Business

Introduction
Most private organizations operate mainly to earn huge profits for the owners and the managers of the company however, these organizations tend to forget their responsibility towards the society at large. Social costs of many business activities are huge as compared to their benefits and hence make the business uneconomical for the whole society. Even though the implications of foul business practices may affect and endanger many people, very few actions are taken against them mainly because the impact of the action isnt as severe on the company as it is on the society at large (Howden, 2009). Government intervention has taken place in the case of many businesses where businesses were not following the codes of conducts and ethics to carry out their activities because of which they had to pay heavy fines, at other time, they were completely restricted from operation (Roy, 2009).

Pfizer
One such company that has recently gone against the ethics and moralities of doing business is Pfizer. Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company and deals in manufacturing and development of medicinal drugs for humans and animals. The pharmaceutical company is a business where many lives are risked and affected on an every day basis. However, Pfizer has been exploiting the trust of people by indulging into unethical activities from drug development to drug testing. In fact, Pfizer also markets drugs wrongly which puts many people into serious life endangering risks (Howden, 2009).

Marketing of Drugs
Pfizer has recently been fined for the wrong marketing of a drug named Bextra. Bextra, a drug meant for acute arthritis and menstrual pain and discomfort, was marketed as a pain killer for general pain of all kinds (Ubac, 2009). Moreover, when research was carried out to test the affect of Bextra on patients it was concluded that Bextra was extremely harmful, for treating all kinds of pain, as it triggered suicidal thoughts among people (Roy, 2009). This practice of marketing products for wrong uses has been one of Pfizers usual habits for which it has been charged previously as well. For Bextra alone, Pfizer was fined around 2.3 billion. Not only Bextra, but Pfizer has also wrongly marketed other medicines such as Geodon, Zyvox and Lyrica. The method of marketing these products was to pay doctors and chemists to promote the medicines for a variety of uses (Ubac, 2009).

In 2004, Pfizer was fined around 430 million for the wrong promotion and marketing of a drug called Neurontin. The drug Neurontin was promoted by paying heavily to doctors for speaking on the different uses and benefits of Neurontin. Pfizer also signed an agreement in 2004 in which it agreed to monitor its practices in the marketing of its products. However, clearly, Pfizer did not keep its promise as it kept on breaking trusts of the general public by promoting Bextra and nine other drugs for inappropriate uses (Roy, 2009).
In 2007, Pfizer was again accused of wrong promotion of the drug called Genotropin and had to pay 34.7 million. A subsidiary of Pfizer, Pharmacia  Upjohn Co. agreed to the accusation and was pleaded guilty for paying kickbacks to pharmacists and chemists for the promotion of their drug.

In 2002, Pfizers subsidies Park Davis and Warner Lambert paid 49 million to clear off its allegations that it was involved in fraud and other illegal activities.

Also Pfizer showed an advertisement on television promoting Lipitor which is a cholesterol controlling medicine. In the advertisement, a physician, who has great knowledge about heart related diseases, is shown who consumes Lipitor on a daily bases and is shown to be extremely healthy and fit. However, the advertisement was very misleading for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, Dr. Jarvik was just a biomedical engineer and had never practiced medicine or never had a license. Hence, promoting him as a physician to build consumer confidence was a wrong thing to do as consumers tend to trust doctors assuming that the doctors are more aware about the implications of the drug (Howden, 2009).

Moreover, the advertisement showed Dr Jarvik to be very fit jogging and rowing a boat. However, the advertisement was misleading as somebody else was hired to row the boat and was shown as Dr. Jarvik (Howden, 2009). In addition to the above, Dr. Jarvik, in the advertisement, was introduced as the inventor of the artificial heart. However, many people argued that it was not Dr. Jarvik who invented the artificial heart but his mentors. Although Pfizer tried to twist the advertisement a little but most colleagues of Dr.

Jarvik were not satisfied with the misleading misrepresentation (Howden, 2009).
Also, Dr. Jarvik was represented as a regular consumer of Lipitor however, it was found out that Dr. Jarvik had recently started using Lipitor as he was being bribed with 1.35 million to start consuming Lipitor (Roy, 2009).

