Environmental Scanning: Identifying Threats and Opportunities

Organizational environment consists of both external and internal factors. Environment must be scanned so as to determine development and forecasts of factors that will influence organizational success. Environmental scanning refers to possession and utilization of information about occasions, patterns, trends, and relationships within an organization’s internal and external environment. It helps the managers to decide the future path of the organization. Scanning must identify the threats and opportunities existing in the environment.While strategy formulation, an organization must take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the threats. A threat for one organization may be an opportunity for another. Internal analysis of the environment is the first step of environment scanning. Organizations should observe the internal organizational environment. This includes employee interaction with other employees, employee interaction with management, manager interaction with othe r managers, and management interaction with shareholders, access to natural resources, brand awareness, organizational structure, main staff, operational potential, etc.Also, discussions, interviews, and surveys can be used to assess the internal environment. Analysis of internal environment helps in identifying strengths and weaknesses of an organization. As business becomes more competitive, and there are rapid changes in the external environment, information from external environment adds crucial elements to the effectiveness of long-term plans. As environment is dynamic, it becomes essential to identify competitors’ moves and actions. Organizations have also to update the core competencies and internal environment as per external environment.Environmental factors are infinite, hence, organization should be agile and vigile to accept and adjust to the environmental changes. For instance – Monitoring might indicate that an original forecast of the prices of the raw m aterials that are involved in the product are no more credible, which could imply the requirement for more focused scanning, forecasting and analysis to create a more trustworthy prediction about the input costs. In a similar manner, there can be changes in factors such as competitor’s activities, technology, market tastes and preferences.While in external analysis, three correlated environment should be studied and analyzed — †¢immediate / industry environment †¢national environment †¢broader socio-economic environment / macro-environment Examining the industry environment needs an appraisal of the competitive structure of the organization’s industry, including the competitive position of a particular organization and it’s main rivals. Also, an assessment of the nature, stage, dynamics and history of the industry is essential. It also implies evaluating the effect of globalization on competition within the industry.Analyzing the national e nvironment needs an appraisal of whether the national framework helps in achieving competitive advantage in the globalized environment. Analysis of macro-environment includes exploring macro-economic, social, government, legal, technological and international factors that may influence the environment. The analysis of organization’s external environment reveals opportunities and threats for an organization. Strategic managers must not only recognize the present state of the environment and their industry but also be able to predict its future positions.

Coolest thing i ever did Essay

The coolest thing I’ve ever done or should I say the dumbest thing I ever done was run my mother’s car into our house. It was the end of summer starting my freshman year at Destrehan High School and I wanted to do something that would have made me seem cool to the kids around the neighborhood so I decided to steal my mother’s car. My mom owned a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder that she didn’t really use, usually just my step dad would use it to go to work and my mom used the truck so I didn’t see a problem with them riding together one morning so I can have the car for myself for the day. One morning during the beginning of the week my step dad had set the key down on the table and it was just a key so I could have easily took it and have everyone else think he misplaced it. For two days straight my parents was looking for the key and I acted as though I had no idea of what they was looking for but he just used the spare key. The third day I woke up and I looked out my window and I saw the car outside knowing I still had the stolen key under my mattress. I was a little too anxious because I knew I had the car to myself and I couldn’t get caught for taking it. It was around eleven o’clock when I got up and went get in the car. A free adventure I took and I thought I was a grown driver driving on the road with other drivers but I wasn’t it was very illegal but I didn’t care†¦ I felt cool. An hour went by and I traveled all over Destrehan I felt like my cool patch should have been given to me that day because it took a lot out of me to do something that crazy. I arrived back to my place without being stopped by the police or pulling up to the truck in the driveway, I felt so bad even hammer couldn’t touch me. My step dad always parked the car really close to the end of the driveway so that was my goal to do, I pulled in, parked the car, and got out. Then I realized I wasn’t close enough and they would have notice something funny. So I decided to get back in the car and park it correctly. Backing up I didn’t notice that I was that far away so I pushed on the gas because our driveway was more of a hill so I needed a little help getting up there. When I pushed the gas I went to fast and had hit the trash can that was in front the house, I thought it was funny and didn’t really worry about it because I could have switched it out with someone else’s. I got out and I noticed I parked the car correctly so that was a good thing but when I walked towards the trash can I heard some noise behind it and I saw that the front window was shattered, that’s when I realized things just got real. I started to panic and come up with lies to explain the window since the car didn’t look damage. My friend Shawn came outside and stared making fun of me because he knew I was going to get in trouble. As he walked in my house to go get something to drink he noticed something that I should have took a look at. His exact words were â€Å" umm Laci I think you should come take a look at this† I know I was inside but I couldn’t understand why I could see outside, that’s when I knew I was dead but I still felt cool for some reason. Explaining this to my mom wasn’t easy at all so I stayed a few feet away from her. When my step dad arrived home he did a little bit more investigation and saw that not only did I brake the trash can, the window, and ran the car through the wall but I also smashed the hose pipe that was connected to the house inside the bricks so there was no water in the house at all. It took them a long time to forgive and trust me again and it also took a lot of butt whippings to relive all that anger out of my mom. Out of all that happened in that week in a weird way I still felt pretty cool for that since it was a fun story to tell to the class. So I am glad to say that was the dumbest, scariest, and coolest thing I ever done.

