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Remember by Rossetti Essay - 496 Words

Remember by Rossetti The opening two lines of Rossetti’s sonnet Remember introduce the idea of separation, but whether the speaker’s eminent departure is because she has chosen to leave her lover or because she is dying is not immediately clear. As the poem unfolds, the reader understands that death will divide the couple, and the initial hint of that is the phrase silent land to describe the place the speaker is going. The words seem to define a cemetery or individual grave more than heaven, and silent, in particular, implies a dormant state—an existence and a place that are neither joyous nor painful, pleasant nor sad. The opening lines also portray the speaker’s desire to be remembered, and she requests her lover to†¦show more content†¦Themes Imperfect Love The theme of imperfect love in Rossetti’s Remember is an idea based on the more obvious and often used theme of religion in her work. To a poet so devoutly centered on her Christian faith and love of God, the love of a man must seem second-rate, at best. A question, therefore, arises about her sincerity in the relationship she has with her lover— on one hand, she seems honestly to love him and begs him to remember her when she is dead; on the other hand, she appears a bit nonchalant in her willingness to tell him to forget her just the same. In the beginning of the poem, the love between the couple seems strong, and the overtone of sadness and grief stems from the notion that death is about to tear them apart. But is this notion a fact? Is the woman really dying and, if so, how much time does she have left—a few hours, a few weeks, a year? There is no indication of a time limit, nor is there any reference to what she Style The Sonnet In Victorian England and centuries prior, writing poetry meant writing with formality, adhering to a specific line length, rhyme scheme, meter, and so forth. The sonnet is one of the most popular styles of formal verse, and there are two main types of sonnets—the Shakespearean (English) and the Petrarchan (Italian). In its structure, Remember most closely follows the Petrarchan style, named for the Italian poet Petrarch Francesco (1307–1374) who made it popular. This type ofShow MoreRelatedRemember by Christina Rossetti847 Words   |  4 Pagessquarely into the category of lyric poetry. Lyric expresses the emotions of the poet as well as their thoughts and feelings. The poet is asking their significant other to remember them when they go away, which I interpret as dying. Through the first eight lines of the poem the writer is firm on the wish that their lover remember them, seemingly wishing for them to not move forward, but to keep up a vigil of remembrance of the other. In lines nine through fourteen the writer has a change of heart,Read More Compare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti1914 Words   |  8 PagesCompare and Contrast Remember and A Birthday by Christina Rossetti Christina Rossetti was born in Victorian England and grew up in the pre-Raphaelite era. Coming from a well educated family she drew influence for her poems from her surroundings and experiences. In ‘A Birthday’, she looks at the celebration of finding new love. She is overjoyed because her love is reciprocated and wants to make a new beginning with this man spending the rest of her life with him raising a family. A BirthdayRead MoreThe Works of Christina Rossetti677 Words   |  3 Pagesimportant thing in life. However, that is not the case for Christina Rossetti. Her views on life are very realistic and matter of fact. She believes earthly gifts and human emotions are not important because none of it is permanent. She does not need money or love, and she does not care if she is remembered. Rossetti reveals what is most important to her—her relationship with God, not her relationship with humanity. Rossetti displays what is important to her through her humble plea in â€Å"Song’.Read MoreRemember and Refugee Mother and Child820 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish Literature: Poetry Introduction and analysis to the two poems ‘Remember’: This is a beautiful poem written by the poet Christina Rossetti. Rossetti is known for her contrasting themes of love and death she puts into her poems, ‘Remember’ is no exception. It is quite obvious that Rossetti is talking to a loved one in the poem, most likely a lover. From researching, I have found that Rossetti wrote this poem when she was still in love with Charles Cayley, and also the fact that thereRead MoreChristina Rossettis : Song Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pagesand grief. Love and tragic loss are key themes of the Pre-Raphaelite Art and Literature movement, and ‘Song’ combines the two beautifully in a way that neither glorifies nor portrays a detrimental idea of death and the outcomes it brings. Rossetti uses a variety of natural imagery to beautify the idea of life. She tells the reader to ‘plant no roses at my head’ where the symbol of the ‘rose’ embodies the theme of love, which was key in such a Romantic Era of poetry. Further use of the ideaRead More I have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is824 Words   |  4 PagesI have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is based on the theme of afterlife. Rossetti was always known to have a strong belief in the afterlife, I have chosen to study the poems Uphill and Remember. Uphill is based on the theme of afterlife. Rossetti was always known to have a strong belief in the afterlife, and symbolises this in Uphill. The poem itself is written in a unique style. A style which I feel interacts the poet and the reader. The poem is an exchangeRead MoreAp English Lit and Comp759 Words   |  4 PagesSahira Younas In the two sonnets, â€Å"Remember† by Christina Rossetti and â€Å"The Cross of Snow† by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the authors address death and remembrance indicating similarities when exploring grieving process but also demonstrate its differences through literary techniques. They both utilized symbolism, imagery, and metaphorical language but showed differences in tone. Christina Rossetti and Henry Longfellow utilized symbolism to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolicRead More Comparison Of Love Poetry: Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesComparison Of Love Poetry: Rememberby Christina Rossetti, How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron The three poems, Remember by Christina Rossetti; How Do I love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron, each explore love and loss in their own unique ways. Remember is, as expected from the title, a solemn lament which is a farewell sonnet to her treasured one. How Do I Love Thee? is again a sonnet of love but Read MoreAnalysis Of Remember And War Photographer 1226 Words   |  5 PagesEnglish Literature: Analysis of the portrayal of death in, â€Å"Remember† and â€Å"War Photographer†: The two poems I am writing about today, â€Å"Remember† by Christina Rossetti and, â€Å"War Photographer† by Carol Anne Duffy are both poetical works associated with dying and also within â€Å"Remember† the apprehensiveness of the afterlife. â€Å"Remember† is written in first person, the poet is the speaker, and is contemplating various events which will happen after one has died or a loved one. â€Å"War Photographer† is inRead More‚Äà ²the Poems ‚Äà ²Remember‚Äà ´, ‚Äà ²Piano‚Äà ´ and ‚Äà ²Poem at Thirty-Nine‚Äà ´ All Explore Melancholy Emotions.‚Äà ´ How Far Do You Agree with This Statement?1178 Words   |  5 Pages‘The poems ‘Remember’, ‘Piano’ and ‘Poem at Thirty-nine’ all explore melancholy emotions.’ How far do you agree with this statement? ‘Poem at Thirty-nine’ and ‘Piano’ explore melancholy emotions while ‘Remember’ does not in my opinion. The reasons I do no completely agree is because the three poems all have hidden feelings and meanings. ‘Poem at Thirty-nine’ shows melancholy emotions because it presents the loss of the persona’s father and ‘Piano’ portrays how D.H. Lawrence misses his childhood

Business Strategy Free Essays

THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT [pic] STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES Strategic capabilities are the resources and competencies Vodafone need to survive and prosper. (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2006, p. 119) Why do we need to understand Vodafone’s Capabilities†¦. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Vodafone’s capabilities will allow Vodafone to achieve competitive advantage over others because Vodafone has something that a competitor doesn’t have, or has difficulty getting. |RESOURCES |COMPETENCES | |THRESHOLD CAPABILITIES |THRESHOLD RESOURCES |THRESHOLD COMPETENCES | | |-TANIGBLE | | | |-INTANGIBLE | | |CAPABILITIES |UNIQUE RESOURCES |CORE COMPETENCES | |FOR |-TANIGBLE | | |COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE |-INTANGIBLE | | (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2006, p. 118) Threshold Resources According to Johnson, Scholes Whittington (2006 p. 119) threshold resources are needed to meet customer’s minimum requirements. Tangible resources are all means available to an organisation that can physically be observed (touched), such as Vodafone’s HQ in Mount View, Leopardstown, Dublin, it also comprises over 70 Vodafone retail stores and over 30 partner stores in Ireland its phones, its networking and cabling structure (www. vodafone. ie). Intangible resources on the other hand cannot be touched, but are largely carried within the people in the organisation, such as culture, knowledge and reputation (De Wit Merger 2005, p. 113) Unique Resources Unique resources underpin competitive advantage and are difficult for competitors to imitate or obtain. (Johnson, Scholes Whittington, 2006 p. 119) Again, they can be tangible or intangible in nature. Vodafone offers broad roaming plans to their customers. †¢ Network coverage. Vodafone network is available to other network users in remote areas Competences Threshold competences are the activities and processes Vodafone carry out to meet customer†™s minimum requirements (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2006, p. 119). Core competences are activities that underpin competitive advantage and are difficult for competitors to imitate or obtain (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2006, p. 119). We have derived from our analysis, based on the utilization of Vodafone’s resources the following core competences are: †¢ Vodafone Ireland, as part of the Vodafone Group, aims to maximize the tilization of their resources by committing to helping communities and the environment, through their Corporate Responsibility program. ‘The Green Agenda’ is an environmental strategy combining Vodafone’s internal goals with a leadership position; to on their stakeholders the central role sustainability must play in our lives. Vodafone intended to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2011. †¢ Charity initiatives: Vodafone Ireland Foundation. The aim is to provide assistance in the form of cash donations, sponsorship and staff vol unteering for Irish Charities. The partnerships they acquire with various charities allow for effective use of resources such as supporting Irelands elite disability athletes in the run up to and beyond next summer’s London 2012 Paralympics Games. Ultimately, corporate social responsibility has been handled extremely well; Vodafone is maximising the opportunities of positive Public Relations, and positive brand perceptions achieved through ‘giving back’ to the community. †¢ Marketing Skills have enabled Vodafone to dominate the Irish telecom industry. Vodafone invests heavily on customer research in order to discover customer expectations, their needs, understand how to effectively communicate to customers. By outsourcing customer satisfaction research to third party suppliers it has enabled Vodafone to provide excellent research capabilities and customer service. †¢ Leadership and Management Styles have a direct impact on organisational culture. Analysis revealed that the Vodafone culture can be described as young, vibrant and dynamic. Senior management have developed Vodafone Ireland as a learning organization by creating career development opportunities for employees with respect to its daily activities. Emphasis is on developing personal capabilities. Cost Efficiency An important strategic capability in any organisation is to ensure attention is paid to achieving and continually improving cost efficiency. This will involve having both appropriate resources and the competences to manage costs. Customers can benefit from cost efficiency in terms of lower prices or more product features for the same price. (Johnson, Scholes Whittington 2006) Delivering cost efficiency is a core Vodafone initiative. During 2011 Vodafone saw European Operating costs reduced by 4% on an organic basis, saving the organisation ? 140 million. A number of factors may impact the prices Vodafone charge and revenue Vodafone receive such as completion, regulatory decisions and legislation on mobile termination rates, international roaming charges and the availability and cost of spectrum. For example in Ireland, the national regulator has proposed auctioning all spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum bands at the same time as an auction of 800 MHz spectrum in 2011, with spectrum available in 2013. In the meantime, Vodafone’s 900 MHz licences will be renewed until the commencement of the new licences in 2013. Also changes in macroeconomic conditions will affect Vodafone. Vodafone’s VALUE CHAIN Value chain analysis describes activities within and around an organisation, and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the organisation. Johnson and Scholes (1999) outline that one of the key aspects of value chain analysis is the recognition that organisations are much more than a random collection of machines, money and people. These resources are of no value unless deployed into activities and organised routines and systems, which ensure that services are produced which are valued by the final consumer, in other words it is Vodafone’s competences to perform particular activities and its ability to manage linkages between activities which are the source of competitive advantage for the organisation. Infrastructure | | | | | | |HRM |Training and |Development | | | | |Technology |Group Technologies | | | | | |Procurement | | | | | | |Inbound Logistics |Operations |Outbound Logistics |Marketing Sales |Services | | |One Supply Chain |Better understanding of |Multiple Customer |Focus its resources on |Locate a great number of | | |Management to manage most |the Strategic Values of IT|Interfaces to deliver its |local customer |own branded stores to | | |of Vodafone’s |to perform its business |products and services |relationship management- |accommodate customer | | |relationships with |operations more |(web, mail, telephone, and|micro segmentation, |service | | |Suppliers |efficiently and |self service portal) |real-time marketing | | | |Supplier Performance |effectively | |direct distribution plus | | | |management process in | | |aligned partners, such as | | | |place in order to monitor | | |Carphone Warehouse | | | |and review | | | | | | Generic categories of the value chain | |FIRM INFRASTRUCTURE CONSISTS OF ALL GENERAL ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT| | | |THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN INCLUDING GENERAL | | | |MANAGEMENT, PLANNING, FINANCE, LEGAL AND | | | |QUALITY MANAGEMENT | | | | | | | | | |SUPPORT ACTIVITIES | | | | |HUMAN RESOURC E MANAGEMENT |ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF | | | |PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT THE ORGANISATION | | |TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT |ACTIVITIIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF | | | |TECHNOLOGIES THROUGHOUT THE FIRM | | |PROCRUREMENT |ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PURCHASING OF | | | |INPUTS TO FACILITATE ALL OTHER ACTIVITIES | | |INBOUND LOGISTICS |ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH RECEIVING, STORING | | | |AND DISSEMINATING INPUTS, INCLUDING WAREHOUSING| | | |AND VECHILE SHEDULING | | | | | | | | | | | | | |PRIMARY ACTIVITIES | | | | |OPERATIONS |ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSFORMING INPUTS | | | INTO FINAL PRODUCTS | | |OUTBOUND LOGISTICS |ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH DISTRIBUTING | | | |PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO BUYERS | | |MARKETING AND SALES |ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING A MEANS BY| | | |WHICH BUYERS CAN PURCHASE THE PRODUCT AND | | | |INDUSING THEM TO DO SO (ADVERTISING, SALES | | | |PROMOTION AND PRICING) | | |SERVICES |ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING SERVICE TO| | | |ENHANCE OR MAINTAIN THE VALUE OF PRODUCTS. | (De Wit Ron Meyer, 2005) Vodafone’s VALUE CHAIN NETWORK Organisations are part of a wider system of adding value involving supply and distribution value chains and the value chains of customers (Lynch 2000). SUPPLIERS VALUE CHAIN CHANNEL VALUE CHAIN CUSTOMER VALUE CHAIN Analysis of the value chain and value system will provide information on value added in the company. Linkages are important to strategic development because they are often unique to that organisation. These linkages may therefore provide advantages over competitors who do not have such linkages, or who are unable to easily develop them (Lynch 2000, p270). (xxxxx) According to Porter, â€Å"fit is a far more central component of competitive advantage than most realise†. BENCHMARKING Benching has quickly come to be a tool not only for comparing a company