Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness

Assignment 1:

 

Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness

 

Choose one (1) public corporation in an industry with which you are familiar. Research the company on its own Website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission EDGAR database (http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml), in the University’s online databases, and any other sources you can find. The annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions.

 

Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:

 

1. Assess how globalization and technology changes have impacted the corporation you researched.

 

2. Apply the industrial organization model and the resource-based model to determine how your corporation could earn above-average returns.

 

3. Assess how the vision statement and mission statement of the corporation influence its overall success.

 

4. Evaluate how each category of stakeholder impacts the overall success of this corporation.

 

5. Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

 

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

 

Determine ways in which the vision, mission, and stakeholders of a firm impact that firm’s overall success.

 

Use technology and information resources to research issues in business administration.

 

Write clearly and concisely about the business administration using proper writing mechanics. Strategic Management Introduction Dell, a US based global public corporation is engaged to design, create, and market wide range of client computing devices such as notebooks, tablets and desktop PCs. In addition, it also offers to customize products and support services to the customers (US Securities and Exchange Commission).

 

This paper will discuss the impact of globalization and technological support over the business. The industrial organization model and the resource-based model will also apply in Dell for determining potential benefits. The role of Dell’s vision, mission, and stakeholder in determining success will be also analyzed though this paper. Impact of Globalization and Technological Changes Globalization and technological changes both have impacted Dell’s business strategy and operational immensely. Due to globalization, Dell has faced intense competition to retain and attract customers in an effective manner and this has persuaded it to change its business strategies. In order to reduce competition, it has expanded its operations globally.

 

It started to provide its products throughout the world. Due to global operations, it has also faced different economic, social, cultural, political and legal environment that also persuaded it to change business policy and structure (Grant, Hackney & Edgar, 2010). It has revised its business policies with the consideration of the global business environment. At the same time, globalization also provided an opportunity to Dell for making its presence in other markets as well. Due to this, it has attained the significant market share in emerging economies such as India, China etc. Technological changes such as the emergence of e-commerce, online selling and other internet tools have changed the business model of Dell and provided immense opportunities. With this, it has developed internet based supply chain model and started to make direct sales. This technological change has been integrated and used by Dell to make build-to-order and to co-ordinate suppliers (Gunasekarana & Ngai, 2005).

 

In addition, technological changes have also modified its communication tactics, which it used to interact with suppliers, customers and employees. The Internet has immensely used by Dell to respond to the impact of technological changes. In addition, global era changed consumer buying behavior for this industry and due to this, they demanded effective and competent support system. For responding to this change, Dell has changed its strategy and created several retail stores around the world (Szulanski, 2000).

 

In this way, globalization and technology changes have greatly influenced Dell’ business strategies and operations accordingly. Industrial Organization (I/O) Model and Resource-Based (RB) Model I/O model of above-average returns explains that the strategic choice of a firm is greatly influenced by the external environment. This model includes the analysis of general, industry and competitive environment that influence business’s strategic choices and operations accordingly. The analysis of general environment will include the investigation of demographic, economic, political, socio-culture and legal factors that would be significant to provide knowledge to Dell about potential changes that could create opportunities and threats for its operations (Hitt & Ireland, 2008).

 

By analyzing environment of computing device industry, Dell will increase awareness about new entrants, substitute products, rivalry level, bargaining power of buyer and suppliers. In the competitor analysis, Dell will examine objectives, strategies, assumption and capabilities of its main competitors such as Apple, IBM, Samsung, etc. This investigation will provide a significant knowledge about opportunities and threats and this understanding would be beneficial to take and develop informed decisions and strategies accordingly (Rosser & Rosser, 2004). In this way, I/O model will provide an effective floor to Dell for tapping opportunities and limiting threats effectively in the comparison of competitors that could help to earn above-average returns. RB model explains the internal environment of a firm and to make them aware of their resources and capabilities. Thorough this, Dell will be able to determine its strength and weakness, while investigating the core competencies.

 

This knowledge will help Dell to frame such strategy the enable to support its strengths and to limit the weaknesses. This way of strategy formulation will also offer an effective floor to determine competitive advantage that could help to earn above-average returns. In addition, this model will also explain a way through which Dell could manage resources and capabilities dynamically and earn above-average returns within computing device industry (Hitt & Ireland, 2008). In this way, the combination of I/O and RB model will help Dell to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and to develop informed strategies that could help to earn the high return in less effort. Influence of Vision and Mission Statements over Dell Success Environmental scanning provides such information that is essential to form vision and mission for an organization.

