Purposes and Benefits of Strategic Planning Essay

Purposes and Benefits of Strategic Planning - Essay Example Another purpose is that it doesn't allow the firm to get distracted by the prevailing conditions whether good or bad, it is a job of Manager who has done strategic planning of the firm to ensure that all the necessary activities are carried out in a planned way so that no obstruction occurs. "Strategic objectives are normally ones to be achieved over the medium to long term. They may be financial such as a certain increase in earnings per share or non financial such as a percentage increase in market share. In theory they should be capable of being quantifiable and hence susceptible to measurement" (p. 11) "In business strategy involves forming a path for the organization to follow that will lead to products or services that customer will want. This will usually mean some kind of new departure for the business, requiring the leader to implement various tactics or sub-strategies. These tactics are usually set out in the component parts of the business plan" (Hoddler, Stoughton, 2003: 20). The strategic planning process consists of two phases, the first one is strategy formulation stage, and the second one is strategy implementation stage, in the first phase we have to identify mission and strategic goals of business, of course when someone wouldn't know where someone is going, how could someone will get courage of moving forward, the second thing we have to care about is conducting competitive analysis, here we have to analyze the company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT Analysis), than the last part of first phase appears in which there is a need of developing specific strategies, the three of them are corporate, business and functional levels of strategies. In the corporate level of strategy, which tells about what businesses the organization will operate and how resources would be allocated, the second one is business level strategy that tries to define the best means of competing within a business, it also supports the corporate level stra tegy, the third one is the functional level strategy which focuses on the specific action plans for managing a specific functional area within a business, it supports the business level strategy. The second phase of planning process is strategy implementation stage in which all that is planned previously is implemented on actual situations, it means exactly to evaluate the plans and control afterwards where required. Difference between Strategic and short- term planning As mentioned earlier, the Strategic Planning is a long term planning, it consists of time that is longer than one year, more formally such planning is done while considering all the past records and resources that the company or organization has, the strategic planning is basically coping with the company's "strategy Formulation" stage in which the company has more concerns on its mission and goal statement, its SWOT analysis and other specific

WW II Responsible for Pearl Harbor Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WW II Responsible for Pearl Harbor - Thesis Example Before and during WWII, the Hawaiian Islands and Oahu, in particular, used to be an object of strategic importance. The quality of the military defense provided served a reliable measure of the quality and efficiency of all military operations in the United States during the Second World War. â€Å"During the prewar years Oahu and the Panama Canal Zone were the two great outposts of continental defense, and, after Japan plunged the United States into a Pacific War, Oahu became an essential springboard for the offensive that was finally to crush the Japanese Empire.† (Conn, Engelman & Fairchild 150). The quality of the defense procedures in the Hawaiian Islands at the beginning of WWII became a good test to the saliency of the military decisions in the rest of the United States’ territory. Despite the fact that the military significance of the Hawaiian Islands was widely recognized and the Army claimed the Hawaii to be one of the world’s strongest fortresses (Conn, Engelman & Fairchild 150), the strength of the military defense provided left sufficient room for improvements. Failure to protect the Hawaiian Islands from the Japanese attack exposed the hidden facets of inappropriate military decisions made by American politicians and commanders. According to U.S. Congress, the Hawaiian commanders were primarily responsible for failure to protect the Hawaiian Islands in December, 1941. U.S. Congress found that the December, 1941 attack of Japan on the Hawaiian Islands was both an act of aggression and the result of the military misunderstanding among Hawaiian commanders (251). On the one hand, U.S. Congress found that Japan was primarily responsible for the attack and that the force of attack was too powerful and striking to predict and too unexpected than anyone could have thought (U.S. Congress 251). Consequentially, the U.S. military commanders could not employ

