Strategic Developments and Initiatives of Organizations - Essay Example

? Strategic Management Contents Contents 2 Question Blue Nile Case 3 Question #2 – Google 4 Question #3 – Norton Lilly International 5 Question #4 – W. L. Gore & Associates 6 Question#5 7 References 8 Question #1 – Blue Nile Case (a) In regards to procuring diamonds from the marketplace, Blue Nile works out as a potential option owing to some salient advantages. Firstly, the company conducts sales both through its outlets and also online through its website, thus, enhancing convenience. Secondly, the company presents large assortment of diamonds to the consumers to choose from. Thirdly, the company by working on a strong supply chain mechanism helps to reduce the price of its products. Fourthly, the company works to enhance the quality of the products through offering different cuttings and also renders potential information to the consumers in regards to different product characteristics. Fifthly, the company conducts effective after sales service and, thus, helps the customer’s to contact through phone and mail. Sixthly, the order delivery time is well scheduled and also calls for refund within a period of one month if not satisfied with the quality of the diamond. (b) The company becomes able to render high quality diamonds and fine jewelry at seemingly competitive prices owing to the advantage of its potential supply chain system, the strategy involved in reducing the cost of operations and the mode of technology used. Inventory holding cost is reduced by the company with also the gaining of orders from the suppliers when the customer finally has made the order. This helps in reducing the ordering cost. Technology used in the diamond company is both traditional and modern, coupled with outsourcing activities conducted. This helps in reducing the cost of operation and, thus, renders low cost diamonds to the customers. (c) The process of educating the consumers on the quality and features of the product helps the company in adequately maintaining effective customer relationship with the people. Thus, through this process the company can work in enhancing the brand awareness in the larger market and in highlighting on the parameters of transparency and trade ethics thereby helping in consumer retention (Thompson and Eastburn, 2010, p.127-130). Question #2 – Google (a) I certainly would have bought the stock of Google for the company reflects an appreciation in its stock level by 18 percent during 2004. The appreciation of its stock level also shows the mass appeal for the initial public offering of the company and gain the different parties to the stock ownership of Google also reflect significant gain in profits. Thus, it would not be a wrong decision in moving over to purchase the stocks of Google. (b) Definitely, Google is one of the important and influential companies of the early twenty first century in that the company is continuously innovating on its search engine features by introducing key elements like online books, maps, social networking features like orkut and other blogging sites. This introduction of new elements, thus, attracts large number of visitors to its site also surpassing You Tube by revenues worth $200 million during 2007. The search engine also renders commercial advantages through its Ad-word initiative, thus, covering every aspect of internet usage in the modern world. Again, Google also tends to enter the mobile technological interface through the use of Android technology helping users to use Google via their handsets. (c) The corporate culture of Google reflects a different culture from the other corporate firms operating in the United States. It is found that the work culture at Google rests on employee empowerment and an adequate teamwork environment where the people are not measured on the basis of their individual actions. People are encouraged to help in boosting the system of innovation in the company and in spending their time on operations rather than involved in long hour meetings. Dependence on the company on their employees’ sense of innovation and empowering them to take decision by their own largely motivates the people to work for professional and mutual growth and expertise (Gamble, 2008, p.259-262). Question #3 – Norton Lilly International (a) The comprehensive transformation policy taken by Jim Burton in Norton Lilly International focused on enhancing the attention of the employees to the process through which the operations can be met in an effective manner. Thus, process mapping ventures were introduced to the employees to help them understand the business process clearly. Again, separate techniques like balance scorecard system has been introduced in the company involving the parameters like key performance indicators in the company, the process of enabling larger consumer satisfaction and the financial position of the concern. Moreover, other transformational initiatives like developing the features of resource allocation and also in enhancing the potential of the managers of the company were carried out by Burton. (b) Jim Burton acting as the Chief Operating Officer of the company also acted as the change agent. He was responsible for encouraging the employees of the company to largely incorporate the transformational process in the various operations of the company. Such leaders are known as the change leaders who depict the situation, the seeming disadvantages and pitfalls accruing from such and thereby suggest potential strategies to help improve business performance and productivity. (c) The transformational process envisaged by Jim Burton reflected a huge change from the 2006 period. During 2010, Jim Burton stated that the top line of the company had increased by 4 percent in comparison to the 2006 period while the bottom line of the company reflected a huge potential growth of around 251 percent starting from the 2007 period. In terms of revenue, the figures reflected an increase from $91,000 during the 2007 period to around $113,000 by mid of 2010 (Burton and Gamble, 2011, p.368-372). Question #4 – W. L. Gore & Associates (a) The corporate culture at W.L. Gore and Associates reflected no existence of any chain of command in regards to decision making and reporting activities. Rather, the staffs along with the company president worked based on a lattice structure wherein the communication relationships were direct without the involvement of any intermediary. This organization resorted to empowering employees to be self committed in meeting business objectives and thereby taking potential decisions directly. (b) The leadership and decision making process at Gore met international standards where it was understood as a potential innovative human resource management culture. The employer-employee relationship at Gore reflected that staffs in the concern are held as stakeholders and thereby bore the responsibility for the success and failure of the company. This fact enhanced the sense of empowerment of the employees to take decisions by their own and also reflected a communicative and participative business environment. (c) Definitely, I would be interested in working at this type of a company for it would help me in enhancing my potential in taking key and important decisions by my own. Further working in a participative business environment would also help me in discussing potential problems and avenues with the senior member of the corporation and thereby gaining fruitful suggestions that would in turn develop my professional and personal capabilities. Henceforth, this type of professional and corporate culture would certainly help develop my own decision making platform and thereby help me to shoulder tougher responsibilities in future (Shipper, Manz and Stewart, 2010, p.395-401). Question#5 The Capstone project has helped me to understand both the strategic developments and initiatives that organizations take to develop their competitive business position. Moreover, the project also helped me to gain an understanding of effective human resource management activities that business corporations take to enhance the service potential of the people. Teamwork reflected in the Capstone project thereby helped me in developing communication and shared feelings. The project based on W.L. Gore and Associates was best liked by me in that it helped the people develop on their personal and professional potential that would help them to reach new heights in future. References Burton, J., and Gamble, J. (2011). Norton Lily International: Implementing Transformational Change in the Shipping Industry. Cases in Crafting and Executing Strategy. Gamble, John, E. (2008). Google’s Strategy in 2008. Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage Seventeenth Edition. Shipper, F., Manz, C., and Stewart, G. (2010). W.L. Gore and Associates: Developing Global Teams to Meet 21st Century Challenges. Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage Eighteenth Edition. Thompson, A., and Eastburn, R. (2010). Blue Nile Inc. in 2010: Will Its Strategy to Remain Number One in Diamond Retailing Work? Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage Eighteenth Edition. Read More