Promoting medicines in a wrong way by creating misleading images is extremely unethical in all forms of business and especially pharmaceutical business as it plays with the lives of many human beings. Moreover, consumers should be more aware of the implications of the drugs that are promoted wrongly in the market to exploit consumers tendencies to fall for attractive advertisements (Howden, 2009).

Also, the leaders of Pfizer were not very proactive in accepting their mistakes. In fact, the leader of Pfizer, such as Mr. Read gave a statement to cover up the misleading advertisement of Dr. Jarvik by saying that it was the mistake of media that it took wrong meaning of the advertisement (Roy, 2009). More so, Mr. Read did not even agree that it was an advert promoting Lipitor, according to him it was a general advert educating people about rising cholesterol levels. This attitude of the leadership of Pfizer has a very deep meaning which suggests that the future is as dark as the past has been for companies like Pfizer which do not accept their mistakes. By indulging in an unethical game of blame these companies tend to avoid any responsibilities that they hold towards their consumers and the community as a whole (Roy, 2009).

Pfizer Fines Too Low To Be True
The continued practices of companies like Pfizer, to indulge into unethical practices, are said to be caused by the extremely low fines that are imposed on the companies. The recent fine of 2.3 billion which was said to have broken all the records of the history of drug related penalties was as low as three weeks of Pfizers sales and did not impact Pfizer as much as it was expected by the Government. It can be devised, hence, that the fines are not in proportion to the revenues of the firms (Ubac, 2009). The small fines do not prove to be an obstacle for the companies which are motivated to break the law to get greater profit margins and increasing sales. The fines then are too small to match up the profits that they already secure by advertising and selling these products before their selling is banned for unauthorized purposes (Ubac, 2009).

The motivation in Pfizer for selling unethical drugs comes from the shared cultural values of Pfizer. The whole Pfizer culture runs on sales, whether they are achieved through ethical or unethical methods (Gaziev, 2009). A former employee of Pfizer explained to the press that when the employees felt bad about the Neurontin affair, Pfizers managers tried to pacify them and further encouraged them to get involved in selling Bextra for unauthorized uses. The whole culture at Pfizer, hence, encourages sales through unethical measures as the company is solely concerned about making large revenues and returns (Gaziev, 2009).

The problem with Pfizers behavior is that the individuals involved in the company are not held responsible for their misuse of the power and responsibility towards inventing secure drugs and medicines. No managers or employees or directors risk losing their positions in the company. It is the company that is fined and not the people (Ubac, 2009). Hence, the people who are associated still continue to exploit the trust of the masses by converting their responsibilities into unethical practices to enjoy greater luxuries in life even at the cost of other peoples lives.

Misuse of Nigerian Children in Testing Drugs
Thirty Nigerian families sued Pfizer after it tested its drug Trovan in treating hundred Nigerian children when an epidemic of meningitis spread in Nigeria in 1996. However, this treatment killed eleven children and made many children deaf while others suffered a great brain damage. A doctor who was responsible for conducting Trovan tests insisted on the potential harm and damage that this drug could have on human beings but Juan Walterspiels pleas were left unattended and he was dismissed. The Trovan test was carried in Kano, Nigeria and exploited the needy families, which were already under the threat of meningitis, by mistreating them with a harmful drug such as Trovan. This saved them the testing costs which they would have to pay in their home country (Gaziev, 2009).

Pfizers response to this allegation was to shift the blame on meningitis instead of accepting their fault of using Trovan on the children. They claimed that meningitis had killed the children which had also taken the lives of other 12,000 Nigerian children and hence Pfizer should not be held accountable for the death of the eleven children. The Nigerian parents were asked if they knew whether their children were being tested and if any consent was taken from them (NY Times, 2001). The Nigerian parents confirmed that no consent had been taken from either the authorities or the parents before the trial had started. Also, since the parents were under great adversity they were ready to accept any kind of help that was being offered to them which is why they allowed their children to take the drugs. However, when Pfizer was asked to account for the same, it produced an old document which was irrelevant and outdated and did not support Pfizers denial to the accusations (NY Times, 2001).

