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Archive for February, 2011

Free Case Study on Illegal Immigration

Case Study on Illegal Immigration

More than a million immigrants come to the United States in the past few years. All immigrants are forced by the economic situation in their own country to leave. Forced to leave behind their love ones and help provide for them. In the following argument I will argue and try to explain that illegal immigrants are not harming America. How myths that immigrants come and take American jobs are not true. Also that they are not an economic burden.

Preserving America is where many have drawn the line behind which they stand. Americans who are fearful and angry, with unintended irony call themselves natives. As I see it the only people who were actual natives in America would be the Native Americans (Indians). America is an immigrant nation a nation of strangers. The United States after the English Settlers came became a world of immigration. People who where looking to start a new and better life. Now in present days anyone who does that is labeled as an illegal alien who comes only to milk the American system. Which is of course not true. Immigrants do not come here because they want to but because they have to. The need to survive and give a better life to their families is the only reason they are here. It is said that illegal immigrants take jobs away from American citizens. It is also said that they place a drain on the educational system and medical resources. Read more…

Sample Case Study on Ethics

Case Study on Ethics

Introduction
An effective code of ethics succeeds in influencing people to behave ethically. In contrast, an ineffective code of ethics serves little purpose and merely provides an illusion that the employees or profession would actually abide by the code. This case study will first discuss an appropriate conceptual framework that guides the design of auditors’ codes of ethics. An assessment of the merits and flaws of the accounting profession’s Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics will then be made. Recommendations will also be proposed to address the highlighted weaknesses. Lastly, prior researches are reviewed to determine the factors that influence such codes in general.

Conceptual Framework
Profession bodies should integrate both principles and specific rules, ensure that specific rules are relevant in light of new developments in the profession and that compliance does not impose excessive cost on the auditors.

Comprise Both Principles and Specific Rules
Codes of ethics for auditors should consist of both principles and specific rules. Principles complement specific rules by alerting auditors to the true meanings and intentions behind the specific rules; while specific rules clarify fundamental principles by highlighting instances of problem situations (ICAEW, 2001).

Codes of ethics for auditors should comprise all of the following principles: Read more…

Example Case Study on Ted Bundy

Case Study on Ted Bundy

What goes through your mind when you hear the name Ted Bundy? Ted Bundy was born on November 24, 1946 and grew up thinking his mother was his older sister and his grandparents his biological parents. When Ted’s mother remarried a cook by the name Johnnie Bundy, the last name of Bundy would soon develop a chilling reputation.

As a boy, Ted was very shy and was teased by his classmates. Although Ted had an uneasy start, he maintained a high grade point average throughout his school years. In 1965, Ted graduated from high school and won a scholarship to the University of Pudget Sound, then later transferred to Washington University. As Ted attended college his main focus was on his schoolwork, but in the spring of 1967, he became interested in Stephanie Brooks.

Stephanie was a young beautiful girl from a wealthy family from California. To Ted she was everything he had ever wanted in a woman. Not only was this Ted’s first love, but also the first woman he was sexually active with. Ted saw them together forever and was infatuated with her, but Stephanie felt otherwise. She wanted someone who could fit into her lifestyle.

In 1968, shortly after Ted had graduated from college, Stephanie broke off her relationship with Ted. He became deeply depressed and never recovered from the break-up. Ted wrote to Stephanie many times, trying to convince her he was right for her, but she turned him down. Ted was obsessed with Stephanie Brooks and could not get her out of his mind. Many believe this obsession was a key factor that led Ted to many of the gruesome crimes he would commit during his life.

To make the situation worse, in 1969 Ted learned who his real parents where. After gaining this information, Ted’s character began to change. He went from being shy and introverted to a more focused and dominant character. Bundy enrolled in the University of Washington once again and studied psychology. He became one of the top students of his class, was well liked by his professors, and was driven to achieve to prove himself to the world, and more importantly, to Stephanie. Read more…

