Organisations and People Management Report Nationwide Building Society

Organisations and People Management Report Nationwide Building Society Nationwide is Worlds largest Building Society and one of the major players in the U.K. banking sector. Having one of the seven group members as an employee of Nationwide Building Society, this management report has been developed to critically evaluate certain aspects of Nationwide. In this report, we have wished to brief our readers about Nationwides business strategy, structure, culture, management and leadership. This will be followed by a conclusion of the groups review about the chosen organization and finally certain recommendations will be made. Index Contents Page 1. Introduction a. Terms of reference 3 b. Background 3 2. Methods a. Data collection methods 4 b. Issues and challenges 4 c. Analysis 4 3. Results a. Overview of corporate strategy business goals 5 b. Explanation of organisational structure 8 c. Analysis of organisational culture 11 d. Critical evaluation of Management Leadership practices 14 4. To end with a. SWOT analysis 17 b. Recommendations 18 c. Conclusions 18 5. References 20 6. Appendix-1 22 7. Appendix-2 23 8. Appendix-3 24 Organisations People Management Report Introduction Terms of reference: This report aims at providing an overview of Nationwide Building Society and critically evaluates its business strategy, structure, culture, leadership and management. The findings shall present some key features of the organization. Some recommendations provided at the end shall help the management of Nationwide to improve certain practices. Background: Nationwide Building Society, started its journey back in 1946 as carrying the name Provident Union Building Society in Ramsbury, Wiltshire, in 1848 it moved in Northampton as the Northampton Town and Country Freehold Land Society and finally in London as Co-operative Permanent Building society in 1884. Thriving on well-over 160 years glorious history and over hundred mergers, it has become the third largest mortgage provider and second largest savings provider in the UK. More significantly, Nationwide is the largest building society in the world (History (Nationwide Building Society, 2010)). Today Nationwides portfolio consists of over fourteen million customers, total assets over  £200 billion and over 900 outlets countrywide. Being the largest building society in the world (Corporate Responsibility report, 2008/09) Nationwide also thrives with its mutual heritage which made the enterprise unique among other financial industries in the marketplace. The CEO, Graham Beale described Nationwide Building Society in the following way in Corporate Responsibility report (2008/09, p.2): Being a building society makes us fundamentally different from the big banks we compete with. We dont have shareholders, we are owned by our members. So you set our agenda. Methods Data collection methods: To make this venture less difficult, we had an early start with regular group meetings every Wednesday 4pm at room M5 or Main Arts building. Minutes for each meet were maintained. In-depth qualitative and few quantitative data were obtained through a personal interview with a senior Branch Manager, personal observation (and one of our group members personal experiences as a nationwide employee), internet and company publications. Theory and ideas were culled from several books, journals and websites. Issues and challenges: This report is the product of combined efforts of all our hearts and minds and has been framed within a month. Due to limited time and fund, we could gain access to mostly branch level information. After a struggle for appointment, we had been able to explore Nationwide through a senior Branch Manager at local branch. No sensitive questions were asked and no rules were violated during the research process. Analysis: A pure qualitative analysis has been made with a combination of exploratory and descriptive approach using the following process suggested by Saunders et al (2009, p. 489-490) Summarizing : condensation of meanings Categorization : grouping of meanings Structuring: Ordering of meanings using narrative. Results Missions: To describe companys mission large companies publish a statement called mission statement which comprises of organisations purpose and general direction that they are going to follow, its guiding values, principals and goals (Lynch, 2000). Adcock et al. (1995, p.298) provide a comprehensive description on business organisations mission statement which as follows: A mission statement indicates how that organisation intends to fulfil main business objectives while recognising the legitimate interests of other stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers, and the communities in which the organisation operates. Hence the mission statement carries a significant value for the organisation in terms of companys business, service, and goals; it has to be dynamic, transparent and easy to understand by all classes of stakeholders, otherwise it could create a confusion among colleagues and customers alike (Trapp, 1999). In light of above argument Nationwides mission statement is below: As a UK based mutual we exist solely for the benefit of our members. We help them and their families meet their financial needs in a sustainable, responsible and secure way as we have done since 1846, in a manner that is open, honest, and fair. (Corporate Responsibility report, 2008/09, p4) Since a financial organisation, Nationwide clearly visualizes its mission by aforementioned statement; which is dynamic, transparent and easily understandable to all; especially about its history (1846), organisation structure (mutual), services (financial needs), qualities (sustainable, responsible and secure), accountability (members) and business strategy (open, honest and fair) and goal (meeting customers financial needs). Nationwides intention is not only generating asset and profit