Dells Competitive Strategies And Supply Chain Dissertation

Dells Competitive Strategies And Supply Chain - Dissertation Example Founded by Michael Dell in the mid-1980s, Dell computers is one of the leading computer technology corporations in the world. At the height of the technology boom of the early 1990s, Dell reached a level where it had grown too large too fast to a point that it had to make radical internal changes to stay profitable. The company’s rock bottom was in 1993 when it lost a considerable portion of its market share, saw its cash flow and net income drop to $20 million and negative $ 40 million respectively. This called for rapid strategic changes to keep the organization afloat.  The company created a lasting profitability strategy through three major elements of; virtual integration, true value customer service features and having tailor-made manufacturing to meet specific customer needs. When Dell initiated computer sales through its website in 1996, it was an industry first, and when it expanded its line of products to include televisions, printer and audio players in 2002, the company had, in essence, the path of diversification aimed at sustaining profitability.   These events coupled with the organization’s three pillars of sustainable profitability saw it hold the spot of the largest seller of PCs worldwide in 2004 at 17.9% in 2004 up from the previous year’s 16.7%, followed closely by HP at 15.8%. For a company that saw negative net income 10 years ago, this market share was quite impressive. A macro-environment is the total sum of external factors that have the influence on a business.... ?s rock bottom was in 1993 when it lost a considerable portion of its market share, saw its cash flow and net income drop to $20 million and negative $ 40 million respectively. This called for rapid strategic changes to keep the organization afloat and that is exactly what Dell did. The company created a lasting profitability strategy through three major elements of; virtual integration, true value customer service features and having tailor made manufacturing to meet specific customer needs. When Dell initiated computer sales through its website in 1996, it was an industry first, and when it expanded its line of products to include televisions, printer and audio players in 2002, the company had in essence the path of diversification aimed at sustaining profitability. These events coupled with the organization’s three pillars of sustainable profitability saw it hold the spot of the largest seller of PCs worldwide in 2004 at 17.9% in 2004 up from the previous year’s 16.7 %, followed closely by HP at 15.8%. For a company that saw negative net income 10 years ago, this market share was quite impressive. Chapter 2: Theory of business and competitive strategy A macro-environment is the total sum of external factors that have influence on a business. These factors are usually beyond the control of an organization’s management and range from demographic, political, and technological to economic forces. Economic forces in this environment include demand and supply, the amount of competition in a market segment, economic resources available and the efficiency of production methods adopted by an organization (Hatten, 2012: P91). Each of the mentioned economic forces have an impact on both an organization’s production output and possible profit margin from the goods

Revolution of Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Revolution of Technology - Research Paper Example In this paper, the author attempts to peruse the causes and effects of the revolution in technology. In addition, the author concurs that the advantages of the revolution in technology far exceeds the few disadvantages which are purported. The National Research Council notes: our society has been through other periods of dramatic change before, driven by such innovations as the steam engine, railroad, telephone, and automobile. But never before have we experienced technologies that are evolving so rapidly (increasing in power by a hundredfold every decade), altering the constraints of space and time, and reshaping the way we communicate, learn, and think. (p. 5) This dynamic altering has changed life as we know it forever and although the revolution in technology has been the major factor in the improvement of life throughout the ages there remains several negative consequences. Nonetheless, these negative features as analyzed in the literature pales in comparison to the plethora of positive effects spawned from the revolution. Notwithstanding, this technology has brought with it an unquenchable thirst for more knowledge and a seemingly disconnection in human physical relationships there is a certain level of satisfaction obtained from the actual utilization of these technologies. This paper purports that the positive effects of the revolution of technology far outweighs the negative. ... Maury Klein emphasized that this industrialization paved the way for â€Å"large cities, the mass migration of people out of rural areas and into cities, as well as changes in the pace of American life†. Atkeson and Kehoe note that the tremendous amount of â€Å"new manufacturing technologies based on electricity† which were invented in the 1860s to 1900s caused that period to be dubbed the Second Industrial Revolution (64). This period was synonymous with a ‘new economy’ personified by rapid increase in the manufacturing industry. The first industrial revolution therefore ended in the nineteenth century with the introduction of electricity which led to a rapid advancement in transportation, medicine and other innovations. This dynamic atmosphere prepared the way for our present revolution, which is also known as the Information Revolution. Cortada suggests two main reasons for the present revolution, namely, â€Å"infusion of federal funds† in the q uest for technological innovations and the â€Å"existence of a potentially large commercial market† for this new technology (17). The commercial market spanned the entire globe. Thus, an individual could correspond with another individual half way across the world in real time. Further, a good could be manufactured in China, be advertised on the World Wide Web and be sold to someone in Australia within a single day. This present revolution in technology holds an abundance of benefits which were never realized in the previous revolutions. III. T he information revolution has had a positive effect on the lives of individuals across the globe or has it? Interestingly, each revolution added to the benefits of the

