Corporate & Global Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate & Global Strategy - Case Study Example The study made three important findings. Firstly, Tesco unlike the competitors is focused on cost leadership, generic focus and product differentiation. This has become part of the company's culture. To the company lower cost does not mean lower quality. Secondly, the company's management emphasizes on its core values, lay emphasis on product differentiation and lower cost; that is using the cash cows and stars to reduce the company's question marks. Also, it has been argued in this paper that, the company should enter into exclusive long term relationship with suppliers, co-branding with celebrity, artist and designers to create a unique product. It should be so, because taking a lead of innovation might mean innovation in branding, innovation in product variation and innovation in other formats. Andrews (1997: p. 52) defines corporate strategy as "the pattern of decisions in a company that determines and reveals its objectives, purposes, or goals, produces the principal policies and plans for achieving those goals, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue, the kind of economic and human organisation it is or intends to be and the nature of the economic and non-economic contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities". Corporate strategy in effect maps out the businesses in which an organisation intends to compete in a way that focuses resources to convert distinctive capabilities into competitive advantage. (Andrews, 1997). In the present challenging context of today's global competition, businesses and firms no-longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). Kanter (1995:71) on his work on "Mastering Change" argues that success in the present day business is not for those companies that re-engineer the way they do things, or for those fixing the past. According to Kanter (1995) such an action will not constitute an adequate response. 1.1TESCO Corporate Strategy This paper focuses on the corporate strategy of TESCO. Founded by Jack Cohen in 1919, Tesco Plc today, has established itself as the largest super store in Europe. According to the company 2007 corporate report and the website, Tesco PLC is an international retailer. Tesco principal activities include food retailing having over 2,000 stores in the United Kingdom. The company also has stores and retail outlet in other countries like the Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan and China (Tesco 2006 Review). Tesco operates 165 International Express stores. In addition it operates 39 stores in China, 111 in Japan, 13 in Malaysia, 62 in South Korea, 6 in Taiwan, 219 in Thailand, 35 in Czech Republic, 87 in Hungary, 105 in Poland, 91 in Republic of Ireland, 37 in Slovakia and 8 in Turkey. (Tesco Annual Review, 2006). It therefore operates

The Individual versus Society in the Scarlet Letter Essay -- essays re

The Individual vs. Society in the Scarlet Letter The society we live in today grants us a variety of freedoms. No one tells us how to think or what to believe in. We decide what clothes to wear, what to do on Sundays and our religion – with no law to persuade us. These permissive decisions would not be looked highly upon in stern Puritan Society. There is no sense of individualism in 1600s Salem because laws envelop every bit of human society. With all these severe rules in place, there are bound to be rebellious actions. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne addresses the theme of an individual’s struggle against society by implementing three symbols: the wild roses, the scarlet letter and Pearl. In the beginning of the novel, Hawthorne describes a wild and saintly rose-bush next to the prison. This rose-bush, by some odd occurrence, has stood the test of time and all of man’s activities. Even with all of society’s hideous constructions, such as the ugly and rusty prison door, it is still blooming and well. â€Å"But on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hawthorne 35). A reference to Anne Hutchinson is another reason why this rose bush is a symbol of an individual’s struggle against society. Hawthorne recognizes Anne as one of the possible reasons why the rose-bush sprang up next to the prison. â€Å"†¦or whether, as there is far authority for believing, it had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson as she entered t he prison-door, we shall not take upon us to determine† (Hawthorne 36). Hawthorne bestows Hutchinson becaus... ... temper. â€Å"Pearl felt the sentiment, and requited it with the bitterest hatred that can be supposed to rankle in a childish bosom† (Hawthorne 71). In addition to ridicule, society, suspecting Pearl is evil and of demon origins, tries to separate her and Hester but to no avail. The harshness of Puritan Society in The Scarlet Letter is opposed by the rose-bush, the letter â€Å"A† and Hester’s illegitimate child. By utilizing these three symbols, Hawthorne demonstrates the resistance of the individual opposing the society. Because as long as there’s society, people, in someway or another, will always attempt to rebel against it. These actions can either be welcomed or reviled but opposition to society’s conformity is essential to our individualism and our uniqueness. Without any type of resistance, we would cease to be distinct and our sole identity would be lost forever.

