Core Competence of Sharp Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Core Competence of Sharp Corporation - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that there were abundant literatures providing theoretical and empirical support justifying that competitive advantage is derived from imperfectly tradable, imperfectly substitutable and valuable assets. The idea of portfolio approach encouraging diversification into unrelated areas that flourished in 1960s and 1970s lost its fervor to RBV approach advocating diversification into related areas. RBV approach also was critical of multi divisonalisation of a large company that led to corporate fragmentation and short-termism undermining the development of core competencies and innovations. Core competency exploitation led to vertical integration in large companies to achieve competitive advantage. But of late vertical disintegration is being attempted in the globalization tendencies which offer wide opportunities to delegate to external suppliers with highly specialized expertise resulting in more pronounced core competency approach for the given company. As the paper highlights Hammel and Prahalad in their book â€Å"Competing for the future†assert that companies should look forward to the share of future opportunity share rather than current market share. They say that successful enterprises will reshape their industries rather than themselves by building upon their unique core competencies without building upon current product lines and that this will lead to creation of new competencies. They advocate new strategy which requires four approaches namelyunderstanding of the shape of future competition; process by which to gauge tomorrow’s opportunities; energizing the company from top-to-bottom to prepare for the future; and   overtaking the competitors and arrive at the future first without assuming undue risks.  

Canadian History post confederation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canadian History post confederation - Essay Example The threat of 'race suicide' loomed large in the outlook of housing reformers as it did in all the social improvement campaigns of the era. It was widely believed that the deplorable health of the working class, most visibly demonstrated in the high failure rates in military medical inspections, and the large-scale 'infiltration' of non-British immigrants would jeopardize the future of the Anglo-Saxon 'race.' One worrying development noted by reformers was the hesitancy of landlords to rent dwellings to families with children. This reluctance was commonly noted by observers of the urban scene and became particularly serious after the war with the housing shortage. It represented a concrete manifestation of the potential conflict of interest between different sections of capital -- industrialists and landlords -- over questions such as the reproduction of the workforce. As one conservative union bureaucrat in Toronto, J.T. Gunn, put it blatantly in 1920, 'Landlords object to children, with the result that we are drifting into race suicide.' 'Race' was a loosely defined term used extensively by social commentators to designate the peculiar social attributes that allegedly derived from the biology or culture of a particular people. In the English-Canadian case, this attitude was largely rooted in a sense of the inherent superiority of British 'stock' and constituted a fundamental element of the social hierarchy. It reflected the ideological legacy of the conquest of French Canada and the Native peoples, the Anglo-chauvinism associated with the international hegemony of the British Empire, and the Eurocentric racism linked to colonialism and slavery. Whether one was an environmentalist who believed that active intervention could uplift the social and moral conditions of the indigent and socially 'misfit' or a hereditarian who envisioned that social problems originated in immutable biological traits, there was a common opinion that the Canadian 'race' could be bettered. Neither was there disagreement that the physical, mental, and moral state of the race faced grave danger unless prompt action was taken. Early reformers isolated infectious diseases as the main peril because they threatened to overtake the city as a whole. A 1906 editorial in the Toronto Daily News outlined this threat to the 'respectable' classes: 'The Ward constitutes a constant menace to the physical and moral health of the city. It is an open sore from which flow fetid currents which cannot but be corrupting to the whole community.' The metaphor of disease was widely used to depict the slum housing conditions of immigrants and the poor. Dr Charles Hodgetts, head of the Public Health and Housing section of the COC, argued that temporary shack towns on the outskirts of cities were quickly becoming the 'overcrowded permanent homes of a foreign population -- hot beds of parasitic and communicable diseases and breeders of vice and inequity.' Such bigotry was extended to working-class British and American immigrants as