Functionalist conflict and symbolic perspectives on education

Functionalist conflict and symbolic perspectives on education The basis of todays theoretical perspectives provides sociologists with a philosophical position for asking certain kinds of questions about society and the people that occupy it. The three primary perspectives are functionalist, conflict, and interactionist. These three theories are very relative to education and the whole learning process. These different perspectives allow sociologists the ability to explain how society influences people and their actions. Each perspective uniquely conceptualizes society, social forces, and human behavior. The functionalist perspective, also known as functionalism, states that each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to societys functioning as a whole. The government, or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. The family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families. With this being said, the children become law-abiding and taxpaying citizens, who in turn support the state. The parts of society produce order, stability, and productivity. If something goes wrong, the parts of society then must adapt to recapture a new order, stability, and productivity. For example, the financial recession we are in right now, with the high rates of unemployment and inflation, social programs and their budgets are usually cut back because funding isnt available. Families end up having to cut back on their spending an d budget as well just to make ends meet. Functionalists believe that society is held together by social consensus and work together to achieve what is best for society as a whole. The functionalist perspective was popular during the 1940s and 1950s among American sociologist. American functionalists focused on discovering the functions of human behavior and European functionalists focused on explaining the inner workings of social order. Sociologist Robert Merton, who was born in 1910, divided human functions into two different types: manifest functions are those that are intentional and obvious and latent functions are those that are unintentional and not obvious. For example, my manifest function of attending my church is to worship, receive the word, and help children, but my latent function may be to help those children learn to discern religious and personal views. Manifest functions are apparent, while the latent functions have a more sociological approach. A sociological approach in functionalism is the consideration of the relationship between the functions of smaller parts and the functions of the whole. Functionalism has received criticism for neglecting the negative functions of something such as abuse. Critics claim that the perspective justifies the status quo and complacency on the part of societys members. Functionalism does not encourage people to take an active role in changing their social environment, even when such change may benefit them. Instead, functionalism sees active social change as undesirable because the various parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise. Karl Marxs writings on class struggles sparked the conflict perspective. The conflict perspective presents society in a different light than do the functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives. The conflict perspective focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society. Unlike functionalists who defend the status quo, avoid social change, and believe people cooperate to effect social order, conflict theorists challenge the status quo, encourage social change, and believe rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the less fortunate. American sociologists in the 1940s and 1950s generally ignored the conflict perspective in favor of the functionalist, the 1960s saw American sociologists gain interest in conflict theory. They also expanded Marxs idea that the key conflict in society was strictly economic. Today, conflict theorists find social conflict between any groups in which the potential for inequality exists such as race, gender, religion, political views, and economic stance, etc. Conflict theorists note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and agendas, causing them to compete against one another. This constant competition between groups forms the basis for the ever-changing nature of society. Critics of the conflict perspective point out its negative view of society. The theory attributes humanitarian efforts, altruism, democracy, civil rights, and other positive aspects of society to capitalistic designs to control the masses, not to inherent interests in preserving society and social order. The symbolic interactionist perspective, directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other. Although symbolic interactionist perspective traces its origins to Max Webers assertion that individuals act according to their interpretation of the meaning of their world, the American philosopher George H. Mead (1863-1931) introduced this perspective to American sociology in the 1920s. According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, people attach meanings to symbols, and then they act according to their subjective interpretation of these symbols. Verbal conversations, in which spoken words serve as the predominant symbols, make this subjective interpretation very evident. The words have a certain meaning for the sender, and, during effective communication, they hopefully have the same meaning for the receiver. Words are not static things; they require intention and interpretation. Conversation is an interaction of symbols between individuals who constantly interpret the world around them. Of course, anything can serve as a symbol as long as it refers to something beyond itself. Written music serves as an example. The black dots and lines become more than just marks on the page; they refer to notes organized in such a way to make music. Symbolic interactionists give serious thought to how people act, and then seek to determine what meanings individuals assign to their own actions and symbols. Applying symbolic interactionist perspective to the American institution of marriage, symbols may