 

The vision and mission statement of Dell has stated below: “Our vision is not just to provide the best customer experience in our industry, but to be counted among the best in any business.”(Dell) “Our mission is to be the most successful IT systems company in the world by delivering the best customer experience in all markets we serve.” (Dell) Vision and mission statements of this company provide direction that requires for making selection of relevant strategy. For becoming best in this industry, Dell develops the culture of continuous improvement that helps it to build diverse and competent workforce globally. The proficient workforce enables this company to provide a unique experience to the customers that help it to make a global presence and to increase sales. At the same time, the vision of the company also contributes to maintaining utmost integrate values that help it to develop leaders and bring personal accountability (Hoskisson, 2010).

 

Through this, it enables to explore maximum opportunities from the e-commerce platform in comparison to other companies that help Dell to grab huge market share in this industry. The mission of this company also inspires it to maximize quality and minimize the cost of products and services which it offers in different markets. Supply chain management strategy helps this company to articulate its mission and vision statement through this Dell is enabled to provide the highest quality in competitive price with leading technology.

 

Its mission helps this company to integrate its operations with customer expectations that enable this company to expand its market globally (Buckman, 2004). By this, Dell enables to satisfy global consumers and to expand operations globally that helps it to become most successful IT Company around the globe. Through vision and mission, it enables to build the culture of personal accountability that helps Dell to provide best services, support and customized services to its customers.

 

This also improves customer experience and increases sales and profitability of Dell that also contributes to realizing success worldwide (Hoskisson, 2010). Stakeholder Approach Stakeholder of Dell can be divided into three main categories, which are stated below with their impacts in its overall success: Capital market stakeholder: Shareholders and other major suppliers such as banks and creditors of Dell provide funds for supporting its new business ventures and expect the positive return from them. This company attains profitability and provides adequate returns to them, which persuades this stakeholder group for investing money. Due to this, Dell enables to attain adequate fund to finance the new ventures that help it to operate operation in less funding (Baumann, 2010).

 

It enables this company to minimize capital cost and maximize efficiency. Product Market Stakeholder: This stakeholder group includes primary customers, host communities, suppliers and unions that influence Dell performance in effective manner. Through effective supply chain management, Dell fulfills the expectation of each stakeholder group that helps it to attain global success. Consumers of Dell demand reliable products at reasonable prices (Christopher & Towill, 2000).

 

Dell integrates technology at the immense level to communicate with the suppliers that help it to create transparency and to reduce conflict that develops greater satisfaction among them. The competent relationship is used by the firm to develop and deliver customized products in lowest possible price and time. In addition, Dell also offers employment and revenues for the host communities that contribute to its success (Holzner, 2006). This company also develops continuous improvement culture to satisfy unions. Organizational stakeholder: Employees and managers’ contribution enables Dell to make its supply chain more efficient and effective that helps to provide the quality product in less cost and to make global presence (Dell, 2013).

 

Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be analyzed that Dell considers all three perspectives of value creations namely I/O model, RB model and stakeholder approach for strategic management. It enables it to capture significant opportunities and to develop a competitive advantage. The consideration of above three perceptive in strategic management enables Dell to make informed decisions.

 

References

 

Baumann, C. (2010). Analysis of the Website Www.dell.com: Corporate Web Communication.

 

Germany: Grin Verlag. Buckman, R.H. (2004). Building a Knowledge-Driven Organization.

 

USA: McGraw-Hill Professional. Christopher, M. & Towill, D. R. (2000). Supply chain migration from lean and functional to agile and customized, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 5(4), 206-213. Dell (2013). Annual Report.

 

Retrieved From:http://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDF/dell2012.pdf Dell (n.d.). Dell.

 

Retrieved From: http://www.dell.com/downloads/emea/marcom/whydell/uk.pdf Grant, K., Hackney, R. & Edgar, D. (2010).

 

Strategic Information Systems Management. UK: Cengage Learning EMEA. Gunasekarana, A. & Ngai, E.W.T. (2005).

 

Build-to-order supply chain management: a literature review and framework for development, Journal of Operations Management, 23, 423–451. Hitt, M.A. & Ireland, R.D. (2008). Competing For Advantage.

 

USA: Cengage Learning. Holzner, S. (2006). How Dell Does It. New York: Hill Professional. Hoskisson, R.E. (2010).

 

Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization: Competitiveness & Globalization : Concepts (9th ed.).

 

USA: Cengage Learning. Rosser, J. B. & Rosser, M. V. (2004). Comparative Economics in a Transforming World Economy (2nd ed.).

 

USA: MIT Press. Szulanski, G. (2000). The process of knowledge transfer: A diachronic analysis of stickiness.

 

Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 82(1), 9-27. US Securities and Exchange Commission (n.d.). Dell Inc. Retrieved from: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/826083/000082608313000005/dellfy1310k.htm#sA9C2D60527E2933CEAAEB25618AC04F7

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