Economic Perspective of the Liancourt Rock Dispute Research Paper

Economic Perspective of the Liancourt Rock Dispute - Research Paper Example The claims of sovereignty over the offshore territory where the islands are lying are mostly triggered by the economic value of the islands and its surrounding amenities. The area was found to be rich in aquatic or marine animals that are a potential source of income. The economic value of the area is said to be realest reason why both countries, Japan and South Korea, are very effortful in acquiring control over these areas. What are Liancourt Rocks? These are actually bundled formations of small islets that are mostly composed of rock formations. For the Japanese, the Islands are called â€Å"Takeshima† and for Koreans, it is called â€Å"Dokno†. These islands are havened in the Sea of Japan. The islands are situated around 87 kilometers in the eastern part of Ulleung Island, a South Korean island; 157 kilometers in the Northwestern portions of Oki Islands in Japan. The area is very pristine and is mostly uninhabited. 2 What are the economic values of Liancourt Rocks? One of the probable reasons of the dispute that led to the conflict between these two nations, with regards to the sovereignty and control over the islets, would be its economic values. ... n this law, â€Å"Parties to UNCLOS are entitled to as much as 200 nautical miles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , (equivalent to 370.4 kms), â€Å"..of maritime and jurisdictional exclusivity†. To discuss this topic thoroughly, it is ideal to divide these economic benefits in two: first, the economic benefit brought about by the â€Å"establishment of sovereignty†; second, the natural benefits of the islets, either direct or indirect. First, an establishment of sovereignty over an offshore territory, as stated above, will eventually grant a certain nation a control to the seas that are legally part of their territory and would therefore give them an exclusive economic zone or EZZ. What is exclusive economic zone? This is a right of a country to perform economic operations in different forms like exclusive fishing and mining operations on the seabed. Seen this way, certain holes revealed that these two contesting nations are grimly pouring all their efforts to gain sovereignty over the islets so that they can make use of the islets to boost their economy. This will serve both countries economically. However, this remains an unresolved issue for the mean time for the reason that South Korea and Japan are discussing the arguments with too much friction. 3 What are the economic benefits of EZZ? Certainly, EZZ would bring a great impact to the economy of a certain country. If you cogitate on the idea that a country will have an exclusive access and use on all resources that can be found within the offshore territory, there is a great chance to generate and exhaust these natural resources and be utilized as economic boosters. In 1998, the Korea-japan fisheries agreement had set a parameter that considers the waters surrounding the Liancourt Rocks as a â€Å"neutral territory† which means that in an

Forum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Forum - Assignment Example The reader hears of his experiences and that of other characters in the story directly. He tells the American, â€Å"It will perhaps be odd for you—coming, as you do, from a country that has not fought a war on its own soil in living memory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hamid, 2007). Changez reflects on the world and informs the American of the gravity of the situation at home, as compared to America. Changez is unhappy with his American experiences, and on his visit home, he is visibly depressed. He refers to America as â€Å"†¦ a city not of his birth†, because of its unusual environment. He feels familiar at home and seems happy to see his brother, who ruffles his hair with his hand. In addition, Changez uses similes in his comparison of America and his home country, Pakistan. When his mother and brother question him about New York, America, he says, â€Å"It was odd to speak of that world here, as it would be odd to sing in a mosque† (Hamid, 2007). He highlights the cultural differences between the two regions and does not want to present any story that may seem ‘unusual’. He uses the word unusual to characterize the contrast of the two