include wedding bands, vows of life-long commitment, a white bridal dress, a wedding cake, a Church ceremony, and flowers and music. American society attaches general meanings to these symbols, but individuals also maintain their own perceptions of what these and other symbols mean. For example, one of the spouses may see their circular wedding rings as symbolizing everlasting love, while the other may see them as a financial expense. Critics claim that the symbolic interactionist perspective neglects the macro level of social interpretation or the big picture. In other words, symbolic interactionists may miss the larger issues of society by focusing too closely on the trees or the size of the diamond in the wedding ring rather than the forest or the quality of the marriage. The perspective also receives criticism for slighting the influence of social forces and institutions on individual interactions. All of these perspectives have valid points as well as constructive criticism that holds value. The one perspective that sticks out to me is the conflict perspective; to me this perspective is real. I think being able to identify the many things that are wrong with our society today, makes the blows less painful when something goes wrong. The conflict perspective focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society. With this being said the conflict perspective can also be viewed in a positive light. Someone learning about this perspective their eyes could be opened up to many different issues that they might not necessarily experience.

Free College Admissions Essays: Computer Programming :: College Admissions Essays

Computer Programming Computer Programmer Matt Katz Writing for the Real World Pelkey November 30, 1999 Computer Systems Analyst I push the button, I hear a noise, and the screen comes alive. My computer loads up and starts to process. I see the start screen for Windows 95, and I type in my password. Even though this takes time, I know that I will be able to do whatever I want to do without any trouble, without any glitches, without any questions. My computer is now easier to use and more user friendly because computer systems analysts have worked out the problems that many computer systems still have. It appears to me that a career choice needs to contain a number of different features: One, Will this area of interest mentally stimulate me as well as challenge me; Two, Is there a way of making a living in these areas of interest; Three, Do I enjoy the different activities within this area of interest? From the first day that I started my first computer, I have grasped the concepts quickly and with ease, but the computer as well as I, will never stop growing. I have introduced myself to all topics of word processing to surfing the web. After reviewing a number of resources, I have noticed a relatively high demand for technologically integrated hardware and software positions available with companies that wish to compete with the demand for "networking". ("Computer Scientists" 95) This leads me to believe that future employment prospects will be high and of high quality pay within the next eight to ten years. The past, present, and future have and will see the computer. Since I have seen the computer, I have enjoyed the challenges and countless opportunities to gain in life from this machine. From school projects to games; from the Internet to programming languages; I have and always will feel like that little kid in the candy store. A Computer Systems Analyst decides how data are collected, prepared for computers, processed, stored, and made available for users. ("Computer Systems" COIN 1) The main achievement as a systems analyst is to improve the efficiency or create a whole new computer system that proves to be more efficient for a contracting company. When on an assignment, the analyst must meet a deadline. While striving for a deadline, he must create and comprehend many sources of information for the presentation. Free College Admissions Essays: Computer Programming :: College Admissions Essays Computer Programming Computer Programmer Matt Katz Writing for the Real World Pelkey November 30, 1999 Computer Systems Analyst I push the button, I hear a noise, and the screen comes alive. My computer loads up and starts to process. I see the start screen for Windows 95, and I type in my password. Even though this takes time, I know that I will be able to do whatever I want to do without any trouble, without any glitches, without any questions. My computer is now easier to use and more user friendly because computer systems analysts have worked out the problems that many computer systems still have. It appears to me that a career choice needs to contain a number of different features: One, Will this area of interest mentally stimulate me as well as challenge me; Two, Is there a way of making a living in these areas of interest; Three, Do I enjoy the different activities within this area of interest? From the first day that I started my first computer, I have grasped the concepts quickly and with ease, but the computer as well as I, will never stop growing. I have introduced myself to all topics of word processing to surfing the web. After reviewing a number of resources, I have noticed a relatively high demand for technologically integrated hardware and software positions available with companies that wish to compete with the demand for "networking". ("Computer Scientists" 95) This leads me to believe that future employment prospects will be high and of high quality pay within the next eight to ten years. The past, present, and future have and will see the computer. Since I have seen the computer, I have enjoyed the challenges and countless opportunities to gain in life from this machine. From school projects to games; from the Internet to programming languages; I have and always will feel like that little kid in the candy store. A Computer Systems Analyst decides how data are collected, prepared for computers, processed, stored, and made available for users. ("Computer Systems" COIN 1) The main achievement as a systems analyst is to improve the efficiency or create a whole new computer system that proves to be more efficient for a contracting company. When on an assignment, the analyst must meet a deadline. While striving for a deadline, he must create and comprehend many sources of information for the presentation.

