Nike Competitive Advantage Essay Example

Nike Competitive Advantage Essay * 1. MGMT65000 – Strategic Management – spring 2011 Test 1 By: Divya Mishra School of Management Purdue University Calumet Submitted to: Dr. Arifin Angriawan1|Page * 2. Company profile backgroundNIKE, Inc. is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing of footwear,apparel, equipment and accessory products. . It sells its products to around 18,000 retail accountsin the United States and through a mix of independent distributors, licensees and subsidiaries innearly 200 countries. NIKE is the largest seller of athletic footwear and athletic apparel in the world. The Company creates designs for men, women and children. The top selling product categoryincludes running, basketball, childrens, cross-training and womens shoes. It also designs shoesfor outdoor activities like tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, football, bicycling, volleyball, wrestling,cheerleading, aquatic activities, hiking and other athletic and recreational uses. Index membership Sector Industry EmployeesSP 500 Consumer Cyclical Footwear 23,300ProductsNIKE sells sports attire and accessories relevant to each sport mentioned above as well as othersports-inspired lifestyle apparel, like bags, socks, sport balls, eyewear, protective equipment,basic sport equipment, etc. In addition to NIKE’s footwear, apparel, and accessories businesses, the Company sells productsunder other brand names in particular markets. NIKE wholly-owns five footwear and apparelcompanies that specialize in different sports: Cole Haan, Converse Inc. , Hurley InternationalLLC, Umbro Ltd. , and NIKE Golf. These subsidiaries combined together account for 13% oftotal revenues, $2. 5 billion, in fiscal 2009. Manufacturing Footwear ApparelAll of NIKE’s footwear is manufactured outside the United States in the factories of China,Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand and account for 98 percent of total NIKE brand footwear in2009. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Competitive Advantage specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Competitive Advantage specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Competitive Advantage specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The main raw materials used in NIKE footwear are rubber, plastic compounds, and foamcushioning materials, nylon, leather, canvas, and polyurethane films used for cushioningcomponents. NIKE brand apparel is also manufactured almost entirely outside of the United States, in 34different countries. The main materials used in NIKE apparel are natural and synthetic fabricsand threads, plastic and metal hardware, and water and heat resistant fabrics. Marketing and AdvertisingNIKE places a significant weight on marketing the company and its products. NIKE aggressivelybonds the contracts with highly successful and influential athletes, coaches, teams, and leagueslike Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, and Tiger Woods to popularize its footwear, apparel andsports accessories. In order to sustain its dominance in the industry and stay competitive stay, NIKE activelyresponds to trends and changes in consumer preferences by adjusting the mix of existing productofferings, developing new products, styles and categories, and influencing sports and fitnesspreferences through aggressive marketing. Its primary areas of marketing remain Net TV andmagazines. 2|Page * 3. CompetitorsThe rivalry in the sports wear industry is very high. NIKE competes with numerous athletic andleisure shoe companies worldwide. It faces fierce competition in product offerings, technologies,marketing expenditures, pricing, costs of production, and customer services. The maincompetitors are Adidas, Reebok, Timberland, Woodland, and Puma. SWOT Analysis for NIKE Strengths Weaknesses Brand recognition Overseas manufacturing High product quality dependency Effective marketing Decreasing United States strategy market share Capacity of innovation High product price Strong distribution chain compared to Adidas Strong RD Currency exposure Strong customer Medium retail presence relationship/satisfaction SWOT Analysis Opportunities Threats Expansion into emerging Fierce industry competition markets Revenue relies on Increased demand in product consumers’ discretionary innovation income Growing segment of women Economic rescission athletes Fluctuation in the currency Increase in the number of sports events like Olympic, FIFA3|Page * 4. NIKE Innovations NIKE with Apple: The NIKE+ package consists of a pair of specially designed NIKE+ running shoes, an iPod nano, and a NIKE + iPod sport kit. The kit consists of a sensor that fits into a built-in pocket beneath the insole of the left shoe and a receiver that fits into the iPod nano dock connector. As a person runs, iPod tells the distance, pace, and calories burned via voice feedback that adjusts music volume as it plays. (Google image) Design your own shoes: NIKE allows customers to design their own shoes from a catalogue of predefined designs. Customers can choose their own colors and mascots to create shoes which define their personality. It provides Touch screen technology in store allowing customers to design shoes of choice. (Google image) Nike self lacing automatic shoes: NIKE is also coming up with the new automatic self lacing sneakers. The automatic lacing system provides a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position. 4|Page * 5. Critical data of Nike Annual Report$ Millions 2010Net Income 1,906. 7Current Liability 3,364. 2Total Assets 14419. 3Tax Rate 24. 2%Interest Rate 6. 35%Long-Term Debt 445. 8Return on Equity 19. 54%Total Equity 9753. 7Weighted Average Cost of Capital 8. 9%Capital Employed 11055. 1Interest Expense 6. EBIT 2516. 9NOPAT 1907. 81Return On Capital Employed 20. 7%Economic Value Added 1267. 25Cash Flow From Operations* 3164. 2Capital expenditure* 335. 1Free Cash Flow 2045. 31Five year Nike stock performance vs. SP500* (Fiscal year 2006-2010) 2% Nike SP500 90%5|Page * 6. 2010Nike revenue growth 2006-2010 Nike Revenue 25000 20000 R evenue 15000 10000 5000 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 YearNike revenue generation by product 2010 Revenue Generation by Product 6% 34% Footwear 60% Apparel Equipment6|Page * 7. 1. Please use Figure 2. 3 page 53 (Grant’s textbook, 7th edition) as your overall guide to draw a balanced scorecard for the firm. Please draw a balanced scorecard for the firm that you choose. Identify all four perspectives, each perspective’s objectives and their relationships. See example in the appendix. Feel free to modify it. On the other pages please elaborate on the four perspectives and their elements. For the financial performance perspective, at least you need to discuss: ROCE, EVA, and FCF. Conclude what the numbers mean to you as a manager (e. g. Good, bad, or neutral; and why). Why do firms need to prepare a balanced scorecard? (20 points) Balance Scorecard for NIKE 2010FINANCIAL GOODNEUTRAL †¢ ROCE : 17. 8% Neutral †¢ EVA: 1267. 25 millions Good †¢ FCF : 2045. 1 millions Good †¢ ROE : 19. 54% Good †¢ Profit Margin :10. 03% Good †¢ NIKE growth: 7% vs. industry growth Good 4. 5% Bad †¢ High advertising cost Good †¢ Better COGS% than competitorsCUSTOMER GOOD-NEUTRAL †¢ Customer Satisfaction Good †¢ Customer Loyalty Good †¢ Customer retenti on ratio Good †¢ Market Share Good †¢ Competitive Price Bad †¢ Number of Customers Good Good †¢ Design own shoes optionINTERNAL GOOD †¢ Marketing Innovative Products Good Celebrity endorsement Good Diversity of online product Good †¢ RD Integrated researches Good Product technology Good High quality product design Good †¢ Good supplier relation Good †¢ IT for inventory control Good7|Page

