Strategic change management of British American Tobacco

Strategic change management of British American Tobacco British America Tobacco (BAT) was formed over 100 years ago, as a joint venture between the UKs Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company in a bid to end an intense trade war. James Buck Duke founder of America Tobacco Company became the first chairman. Despite deriving its name from the home bases of its two founding companies, British American Tobacco was established to trade outside both the UK and the USA; the two companies  will not  trade in each others domestic markets and acquire the right to use each others brands and trade marks in their own territory. The early period of the company formation saw a lot of expansion, consolidation, merging and de-merging until resent past when the 1902 agreement was revocated and BAT gains exclusive rights of is original brands. The company vision to achieve leadership of the global tobacco will be based on Growth, Productivity, Responsibility and building a Winning Organization. (BAT, 2008) PRODUCTS OVERVIEW Cigarettes; This account for about 95 per cent of the company product Smokeless snus; Swedish-style snus is a form of tobacco that isnt smoked, usually placed under the lip, chewed or in the nostrils. It is reported to be much less harmful than cigarettes. Cigars; British American Tobacco produces wide range of various shapes, strength and flavors. Roll-your-own; the oldest form of smoking sometimes referred to as hand-rolling tobacco or fine cut. Pipe tobacco; is aged, A pipe like tube for smoking tobacco. Global Drive Brands: Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall are marks. International brands Rothmans, Kool, Benson and Hedges, 555, Peter Stuyvesant and John Player Gold Leaf. The company is also improving the sales of Vogue and Viceroy. MARKETING STRATEGY Strategic management for most organization is a way of thinking and a term used in everyday conversation. A market generally is made up of sellers/producers/suppliers of Products/ services and buyers of these products/ services. Key to this exchange between buyers and sellers is the concept of needs and wants which marketers must strive to satisfy. Marketing is all about getting the right products and services to customers who want/need them. Strategy is looks into the future then develops and implements the plans that will drive the organization in the right direction; it presents the broad marketing approach to meet the marketing plan objectives. The marketing planning should be aimed towards designing marketing strategies that are efficient, effective, flexible and adaptable. According to (Brassington and Pettitt 2000), marketing strategy cannot be design in isolation, it has to include the objectives of the organization and take into consideration other strategies of the organiza tion. Competition British America Tobacco faces competition from many international and local players in the industry. Notable among them are; Imperial Group, Gallaher limited, Tltria, Japan tobacco, Altadis. They all compete in sharing the Global volume. Marketing Three stages of marketing techniques 5Ps (Adapted from the Times 100) Market research enables the organization to identify the most appropriate marketing mix for effective promotion. (The times 100) Successful marketing is the bedrock of growth for any fast moving consumer goods business. The company strategy to build its Organization. Growth, according to Marketing Director, Jimmi Rembiszewski does not mean increasing the number of smokers rather it means increasing the company share of those adult who have chosen to smoke there by increasing the value of share. Marketing in many businesses is based on the fundamental 5 Ps:   product, price, packaging, promotion and place.   For BAT, promotion is now much more limited and very carefully controlled due to increasing regulations. Product Product value and quality are high on company agenda. The company first Chairman once said to achieve success there need to be a quality product and right people. BAT also offers consumers smokeless Swedish-style snus, considered to be less harmful than cigarette. Price Pricing is one of the most important marketing strategies employed by tobacco companies all over the world. The rise of America Tobacco Company was largely due to aggressive pricing strategies used by James Duke led to the rise of American Tobacco Company, this was made possible by the cost advantages derived. This forced competitors to join him or leave the market. (Chaloupka et al, 2002) BAT is prided for quality, choice of flavors, diversified, segmented global brands at the super premium, premium, mid-price and value-for-money price points. Promotion Tobacco companies all over the world use myriad activities to promote their products. Laws governing tobacco brand advertising mean that promotion now has far less relevance than the other 4 Ps, and that mass media promotion is going or gone. As traditional marketing avenues have closed, tobacco industries now use other marketing strategies. One such strategy is the use of advertainment, possibly derived from two words advertisement and entertainment. This is a way of trying to link brand image to an entertainment event. Some of the Activities use by tobacco companies to promote their products includes: Event sponsorship For many years Tobacco companies have been using event sponsorships to promote their products, by sponsoring an event, a brand ties that events image to its own. While the parameters within which they can pursue this strategy are narrowing due to legislation, tobacco marketers continue to find ways to make connections between the images of events and the images of their products. Bars and Clubs Tobacco companies host high concerts and budget parties, which target a particular group. Tobacco products posters and signs are also used to promote the bars. Direct Mail Advertisement / Direct Marketing Tobacco marketing has in recent past shifted from traditional method of advertising to developing relationships with individual customers. (Anderson, et al). A major element of direct marketing is direct mail targeted to individuals on tobacco companies extensive mailing lists. Direct mail was found to be a major distribution channel for coupons, sweepstakes offers, brand-loyalty program catalogs and event sponsorship notice. (Delnevo, et al 2004). Point Of Sale Advertisement Advertising at the point of sale remains a major component of tobacco marketing. Places where cigarettes are sold are packed with promotional messages. Companies compete for trademark presence and best shelf space. Successful retailers are also rewarded sometimes. (Physicians for a smoke-free Canada 2002). Other methods commonly use by tobacco companies include; distribution of Giveaways and Print ads at events. Place The target group must be aware of the existence and availability, should never be out of stock and be at the right outlet. SWOT Analysis This part depicts opportunities and threats faced by BAT caused by the external environment Strengths The Community and BAT: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ worlds second largest quoted tobacco group by global market share, with brands sold in more than 180 markets . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ products released under an open-source license meaning it is free to acquire and distribute à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the licensing structure means can benefit from Community involvement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global tobacco market with largest market in china where around 2,100 billion cigarettes are consumed by about 350 million smokers annually development team and other support for the Community and products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A very broad geographic base, well placed to meet the changing environment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Portfolio of some 300 brands based on distinct must-win consumer segments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 47 cigarette factories in 40 countries à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ providing farmers with a welcome alternative crop.   In many cases, it provides a higher income than any other smallholder crop.   It integrates well into environmentally friendly crop rotations, benefiting subsequent crops like maize. Weaknesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tobacco consumption poses real risks to health, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ illicit tobacco trade à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Inability to totally eliminate non target group à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Child Labour in Tobacco Growing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ black market driven by ever higher taxes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Weak criminal penalties, poor border controls, low arrest rates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-Compliance Strategy e.g. selling in unlicensed establishment Opportunities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Delivering innovations and refinements to our products across leaf blends, finer cut tobacco, new filters, new formats such as slimmer products and improved tastes in segments such as menthol. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Able to innovate constantly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Over 100 countries grow tobacco à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Largest leaf supply chain having no match in the industry of tobacco à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ This industry is possessed with the ability to rescuing itself for a long term Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Price competition in tobacco industry can be fierce.   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the presence of many brands products in the marketplace à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ the open-source license regime means anyone can re-brand and redistribute under new name à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Laws governing tobacco brand advertising and company restrictions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Counterfeiting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Smoking and health litigation (third party reimbursement, class action, individual action) The success of marketing activity should be monitored. General criticisms Tobacco use has been found to be harmful and addictive product that has huge health and economic impact for the users and passive users. It was found to be a single most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in most developed nations and addiction is one of the greatest threats facing young people (British Columbia Ministry of Health Services, 2003) Tobacco use has huge economic, social and environmental consequences. Some of which are highlighted in the table below: Direct Health Social economic Environmental Disability Reduced productivity Fire damage Premature death Worker absenteeism Liters from cigarette buts Lost income due to premature death direct health care costs Studies also found a link between advertising and promotions and encouraging adolescents to initiate smoking, and that point-of-sale advertising influences youths intentions to smoke in the future (Chaloupka et al, 2007). RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSSION Several studies have found tobacco product to be harmful to health with enormous economic and incalculable social impact. Reducing its use has also been found to improved general health and wellness. Government has always been torn between forfeiting a large sum derived from Tobacco industry through tax and job creation, and listening to the voice of experts who are determine to see that tobacco usage is banned. Tobacco companies all over the world use all sort of tactics, including lobbying, campaigns aim at health improvement, looking for allies to ensure they have a free market. It is identified in this report that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tobacco industries will use any means of publicity to reach their target group à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ increasing global share value (profit) and tax are key strategic elements defining battlefield for the industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Costs and impacts of smoking are misinterpreted, and Tobacco companies will always found allies in stakeholders (Ross 2008)) This report suggests that any form of advertisement or promotion that has a large percentage of spilling over to non target group should be restricted e.g. point-of-sale advertisement. Authorities should put more effort in helping people to quit and protect passive smokers. There should be a clear definition of where smoking is allowed or not, it is not uncommon to see smokers smoking at bus stop or on the street. More research needs to be done on the effect of Nicotine, main component of tobacco products. Where products are found to be extremely harmful, companies should be mandated to withdraw such products.