Internet Cafe Business Plan

An Internet cafe or cybercafe is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the cafe in the name. The fee for using a computer is usually charged as a time-based rate. Internet cafes are a natural evolution of the traditional cafe. Cafes started as places for information exchange, and have always been used as places to read the paper, send postcards home, play traditional or electronic games, chat to friends, find out local information. Cafes have also been in the forefront of promoting new technologies. Internet cafes are located worldwide, and many people use them when traveling to access webmail and instant messaging services to keep in touch with family and friends. Apart from travelers, in many developing countries Internet cafes are the primary form of Internet access for citizens as a shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software. A variation on the Internet cafe business model is the LAN gaming center, used for multiplayer gaming. These cafes have several computer stations connected to a LAN. The connected computers are custom-assembled for gameplay, supporting popular multiplayer games. This is reducing the need for video arcades and arcade games, many of which are being closed down or merged into Internet cafes. The use of Internet cafes for multiplayer gaming is particularly popular in certain areas of Asia like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and The Philippines. In some countries, since practically all LAN gaming centers also offer Internet access, the terms net cafe and LAN gaming center have become interchangeable. Again, this shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software, specially since games often require high end and expensive PC's. There are also Internet kiosks, Internet access points in public places like public libraries, airport halls, sometimes just for brief use while standing. Many hotels, resorts, and cruise ships offer Internet access for the convenience of their guests; this can take various forms, such as in-room wireless access, or a web browser that uses the in-room television set for its display (usually in his case the hotel provides a wireless keyboard on the assumption that the guest will use it from the bed), or computer(s) that guests can use, either in the lobby or in a business center. As with telephone service, in the US most mid-price hotels offer Internet access from a computer in the lobby to registered guests without charging an additional fee, while fancier hotels are more likely to charge for the use of a computer in their â€Å"business center. For those traveling by road in North America, many truck stops have Internet kiosks, for which a typical charge is around 20 cents per minute. Internet cafes come in a wide range of styles, reflecting their location, main clientele, and sometimes, the social agenda of the proprietors. In the early days they were important in projecting the image of the Internet as a ‘cool' phenomena. Building up an internet cafe seems so easy from outside. It feels as if one just needs to pull some chairs and tables, few computers and an internet networking system, and here goes the flourishing business. One has to take many steps and decisions to make his business successful. It needs a lot of patience, administrative quality and leadership skills to maintain an internet cafe. Running an internet cafe is quite challenging job as you have to deal with the employs, customers, the safety on internet, environment of the cafe and the quality of internet. One has to satisfy everyone, has to keep an eye on because there is lot of competition in this field too. It might difficult at the beginning, because there were not many resources. But nowadays, with the invention of high technological efficient internet cafe software, it has been quite little easy for the internet cafe owners to take care of all their duties. A lot of burden has been raised from their shoulders. Having a check on the customers activities as the cyber crime rate is getting sky high, blocking of different sites that are harmful for the environment of the viewers and giving a homely environment to users, are some of the various advantages that one can achieve using the internet cafe software. Moreover to these advantages, internet cafe software also accelerates the speed of internet. It makes the users feel contented while using the internet in cafe as it increases the downloading speed and improves the quality of internet. Due to all above discussed reasons the work of cafe owners has become trouble-free and convenient. The customers are attracted towards the cafes due to their better performance and professional environment. As the environment is professional, it does not fascinate only one class of people, it caters to the need of people of every age. As Internet access is in increasing demand, many pubs, bars and cafes have terminals, so the distinction between the Internet cafe and normal cafe is eroded. In some, particularly European countries, the number of pure Internet cafes is decreasing since more and more normal cafes offer the same services. However, there are European countries where the total number of publicly accessible terminals is also decreasing. An example of such a country is Germany. The cause of this development is a combination of complicated regulation, relatively high Internet penetration rates, the widespread use of notebooks and PDAs and the relatively high number of WLAN hotspots. Many pubs, bars and cafes in Germany offer WLAN, but no terminals since the Internet cafe regulations do not apply if no terminal is offered. Additionally, the use of Internet cafes for multiplayer gaming is very difficult in Germany since the Internet cafe regulations and a second type of regulations which was originally established for video arcade centers applies to this kind of Internet cafes. It is, for example, forbidden for people under the age of 18 to enter such an Internet cafe, although particularly people under 18 are an important group of customers for this type of Internet cafe. In Asia, gaming is very popular at the Internet Cafes. This popularity has helped create a strong demand and a sustainable revenue model for most Internet cafes. With