Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Corporate Strategy - Essay Example (Andrews, 1997). To properly formulate its corporate strategy, an organisation must assess its organisational strengths and weaknesses, as well as its environmental threats and opportunities, which will enable it choose among alternative courses of action. (Hofer and Schendel, 1984) cited in Schneider, (1998). This indicates that an organisation must perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis prior to formulating corporate strategy. A number of factors have been identified as having an effect on corporate strategy formulation: for example, Kets de Vries and Miller (1984) suggest that managerial personality and experience is an important determinant of the strategy formulation process; Janis (1972) considers group dynamics as an important factor affecting the formulation of corporate strategy while Frederickson (1984); Lyles and Mitroff (1985) suggest that organisational structure plays an important role in strategy formulation. Within the context of today’s global competition, businesses and firms no-longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). These researchers went further to argue that, this strategy has become quite common in many businesses including the retail clothing chain stores. The conventional vertical integrated company based business model is gradually being replaced by collaborative relationship between many fragmented, but complementary and specialized value stars and constellation (Wu & Chien:1). The next section provides a brief history of Sony Ericsson and its activities. According to the company annual review report, Sony-Ericsson emerge from the merger of two entity, in October 2001, Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to make mobile phones. This was due to expected

Contested masculinities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contested masculinities - Essay Example There is a correlation between masculine types during this period and the contemporary American male, in which masculinity is defined by success, strength, leadership and independence. Death of a Salesman represents three types of American masculinity during the Post World War II Era. The American male during this period was perceived as being independent, adventurous, competitive, and a leader, particularly in the home and in the work-place. Willy’s mental decline illuminates the stress men inevitably felt trying to succeed in the land of opportunities and to live up to the ascribed role of man during this period. This is demonstrated through Willy’s struggles with independence and individuality in attempting to become the â€Å"self-made man† and to meet his obligation to care for his family (McDonough 27) in pursuit of the American dream. It becomes clear that industrialization and family obligations coincide, creating barriers to those ascribed roles, causing conflicts between masculine identity and reality. The war itself forced an emphasis on the powerful male. The question was whether the American man was capable of pursuing successful careers and maintaining stable families and with these questions came the anxiety of living up to this characterization of the American man in the aftermath of the Second World War. In order to understand Wily’s struggles with this masculine type it is important to view his dilemma in this historical context. What emerges is a generational trend through Willy’s father, his brother Ben and Dave an old salesman. Clearly the idea of the self-made man was as important to masculine social status from one generation to another in America. Willy is influenced by his father’s independence and is likewise influenced by the old salesman, although he does not pause to distinguish between the manners in which