Vacation Gone Awry Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples

I lay asleep in the car crammed between my brother and my sister; I open my eyes just in time to see a sign with half of the lights burnt out that read "State Bridge, Resort, Saloon, Restaurant, and Lodging." By the looks of the sign, I had a feeling that this place was going to be a dump. The word "resort" led me to believe it wasn't that bad. The thought I always kept in the back of my mind was what a Hawke family "vacation" was. We would always spend the least amount of money as we could, and we would leave as soon as possible. This, to my dad, was the greatest vacation. My dad had this great last minute idea of going to his sister's house in Steamboat Springs for Christmas. My family is known for last minute planning. We started planning this the day before we wanted to leave. Things never go according to plan, and we ended up leaving that very same day because there was supposed to be a huge snowstorm the next morning. So, at six that night, we all piled into our 1982, Dodge minivan. Of course, my dad made my mom drive because he hates to drive at night or driving period. He always says to my mom "Honey, if you get tired just wake me up and I'll drive." On long trips, he always falls asleep and it is quite difficult to wake him up when he is snoring. My mom always ends up driving the entire way. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, my mom decided it was time to settle into a hotel because she was getting tired, hungry, and cranky. We saw a number of hotels but every hotel that we passed showed a "no vacancy" sign. The first actual stop we made was in Eagle. As soon as the car came to a stop, my brother and my dad awoke, and of course, the bickering began because we were all cranky. My brother had been taki... ...od?" Sarcastically my mom replied, "What do you think?" "I slept good, I didn't even wake up once," my dad answered. "You didn't hear all the trains going by last night?" my mom asked. My dad replied "Nope, I didn't hear a thing." I took my spot in the crammed back seat, and I couldn't believe what had happened in that endless night. As we drove away, I hoped that we would never return to that dreadful place again. Before the vacation was even over, the Hawke family vacation goal was a success. We managed to spend only $25, and we were to start home the next day. To my dad this was a fun filled vacation, but to the rest of us, it was the most dreadful time we had ever had. Still crammed between my brother and sister, I couldn't stop thinking of our awful experience. I could only hope that our final destination would better than the previous encounter. Vacation Gone Awry Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples I lay asleep in the car crammed between my brother and my sister; I open my eyes just in time to see a sign with half of the lights burnt out that read "State Bridge, Resort, Saloon, Restaurant, and Lodging." By the looks of the sign, I had a feeling that this place was going to be a dump. The word "resort" led me to believe it wasn't that bad. The thought I always kept in the back of my mind was what a Hawke family "vacation" was. We would always spend the least amount of money as we could, and we would leave as soon as possible. This, to my dad, was the greatest vacation. My dad had this great last minute idea of going to his sister's house in Steamboat Springs for Christmas. My family is known for last minute planning. We started planning this the day before we wanted to leave. Things never go according to plan, and we ended up leaving that very same day because there was supposed to be a huge snowstorm the next morning. So, at six that night, we all piled into our 1982, Dodge minivan. Of course, my dad made my mom drive because he hates to drive at night or driving period. He always says to my mom "Honey, if you get tired just wake me up and I'll drive." On long trips, he always falls asleep and it is quite difficult to wake him up when he is snoring. My mom always ends up driving the entire way. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, my mom decided it was time to settle into a hotel because she was getting tired, hungry, and cranky. We saw a number of hotels but every hotel that we passed showed a "no vacancy" sign. The first actual stop we made was in Eagle. As soon as the car came to a stop, my brother and my dad awoke, and of course, the bickering began because we were all cranky. My brother had been taki... ...od?" Sarcastically my mom replied, "What do you think?" "I slept good, I didn't even wake up once," my dad answered. "You didn't hear all the trains going by last night?" my mom asked. My dad replied "Nope, I didn't hear a thing." I took my spot in the crammed back seat, and I couldn't believe what had happened in that endless night. As we drove away, I hoped that we would never return to that dreadful place again. Before the vacation was even over, the Hawke family vacation goal was a success. We managed to spend only $25, and we were to start home the next day. To my dad this was a fun filled vacation, but to the rest of us, it was the most dreadful time we had ever had. Still crammed between my brother and sister, I couldn't stop thinking of our awful experience. I could only hope that our final destination would better than the previous encounter.

Essay --

La jurisprudence à ©tait dà ©finie diffà ©remment par les juristes romans qui ont vis pendant la pà ©riode de l’Antiquità © parce que l’à ©tymologie du mot dà ©signe la  « science du droit  » qui comprit le phà ©nomà ¨ne juridique. Ce fait est envisagà © par la dà ©finition que Justinien a inclut dans son Å“uvre là ©gislative :  « Juris prudentia est divanarum atque humanarum rerum notitia, iusti atque injusti scientia  » (La jurisprudence est la connaissance des faits divines et humaines, la science du ce qui est juste et injuste.) Au fil du temps, le droit s’est à ©cartà © de cette explication et a donnà © à   la jurisprudence une signification vraiment diffà ©rente comme l’ensemble des rà ¨gles de droit nà ©es de l’actività © judiciaire. Au mà ªme temps, la nouvelle dà ©finition de la jurisprudence a introduit l’une des principales diffà ©rences entre les grands systà ¨mes de droits. En consà ©quence, d’une parte la famille du droit romano-germanique considà ¨re que  « le juge est la bouche qui dit la loi  », c’est-à  -dire qu’il a seulement la compà ©tence d’interprà ©ter la loi, d’autre parte il y a la famille anglo-saxonne qui est gouvernà ©e par le principe  « judge made law  » (le juge a crà ©Ãƒ © la loi). La raison pour l’existence des limites du pouvoir du juge dans le systà ¨me là ©gislative franà §ais peuvent à ªtre trouves dans le courant illuministe qui a suscità © l’esprit de la Rà ©volution Franà §aise. Ce motif consiste en l’idà ©e que le juge est le reprà ©sentant du roi et de la catà ©gorie noblesse qui ne se prà ©occupe pas de l’internet gà ©nà ©ral, mais de maintenir les privilà ¨ges de l’aristocratie. Telle puissante à ©tait la rà ©volte contre les juges que Robespierre considà ©rait que  «le mot jurisprudence des tribunaux doit à ªtre effacà © de notre langue  ». La Rà ©volution Franà §aise a introduit le principe de su... ...’il devienne parti de l’ordre juridique