How much of an impact does the “maturity” level of the industry or company have on strategy?
How can you be innovative in a mature industry?
How can you be conservative in an introductory/rapid growth situation?
Should you be conservative???
Back up your assertions with resources and readings from the course, and your own research or experience.
dq 1
This week, focus on debate! Start or select a fellow student’s side, and eitther support, or argue against, that position. Teamwork!
But be constructive in your approach.
Discuss how important is it for companies such as Nike and Wal-Mart that source extensively from foreign suppliers located in countries where wages are low and substandard working conditions are common to institute supplier codes of conduct and undertake programs to monitor and ensure supplier compliance with these codes of conduct? Would you recommend that a company join the Fair Labor Association and use FLA’s standards and program of factory audits instead of trying to set up its own supplier monitoring and compliance effort? What can a company do to detect and combat the efforts of unscrupulous foreign suppliers to deceive inspection/compliance teams?
dq 2
Post University in general, and myself specifically, need your assistance. We continually strive to be better. So here’s your chance to unload; Identify and give examples of the steps that can be taken at the functional level to improve Post’s efficiency, product quality, ability to innovate, and responsiveness to our customers. That is, you! Remember however, to be practical and pragmatic. This is a business. Draw from this week’s materials. Funding is not unlimited. This is a real world environment, so provide real world solutions. Cite specific examples throughout!
This week, you have a car to sell. You want to purchase a new vehicle and the dealer is offering you, well, almost nothing for the car you have now. So you’re going to sell it outright.
Describe the competitive positioning you face and are going to take, the tradeoffs you face with differentiation, the cost, and any pricing options you might offer. Be creative! You need the money
Are you a stakeholder in Post University?
Next week, in all your courses, you’re going to be asked to complete your student survey. Big deal… Why should your instructors care about what you have to say? Why should Post care about what you have to say? What difference can you, can any stakeholder make, by conveying your thoughts to the company you’re a stakeholder in? Is there a better way to reach for a result or action from the company? If you own the company, why should you listen to whatever anyone say regarding improvement for the company you’ve poured you heart, should and monies into? Who are we to tell you??!
Ahhh, perhaps a light goes on here? Who is a stakeholder and why are they, and their voices, important?