An Analysis of Counterfeit Culture in Fashion Essay

Among the social constructs that exist in most cultures and societies, fashion is probably one of the most ambiguous; it can be purposive yet frivolous, essential yet expressive, and functional yet influential.   What started as mere protection from the elements has become a global industry that defines generations and mindsets, producing lifestyles and preferences that are adhered to by large segments of world population.   This phenomenon is linked to the creation of brands and branding—symbols of a particular lifestyle choice that may reflect certain values and beliefs, which ultimately translate into an economy marked by persuasion and aspiration. Popular culture has appropriated fashion and its related concepts in a multitude of ways, and has contributed to the growth of a significant number of brands.   An excellent example of this is the practice of celebrity endorsement, wherein brands are assigned to famous individuals—those who have gained success and equivalent reputations in their chosen areas of expertise—and fashion is probably the most visible.   The lure and appeal of these celebrities instantly affect consumer behavior, and assure economic success for the fashion brand owner. Likewise, a celebrity increases his or her status by being associated with brands that have a positive, aspirational image—which is then communicated to the consumer.   This is perhaps the single most important reason why certain brands are coveted; and such desire is measured in its practical effects:   increased sales, brand growth, and higher tag prices.   However, these results also correlate with negative practices, and one of the most controversial is the production of counterfeit goods. The journey of the garment, which is the basic unit of fashion, traces a long road from its beginnings in the mind and hands of its creator—the designer—who must have included the necessary components for protection and expression, combined with style.   Now, a single garment already connotes bigger concepts of identity and socio-political notions; but the dangers of counterfeiting threatens to redefine the social and political aspects associated with an original creation, as well as the stripping of its unique identity. If the goal of counterfeiting is to help individuals with their status and self-esteem issues, then the act could be evaluated on the level of psychological support and alternative means of coping; but since counterfeiting fashion goods is not ever likely to have this altruistic objective at its core, there can be no other way to define it but downright stealing and infringement. Counterfeiting, as evident in its proliferation worldwide, is a profitable business; people involved in it—the producers and consumers—are liable for their actions.   While consumers could be incorrectly seen as passive participants in the transaction, producers have no other reason to be in it but to claim rights and profits meant for the original source. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Practice of Counterfeiting Fashion Counterfeit goods are defined by Rutter and Bryce (1146) as â€Å"those which illegally imitate, copy or duplicate a good or use a trademark without authorization†, and thus are subject to certain parameters and criteria that will reveal its true source.   The practice of counterfeiting is a trade no longer new, but its occurrence in fashion and its high-profile industry has produced effects that delve not just on appropriating someone else’s ideas—it is now an industry in itself, founded on the copied factors of design and appeal, and, most importantly, on the deliberate attempt to claim the benefits originally meant for the source. Key in this discussion is the level of desire associated with a particular fashion item, which necessarily stems from the popularity and reputation achieved by a brand.   In order to sustain this kind of exclusive image, most fashion brands use leverage on price and availability—the more expensive and limited, the better chances they have for assuming desire, apart from the given quality and originality of design. Therefore, if a fashion item is deemed unreachable or exists in limited quantities, it almost always translates to promoting want and desire in consumers.   