from the business, but also sharing its profit and providing world class financial services to better off its customers in an open, honest, fair and amicable atmosphere; where customers feel valued and secured to conduct their financial businesses. Goals: Mullins (2002, p126) describes the goals of an organisation are the reason for its existence. The activities of the organisation are directed to the attainment of its goals. A goal is a future expectation, some desired future state. It is something the organisation is striving to accomplish. Goals can be described number of ways; such as, the overall purposes of an organisation, the execution of specific requirements, and so on. The core difference between functions and goals of an organisation is, goals are more specific and they are determined by the inputs and outputs of that organisation. Goals can also be named as objectives that every organisation tends to achieve (Mullins, 2002). Goals create a number of functions for the organisation to accomplish. Such as firstly, goals provide a certain standard in organisational structure which help the staff-members to figure out the way of performing their necessary activities, and also help the management to find out the right direction of planning and decision-making towards success. Secondly, goals help to determine the technology that will be compatible with organisations structure to perform all activities securely and smoothly. Thirdly, goals can help reward systems to motivate and drive staff-members of the organisation to accomplish their individual and group tasks. Finally, goals can represent the organisation to the external clients; can evaluate the organisation for further improvement (products and services); also can help to set objectives as well as policies for the organisation (Kast and Rosenzweig, 1985). Being a financial organisation, Nationwide sets up its corporate goals on annual basis (April to following years March). Every year they run a seminar, called Employee Corporate Cascade to indicate corporate plans and goals. According to Employee Corporate Cascade conference presentation (2010) Nationwide declared its business goals based on customer, market positioning, income, profitability, efficiency, capital and liquidity which are as follows: Becoming number-one in customer service satisfaction position; Keeping position on as third largest mortgage and savings provider, obtaining 10% of main current account and 5% of other products provider in the whole UK retail banking market and generating profit contribution of  £50m+ for each business line; Generating Non-margin profit by 50%; Raising  £1bn+ profit in year 2010/11; Gaining cost income ratio 49%; Maintaining core tier1 (a regulation implemented by Bank for International Settlements on banks capital adequacy requirement to continue its business) solvency ratio of 12% or more. Comply with Individual Liquidity Guidance. Above goals are clearly drawing a sketch on Nationwides future and desired expectations; which will assist the management to frame out proper business strategies towards achieving its goals. Business strategy: According to Huczynski and Buchanan (2007, p 524), the direction in which an organisation moves is influenced by the decisions that are made about its strategy. Business strategy is a part of the corporate strategy of the company which related to companys business divisions. Tilles (1969) discuses the importance of having an explicit business strategy to expand the company, he explains without having a certain strategy it is difficult to integrate co-ordinated action with industrial effort. In addition, there are number of other good reasons for company to have an explicit business strategy. Firstly, for making people to or-ordinate each-other to achieve goals with mutual effort; secondly, for changing companys environmental conditions (Mullins, 2002). Without a proper business strategy the company runs like a ship without a captain; nobody knows where to go and what to do. In that situation members of the company may start working cross-purposes; top management may not be able to communicate with lower management who is suppose to drive the employees to set up their target towards the goal. If company continues in absence of a proper business strategy, the survival of that company may be in question. However creative effort is necessary to create a strategy; moreover, to make a strategy successful it may require adapting different methods in behaviour as well as basic change in the way of interactions among managers (Johnson and Scholes, 1998). Being the largest building society in the world, Nationwide is always well ahead with its business strategy which is one of the main instruments of its ongoing glorious success. Nationwides vision is to plan ahead for longer period rather than shorter term, because in short period of time the implementation of new strategy may not acquire proper success. However, Nationwides managers follow a flexible attitude in their business strategy; as they may amend the strategy if necessary. According to Corporate Responsibility report, 2008/09, in September 2009, Nationwide has set up its three years business strategy which includes three core strands. Such as: becoming the full service provider (for, mortgages, lending, savings, consumer banking, insurance, investments, protection and wealth planning); becoming a challenger brand in the U.K. financial market; offering traditional mutual (member-oriented) delivery model in business. From above discussion, it is tangible that Nationwides business strategy is absolutely explicit about what they want to achieve; which helps managers and employees to plan towards its goals and acquiring the successes accordingly. Organisational Structure Various academic literatures have defined the term organizational structure in various ways: As a framework in which organizations achieve their goals or as a division of