Stalins leadership Essay Example for Free

Stalins leadership Essay The great patriotic war was a theatre of war primarily between Russia and the Nazis, although it involved many surrounding countries in Eastern Europe and beyond. This period was notorious for its unprecedented ferocity, destruction, and immense loss of life and was lead under the leadership of Stalin. Yet to what extent was Stalins efforts and actions the reason for the Soviet victory against the axis powers? Politically, there were many aspects that contributed to the war effort. The Communist Party itself worked at the rear of the forces (350,000 members were transferred to the back lines) and also increased membership to ensure that there was sufficient support for the party. The NKVD played a more significant role in the war, most importantly controlling the USSR population through fear. The NKVD were responsible for the labour camps (gulags) where prisoners of war were sent as well as opposition suspects and deserters from the Russian armies. The group had many other roles, including undercover officers within the red army reporting any deficiencies in moral and any anti-communist attitudes. Therefore they created a sense of terror that deterred any resistance against Stalin and the regime from building up effectively as well as maintaining discipline and security within the army. This was obviously a crucial factor in Soviet success, without this the Red Army would not have fought effectively. Although the NKVD were very effective throughout the war and must certainly be credited in the Soviet success, Stalin was in overall control of the body, and therefore could also claim some of this as his own. He also influenced the air of terror, by coining orders like not one step back meaning that any soldiers that tried to retreat would be shout by the NKVD themselves. Britain and America were Russias allies in the war and although they did not send troops directly to the front line, the lend lease programme (begun in March 1941) provided the USSR with essential war supplies $11. 3 billion worth of goods were sent throughout the war. Without these the army would have been less effectively supplied and progress may have been slower, particularly one the offensive move towards Berlin, which may have given the enemy more time to re-organise and build defenses. Additional assistance came from U. S. Russian War Relief (a private, nonprofit organization) and the Red Cross who also sent supplies. Again, it could be suggested that it was Stalins political ability that allowed him to form these alliances that proved to be so vital. However, for the supplies from the Red Cross and Russian war relief he cannot be accredited and it could be argued that the allies did not aid Russia due to Stalins diplomacy but merely in an attempt to defeat Germany. Despite the destruction of the war, the Russian economy managed to keep the front supplied with weapons and other supplies. The move to dismantle factories and rebuild them in the remote Urals once the Germans had begun to infiltrate Russia proved to be very successful. 1500 enterprises and 10 million people were transferred eastwards and the new industrial heartlands began production. The planned economy also meant that industrial plants were converted into military production factories (for example, in Moscow a childrens bicycle factory was converted into a automatic rifles factory). Without this economic planning, the Red Army would not have been supplied tanks, guns ammunition and planes in adequate quantities (in fact, by 1943 the Red Army was achieving this). However, yet again the ideas for the planned economy and the move of the factories were announced by Stalin and therefore their successful results and vital contribution to the war could be said to be a result of cunning planning and economic efficiency. Further than this, Stalin managed to mobilize the entire urban society into production. Similarly to the five year plans, anyone of a working age was forced into labour, including the women. For example, in 1942, women made up 53% of the urban workforce. Without this mobilisation, the factories would not have run to full capacity and production levels would have fallen substantially. Stalin also cleverly ensured that the workers would not resent the regime by increasing wages (wages rose by 75% between 1938 and 1944) and those in regular manual employment were guaranteed survival through the network of Ors (workers provisionary department) shops at their places of work. Obviously the Red Army must be accredited with at least some of the war success. Although it was initially disorganised and was unable to adapt to the defensive tactics now necessary, this was the result of Stalins fierce purges of the Red Army causing military leaders to be wary of taking any initiative or acting without firm orders from the leader himself. The Army was however, heroic in nature and had many successful attacks against the Germans (for example, the Battle of Kursk). Another initial weakness was the dual command of the Politruki, but Stalin did end this when he realised it was a hindrance to the army rather than a help. Stalins choices in military men had both positive and negative effects on the war. He was often seen to give leadership powers to those who were his close friends and allies, often with poor results. An example of this is Kulik who delayed the production of Katyusa rockets and T34 tanks due to a belief that more old fashioned artillery and horsepower were more effective war methods. However, Soviet success was also the result of meticulous planning and military excellence of many other of the Russian leaders, for example Vasilevsky who was responsible for the planning and co-ordination of all decisive offences and Chuikov who commanded in Stalingrad. The man with the most influence militarily however was General Zhukov who oversaw the defence of Leningrad and orchestrated the first breakthrough, commanded in the Battle of Kursk and launched the final attack on Germany, including capturing Berlin. Further than this Zhukov was more fearless than many others of the leaders and stood up for his military ideas. It could be suggested that this was the main reason that Stalin eventually accepted that his tactics needed updating and moved away from his previous military ideas. Had the Red Army continued with these they may never have won the war as the outdated tactics were very unsuccessful. The Stavka ended up being a very effective team, some disagreement with Stalin was tolerated and the result was concrete military decisions that resulted in Soviet success. It is possible to completely blame Stalin for the initial Russian failures for a further reason. Previous to Operation Barbarossa, Stalin had been warned of the German attack but simply ignored this and made no defensive military plans. Therefore when under attack, the army only had defensive strategies available. This was particularly a problem due to the lack of initiative that generals were willing to take as explained above. Some debate still remains over why Stalin refused to acknowledge the information but it was probably a combination of Stalins overconfidence in the character of Hitler and other circumstantial information (such as 22nd June was theoretically too late to attack as it was too close to the Russian winter). For these reasons Stalin was certainly a hindrance to the Russian side at times. However, he did change his tactics eventually which was obviously a difficult move for Stalin as it resulted in a loss of face. Another of Stalins failures was his refusal to sign the Geneva Convention for human rights. Therefore when Russian prisoners of war were captured they often ended up in extermination camps in Germany. Many Russian war prisoners ended up fighting for the German side in preference to being killed. An example of this is Andrei Vlasov who set up a Russian Liberation Army who fought for the Germans; he was later used as a figurehead for German propaganda. If Stalin had signed the agreement the Germans wouldnt have had any extra re-enforcements. Another general factor for the Soviet success in the Great Patriotic War is psychological and social. The role of the Russian people undoubtedly contributed to the war effort. Other than the obvious roles they played in the factories, farms and on the battlefront itself, the sheer heroism of many of the people is astounding. For example, within Leningrad the Russian people failed to give in to German terror for 872 days, despite the constant attack from the skies, bitter famines spread throughout the whole city, horrific death rates (in December 1941, 53000 people died in Leningrad (this was as many as the total deaths in 1940)) and rations that were barely enough to survive (bread rations were 400g a day but decreased to 250-125g in December/January 1941). This strength of the nation was seen in other places, such as the partisan units that were set up in the German occupied areas. Often the members were Red Army troops that had not retreated quick enough to stay in front of the Germans, but many were also civilians united in a hatred for the Nazis. They were effective in tying down Germans in certain areas, harassing German soldiers but most importantly showing the opposition that Russian influence was still present in their occupied areas. The sheer hatred that the Russians felt for the Germans was also influential to Soviet success, and the treatment in the camps was certainly a contributing factor to this. Another reason for this was the treatment for the Russians in the German occupied territory. The Germans viewed the war as a war of extermination and used the Slav people as sub-humans. An example is a quote from Hitler if 10,000 females die of exhaustion digging an anti-tank ditch, my only interest is that the ditch is dug for Germany. Only towards the end of the war did the Germans realise that it would be much more effective to try and keep the Russians on side. An example of the earlier brutality is the 34,000 Jews and Soviet citizens massacred at Babi-Yar which was an attempt to cleanse Russia and create living space (lebensraum). This is important for the war as the Russian hatred fuelled their desire to defeat the Germans and individuals would work harder and faster in whatever role they were contributing in. It could be suggested that Stalin did help influence this as his speechs were always hugely anti-German and highlighted the deaths and terrors inflicted upon Russia. He also contributed to the propaganda that was circulated in the war which showed clearly the brutalities of the war to the Russian civilians. This was to influence the Red Army and partisans to fight for motherland, for honour, for freedom and for Stalin. Stalin also managed to mobilise and encourage women into the war effort. Women took on roles within factories, farms and other mens positions such as miners and welders. At the beginning of 1940 women made up 41% of labour front and over 800,000 saw active service on the battlefields (ordered after 1942). Another social change that Stalin made during the war were the religious concessions. For example, in 1942 the labour camps were searched for religious men who were then allowed home and in 1943 they Russians elected a new patriarch and synod. These proved very successful and brought him more support as the religious Russians had previously felt oppressed. Stalin as a war leader was always resolute and determined. It is unquestionable that Stalin was courageous, despite German attack he remained with his family in Moscow rather than fleeing to Kuibyshev. Although he did make some mistakes, particularly during the openings of the war, he did manage to amend many of these. The ways in which Stalin helped make the Soviet war success certainly outweigh his hindrances in both number and significance. Without such a powerful, charismatic and talented leader, Russia would have been much more likely to be defeated in the Great Patriotic war.