Ethics and Codes of Conduct in an Organization
Ethics and morality in an organization are vital for a business to perform. In todays emerging competitive corporate world, organizations feel a great pressure on themselves to out perform their rivals by higher profits and sales. However, they need to understand their ethical responsibility towards the society and the people that may get affected by their activities.

One main problem with Pfizer is the culture of competition and rivalry rather than care for the patients (Schein, 2004). Four forms of cultures can emerge in an organization and they are

Apathetic 
This form of culture is the worst form of culture as the company is neither concerned about its performance or about the people who are associated with the business.

Caring
This culture promotes concern and care for the people associated with the business but not much concern with the performance of the firm.

Exacting 
This form of culture places a high emphasis on performance but a minimal emphasis on the concern for people.

Integrative
This culture encourages good performance as well as a high sensitivity towards the needs of the people that may get affected by the business (Institute of Leadership  Management, 2007).

The ideal culture for any organization would be an Integrative culture whereby the worst form of culture would be Apathetic. Pfizer right now practices an Exacting culture whereby, the performance is kept at the highest level of concern whereas the concern for people is at the minimal level (Schein, 2004). However, Pfizer should convert itself into a more integrative company whereby, it will be encouraged to peak its performance without risking or affecting the lives of the people who may get impacted by the decisions of
Pfizer.

The problem with Pfizer is not with the perception of culture. The culture actually is quite adverse as it promotes unethical behavior. More so, it also discourages ethical behavior represented and voiced out by employees such as the case of Trovan trial on Nigerian children by methods to discourage and de-motivate employees as their ethical attitudes risk the profits of Pfizer (Institute of Leadership  Management, 2007)..
The behavior of the leaders of Pfizer should be such that it motivates ethical practices and behaviors by employees rather than de-motivate them. By identifying their hierarchy of needs and by fulfilling their different level of needs, employees should get the benefits of different hierarchical levels so that they may feel motivated to practice ethical codes of conducts (Schein, 2004).

Lead by Doing
Also leaders should become Transformational by setting examples and role models for the employees of the business. The company should not create its USP (Unique Selling Point) by making high profits and completing high sales targets, in fact, the company should compete with its competitors by increasing the responsibility that it takes towards its customers and stakeholders (Schein, 2004)

Pfizer should rebuild the trust of its customers which would highly increase sales in the future as the trust of many consumers would be restored and consumers will feel happy and comfortable spending their money in buying Pfizer products. On the other hand, an irresponsible behavior would discourage consumers trust and consequently consumption which would reduce sales at a large scale.

The organizational structure of Pfizer is such that it encourages blame shifting and an attitude which demonstrates lack of ownership of the decisions that are made by others for others. Employees do not feel their say in the activities of the organization as they are ordered to indulge into unethical practices, which if they do not do, they may get fired (Schein, 2004).

Pfizer may develop a new form of culture if a new group emerges within the company that strongly advocates ethical rules and regulations and gathers support from the government and the regulatory bodies by discouraging manufacturing of harmful medicines and drugs. Whistle-Blowing should also be encouraged by the regulatory bodies. Whistle-Blowing means that the workers of the company will speak out loudly about the foul practices of the firms. These people need a security that their jobs would remain secure even after they speak about those practices to the mass media (NY Times, 2001). However, Pfizer dismisses all the workers who try to voice out their say in how the company is run.

According to Kohlbergs Theory, an organization should encourage individuals to correct their moral behavior by deciding what is right and wrong. Also employees can be encouraged to change their behavior and their thought patterns by getting proper training to inculcate moral values within the employees (Institute of Leadership  Management, 2007). Moreover, informal groups and gathering should be encouraged to discuss the different views of morality and ethics.

However, Pfizer is indulged in a very heavy form of white collar crime, whereby positions of high power and trust are exploited to achieve personal gains and gains for the firms. What Pfizer should encourage in its organizations are high moral values based on trust, self control, empathy and truthfulness.