Free Case Study on Racial Discrimination

Case Study on Racial Discrimination

In the United States history, as a society we have been unable to accept being classified under one label. For instance, the financial network of the United States is not based solely on capitalism. Communism also exists in the United States economy. Like the economy, it is hard to classify the United States under one category when it pertains to race. Our place as a racial state has changed throughout history, but still remains a mix of two ideas, racial dictatorship and racial hegemony, working to becoming a racial democracy. In the beginning, and for most of its history, the United States was a racial dictatorship. Form 1607 to 1865, most non-whites were firmly eliminated from the sphere of politics (Omi 65). The consequences of the dictatorship still exist in the modern United States. First, ‘‘American” identity was defined as white, as the negation of racialized « otherness » (Omi 66). This was accomplished through laws and customs set forth by the majority. They were created to maintain power in the elite and separate the white from the colored in all aspects of socialization. Second, the racial dictatorship organized the “color line” rendering it the fundamental division in United States society (Omi 66). These “color lines” seem to be most prevalent in institutions where the color of your skin determined where you lived, what school you attended, and where you sat in restaurants and public transportation. Finally, the racial dictatorship consolidated the oppositional racial consciousness and organization originally framed by marronage and slave revolts, by indigenous resistance, and by nationalism of various sorts (Omi 66). It took real people from different cultures and grouped them into one generalized category. Instead of being labeled as your country of origin or where you lived, like « Americans » or « Africans », they were simply labeled black, therefore making them seem inferior to the dominant race. By grouping them into one category of little meaning, it takes away from their individuality and culture. Read more…

Sample Case Study on Marks and Spencer

Case Study on Marks and Spencer

Introduction
Marks and Spencer became a household name, first in its country of origin, the UK, and later internationally. However, the late 1990’s saw a reversal of fortune for this company. In this case study, we look at the relevant issues surrounding this decline and the initiative to turn this problem around. The topics that will be discussed include the business environment, resource and competence analysis, strategic leadership, culture, strategic options, managing change, and the future of Marks and Spencer.

Business Environment
The environment encapsulates many different influences. The difficulty is to make sense of this diversity. Identifying very many environmental influences may be possible, but it may not be of much use because no overall picture emerges of the really important influences on the organisation. Furthermore, there is the issue of the speed of change. Managers typically feel that the pace of technological change and the speed of global communications mean more and faster change now than ever before. There is also the issue of complexity. Managers like other ‘normal’ individuals try to simplify what is happening by focusing on those few aspects of the environment which have been important historically. (p.97, 98)

The strategy of an organisation is therefore, the result of decisions made about the positioning and repositioning of the organisation in terms of its strengths in relation to its markets and the forces affecting it in its wider environment. (p.40) We find that Marks and Spencer fell terribly short in revising its strengths within their wider environment, and this short-sightedness contributed to their slump.

A changing and unpredictable environment will generate a diversity of ideas and innovations because it will demand responses from organisations and they will vary. An organisation that seeks to ensure that its people are in contact with and responsive to that change is likely to generate a greater diversity of ideas and more innovation than one that does not. On the other hand, one that tries to insulate itself from its environment, like Marks and Spencer, by trying to resist market changes or rely on a particular way of doing or seeing things – sometimes known as ‘strong culture’ – will generate less ideas and innovation. (p. 52)

We see that Marks and Spencer relied heavily on the traditional way that the company did business and did not encourage innovation and idea generation amongst managers and employees. In reality, these employees feared to show thought patterns that would ‘anger’ the senior management. It is clear that the market that Marks and Spencer were in was complex, dynamic and unpredictable and encouragement of ideas and innovation would have probably saved them from the fate they endured.

Similarly, high degrees of control and strict hierarchy are likely to encourage conformity and reduce variety, so innovation is less likely the more elaborate and bureaucratic the top-own control. We see that Marks and Spencer typically was a company of this description. (For a detailed explanation, see the section on ‘Culture’).

If we look at the PESTEL Framework (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Technological, Environmental and Legal), we see that Economic, Socio-cultural, Environmental and Technological factors are relevant to Marks and Spencer’s problem.

Economic
Marks and Spencer had the notion of that they did not and should not have to reduce prices, either at end of range or during seasonal periods like Christmas. We see that although this strategy worked initially for them, in time, the public realized that with other stores in the market, they could not only purchase the same items that Marks and Spencer stored at lower prices, but also receive discounts from these other stores at times as mentioned above. Marks and Spencer once again did not pay attention to this sentiment of the public. Read more…

Example Case Study on Starbucks

Case Study on Starbucks

Key Aspects, Country and Company Examples
Traditional companies and markets are obsolete. The economy is changing. Companies are going global and initiating change in their strategy, culture, structure, and technology. U.S. companies are expanding their presence into different nations. Different nations have different political, economic, and cultural institutions. Hill (2000) suggests that there are different strategies when a company pursues international competition. This case study will consider the pros and cons of these strategies and discuss various factors and tactics that affect a company entering a new market. This case study will introduce a country risk analysis for Brazil describing six aspects: (1) history, (2) climate, (3) culture, (4) political risk, (5) economic and financial risk, and (6) legal risk. Next, the case study illustrates Starbucks Coffee as a new player in the Brazilian market. This case study will define four aspects of the SWOT analysis, discuss their importance, and show their impact on the organization. Next, four key aspects will be described: (1) human resources, (2) legal and ethical issues, (3) supply chain, and (4) information technology. Finally, specific company examples will be offered to demonstrate how these aspects are practiced at Starbucks.

