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Situational Analysis
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Situational Analysis
Critically examine the role of the crew on board and explain situations that needed more attention and that could have been addressed within the given constraints.
Together with his crew which he works with, Captain Haynes was caught up in the plotting of a route in the airs of the airport at the Sioux Municipal City the plane where the plane crashed and landed after the malfunctioning of the hydraulic occurred. A lot of cooperation was observed from all the crew that was in the cabin and the cockpit even though the time was inadequate for them to communicate effectively in the task. The most heartening issue was observed from Janice Brown, who is the senior flight attendant who gave a lot of assistance that was very relevant to her outgoing experience. Immediately after she was notified of the issue, she quickly recognized the presence of an emergency thereby embarking on the emergency operations such as the preparing the passengers for the crash landing. The crew was also very fast in acknowledging that much of the communication about the emergency would not be important since it could end up disrupting the admirable level of cooperation that was observed and which was in great demand at the moment (Korovin, 2011).
The greatest factor that contributed to the survival of a large number of the passengers that were on the plane is the communication by the crew members. In the cockpit, the crew employed very critical skills of conversing with air traffic control and the Sioux City approach control & control tower in the Centre of Minneapolis. Upon the realization that great danger was ahead the plane, the crew in the cockpit ganged up in response to communicating with the experts. The expertise and cooperation that was exercised by the crew in the incident were laudable bearings in mind that they had never experienced or even witnessed such a thing in the past. The crew requested for the advanced emergency services which greatly contributed to their success by preparing all the emergency service providers such as the firefighters and the medical practitioners, and they were thus able to get to the point of the incidence by the time the plane land crashed.
Describe at least three factors that affected the resolution of the problem.
One of the factors that affected the resolution of this problem is the communication. The communication that was initiated by the crew in the cockpit was very essential and skillful in making the traffic control and Sioux City approach control and control tower in the Minneapolis Center aware of the incidence. As the situation worsened, more communication was initiated making the communications more effective. Before the crewmen ideas ran over, the crew quickly took the action and started communicating and offering advice through the radio to the SAM facility that consisted of some experts groups. The communication coordinated by Sam facility was very essential in helping the Chicago Dispatch Center to trace them and know what their intention was. The workforce in the Chicago Flight Center was also in a position to follow up on the things going on through the SAM facility thereby allowing for the dispatching of their personnel to the hospitals on time and also to the Sioux City (Ferguson, & Nelson, 2014).
The other factor that affected the resolution of the problem is the preparation. This was very essential in the coming up with the solution to this disaster. In the Sioux City, the crews in charge of emergency had a disaster simulation response which was mean to go up to three years in the preparation for any disaster that is likely to arise. The preparation of this airport was very essential to the crew on this flight. The training that was being conducted by the team in charge of responding t the disaster in the airport every year helped them in the notification and the preparation of the customers to get ready for the disastrous landing. The practice undergone is what made it possible for it to do what it did (Coulter, 2013).
The other factor that affected the resolution of the problem is the good luck. One o the luck that can be depicted is the weather at the time of the disaster. If the turbulence were present at the time, it could be very difficult to control the plane. The only advantage and the luck are that the sky was very clear at the time of the crash and the visibility very excellent. Luck is also depicted from the incidence that the fateful crash took place at the time of the day. This permitted the crew to control easily the craft bearing in mind that it was possible to observe the ground well in comparison to if the incidence could take place at the night. The other incidence of luck is depicted where two-thirds of the crew boards and the passengers in the plane managed to survive. The plane has so many malfunctioning such as no nose wheel, no brakes, and the elevators were also out f control and thus running the plane in the absence of all these necessities and the survival of a large number of people can also be depicted as luck.
What is the main goal of the character you are analyzing? Support your response.
The main goal of the character that I am analyzing who Captain Al Haynes was to assist Bill in the turning off the engine which was a hard task. His main role was to try all possible ways to save the passengers in the plane from one point to another safely. In this case, study, even though he was not always sure of the steps that he was taking, he quickly took control at the times when they were trying something which did not augur well with their desires. The other character that I am analyzing in the paper is Jan Brown-Lohr, who was the senior attendant of the flight. This staff actively participated in the comforting of the passengers who were frightened to ensure that they were not terrified to the point that they could not be in a position to undertake the security measures. Before the plane hurled across the runway in the Sioux City, she informed the parents on how to protect their small children to increase their rate of survival. She also took the responsibility of explaining the procedures that were to be followed by the customers for the emergency. Her main role in this disaster can thus be depicted as that for encouraging the passengers to embark on the measures of safety so that their rate of survival can increase (Abkowitz, 2008).
How effective or ineffective was the individual in his/her attempt to meet the goals? Why?