A Template for Structural Analysis of an Industry Essay Example for Free

A Template for Structural Analysis of an Industry Essay Corporate Strategy and Policy A Template for Structural Analysis of an Industry You can use the following template for analyzing the structure of an industry. It requires you to rate the attractiveness of an industry on a 5-point scale for several factors relating to each of the five forces in Porter’s (1980) model. (A 7-point or a 10-point scale would perhaps be even better in that it would allow finer discrimination between two businesses with different levels of attractiveness. But the 5-point scale is relatively much easier to use. To help you in the ratings, the template provides the anchors at the two ends of the scale for each factor with examples of industries corresponding to the anchors. You will note that we have included separate sections in the template for exit barriers and government. The former contributes to rivalry among competitors (and is, therefore, not a sixth force). The latter, according to some, should be treated as the sixth force, although Porter says the effect of government on an industry is felt through one or more of the five forces. If you want, you can attach different weights to different forces and also to different factors within each force. If an industry has different segments that are structurally different, you can separately analyze the attractiveness of each segment. You can also analyze the changes in industry structure by using the template at two different points of time (for instance, today and five years from now) to obtain greater insight into likely opportunities and threats that you can expect from the industry environment. To reduce the element of subjectivity, you can get the attractiveness evaluated by several colleagues and arrive at average scores. Even the weights of different factors and forces could be based on the opinion of your colleagues and you could attach greater weight to the opinion of colleagues with greater expertise. Use your creativity to benefit from this tool. You can use the remarks column to annotate your ratings. For instance, consider the first factor in Table 1 (number of competitors).