growing popularity, there also comes with this a responsibility as well. In fighting for competitive market share, the Internet cafes have started charging less and hence are adopting alternate means to maximize revenue. This includes selling food, beverages, game and telephone cards to its patrons. Today in the Philippines, the net cafe business has even expanded to online gaming to which most net cafe owners admit rakes in the bigger share of their monthly revenues. Then, there’s the local chain of net cafes like Netopia and Station 168 that’s been mushrooming all over the country. So it looks like putting up an internet cafe is still a viable business. But, and that’s a big BUT, take into consideration several factors that will spell the success or failure of your business venture. As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow here in Philippines specifically here in Albay, easy and affordable access is quickly becoming a necessity of life. We will provide communities with the ability to access the Internet, enjoying it with snacks we offer, and share Internet experiences in a comfortable environment. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique, upscale, educational, and innovative environment that we will be provided provides. Internet Cafe Business Plan The Integration of Computer in Manufacturing Business Executive Summary â€Å"Computer-integrated Manufacturing is the integration of total manufacturing enterprise by using integrated systems and data communication coupled with new managerial philosophies that improve organizational and personnel efficiency. † This is according to Erhums. This system helps to reduce problems regarding to the manufacturing of products with the help of the implementation of computers. This strategy helps to improve the performance of manufacturing.It is implemented to satisfy the needs and demands for a productivity enhancement and higher quality products with fewer errors in production process. This paper discusses about the help provided by the computer-integrated manufacturing in various business. It also states here the illustration of the key issues of the integration and adaptability of CIM. In addition, a new framework has been proposed in this paper for the design and implementation of CIM. Introduction Business has so many things to consider. And one of it is how will you increase efficiency and enhance productivity with fewer errors.Before, the only way to manufacture products is through manual approach wherein there is a possibility of wrongdoings which may lead to business failures. But since advanced technology has been developed, it will be a very big advantage in the field of manufacturing business. It focuses on producing products in its most favorable condition, and at the same time, guaranteeing high quality, low costs, high flexibility and even smaller production quantity. Computer-integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is concerned with the integration of the business, engineering and manufacturing processes of an enterprise.It helps the enterprise to achieve and maintain a competitive edge in the manufacturing marketplace. Over a period of time, factory owners have integrated computer systems in order to control the entire production process. This is done by taking the design, analysis, planning, purchasing, cost accounting, inventory control and distribution departments and interlink them with the factory floor, material handling, and management departments. This system will have an impact on every system within the factory.This paper focuses on the integration of computer in the manufacturing process. This is an area of significant importance of computer application which is inclined to the field of Information Technology in business. Literature Review According to the US National Research Council, CIM improves production productivity by 40 to 70 percent as well as enhances engineering productivity and quality. CIM can also decreases design costs by 15 to 3o percent, reduce overall lead time by 20 to 60 percent, and cut work-in-process inventory by 30 to 60 percent.Managers who use CIM believe that there is a direct relationship between the efficiency of information management and the efficiency and the overall effectiveness of the ma nufacturing enterprise. Thacker’s view is that many CIM programs focus attention on the efficiency of information management and the manufacturing machines, material transformation processes, manufacturing management process, and production facilities. Computer-integrated Manufacturing can be applied to manufacturing organizations by changing the manufacturing focus toward a service orientation.CIM and Job Definition Format (JDFF) are becoming increasingly beneficial to printing companies to streamline their production process. A better understanding of manager’s needs would help systems develop recognize the emerging opportunities for creative use of information technology, and implement necessary changes. Methodology Computer-integrated Manufacturing is the system used to describe the full automation of manufacturing plant, with all processes functioning under computer control and digital information on tying team together.This system was promoted by machine tool man ufactures in the 1980’s and the society for Manufacturing Engineers. It is not the same as a â€Å"lights-out† factory wherein it will run completely independent of human intervention. The hearts of CIM are the Computer-aided design (CAD) and Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM). These systems are essential in reducing cycle times in the organization. Functional requirements must be compared to the current inventory of systems and available technologies to identify the accessibility of the system.According to Jorgensen and Krause, there are techniques that is being used in satisfying system requirements which includes utilizing unused and available functional capabilities of current systems; identifying functional capabilities but not currently in house; recognizing state-of-the-art technology that is not immediately commercially available on a system; foreseeing functional capabilities of systems on the technical horizon; and identifying whether the requirement is beyon d