What To Expect in an English Class Essays

What To Expect in an English Class Essays What To Expect in an English Class Essay What To Expect in an English Class Essay What I Expect From This English 103 Class Students need to do a lot of reading and writing in higher level English classes. But what makes English 103 unique I believe, is the intensity and the depth of reading materials required. I needed this class because it is a prerequisite for me to enroll in the University level English course. I finished English 28 and English 101 last year and as I reflect, both English subjects were both hard as they demanded time and discipline. According to the syllabus and course description, English 103 also squires extensive reading and writing using argumentative essays and the final paper submission must be at least 95 percent free of any grammatical errors. In this course I expect that there will be a lot of work because of the reading, analysis, and writing requirements. When I previewed the modules in the Études website, it is obvious that reading is the first main activity in this English course. The materials are varied and nothing I have encountered before. I presume they are modern and intense. Students are expected to apply critical thinking to analyze the material promptly. I have a part- time Job as a caregiver for a stroke patient earning minimum wage. In this Job, a college degree is not required and I do not need to be a trained reader because the nurses take care of the medications and medical reports. It dawned on me, that to achieve a step higher from where I am, I have to finish a college degree and that meaner I have to acquire the skills to be an efficient reader. This course will prepare e for complex reading materials I may encounter in the professional world such as medical or business reports. The story of a man named Anthony Robbins inspired me in the passion for reading. He loved to read so much that he finished and absorbed a book in one day. He did it for seven years and end up starting his million dollar company at the age of 24. In his speeches, he shared that when he read its like absorbing the experience of the author. I heard my boss saying at one point, Its either we spend many years of committing the mistakes and discover what works or e read others experience and learn from them. Life is and will be full of challenges; because of that, we get the benefit of acquiring wisdom by reading. Anthony Robbins never finished college. But in spite of that, he is now one of the most sought after motivation speaker to some of the top 500 Forbes companies. English 103 is a course that would sharpen and give me the exposure I need to broader and deeper materials. The next skill I expect to be sharpened in this class is the ability to organize thoughts and ideas in preparatio n to writing. Based on experience, when my mind is cluttered it is very difficult to write. In fact creating a draft is what best works for me because it focuses my mind to think in a specific direction. I expect that there will be a lot of brainstorming and drafting wherein an outline will be required. Those thoughts organized and written will serve as the introduction, body and conclusion of the essay that I need to write at least every two weeks. I expect that there will be many corrections in my grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and sentence structure. I know that writing is a tool to communicate and Moreover, in this course, I will be trained to create interest for my target audience. And in order to do that I need to: convince, sympathize, inform, and argue. The writing skills I will learn from this course will help me in the future to write effective emails, post comments, write proposals, and so much more. It is crucial that I learn this communication skill because it will either make or break my career in the future. Skilled writing can save time when written clearly to give instructions. The use of transitional words is also important to provide smooth flow from one idea to another. It is important to connect the ideas we have instead of the isolated thoughts here and there. In addition, I expect to comply by using correct margins and indentations in my papers. While all ideas borrowed in the text must be cited. I expect that there will be lots of revisions until the tutor advise me that my essay is at least 95% free from grammatical and structural error. To pass this course, I must be disciplined and be able to manage my time wisely.