Segmentation Targeting and Positioning of Vodafone

Segmentation Targeting and Positioning of Vodafone Vodafone is one of the biggest names in wireless technology, and is continuing to grow a solid, loyal customer base because the company offers excellent product along with excellent customer service. Vodafone has a an interesting history, back to 1984, when it was still a subsidiary of the well-known Racal Electronics Plc. In September 1991, the Vodafone Group Plc decided to separate itself from Racal Electronics Plc, they later merged with another company, the Air Touch Communications Inc, in July 2000. In 2001, this wireless company first introduced instant messaging on their networks, to provide for a faster way to communicate among their users. The company also launched the first ever 3G service in Europe with their innovative mobile connect GPRS/3G data card in 2004. In February 2007, the company had another major milestone when it partnered with Yahoo and Microsoft in order to launch instant messaging services that can easily be accessed using either a personal computer or a mobile phone. This is one of the milestones that made it into the wireless giant it is today. The company continues to offer a variety of services, including data, messaging, voice and broadband. Its continuous advancement in the data services, they offer by developing its 3G networks and the capabilities of various handsets. Its a mobile service thats easy to use, with low-cost telephone line and even DSL broadband connection.It also provides you monthly billing cycle,pre-paid agreement or even a contract.And is known for its best customer services. BACKGROUND:-(INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION STRATEGIES). Vodafone Group Plc is the worlds leading International mobile telecommunications Group, with a major presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States through the Companys subsidiary undertakings, joint ventures, associated undertakings and investments. The basic concept of this case is to look at Vodafones future expansion, growth and global strategies within the concept of internationalization and competitive advantage issues.The reason to launch Vodafone in Mexican market is to gain profitibility,gaining high revenues by doing better business in more areas or internationally.Because if Vodafone will not be launched in Mexico some other mobile company will do the same.Being one of the worlds largest company its easy for Vodafone to enter the Mexican market and capture it. PESTEL ANALYSIS:- It is the technique of environmental scanning of any industry on the basis of factors like political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental. PESTLE analysis uses a framework of external factors for macro-environmental scanning of the industry to help in taking advantage of opportunities and making contingency plans for threats. SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING:- It together comprise a three stage process; Segmentstion (identifying meaningfully different groups of customers) Targating (selecting which segment to serve) Positioning (implementing chosen image and appeal to chosen segment) it furthur includes product,price,distribution and promotion. SEGMENTATION:- Segmentation is the process of splitting (segmenting) the entire market into smaller groups. Demographics is the most common variable of market segmentation that includes age, gender, income, geographic, psychograhpic and behavioural.For launching a Vodafone in Mexican market, the product is for both the genders ,of evry area with variaing ages and incomes. Markets are made up of many distinct groups of people who have common characteristics as consumers. Some of those groups may not be immediately obvious. All of them command tremendous buying power. But they direct it to products and services that address them as a highly individual subdivision or segment of the market. Define those market segments right and you may even end up dominating the market. Because the more you know about a market segment: The better you can provide a product or service that attracts it. The better you can create marketing materials that appeal to it. The more cost-effectively you can direct them at the markets that respond the best. The easier it is to position your company and product and build brand loyalty. Its hard to successfully address a large, vague, undifferentiated market. Its easy to address a tightly focused, highly individualized group of people with clearly defined preferences and needs. Market segmentation isolates those groups, and makes them accessible. It helps your organization understand them and reach them and profit too. TARGETING:- In this step one or more segment is targeted.Generally depend on several factors. How well are existing segments served by other manufacturers? How large is the segment, and how can we expect it to grow? Do we have strengths as a company that will help us appeal particularly to one group of consumers? It will be more difficult to appeal to a segment that is already well served than to one whose needs are not currently being served well.Mexican market is already being served well but Vodafone being a giant can capture the market by providing equally better or more advanced services. POSITIONING:- Positioning basically involves implementing the targeting. Product (premium,basic) Price (premium,low price,value) Distribution (intensive,selective,exclusive) Promotion (prestige,fun,powerful) Being operationally excellent firm,by maintaing exceptional efficiency,the firm providing reliable service to the customer at a significantly lower cost. Vodafone can capture the market.Its customer intimate firm which excel in serving the specific needs of the individual customer quiet well. Technologically it is prodviding the most advanced products currently available. COMPETATOR ANALYSIS AND MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY:- Its a critical part of firms activities.Competitor analysis has several important roles in strategic planning; It helps management to understand their competitive advantages/disadvantages relative to competitors. It generate understanding of competitors past, present andfuture strategies. It gives an informed basis to develop strategies to achieve competitive advantage in the future. Also help forecast the returns that are made from future investments i.e how will competitors respond to a new product or pricing strategy? Entering a new market is always a challange.The size of the country, number of opportunities and geographical size matters precisely.Solid market entry strategy needs proper market research to know existing opportunities, understand the competitive landscape and to know about potential clients.A market entry strategy has to be developed that fits companies objectives, timelines and budget. A successful Market Entry Strategy includes, assessing the feasibility of the product in market, what are the industry trends, what potential competitors are doing and what pains clients are facing that can address. If the market research reveals a robust opportunity, then it is time to develop your market entry strategy with a trusted partner that can not only write the strategy, but also help you implement it, in market.