against rivals on cost but also for comparing itself to others on most any relevant activity or competitively important measure (Thompson Strickland 2001). There are a number of different types of benchmarking, some more useful than others such as Historical benchmarking-which is common for organisations to consider their performance in relation to previous years. Industry/sector benchmarking- which involves looking at the comparative performance of other organisations in the same industry sector or between similar public service providers. Best-in-class benchmarking- compares an organisations performance against ‘best in class’ performance –wherever that is found. One of Vodafone’s key objectives is to deliver value and efficiency from scale, the organisation is continually seeking to improve its cost efficiency against a background of continual price pressures due to competition in the market and regulations. Vodafone uses the Hackett Group, an external independent benchmarking company to gain a better insight into its competitive position in the market place. The Hackett Group, using best practice business benchmarking helps propel clients to sustainable improvements in operational efficiency and effectiveness. Looking at Vodafone from a Cost perspective the company has favourable comparative cost positions in many markets; [pic] (http://www. vodafone. com/content/annualreport/annual_report11/business-review/strategy-in-action/deliver-value-and-efficiency-from-scale. html) SWOT ANALYSIS- STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Strengths |Weaknesses | |Well defined cost reduction initiative. |1. High customers churn rates. | |Ethical company and in r anking top 20 in Europe. |2. Hard to prevent internal information leakage from | |Close relationships with suppliers and cost efficiency. |Vodafone to competitors. | |Strong market leading position. |3. Outsourcing-Lack of control over service quality. | |Pure cash provisions. |4. Lack of communication between head office and retail | |Excellent brand reputation. |outlets. As a result retail staff may not be receiving | | |adequate training on Vodafone products/services. | |5. Staff forced to be flexible in job design | | |(doubling/tripling work load) which causes quality | | |deficiency. | Appendix 5: SWOT analysis- Key points highlighted THE TOWS MATRIX The TOWS matrix builds directly on the information about the strategic position that is summarised in a SWOT analysis. Each box of the TOWS matrix is used to identify options that address a different combination of the internal factors and external factors. (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2006, 347) |STRENGTHS (S) |WEAKNESSE S (W) | |OPPORTUNITIES (O) |SO STRATEGIC OPTIONS |WO STRATEGIC OPTIONS | | |USE THE FIRMS INTERNAL STRENGTHS TO TAKE |IMPROVING INTERNAL WEAKNESSES BY TAKING | | |AVDVANTAGE OF EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES |ADVANTAGE OF EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES | |THREATS (T) |ST STRATEGIC OPTIONS |WT STRATEGIC OPTIONS | | |USING FIRMS STRENGTHS TO AVOID OR REDUCE |DEFENSIVE TACTICS AIMED AT REDUCING | | |THE IMPACT OF EXTERNAL THREATS |INTERNAL WEAKNESSES AND AVOIDING | | | |ENVIRNONMENTAL THREATS | (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2006, p. 347) Vodafone’s TOWS MATRIX INTERNAL FACTORS |STRENGTHS (S) |WEAKNESSES (W) | |OPPORTUNITIES (O) |SO STRATEGIC OPTIONS |WO STRATEGIC OPTIONS | |THREATS (T) |ST STRATEGIC OPTIONS |WT STRATEGIC OPTIONS | ———————– Software Suppliers Hardware Suppliers Third Party Service Providers Vodafone Indirect Channels Direct Channel Online Sales Broadband Customer Personal Customer PROFIT MARGINS SUPPORT ACTIVITIES | | B usiness Customer PROFIT MARGINS PRIMARY ACTIVITIES INTERNAL FACTORS EXTERNAL FACTORS EXTERNAL FACTORS How to cite Business Strategy, Papers Business Strategy Free Essays Application Exercise (Assignment to be submitted) (180 min. ) * Construct a value chain for your department/ division/ company and contrast it over time or vis a vis a competitor, to try and explain the business performance. | | Guidelines for the assignment * Brief introduction of your firm and division. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now * Draw a value chain of your division/company. (as next best choice generic chain will do) Enlist all the activities under the relevant primary and support functions. Show how each activity is being pursued now, and also differently over time, by your firm. (OR if comparison is not over time but with a competitor’s value chain, show how they perform it differently) * Indicate internal links within the activities, if any. Show how the activities of the value chain are linked to company strategy and structure and how these links enhance competitive advantage. (or show the lack of these links and divergence of activities-scope for improvement in value chain. ). Explore external links (eg. lignment of activities with vendors that enhances differentiation. ) * Conclude-Reflect on overall shift in value chain over time OR difference with competitor’s value chain and how that results in difference in business performance. * The assignment submission should not exceed 5 pages| | About VMware VMware is the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, delivers customer-proven solutions that accelerate IT by reducing complexity and enabling more flexible, agile service delivery. VMware enables enterprises to adopt a cloud model that addresses their unique business challenges. VMware’s approach accelerates the transition to cloud computing while preserving existing investments and improving security and control. With more than 350,000 customers and 50,000 partners, VMware solutions help organizations of all sizes lower costs, increase business agility and ensure freedom of choice I belong to the Consulting Services Division of VMware where we carry out the consulting implementation and management of customer projects Vmware’s Value chain is broadly covered as below . The Value Chain Analysis of VMware covers two categories of activities – primary and support activities. The primary activities are most familiar, as it deals with the steps and processes necessary to take the VMware product or service from RD to final customer sale and support. * Suppy Chain Management – covers the identification, sourcing, procurement, and supplier management of the â€Å"raw materials† that comprise the final product or service. Operations – covers the engineering, inventory management, and manufacturing of the final product or service. Note:   any technologies incorporated into the product or service are also included here. * Distribution – covers the entire channel network and partnerships that VMware drives for distributing the key platform product solutions * Marketing and Sales – covers the marketing, merchandising, promotions, advertising, sales, and channel management to get the completed product and service to the end customer. Service – covers the support and maintenance of products and services after they are delivered to the customer. The secondary activities are less familiar, but equally important in supporting product and service scalability. * RD – covers the testing of the product as per the customer specifications, development and roll out of new product updates * Technology Development – covers the supporting technologies, both information technologies as well as other technologies, important for keeping the lights on. Technologies integrated into the product would be covered in the Operations stage. * Human Resource Management – covers the recruiting, hiring, development,and firing of personnel. * General Administration – covers the general admin tasks of the company (buildings, offices, warehouses) I belong to the Services Department function which forms the primary form of activities in the value chain in terms of delivering the value of the virtualization and cloud benefits to customers as per VMware best practices. Compared to our competitor which is Microsoft our services are allinged to be more proactive to customers in the form of Technical Account Manager program. The product profolio that we drive in the Services and consulting space are truly key in giving VMware 84% of the global market share. VMware Professional Services offer end-to-end consulting services for Datacenter, Virtualization Management, Desktop Virtualization and Cloud Services. Our service offerings are based on in-depth virtualization expertise, proven best practices, and repeatable delivery methodologies to help customers realize the full value of virtualization for IT as a service computing models faster, and with less risk. Based on best practices from working with thousands of customers and using reliable, repeatable methodologies, our services are designed to help Assess the current environments, Plan and design solutions that meet the desired business objectives, Build and implement the desired virtualization solutions, and Manage the environment with staff augmentation and performance tuning Regardless of the level of a customer’s virtualization maturity or business need, VMware Consulting Services accelerate the business value of IT transformation to IT as a Service computing models, through virtualization, with less risk compared to our competition which is the key differentiator in our engagement with customers compared to competition. We have provided key differentiators in our Services Value chain which has resulted huge business benefits to VMware the summary of which is as below – Year-over-Year Revenue Growth of 25% to $1. 