Standard & Poor’s

The course is appropriate for business and Nan-business majors. The course objectives are: To provide a basic understanding of core management tasks such as planning, controlling, leading and organizing, and to develop a similar understanding of organizational behavior at the individual, group and organizational levels. To develop a working vocabulary regarding these subjects and to become familiar with theories and concepts regarding them. To understand the application of course concepts to real world management and organizational behavior problems. LEARNING TOMES: The learning outcomes Of this course are as follows:You'll understand management and organizational behavior terminology and of the foundational concepts of thereof. You'll learn to diagnose and solve management problems, including but not limited to change management, leadership, and motivation. You'll gain knowledge of ethical issues often associated with organizational situations. You'll gain knowledge of global & cult ural differences in management and organizational behavior processes. TEXT & REQUIRED MATERIALS: 1 . Required Textbook: Jones & George, Contemporary Management Be with â€Å"Connect† access, University of Illinois BADLAND Edition, McGraw Hill.ISBN 9781259167645. Available at local bookstores. 2. Required Access to McGraw-Hill â€Å"Connect† software. This is bundled with new textbooks but can be purchased separately (if you have other access to a textbook). The internet site gives you the opportunity to purchase it directly from McGraw-Hill (this was about $60 in 2014) the first time you click on a Connect assignment. Details will be announced in the first class and on the course Compass site. 3. Required clicker. Available at ITS and the LLC of I bookstore. Either the original clicker or the clicker 2 will work for this class.NOTE: CLICKER REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED by Feb. 4, 2015. In order to credit you with points for clicker participation, we have to know your click er's Register by clicking the appropriate icon on the main page of the course Compass site. You must register your clicker on our Compass site even if you also registered it elsewhere. 4. Required Harvard Business School Change Management Simulation. Purchasing and registration instructions will be posted on Compass in mid-semester. Cost -? approve. $12. 5. Lecture notes can be downloaded from Compass site.They will be available before lecture in mime for printing if you wish. COURSE SCHEDULE: The planned schedule will be posted on Compass. Changes may be made to reflect the needs of the class. Any changes will be announced in class and/or on the course web site (Compass). It is the students' responsibility to stay aware of any changes made. Key dates: Exam 1: Tees Feb. 17, in class Exam 2: Thru Mar 19, in class ; Exam 31 Tees May 5, in class LEARNING APPROACH & HOMEWORK For this BAD 31 0 class, the activities (other than exams) are organized by weeks.In a typical week we will cover two chapters in class, and students will omelet different types of (typically online) homework related to the chapters. This can be done before or shortly after class. Each week readings will be assigned from the text. Read each chapter and use the Learners exercises to learn the material well. Then, do the interactive exercises for the chapter to gain additional familiarity with the chapter concepts. Homework activities will typically be due at 9:30 AM on Tuesday of the week after we cover the material. There is an extended deadline for assignments in the first week.Assignment due dates are on the Compass web site. 2 GRADING Your final grade in this class will be determined by your performance on: Max. Points Grading Component 1 . Learners Activities 18 chapters @ 9 points each, 2 lowest chapters grades dropped.. 2. Interactive Activities 18 chapters @ -16 points each, 2 lowest chapters grades dropped 3. Change Management Simulation AAA. Exam 1 (50 questions, mostly m/c & t/f but some fill-in) b. Exam 2 C. Exam 3 (M) Total Extra Credit Opportunities A. Optional Research Participation, up to 8 more studies @ 10 points each B. Clickers, participation in up to 20 classes @ 2 points per class. % afoot 144 7% 256 13% 100 500 25% 00% 2000 80 Final grades will be assigned based on the following point scale. A 1940+ 1860-1939=A 1800-1859 -A. 1740-1799 B+ 1660-1739=8 1600-1659 c 1540-1599 = C+ 1460-1539 -c 1400-1459 = c- D 1340-1399= D+ 1260-1339 -D 1200-1259 = D 1200 = F Grades will be accessible by password on IL Compass g. There are two exceptions: