today, the internet has become one of the necessities that a company must utilize very much in order to meet the global market. Vodafone can in the future provide ads that could be possible to make its customers access them through the internet. The consumers of the products and services that are provided by the company can be able to download very larger materials through the internet; this is because at the moment, it can only allow simple messaging and limited downloads making it a disadvantage (Uhlenbruck, 2004). The company can also improve on its leadership structure.

It is now time to have manager and leaders to be technologically oriented with what is happening in the industry. The current crop of leaders in this company is management oriented and thus the combination of the two approaches will ensure that the company propels further. The company’s strategy that is required to meet the core principles of the objectives is to fully exploit the mobile industry market through the potential technology it currently offers (Blaszejewski and Dorow, 2003). Market and customer operations have for a long time supported the various business groups available in the company.

The other horizontal entity that has provided enough support for the business groups is the new technology platforms created to allow for the management and driving force for Vodafone products and services. These are some of the strategies that the company can implement to meet the technological challenges for the future. The company has in to develop business models, marketing strategies and new innovations in the telecommunication and network operation sector serve its consumers to the fullest and satisfactorily (Foster and Harris, 2005).

In order to implement new technologies, the company needs to extensively do internal and external research to see if the technology will be possible. GSM technology s for example was difficult to implement as it required both customer and company approval. Vodafone had formed a task force to look into the issues raised by the [proponents of the technology. The task force took looked into other policy and strategy issues which arose before and during the implementation process. The most urgent task would be to see if the company’s budget allow for its implementation

Generally the board of directors should define the company’s mission statement which will involve clarifying and analyzing this mission statement to meet the present challenges of the organization. This will offer guidelines to management of the company when considering how business should develop and in what direction, for example how it will increase its current market share to greater levels. The strategies adopted by the company should clearly direct efforts towards accomplishing the organizations basic mission or objective.

The company needs to improve on in its response to globalization. For instance Vodafone Company has responded to globalization by opening up some branches around the globe but this have not been enough as it still faces competition from other mobile operators. Vodafone Company should explore more new markets and try to be the dominant market leader in order cope with change and competition in the industry. This company requires restructuring of the entire company structure such that it is able to withstand the pace of growth in the telecommunication industry (Rosenbloom, 2004).

Organization structures of Vodafone Company should be clearly outlined such that the employees will know what they are expected from them in the course of their duties. This will lead to reduction of conflicts between management and the workers because there will be no vague policies. Vodafone Company structures should be in such a way that it fits the modern world and should be adaptable by the employees. Groups’ dynamics should also be encouraged in order to enhance cooperation among the workforce. Workers should be left to join groups of their choice to avoid conflicts that may arise (Anthony and Govindarajan, 2003).

In order to improve the organization effectiveness Vodafone Company, the management concerned should always avoid poor managerial leadership through doing away with authoritarian style of leading and instead encourage democracy to prevail in decision making that is, an all inclusive decision making structure. Also motivation of employees should be encouraged and offering of fringe benefits, house, medical, hardship allowances and other social services for example swimming pools, televisions sets will make the employees feel respected and recognized in the work place (Buck, Filatotchev and Wright, 2003).

A good communication channel should be identified by Vodafone Company in order to boost organizational effectiveness. Any barriers to effective communication that may be encountered e. g. selective perception, language barrier among others should be dealt with in order to pave way for efficient passing of messages in the workplace. The company should immediately implement the strategies that will counter competition as a result of globalization from other firms and thus the company should continue to explore new markets around the globe (Bagley and Savage, 2006) Conclusion

In a move that is seen as a strategy to develop in business volume, Vodafone Company has since its inception adopted technological changes in its departments including; new product development, better service provision, marketing and strategic planning. One main factor that has been usefully adopted methods of evaluation is the SWOT analysis. The main issues in this analysis are; Strength which is the profitability levels and the international branches the company has built abroad. The Weakness the company has experienced is poor leadership; the opportunities include globalization while the threat is competition from rival firms.

We can therefore deduce that for any firm to be successful in the market place it must formulate workable marketing plans that will eventually ensure the success of the company both in the short-run and long-run. Marketing strategies adopted by Vodafone Company should be those that go in line with the company’s mission and vision’s statements as well incorporating the issue of corporate social responsibility so that the strategies implemented are of benefit to the company, its employees and the surrounding society (Spicer, Dunfee and Bailey, 2005).

