Monday, February 24, 2020

Critical review a paper concerned with change Essay

Critical review a paper concerned with change - Essay Example The case study focuses on the beer distribution system and the structural inertia as a result of a long serving CEO. The case study also dwelled on the problems encountered in the company as a result of subsequent CEO successions and how these problems affected different levels of management. Organizational change is introduced so as to move the organization from the current state to a desirable state (Ragsdell, 2000). This can be achieved in several ways such as radical change and incremental change. The interaction between these two models can be evaluated using the punctuated equilibrium model of change. This is helpful for identifying two shapes of organizational change and elaborating on the link between these shapes. It also helps identify the role played by the top and middle management in implementing the two types of organizational change. A case study of Heineken can be used to illustrate the shapes of organizational change and the application of the punctuated equilibrium model. The company is ideal for identifying the factors determining a particular shape of organizational change. The research method was a case study of the Dutch beer brewing company. However, the findings of the case study cannot be generally valid since the research did not provide any general results. Further research is necessary before the findings can be extended to other companies in other industries. Heineken was selected due to the long history that is well documented with numerous sources of information regarding the company. On the other hand, the long history means that the company has dealt with several challenges of organizational change. The available sources have detailed information regarding the challenges experienced by Heineken when dealing with organizational change. In the late 1980s, the CEO of the company was changed, which had a large impact on the organization. Therefore, the choice of the case study was ideal since there were several journals and reviews that provide information about the company. The levels and changes in management make it easy to apply the punctuated equilibrium model of organizational change. Tushman and Romanelli (1985) developed the punctuated equilibrium model that proposes an interaction between incremental and radical organizational change. They argue that convergent periods experienced in an organization cause reorientation that demarks and sets the bearing for the coming convergent period. Long time spans of incremental change are referred to as convergent periods, and short periods of radical and discontinuous change are called reorientations. Organization change occurs in five domains: organization culture, structure, strategy, power distribution, and control systems (Romanelli and Tushman, 1994). These domains are central to activities of the organization and important for its survival. Activity domains interact in different levels of performance and inertia, which are the basic factors for organizatio nal change. Inconsistent activities lead to low performance and organizational failure. High performance is achieved when activities are consistent and coupled to each other. Although the punctuated equilibrium model suggests a distinction between radical and incremental change, Stace and Dunphy (1996) propose four types of change. The first type is fine tuning where change is a continuous process characterized by a match between strategy, structure, processes, and people. The second type is incremental

Friday, February 7, 2020

Marketing Study on Apple Company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Marketing Study on Apple Company - Assignment Example The computer industry incorporates a broad range of products, from mp3 players / iPods and printers to â€Å"personal computers and powerful servers† (Linzmayer, 2004, P. 103). Businesses have difficulty working in the computer industry, specifically because of the active environment of technology. In accordance to Moore’s law, the â€Å"numbers of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits will double every 18 months† (Linzmayer, 2004, P. 103), and costs will be decreased. This indicates that even the leading companies are required to stay very active and updated, as the industry is persistently changing and redefining its parameters. Apple Inc. has lately made headlines by penetrating into the cell phone market with its launch of the Apple iPhone. Apple as well has an extensive range of computer products together with personal computers, â€Å"computer accessories, servers, networking solutions, and software packages† (Linzmayer, 2004, P. 103). Presently having a market share of 58 percent among the cell phone market, and staying on a profitable 5 percent of the personal computer market, Apple has constantly maintains its name within the industry by keeping an eye for aesthetics as well as inventiveness, together with ‘easy to use’, pioneering products. Apple has most successfully developed the competitive strategies that let businesses in this industry to stay lucrative. Apple is renowned for its distinguished as well as innovative products, and dependable customer base. This joined with the halo effect from iPhone sales is likely to boost general market share and enhanced position Apple to remove market share from its rivals. In addition, Apple presents the maximum percentage of its sales to Research and Development, which better positions itself to have the benefit of primary mover benefit with the introduction of latest products. Apple has the maximum gross profit margin among its rivals because of its higher costs, and is only in charge for letting Apple to stay afloat within the personal computer market by a meager 4 percent market share. On the other hand, â€Å"Apple’s spare no expense philosophy in producing high quality differentiated goods drastically reduces its ability to translate a larger portion of gross prof it into net profit† (Cruikshank, 2005, p. 72). Apple has the utmost operating expense ratio in addition to the lowest net profit margin with its rivals. If Apple is capable of cutting down on operating cost and make use of a few of the standard policies used by Dell, they will be capable of converting additional profits into earnings per share Apple has many internal strong pints that make it a triumphant as well as competitive business. Apple has a dominant foothold within the personal computer marketplace by being different with its pioneering approach and user-friendliness. Its operating system is created domestically, keeping it free from