Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 24

Case Study Example The company supplier power is larger in its international operations than in domestic business transactions. In the U.S. the supplier power is concentrated in three companies that have the three largest market shares. The material that changed the industry and cannibalized the soft drink can industry is aluminum. The threat of new entrants can be categorized as medium low. The industry is controlled by five companies that have a combined 61% share in the U.S. (Bradley). The rest of the marketplace is served by over 100 independent companies. Due to the high value of the market which is worth over $12.2 billion there are always going to be entrepreneurs interested in penetrating the market. This industry is capital intensive and requires a high investment in machinery and equipment to set up an operation. Engineering knowledge is imperative for the success of a company. Since there are a few hundreds players in this industry another entrant could successfully penetrate even though the existence of high barriers of entry. The Buyer power of Crown Cork & Seal is medium high. The company currently has a market share of 7%. In 1989 the company produced 120,795 million cans. Its buyer power is higher in the international arena than in the United States. One of the competitive advantages the company enjoys is lower direct labor costs due to cheaper labor prices overseas. The company has the capability to achieve economies of scales in the purchase of raw materials such as plastic, steel, and aluminum. Economies of scale enable companies to lower the cost of buying materials. The threat of substitutes in the industry is medium. In regards to the sale of soft drinks can the majority of manufacturers utilize aluminum. In terms of packaging the biggest threat to metal packaging is plastic. Plastic is a petroleum derivative. The utilization of research and development allows companies to bring innovation to the industry. The company has a passive strategy in its

Critical Thinking Discussion and Summary Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking Discussion and Summary Essay I dont know if there is a universal correct definition of critical thinking. I think this a very individualistic tool used by humans to break down different problems and situations and the best way to go about coming up with the best resolution in a non-biased manner. Gathering a thought process that is reasonable and with demeanor. This is simply how I would personally define critical thinking. Thinking things over more than once, second guessing yourself here and there, seeing things from multiple perspectives, and most importantly thinking if your thoughts would be different from the other side of an argument or situation. I think critical thinking is important for us to fully understand ourselves and our situations as well as others and their situations. Critical thinking is considering multiple angles and viewpoints and trying to understand them and where they come from, as well as why they exist. In my life personally, critical thinking has always been something I would like to think Ive had due to being raised in a very diverse atmosphere and a very diverse community. Ive seen racism towards more than one race, Ive seen both sides of different biases, and I have lived in a small town closed minded community as well as the middle of a large densely populated city. It makes you think differently than most around you. It seems like you feel differently than most around you. There isnt much that surprises you so there arent many situations that you are uncomfortable in. You think before you act, you think before you speak, and you take time and consideration to realize the type of environment you are in and the people you are surrounded by. Things like this dont go through every young persons mind before acting or speaking. You slow down, you react calmer, and you try not to get too high or too low. From this course I dont think Im looking for how to think critically as much as why some of us do think critically and some of us dont. I think Im looking for more reasoning for the differential than a definition of critical thinking.

Starbuck’s, Nordstrom, Boeing, Costco and Wal-Mart have all been Essay

Starbuck’s, Nordstrom, Boeing, Costco and Wal-Mart have all been chosenas Fortune Magazine â€Å"USA 100 Best Companies to Work For† Starbuck’s, Nordstrom, Boeing, Costco and Wal-Mart are leaders in their industry and have been doing business successfully. During the research on their Human Resource Management (HRM), I can see their successes are firmly related to their effective and efficient HRM strategies. There are many factors in common among these five companies’ HRM strategies: devotion to employees’ benefits, employee training, a diversified work environment, promotions and rewards system, friendly and healthy workplace and outsourcing opportunities, Starbuck’s business has been boosting year by year. For many people that have had Starbuck’s coffee, they may notice that Starbuck’s customer service is outstanding. Every customer is treated like a VIP and with high quality service. This has a lot to do with Starbuck’s HRM. Starbuck’s provides its management team and employees training to help them better understand its business process. Also, Starbuck’s offers a wide range of job opportunities for people to develop their potential. Nordstrom has reputation of quality products and customer service. From its website introduction, it is not hard to find that Nordstrom gives employees an excellent rewards system to encourage higher standard service, and it values employees at different levels. Every employee that works at Nordstrom will feel he or sh...