Vodafone Company should also utilize the opportunities that arise in the market place particularly in the telecommunication industry by ensuring that it fully utilizes its strengths to accomplish those opportunities. Since modern businesses are faced with stiff competition as a result of globalization, companies including Vodafone Company must carry out marketing research in advance in order to be informed with all the marketing activities in the market thus formulating market plans that will ensure profitability in the long term

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For Instance, If they found a newer and cheaper way to produce computers, then the price of them would go down, making the emend rise even more. Some of this products substitute would be another factor. Substitutes are goods that are usually used In place of one another. Today, people are able to access the World Wide Internet through their cellular devices, Glenn them the opportunity to make the same transactions or do the same research that they would be able to do on their computers; this Is making It almost unnecessary to own a computer.

There are also places like the public library that offers use of their computers at no cost to you, which is how I did all my homework and research for school before purchasing a computer. These substitutes could make the demand for computers to decrease, which in turn will cause the quantity to increase. There are some items that are made to complement computers, such as software or routers. Without some of these products, the computer that you purchased may be of no use to you.

In the case of schooling, there are requirements for certain software’s that do not come already included in your computer purchase, and you also need to set up your means for internet connection, which would require a wireless router, broadband, dial-up, or Wi-If. Either way, your computer does not come already installed with these applications, they must be purchased separately. The impact that computers have on people’s everyday life have made them nearly a necessity which can impact price elasticity. People need computers for home life, work, or communication, but they are an expensive product.

So, people will shop around to try and find the best deals on the computer that they prefer. There are many deferent options available for someone looking to purchase a computer. There are desktops or laptops, PC or MAC, different sizes and storage capacities, and deferent suppliers. The choice of buying a computer provides many different options, giving the price elasticity. Some are more expensive than others. Computers are changing every day, they are becoming smaller, easier to access, more options, and software.

They are built Into our phones and GAPS systems, and can be found Just about anywhere. I believe that computers will always be a huge product which will be costly, but there are a few factors that may change that In the future. Because they have been around for so long, most people already own one, the ability to use public computers, and the efferent forms of technology that are being Invented every day, provide many different options for people that could steer them away from a regular desktop or laptop computer.

Purchasing Computer By Jennie no need to purchase another one. New discoveries in technology could be a factor in the change of supply and demand. For instance, if they found a newer and cheaper Substitutes are goods that are usually used in place of one another. Today, people are able to access the World Wide internet through their cellular devices, giving them would be able to do on their computers; this is making it almost unnecessary to own ND find the best deals on the computer that they prefer.

There are many different laptops, PC or MAC, different sizes and storage capacities, and different suppliers. Day; they are becoming smaller, easier to access, more options, and software. They are built into our phones and GAPS systems, and can be found Just about anywhere. I are a few factors that may change that in the future. Because they have been around for so long, most people already own one, the ability to use public computers, and the different forms of technology that are being invented every day, provide many

The effects that cell phones have on our lives. Cell phones have become a normal part of our everyday living. I have seen people as young as five years old own a cell phone. Nearly everyone has cell phones in this day and age. They have become a necessity for communication. Cell phones offer the ability to communicate with other people with like devices every minute of every day. If you are not able to speak directly with the other person, you can leave them a voicemail, send them a text message, send voice and picture messages, and even videos.

Most cell phones now have internet access which allows a person to send emails to other individuals. Cell phones have had a positive impact on our lives. Cell phones are great to have in case of an emergency. For example, if someone’s car breaks down, or they run out of gas, the have a way of calling for help. Cell phones are an excellent source for communication. No matter where you are, or what time of the day, you can call anyone else who has a phone.

Using a cell phone is a lot more convenient than having to have fifty cents in your pocket at all times to stop and use a pay phone. Most cell phones have calendars, note pads, and even access to the World Wide Web. People are using them for appointment reminders, keeping notes, reminders for birthdays and anything else they need to remember. You can use the internet access feature of a cell phone to access your email, look up phone numbers in search directories, and doing research.

Some cell phones now come with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), to help people find their way to where they are going. A lot of cell phones have games on them and people like to play them while waiting in waiting rooms, or simply whenever they are bored. Cell phones have also had a negative impact in our lives as well. They have been found to be annoying, distracting, and dangerous. Many car accidents have been connected to cell phone usage. People are talking, dialing, and text messaging while driving down the road which is very dangerous and sometimes life threatening.

People have become annoyed with cell phones ringing in the movie theatres, doctor’s offices, libraries, and other quiet places. Cell phones are also being used now by students to cheat in schools, which is causing a negative impact on their learning. Some hospital patients are at risk by cell phone users using their phones in areas that they are not suppose to. The prices of cell phones and minute plans are rising which is having a negative impact on our economy.

People are no longer being able to afford to talk as much as they used to simply because the cost of living is rising. Cell phones are affecting our lives. The technology of cell phones is getting more and more advanced all the time. It is almost imperative that everyone owns a cell phone in this day and age. Regardless of the positive and negative impact cell phones are having on our lives, people will continue to buy and use them and the technology will keep advancing.