6 Billion – Operating Margin of 20. 6%; Non-GAAP Operating Margin of 32. 6% – Trailing Twelve Months Operating Cash Flows Growth of 64% to $2. 12 Billion; Free Cash Flows Growth of 53% to $2. 07 Billion Service revenues, which include software maintenance and professional services, were $573 million for 2012, an increase of 35% from 2011. The use of value chain analysis facilitates the strategic management of VMware as an organization. The three main types of competitive strategy are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Cost leadership is a strategy that relies on lowest-cost production and delivery, while differentiation relies on outstanding quality or product (program/course) features. The focus strategy relies on differentiation or cost leadership for a particular product or market niche. Value chain analysis is a framework that can provide a number of benefits to the VMware management of virtualiation and cloud computing organizations. This analysis help VMware managers of to identify linkages between value activities within the organization, and to think in terms of process rather than function or department. Through analysis of the value system, managers identify potentials for strategic alliances with various actors in the industry value system. Identification of cost drivers and linkage with value chain activities help managers focus on cost reduction and on finding ways to optimize returns throughout the value chain. As well, value chain analysis helps managers understand cost management problems. Failure to see the impact of a decision on the overall value chain will result in missed opportunities for VMware. The value chain framework allows VMware to break down the chain—from basic infrastructure and support, to software development, to customer support and service—into strategically relevant activities to understand the behavior of costs and the sources of differentiation. Profit Margin is typically only one part of the larger set of activities in the value delivery system. Gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage requires that VMware understands the entire value delivery system, not just the portion of the value chain in which it participates. Suppliers and distribution channels have profit margins that must be identified if one is to understand VMware’s cost or differentiation positioning, because the customers ultimately pay for all the profit margins throughout the value chain. Broadly the value chain framework is used as powerful analysis tool for the strategic planning and to build the organizational model ensuring an effective leadership model. The value chain concept is applied also in the individual business unit and is extended to the whole supply chain and distribution networks of VMware. To form a successful product for VMware it is important to add value in each activity that the product goes through during the life cycle. The best possible value can be achieved in the product development process by adding value in each stage. For that it needs all, or a combination of, value chain activities and a proper synchronization among all the related activities. A proper organization is required that contains all the required functional departments to perform these activities and a proper communication approach is required to synchronize the activities of these functional units efficiently. How to cite Business Strategy, Essay examples Business Strategy Free Essays MPM703 Business Strategy and Analysis Trimester 1, 2013 Assignment: Business Strategy Report In this assignment you are acting either as a group of strategy consultants (group assignment), or as one strategy consultant (individual assignment). You have been asked to prepare a strategy report for a business. The first step is to select a business as the subject of your assignment. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now The business can be a publicly listed company in Australia or overseas which is of interest to you or other members of your group, or it may be a large private or family business located either in Australia or overseas. Do not use or refer to assignments completed by students for this unit in previous trimesters. (A record of past assignments is kept on a database). Note also that the requirements of the assignment change from trimester to trimester. The focus of this assignment is on the business level of analysis. Therefore if you select a diversified company then make sure you focus only on one of the company’s business units. The report must be specific and applied to the business. In other words you must apply the relevant concepts and tools of business strategy to the particular conditions and circumstances of the business you are studying. General statements and references to theories and models that are not applied to the business will not add value to your assignment. Similarly, data about the business that is not analysed and presented from a strategic perspective – using the relevant concepts and tools of strategy – is of little value. To help you in this exercise, consider the position of the CEO of the business who will be reading your report and looking for a strategic analysis and recommendation that is practical and specific to her or his business. The CEO does not want to read a broad analysis that could apply to any number of organisations and does not ‘speak’ to their business. Group or individual submission This assignment may be completed either as a group submission (up to 5 people) or as an individual assignment (one person only). Either way, you must sign up in one of the group assignment spaces online. Marking will be done without regard to whether the assignment was a group or individual submission. In other words an individual assignment should be of a similar standard and quality to that of a group assignment. For group assignments the mark will be shared by all in the group. Therefore: 1. Allocate the various tasks among your group members and agree on interim due dates for the stages of work. Make sure your interim due dates allow for drafts to be circulated and edited so that the final submission is of the highest standard. 2. Each group member must make a relatively fair and reasonable contribution to the report, in whatever form or shape that might take, in order to share equally in the mark. In the rare event that there are any issues you should contact me two weeks prior to the report due date so that a resolution can be reached. Report format and requirements The presentation of your report is a critical aspect of this assignment. It is essential that your report is formatted appropriately, and carefully edited and re-edited to achieve a professional standard. Allow time to draft and re-draft your assignment prior to the due date in order to improve the quality of writing and presentation. You must follow carefully the report structure and requirements set out below. 1. Title Page In the title page, you should include: †¢ Title of the report, e. g. ‘Company X: A Business Strategy Report’. Cloud Deakin Group number (whether you are a group or individual). †¢ The names and student IDs of your group members. †¢ Off campus or on campus status. †¢ Date and Unit Code. †¢ Name and postal address for the return of your assignment. 2. Table of contents Include all of the section headings and subheadings used in your report, together with page numbers. 3. Executive summary (Less t han 300 words) This is a one page only summary of the report, written as a series of short paragraphs, outlining your key findings and recommended strategic option. 4. Introduction (Approximately 400 words) This section provides some background and context to your report. Your introduction should include: †¢ A brief description of the reasons for undertaking the study, i. e. the value of undertaking a strategy review of the business. †¢ An introduction to the business and its macro environment and industry. 5. Strategic Analysis 5. 1 Methods (Approximately 200 words) Provide a brief description of the techniques of data collection and analysis used in this section, including an outline of the sources used to gather the data upon which the report is based. Data may be collected from sources within the business (business documents, questionnaires, interviews) and from industry reports, media sources, the World Wide Web and database searches. It is important to describe the types and quantity of your data sources so that the reader can evaluate the quality and validity of the data on which your analysis is based. 