Take for instance the Hermes Birkin, an ordinary-looking ladies’ handbag that uses the strategy of exclusivity; with its hefty tag price and buying procedure of having prospective buyers on a list that may be addressed after months—even years—the item has realized its status as a must-have for the status seeker. Counterfeiting enters the picture at this point, taking advantage of the limited production and availability.   Fake Birkins are now introduced, which greatly diminishes the value placed on the original, whether or not marks of identification are put in place.   International fashion brands have become victims of the counterfeiting trade, based on the documented $15.8 billion in terms of losses in total sales of all counterfeited products (Rutter and Bryce 1148).   The original standpoints on the social and political meanings of fashion within the areas of identity and culture have now been taken over by the issues of equality and class. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   China and the Economy of Counterfeiting The process of counterfeiting in its affinity with controversy would not have reached great heights if not for the participation of the producer and the consumer.   News and information in recent years have pointed to specific locales where counterfeiting originates on a large scale, and China—the biggest among several countries involved in the practice—is perhaps the most significant player in the industry. With its huge land area and population, the ascent of China toward economic superiority is apparent, and is acknowledged as the potential determinant of world fashion and its future (Mead 419).   However, its issues regarding its history and politics have pushed the Chinese toward a work ethic of hardship and the idea of quantity (Mead 424), believing that this attitude equates to a richer, better life.   Its sheer size and the persevering quality of its people have made China a major target of international companies, in the same way acknowledging that China has the capability of producing any random commodity required by the market (Pang 120). These two factors, size and capacity, are the same factors that have allowed the Chinese to take on jobs that pay less than required by their Western counterparts, thus making them the perfect players in the goal of mass-producing consumer goods.   Apparel brands such as Nike and Adidas (Pang 129), to name a few, have been manufactured in China for some time; the presence of these coveted brands in the same work environment can eventually give rise to their counterfeit versions. China should not be mistaken as a country that disrespects ownership and originality of ideas; in fact, its history should always be appropriated, and the connections between the past and present should be made.   Work and production were the landmarks of Maoist China, and its recent adoption of capitalism has resulted in a fanaticism for Western brands. Putting these two together would allow one to understand the motivations behind the culture of counterfeiting in China—as it is but a product of opposing cultural and social values informed by history.   However, countries like China and other bastions of counterfeiting will not be able to justify their business any longer; stricter rules on counterfeit goods have been put in place in major locales around the world, and arguments of tradition and historical events will soon become passe and inconsqeuential. IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Fashion Consumer in the Counterfeit World The consumer of counterfeit goods in general is often referred to as the ‘other’ (Rutter and Bryce 1149), and rightly so—for the consumption of products already known to be fake and copied reveals a statement that corresponds to the consumer’s social, political, and economic status, as well as ideology.   These are people who have been excluded from the privilege of affording merchandise that may be too costly or unavailable, yet possess a desire to achieve the same effects gleaned from ownership.