activities in an organization and how they can be coordinated. However despite these varying views, most cooperate organizations will agree that structures exits to maintain procedures. According to (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007, p.446)the definition of a structure is a formal system of task and reporting relationship that control, coordinates and motivates employees so that they work together to achieve organizational goals. Mullins (2002, p.530) also defines it as the pattern of relationships among positions in the organization and among members of the organization. Structure makes possible the application of the process of management and creates a framework of order and command to which the activities of the organization can be planned, organized, directed and controlled. Martinsons and Martinsons (1994) say ther e are three types of organizational structure; Functional, Divisional and Matrix Organizational Structure, in which one of these structures is relevant to Nationwide. Functional Structure: This structure depends on groups functions that are present in an organization. This type of structure originates from the beaucratic structure. It is most affective when there is division of work in the organization. Whats more this kind of structure creates the environment for specialization which helps in the functional areas and which helps to smoothen the progress of synchronization among its members (Martinsons and Martinsons, 1994). Divisional Structure: It is adopted by firms when they want to broaden their business and spread their product line. Based upon its different product or market, the company divides into separate units. Pascale (1990) explains the company breaks upon its operations into manageable units or little companies, which then operates under a mechanistic structure. Matrix Structure: This employs both the functional and divisional type of structures allowing a downwards control of its functional departments and coordination of its department. Since its a hybrid of two structures, it has two lines of authority with employees reporting to two bosses. (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007) Organizational structure helps in identifying the pattern of communication in an organization. The existence of a structure communicates the rules and regulations to the employees, as they are informed as to what is required of them in relation to their jobs. It also makes clear the rewards that are available to deserving employees, in terms of promotion etc. as well as elaborating the goals and objectives of the organization. Secondly, structures also identify authority and responsibilities associated with it by clarifying who makes the decision and who is accountable to whom. Decision making and information sharing is effectively carried out with the appropriate structures in place. When decisions are taken from top management, it is easily dropped down to the lower level management. In the same way the feedback from employees and lower levels easily get back to top management, which leads to job satisfaction. Finally, when the right organizational structure is implemented, it serves as a source of competitive advantage that can accrue economic efficiency and productivity for the organization. As rightly said by Drucker (1989, p.223) Good organization structure does not by itself produce good performance. But a poor organizational structure make good performance impossible, no matter how good individual managers may beà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.to improve organizational structure there for improve performance. Nationwide as an organization believes and recognizes the need to have a good structure to increase productivity and profitability. This is captured in Nationwide Chief Executives annual meeting report. There is no doubt that strong management and sound leadership really make a difference and are important qualities to get right in an executive team. Having the right structure in place to support the delivery of our corporate plan is critically important to our success (Corporate Responsibility Report, 2008/09). Please see Appendix-1 2 for full Organizational Structure Chart and current Management Structure of Nationwide. Nationwide is a mutual society, with its Headquarters in the U.K. It is one of the largest financial companies which deal with a number of profitable products with different customers. Nationwide as an organization implements the Functional form of structure. In this structure there are a number of boards of directors who play key role in the management of Nationwide, but do not interfere in the day to day activities of the society. They deal with major issues concerning Nationwide when it is deemed necessary. However, when it comes to the day to day running of Nationwide the Chief Executive is the one with such responsibility, he occupies the highest position in the hierarchy, with a number of executive directors who are accountable to him. They are, Chris Rhodes (Executive Director Group Product Marketing), Matthew Wyles (Executive Director Group Distribution), David Rigney (Executive Director Group Operations), Mark Remison (Executive Director Group Finance), Tony Prestedge (Executive Director Group Development) and Maxine Taylor (Divisional Director Corporate Affairs) (Management (Nationwide Building Society, 2010)). Beneath these departments are sub units, however attention will be given to the Executive Director and Group Distribution Department and its sub units, since the structure is the same for the various departments. This department has the Divisional Director who operates Branch Network, with assistance of the Regional Directors, Area Directors, District sales Managers and Branch Managers. All work at different levels of the hierarchy as represented by the organizational chart in Appendix-1. This enables Nationwide to assess how well these sub units perform; and if performance