5. 2 Business strategy statement (Approximately 300 words) Describe the mission, vision, objectives, scope, and advantage of the business (see section 1. 2. 3 in the text). Summarise these descriptions into a clear and compelling strategy statement in 35 words or less. . 3 External analysis (Approximately 800 words) †¢ Conduct a PESTEL analysis of your business’s macro environment, evaluating whether each of the PESTEL factors are positive, neutral, or negative for the industry. †¢ Provide an overall evaluation of the impact of these factors on growth and consumer demand in the industry. Explain which of the inf luences in your analysis are likely to be the main drivers for change in the future. †¢ Using the five forces framework described in your text, evaluate and briefly describe the key forces at work in your business’s industry environment. Draw a strategy canvas for your business and the two main rivals (see Figure 2. 9 in the text). Describe briefly the three most critical success factors for your business (see pp. 73-74 in the text). 5. 4 Strategic capability (Approximately 400 words) †¢ Describe your business’s strategic capability in the form of a value chain analysis. †¢ Present a SWOT analysis in table form. 5. 5 Strategy and culture (Approximately 400 words) Draw a cultural web of the business (see Chapter 5 of your text and Figure 5. 8). Briefly evaluate the relationship between the business’s culture and its strategy. . 6Strategic direction (Approximately 450 words) Identify and describe the one most viable strategic direction for the busin ess. To undertake this task refer to Figure 7. 2 on p. 232 and the relevant commentary. Explain how your chosen strategic direction allows the business to: †¢ Respond appropriately to the industry and macro environments described in your external analysis. †¢ Match the strengths of the business to the opportunities in the environment, described in your earlier analyses, to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. . Conclusion (Approximately 250 words) This section is written in paragraph form to provide a summary of one key finding from each of the report sections from 5. 2 to 5. 6. 7. References List all of the references referred to in the report. Please note that appendices are not allowed. Requirements Word limit:3500 (excluding the references only) Line spacing: 1. 5 Font size: 12 Contribution to your final mark: 40% Due date: 3. 00pm, Tuesday 7 May 2013 NB. Words in excess of 3500 will not be marked. Assignment submission rules All assignments are to be submitted online, in addition to a printed copy delivered to the Faculty office, or handed in at lecture. For off campus students the mailed hard copy of the assignment is deemed to be on time if sent and post-marked by the due date of the assignment. Please note that the version of an assignment you submit electronically must be the same as any version you submit in any other form. Students enrolled through partnership agreements must submit as required by the unit chair at the partner institution on the due date. Assignments are on time if they are submitted online and in hard copy on the due date. On campus students must submit the printed version in lecture or at the Faculty office by the due date; off campus students must mail their submission on or before the due date to: Assignment Tracking AASD Deakin University Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3217 3Remote students: A student is classified as remote if they are living in a place where it takes more than 3 days for mail to reach Deakin University, Geelong, for example overseas in certain locations. If you are a remote student, you may submit your assignment by email to jaynes@deakin. edu. au If you are a remote student and submit via email, please clearly state your name, student ID number, unit code and assignment number on the email. It is also recommended that you place this information on your assignment as a Footer or Header. The Assignment Tracking staff will print your assignment and place an Assignment Attachment Form onto your assignment. It will then be tracked and sent to your assessor for marking the same day. When returning the assignment, the assignment will be sent by normal postage and not via email. Please do not post another version in the mail if you email your assignment. 5 No extensions will be considered for assignment submission due dates unless a written request is submitted to and negotiated with the unit chair. 6 Assignments submitted late without an extension being granted will not be marked. Plagiarism and other academic offences Plagiarism is the copying of another person’s ideas or expressions without appropriate acknowledgment. Please read the notes on plagiarism in the Unit Guide. How to cite Business Strategy, Papers Business Strategy Free Essays Victorians Secret, in both its’ business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics in both channels. Strategically the company focuses on individual business processes instead of its’ business model so that it can improve upon some of them with technology as this avoids a primarily internet-driven business model which could affect the sales of their retail locations. Their business processes that support their verbal selling and purchasing activities for their physical locations can be utilized by the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which is a strategy implemented in order to reduce transaction costs by improving the flow of information within the company and its’ channels. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now This helps to coordinate the actions for both channels which is useful in maintaining the same brand standards regardless of where the consumer is buying the product. An example of this would be the technique library database the company established which Is shared among all regions/suppliers and includes company standards of design and production. Victorians Secret implements a business strategy that makes use of multiple marketing channels such as their retail stores and e-commerce channel. They utilize a 360 degree approach for the website with channel cooperation regarding their already established physical locations. Victorians Secret strategically avoids channel conflict by differentiating certain products such as best sellers and only offering them for sale from Victorians Secret, In both Its’ business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics In both the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which Is a be the technique library database the company established which is shared among. How to cite Business Strategy, Papers

Issues Management and Influencing Decisions †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Issues Management and Influencing Decisions. Answer: Introduction: The term firms strategic orientation is a very complex term consisting of several factors that both in the category of either external or internal section of the business. What brings out more complexity is the fact that all these factors in concern interact with each other, and this results in an environment of lots of certainties, availability of numerous stakeholders and causal ambiguity as some of the aspects. There have existed managerial attempts that are aimed at exerting pressure on the above forces and this has led to the creation of multiple models that are geared towards the performance of strategic management. As stated above, there has been a lot of challenging in the determination of the role or the essence of strategic management despite the many attempts that have been made to explain the same. Many organization has had a challenge I determination of the organizational prerequisites that they have to put in place so that the organization can run its activities well. The problem is that many attempts by the scholars have not been In a position to bring to the attention of most of the organization manages the procedures they are supposed to follow when performing their tasks and the development of a strategic management role, not forgetting the role of monitoring the environment as well. This research is geared towards, identification and understanding all the forces that are crucial or play a part in an organization environment, both internal and externally. This also explains how the forces end up shaping the organization. The basics of these research are based on the issue management approach which is concerned with intelligence, design, choice, implementation, feedback as the model of decision making. Several models were developed to help solve the problem of strategic management. The