Accounting-Pest Analysis-Political Essay

PEST Analysis Political The international IT and electronics industries have been characterized with intensive competition. Electronics and IT companies are constantly reviewing their achievements as well as the competitors’ in order to come up with better business strategies in an effort to best all other existing industry rivals. With the merger and acquisition strategy between HP and Compaq, members of the IT and electronics industry all over the world were threatened with the intensified effort that could result from the integration. Others were surprised because mergers and acquisition strategies may also result to negative implications on the part of the merging companies particularly when differences in the context of strategies, culture and goals fail to be fully integrated. Economic For HP and Compaq, the merger will increase the competitiveness of the previously independent companies in order to outdo the achievements of highly aggressive competitors. Both HP and Compaq sought means to add value to their existing products and services in order to increase the level of satisfaction among their clients and customers which were made possible through the merger. Once satisfaction levels among clients and customers are met, HP-Compaq expect better economic competitiveness within the international IT and electronics industry. Social The existing companies have been on guard when it comes to new market trends, new market opportunities, new customer bases, and technological infrastructure available for utilization. The merger between HP and Compaq will most likely result to better social activities as sponsored by the merged companies. Social and civic activities that were previously independently supported by HP and Compaq will be carried out in new perspective due mostly to the fact that the merger could expose unexpected factors that could make the new company unstable. Technological One of the primary reasons for the merger of HP and Compaq are the companies’ drive towards innovation and development in their products and services. The merger enabled relatively stronger research and development efforts for the  benefit of the new company since it is now characterized with more intensive concerns to come up with IT products and services that will cater to existing as well as new clients and customers thereby increasing the companies’ consumer bases. At present the electronics products of HP have been observed to undergone evolution with the support facilities which were made available by Compaq. Five Forces Analysis Suppliers The merger resulted to review and assessment of the existing suppliers of both HP and Compaq since the integration strategy implied the relatively fewer contracts between companies that provide similar services and raw materials to HP and Compaq. However, the integration likewise resulted to innovation in technology which necessitated new contracts with suppliers that can provide the new services and raw materials needed by HP-Compaq as a single corporation. Buyers With the promised added value on the products and services of the HP-Compaq merger, clients and customers of the company could expect new and better product lines and service offers as one of the primary objectives of the integration strategy. Buyer power will be intensified in this respect since the HP-Compaq will be offering new electronics products and services in order to set new market trends in the international IT and electronics industry. Competitors Competitors of HP and Compaq were somehow divided when it comes to the overall implications of the merger to the international IT and electronics industry. There are those who believe that the merger will result to the continuous weakening of both companies compared to their other stronger competitors in the international IT and electronics industries. While some believe otherwise due to the increased capability of HP and Compaq as a single operating company to build up and strengthen the market positions in the future years that will come. Substitutes Substitute products and services are increasing within the international IT and electronics industry which contributed to the integration decision  between HP and Compaq. With the conglomerate efforts between the new HP-Compaq corporation, it is expected the substitute products and services that competes with the provisions and offers of HP-Compaq will be lessen due to better production and manufacturing processes and technological infrastructures that cannot be afforded by small rival companies. New Entrants New entrant in the electronics and IT industries are confronted with relatively more difficult entry to the international market due primarily to highly aggressive competition between and among large corporations. It is common knowledge that business operations and facilities that characterize both the international IT and Electronics industries are very expensive and sophisticated. Such factors serve as strong barriers of entry to the industries where HP-Compaq belongs. SWOT Analysis Strengths The merger between HP and Compaq will increase the companies’ competitiveness when it comes to the possible new product lines and services that they will offer as a single company to the clients and customers. The integration strategy likewise resulted fewer market competition within the context of large international corporations that also belong to the international IT and electronics industry. Costs will be reduced as expenditures in business operations such as manufacturing and production are now handled and managed as a single proprietorship. The research and development arm of HP and Compaq can now work together as single company with similar technological and economic goals. Weaknesses The integration strategy between HP and Compaq, on the other hand, resulted to the need to lay off thousands of employees since their services will be no longer needed particularly those who have similar functions. Cultural integration within the workplace is also a serious issue since HP and Compaq are composed of different individuals and employees who are used to different working environments as well as career expectations. The Human resource department will be confronted with problems and issues regarding the new members of the company’s workforce. Technical operations will also  experience drawbacks from the changes that will transpire within the business processes of the company. Opportunities The issues and problems that may result from the merger in terms of workforce differences can be perceived as an avenue fro improvement when it comes to workplace culture of the company. The management should be able to device means to exhaust diverse knowledge and skills that characterize the members of the company’s labor force. Operations should likewise be restructured and reengineered in order to come up with better manufacturing and production processes that take into account efficiency and product quality. Threats The failure of the merger strategy is also possible if HP and Compaq are not able to resolve issues caused by differing workplace cultures. The vulnerability of the merged company is likewise exposed since it is only a couple of years since the merger contract was signed. There is still so much to do for the full implementation of the merger strategy and existing competitors will aggressively take the opportunity of the changes that transpired within the new HP-Compaq company. Both internal and external factors may contribute to the challenges and difficulties that HP-Compaq will experience in the future in the effort to succeed in the international market competition. Strengths Hewlett-Packard’s primary strength is its business position. The enterprise has a large amount of cash in hand about $10 billion. Hewlett-Packard is a global enterprise and especially after its merger with Compaq, the company became world’s biggest computer hardware and peripherals consort in the world and has ranked 20th in the Fortune 500 list. Hewlett Packard is operating in more than 170 countries including both developed as well as under-developed. Being a global dealer of computer hardware, it gives HP many advantages like dominating printers market, both laser and inkjet. The company attracts and focuses on consumers from even newly found markets all around the world, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations etc. The company compete both at local and international level. It has increased its competitiveness through policies and strategies that supports free-market economies. This is one of the reasons that make HP a leading  supplier in the growing IT markets. Hewlett Packard is said to have a complete product port folio. Weaknesses The company was in a long term debt for many years which kept it from investing in different growth opportunities. A major problem and complaint about the hardware supplies of HP is its touch pads. The touch pads of the notebooks of Hewlett Packard like the dv series, dm3, and Envy lines needs improvement. These touch pads are either finicky, unreliable, or are difficult to use because of friction. The mouse buttons on various HP supplied machines are said to be clumsy to use, too. Poor shelling life of HP products plagued some mainstream systems and net books. When it comes to Software that HP provides there are also some weaknesses. Some heavy software’s were paired with slow hardware like Touch Smart. The past acquisition of Peregrine made the HP’s portfolio even more diverse and complete but HP Open View’s lack of mainframe management capabilities created several problems. Another weakness was that it did not yet hit a CMDB product that includes discovery and mapping. This cause many customers to switch the brand. Opportunities The recent acquisition of EDS puts HP at a strong position in the computer market and makes it portfolio more impressive. Hewlett-Packard was able to generate large number of revenues and profits from its different deals and raised more than six billion which it can use to pay off its debts as well as invest in different research and development activities. If the products by the company are supplied at reasonable prices, there will be more chances of growth as the demand would increase. The company has formed Customer Solutions Group that helps in selling the complete IT solutions, products and services by HP. Threats Operating in global market means many competitors and therefore, the company has to be at the forefront of changing technologies as well as addressing the changing customer demands and needs. The global economic recession is also a threat for the company’s sales and profits. The prices have also fallen as the stock markets are at historic low positions. Many other competitors including Dell are entering the printer business whereas IBM has  become a market leader.