doesnt show satisfactory, managers can decide to take right approaches that need to be taken. Functions of key Departments: The Cooperate office headed by Maxine Taylor have the responsibilities of ensuring Nationwides vision, its strategy, goals, values and plans so that it workers can be motivated to give of their best performance. In its media relation and member engagements, it is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the name and image of Nationwide is well managed in the media, as Nationwide is U.Ks largest building society. This department also manages the Nationwide Foundation charity for the community, as it is committed in making a difference to peoples life. Nationwides Group Finance and Risk with Mark Rennison as the Executive Director are keen to ensuring that their financial objectives are achieved within the set time frame. This they do by ensuring that the Society performs favorably in the financial market and also managing any risk that may arise. They also look out for opportunities such as partnership, merger, and acquisition by investigating the financial benefits before any corporate decisions are taken. Division of Labor and Communication: In Nationwide each department has its own policies to control its day to day activities, even though rules are regulated from the top of the hierarchy. This enables the various managers to take charge of their departments, with the subordinates in those departments accountable to them. This type of structure allows the different departments to function independently but then reports directly to the CEO. The structure also enhances the communication pattern in Nationwide by enabling the various departments at all levels to engage in decision making and problem solving process. Coordination: In Nationwide, each department has given the autonomy to carry out its activities. However, each director in his given department is responsible for coordinating these various activities in his/her department in order to be productive. Nationwide has the Group Product and Marketing Department headed by Chris Rhodes. This department has the sole responsibility of developing products that will add value and meet the needs and expectations of their customers; thus the department needs to coordinate the various activities of its sub units .i.e. Banking, Lending, Investment, Insurance, Business Strategy Marketing Division in a harmonious manner, to achieve its departmental goals.. Organizational Culture For all of the enterprises the organizational culture has been regarded as one of the core competitiveness of corporation. It plays an important role in the process of construction and development of enterprises. As a rising management concept, the organizational culture can determine and influence the behavior of their workforce, members and visitors. Distinctive ethos of enterprises which include the values, beliefs and various patterns of behavior that forms in a long-term development of corporation. It endows the enterprises with vital force which can be a basic element that makes corporation survive, develop and become stronger in the future. However, the meanings of organizational culture may very in different enterprises. Generally, organizational culture can be defined as the collection of relatively uniform and enduring values, beliefs, customs, traditions and practices; which are shared by an organizations members, learned by new recruits and transmitted from one generation of employees to the next (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007, p. 623). Additionally, in Scheins (1985) Three Levels of Culture theory, the organizational culture can be considered from three levels which include the following steps: Surface manifestation of culture: The surface manifestation of culture is a visible form of culture which can be seen, heard or felt (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007, p. 625). For instance, the visible form of culture can be regarded as the organizational structure, system, and procedure which can be a norm of organization to condition or influence the behavior of employees. As the most reachable aspect that can be observed by people, the surface manifestation of culture can also help enterprises to transmit a message to their members, visitors and customers by the operating direction, the societal image and the belief of the organization (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). In the case of Nationwide, the surface manifestation of culture can be reflected by their operating direction. Nationwide offers products and services including savings, current accounts, loans, mortgages, insurance and so on, which belongs to banking and financial services culture. Moreover, being a mutual organization, Nationwide has its particular corporate banking and financial culture which has been reflected in its aforementioned mission statement. Therefore, the core element which makes Nationwide quite different from any other banking organizations is the meaning of the members. The meaning of members can be explained as that once a person opens an account, he or she becomes the member of Nationwide. Hence Nationwide always considers its customers first due to its mutuality model because Nationwide does not have any shareholder and is oriented by its members. Therefore the goal of its operation is to generate profit and share that profit among the members offering world-class service, cheaper rate on borrowing, more return in investment and so on. According to the chart-1, it is tangible that Nationwides culture based on its CR strategy which comprises of four core elements. Such as, first: improving customers financial capability and become a responsible lender; second: supporting, helping and encouraging members in housing; third: implementing ethical choice in business to save environment, in particular reducing carbon foo tprint; fourth: engaging employees and members to