Prohibition

Issue #10 Was prohibition a failure? In 1919, the Volstead Act outlawed alcoholic beverages with an alcoholic content over 0. 5 percent. This topic is debated in the book, Taking Sides; there are two opposing sides to the question, â€Å"was prohibition a failure? † David E. Kyvig argues that the Volstead act did not specifically prohibit the use or consumption of alcohol beverages and that liquor was still being provided by gangland bootleggers to provide alcohol to the demands of the consumers.Regardless of the efforts to enforce the law the federal government failed to create an acceptable institutional network that insured the obedience of the people. Even though the consumption of alcohol did drop significantly during the 1920s, the legislation failed to eliminate drinking. On the other hand, J. C. Burnham argues that the enforcement of the prohibition laws were effective in certain areas. The enactment of the prohibition laws led to several positive social significances. For example, during the 1920s, there were fewer people arrested for public drunkenness and fewer people being treated for alcohol related diseases. He concludes that the prohibition was more of a success than a failure. Prohibition led to the first and the only time an Amendment of United States Constitution was repealed more than once. Personally, I think that the Volstead Act of 1919 was a failure and the prohibition laws gave rise to speakeasies and organized crime. David E. Kyvig states that the prohibition was a failure.When the Volstead Act was passed not every American felt obligated to stop drinking alcohol. The consumers were being supplied at first in small amounts but as time progressed they were being supplied in excess amounts of alcoholic beverages. The Volstead Act banned manufacturing of â€Å"intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes† but it did not state that they could not transport, sale, import, or export intoxicating liquors, thus making it legal to pur chase or use and it was not a crime to do so. It allowed people to continue to possess intoxicant beverages prior to prohibition.The act outlawed all beverages with alcoholic contents over the set amount of 0. 5 percent. People in many different parts of the United States voluntarily obeyed the Eighteenth Amendment; citizens elsewhere deliberately chose to ignore it. These kinds of violations seemed to significantly grow in small towns as well as large cities. National prohibition quickly gained an image, not as a law which significantly reduced the use of alcoholic beverages, but relatively as a law that was broadly disobeyed by many.As alcohol became more in demand it created an opportunity for bootleggers to make money off of supplying to the demands made by the people. Crime rates escalated greatly as well as violent outbreaks between those competing for territory. In the 1920s the prisons contained a little over 5,000 inmates, after ten years the number of inmates in prisons co ntained over 12,000, more than 4,000 of those inmates were incarcerated for liquor violations. The court systems were so overwhelmed by the national prohibition and were overworked with all the trials they had.Prohibition may have reduced the consumption of alcohol in the United States, the law fell substantially short of all expectations it had. J. C. Burnham counter argues that Prohibition was quite effective in many places. He goes on to say that prohibition began well before 1920, in addition to the local wide spread of the local prohibition laws, federal laws greatly restricted the production and sale of alcoholic beverages mostly in the beginning in 1917.Manufactures of distilled spirits beverages as an example, had been forbidden for more than three months when the congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment. The Eighteenth Amendment was created to prohibit the manufacturing, selling, importing, or transporting of â€Å"intoxicating liquors†. It was designed to kill all t he liquor businesses and the saloons in particular. The Amendment did not prohibit people from possessing or drinking alcohol. Burnham reinforces his position by stating that the prohibition had a positive impact on society.The prohibition cased a decrease of arrests for public drunkenness, fewer hospitalizations for alcoholism and less incidences of other alcohol related disease, like cirrhosis of the liver from 1918 to 1920-1922. The most substantial evidence that prohibition did not fail was in the mental hospital admission rates. People who had to deal with alcohol related mental diseases were impressed with the recent reviewing of New York state hospitals mental hospital admissions rate was only 1. 9 percent for 1920. With the topic question, Was prohibition a failure? David E.Kyvig made a clear, well defined and easy to understand argument compared to J. C. Burnham. Burnham’s argument was difficult to understand where he stood in his argument. He would say a few reasons how prohibition failed in on aspect but then he would give on reason why it did not. It was hard to keep track when he was defending the side he was on. Kyvig, on the other hand made it very clear how prohibition failed in certain aspects and he explained exactly how it failed. He gave specific reasons as to why people would ignore and break the law to get their alcohol.He explains the negative effects the prohibition had on society. How prohibition created an opportunity for bootleggers to make money by supply what the people were demanding. He clarifies how crime rates went up as well as how violence broke out due to bootleggers fighting for territory. David E. Kyvig gave a more in depth explanation than J. C. Burnham; he was able to support his claims and had provided clear and precise answers. He gave you statistics to prove what he was stating. With all the evidence that he was able present he persuaded me into believing that in reality prohibition did fail.The question is, wa s prohibition a failure? I must agree with Kyvig, prohibition did in fact fail in many ways. The prohibition law was not favored by many people and that was proven by the high crime rates, the high amount of court hearings relating to violations of the prohibition law, and the failure of Congress to provide enough enforcement. Even when the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act were passed people never stopped drinking. Physicians were able to legally prescribe alcohol to their patients, 57,000 pharmacists obtained licenses to dispense liquor.As the law enforcements began cracking down on the consumption of alchol it opened a door for bootleggers to come into business and make money off of those who demanded alcohol. Bootleggers like Al Capone became very successful in his dispensing of alcohol. He says that prohibition was just a business to him and he supplied what was being demanded. Violence became evident as more bootleggers began compete with other groups for territory. As these fights over territories became more and more prominent, many people were being killed due to the rival gangs. However I do believe that there were some ood out comes from prohibition. There were fewer drunkards out in public, less alcohol incidents and hospitalization due to alcoholism. I think the prohibition laws could have worked if there weren’t so many loop holes for people to get away with things. So all in all, both sides of this topic had very good, valid point. David E. Kyvig proves that the prohibition law failed. He does acknowledge that the consumption rate of alcohol has decreased but that it was inevitable to stop everyone from drinking alcohol ever. So really this was a noble experiment but evidently failed.