intelligence model attributed to Herbert Simon and his fellow researchers was the best since it captured many other sections other than external and the internal environment. Unlike other models that only considered the majoring their argument on the time that should be spent on the design and choice phases of decision making, the Herbert Simon group approach covered all the other sections like the intelligence, design, choice, implementation, and feedback model. The findings were as follows In many organizations, the majority of the managers considered sacrificing most of the time on the design of the issues management and decision-making processes instead of considering other factors like implementation process. There is a need for strategic thinking for every organization as a way of realizing assumptions, identifying signals and classifying them and last generation and testing of hypotheses. The implications of the key findings One of the key findings was there was a need for a strategic thinking. According to Ansoff, today, the level of bringing a change is in a condition that the official and the recognized procedures used for planning seem to be no longer enough to respond to future turbulence in time. This is due to high level of improved technology that has also had an impact on the economic world too. Another reason for slow change implementation is the increasing number of stakeholder that are involved in organized activities in different ways. These implications are evident when it comes to corporate and social responsibilities concerning the nature and the need for a business. The lack of considering the strategic thinking by some of the organization has contributed to the failure of some organization that is good at expectancy of political pressures according to Ansoff. Strategic thinking helps managers in: Understanding the best external environment that favors the organization. Get to know the strongholds and the aims or the set goals of an organization. Be in apposition to realize new opportunities and think of how to make good use of them. Feature the many different ways of coming up with solutions or strategies. Another implication is that the organization led by the managers should consider all the processes that must be involved for a complete IM. This, therefore, calls for strategic planning. Goodstein defined planning as that activity that is done aiming the envisioning and the developing of the major procedures that and activities that a given organization uses to achieve their set objectives. Poor issue management activities imply that the organization has no ways in which it can identify and address fully any rising problem or an opportunity as well. This also implies that its the role of the manager to practice strategic thinking that is a combination of creativity and analytical abilities and these end up resulting in good strategic planning. Recommendations If an organization want to achieve strategic management, they must consider using integrated planning system model that enables the integration of both management and strategic planning.(manading strategic issues in turbulent environment , 2000)Moreover, one of the key necessities is to create authoritative capability in revealing and working with mental models. This is effortlessly said yet not really effortlessly proficient. In the two people as well as associations, they are profoundly established in the oblivious and program schedules that have been created over numerous years. Under generally serene business conditions, where change is moderate and more developmental than progressive, one can contend that SIMS is not as critical and that the current mental models may well be sufficient for the errand. Conclusions Its evident that the management issues have grown to significance levels. (Ansoff H, 1980)Now the basic functions of planning, monitoring, and analysis are being acknowledged as the essential parts of strategic management. A good management should consider providing a good frame work to make effective issues management possible. References Ansoff H, I. (1980). strategic issues management. strategic management, 131-148. Hayes, M. (1985) Developing Managers for strategic Management, in W. D. Guth (ed.), Handbook of Business Strategy, Boston, MA: Warren, Gorham Lamont, ch. XXV. Heath, R. L. and Associates (1988) Strategic Issues Management, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Hing, A. (1990) Issues Management and Influencing Decisions, Practising Manager, 11(1):4244. Hogarth, R. M. (1987) Judgment and Choice (2nd end). New York: John Wiley and Sons. Huber, G. P. (1991) Organizational Learning: The Contributing Processes and the Literatures, Organization Science 2(1): 88115. Managing strategic issues in the turbulent environment. (2000). long range planning, 67.

The Effects of PTSD on Families of Veterans

Free Essays on Harriett Jacobs

In today’s society no human being can ever imagine the pain, loneliness, anguish, and complete agony, that black women encountered during slavery. These women endured this pain their whole lives, there only joy and since of pride came from there children and families, who were ripped away from them and sold, never to be seen or heard from again. In the book, Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl, Linda Brent tells a breathtaking story of how her twenty years was spent in slavery with her master Dr. Flint. She speaks of her negative situations and how she overcame them. She takes you into the depths of slavery and shows you how slavery really was. She tells you the love and pain of being an unmarried slave mother. At around the age of twenty or so, Linda escapes and ends up in very small garret only nine foot long and seven foot wide. She lived in this hole with not even a crack of light, no clean air, and hardly ever moved for close to seven years. She finally was able to escape and make it to the North. She and her children lived a much better life and most importantly they all lived free. In the book Linda has mixed feelings about her children because like any mother she so dearly loves them. She doesn’t want them to go through the same things that she has so she wants them to die, but since she loves them so much she doesn’t want to become like other slave mothers by losing her children. How torn and powerless she must have felt as a slave mother. Linda also speaks of "The Slaves New Year’s Day", this was the time that slaves everywhere were sold and leased. Many mothers were torn from their husbands and their children. Linda speaks of one woman she witnessed, "I saw a mother lead seven children to the auction-block. She knew that some of them would be taken from her; but they took all . . . (The woman screamed) Gone! All gone! Why doesn’t God kill me?" Linda explains that things like this happen daily, even hourly. Lindaï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Harriett Jacobs Free Essays on Harriett Jacobs In today’s society no human being can ever imagine the pain, loneliness, anguish, and complete agony, that black women encountered during slavery. These women endured this pain their whole lives, there only joy and since of pride came from there children and families, who were ripped away from them and sold, never to be seen or heard from again. In the book, Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl, Linda Brent tells a breathtaking story of how her twenty years was spent in slavery with her master Dr. Flint. She speaks of her negative situations and how she overcame them. She takes you into the depths of slavery and shows you how slavery really was. She tells you the love and pain of being an unmarried slave mother. At around the age of twenty or so, Linda escapes and ends up in very small garret only nine foot long and seven foot wide. She lived in this hole with not even a crack of light, no clean air, and hardly ever moved for close to seven years. She finally was able to escape and make it to the North. She and her children lived a much better life and most importantly they all lived free. In the book Linda has mixed feelings about her children because like any mother she so dearly loves them. She doesn’t want them to go through the same things that she has so she wants them to die, but since she loves them so much she doesn’t want to become like other slave mothers by losing her children. How torn and powerless she must have felt as a slave mother. Linda also speaks of "The Slaves New Year’s Day", this was the time that slaves everywhere were sold and leased. Many mothers were torn from their husbands and their children. Linda speaks of one woman she witnessed, "I saw a mother lead seven children to the auction-block. She knew that some of them would be taken from her; but they took all . . . (The woman screamed) Gone! All gone! Why doesn’t God kill me?" Linda explains that things like this happen daily, even hourly. Lindaï ¿ ½...