Grades for extra credit research studies will be maintained on the SONS system and will only be transferred to Compass after the last of the three exams.Grades for the Connect activities (interactive activities and Learners) transfer to Compass graybeard about 1 week after you turn in the assignment. For your security, grades will not be provided by phone or email. Because of the size of the class, grade breakpoints are fixed to maintain equity. Students with extenuating circumstances which require them to receive a certain grade or maintain a particular GAP (e. G. , graduation, loss of a scholarship, University probation or suspension, loss of a job offer, revocation of student Visa, etc. ) need to realize that they are responsible for working hard to achieve the needed class grade.Please ask for help if you see that you are falling short of the grade that you expect or need. We want students to succeed but you must know that we cannot make exceptions for individual students. Grades can be changed only if we have made an input or calculation error. It is important that you check your class grades and immediately notify us of any discrepancies. 3 Grading Components Learners Learners homework assignments are part of Connect, McGraw Hill's online learning platform. Learners is basically an â€Å"intelligent electronic flash card system. The system asks multiple choice, fill-in, and other quick ques tions.The â€Å"intelligence† is that if there is a topic you have difficulty with, the system ends to increase the number of questions so as to help you bring your knowledge up to par. The pedagogical purpose of these exercises is primarily to review the chapter concepts from lecture and your reading. We recommend you do the Learners activities for the chapter before the interactive exercises, as familiarity with the concepts will speed your work. Learners is treated as â€Å"mastery' exercises. The more cards you do, the higher your score gets until it says you have completed the exercise, whereupon you get full credit.The exercises are set so that McGraw-Hill estimates the average student can gain full credit with 30 minutes of work (and call us biased, but we are confident every IS of I student is above the average student in McGraw Hill's book). But, you can work on the activities for as long as needed to achieve the score you want. It should be possible for all student s who are willing to spend the time, to achieve scores near 100% on these exercises. Additionally, we drop your lowest two chapters' scores at the end of the semester. Learners gives no credit for late submissions. To start working with Learners, check the Compass site.If you have trouble gaining access, please contact McGraw-Hill first (phone # and web address on Compass). If McGraw Hill is unable to resolve the issue your next step is to contact your teaching assistant. Please put the Mcgraw Hill service ticket # in the email in case we need to coordinate with them. The Learners exercises are normally due at 9:AMA on the Tuesday of the week after the chapter was covered. Due dates will appear on Compass, and the Connect web site has calendar and grade functionality that lets you track when assignments are due and how you have done on them.Con next† Interactive Activities â€Å"Connect† homework assignments comprise one to three modest interactive exercises for each of the 18 chapters in the text Some of these are â€Å"drag and drop† exercises which amount to a matching game where you connect a specific situation with a chapter concept. Others are video exercises in which you answer several multiple choice questions that emphasize chapter concepts as you view the video, and then answer some concept check questions at the end. The pedagogical purpose of these exercises is to help you become familiar with applying the chapter concepts from lecture and our reading.We recommend you do the Learners activities for the chapter before the interactive exercises, as familiarity with the concepts will speed your work. These exercises are treated as â€Å"mastery/' exercises. That is, they are set up so all students can master the material. This is done by allowing you three tries at each exercise and taking only the highest score. You are also allowed to reference the textbook and notes as you work through the exercises. Students who are willing to spend the time should achieve scores near 100% on these exercises.Additionally, we drop your sweets two chapters' scores at the end of the semester. Each day you are late in submitting results in a 20% penalty. 