communautaire. Par consà ©quent, les dà ©cisions rendues par les juridictions europà ©ennes contribuent à   l’à ©laboration de la jurisprudence de droit interne. Cependant, la jurisprudence de la CJCE est substantiellement diffà ©rente de celle qui provient des juridictions nationales parce qu’elles à ©mettent des dà ©cisions qui ont seulement une autorità © relative, c’est-à  -dire qui s’applique pour le cas à   solutionner et entre les parties du procà ¨s en cours. Au contraire, les dà ©cisions de la CJCE s’imposent dans le droit interne ayant une force juridique de loi et donc la jurisprudence de la CJCE devient une source de droit. Par suite de ce fait, il y a le caractà ¨re paradoxal de la jurisprudence : elle est source du droit quand il est le rà ©sultat de l’actività © judiciaire rendue par CJCE, mais non quand il s’agit une juridiction nationale. Essay -- La jurisprudence à ©tait dà ©finie diffà ©remment par les juristes romans qui ont vis pendant la pà ©riode de l’Antiquità © parce que l’à ©tymologie du mot dà ©signe la  « science du droit  » qui comprit le phà ©nomà ¨ne juridique. Ce fait est envisagà © par la dà ©finition que Justinien a inclut dans son Å“uvre là ©gislative :  « Juris prudentia est divanarum atque humanarum rerum notitia, iusti atque injusti scientia  » (La jurisprudence est la connaissance des faits divines et humaines, la science du ce qui est juste et injuste.) Au fil du temps, le droit s’est à ©cartà © de cette explication et a donnà © à   la jurisprudence une signification vraiment diffà ©rente comme l’ensemble des rà ¨gles de droit nà ©es de l’actività © judiciaire. Au mà ªme temps, la nouvelle dà ©finition de la jurisprudence a introduit l’une des principales diffà ©rences entre les grands systà ¨mes de droits. En consà ©quence, d’une parte la famille du droit romano-germanique considà ¨re que  « le juge est la bouche qui dit la loi  », c’est-à  -dire qu’il a seulement la compà ©tence d’interprà ©ter la loi, d’autre parte il y a la famille anglo-saxonne qui est gouvernà ©e par le principe  « judge made law  » (le juge a crà ©Ãƒ © la loi). La raison pour l’existence des limites du pouvoir du juge dans le systà ¨me là ©gislative franà §ais peuvent à ªtre trouves dans le courant illuministe qui a suscità © l’esprit de la Rà ©volution Franà §aise. Ce motif consiste en l’idà ©e que le juge est le reprà ©sentant du roi et de la catà ©gorie noblesse qui ne se prà ©occupe pas de l’internet gà ©nà ©ral, mais de maintenir les privilà ¨ges de l’aristocratie. Telle puissante à ©tait la rà ©volte contre les juges que Robespierre considà ©rait que  «le mot jurisprudence des tribunaux doit à ªtre effacà © de notre langue  ». La Rà ©volution Franà §aise a introduit le principe de su... ...’il devienne parti de l’ordre juridique communautaire. Par consà ©quent, les dà ©cisions rendues par les juridictions europà ©ennes contribuent à   l’à ©laboration de la jurisprudence de droit interne. Cependant, la jurisprudence de la CJCE est substantiellement diffà ©rente de celle qui provient des juridictions nationales parce qu’elles à ©mettent des dà ©cisions qui ont seulement une autorità © relative, c’est-à  -dire qui s’applique pour le cas à   solutionner et entre les parties du procà ¨s en cours. Au contraire, les dà ©cisions de la CJCE s’imposent dans le droit interne ayant une force juridique de loi et donc la jurisprudence de la CJCE devient une source de droit. Par suite de ce fait, il y a le caractà ¨re paradoxal de la jurisprudence : elle est source du droit quand il est le rà ©sultat de l’actività © judiciaire rendue par CJCE, mais non quand il s’agit une juridiction nationale.