the capabilities of systems on the technical horizon. StudyComputer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) system is simply the manipulation of computers in manufacturing products or other activities where final products or other activities are the main concern of this system. CIM has a big role regarding to the development of a product concept that may exist in the marketing organization which includes product design and specification, commonly the responsibility of an engineering organization; and its extension through production into delivery and after-sales activities that reside in a field service or sales organization.CIM systems had come into view as an outcome of the developments in manufacturing and computer technology. This integrated computer aided manufacturing system, operates on both hardware and software. The software is simply what runs the factory or it is the brain of the factory. And the hardware is what makes the machine functions or run, or simply hardware is the musc le of the factory. These systems run on efficient output process. This means that the hardware and software works in the factory together. They should be not separated because as a unified unit, it operates for the peak benefit of the whole factory.CIM system divided every individual â€Å"center† of the factory into work cells. As work cells, they are then divided into individual stations. He stations are the broken down to the individual processes and this process are what metamorphosis that raw materials into actual product. It may sound interweaving, but it streamlines the whole manufacturing process. This also allows the operations to change any necessary things that should be altered to the system without shutting down the whole system. In this way, optimizing production and its good quality will be highly obtained.Analysis In spite of all the positive outcomes of the computer-integrated manufacturing system, there are also problems or key issues arose that needs to be ponder carefully such as the equipment incompatibility and difficulty of integration of protocols. The integration of different brand equipment controllers with robots, conveyors and supervisory controllers is a time-consuming task with a lot of pitfalls. In other words, the time required for software, hardware, communications and integration and large investment cannot be financially justified easily.Another problem is data integrity. Machines react clumsily to bad data and the costs of it upkeep as well as general information systems departmental costs is higher than in non-CIM facility. Another problem that evolved is to try to accomplish in programming extensive logic to be able to produce schedules and optimize part sequence. There is no human mind that is to put into place of this approach in reacting to a dynamic day0today manufacturing schedule and changing priorities.On the other hand, integrated manufacturing is neither a universal remedy nor should it be embraced as a rel igion. It is an operational and tool that if executed and used properly will provide a new dimension to competing. Eventually, it will introduce quickly new customaries high quality products and delivering them with unprecedented lend times, swift decisions, and manufacturing products with high velocity. Conclusions and Recommendations Computer is one of the models of the information and communication technologies in manufacturing.There are factors which are involved when it comes to the CIM implementation and this includes production volume, in order to make the integration, the experiences of the company or personnel is highly concerned also the level of the integration into the product itself and the integration of the production process. When a company wants to integrate the computer into their business, they must be careful in starting manipulating this system for this undergoes a complex process. Computers, made an enormous impact regarding on the speed and accuracy of the pro duction process.With the help of this system, it is now accessible to create high quality outcomes in just a short period of time and it is hustle-free and less effort not like in the previous tomes, it would have taken a number of days to make the same products with no assurance that they would all be able to have the same quantity and quality. Computer-integrated manufacturing is a very interactive and hands on system. If it is applied appropriately, it will surely increase efficiency and enhance productivity with fewer errors to the whole factory. References http://www. computerintegratedfacturing . com/

Great Expectations by Dickens Essay - 1270 Words

Great Expectations Comment on Dickens use of setting focusing on the opening graveyard scene and the scenes with Miss Havisham set in the Satis house. GCSE Coursework Great Expectations Comment on Dickens use of setting focusing on the opening graveyard scene and the scenes with Miss Havisham set in the Satis house As a skilled writer Dickens has chosen a perfect setting in which corresponds to the involvement of his characters. The dark isolated graveyard associates with death, and provides a backdrop that is very similar to the appearance of a criminal, in the society in Dickens time. Dickens describes the marshes as being a dark, flat wilderness. This creates the opportunity to become lost and isolated, it†¦show more content†¦The beacon and the gibbet are the only things that are verticle and standing, as they are very important and have to stand out. This is because the beacons light guides in good people who will be saved from the distant savage lair, criminals being the savage beasts. The gibbet is the place where criminals will go, and they will not be saved. This, in Dickens view, is what will happen between the two groups of people. If Pip does steel he will go to the gibbet. Dickens cleverly associates the graveyard with the dark, mist and the rushing winds. These provide the right atmosphere that corresponds to the gloomy, course, grey appearance of Magwitch, a criminal. Magwitch is described as being a fearful man, with a terrible voice and shuddering body. This is Dickens view on what a criminal was like in the society in the Victorian times. Dickens puts across the idea of going across the marshes