For Captain Al Haynes, his effectiveness can be depicted in his attempt to come up with a solution on learning of the failure of the hydraulic. Together with his team, his effectiveness can be depicted from his success of experimenting several options available. They established that by alternating the thrust, it could be possible to manipulate the throttles and control the altitude thus preventing the instance of the aircraft rolling which was very successful. For the senior flight attendant, Jan Brown-Lohr, his task was very challenging, and it could have ended up a success if she was not courageous and committed enough. Despite the fact that the passengers were experiencing a panic mood, she managed to explain t them the safety precautions to undertake especially not how they were supposed to handle and protect their young children. His effectiveness is thus shown in the results where all the persons who hindered to her advice had the opportunity of surviving.
What specific personal negotiation and leadership skills did he or she demonstrate throughout the crisis?
One of the most important skills that assisted Captain Al Haynes in the handling of the situation is his ability to work with other people effectively as a team. Regardless of the panic and confusion that had filled the whole place, he was able to remain cool and cooperate well with all is crew members and all the other persons that were involved in the rescue procedures. His patience can also not be underestimated as he was able to continue trying the different options irrespective of his being aware that the plane had lost the hydraulics. On the other hand, one of the skills that were demonstrated by the senior flight attendant Jan during the incidence is audacity and caring skills. This is what made it possible for her to clearly explain the safety procedures to the passengers and also give them the advice on how to protect their children.
How well does the individual know himself or herself, and how effectively or ineffectively did he or she adapt to the circumstances and personalities involved on board Flight 232?
Captain Al Haynes knew himself well in that he was aware of his skills that he could apply to help in the saving of the lives of the passengers. That’s why he was able to try the different available options together with his team members. Jan was also effectively aware of her interpersonal skills of relating with people well and the caring. That is why she was able to comfort the passengers and also explain to them what to do as well as giving them the updates. Her personality was very essential in this situation, and she thus assisted in the restoring of the hope of survival to the passengers and ensuring that they did not panic out to the extent of failing to undertake the safety measures.
Appendices 1: Captain Al Haynes
Title: Captain Alfred C. “Al” Haynes
Work type: Airline pilot
Position in Job: Captain of United Airlines flight 232
Education: He attended and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas in the year 1948 before joining A&M University in Texas. He later joined the Navy flight training where he was commissioned to be a Marine Corps aviator. He completed his military service in the year 1956 and joined the united airlines where he climbed the pilot’s rank till he became the captain.
Personality Type:
Captain Al Haynes is known for his grown interpersonal skills of relating with people. These skills are very essential as they enable people to work with people as a team. This attribute was seen during the time of the disasters where he was able to work with his team effectively as a team. His patience was also depicted in his experiments during the disaster.
Appendices 2: Senior Flight Attendant
Title: Senior flight attendant, Jan Brown-Lohr
Work type: Flight Attendant
Position in Job: Senior Flight Attendant
Personality type:
She is a very caring lady which is depicted from the way she was explaining the safety measures and procedures to the passengers in the flight during the plane crash. She advised the parents on how to protect their young children and she has after the incidence started a battle to enforce flying rules for the young children.
References
Abkowitz, M. (2008). Operational risk management a case study approach to effective planning and response. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons..
Coulter, M. (2013). Strategic management in action. Boston: Pearson.
Ferguson, M. & Nelson, S. (2014). Aviation safety : a balanced industry approach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Korovin, I. (2011). Drama in Sioux City : the crash of United Airlines flight 232. Manila, Philippines: Mabuhay Publishing.
Situational Analysis of Uniliver
Situational Analysis of Uniliver
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Situational analysis involves the evaluation of an organisations internal and external environment so as to identify core capabilities. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), situational analysis can be described as the step by step collection and study of past and present organisational data with view of identifying core trends that influence the organisation’s overall performance (Steenburgh & Avery, 2010). The most popular tools for doing situational analysis include SWOT, PESTLE, 5Cs, and Porters five forces analysis. As indicated earlier, this section will only utilise SWOT and PESTLE.
SWOTSWOT is a market strategy evaluation tool that gives an organisation a clear glimpse of its internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external opportunities and threats. Mostly, SWOT analysis gives a company the opportunity to determine where its marketing strategies are performing well and well (Porters, 2008).
StrengthsUnilever boasts for being the first toothpaste manufacturer to use the gel technology. This pioneering technology strengthened the company’s global presence (Zisa, 2011). The company also manufactures complementary products such as mouth was and toothbrushes – these products establish and enhance existing markets for close-up toothpaste (Ariyawansa, 2009). The company also employs, appealing adverting and branding campaigns in marketing its close-up toothpastes.