Sodium Thiosulphate & Acid :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

Sodium Thiosulphate & Acid Planning To ensure that this experiment is safe, I have taken some precautions. I wore goggles at all times, made sure not to spill any chemicals such as the acid onto skin or clothes, and to be aware of glass. I have used various different apparatus, including two measuring cylinders, one 25ml, and the other 50ml. I used a 150ml chronicle flask and a stopwatch. Here is a few diagrams of these apparatus. What I Will Vary, Not Change To Keep A Fair Test & What I Will Observe & Measure I will vary the amount of Sodium Thiosulphate (10-50ml), but keeping the same amount of Hydrochloric Acid (25ml) to make it a fair test. Also when I vary the amount of Sodium Thiosulphate, I will always keep the same total volume of the mixture, therefore topping it up to 75ml every time. I will be observing the reaction of the two chemicals, and measure how quickly the sulphur is produced. I will also keep the start temperature the same. What Will I Try To Find Out I am going to find out how long it takes for Sodium Thiosulphate ( ) to react wit Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) to produce Sulphur so you can no longer see through it (opaque). To do this I will use paper with writing on, and wait until I can no longer read it, because the solution will turn 'milky.' My Prediction The stronger the solution, therefore the more Thiosulphate particles, the quicker the reaction because; there will be more particles in the solution to react with the Hydrochloric Acid, with a bigger percentage chance of reacting/hitting it. This is because if there is more particles in the total substance of 75ml, there is less surface area free. Twice the amount of particles, in the same total volume, means twice the chance of collision therefore in theory half the time on reaction, due to a high concentration. This is the 'Collision Theory.' This means that my overall prediction is that when the strongest amount of Sodium Thiosulphate is added to the Hydrochloric Acid, it will react faster. This also, proved above means that I will not need to add water, so preventing dilution. Diagram Proving Prediction Method 1. Measure out 25ml of Hydrochloric Acid (Hcl) - keep the same every time. 2. Measure out the needed amount of Sodium Thiosulphate ( ) in a cylinder 3. Pour ( ) into a chronicle flask 4. Place paper with writing on under flask 5. Add Hcl, as soon as it mixes with the ( ), start the stopwatch 6. As soon as the solute has finished reacting, and the writing is no

Child Marriage

Marriage is â€Å"the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family† (Marriage 729). The fact is, marriage, to most of society, is something much more than that. To some, marriage is the uniting of their souls; to others, it is merely an escape from their fear, their pain, and their agony. The sad truth about it is that many of those marriages will end in divorce. So how do couples know if what they have will last forever? It is impossible to know for sure. No one can tell them that they definitely have what it takes to make a marriage last. Marriage is about compromise and understanding. It is also about give and take. If one party in the marriage is unwilling to give, and only takes, the marriage will be short lived. Child marriage is a violation of human rights whether it happens to a girl or a boy, but it represents perhaps the most prevalent form of sexual abuse and exploitation of girls. The harmful consequences include separation from family and friends, lack of freedom to interact with peers and participate in community activities, and decreased opportunities for education. Child marriage can also result in bonded labour orenslavement,commercial sexual exploitation and violence against the victims. government commitment and capacity the role of government and civil-society institutions is to develop and implement systems to prevent or discourage this practice. Government action is required to review customary and civil law. Because child marriage is closely associated with poverty, government commitment to poverty reduction is likely to lead to a decrease in child marriages. Legislation and enforcement Governments need to establish 18 as the legal age of marriage for girls, as well as boys, and ensure its implementation. Promoting birth and marriage registration will help enforce these laws. attitudes, customs and practices nding child marriage is challenging because even parents who understand its negative impact may find it hard to resist economic and societal pressures and traditions. Addressing attitudes and customs that promote or condone the practice is vital to changing the acceptable age for marriage. Open discussion Marriage is regarded as a private subject in many cultures. Communication campaigns can help create circumstances in which it can be discussed and traditional beliefs about marriage can be examined. o foster behavioural change from within communities, human rights should be emphasized, particularly those of women – including equality, access to education and freedom from exploitation and discrimination. children’s life skills, knowledge and participation expanding children’s knowledge and empowerment is crucial, particularly for girls. educated girls are less likely to agree to marry at a young age. Attempts to close gender gaps in education can include the establishment of child-friendly schools, cash incentives for parents and the expansion of non-formal education. capacity of families and communities

Organizational Structure in the Pharmaceuticals Industry

