Environmental Scan Paper Essay

A business environment is made up of both internal and external factors. The environment of a business must be scanned to be able to determine what factors the company can use to determine the development and forecasts that will help in the success of the business. The definition of Environmental Scanning, as per managementstudyguide.com, is the â€Å"possession and utilization of information about occasions, patterns, trends, and relationships within an organization’s internal and external environment†. Scanning is used to identify the threats and opportunities that exist in the business environment. Some of the internal environment factors that a company must observe include; employee interaction with each other, with management, manager interaction with other managers, and manager interaction with shareholders, brand awareness, organizational structure and the main staff (managementstudyguide.com, 2012). The company may use other resources to gain this information as in group discussions, surveys and interviews. This information than may be used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company. External environment plays an important role as a company starts to become more competitive and changes start to occur. As these changes start to occur, it becomes essential for the company to identify what their competitors are doing. These changes may also affect the internal environment, so it is important that the company update its core competencies as per the external environment. Because external environments are always changing, the company should be ready at all times to be able to accept and adjust to the environmental changes. External monitoring could include the original forecasts of raw materials, which may affect the credibility of the original source. This will force the company to be more focused on scanning, forecasting and analysis to create a more trustworthy prediction and the input costs (managementstudyguide.com, 2012). The external environment scan should include three areas; immediate/industry environment, national environment, and the broader socio-economic environment/macro-environment. Companies The two companies that will be used in this paper will be Apple and Target. Both of these companies have survived a tough economy over the years by having to adjust to many external and internal environmental factors. Apple, as most of us know, is a successful producer of computer hardware and software. Target, is one of the largest retail companies, right behind Wal-Mart, in the U.S. The environmental scan is used to evaluate the threats, opportunities, strengths and weakness of both Apple and Target. This will help identify external and internal areas that may need help and the areas that have been successful. Strengths There are many strengths that have made Apple a success. Apple is known to offer superior products such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod and many others. They control both the manufacturing of its products as well as its operating system (http://www.slideshare.net/edbiy/swot-analysis-for-apple, 2012). Apple also produces its own internal components for the core of their products. They also set a high standard for the quality of their products to make sure that the customer is extremely satisfied. Apple is always evolving and creating new and updated products. Apple has a very loyal customer base that will buy the new and updated product regardless of what it costs. The company stock is also the highest in their personal history. Target is a monster of a company as well. As of 2011, the diversification of its store chain was at 1,750 stores. The stores are big; anywhere between 95,000 to 135,000 square feet is size. As of 2011, Target has a presence in all states except Vermont. Due to the competition with Wal-Mart to keep their product prices low, Target has seen increases in revenue year after year, with their 2011 revenue equaling $67 billion. Target has adapted to their specific demographic locations and offer three different types of stores; Target Green Lands, Super Target, and their urban stores. And most important, Target offers a wide variety of goods; clothing, electronics, beauty, and home furnishings to just name a few. Weaknesses As being the leader in the electronic industry, Apple is faced with having to ensure their product is consistent and quality is number one. Not all of Apple’s products are without flaws. With their competitors making similar devices, Apple must continue to invest in research and development, to make sure any flaws don’t hamper future success. With Apple being a financial stable company, any lack of debt could be seen as a weakness for their infrastructure as it may pose a risk for stock acquisition by other companies (http://www.slideshare.net/edbiy/swot-analysis-for-apple, 2012). As for Target, their lack of an internal presence is a weakness. Though their products are considered low cost, the quality of their product is better than Wal-Mart, which makes Target’s products a higher price than their competitor. Employee wages have also been considered low, forcing some employees to look for work elsewhere. Threats With Apple products saturating the market, Microsoft has still be able to hold a consistent share of the market as well. Within the industry, there are many competitors that appeal to the economic conscience. Companies such as HP and Dell are offering low-budget computers that are appealing to customers that cannot afford the Apple product. Apple must be able to produce their products and set a financial standard so they do not lose out on a certain market of people. Target has their threats as well. Kmart and Wal-Mart both offer similar products but at a lower cost. With today’s economy, customers may sacrifice the quality of a product to get a lower price. Target may have to restructure their product base to keep from losing out to the competition. Opportunity With Apple being a technological leader, they are known for their originality and innovative thinking. iLife is a new product that allows users to link up multiple programs through one central application. Apple has found a way to simplify a person’s â€Å"life†, by consolidating what that person needs into one little package. That is innovation at its finest. Apple will continue to develop new opportunities through innovation and breaking new ground in different markets. Target introduced that the company will expand into Canada, this being the first step into the international market. The company will focus on reducing operational cost and increasing their revenue ratio. Target will continue to push the private labled products to customers, to focus on low cost products. These companies are creating value by offering a product that is made up of tangible and intangible attributes that the customer values. These companies are able to obtain money for the costs which then generates benefits that it values. Apple and Target create products that offer many solutions for their customer. This creates a competitive advantage for these companies. Creative advantage is the â€Å"advantage that a company has over its competitors, allowing it to generate greater sales or margins and/or retains more customers than its competition† (Investopedia.com, 2012). Both companies have shown that they offer a product that has been superior to their competition, which in turn has generated greater sales for these companies. The mission statement of a company is a way to evaluate how a company may measure their effectiveness. Apple states, â€Å"Apple computer is committed to protecting the environment, health and safety of our employees, customers and the global communities where we operate. We recognize that by integrating sound environmental, health and safety management practices into all aspects of our business, we can offer technologically innovative products and services while conserving and enhancing resources for future generations. Apple strives for continuous improvement in our environmental, health and safety management systems and in the environmental quality of our products, processes and services†. Target states, â€Å"Our mission is to make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. ® brand promise†. Both Apple and Target have shown continued success, both following their mission to create a better experience for their customers. References Answers, W. (2012). Answers. Retrieved October 08, 2012, from WikiAnswers.com: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_mission_statement_of_apple_inc Investopedia. (2012). Competitive Advantage. Retrieved October 08, 2012, from Investopedia.com: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/competitive_advantage.asp#axzz28k4ujJ6x Managementstudyguide.com. (2008-2012). Environmental Scanning-Internal & External Analysis of Environment. Retrieved October 08, 2012, from Managementstudyguide.com: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/environmental-scanning.htm Mixx, M. (2012). Targer SWOT Analysis. Retrieved October 08, 2012, from MarketMixx.com: http://marketingmixx.com/marketing-basics/swot-analysis-marketing-basics/177-target-corporation-swot-analysis.html Target Brands, I. (2012). Mission & Values. Retrieved October 08, 2012, from Target.com: http://corporate.target.com/about/mission-values Unknown. (2012). Slideshare.net. Retrieved October 08, 2012, from SWOT Analysis for Apple: http://www.slideshare.net/edbiy/swot-analysis-for-apple