Nature of The Arab Spring Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Nature of The Arab Spring - Research Paper Example It is evident that the political system in these countries promoted dictatorial regimes, which promoted corrupt practices because of little checks and balances from the greater citizens. History records that attempts t institute democracy in these countries failed to take shape in the past, but this did not deter determined Islamic organizations such as Muslim Brotherhood from plotting attempts to replace the dictatorial regimes. The wave swept from the Tunisian coast to Bahrain and currently in Syria. While it is evident that modern system of communication played a vital role in influencing the views of the people towards making an informed opinion against these regimes, many critics believe that the uprising was a time bomb that would explode at sometime in history. Egyptian Revolt Majority of Egyptians have demonstrated through interviews that the urge to change the political regime propelled the revolt. The Egyptians Arab spring began as an activists protest against the oppressive regime of President Hosni Mubarak. Critics to the Egyptian Arab spring have mentioned that the spring was not new in Egypt; however, it involved the ordinary citizens that had never streamed into the street a decade ago (Gelvin 26). Protest against Mubarak regime addressed political interest, with the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic movement playing a crucial role in previous protest (Council on Foreign Relations 125). Muslim Brotherhood activists had taken a center role in influencing the Egyptians communities to reject the Mubarak regime in the past and failed. The Egyptian government had outlawed Muslim Brotherhood alongside other activist movement that intended to create political change. Not surprisingly, the precedent of the Egyptian Arab Spring borrowed a lot from the fallen T unisian Ben Ali regime, which was subject to mass protest. The Egyptian protest started on 25 January and took 18 days before the then president relinquish power (Council on Foreign Relations 125). The structure of the Egyptian Arab Spring embraced peaceful demonstration with thousands of Egyptians coming out in large numbers, boycotting their activities, praying and chanting change of regime in Tahrir Square. However, the Egyptian government tried to use military force to repress the Arab Spring, but failed. The solidarity of the Egyptian people and the peaceful nature of the protest contributed greatly to its success. It is important to acknowledge the role of media in influencing the people. Face book was critical to the success of the movement because most people responded positively to face book messages that attracted to the protest (Council on Foreign Relations 123). Previously, Egyptian media controlled the activities of the journalists as well as oppressing journalist that were against the government. Information dissemination in the society is a powerful tool that can shape a political course. It is apparent that police and other military officers battered protestor at the beginning of the protest, Mubarak officers dressed in plain cloths posed as protestors and whipped people out the Tahrir Square, but failed to secure success because of the determination of whole public. The uprising in the Arab world had youthful characters that represented western lifestyle as opposed to the Arab lifestyle. Historians argue that the youthful cohort

Organization Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Organization Development - Research Paper Example Effective solutions can be brought about through proper discussion mechanisms incorporated in such open discussion forums. Such organizational development frameworks must be effectively designed by the organizational managers to help in the development of the organizational people as a whole and not divided by class or groups (Murphy and Willmott, 2010, p.469). Similarly the organizational managers need to identify different stakeholders when issues of organizational diversity are to be discussed in the open forums held in the business organization. Herein the different stakeholders to the issue are to be identified based on diverse groups depending on parameters like race, gender, cultural variances, sexually oriented groups or also suffering from permanent or temporary disability and other old age organizational people. The issues relating to these diverse groups need to be discussed openly to help arrive at potent solutions. Similarly organizations embracing people along different nationalities also need to devise methods to help cover the linguistic barriers so as to help the regional people understand the organizational objectives effectively (Cummings and Worley, 2008, p.280). The paper in this connection endeavors to highlight on such organizational development models that would help address the issues emerging from incorporating diverse individuals or groups in the concern. It would present a thesis on the literatures pertaining to the same and reflect on some practical situations pertaining to business organizations incorporating diverse groups and mode of solving their problems. Literature Review Jones and Brazel (2006) identify a multicultural organization as that which incorporates a large amount of diversity in both its... This essay stresses that the organizations need to work along the social sphere to design several community programs to promote the development of the different regional and other underrepresented people in the concern. Organizational managers need to design several benefit programs focused on such regional and diverse minorities to help in their development and promotion in the concern. The business development managers need to design organizational development models to help the people thrive in an open atmosphere free from coercion and individual or group autonomy. In fact the organization should let the people perform in an environment filled with positive competition and thereby gain promotion based on performance and not undue influence. This paper makes a conclusion that organizations in order to thrive in the new millennium must focus on incorporating diversity both pertaining to the workplace and also in regards to the consumers. Incorporating people from diverse areas tends to reflect that such people can either belong to different racial and ethnic tribes or are disabled or also can be classified based on differences of gender, age and or religious backgrounds. The organizations tending to incorporate such people from diverse groups need to design their policies accordingly to help in the growth of the people both along their professional and personal lifestyles with that of the organization as a whole.

Testing anti-bacterial agents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Testing anti-bacterial agents - Essay Example Firstly, the infected cell may be exposed to different types of quinolone antibacterial. Secondly, McCoy cell monolayers should inoculate with 103 (IFU) OF C. trachomatis then incubated with or without ofloxacin. Result: The main results of testing anti-bacterial agents will show in this paragraph. The effects of four types of antibacterial (Ofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Enoxacin, and Norfloxacin) in McCoy cell are different. The results may refer to the different abilities for each antibacterial to penetrate the eukaryotic cell. Moreover, the infected cell may not increase the time of incubation after the removal of anti-bacterial agents creating a little different between MIC and MLC for each antibacterial agent. On the other hand, Ofloxacin antibacterial agent may act contrary to some enzymes that are important for the survival of non-replicating intracellular chlamydia. As such, Ofloxacin has a responsibility of treating the determined and calm infection. Conclusion: This study deriv es and presents four important points. Firstly, quinolone antibacterial agent acts quickly against chlamydia. Secondly, Ofloxacin considers suitable antimicrobial agent against chlamydia infection. Thirdly, humans can achieve and maintain 1mg/l of Ofloxacin in serum. Therefore, the clinical experiment against chlamydia infection will be of interest. Finally, Ofloxacin may give us a tool to show the importance of DNA metabolism in non-replicating intracellular chlamydia organized by topoisomerases.