Business Environment and Strategic Management of Primark Essay - 2

Business Environment and Strategic Management of Primark - Essay Example From this study it is clear that Primark’s product categories include the ladies wear, children’s wear, men’s wear, lingerie, cosmetics, fashion accessories, and the home products. Primarily Primark’s merchandise is made especially for its own brands, but it also stocks other products from other recognised (well known) brands like the Disney, Haribo sweets, Warner Brothers, and Nivea. According to the paper the company’s apparel products lines typically showcase simple designs and fabrics in the popular sizes. Primark usually launches its stores in the high street locations and most of its products lines are usually stocked in bulk at every location. Its main competitors are BHS, Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, George at ASDA, Debenhams, and TK Max. Recognised globally for its quality in apparels and clothing at the budget prices, the company provides clothing for all sizes, ages, and sexes with different department for the household goods. Its succe ss is largely attributed to a highly organised business structures that provides its customers with what they need at within a reasonable prices. Primark’s cost leadership means that the company’s market research team are usually on the pulse of the fashion changes by providing products that are similar to its rival companies quickly. The majority of the company’s sources of supply is in the overseas countries such as China, India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Turkey. The company has developed the computerised customs clearance, the dedicated.

The Mesaba Energy Project Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Mesaba Energy Project - Case Study Example The site should accommodate multiple generating units, covering more than 1,000 acres to provide buffer zone between the plant facilities and nearby communities. Preferred project location is West Range Plant Site, Greenfield which is designated for auxiliary mining purposes ("Area Definitions"). The main objective for this site is due to Iron range that is only about 70 miles northwest of Duluth near Taconite and Bovey. Other than this, natural gas pipelines, high voltage transmission line corridors and viable rail service are also the deciding factors. An alternate site is also under consideration, located in the east range plant site; which is closer to Hoyt Lake iron range, about 50 mile north of Duluth and has access to water as well as feed-stock transportation option ("Minnesota Hydrology Guide", 1992). An estimated total project costs approximately $1.97 Billion, Department of Energy share is $36 Million. It is expected to complete construction work by 2011 and after that wit hin one year to start its operation. The main attributes to this project are, 2005 Energy Policy Act that provides loan guarantees, legislatively mandated PPA with Northern States Power (A3/BBB-), Regulatory incentives and exemption from certificate of need, Public support and large demand in market, and fuel flexibility or lowest-cost fuel ("Mesaba"). MEP: From Coal to Technology Project is supposed to be designed with a thought as fuel efficient where primary material is coal; a small statistic outlines the fuel compositions which can be used interchangeably; 100% coal including Powder River Basin sub-bituminous and Illinois No. 6 bituminous coals, up to 1:1 ratio of coal and petroleum coke blend and petroleum coke. A group of MIT studied on role of coal to lessen its effect on global climate change. They came up with a result that carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology can reduce carbon dioxide emission to a significant amount without hampering its energy output requirement. According to Dr. Deutch: As the world's leading energy user and greenhouse gas emitter, the U.S. must take the lead in showing the world CCS can work. Demonstration of technical, economic, and institutional features of CCS at commercial scale coal combustion and conversion plants will give policymakers and the public confidence that a practical carbon mitigation control option exists, will reduce cost of CCS should carbon emission controls be adopted, and will maintain the low-cost coal option in an environmentally acceptable manner. Coal is a low cost and its usage is increasing day by day. So using coal directly without CCS will affect the climate directly leading to a global change. CCS enables coal to meet its energy criteria in future and in parallel saving the atmosphere from CO2 emissions as coal contains a high carbon percentage ("Future of Coal", 2007). Fuel gasification is done first which is a process of converting coal, petroleum coke etc into gaseous state from solid one. It is similar to natural gas and used for electric power generation. The gasification process that MEP will use is ConocoPhillips' E-Gas technology. Raw materials are first crushed and slurry is formed which is pumped