is a path you wouldnt want to take as it hurts, its unpleasant, its wild and cold, its not attactive and its lonely. This also means that being a criminal is a path you wouldnt want to take for the same reasons. When Magwitch turns Pip upside down, its like Pips life being turned around. From being a well brought up boy to a criminal. Dickens wrote this to show the idea of the change in Pips behaviour and manner towards criminality. The appearance of Magwitch, cutShow MoreRelatedDickens Great Expectations1378 Words   |  6 PagesDickens Great Expectations In this essay, I will compare the presentation of Pip as a young boy with that of Pip as an adult in Great Expectations. This novel is about a young orphan boy Pip who is given great expectations, when an unknown benefactor gives him money to become a gentleman. In the process he travels to London, deserting the people who care for him. This is a typical Victorian novel in that it has sentimental deathbed scenes such as Magwhichs whichRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1113 Words   |  5 Pagesadventures that the male characters go on. This seems to be relevant in a lot of movies and books like the story Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. In Great Expectations there are multiple female characters like Estella, Biddy, and Miss Havisham who all play a large part in the main character, Pip’s life. One of the first that we meet the character Estella in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is when Pip goes to Miss Havisham’s to play with her. The two kids play the game beggar my neighbor when EstellaRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1347 Words   |  6 Pagespoor status of the economy, social mobility does not seem to be occurring at high rates, with the poor getting poorer and rich getting richer. Despite this, social mobility is alive and well, and has been for centuries. In his novel, Great Expectations, Charles Dickens voices the concerns of many that lived in Victorian England during the 19th century by promoting such a desire to live life in a more prosperous social class. One of the most fundamental and reoccurring themes in the novel is that ofRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1426 Words   |  6 Pages Twelve-year-old Charles dickens gets ready for bed after a long day at the blacking house. These Victorian-aged memories will provide him with many ideas for his highly acclaimed novel Great Expectations. Set in 1830 England, Great Expectations is a coming-of-age story about a common innocent boy named Pip and his road to becoming a gentleman through the influence of others. Pip is influenced both positively and negatively by Estella, Herbert, and Magwitch. Estella left a huge impression on PipRead MoreGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens1285 Words   |  6 PagesAP Great Book Assignment: Great Expectations The 544-page, Bildungsroman novel, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens is considered a classic because it has stood the test of time, appealing to generation after generation of readers while still remaining relevant to them. Published in 1861, Dickens created a coming-of-age story that is similar to his other novel, David Copperfield, but Great Expectations is considered to have reflected parts of his own life. There are several parallels betweenRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1574 Words   |  7 Pagesclass life. This boy was Charles Dickens, one of the most well known writers of all time. Throughout his life, he experienced both the middle and working class, therefore, most of his pieces of literature include characters from both of those social classes and how they view Victorian England society. His haunting childhood experience also allowed him to incorporate the themes of alienation and betrayal in Great Expectations (Cody). Throughout Great Expectations, Dick ens explores the specific socialRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens884 Words   |  4 PagesGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens, is known and loved by a wide range of people all over the world. This classic story tells of a young boy named Pip on his quest to become a gentleman in Victorian England. The very first event in Great Expectations is Pip s encounter with Magwitch, an escaped convict that gives Pip a fortune for saving his life. After meeting Magwitch, Pip goes to the home of Miss Havisham, the eccentric woman appointed to teach him the ways of upper class society. While atRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1223 Words   |  5 PagesBeloved author Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. Growing up in a life of poverty, his childhood hardships provided the inspiration to write a myriad of classic novels including his 1861 seminole masterpiece, Great Expectations (â€Å"BBC History - Charles Dickens†). Great Expecta tions follows the life of an orphan named Pip, who’s perspective of the world is altered when he is attacked by an escaped convict in his parents’ graveyard in the town of Kent. Throughout hisRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1017 Words   |  5 Pagesexperiencer is somewhere else absorbing knowledge of a different setting.This abstract adventure is seized by author Charles Dickens in Great Expectations. Great Expectations is historical fiction giving readers comprehension of the Victorian Era.Upon the reading, readers begin to catch on the intended purpose and its significance. A person who lived during the Victorian Era was Charles Dickens himself.He grew up during a time where differences in social class were to an extreme degree.Dickens went throughRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens943 Words   |  4 PagesGreat Expectations written by Charles Dickens consist of many dynamic characters and literary elements that help develop the novel. Dickens introduces the life of the main character, Phillip Pirrip better known as Pip, as he works his way up in society. Along the way, Pip encounters many minor characters such as Biddy to help realize his full potential. Through the use of several literary devices, for example, characterization, conflict, and imagery, we take a young naà ¯ve boy and develop him into