An organizations practice of ethics is encouraged by several factors. These factors include the government laws and regulations, the vision and the culture of the firm, the tendency of the organization to comply with the regulations, the willingness of the firm to abide by the laws and follow the regulations and the rules and principles that govern the behavior of people within the organization (Institute of Leadership  Management, 2007).
The government has come up with many laws saving different stakeholders that may get affected by the firm. These laws govern policies that protect employees as well as consumers. Moreover, laws are also designed to protect the environment and the society at large. The Consumer Protection Act and other similar laws have tried to regulate companies like Pfizer but such huge multinationals tend to get away with the petty fines that are imposed upon the business. Hence the effectiveness of these laws are quite binding and limited when it comes to large organizations who have a greater market power and a huge economic prowess to get away with whatever foul practices that it may have carried out (Schein, 2004).

The government should stop Pfizer from misrepresenting the drugs as they can prove to be extremely dangerous for the people who consume them. As in the case of Bextra, it triggered desires of suicide among patients, medicines which are made for other purposes should not be promoted for unauthorized uses as they may extremely harmful for the people who may consume them.

Also, in the case of the Nigerian children, Pfizer should become more caring and concerned about the approach that it has which does not take any human life into account when targeted profits come into concern (Institute of Leadership  Management, 2007).

Conclusion
Ethics and codes of conduct are of high importance while an organization decides to run its business to help benefit its stakeholders. However, problems arise when the objectives of the organizations are in complete conflict with the motives and aims of the stakeholders. In the case of Pfizer, it has been blinded with higher profits and greater sales turnover rather than getting concerned about the implications that it has on the consumers of the medication of Pfizer.

There are diverse environmental factors that affect global and domestic marketing decisions. Identification of these environmental factors is very important as it helps a marketing manager to make the right marketing decisions. This paper analyzes various environmental factors that affect domestic and global marketing. (Lovelock, 2006)

Global economic interdependence and the effect of trade practices and agreements
Global economic interdependence influences both domestic and global marketing decisions. It however has more influence on global marketing. Different nations can depend on each other for different products. This can result in a form of interdependence between the nations. Marketers in nation A, can therefore increase their marketing strategies in nation B that depends on its specific products and vice versa. (Cinchona, 2005)
There are various trade practices and agreements that affect domestic and global marketing. Trade agreements such as fair trade among nations encourage both domestic and global marketing. This is considering the fact that marketers in the two countries are given equal standing to market their products and services. On the other hand restrictive trade agreements generally hinder global marketing. There are some trade practices that are discriminatory while others are not. (Cateora, 2007)

Discriminatory trade practices may tend to charge international marketers more fees and levies hence discouraging global marketing. Trade practices in a nation can encourage domestic marketing of some products and downplay others like harmful products such as cigarettes and beer.

Demographics and physical infrastructure
Demographics and physical infrastructure are factors that also affect global and domestic marketing. Demographics entail distribution of people in areas. They may be densely of sparsely populated. Marketing is highly carried out in densely populated areas rather than sparsely populated areas. International Companies tend to intensify marketing in highly populated nations. Physical infrastructure such as roads, communication network among others make marketing to be cheaper and easier. Regions with essential physical infrastructure easily encourage domestic marketing and vice versa. Global marketing is highly carried out in developed nations since the physical infrastructure is well developed therein.

Influence of cultural differences
Cultural difference is also a factor that highly affects marketing strategies. A textile Company that manufactures mini skirts can never market in an Islamic area because of the Islamic dressing culture. An international Company that makes pork sausages cannot market in Islamic nation because the culture therein stipulates that natives should not take pork. (Cinchona, 2005)

Importance of social responsibility and ethics versus legal obligations
Social responsibility is important in as far as marketing is concerned. This is generally where marketers show concern for the public or the community where they market products and services. Marketing ethics refer to the moral aspects of marketing. These are based on values such as transparency, autonomy, honesty and privacy. They are equally important in the marketing profession. Every nation has laws and regulations that marketers have to adhere to. These are very essential and failure to adhere to them leads tough measures from relevant government offices. While all the three aspects are equally essential, legal obligations can be ranked first in the order of importance. It is quite essential to note that in some nations, legal obligations may cover social responsibility aspects and marketing ethics. (Cinchona, 2005)

Effect of political systems
Political systems and the international relations greatly affect marketing. Political systems can create a peaceful environment in a nation such that domestic and global marketing is encouraged. When the political system is stable, domestic and global marketing is easily carried out and vice versa. Strict government policies on taxes can hinder global marketing. In case the political system is involved in various trade agreements such as NAFTA and EU, this can encourage global marketing. Good international relations affect global marketing positively.