Historic Preservation and the Imagined West Essay - 3

Historic Preservation and the Imagined West - Essay Example What had been original downtown areas went into decline as growing populations demanded more space, modern buildings, as well as roads and highways that take them there. Chasing the In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a renewed interest in urban renewal. According to Morley, three cities that she examined determined that what was old could be revitalized and made useful and profitable. Much of the trend towards this renewal (translation: rewriting) of history was started by Dana Crawford in the mid 1960s, before whose time urban renewal meant erasing the past and rebuilding a future vision. These efforts resulted in many historic structures being torn down and destroyed. Unfortunately, although Crawford and her group did save some historic buildings, much of the revitalization she accomplished was of Denver’s sports mania. If General William H. Larimer, an early settler of the area and for whom the street is named were to return, the only way he would recognize what today’s preservationists call Larimer Street would be if he was a Broncos fan. Soon after the Larimer Street project started showing signs of success, Crawford took her preservation carpetbag to other areas of the city, most notably the southern downtown area. As the profit news spread, other areas such as Albuquerque and Seattle took note. As with Denver, Albuquerque and Seattle also saved a few historic buildings in their utopian visions, but for all their efforts to save history and work with what is, Morley says that they failed to make authentic places (Morley 16). Albuquerque, for example, saved several old residences, churches, and commercial structures in the Old Town. Seattle’s Pioneer Square was the old central part of the city, but a trip through the Pike Place market, where hundreds of vendors loudly hawk their wares is as Morley describes it, â€Å"an honest place in a phony

Storm over the Andes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Storm over the Andes - Essay Example This happens through use of violence and threats. Lawlessness is the result of this political radicalism as they like to call it but it has left the country being run by criminals and unscrupulous characters and who now control the power. On the economic front, after the economic breakdown in the 1970s and 1980s, the Latin America economy underwent several reforms and which have seen the economic growth and success of some of these nations. What is evident is the trade liberalization which has been brought about by the neoliberalism. All this however has been at the expense of the poor who are in no way benefiting from this trade liberalization. The immense success of the economy from the 1990s is being overshadowed by the continuing political storm in the area with the trade proceeds being used to conduct more coups and being misused to gain power and control over the region. With time all these economic success will be deemed futile if the current state of political affairs continues. The political and economic trend according to Lora, (2006) has almost been similar since 1970s where economic success or downturn affects the political stand and vice versa and hence these Latin American nations have almost been moving around in circles with no exit being seen in the near future. Fiscal problems in the 1970s brought about the need to change both the political and economic procedures. This led to the coining of the neo liberalism as well as democracy which lasted for a while throughout the 80s and 90s but then again changed. With the success of the economy in terms of trade tariffs, having economic front with other nations leading to elimination of bureaucracies and strengthening of the public administration came the power greed by the fascists and radicalists in the form of criminals and military. Military coups became the order of the day in the 2000s and political assassinations and attempted

Free

Free Press and Democracy Essay Democracy is a form of government in which all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Democracy allows eligible citizens to participate equally and to have free access to information ideas and opinions, with this reasoning is inferred that de democracy needs free press in order to be function properly. The power of the press is associated to the fundamental principles of democracy thats to say the freedom of expression and freedom of opinion. The desire of people to express themselves freely wouldnt have been possible without a fully free press. The power of the press has managed to reach such importance as freedom of expression. Free press has the capacity to arms citizens with essential information-the truth, that gives people the opportunity to choose the path to follow and to have their own opinion when it comes to solve problems or take a side in the issues that will always take place in a society. An intimidated, uninformed and disinterested public would be the predictable result of the loss of freedom of the press. It is basic statement that to maintain a healthy democracy no government activity should escape the scrutiny of the press. According to one story, one of Napoleon’s contemporaries visited the United States as a guest of President Thomas Jefferson. Upon seeing a Federalist newspaper article lying on a table that heavily criticized Jefferson’s policies, the visiting Frenchman remarked that the writer of the article should be punished. Jefferson responded calmly, â€Å" Sir, you may take the newspaper back with you to France, because that is the difference between my country and yours.† The president, a great believer in freedom of the press, was telling his visitor that without this right, American would not be the country that it is. This was true in 1800, and is equally true today. The freedom to publish facts, even opposing opinions about those facts, is essential for informed voters to participate in a democracy. In a nutshell, it can be inferred with all this information that democracy and free press needs to come handy, together in order to give people the freedom that they deserve to take their own opinion in a determinate matter. In my opinion everybody have the right to take their own decisions and to have their own opinion in all aspects of live. Without free press there is no democracy, no freedom of choice.