Audit Accounting Red Bluff Case Essay

1. The two biggest concerns relating to possible fraud for the motel part of the business are: a) The couple failing to record hotel guest stays in order to steal the cash paid. By not recording the hotel stay their cash reconciliations would be clear. b) The couple has no incentive help the motel perform at a profit since they are paid at salary. Since there is a high demand for their motel, service and quality could take a significant slip without losing too much money. The first control that could be set in place is through the intake process. Mr. Fernandez can easily set in place controls that would automatically create a transaction every time a new key was created. This is assuming the doors are operated with electronic keys. The only way this key system would work is if the keypad reset once the client was checked out of the system. Meaning the key would no longer work on that room and would need to be reprogramed i.e. create a new charge in the system. Another control that Mr. Fernandez could set in place would be to give the couple incentivized pay. It could be made up of both a base salary and bonuses based on the motel’s performance. Separation of duties- Might be limited because there are a small number of ppl. Have the cleaning staff report directly to Mr. Fernandez to let him know how many rooms they cleaned. Rooms cleaned should meet revenue. Tip line- If you don’t receive a receipt call this number. 2. The two biggest concerns relating to possible fraud for the cafà © part of the business are: a) Cash Receipts- Again the couple has too much control over transactions being recorded and the handling of money. b) Inventory- The cafà © inventory is a big concern because it is probably one of the most vulnerable assets behind cash. Mr. Fernandez can set up cameras in the cafà © and the motel that he can access remotely. This would be one way to deter the couple as well as employees. One of the best ways to make sure the couple and their staff is recording all meals sold is to have an touch screen order taking device. The customers can order the meals themselves or have their waitress/waiter record their order on a hand held mobile device. This recording system would also be able to keep track of any discounts or compensated meals the couple gives out. Another control that would need to be put in place is a monthly inventory check. This would help keep track of what items are being used in relation to what revenue is being produced. High inventory turnover with lower than usual revenue would probably prompt Mr. Fernandez to check the camera’s for stolen inventory. Preload the menu with set meals/price. Everything should match revenue and inventory. The Cafà © should be separate from the motel. All goods should be sent through Mr. Fernandez so that he can see what the couple is buying. 3. If the system automatically created a charge in the system, this would not only keep track of what rooms are available, but it would also encourage the employees to accurately check-in and out each guest to avoid discrepancies with money collected and money due from a customer’s stay. By paying the couple an incentive based salary they will most likely perform better for the benefit of the motel and cafà ©. They will be motivated to hire the most qualified staff that would help create a profitable business. Having the cameras installed in the motel and cafà © wouldn’t cause any issues with productivity. By having the customers and employees use an electronic device to record meal orders would increase efficiency because orders could be instantly sent to the kitchen to be made. Performing an inventory for the kitchen’s assets every month might not be too efficient but it would be effective. Depending on how large the cafà © is, having staff perform inventory every month might be too much of an arduous task. 4. I believe the proposed controls would help boost productivity and benefit the motel/cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s day to day operations. However, if Mr. Fernandez were to change the salary of the couple they might feel as if Mr. Fernandez is backing out on what he originally agreed to pay the couple. Mr. Fernandez could alleviate any animosity and tension by ensuring the couple that a good performance on their part could potentially bring in more money than their original base salary.

Society’s Perception of Affirmative Action

I both agree, and disagree with what the author is saying in this article. He starts by saying that our chances of succeeding are influenced by the generation of our family that came before us, and by our network of friends and acquaintances. He applies the term â€Å"social capital,† to this. He then goes on to say that the government needs to take responsibility for ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity get a job, be accepted into a university, or move up in their company. The next five paragraphs are spent arguing against â€Å"color-blind absolutism,† that is, the idea that we should ignore race altogether. To this point in the article, I could not agree more. I believe most rational thinking people learn from their parents, older siblings and even their extended families. They see the mistakes that their families made and want to do better. In my family for instance, I am the youngest of six children. My parents grew up in farming communities and had little or no education. I was the first in the family to go straight through high school and graduate. Only the four youngest of six children received a high school diploma or equivalent, and only myself and one of my brothers has had any education beyond that. I see this as a natural evolution that takes several generations. Some of my older siblings did not see the value of an education, or of planning your future and setting goals. While I saw the mistakes they made, it took me several years to realize that my success was dependent on setting goals, and the actions I took to achieve them. I also agree with the author assertion that society cannot be completely colorblind. We do not need to pretend that we are not different, we need to accept and embrace each other's differences. We need to recognize and respect the each other's cultures. Color and race will forever be used, just as height and weight are used to describe people. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging our differences, as long as we do not perceive those differences as negatives. I have to disagree with the remainder of the article. He has taken offense, apparently, to the perception that blacks need to be given preferential treatment to achieve a degree of success. I believe that he is arguing that affirmative action is demeaning to blacks, but what he should be arguing against is not affirmative action, but white society's perception of affirmative action. Used as it was intended, affirmative action does not give minorities preferential treatment, it gives them an opportunity to compete with other applicants of equal qualifications. Human nature being what it is, opportunities do not always present themselves solely because of a persons skills, qualifications, or persistence. I recently read that a high percentage of positions are filled not through newspaper ads, or recruiting agencies, but through word of mouth. The best place for employers to look for new employees is often from their current employees. If this is true, then unless your work place is already racially diverse, most of your new hires are likely to come from similar racial or ethnic background as the majority of your workforce. Breaking this cycle takes a conscious effort. I believe this is the case in organized labor organizations. Perhaps there is no conscious effort to keep blacks or minorities out, but a desire to get one's family and friends in, so that they too may enjoy the benefits of a good job. I believe I benefited from affirmative action when I joined the union apprenticeship program. Had it not been for the pressure applied on unions to diversify, there is little doubt in my mind that someone's son or nephew would have received that position. And that person would most likely have been a white male. The intention of affirmative action is to level the playing field, not to tilt it in the direction of minorities. If it is improperly used, we must not blame the program; we must blame the people that are administering it. Universities should not lower standards, but encourage academically qualified minorities to apply and support programs that help increase the pool of qualified applicants. While it is true that an individuals success depends largely on that individuals own drive and self determination, history has taught us that things are not going to get better without some governmental intervention.