Global Financial Meltdown Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Financial Meltdown - Essay Example 2) The downfall of Iceland In the case of Iceland, it was a perfect place for a family to live till the government decided to deregulate the banks and let multinationals exploit their natural resources. The result was a disastrous impact on the environment and the banks collapsed due to which unemployment tripled and many of the people lost their life savings. When the largest banks were privatized, they borrowed money totaling to 120 billion dollars which was roughly ten times the size of the economy. These banks and their activities were supported by American auditors such as KPMG and credit rating company which rewarded them highest form of grading; Triple A’s. In the end, regulators formed the role of mere spectators and did nothing. 3) Destructive growth of United States financial sector After the Great Depression, the financial sector was strictly regulated; most of the banks were local and were not allowed to use depositor’s money for any sort of investment. But then the investment banks went public and that is when the financial sector went berserk. The investment bankers now were owners of huge amounts of public money. When President Reagan came into power, he with his treasury secretary who was a CEO of Merrill Lynch, began a thirty year deregulation plan. The first firms to be deregulated were savings and loans companies. These firms were deregulated which provided them with a permit to use depositors’ savings for risky speculation purposes. They failed and many went to jail. Deregulation continued in Clinton’s era and by the late 1990’s you could identify the major financial firms. The deregulation activity was overseen by a Harvard economic professor Larry Summers, an economist Greenspan and Robert Rubin a former CEO of investment bank Goldman Sachs. This clearly shows us how economics was exploited for personal gains, politics was being influenced by the financial sector and the academia corrupted. Further on, th e documentary (Ferguson, â€Å"Inside Job†) informs us about how financial firms became so strong that they could breach a law, be exempted by it for a year and then a new law is passed to facilitate their interest. The merger between Citicorp & Travelers is a mirror image of the above statement. While the financial sector continued to become powerful, the internet bubble crash gave the economy a huge blow. We realize through the documentary that the internet bubble was pre-planned because investment banks were involved in promoting firms which they knew would surely fail. Conversations between the personnel of investment banks termed those firms as useless while they were describing them as perfect investment opportunity to the public. With deregulation taking place and the technology advancements occurring; derivatives entered the economy. They were engineered in order to make more profit, but in reality it was explosive material that would make the market highly volatile. In order to avoid any discussion over its regulation, a bill was passed in favor of de-regulation of derivatives. As the industry was even more powerfully dominated by a few gigantic investment banks, security and insurance companies and credit rating agencies than before; financial sector became even more complicated. 4) Complicated financial products engineered to grow profits Inside job gives