Case Study of China Aviation Oil Corporation Ltd

Case Study of China Aviation Oil Corporation Ltd Risk Management and Corporate Governance A Case Study of China Aviation Oil Corporation Ltd. Background introduction to CAO China Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corporation Ltd (CAO) is the Singapore subsidiary of China Aviation Oil. CAO was established in 1993 and its main business were jet fuel (kerosene) purchase for Chinese airports and international trading of fuels. CAO developed really fast and achieved 92% market share of the procurement of imported jet fuel for Chinas civil aviation industry by 2001. However, it was then involved in a big scandal which lead to its failure. In November 2004, CAO declared a total loss of $550 million and filed for bankruptcy. timeline of critical events Q1 2003 CAO enters into speculative option trades on oil prices with a bullish view Q4 2003 CAO changed its strategy and started trading speculative option trades taking a bearish view. Oct 2004 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  international oil prices rose steeply, leaving CAO facing significant margin calls on its open (short) derivative positions. Nov 2004 in a press release CAO stated it was unable to meet some of the margin calls arising from speculative derivative trades. The total derivative losses amounted to $550m. Mar 2006 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  CEO Mr. Chen Jiulin was arrested with the charge of insider trading, fined and sentenced to 51 months imprisonment. Literature Review option-based strategies There are two types of options: call and put option. One can either long or short the two options to gain profit (speculating) or mitigate risk(hedging) from price changes. In this case, CAO started its option trading in 2002 initially to hedge its jet fuel risk thorough. derivatives of futures and swaps. However, in the mid 2003, CAO started trading in speculative derivative options. hedging A hedge is needed to mitigate the risk from potential unfavorable swings in commodities. However, considering the cost and benefit effect, a hedge is not always necessary. One needs to understand the risks to be hedged, evaluate the severity and timing of downside risks properly, consider the financial instruments available and costs of certain instruments to determine the most cost-effective way to hedge. risk management and corporate governance Risk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. Risks can come from various sources including uncertainty in financial markets, threats from project failures, legal liabilities, credit risk, accidents, natural causes and disasters, or uncertain events, etc. The Board should establish appropriate guidelines for trading and ensured that they were consistent with the companys fundamental risk management policies, management capabilities and expertise, and overall risk appetite and tolerance. Senior managers (including executive members of the board) should formulate the major policies and guidelines of an institution. There should be a separation of duties between those who generate financial risks and those who manage and control these risks. Analysis CAOs trading strategies escalating bets As mentioned above, the companys trading strategy changing from hedging risks in 2002 to speculation with bullish strategy (bought calls and sold puts)in Q1 2003, which proved to be an accurate prediction. However, CAO then took a bearish view of the trend in oil prices in the fourth quarter of 2003, and began to sell calls and buy puts, with the result that it was in a short position at the end of the quarter. As the assumption was that oil prices would fall, it was further assumed that the counterparties would not extend the options, and these would therefore lapse to the benefit of the company. However, the price went further upward this time. The rise in oil prices resulted in the counterparties exercising the extendible features on options, and with the calls that were sold, the company faced the real risk of having to sell the contracted number of barrels at the strike price and realizing substantial loss. incorrect option valuation methodology The Special Auditor from PwC assigned by SGX discovered that the company used the wrong MTM valuation method by ignoring the time value, which lead to the misestimation of oil price and the wrong speculation strategy. While CAO had the chance to remedy the mistake by comparing the pricing with counterparties but the company met the margin calls without protest until it lost the financial capacity to do so at the end of September 2004. motivations behind Financial: the company developed fast and became monopoly in the market since 2000. In order to bolster its profile as well as boost investors confidence and generate more profit, the company was willing to take high risk. Political: according to exhibit 8, the year 2003 saw the burst of Gulf War. The company may want to take advantage of the war so that higher risk is acceptable as fuel is a critical resource during wars. Corporational: the lack of risk management knowledge of the CEO, insufficient management environment within the company and the inefficient external audit, as will be discussed in detail in the next section, further accelerated the fall of the big company. CAOs risk management and corporate governance In its 2003 annual report, CAO indicated that it had a formal system of rigorous internal controls over three layers. Meanwhile, other sources of control includes China Securities Regulatory Commission and External Audits. It seems that the company should have a stringent risk appetite. However, according to PwCs report, despite a continuing significant loss in 2004, in order to avoid recording and reporting losses, the company adopted a much larger risk exposure by selling longà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ term options with extremely high risk profiles to raise the premiums to cover the cost of closing out the lossà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ making option contracts (Exhibit 1). So in effect, CAO coveredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ up the losses that were realized when closing out the lossà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ making nearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ dated options. Exhibit 1 It was unclear why the companys directors did not question or object to this contravention of regulations. The Audit Committee did not carry out its function of identifying and monitoring the financial risks involved in options trading, and investigating whether the risk management framework and safeguards were sufficient for dealing with the business. Follow-up Development Restructuring outcome: In response to the investigation results by PwC, CAO indicated in a press statement that it intended to form a committee to study the results and to recommend the company on specific remedial or disciplinary improvements. It also expressed the willingness to be more honest on past events and to move forward with the debt and equity restructuring exercise in a positive manner. The company then called for a creditor meeting to approve its latest debt restructuring plan on June 8. As far as I am concerned, with the resources of the parent company, both from the aspects of finance and entrepreneurship, the support from Chinese government, and the establishment of a strict risk management framework, CAO can still gain back confidence from stakeholders, which may need time and effort. Conclusion Improper application of accounting principles, lack of oversight, inadequate knowledge of market and ineffective risk management systems for the speculative options deal were the major contributing factors towards CAOs failure. We should learn a lesson from the case as factors are similar and equally applicable to different business contexts so it is important to avoid certain mistakes. References Li, S., Nadeem, M. (2010). Risk Management and Internal Control: A case study of China Aviation Oil Corporation Ltd. Farhan. (2016, April 10). China Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corporation Limiteds Jet Fuel Scandal (2005) Casestudy. Retrieved January 15, 2017, from https://financetrainingcourse.com/education/2014/04/china-aviation-oil-singapore-corporation-limiteds-jet-fuel-scandal-2005-casestudy/ Yeo, A. (2014). China Aviation(Singapore) Limited- Sliding down a Slippery Slope: The $550m Derivative Trading Loss on November 2004.

Schindlers List Essay -- Film Movie Nazi Germany Jews Schindler Essay

Schindler's List Schindler's List is one of the most powerful movies of all time. It presents the indelible true story of enigmatic German businessman Oskar Schindler who becomes an unlikely saviour of more than 1100 Jews amid the barbaric Nazi reign. A German Catholic war profiteer, Schindler moved to Krakow in 1939 when Germany overran Poland. There he opens an enamelware factory that, on the advice of his Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern, was staffed by Jews from the nearby forced labour camp at Plaszow. Schindler's factory prospered though his contacts with the Nazi war machine and its local representatives, as well as his deft skill on the black market. Then, somewhere along the way, Schindler's devotion to self-interest was supplanted by a desire to protect as many Jews as possible. This desire ultimately grew into 'Schindler's List,' which was directly responsible for sparing the lives of 1100 Jews - a charming and sly entrepreneur, Schindler bribed and befriended the Nazi authorities and manage d to get them released from the labour camp and brought to the safety of his munitions factory in Czechoslovakia. Aspects of good and evil are portrayed in a number of different ways throughout the film, ?Schindler?s List?. The story of Schindler's List reminds us that there is hope; that sometimes the actions of one person - one ordinary person even, for Oskar Schindler is not the stereotypical altruistic hero - can make a difference, even in the face of mass apathy and e...