WeaknessesMost Unilever products including close-up are only available in urban areas (Zisa, 2011). This makes it very hard for potential consumers living in rural areas to access Unilever products easily as they have to travel to urban areas to acquire them. In addition, the company lags behind in terms of innovation when compared to leading consumer goods manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble (Graul et al, 2006).
OpportunitiesThe company can easily expand into emerging markets in segments hitherto considered inconsequential in the UK such as the young population below 6 years of age (Yip, 2011). Unilever can position itself as provider of two in one or even three in one oral health products manufacturer (Graul et al, 2006). Additionally, Unilever stands to gain an upper hand courtesy of the innovations made in the realms of mechanical engineering and information technology (Zisa, 2011).
ThreatsThere are many brands of toothpastes and it makes very hard for consumers to stick to one brand in the long-term. This problem is coupled by the fact that many people living in the rural areas prefer using traditional oral health products such as twigs and salt (Graul et al, 2006). Again, the barriers to entry in the oral health industry are very low due to the fact the initial capital investments are usually low (Ariyawansa, 2009).
PESTLEPESTLE analysis is an external environment analysis tool that helps strategists to identify the overall positioning of a company relative to its external environment. This tool checks for opportunities in the external environment that a company can exploit as well as threats that hinder the achievement of the set strategic goals (Steenburgh & Avery, 2010). It covers political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors.
Political Environment
Unilever operates in a relatively stable political environment and therefore can make large investments with the fear of political uncertainty – there have been smooth transitions from one political regime to another without major economic impacts being felt (Knight, 2012). This is because the UK has a good political climate tailored around the principles of capitalism that allows businesses the chance to maximise their returns with minimal political influence (Office for Budget Responsibilities, 2012). However, Unilever should be wary of the strong pro-consumer stance adopted by the UK politicians especially in matters pertaining to consumer product prices.
Economic EnvironmentThe UK has suffered an increase in recession-like scenarios such as high inflation rates and high interest rates in recent times. This has greatly reduced consumer purchasing power at a time that many households are still recovering from the effects of the 2008/09 global recession (Zisa, 2011). Large consumer goods manufacturers such as Unilever are on the receiving end as their sales have stagnated. Moreover, both the pound and the euro have been weakened – this puts Unilever at a risk especially on its cross-border business transactions (Office for Budget Responsibility, 2012).
Socio-cultural Environment
There is a growing awareness on the need for health and personal care especially among the young population in the UK as it gives them the confidence to express themselves freely. A study by Ingham and Angleton (2006) shows that young population is more likely to visit a health site to seek for health tips on how to live healthy than the older generation. Unilever can capitalise on this to develop new toothpastes that enhance fresh breath as well as white, shiny and strong teeth.
Technological EnvironmentThere are a lot of R&D activities going in both public and private sectors meant to nurture talent and to incubate ideas which would otherwise be very hard to implement in the business world because of the risks involved (Zisa, 2011). In pursuit of its mission to deliver vitality to its customers, Unilever appointed a R&D director in 2008 to oversee a team of over 600 professionals and a budget of more than 1000 million Euros (Ariyawansa, 2009).
Legal EnvironmentThe UK tax regime is friendly for EU companies and unfriendly towards non-EU organisations. Being an EU organisation, Unilever pays low taxes compared to its non-EU competitors such as Procter & Gamble (Knight, 2012). The UK and the EU have very strict employment legislations which discourage large multinationals such as Unilever, known for their unethical business practices from mistreating their employees (Office for Budget Responsibility, 2012.
EnvironmentalUnilever operates in an environmental-sensitive business climate. The UK government is determined to trim the overall national carbon footprint (Knight, 2012). On this regard as well as on the realisation that it relies on the natural environment for major suppliers, Unilever adopted a pilot programme aimed at reducing water wastage and carbon emission as well as overall material wastage in 2008 (Ariyawansa, 2009; Zisa, 2011).
Competitive Edge (USP)Unilever competitive edge is based on the Leadership for Growth Profile (LGP) model as well as its strategy to operate “locally” in all its markets. The LGP model is meant to impart competency through nurturing talents (Ariyawansa, 2009). On the other hand, the company can be termed as multi-local multinational company because it adopts its operations to suit local market needs in all the markets it operates in (Zisa, 2011).
It is arguable that a resource-based competency programme in a multinational organisation such as Unilever should be based on resources such as human behaviour and response to organisational stimuli (Barney, 1995). Specifically, Unilever builds core competencies by encouraging organisational learning that equips employees with strong values that are very hard to be copied by competitors (Unilever, 2012). According to Bartlett and Ghoshal (2002) as well as Hamel and Prahalad (1994), such organisational learning is the most important tool for building competitive advantage.