Gone Country

We have read many essays pertaining to identity over the course of this semester. The essay that I believe truly focuses on this subject is "Gone Country". Our personalities are often associated with what music we listen to. The essay "Gone Country", discuss what makes up the personality of someone who listens to country music. People express identity in many different ways; music is just one-way to show someone's characteristics, as well as individuality. In Gone Country, the author takes country music and shows how it often has an effect on the people who listen to it. I do not agree with the credibility of the points that are expressed in the article, such as "country fans are more educated than both adult contemporary or rock audiences"(p. 423). Saying that someone who listens to country music is more educated than someone who listens to a different type of music is absurd. What they don't take into consideration is the age of the people who listen to country music. They say it themselves in the article, "These musicians-smarter, hipper; their fans-older, wiser" (p. 424). Of course the country fans are going to be wiser if the majority of their fans are between the ages of 30-50. Saying that country artists are smarter than rock artists is a falsehood. There is no way you can say someone is smarter, due to the fact they perform a certain type of music. I enjoy listening to many different types of music, particularly rock music. I think music plays a part in everyone's life, and also reflects a person's identity. When I listen to music I like to read the lyrics to figure out what message the artist is trying to relay to their listener. My favorite band is tool. Their music would be put into the hard rock category. One song they sing that I can really relate to is slip away. Maynard, the lead singer starts this powerful song by talking about how a break up leaves him cracked and drags h

Marketing Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Marketing Research - Assignment Example It is also important that we understand that through awareness will improve on the public image of the company. Distribution research is also important in this type of strategy for Market share is important. In as much as the firm may understand the different types of brand that companies need best distribution channels assist in how the goods reach the customer in a very accessible manner. One strategy for business is how to keep inventory for the customers and how to reach the final destinations. By solving this challenge this can give Samsonite a very high advantage against its competitors. Samsonite should also include the pricing research as this is important to find the best mark up to charge their goods for having unrealistic charges can discourage customers from buying their favorite products. The financial aspect for any business is very important as this will make it possible for people to afford the products and finally lead to expansion of market share. 2) International marketing is the best strategy for Tim parker Merchandise. An international luggage company bag it requires a wider scope of people to view the product. The people with interest in travelling will lead the business to growth as this is of importance to ensure visibility of the product. The expert in sales has always suggested that there is a relation in sales and visibility. They suggest when one views something there is the chances of buying the product. It is likely that there are also campaigns of showing how reliable the product is. There are many products in this industry and the only important thing is to ensure that there is more campaign so that it can stand out. Marketing is one of the most component thing in this century is awareness and letting your competitors understand what makes your brand tick. It is always encouraging and it should not be assumed as blowing

Supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Supply chain management - Essay Example The supply chain is defined as the activities linked with the movement and alteration of commodities from the lowest stage to the consumer’s stage. Supply chain does not have much difference hence this made the organizations start the tendency of depending fully on suppliers to enable them execute their duties efficiently. However, any organization can fit to be part of supply chain. Supply chain management needs a clear management hard work by the involved organizations in supply chain. For supply chain management to be successful, the companies involved must implement on the enterprise-to-enterprise perception (Mentzer, 2001). Top management is the most significant constituents when one or many companies is attempting to inject a new idea in the market, for example, a new product or a program. Because top management are essential in SCM and they have the ability to identify crucial resources that fit supply chain ventures, due to these, the company has the power to restructure and create policies to help both organizational objectives. Recent research specified that top management often acknowledge the existence of SCM, and the commitment features only once in three organizations. Hesitation to SCM commitment may arise when the top management uncomfortable with its client’s strength in the supply chain, these factors lead to their success in the market. What creates these difficulties are the challenges in global supply chain which include economic differences, technological differences, cultural, logistical and spatial differences, these factors have their different impacts hence globalization supply facing difficulties. For instance, global supply chain expounds into longer and are more unpredictable, there might be delays during shipment, which creates increment of the client’s demand, for example, what