System Implementation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

System Implementation - Essay Example All the different types of users have limited privileges for their data as well as other users’ data. For example, the customer can only view but cannot insert, delete, or update their information. Consequently, that makes our system more secure. The principle involved designing very simple web pages for all the users. These simple pages view served the security features that were used. For example, the page shows three choices for them that are accessing their data, or customer data or transaction data. That occurs if the user is an employee. If the user selects their information, the page displays a table with the user’s information only. However, the pages that are designed to look for the customer contains two input fields to search for the client based on their id or first name. For instance, if the Employee wants to look for their customer’s information. In this situation, we applied the feature of a prepared statement and variable binding in Java JDBC component in order to avoid any vulnerability in our project. The system also applied this principle. There were no standard mechanisms for our users that will cause extreme effects. Every user has his mechanism, privilege, and flow. The Manager works differently from the employee or the customer. Moreover, we created users in the database for each category. Thus, the user who uses the database as manager1 is different from manager2. The concept is taken care in the attack phase. We exposed the system designs and security mechanisms to other teams. That helped us a lot because it is better to know about the System’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities from friends before the attackers. In this situation, we can fix and update the missing points and errors quickly. Further, we don’t need to batch after the attacker misusing.

CITY BUDGET ANALYSIS OF AVALON, CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CITY BUDGET ANALYSIS OF AVALON, CA - Essay Example 7.3 km of which (2.8 mi) is land and 0.9 km (0.3 mi) of the area (10.48%) is water (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). The process of preparing and presenting a budget for approval and adoption by the Council administration takes various steps. A proper estimate of the available resources with the estimated amounts and the purposes for which the funds are to be deployed effectively are the main considerations for the preparation of any budget. The formal budgetary process encompasses a structure involving the following essential components: The complexity of the budget review process depends on the size of the council for which the budget is being prepared. In some cases the budget responsibilities would be assigned to a chief executive officer for reviewing the requests and present them to the elected board for approval. When the unit is large there may be a separate budget office functioning within the council. In even larger City councils apart from the review by the budgetary office departmental budgets would be prepared and reviewed for appropriate provisions in respect of the individual departments. In the case of the City of Avalon, the City Manager and his office will be responsible for the preparation and presentation of the budget for the approval of the elected council members. Being a small town, there is no necessity to follow an elaborate budgetary process. The process broadly will follow the procedure outlined above and will be reviewed by the elected council members themselves for approval and adoption. 3.0 Strategic Goals and Key Performance Indicators: The administration of the City Councils has become the function of the elected representatives as well as the appointed officials who have to operate in unison with each other's ideas. If they start to function in tangential directions, it will be detrimental to the well being of the city dwellers, as no welfare measures can be undertaken without the concerted action of both these bodies. In order that the mission, vision and value of the city can be accomplished in all intent it is important to adopt certain strategic planning measures encompassing the performance of the city council or the county board as the case may be. Like in any other profit centered organization, the strategic planning helps setting the direction of the council and with the set directions, the elected street-level bureaucrats are motivated to perform at their best efficiency levels to organize the functions and activities of the Council in the direction of the welfare of the people of the City. Establishment of long-term objectives and goals are an essential pre-requisite of any strategic planning. Once the broader goals are established it becomes easier to break down them into smaller performance targets to be achieved by the appointed officials and the representatives. Just as in the case of private organizations strategic goals in respect of