Industry Abstract Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson are the largest and most successful pharmaceutical companies in the world today. Each company has a massive workforce and conducts business in countries all over the globe. Both companies have used a high degree of horizontal differentiation in order to manage their business units more effectively. Operating companies are grouped together by their function, as well as the type of product the produce. There are concerns about the lack of control that results from decentralization.The benefits, however, appear to outweigh the risks, as evidenced by the successes enjoyed by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Organizational Structure in the Pharmaceuticals Industry Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are both pharmaceutical companies that can be found near the top of the Fortune 500 list. Johnson & Johnson was ranked 33 and Pfizer 50 on this year’s list (Fortune 500, 2010). The complexity of this industry requires a very large wor kforce with many specialized roles. More specialized roles in an organization call for more differentiation within the company.There is a great deal of all three types of differentiation within each company: horizontal differentiation, vertical differentiation, and spatial differentiation. This high level of differentiation results in a very complex organizational structure (Nelson & Quick, 2011). Globalization presents significant challenges to all organizations that operate in many different countries. These challenges are typically created by the cultural differences that may exist among the countries in which a company operates. Hofstede believes work-related attitudes are formed by five dimensions of cultural differences.These dimensions are as follows: individualism vs. collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity vs. femininity, and time orientation (Nelson & Quick, 2011). It is important for a company to consider these dimensions when developing i ts organizational structure for the global marketplace. Johnson & Johnson owns more than 250 companies located in 57 countries. Each operating company is placed into one of three business segments: consumer health care, medical devices and diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals (Company Structure, 2010).This classification is based on the types of products the company produces. The grouping of subsidiaries in this manner represents horizontal differentiation. Johnson & Johnson gives each operating company a fair amount of control within their environment. This decentralized structure can create concerns about lack of control, but there are benefits as well. As stated above, many of these companies are located outside of the United States. The decentralized structure yields much of the power to the leadership within each company and country, who are more familiar with the environment in which they are working.Furthermore, decentralization provides a great opportunity to develop emp loyees. The leader of a smaller subsidiary may move to a larger sister company if he or she performs well. Innovation can also thrive in a decentralized environment. When people are developing ideas in independent environments, there is greater creativity. Innovation and creativity are paramount in the pharmaceuticals industry (â€Å"Johnson & Johnson CEO,† 2008). Pfizer, like Johnson & Johnson, utilizes a high degree of horizontal differentiation within its organizational structure.Like many companies, Pfizer has gone through several periods of restructuring over the past few years. The latest round of restructuring occurred after Pfizer acquired Wyeth in 2009. Pfizer’s operations can be split into two distinct categories: research and global health care businesses (â€Å"Pfizer Announces,† 2009). After the acquisition, Pfizer formed two separate research organizations. The PharmaTherapeutics Research Group focuses on small molecule research, while the BioTherapeutics Research Group concentrates on large molecules. Within each group, small teams work on specific projects of high potential.This decentralized structure provides sharper focus and less bureaucracy for those working in this critical field (â€Å"Pfizer Announces,† 2009). Upon acquiring Wyeth, Pfizer reorganized its operating companies into two diverse categories: Pfizer BioPharmaceutical Businesses and Pfizer Diversified Businesses. Pfizer BioPharmaceutical Businesses contains five distinct biopharmaceutical businesses: Primary Care, Specialty Care and Vaccines, Emerging Markets, Oncology, and Established Products. Pfizer Diversified Businesses is made up of four unique businesses: Animal Health, Capsugel, Consumer Health, and Nutritional Health.Each of these nine businesses has clear expectations for results from initial product development to the end of the product’s life cycle (â€Å"Pfizer Announces,† 2009). This type of decentralized environme nt provides employees with a sense of pride and ownership in their products. Each business is also able to react more quickly and respond more directly to consumer needs in this decentralized structure (Besthof, 2009). While there are many benefits to a decentralized structure, there are also drawbacks as well. Management often times does not like to yield power and control to others, which may result in micro-managing.There is also concern whether the values and ethical standards of upper management are being practiced by those making criticial decisions. This may be of particular concern for situations in which it is difficult to