The Crucible Essays (923 words) - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible

The Crucible Essays (923 words) - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible The Crucible The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is a play that takes place in the sixteen nineties during the famous but tragic witch trials. The entire community is in pandemonium yet certain characters are also fighting internal conflicts of their own. Miller uses three characters who manifest this internal battle ever so clearly. Such as Mary Warren who whole personality turns upside down, John Proctor who contemplates between the importance of his family and his own name and Reverend Hale who battles with himself wether to carry out his job requirements or do what he knows is right. Mary Warren is a girl who is forced with this inner turmoil throughout this play. At the outset of the play she is perceived to be a very shy girl who will never speak her mind as shown when Proctor sends her home and she responds with " I'm just going home" (21). As the play continues and as she is influenced by Abigail, Mary begins to break this self induced mold and does what she wants. Mary Warren, along with many other girls gets caught up in the hype of getting all the attention and exercising power via initiating and adamantly continuing these "witch trials". Finally John Proctor, the rationalist, shows that when people like Rebecca Nurse and Elizabeth Proctor who are the saintliest of people are accused of being witches, something must be wrong. Mary Warren has a difficult decision to make. She has realized that her whole way of life has been based on injustice. However, how can she extricate herself from Abigail and her friends, not to mention her new feelings of confidence. Mary decides to speak out against Abigail and the others for their false accusations and said that she " tried to kill me numerous times"(57). Yet as she does this heroic act of overcoming her old reality, Abigail pretends that Mary is also a witch using the poppets against her(73). Mary is now faced with yet another grueling internal conflict: to do what she knows is right and probably die for it, or to return to her old ways. Mary succumbs to Abigails "hypnosis " and accuses John Proctor of forcing her to lie. Clearly the battle which Mary faced from the very beginning was enormous. John Proctor a farmer and village commoner similarly is faced with an inner turmoil. He has committed adultery and had absolutely no intentions of joining in the witch trials unless hi pregnant wife were to also get involved. After his wife got involved and eventually was set free due to the fact that she was pregnant feels that he can't accept this. Proctor is a good and noble man and because of this he believes at first he can't be hanged and die a martyr when he has this sin blooming over him every waking moment . John later says to Elizabeth that " My honesty is broke, Elizabeth; I am no good man. Nothing's spoiled by giving them this lie that were not rotten long before"(136) and rather confess then die for something he flat out didn't do. However, as John confesses, he can not allow Danforth to make it officially documented. As Danforth asks him why John answers with a cry " because it is my name. Because I cannot have another in my life . . . How may I live without my name? Have given you my soul; leave me my name(143). John feels strongly about having a good name and not dying with a bad one. Proctor weighs both sides of his internal conflict and realizes that he must not make another mistake. He therefore, prescribes himself to death, not for his own sake, but rather for the sake of the others. As John dies Liz weeps saying " He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it away"(145). Another internal conflict is evident in Reverend Hale who initiates these problems. At first Reverend Hale is sure about his belief that there are witches and feels that he is carrying out the desires of G-D himself. Yet as the play moves on and Hale sees all these honest and good people being sentenced and executed he