Balanced score card of puppy Luv Doggy day care Essay Example for Free

Balanced score card of puppy Luv Doggy day care Essay Robert Kaplan and David Norton first introduced the Balanced Scorecard in the early 1990’s as a strategic management system that forces managers to focus on the important performance metrics that lead to success. There are four perspectives of BSC as following: 1. Financial perspective This is the standard perspective that everyone uses even before the BSC. Even a non-profit organization uses this perspective in order to balance their books. It measures financial performances through financial ratios and other financial indicators. In the case of Puppy Luv Doggy Day Care, the financial perspective includes strategic objectives in following areas: ? Market share ? Revenues and costs ? Profitability ? Competitive position 2. Customer Perspective It is a measure of corporate value viewed from the value it delivers to customers. For instance, time taken to process a phone call, result of customers’ surveys, number of complaints, competitive rankings, etc. In the case of Puppy Luv Doggy Day Care, the Customer Value Perspective includes strategic objectives in following areas:? Customer retention or turnover ? Customer satisfaction ? Customer value 3. Business Process Perspective It measures corporate value from the enhancement of its business processes, like time spent prospecting, quality cost, product rework required, etc. In the case of Puppy Luv Doggy Day Care, Process or Internal Operations Perspective includes strategic objectives in following areas: ? Measure of process performance ? Productivity or productivity improvement ? Operations metrics 4. Learning and Growth Perspective. This perspective measures corporate value from its learning abilities or the progress of its learning processes. Example of activities measures are staff training, employee suggestion and improvement of certain processes as an outcome of the learning process (‘Balanced Scorecard’, 2006). In the case of Puppy Luv Doggy Day Care, the Learning and Growth (Employee) Perspective includes strategic objectives in following areas: ? Employee satisfaction ? Employee turnover or retention ? Level of organization capability ? Nature of organization culture or climate. ? Technological innovation These perspectives are then adaptable to various businesses by choosing different drivers for each perspective. The BSC can also detect and measure correlation between activities, in order to help decide which activities positively impacted others. For instance an online customer service can help reducing telephone calls and time to handle complaints, thus increasing effectiveness of business processes. According to Kaplan and Norton, there are various utilities of the Balance Scorecard. Some of them are: to clarify and update strategy, communicate strategy, align unit goals with corporate strategy, link strategic objectives to long term target, etc (‘Balanced Scorecard’, 2006). Table 2 KPI based on Balanced Scorecard of Puppy Luv Doggy Day Care. Reference: Balanced Scorecard Institute. (2009). Balanced Scorecard Basics. Retrieved August 5, 2009 from http://www. balancedscorecard. org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default. aspx Hansen, Don R. And Mayanne M. Mowen. (2003). Management Accounting. Ohio: South-Western College Publishing Co Niven, Paul R. (2006). Adapting the Balanced Scorecard to Fit the Public Sector. Retrieved August 5, 2009 from http://www. bettermanagement. com/seminars/seminar. aspx? l=5545 Shaw, Greg L and John R. Harrald. (2004). Identification of the Core Competencies Required of Executive Level Business Crisis and Continuity Managers. Retrieved August 5, 2009 from http://www. gwu. edu/~dhs/pubs/identifycore_2004. pdf#search=businesslevel%20strategic%20control.

