Sustainable Competitive Advantage Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Competitive Advantage Essay A sustainable competitive advantage occurs when an organization acquires or develops an attribute or combination of attributes that allows it to outperform its competitors. These attributes can include access to natural resources or access to highly trained and skilled personnel human resources. It is an advantage (over the competition), and must have some life; the competition must not be able to do it right away, or it is not sustainable. It is an advantage that is not easily copied and, thus, can be maintained over a long period of time. Competitive advantage is a key determinant of superior performance, and ensures survival and prominent placing in the market. Superior performance is the ultimate, desired goal of a firm; competitive advantage becomes the foundation. It gives firms the ability to stay ahead of present or potential competition and ensure market leadership. Resource-Based View of the firm. In 1991, Jay Barney established four criteria that determine a firms competitive capabilities in the marketplace. These four criteria for judging a firms resources are: 1. Are they valuable? (Do they enable a firm to devise strategies that improve efficiency or effectiveness?) 2. Are they rare? (If many other firms possess it, then it is not rare.) 3. Are they imperfectly imitable (because of unique historical conditions, causally ambiguous, and/or are socially complex)? 4. Are they non-substitutable? (If a ready substitute can be found, then this condition is not met?) When all four of these criteria are met, then a firm can be said to have a sustainable competitive advantage. In other words, the firm will have an advantage in the marketplace which will last until the criteria are no longer met completely. As a result, the firm will be able to earn higher profits than other firms with which it competes. Developing Sustainable Competitive Advantages 1. Customer Loyalty: Customers must be committed to buying merchandise and services from a particular retailer. This can be accomplished through retail branding, positioning, and loyalty programs. A loyalty program is like a Target card. Now, when the customer uses the card as a credit card, Target can track all of their transactions and store it in their data warehouse, which keeps track of the customer’s needs and wants outside of Target. This will entice Target to offer products that they do not have in stock. Target tracks all sales done on their cards. So, Target can track customers who use their card at other retailers and compete by providing that merchandise as well. 2. Location: Location is a critical factor in a consumers selection of a store. Starbucks coffee (shown here Figure 1) is an example. They will conquer one area of a city at a time and then expand in the region. They open stores close to one another to let the storefront promote the company; they do little media advertising due to their location strategy. 3. Distribution and Information Systems: Walmart has killed this part of the retailing strategy. Retailers try to have the most effective and efficient way to get their products at a cheap price and sell them for a reasonable price. Distributing is extremely expensive and timely. 4. Unique Merchandise: Private label brands are products developed and marketed by a retailer and available only from the retailer. For example, if you want Craftsman tools, you must go to Sears to purchase them. 5. Vendor Relations: Developing strong relations with vendors may gain exclusive rights to sell merchandise to a specific region and receive popular merchandise in short supply. 6. Customer Service: This takes time to establish but once its established, it will be hard for a competitor to a develop a comparable reputation. 7. Multiple Source Advantage: Having an advantage over multiple sources is important. For example, McDonalds is known for fast, clean, and hot food. They have cheap meals, nice facilities, and good customer service with a strong reputation for always providing fast, hot food

Charles Herreshoff :: Biography Biographical Essays

Charles Herreshoff After Agnes Muller died in the cold Prussian winter of 1766, her three-year-old son was alone in the world. It was said later, though there was no proof, that Agnes’s husband Corporal Eschoff went mad with grief – surely only that could have explained his subsequent abandonment both of his post as bodyguard to Frederick the Great and of his only child. In any case, he disappeared forever, leaving his former townsfolk with only the vague notion that he had "gone to Italy." The boy’s childhood has been lost to the past. An account written two centuries later by a descendant suggests that he lived with maiden aunts until the age of eight, when the women sent him to live with a professor in Potsdam. This, the account explains, is how the boy finally met Frederick the Great – the monarch consulted with the boy’s professor. Another, more sordid tale mentions the rumors that Frederick himself had fathered the child. Frederick, the story goes, was completely impotent and thus flattered by the suggestion. And so, this version continues, partly out of pride and partly as a joking revenge for the desertion of his bodyguard Corporal Eschoff, the emperor took the boy under his wing and sent him to a school for the children of nobles, equipped with the names of two kings and a surname that meant "lord of the manor": Karl Friederich Herreschoff. What is certain is that Karl Friederich left his native Prussia for the United States around 1786. This voyage across the Atlantic marked the beginning of a metamorphosis: that of Karl Friederich Herreschoff, uncertain but cultured young immigrant, into Charles Frederick Herreshoff, promising young merchant. Charles struggled for a decade in his adopted country, first starting his own firm and going bankrupt; eventually, he went to work for a mercantile firm where wealthy and successful John Brown was a senior partner. The young man’s pleasant demeanor and charm, as well as his talent for good conversation and elegant music, are mentioned in more than one account. He had no good family name and no money other than what the firm paid him – but he had personality, and he hoped that would be enough to catch the eye of Brown’s much-beloved younger daughter, Sarah. By 1798, Charles appears to have already made some kind of declaration to the young woman he affectionately called Sally.