Claes Oldenburg essays

Claes Oldenburg essays Claes Oldenburg is a arist that has tested the modern art scene with his huge art sites like his giant bow and arrow in San Francisco. Claes Oldenburg is a modern artist and he makes art showing normal everyday things as sculptures they are either small or big most of his work is of a large scale he uses mixed medium like metal wood or some sort of fabric. Claes Oldenburg is considered a pop artist and he was part of the Pop art movement. He often uses an huge scale for his artwork. He puts small things like a spoon across a lake as a bridge a spoon is a small thing not meant to be big. He is famous for many of his designs in England as well as the United States. He hit the scene in the late 80s and has been making art ever sense. He makes landscapes that fit the enviorment around him. Claes Oldenburg has changed the way we see normal every day objects like a garden hose or spoon and now we see that these objects can be used for inspiration in some of the more creative minds Claes Oldenburg inspires me to look at the normal and find something to make out of it and to change your overall view of a normal object to see something more creative and different something that you wouldnt have seen before if your mind was not open and looking for something. You have to look to find what your looking for even if its in the most normal and obvious places. There is always something more to be found in places weve seen we just have to open ourselves and look. ...

How To Calculate the Variance and Standard Deviation

How To Calculate the Variance and Standard Deviation Variance and standard deviation are two closely related measures of variation that you will hear about a lot in studies, journals, or statistics class. They are two basic and fundamental concepts in statistics that must be understood in order to understand most other statistical concepts or procedures. Below, we’ll review what they are and how to find the variance and standard deviation. Key Takeaways: Variance and Standard Deviation The variance and standard deviation show us how much the scores in a distribution vary from the average.The standard deviation is the square root of the variance.For small data sets, the variance can be calculated by hand, but statistical programs can be used for larger data sets. Definition By definition, variance and standard deviation are both measures of variation for interval-ratio variables. They describe how much variation or diversity there is in a distribution. Both the variance and standard deviation increase or decrease based on how closely the scores cluster around the mean. Variance is defined as the average of the squared deviations from the mean. To calculate the variance, you first subtract the mean from each number and then square the results to find the squared differences. You then find the average of those squared differences. The result is the variance. The standard deviation is a measure of how spread out the numbers in a distribution are. It indicates how much, on average, each of the values in the distribution deviates from the mean, or center, of the distribution. It is calculated by taking the square root of the variance. A Conceptual Example The variance and standard deviation are important because they tell us things about the data set that we can’t learn just by looking at the mean, or average. As an example, imagine that you have three younger siblings: one sibling who is 13, and twins who are 10. In this case, the average age of your siblings would be 11. Now imagine that you have three siblings, ages 17, 12, and 4. In this case, the average age of your siblings would still be 11, but the variance and standard deviation would be larger. A Quantitative Example Let’s say we want to find the variance and standard deviation of the age among your group of 5 close friends. The ages of you and your friends are 25, 26, 27, 30, and 32. First, we must find the mean age: (25 26 27 30 32) / 5 28. Then, we need to calculate the differences from the mean for each of the 5 friends. 25 – 28 -326 – 28 -227 – 28 -130 – 28 232 – 28 4 Next, to calculate the variance, we take each difference from the mean, square it, then average the result. Variance ( (-3)2 (-2)2 (-1)2 22 42)/ 5 (9 4 1 4 16 ) / 5 6.8 So, the variance is 6.8. And the standard deviation is the square root of the variance, which is 2.61. What this means is that, on average, you and your friends are 2.61 years apart in age. Although it’s possible to calculate the variance by hand for smaller data sets such as this one, statistical software programs can also be used to calculate the variance and standard deviation. Sample Versus Population When conducting statistical tests, it’s important to be aware of the difference between a population and a sample. To calculate the standard deviation (or variance) of a population, you would need to collect measurements for everyone in the group you’re studying; for a sample, you would only collect measurements from a subset of the population. In the example above, we assumed that the group of five friends was a population; if we had treated it as a sample instead, calculating the sample standard deviation and sample variance would be slightly different (instead of dividing by the sample size to find the variance, we would have first subtracted one from the sample size and then divided by this smaller number). Importance of the Variance and Standard Deviation The variance and standard deviation are important in statistics, because they serve as the basis for other types of statistical calculations. For example, the standard deviation is necessary for converting test scores into Z-scores. The variance and standard deviation also play an important role when conducting statistical tests such as t-tests. References Frankfort-Nachmias, C. Leon-Guerrero, A. (2006). Social Statistics for a Diverse Society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Assessment of The Economic Climate in Britain, Pertaining to Starting Essay