support communities. Chart-1: Nationwides Corporate Responsibility Strategy The corporate values: The corporate values are the core of enterprise culture. It can be defined as operating philosophies or principles that guide enterprises internal conducts as well as its relationship with the external world. Core values are often shown in the mission statement. Based on Scheins (1985) three levels of culture, organizational values have been deemed as the second level which comprises of all sorts of public advocacy values; including mission, purpose, behaviors and standards which support the surface manifestation level. In addition, Peters and Waterman (1982) pointed out that values always combine with enterprise success and many relevant important elements which are staffs, skills, style and strategy. At the same time, values are offered a general direction for all the staffs and affect their behaviors. At Nationwide, one of the specific features is its mutuality. A mutual organization is based on the principle of mutuality. Unlike the co-operative society, members in mutual organization usually do not contribute any fund to the corporate directly; nevertheless the members derive their rights towards profits. Over 160 years of development, Nationwide has become a powerful society. Due to modern mutuality, it forms its unique traditional values to the customers. Banks pay back millions to their shareholders, where as Nationwide shares millions with its customers. Nationwide operates its strong organizational culture called Putting customers first which is based on five distinct values (Corporate Responsibility Report, 2008/09): Open: The Company is an inclusive organization membership that is open to all, and all of their members have a say in how the company run. Nationwide arranges the annual general meeting (AGM) every year which ask for members to take part to express their opinion. Each member can do this by voting on a series of issues. Fair: Nationwide treats customers fairly by offering better rewards those who entrust company with more of their businesses. Responsible: Nationwides business model is low risk, stable and sustainable. They safeguard customers money and data at all times. Unlike traditional business model of investment banks, Nationwide pursuits of low risk and stable in the process of development. Committed: Going the extra mile and taking level best care of customers are traditions of Nationwide. Nationwide always keep its promises, In Corporate Responsibility Report 2008/09, CEO, Graham Beale mentioned we say what we are going to do and then do it. Adult to adult: Nationwide believe in adult relationships. They dont patronize, rather they treat people as equal. Due to the modern mutual with values, customers are also owners who always reserve some special rights, notably the voting right. These are rights that people dont have if they are only customers of other ordinary bank. Customers in Nationwide have the opportunity to assist shaping how Nationwide to run. Each customer can observe whether Nationwide is treating customers equally and offers fairness, low risk, stability, sustainability in its products and services. The core value is obviously that putting customers first in Nationwide. Organizational Management Business Dictionary (2010) defines Management as Organization and coordination of the activities of an enterprise in accordance with certain policies and in achievement of clearly defined objectives. It includes the functions of POSDCORB (Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Co-ordinating, Reporting and Budgeting) and also managing the organizational culture and structure discussed previously. Often seen as one of the factor of production, the approach to management adopted differs with the size and function of the organization. Except the military and a few government and private bodies, most companies today are following the modern approach to management due to the various drawbacks of traditional management style like strict result orientation, use of fear force to get the work done, no care or importance given to employees interests, well-being and so on. Now the companies understand that the basic function of management of any service organization like a bank revolves rou nd the well being of the human resources both the officers and workmen staff  working within. (Sen Gupta, 2009) Banking is one of the most prominent among the 12 services classified under the services definition of GATS (General Agreement on Trade of Services). Nationwide certainly has a good hand over banking and being a large sized Building Society, its day-to-day management is primarily in the hands of the senior management team along with a large number of committees all under the power of the Board of Directors. The policies formulated by this Board of directors are implemented by the Chief Executive. With Centralized decision making in place, Nationwide takes good care of its employees and makes sure that they retain the best ones permanently. (Read Bolton and Gold, 1995, Career management at Nationwide Building Society using a soft systems approach.) Simple motivational techniques like praising the employees for the job saying well done; providing training when the performance is not satisfactory; offering good working conditions and facilities; running employee welfare programs; sendin g  £30 as Christmas surprise gift to every employee; and even a simple thank you makes a considerable difference in their performance. Another factor influencing the performance of a building society is market competition which has intensified over time especially in terms of savings and mortgages. Snape, et al. (1993) suggested the integration of business strategy and human resource strategy as a solution to this problem. They also mentioned that a more dynamic market, with a stronger emphasis on sales performance, placed new demands on employees, and many societies responded