Observational research Essay

Observational research, also known as field research, pertains to a research approach that engages in the direct recording of a phenomenon as it occurs in its natural condition (Zechmeister et al. , 2003). This research approach is distinct from the other research methods because it employs a quasi-artificial scenario that is comprised of a number of factors, of which some could be controlled. The capacity to control at least one of the factors in the environment allows the researcher to perform the scientific method that would answer the developed hypothesis. Observational research could be performed using any of the three classified types of observational techniques. The covert type of observational research involves unidentified researchers that directly interact with the study participants and remain undetected until the completion of the investigation. In other cases, the researchers are positioned at a distance from the study participants, yet are still capable of direct observation of the actions and interactions that each of the study participants engages in. One advantage of this type of observational research approach is that the study participants are not required to cooperate with the researcher. The anonymity of the researcher in the scenario provides study participants to freely express themselves and to liberally make decisions without being influenced by the researcher. Unfortunately, it is also possible that certain ethical violations could be related to this type of observational approach, mainly as a form of deception that is associated with the researchers’ anonymity. The overt type of observational research allows the researchers to identify themselves to the study participants. In addition, the researchers are also required to fully disclose the purpose of their investigation to the study participants. One disadvantage that is strongly associated with the overt type of observational research is the impact of the disclosure on the behavior of the study participants during the entire experimental period. It is actually natural for an individual to be watchful of their actions when they are aware that at least one individual is observing their behavior. As such, the study participant exerts effort in projecting the ideal personality that is acceptable to the eyes of the beholder and definitely not reflective of the actual personality of the study participant. However, it should be understood that in this type of observational research approach, there would be no ethical issues related to deception of the study participants because the identity and the goals of the investigator have been disclosed early on. Researcher participation is another observational type of research approach that engages the investigator in the scenario that is being studied. One advantage of this type of observational technique is that the investigator is allowed to directly interact and to directly appreciate an incident that is being studied. Aside from taking notes of the effects and reactions of the study participants, the researcher also interacts with the rest of the scenario and regards himself as another study participant in the investigation. One disadvantage of this observational type is that the investigator may lose track of the goals of his research study because he becomes extremely engrossed in the activities occurring in the study scenario. In the observational study described in this unit, the covert approach was employed, wherein the investigator directly interacted with 50 study participants with their knowledge of his role and his goals in the interaction. In addition, the study participants are unaware that they are being observed in terms of their attitudes and responses to a specific stimulus or setting. The investigator thus chooses to project a smiling stance as he talks to 50 individuals and he takes note of the response of each of the study participants during his exchange with them. The investigator then rates the response of each of the study participants as very friendly, friendly or neutral.