Country Risk Analysis
In order to fairly assess the risk factor of foreign direct investment, several factors are taken into consideration. One of the most crucial aspects of determining risk when entering a foreign market is gaining a clear understanding of who we are, and what is our product is. We have chosen Starbucks as our company and introduce the all around Starbucks product including atmosphere, customer service, taste, touch, aroma, and feel into the Brazilian marketplace. Collectively, we have considered Brazil a moderate risk in our analysis.

Historical Background

According to Nations of the World (2003), Pedros Alvares Cabral, a Portuguese navigator, was the first European to reach Brazil in 1500. During the next centuries, the Portuguese brought large numbers of slaves to Brazil until slavery was outlawed in 1888. In 1822, Brazil proclaimed its independence from Portugal and was ruled by an emperor until 1889. In 1889, the United States of Brazil became the legal name of the country. This remained the name of the country until 1967 when the country was renamed, the Federative Republic of Brazil. The country’s capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia. Each of the successive governments pursued industrial and agricultural growth, in addition to, development of the Brazil’s interior. This continued exploitation of the country’s natural resources, as well as, a large labor force enabled Brazil to become the leading industrial power of Latin America by 1970. Read more…

Free Case Study on Cadbury Crush

Cadbury Crush Case Study

Cadbury Schweppes is an important player in the American soft drink market where American consumers drink more soft drinks than tap water. In conjunction with population growth and rising per capita consumption there was an estimated $43 billion in retail sales in 1989. However, trend data suggests that sales of diet drinks accounted for a large portion of the overall growth of carbonated drink sales in the 1980’s with supermarket sales the key to successful soft drink marketing.

Despite being the fourth largest soft drink marketer in the United States, 71.4% of the total market was produced by Coca Cola, PepsiCo or Dr. Pepper/7up. However, Cadbury has carved out a niche in the non-cola segment of the soft drink industry where their brands were often the market leader in their specific categories. With their acquisition of Crush in 1989, Cadbury controlled 22% of the orange category of the soft drink market through Crush and Sunkist. The orange category has the third largest share of the market, with a market share of 3.9%.

After purchasing Crush, Cadbury executives needed to restructure the Crush brand to gain a higher market share while neither contradicting its current brand image nor cannibalizing Sunkist soda sales. Restructuring is to occur through revitalizing the bottling network, developing a brand position, and developing a new advertising and promotion program. Read more…

Sample Case Study on AOL

Case Study on AOL

Potential problems include the following:

  • Online system still subject to busy signals during peak hours of usage
  • AOL may experience difficulty in luring users away from their local ISPs in favor of an AOL account
  • Large number of subscribers may be a hindrance with regard to negative publicity
  • Customer service usually weaker when number of customers increases significantly
  • Transition to information-appliance-based access
  • Global & domestic competition (free and fee-based ISPs)
  • Investing in new services without sufficient knowledge as to how to sell the service
  • European entry without sufficient due diligence of markets

America Online is now a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world’s leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services. The parent company, AOL Time Warner, is the world’s leading media and entertainment company, whose businesses include cable systems, filmed entertainment, television networks, music and publishing, in addition to America Online’s interactive services. However, this case addresses AOL prior to its merger with Time Warner. Read more…

Example Case Study on Pat Parker

Pat Parker Case Study

Introduction
The Pat Parker (Parker) case is about a lawyer who started his own firm concentrating on writing reports and conducting political opposition research for political candidates. Parker successfully built a thriving business by providing political opposition research. Him primary customer group has been the Demographic Party. Parker provided research for all levels of political campaigns in Florida. Parker developed a billing system based on the type of campaign. This particular case is about how Parker devised a research report for one particular political candidate. Then two years later, the Trial Lawyers, who supported an incumbent Republican candidate, wanted to buy the report on the Republican Attorney General. The believed purpose of this was to offer the report to the candidate, which would allow him to prepare defenses for the upcoming campaign. Parker was unsure on how to proceed knowing that this could potentially jeopardize the Democratic Party’s candidate or even worse, the Republican candidate could be arrested for soliciting the information. Would Parker be violating contract law? Would Parker be infringing the copyright law? Would Parker be violating campaign statutes and other codes of ethics?

The ethical questions of this case seem quite simple. The fact that Parker initially accepted the request from the Trial Lawyers, and then began to have second thoughts about it shows that Parker is was having an ethical dilemma. Parker knew that there where both ethical and legal concerns about this action. The legal questions of this case are what are of interest here. Read more…