monitor the activities of those trusted to make these decisions. When working in a global environment, however, the benefits of a decentralized structure certainly appear to outweigh the risks. Nelson and Quick believe the three biggest challenges facing managers today are globalization, diversity, and ethics (2011).All three of these issues are certainly present in the pharmaceuticals industry, and in particular for large global companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. Decentralization can be very beneficial for a company operating in a global environment. Managers working daily in that country should be actively involved in decision making, since they are most familiar with the environment. Operating globally can also bring diversity issues to the forefront. These issues can also be aided by decentralization, which allows situations to be addressed by those closest to them. Ethics is a major challenge in the pharmaceuticals industry.In a decentralized structure, upper management must be able to trust that others are doing things the right way. If they are not, the reputation of the entire organization may be damaged by the poor decisions of one person in a relatively minor role. Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson have many similarities in the structure of their organizations. Both companies utilize a high degree of horizo ntal differentiation, some of which is required by their wide range of operations. Each company, however, has also made a commitment to allowing these business units to operate with a high degree of autonomy.ReferencesBesthof, Robert. (2009). Pfizer Makes Push in Ophthalmic Market With Restructuring, R&D Strategy. Ocular Surgery News. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from: http://www. osnsupersite. com/view. aspx? rid=42818 Business Wire. (2009, April 7).Pfizer Announces Operating Structure and Select Senior Leadership Posts to Be Effective Immediately Upon Close of Wyeth Acquisition. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from: http://www. businesswire. com/news/home/20090407005717/en/Pfizer-Announces-Operating-Structure-Select-Senior-Leadership Fortune 500. (2010).Retrieved October 7, 2010, from: http://money. nn. com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/industries/21/index. html Johnson & Johnson. (October 2010).Company Structure. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from: http://www. jnj. com/conne ct/about-jnj/company-structure [email  protected] (2008, June 25).Johnson & Johnson CEO William Weldon: Leadershipin a Decentralized Company. Retrieved October 11, 2010, from: http://knowledge. wharton. upenn. edu/article. cfm? articleid=2003 Nelson, D. L. , & Quick, J. C. (2011).Oranizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

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To: Hiring Manager Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for considering me for employment at your organization. As a college graduate with international work experience, I have demonstrated an ability to effectively communicate with diverse types of people and quickly adapt to new work environments. My degree in Economics from the University of South Florida provided me with the ability to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that are essential to an effective educator, leader, and role model. Also I played and coached on many sports teams, mostly American football in the USA.My experience of working abroad, education, and experience teaching ESL at Korean public schools has provided me with many tools that would be applicable for this position. Being a new teacher in South Korea, I had no working knowledge on how to lead an effective classroom. Not only was there the stress of being a new teacher, but also the anxiety of living in a completely differ ent culture. Through ambition and hard work, I self learned how to create an optimal learning environment that fostered motivation and inquisitiveness from students.Comparably, I learned how to live and thrive in a new country by learning the language and customs. The skills I obtained from this job, such as, leadership, organizational skills, effective communication skills, modern ESL pedagogy, advance computer proficiencies, and the ability to adapt, will help me thrive as an educator at your school. In addition, I have many years experience working in a customer oriented environment, which included sales and shift management positions. At 717 parking I was involved directly with many customers on a daily basis.At this job, I established effective communication with all customers and was liable for the security and protection of vehicles that were sometimes valued at over $100,000. I demonstrated leadership and management skills by employing teamwork and accountability standards. This experience, in concurrence with teaching, I hope proves that I have the potential to be a successful teacher and role model. This winter I was a ski instructor in Aspen, Colorado. I taught students aged 4-60 years old.This experience offered many opportunities to execute effective teaching methodologies while educating kids and adults that have never skied before. Communication skills and patience helped me provide the best training to my students. I am confident that I can successfully execute the responsibilities of this position. I want to continue my progression of success and would look forward to speaking with you about how my qualifications may fulfill the requirements of your staffing needs. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Sincerely, Mr. James Watson *