Biography of Yaseer Arafat Essay -- essays research papers

Biography of Yasser Arafat (1929-2004) Mohammed Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa Al-Husseini, more commonly known as Yasser Arafat was the fifth of seven children born to a Palestinian textile merchant on August 24, 1929. According to Arafat and other sources, he was born in Jerusalem, however, French biographers, Christophe Boltanski and Jihan El-Tahri revealed in their 1997 book, Les sept vies de Yasser Arafat, that he was actually born in Cairo, Egypt, and that is where his birth certificate was registered. The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs also lists Arafat’s birthplace as Cairo. Ian Pacepa, a former Romanian intelligence official, disclosed that the KGB had invented a background for Arafat with a birthplace in Jerusalem. Claims that Arafat was related to the Jerusalem Husseini clan through his mother have been disputed by the Palestinian historian Said Aburish. In an unauthorized biography, Aburish claims that â€Å"The young Arafat sought to establish his Palestinian credentials and promote his eventual claim to leadership... [and] could not afford to admit any facts which might reduce his Palestinian identity. ...Arafat insistently perpetuated the legend that he had been born in Jerusalem and was related to the important Husseini clan of that city.† Arafat’s childhood was divided between Cairo and Jerusalem, where he lived for four years with an uncle following the death of his mother when he was five. Arafat entered the University of King Faud I (later renamed Cairo University) in 1947 and studied engineering. It was during his college years that Arafat adopted the name Yasser, which means â€Å"easygoing† in Arabic. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Arafat left the university and, along... ... capital in some part of the holy city. For nearly half a century Arafat was the symbol of Palestinian nationalism. Though he was not a military man, he was rarely seen out of his uniform in an effort to project strength and his commitment to armed struggle. He wore his kaffiyeh in a unique fashion, draped over his shoulder in the shape of Palestine, that is, all of historic Palestine, including Israel. The high-profile terrorist attacks he directed helped gain international attention and sympathy for the Palestinian cause, but, ultimately, his unwillingness to make the psychological leap from terrorist mastermind to statesman prevented him from achieving independence for the Palestinian people, and brought them decades of suffering that could have been avoided had he abandoned his revolutionary zeal for liberating Palestine and agreed to live in peace with Israel.

Progressive Reformers

10/08/12 Progressive Reformers The Progressive movement has had a tremendous impact on society and preserving the doctrine of a democratic nation. The Progressive Era, which initiated between the years 1890 through 1920, was instituted because progressives who wanted to rid politics of corruption and inefficiency. Progressives wanted to curtail the power of the business trusts, and protect the general welfare of the public. The Progressive name derived from forward-thinking or â€Å"progressive† goals that its supporters sought to advance.John Dewey, who is known as the father of Progressive education, has been most influential in Educational Progressivism. His vision for schools tied to a larger vision, leading towards a good society. His focus on education was on teaching the â€Å"whole child†. This learning extended beyond the subject matter and the attention was on the needs and interest of the child. I like to look at this as a form of nature vs. nurturing. Progre ssivism and Pragmatism are similar in its aims.They both contained the same educational aims, needs and interest, in educating the whole child. Pragmatic philosophers, such as Rousseau, looked at the correlation of education and politics. Progressivism, as I interpret it, was more of a movement. This movement formulated interest groups, like unions, which seek interest around the progressive philosophy. These interest groups protected the needs of the people. Organizations such as American Federation of Teachers began in 1916, during the time of the Progressive Era.Interest groups like American Federation of Labor, founded in 1881, focused on skilled workers (such as painters and electricians) and Congress of Industrial Organizations (early 1930s) advocating the organization of workers in the basic mass-production industries (such as steel, auto, and rubber). A lot of the people, on the frontline, in this progressive movement were women, farmers, and African American. This movement made a profound impact on education. In a publication of Progressive Education, George Counts wrote an article which focuses attention upon the child.He states that â€Å"progressive education has recognized the fundamental importance of the interest of the learner; it has defended the thesis that activity lies at the root of all true education; it has conceived learning in terms of life situations and growth of character; it has championed the rights of the child as a free personality†. Child-centered educational practices are shared by progressive educators. The pedagogical method is object teaching. The teacher begins with an object related to the child's world in order to initiate the child into the world of the educator. The focus is on thinking and doing.Problem-solving skills are required to overcome obstacles between a given and desired set of circumstances. Education is not simply a means to a future life, but instead it represents a life to the fullest. Progressive educators view existing schools as being formal, not focusing on real life situations, and strict. They prefer variety in classroom preparations and informal interaction between the teacher and their student. Progressives prefer schools teach useful subjects (including occupations) and emphasize â€Å"learning by doing† rather than instruction purely from textbooks. This brought about schools such as trade and vocational schools.The student was placed at the center of thinking, â€Å"teach the child not the subject. † John Dewey’s model of learning is to: become aware of the problem, define the problem, propose hypotheses to solve, evaluate the consequences of the hypotheses from one's past experience, and test the most likely solution. Progressive like Dewey felt that children, if taught to understand the relationship between thinking and doing, they would be fully equipped for active participation in a democratic society. The educational program depended on cl ose student – teacher interactions that required altering of traditional subject matter.