How Teachers Can Make Effective Discipline Decisions

A major component of being an effective teacher is making correct classroom discipline decisions. Teachers who cannot manage student discipline in their classroom are limited in their overall effectiveness in almost every other area of teaching. Classroom discipline in that sense may be the most critical component of being an outstanding teacher. Effective Classroom Discipline Strategies Effective classroom discipline starts during the first minute of the first day of school. Many students come in looking to see what they can get away with. It is necessary to establish your expectations, procedures, and consequences for dealing with any violation immediately. Within the first few days, these expectations and procedures should be the focal point of discussion. They should be practiced as often as possible. It is also important to understand that kids will still be kids. At some point, they will test you and push the envelope to see how you are going to handle it. It is essential that each situation is handled on a case by case basis taking into account the nature of the incident, history of the student, and reflecting on how you have handled similar cases in the past. Gaining a reputation as a strict teacher is a beneficial thing, especially if you are also known as fair. It is far better to be strict than to be known as a push over because you are trying to get your students to like you. Ultimately your students will respect you more if your classroom is structured and every student is held accountable for their actions. Students will also respect you more if you handle the majority of the discipline decisions yourself rather than passing them on to the principal. Most issues that occur in the classroom are minor in nature and can and should be dealt with by the teacher. However, there are many teachers that send every student straight to the office. This will ultimately undermine their authority and students will see them as weak creating more issues. There are definite cases that merit an office referral, but most can be dealt with by the teacher. The following is a sample blueprint of how five common issues could be handled. It is only intended to serve as a guide and to provoke thought and discussion. Each of the following problems is typical to what any teacher may see occur in their classroom. The scenarios given are pos- investigation, giving you what was proved to have actually happened. Disciplinary Issues and Recommendations Excessive Talking Introduction: Excessive talking can become a serious issue in any classroom if it is not handled immediately. It is contagious by nature. Two students engaging in a conversation during class can quickly turn into a loud and disruptive whole classroom affair. There are times that talking is needed and acceptable, but students must be taught the difference between classroom discussion and engaging in conversation about what they are going to be doing on the weekend. Scenario: Two 7th grade girls have been engaged in constant chatter throughout the morning. The teacher has given two warnings to quit, but it has continued. Several students are now complaining about being disrupted by their talking. One of these students has had this issue on several other occasions while the other hasn’t been in trouble for anything. Consequences: The first thing is to separate the two students. Isolate the student, who has had similar issues, from the other students by moving her next to your desk. Give both of them several days of detention. Contact both parents explaining the situation. Finally, create a plan and share it with the girls and their parents detailing how this issue will be dealt with if it continues in the future. Cheating Introduction: Cheating is something that is nearly impossible to stop especially for work that is done outside of class. However, when you do catch students cheating, you should use them to set an example that you hope will deter other students from engaging in the same practice. Students should be taught that cheating will not help them even if they get away with it. Scenario: A high school Biology I teacher is giving a test and catches two students using answers they had written on their hands. Consequences: The teacher should take their tests up immediately and give them both zeros. The teacher could also give them several days of detention or be creative by giving them an assignment such as writing a paper explaining why students shouldn’t cheat. The teacher should also contact both students’ parents explaining the situation to them. Failure to Bring Appropriate Materials Introduction: When students fail to bring materials to class such as pencils, paper, and books it becomes annoying and ultimately takes up valuable class time. Most students who continuously forget to bring their materials to class have an organization problem. Scenario: An 8th-grade boy routinely comes to math class without his book or some other required material. This typically happens 2-3 times per week. The teacher has given the student detention on multiple occasions, but it has not been effective in correcting the behavior. Consequences: This student likely has a problem with organization. The teacher should set up a parent meeting and include the student. During the meeting create a plan to help the student with organization at school. In the plan include strategies such as daily locker checks and assigning a responsible student to assist the student in getting the needed materials to each class. Give the student and parent suggestions and strategies to work on organization at home. Refusal to Complete Work Introduction: This is an issue that can swell from something minor to something major very quickly. This isn’t a problem that should ever be ignored. Concepts are taught sequentially, so even missing one assignment, could lead to gaps down the road. Scenario: A 3rd-grade student hasn’t completed two reading assignments in a row. When asked why, he says that he didn’t have time to do them even though most other students finished the assignments during class. Consequences: No student should be allowed to take a zero. It is essential that the student be required to complete the assignment even if only partial credit is given. This will keep the student from missing a key concept. The student could be required to stay after school for extra tutoring to make up the assignments. The parent should be contacted, and a specific plan should be designed to discourage this issue from becoming a habit. Conflict Between Students Introduction: There will likely always be petty conflicts between students for various reasons. It doesn’t take long for a pretty conflict to turn into an all out fight. That is why it is necessary to get to the root of the conflict and put a stop to it immediately. Scenario: Two 5th grade boys come back from lunch upset at each other. The conflict hasn’t become physical, but the two have exchanged words without cursing. After some investigation, the teacher determines that the boys are arguing because they both have a crush on the same girl. Consequences: The teacher should start by reiterating the fighting policy to both boys. Asking the principal to take a few minutes to speak with both boys about the situation can also help deter further issues. Typically a situation like this will diffuse itself if both parties are reminded of the consequences if it progresses any further.