Assessment of The Economic Climate in Britain, Pertaining to Starting up a New Business - Essay Example ntinue pumping money in economic condition, the year (2012) closing with triple dip recession alarm with industrial production dropped by 9.8% as compared to 2011 and highest decline in 20 years (Elliot, 2012), results in imposing negative pressure on the business start ups as it seems difficult to reap considerable profits in this economic condition. On the other hand the positive signals such as growth forecast to remain 0.9% in contrast to -0.1% in 2012 and the UK job hiring pick-up (Murray, 2013), encourage the entrepreneurs to establish their own business set up as there are growth chances. Year 2013 gives mixed signals of growth such as reports of further decline in industrial production in 2013 while on the other hand, February 2013 reported permanent job hiring increased for four consecutive months in January 2013’ anticipating growth of almost 0.7% for 2013 (Murray, 2013). The decrease in the industrial production impose risk on the start up of a new venture as it ref lects decrease in the supply of products and hence increase in inflation. On the other hand the growth in the employment rate is beneficial for the start up businesses as it signals more consumption on the part of the individuals. Mixed signals despite consistent efforts traces trend mainly from triple dip recession due to deepened Euro-Zone crises and increased inflation curtailing consumer demand (Elliot, 2012). Ranking of UK on Doing Business chart developed by World Bank has improved from 8th positions in 2012 to 7th position in 2013 (World Bank, 2013; Schwab, 2012). This improvement is based on the factors assessing ease of doing business; therefore, self refers that ease has been increased in order to encourage investors to initiate business and gear up economic activity. Moreover, these... This essay aims to identify the impact of economic risks on the state of business environment of UK. It is being considered in the essay, that doing business in UK carry greater risk than ever. Despite consistent efforts the weak performance of UK economy is still creating greater uncertainty for the people who are interested in starting their own business venture. For instance, negative signals such as UK to borrow much higher in 2012-13 as compared to previous year with almost public sector job cuts reaching 1.2 million and further 2.7 million by 2018 Still, The UK conditions where unemployment has not been as high as expected, austerity plans of government stuck and jobs being created (though in slow pace) are all dampening recovery of economy as well as local demand. Conversely the stimulus is positive from external demand. Increase in the local and external demand results in providing the new start up businesses with better operating environment leading to rise in the overall profits and returns. Therefore, it can be stated the conditions to do business are much better for concerns intend to capitalise on this increasing demand. Ranking of UK on Doing Business chart developed by World Bank has improved from 8 positions in 2012 to 7 position in 2013. This improvement is based on the factors assessing ease of doing business. The ease has been increased in order to encourage investors to initiate business and gear up economic activity. Moreover, these positive factors are also reflecting acceptance in the financial market.