This strong market-specific organisational learning culture has enabled the company to realise immense growth in the recent years – a sales turnover of US$ 46.467 billion in 2011 (Unilever, 2012) compared to Procter & Gamble’s US$ 82.55 billion in the same year (Procter & Gamble, 2012). Market growth for its competitors has continued to increase but on a steady rate an indicator that the oral health industry is not very much consolidated – the top four oral health manufacturers serve only 30 percent of the global market (Zisa, 2011).
ReferencesAriyawansa, D. (2009). Management report on Unilever and Procter & Gamble case study. Colombo: Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology.
Graul, L.A., Henricks, S., Olp, S. & Strohecker, C. (2006). Procter & Gamble, Unilever and the personal products industry. Maryland: Global Strategy Advisers.
Ingham, R. & Angleton, P. (2006). Promoting young people’s sexual health: International perspectives. London: Routledge.
Knight, J. (2012). Making everything easier: British politics for dummies. London: John Wiley & Sons.
Porter, M. (2008). The five competitive forces that shape strategy. The Harvard Business Review.
Steenburgh, T. & Avery, J. (2010). Marketing analysis toolkit: Situation analysis case Harvard Business Review.
Unilever PLC (2012). Annual reports and accounts 2011. Unilever PLC. [Online]. Available at: http://www.unilever.com/investorrelations/annual_reports/AnnualReportandAccounts2011/Downloadcentre.aspx/ (accessed August 1, 2012).
Zisa, L. (2011). An analysis of Unilever’s legal form, financial performance and business strategy. Seminar Paper. Grin Verlag.
Situation-Analysis
Situation AnalysisSTR/GM 581University of PhoenixSituation AnalysisIntroduction
METRO GROUP is an international retailing company with Head quarter in Germany. The company has over 280,000 employees in 180 nations around the world with over 2,200 outlets in 32 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. The company wants to expand its operation in Canada; the purpose of this research is to use Porters Five Forces to explain the structure of the industry in Germany and the new country for it expansion Canada. A good generic strategy will give the company fundamental ideas about how an organization can strives above average in the in international market. Michael Porter developed a scheme that most planners believe will aid a firm seeking long-term strategy that they should base it on one of three generic strategies for that particular firm to gain competitive advantage (Pearce and Robinson, 2011).
Porters Five Forces
The objective of developing a model of environmental threats is to assist organizations like Metro Group in analyzing threats so that they can be more effective in developing strategies to neutralize them especially in international markets. The strongest competitive force or forces determine the profitability of an industry and so are of greatest importance in strategy formulation.
The threat of entry is the first of the five forces; even though there some threats, Metro Group should invest in Canada because of the superior performance that some incumbent firms in that industry are achieving. Report shows that the Canadian retail sector sales is expected to grow over the next five years (Euromonitor).
The threat of rivalry, rivalry in retail stores in Canada tends to be high because most of the businesses are unable to differentiate their products. Metro Group can become dominant in Canada through acquisitions or joint ventures.
The threat of substitutes; substitutes goods will place a ceiling on the prices firms in an industry can charge and on the profits firms in an industry can earn. Metro Group must evaluate both substitute and complimentary goods. Understanding the negative effect of substitute goods and how it reducing the company’s profits is vital, and will help reduces cost in the long run.
The fourth threat is the threat suppliers; they can threaten the performance of firms by raising the prices of their supplies or by reducing the quality of those supplies.
The threat of buyers is one of the most important threats; it reduces the revenue a firm could generate. Using a cost reduction and differentiations strategies will help Metro Group reduces this threat.
Conclusion
Metro Group will have to recognize what strategic environmental model will be useful in reducing the above mentioned threats. Implementing the Porter five forces model will help the organization in the foreign as well as in the domestic markets. Conducting a SWOT analysis, will help Metro Group identify the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities that are available in the foreign market. Information gathered from the SWOT analysis will help the company develop strategies that will give Metro Group competitive edge over competitors in the retail market. The Organization must implement a strategic control plan that will help track their strategies as it is being implemented, this will help the company detect various problems or changes in its underlying premises, and make necessary adjustments (Pearce and Robinson, 2011).
References:
http://www.metrogroup.de/internet/site/metrogroup/node/10781/Len/index.html
Pearce, J. A., II, & Robinson, R. B., Jr. (2009). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (11th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.
Yip, G. S. (2003). Total global strategy II (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J. B., & Ghoshal, S. (2003). The strategy process: Concepts, contexts, cases (4th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson-Prentice Hall.
https://www.bea.gov/scb/account_articles/international/1097srv/maintext.htm
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/080522/dq080522c-eng.htm