by espousing the ideals of human resource management. Bartel (2000) in her study confirms that Human resource management related actions have the potential to improve branch level performance in banking industry, but concludes by saying that even though all managers in a bank are given a formal set of human resource policies, they appear to have considerable discretion in their application. A lot of organizational performance also depends on the type of leader; his practices and they way groups are made and function. Groups in Nationwide: According to Nationwide Corporate Responsibility Report, 2008-09, Nationwide is classified into a large number of groups ranging from Branch Network, Intermediary Sales and Corporate Accounts, Business Planning and Research, Internet Channels, Telephone Channels, Channel Integration, Integration and Operations, Regional Brands and Regional Brands Branch Network. The Product and Marketing Division works in close liaison with these teams to build a high performance culture as the teams pull out all the stops to deliver an outstanding customer experience. These teams work in isolation towards achieving vital synergies that lead to significant reduction in their costs and improvement in sales performance. Leadership Business Dictionary (2010) def

Marine Corps Uniform In The 21st Century :: essays research papers

The Marine Corps Commandant General James L. Jones wants to lead the Marines into the 21st century with a new camouflage utility uniform. You may ask, why do the Marines need to differentiate their uniform from other branches; or why do the Marines need a new utility uniform at all. The answer to these questions can be summed up in two words: Forward Movement. Some Marines are having difficulties with the changes that have occurred as well as the changes that are coming. On 1 May 2000 General Jones began to start the transition from the old uniform to the new uniform. Three steps have been taken to change the way Marines look while in their uniform. First, Marines were no longer authorized to wear the brown undershirt. This movement came about to distinguish the corps">Marine Corps as an amphibious branch. The Army Soldier is authorized to wear the brown undershirt, and the Air Force Airman wears a black undershirt. Secondly, a new belt for the utility uniform is currently being implemented. The belts represent the individual Marine’s status in Martial Arts training. The â€Å"rigger’s belt† will be worn in five different colors: Tan, Grey, Green, Brown, and Black. The Marine has an option to don a new color once training for that level has been completed. Finally, the third change involves the utility uniform itself, also known as â€Å"cammies†, giving it a complete makeover. The current cammie design for all branches of the Armed Forces is over twenty years old. The textile industry has made many advances in the production of clothing providing more comfort and durability. Revolutionary advances within the clothing industry, Velcro and zippers, are being tested on the new cammie uniform. Velcro could be used instead of buttons on the pockets, and zippers may replace the buttons on the fly of the trousers. While on garrison duty, zippers may also be used on the blouse, to unzip the arm portion of the sleeve, to avoid rolling up the sleeves in garrison duty during hotter climates. The basic pattern of the cammie uniform will have a face-lift as well. With the exception of angled chest pockets for easier accessibility, the new utilities will have the same design appearance as the today’s cammie uniform. New material that requires no ironing will increase the durability of the cammie material. The material will last longer than that of the current cammie material, which will normally fade in six months.

Apple Firm Strategy Analysis Essay

The firm I have chosen to analyze is Apple. Apple, officially called as Apple Inc. was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steven Wojniak. It was incorporated on January 3, 1977. (Mohta, 2010) Apple designs and manufactures consumer products such as computers, laptops, tablets, phones and music players and computer software products such as Mac OS Operation System and iTunes. Over the past few years, Apple has gained a large customer base and been able to dominate the market share. Strategic frameworks such as Porters five forces and Strategic focus will help us in analyzing how Apple has managed to sustain its profits over a long period of time. Porter’s five forces framework Threat of Competition When it comes to computers, tablets and music players, Apple dominates the market share by a huge margin. The gross profit for Apple in the year 2012 is $65.64 billion whereas the gross profit for HP and Dell is $27.64 billion and $13.06 billion respectively. (Sparks, 2012) HP was unable to compete with Apple in the tablet market that it has started to consider focusing only on the computer industry. In the smartphone market, Samsung has by far been the biggest competitor for Apple. Samsung has 29.1% of the market share in the smartphone market whereas Apple only has 24.2 % of the market share. (Reisinger, 2012) Threat of new entrants Considering the large customer base Apple has, threat of new entrants is quite low. The new entrants have neither been able to match up to the quality of the Apple products nor to the sales volume held by Apple. Hence, if Apple continues to design and manufacture innovative products, it will be extremely difficult for new entrants to be able to compete with Apple. Threat of Substitutes When it comes to Apple’s hardware products, there are no substitutes as such that could replace it. However, when it comes to Apple’s software products such as the iTunes, which is the music store designed and developed by Apple for the purpose of purchasing and downloading music, there is a high possibility that the customers could look out for alternative sources for music such as