4 To start working with the interactive activities, check the Compass site for an introduction. Tutorials are available. If you have trouble gaining access or working with the interactive exercises, please contact McGraw-Hill first (link on Compass). If McGraw Hill is unable to resolve the issue your next step is to contact your teaching assistant. Please put the McGraw-Hill service ticket # in the email in case we need to coordinate with them.The interactive exercises re normally due at 9:30 AM on the Tuesday of the week after the chapter was covered. Due dates will appear on Compass, and the Connect web site has calendar and grade functionality that lets you track when assignments are due and how you have scored. IMPORTANT: In order to be as fair as possible to everyone in the class, deadlines for interactive activities and Learners have to be enforced. Please DO NOT wait until the last minute. If you wait until the deadline, issues such as illness or problems with the University server might make it impossible for you to complete the assignments.Change Management Simulation (SMS) Near the end of the semester, all students will participate in a simulation of an organizational change initiative published through Harvard Business School publishing. The simulation challenges you to acquire support among your company's management for an innovative idea. The simulation plays like a game, and students have found it very engaging. We hope that you find that simulation not only interesting, but a powerful learning experience where you see the results of effective and ineffective application of course concepts.IMPORTANT: You will need to register and purchase the change management simulation through the Harvard web site before we start the simulation. Instruc tions will be posted on Compass, probably in early to mid April. Announcements about this will be made in class. Exams There are three exams in the course. Each exam covers the material from one of the three parts of the course and consists of approximately 50 questions. Most are multiple choice and true/false questions, but some are short fill-in (e. G. , definitions, identification of concepts). Material on the exam is drawn room the textbook, class lecture and other assigned materials.The exams are closed-book and are given in class at the regularly scheduled class time. Specific Exam Policies: ; Indicate your exam answers on both your exam copy and on your answer (bubble) sheet. Both are collected when you leave. Your bubble sheet answers are what we must use, but if for some reason it is lost or illegible we may refer to the exam copy. If you do not turn in an answer sheet or a marked exam copy, you normally cannot receive any credit for the exam. Plan on remaining in the class room for at least minutes during exam days.Bring a #2 pencil to class and use it to fill out the exam. Bring a photo ID to all exams as the size of the class requires that we check IDs. 5 Dictionaries and electronic devices (calculators, dictionaries and translators) are not permitted during exams, on the recommendation of the college deans. We will answer questions about word meanings that are not related to class concepts. Additional exam policies and procedures may be discussed in class. Conflict Exams ; Exams are taken only at the regularly scheduled time except when events beyond your control prevent you from doing so.The most common exceptions are for excused absences (e. G. , illness or injury, family emergency, university sanctioned events) and out of-town job interviews. Please ask if you have an unusual situation. With approved exceptions you are able to take the conflict exam which has the same format as the regular exam. You MUST notify us IN ADVANCE if you need to take the makeup/ conflict exam. Email to the course email (see Compass). Failure to do so (unless you are physically unable to email) will result in an automatic zero for the exam. Documentation is required to take the makeup/conflict exam.For illness, injury, or family emergency, please obtain an official excused absence letter from the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students office is at 300 Student Services Building, 61 0 East John, 333-0050. For other situations check with the professor regarding required documentation. Extra Credit There are two primary sources of extra credit: Participation points through using the clickers and participation in research studies that brings exposure to the research process. â€Å"Clicker† Participation Points We use â€Å"clickers† to make lectures more participative and engaging.