Why Did Romans Fear Rule By Monarchy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Why Did Romans Fear Rule By Monarchy - Essay Example However, with Tarquinius Priscus, it was said that royal inheritance flowed from the female relations of the deceased monarch. The Roman kings were therefore chosen primarily on their virtues and not royal lineage. The powers wielded by the king are difficult to determine since some historians attribute them with those possessed by later Republican leaders, mainly the Consuls. Modern historians believe that Rome's kings were the chief executive for the senate and the people, and that real power was exercised by the people. Other historians believe that the king had the supreme power and the senate and people only had checks upon his power. The king had the sole right to auspice in behalf of Rome as its chief augur. No public business could be undertaken without consent of the gods whose will were made known through the auspices. Thus, the king is treated with reverence as he is considered the mediator between the gods and the people. The king is therefore the head of the national religion and the is its foremost religious executive. He had the power to control the Roman calendar. He also conducted all religious ceremonies, created lower religious officers, and appointed their officials. Aside from his religious authority, the king also held supreme military and judicial authority by virtue of the Imperium. It was his for life and was protected and gave him immunity from being tried for his actions. This allowed him to exercise vast military powers that could not be checked, for he was commander of all Roman legions. The kings wielded enormous power since there was also an absence of laws which protected citizens from the abuses of officials possessing the Imperium. The Imperium also allowed the king to make legal judgments since he also acts as the chief justice of Rome. He had overall jurisdiction over cases brought before him, whether they are civil or criminal, although he could also assign pontiffs to function as minor judges. The powers vested upon him by the Imperium made the king supreme in both peace and war. Although a council advices the king during trials, it has no power over the king and cannot control his decisions. Some historians believe that the king's decision was final and cannot be appealed. Others say that an appeal can be made by a patrician or member of the elite, during meetings of the Curiate Assembly, which elected magistrates and exercised judicial and legislative powers. The king also had the power to nominate or appoint all officials to offices. He appoints a Tribunus Celerum who is similar to the Praetorian Prefect, and served as the commander of the king's bodyguard. The king appointed the Tribune upon entering office and the Tribune was required to eave his office upon the death of the king. The Tribune was second in rank to the king and possessed the authority to convene the Curiate Assembly. The king also appointed the Praefectus Urbanus who performed the duties of warden of the city. The prefect assumed all the king's powers and abilities when the monarch is absent from the city. He assumed the king's power that he was also bestowed the Imperium while inside the city. There came a point in time when the king also acquired the sole right to appoint patricians to the senate. The Senate and the Curiate Assembly had very little power and authority under the Roman kings. They were not independent bodies that could meet and discuss affairs of state. They could only be convened by the king and their discussions are limited to matters which are presented before them by the monarch. The Curiate Assembly had the power to pas laws presented before

THE ROLE OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION STRATEGY IN SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE Essay - 2

THE ROLE OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION STRATEGY IN SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE RETENTION WITHIN A COMPLEX INTERNATIONAL LABOUR MARKET - Essay Example This is more perplexing when we consider the generous remuneration packages enjoyed by the expatriates. Similarly some of the vocations are curtailed by employees in spite of the rigorous recruitment procedures undertaken to harness the right candidates. So where are the recruiters going wrong in the hiring process? The effectiveness of the recruitment exercise has also come under intense scrutiny due to the relatively high cost of replacing absconding staff. Workman (2008) cites adapting to the host or foreign culture as the main reason individuals resign from the lucrative international assignments. Many married employees usually desire to educate their children in their home country rather than in the host country. This is evident even when they are in more developed cultures than their own domestic country. In developing countries like the Middle East oil producing nations, expatriates schools are provided for the foreign nationals complete with international curriculum for their children. However most of the families are reluctant to bring up their children in this environment. Other privileges are provided whenever cultural norms clash with those of the host country nevertheless; the turnover is still high despite the efforts of the international companies to retain them. Adaptability to foreign cultures is therefore a major challenge for international assignment. Curry (2004) however decries lack of an intensive recruitment screening exercise as the main reason to having a high employee turnover in both national and international organizations. Just as individuals carefully screen their spouses before marriage, Curry asserts that companies should similarly thoroughly vet their employees prior to hiring them to minimize the losses incurred in recruiting, employing and training fresh employees. McNamara (2008) conversely cites the lack