limewire, youtube.com. (Mohta, 2010) Power of buyers Apple has always focused on hardware and software integration of its products. Hence, Apple customers end up owning more than one Apple product. As a result of this, switching costs are extremely high. Also, due to the fact that large sales volumes are promised by Apple to the carrier networks such as AT&T and Verizon, iPhones are sold to the customers at a subsidised rate. This is an indication that the carriers have very less buying power. (Sparks, 2012) Power of suppliers Apple has an advantage over its suppliers as it outsources most of its manufacturing and has also started producing its own supplies. Consequently, it also gives Apple a huge competitive advantage. (Term paper warehouse) Strategic focus framework The three value disciplines that are taken up for analyzing a company are: Operational Excellence Apple as a company is highly efficient when it comes to operational excellence. All the departments in the organization starting from the sales forecasting department to the Distributions department are synchronised with each other leading to a highly efficient supply chain. Also, Apple has a limited product line. (Lariviere, 2011) Hence, it is able to provide its complete focus on designing and manufacturing those products rather than drifting away from the organizations objective to sustain profits with a large number of product lines. Customer intimacy â€Å"Apple targets people. It focuses on users. And it lets them decide how and where they will use its products.† (Asay, 2010) Apple has always been a customer focused company where its main aim is to deliver high quality products to its customers. Product Leadership Apple has managed to be a leader in its industry because of the fact it has been able to design innovative products. It has initiated changes to which its competitors had to respond. For example, Apple revolutionised the Smartphone market by introducing the iPhone. Except for Samsung, no other competitor of Apple has been able to come up with a strategy to deviate market focus from Apple. In addition, Apple has always on the lookout for new products to design and new markets to enter. This strategy has led to Apple being a leader in its industry. References Asay. M. (2010). Apple Doesn’t target Markets. It Targets People. GIGAOM. Retrieved from: http://gigaom.com/2010/08/26/apple-doesnt-target-markets-it-targets-people/ Bargaining Power of Suppliers. Term Paper Warehouse. Retrieved from: http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Bargaining-Power-Of-Suppliers/84367 Lariviere. M. (2011). Operations: Apple’s Secret Sauce? The Kellogg Insight. Retrieved from: http://operationsroom.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/operations-apples-secret-sauce/ Mohta, J. (2010). Poter’s 5 forces model case Apple Inc. Slideshare. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/jontymohta444/porters-5-forces-model-case-apple-inc Reisinger, D. (2012). Samsung Pulling away from Apple in smartphone market. CNET. Retrieved from: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57424779-94/samsung-pulling-away-from-apple-in-smartphone-market/ Sparks, D. (2012). Competing with Apple is No Fun. The Motley Fool. Retrieved from: http://beta.fool.com/danielsparks/2012/09/03/apple-2012-50-growth/10776/ Spartanski. (2009). Case Study Apple Inc. Slideshare. Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/Spartanski/case-study-apple-inc-2008

My Understanding Of A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young...

Reading and exploring various literary pieces can be an interesting task for the young mind. By observing myself and my peers I have developed an opinion, this opinion was reinforced by reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster. There are different stages of comprehension. Authors and readers utilize both experiences and prior knowledge quite often. My understanding of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man By James Joyce was vastly impacted after reading Foster’s book. Instead of just reading the novel, I dove deeper into the text. Originally I might have just said the novel was simply a sort of biography. Instead I would consider it a search of identity and transformation of religious/spiritual perspective. Prior†¦show more content†¦Although this is its own story, it is nothing new. Considering the idea that everything is apart of one story, it is more of a symbiotic relationship. When you boil down the facts it is easier: young person, feels â€Å"special†, wants satisfaction, falls to temptations, questions moral upbringing. Sound familiar? It s basically 95% of teenagers. I find comfort in the thought that everything in the world is interconnected, but I never made that connection with literature. When a reader discerns the individuality of the text while relating with personal experience, the reading gains value. It is no secret that Joyce is a master of symbolism and allusion. The first stage of comprehension is to see as much information as possible. Next a reader learns how to pick out more important facts. You know you are getting somewhere when you notice rhetorical devices while continuing to absorb the pleasure of the story. Foster talks about how acts of communion are meaningful and representative in stories. Joyce always makes a point to describe the meal and table. He makes it evident down to the green and maroon accents. The untrained mind would have frivolously skimmed over the colors, even though they represent the irish resistance and symbolize the state of politics at the time. Likewise he alludes to the bible a multitude of times. The bible names many of the tribulations to which humans are subjected to in their lifetimes. This vastShow MoreRelated Stephens Journey to Maturation in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce 1234 Words   |  5 PagesMaturation i n A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce    In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the author James Joyce uses the development of Stephen from a sensitive child to a rebellious young man to develop the plot of the novel. In this novel, Joyce suggests that through Stephens experiences with religion, sexuality and education, Stephen not only becomes more mature but these experiences also inspire him to redefine his world and his understanding of his true feelingsRead MoreThe Social And Historical Context Of A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man And My Son1436 Words   |  6 Pageshistorical context of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and My Son the Fanatic and how they enhance our understanding of the texts and then compare the two in their respective contexts. Religious extremism is a social ideology that is heavily implemented into both A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and My Son the Fanatic. With Steven Dedalus being subjected to his traditional family views of Catholicism as was the author of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce. Throughout the textRead MoreJames Joyce Annotated Bibliography Essay3544 Words   |  15 PagesStephen Dedalus is sometimes Joyces pseudonym and represents Joyce and his life in Joyces works. Joyce plays a crucial role in the modernist movement in literature. Some of the well known innovative techniques used by Joyce are symbolism, realism and stream-of consciousness. James Joyces writings contain autobiographical matter and display his view of life in Dublin, Ireland with the use of symbolism, realism, and stream-of consciousness. Joyce was born into a middle-class, Catholic family in DublinRead MoreThe Role of Women in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Essay2493 Words   |  10 PagesJames Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man presents an account of the formative years of aspiring author Stephen Dedalus. The very title of the novel suggests that Joyces focus throughout will be those aspects of the young mans life that are key to his artistic development (Drew 276). Each event in Stephens life -- from the opening story of the moocow to his experiences with religion and the university -- contributes to his growth as an artist. Central to the experiences of StephensRead MoreA Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man1594 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of this essay is to discuss how James Joyce’s seminal novel A Portrait of the Artist as a young man, is experimental with regards to plot, point of view, language, symbolism, style and character development, and will begin with a brief introduct ion. Many artists, be they of the pen, brush or instrument, seek through innovation an artistic immortality that has the potential to act as a blueprint from which imitation is spawned. Joyce’s Portrait is at its core innovative pioneering proseRead MoreModernism Vs. Modernist Modernism1335 Words   |  6 PagesIn the past five weeks, we have covered a great deal of material in this course. I remember my first day coming to class, I had to check my schedule multiple times to ensure that I was in the correct place. After spending hours of my morning in back-to-back philosophy courses, medieval and 20th-century, I was convinced that I had somehow walked into another philosophy class rather than English. However, as it turns out, I was in the right place. It also turns out that I did know very much about modernismRead MoreSexual Expression: Defining Joyce’s Characters Essays2201 Words   |  9 PagesJoyce’s Characters James Joyce uses sexuality throughout his works to establish an intimate and relatable bond between the reader and the characters in his works. All of Joyce’s works address issues in sexuality, which presents the idea that sexuality was of upmost importance to him. Given that sex is a large part of human existence, it is a good way to get the attention of the reader. A substantial amount of characters throughout Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man are driven by sexualRead More Essay on Art in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man1577 Words   |  7 PagesArt in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Dedalus philosophy of art, expressed in his discussion with Lynch in Chapter Five, seems essentially romantic, yet the novel is written in a very realistic mode typical of the twentieth century. This apparent inconsistency may direct us to one way of interpreting this novel. Dedalus idea of art may be Romantic, but because his world is no longer the world of the Romantics he has to see art more as a fundamental validationRead MoreSmugging in the Square: Homosexuality as a Literary Device in James Joyces A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man.3689 Words   |  15 PagesWhat can be said of the menacing literary masterpiece that is A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is that the gender issues Joyce so surreptitiously weaves into Stephan Dedalus’s character create sizable obstacles for the reader to overcome. Joyce expertly composes a feminine backdrop in which he can mold Stephan to inexplicably become innately homosexual. As Laurie Teal points out â€Å"†¦ Joy ce plays with gender inversion as a uniquely powerful tool of characterization.†(63) Stephan’s constant conflictRead MoreA Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man By James Joyce1929 Words   |  8 Pages What is the name of your work? What is the author’s name? When and where does it take place? A Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce is a semi-autobiographical novel that takes place in Ireland during a surge of political reformation, and calls for separation from England during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Describe your response to reading this novel. Was the novel absorbing? Burdensome? Aligned with your expectation? Not? Was there a difference in your usual reading, since this