Contrasting Differences Between “the Cooperative” and “Hsbc Plc”

The purpose of this essay is to explain and analyze contrasting differences between â€Å"The Cooperative† and â€Å"HSBC plc†, and to explain its stakeholders. At the end I will explain and evaluate their mission aims, objectives and impact of their companies. The simplest form of ownership and possibly the most common too, is sole-trading, which is owned by one individual. Possibly this individual opened his company by using his savings or quite commonly by means of a bank loan. He is capable of running every aspect of his business and is solely responsible for is business.Most multinationals generating billions of pounds per year of our days started as sole-trading companies. Partnerships are the next evolutionary step. They are owned by two or more individuals, usually specialists who join venture. As sole-trading all parties contribute privately towards the business’ capital through savings or bank loans, usually profits are shared depending on how much capi tal was invested by each party. There can be partners who usually do not take part in the running of the company called sleeping or dormant partners they mainly invest and share the profits.Private Limited Companies (Ltd) are companies whose ownership is divided into equal parts called shares, who own these shares in turn are called shareholder, only by consent of all shareholders can shares be sold to a particular buyer and usually who owns more shares ultimately has majority of the decision making. This type of company is considered to be an entity of its own, the owners only run it. Public Limited Companies (Plc) follow the same principle has Ltd companies but they must first of all, raise sufficient capital, minimum of ? 50,000. 0 by selling its shares in the stock market . A minimum of two directors, two members and a qualified secretary are needed to trade as a Plc and its directors must provide statutory documentation to the companies house. Cooperative Companies are raised t hrough an association between individuals united usually by socio-economical factors. Capital is raised privately and no matter how much one shareholder invests in contrast with others, shareholders he or she has only one vote, meaning this every shareholder has the same power. Democracy is the cornerstone of this type of company.Shared responsibilities towards decision planning policy making and aims of this company are done by every member, capital is owned in common property of the cooperative. Main advantages are equally shared ownership, equally shared profits depending on how much invested social and economic awareness services and products, environmental awareness. Main disadvantages can be financial control, management effectiveness poor planning, `and longer decision making less trust in the cooperative ideology. Franchises are defined as trading under the name of a third party company.The franchiser gives a license to the franchisee to trade under its name. Its main charac teristic is how the business is ran, the franchisee owns and operates the business but the franchiser maintains control over the products or services sold, its marketing, quality and standards of the entire business. The two companies I will talking will be The Cooperative which falls into the cooperative type of company and HSBC Holdings which is under the public limited company category. HSBC Holdings exist to provide financial services worldwide.The Co-operative are democratically run by members to meet their common needs and aspirations Their main reason is not chasing profits like other types of ownership businesses, but the ability to steer their products and services in a more responsible direction. The Cooperative provides food and retail products, financial, funeral care, legal, pharmacy and travel services. HSBC Holdings provide a range of financial services, personal, commercial, corporate investment and private banking customers. The Co-operative is run by over two-and a -half-million of members who share on how the businesses are run.HSBC Holdings is run by a board of directors but the owners are the investors and shareholders who have bought the company’s various types of shares. HSBC Holdings is an entity of its own, meaning it has legal rights and responsibilities and is used in such way to conduct business totally in the interests of its shareholders who invest their capital and the employees who contribute towards the company with their labour. The Co-operative is defined as being an association of individuals who voluntarily unified to meet common cultural, social and economic needs.They come to be a democratically owned and controlled business. Its members have a say in how the business is run, by attending meetings, voting for their representatives, this way members influence policies, both at ethical and operational levels. The level of influence is irrespective of how much a member invests, it can be one pound or one hundred thousa nd pounds. Stakeholders are individuals or groups who contribute voluntarily or involuntarily with their wealth to create profitable businesses. They are the potential beneficiaries or risk bearers of their business.They can be active or non-active representatives members in their companies. Commonly these days stakeholder term is used to represent individuals or organizations who have legitimate interests in projects or entities. The concept of stakeholder can be more widely used to include other forms of individuals or organizations that may not take part in benefit or profit sharing but still have a â€Å"stake in the business involved, this can be employees, pressure groups, customers, suppliers, communities, governmental bodies.HSBC Holdings, and The Co-operative have various types of stakeholders and the ones with a direct influence over the company are the internal stakeholders. In the case of HSBC Holdings these are the owners, board of directors, and employees. In the case of The Co-operative these are the owners, board of directors, employees’ and its members who actively are encouraged by the company to take part in the running of the business. The mportance of stakeholder is to support its organization in achieving its strategic objectives, by interpreting and influencing the external and internal environments and creating positive relationships, the stakeholders through correct management of their expectations and agreed objectives. This management is