The East Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The East Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 - Essay Example There is much to be done on the Asian financial status and more so the financial architecture. It was believed that the crisis would only take few months but it surpassed this ideology and what are observed are cases of unemployment and the deterioration in the Gross National Produt (GNP). The crisis has gone beyond East Asia and other countries like Russia, South America and South Africa are also experiencing it. The development of advanced technology like the use of computers had a significant impact on the financial status of East Asia. However, Asia adopted the use of computers in carrying out its transactions and in which it was at a much higher rate than normal. On the other hand, screening of the repercussions of the global financial systems was zero and it rather encouraged it (Borthwick pp 121). East Asia also accepted the idea of interconnection of markets across the world and development of big institutional financial players. The combination of all this resulted into tremendous shocks and instability. Thailand as an example was struck by the crisis rapidly and within a short time, it crossed all over East Asia. The carrying out of this financial liberalization was done at a wrong time since its institutions did not have an idea or rather it was not prepared for any outcomes or consequences over it. In addition, the transaction that the country was making was at a high speed and in return it affected the short-term capital flowing across the boarders where by there were high and quick returns. "Only one to two percent is accounted for by foreign exchange transactions relating to trade and foreign direct investment. The remainder is for speculation or short-term investments that can move very quickly when the speculators' or investors' perceptions,"(Director Para 6). What took place in East Asia was not unique because even other countries across the world have already experienced the very problem, especially from the Latin America and this is to say, there is need to check on capital inflow so us to avoid the shocks and instability and also discouragement to the large institutional investors and players. Rumor had it that, East Asia currencies were being over valued but observation made stated market over-reaction which consequently led to overshooting of these currencies beyond unjustifiable levels by fundamentals. "A report ... revealed that hedge funds made big profits from speculative attacks on South East Asian currencies in July 1997", (Director para 12). The sudden depreciation of the currency of East Asia, led to short term debts which appeared to pose the threats. The depreciation was caused by the speculators attacks and reduction in their foreign reserves. As a result of these problems, the country's capability to repay the loan was deterred and the debt accumulated correspondingly. The foreign reserves dropped drastically and could not repel off the speculative attempts. The short term foreign funds also begun to fall too destabilizing further the reserves and this consequently affected the country terribly in a way that it could not manage to clear away the debts, oblig ation and the calamity necessitated assistance which finally it obtained from IMF. It is argued that financial crisis in East Asia was as a result of

How should one understand the classical structure of marriage, Essay

How should one understand the classical structure of marriage, divorce, and the main differences of marriage, divorce in the islamic schools like sunni and shi'a - Essay Example Marriage was very important and both partners were subjected to rules that would help keep the marriage peaceful. Marriage was very important and could not be dissolved easily. In most ancient societies, family members and those concerned would mediate on issues before initiating a divorce. In some cultures, the women had to get permission before divorcing. Some of the reasons for initiating a divorce in the classical times would be infidelity, political interests, and loss of wealth and lack of sex. Marriage had a strong and deep meaning. It involved families and not just the individuals getting into the union. Islamic schools like Sunni and Shi’a view marriage as a sacred institution that should be protected. Marriage was taken as a means to protect people from acts of indecency like adultery (Rapport, 30). Marriage is expected to provide protection, children, status and sexual satisfaction. In these laws, divorce would be initiated by the man or the woman. However, it is important to note that it is very difficult for a woman to be granted a divorce request. The couples would be given time to settle their differences before the divorce is finalized. Family members and relatives would be allowed to settle the matter before the divorce is finalized. It is essential to note the Shi’a are stricter on divorce than the Sunni. In some cases, the Sunni can allow a divorce without passing through the waiting period. This is not acceptable to the Shi’a. This implies that marriage holds a much stronger sacred meaning among the Shi’a. In conclusion, the understanding of marriage in Islam and classical times is similar in many ways. In both cases, marriage is a source of sexual satisfaction, protection and children. The importance of marriage is emphasized in Islam and in the classical cultures. In both cases, divorce is not easily granted except in civilized cultures like