a process that must be planned and guided by the principles stipulated by the stakeholders. In the case of the Co-operative we can see their entire business in managed in accordance of all their members.Has the business was created to help and support communities all their stakeholders from directors to staff members have the same influence on how the business is run. Most importantly all its shareholders agree the main factor of the company is to provide goods and services at reasonable pric es, ethically viable and do not look for profit margins with the exception to stay in business and grow. HSBC Holdings believe their success is the only outcome required by their shareholders if not their stakeholders would not invest, good employees would not want to work for them and the customers would not want to bank with them.They want to be the largest international financial institution, have a cosmopolitan customer base and to have considerable financial strength. Except for The Co-operative whose stakeholders do not necessarily look for profits, like HSBC Holdings, both cases owners and senior staff look for performance and direct their business according to their aims and objectives they want to get a good return on their investment, non-managerial staff mainly look for quality and security of jobs, good pay of rates, job satisfaction, good benefits promotion prospectus.Their main external stakeholders even if not necessary for this essay I feel it is important to explain their importance too, governments look for low employment risks and ability to gain profits through taxation, trade unions look for working conditions, wages and legal requirements, customers for quality, value and more recently for ethical services or products and local communities who want to be involved in their business and expect job security, expect environmental and social issues best interests to be answered.Both companies have been around for more than a century, both believe their stakeholders internal or external have a fundamental importance in their companies both have different objectives and aims but, similarly both believe in managing their business in a sustainable way and taking responsible attention in their decisions to be successful in the long term. They have taken very different routes simply because the aims and objectives expected by their stakeholders are not just that.Creating aims and objectives is no easy task especially when both terms have vague disti nctions and imprecise definitions. All business has a hierarchy which usually starts from their mission statement to their aims and finally to their objectives. Objectives give the business clear defined targets it is a detailed picture of the business and plans must then be setup to achieve the objective in question, they are stated into measurable targets using â€Å"S. M. A. R. T. † definition-. †-Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic and Time.Objectives can then be considered medium to long term goals required by a business to maintain its path these are the strategic objectives, the day -to-day or short-term objectives are called tactical objectives they help the strategic objectives being accomplished. Aim is the goal or general statement a business wants to achieve. They are important in developing implement and evaluate a business future. Aims are long term plans necessary for a business and where businesses objectives derive.Usually businesses may have se veral aims and objectives, all simply depend of the nature of the business. The most common can be to make profit, survive, expand, break even, improve quality, competitive value, and more recently, more and more business aim to be environmentally friendly. All of these help any business to be able to stay, in business. Objectives and aims provide a clear structure for all of the various activities that an organization carries out.Measuring how well an objective have or not been achieved, managers can make necessary arrangements to their activities to ensure progress and achievements of the stated mission statements, aims and objectives are followed. Aims and objectives within an organization are established at a number of levels from top level corporate objectives, all the way down to team objectives and individual objectives that create a framework for operational activities.An example could be the customer service department of HSBC Holdings which aims to satisfy customers, and t he marketing department which aims to identify customer’s needs. HSBC Holdings mission statement is â€Å"We are the world’s local bank† meaning they want to be the largest international emerging markets bank, widespread international network focus on a unique international customer base and have unquestioned financial strength. To achieve this their aim is to run a sustainable usiness in long terms, to do this they want to give their stakeholders sustainable profits, have and build long-lasting relationships with their customers, value their employee, respecting environmental boundaries and investing in communities. The Co-operative mission statement is â€Å"From community projects to a share of the profits, we’re good for everyone†. They believe in providing ethical services and goods from banking travel, pharmacy, legal services, funeral care, food and on-line shopping only in the United Kingdom.They are a group who base their aims on their eth ical values, influencing this way the way they do business. Their aim in this way is to show good quality products and services do not have to come at the expense of honesty and social responsibility. We can see HSBC Holdings and The Co-operative mission statements, aims and objectives focus their business in maintaining their purpose. Both businesses believe in sustainability of their employees, communities and environmental values but differ on how their profits are shared and who runs the business.The Co-operative by being managed in a democratically way focus its aims and objectives in ethical issues, in the interests of all their internal and external shareholders. HSBC Holdings most important aim and objective are actually to produce profits for their internal shareholders and expanding worldwide.Bibliography: www. hsbc. co. uk -Accessed more than once www. thecooperative. coop -Accessed more than once Tutor Handouts: http://go. guildford. ac. uk/webapps/portal/frameset. jsp? tab_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_9140_1%26url%3D