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, local, national and international legislation
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 affects domestic marketing positively. This is considering the fact that FCPA prohibits corruption hence marketers dont have to give bribes to market in any area of the nation. Local, national and international legislation also affects marketing. Legislation in local home market can encourage or hinder domestic marketing. Specific regulations in an industry can sometimes make domestic marketing to be quite challenging. National legislations concerning marketing such as fees and levies for marketing that are exorbitant can hinder marketing ventures.

International regulations such as no extra levies on international marketers definitely enhance global marketing. Some international regulations regulate all international advertisements and can charge exorbitant prices for these adverts. Such regulations are carried out to encourage domestic marketing so to avoid unhealthy competition from external Companies. Some of these regulations are also put in place to protect consumers from harmful products. (Lee and Carter, 2005)

Technology
Technology is an essential factor that can hinder or enhance both domestic and global marketing. Up to date technology such as e-marketing facilities, information technology, innovations and inventions encourage both global and domestic marketing. When technology in a nation allows cheap manufacturing of products and services, domestic and global marketing is highly carried out therein. (Cateora, 2007)

Conclusion
In conclusion, marketing remains to be an imperative venture that allows consumers to know the products available in the market. Domestic and global marketing are however affected by various micro and macro factors. These factors include the political systems in a nation, trade practices and agreements among nations. Factors such as ethics are quite essential and affect marketing. Legal aspects highly affect global and domestic marketing and always have to be adhered to. When a nation has up to date technology, there is increased domestic and global marketing. Local and national legislation.

Having Jesuit Catholic University as one of the best colleges, they have always maintained their core values, mission and vision to give the best to their students who are the future generation to the society, by promoting learning in the university, I will need to create new ideas on how to promote students to students interaction through information technology by using IT resources like the internet. A good example is by creating a discussion board in the website where by students can discuss various issues in the school like good morals, important topics of specific courses, guidance and counseling which helps them to have admirable values, Interaction between teachers and students is also important as this will enable them to have discussions and meetings which will produce more responsible professionals in the world and the society at large.
Universities cannot do without learning resources, hence, increasing learning resources like libraries and books and ensuring that the computers are connected to the internet in the university is a great idea since this will help the students do their research studies thoroughly and gain a lot of knowledge and skills so they can succeed as individuals.

Promoting students activities in the university is a major role in our schools today, learning alone without practicing is not enough for students as they will need to do a lot of practicals to put what they learn in books into practice, a medical student cannot understand the reality of life until he or she goes to practice in a hospital. Participating in extracurricular activities like sports and debates is also important as this promotes socially responsible learning community.

Community work is a resourceful part of learning it exposes students to the realities of the community. By organizing community work, the students can become a sharper and develop their leadership skills. Besides, it promotes their understanding of the challenges a community face.

In the past, decisions pertaining to going on a holiday were taking an approach that was more systematic. The case study presented argues that planning for a holiday entails more than just taking several steps. Originally, there has been a belief that making a decision to go for a holiday or the commencement of a holiday whereby purchases are made starts with a decision or choice to buy, for this situation or case, embarking on holiday. However, this perception has changed marking a major difference between traditional thoughts and modern thoughts pertaining to making of decisions and choices of going for a holiday. Today, the process of making decisions on going for a holiday is affected by various external factors. In the traditional view, the external factors for example customers emotions are not considered as being vital during decision making process. The process of decision making is both rational driven and emotional driven. Individuals usually make decisions depending on their impulse as well as the level of emotional attachment towards the ideas in question. For example, the destination of a holiday may hold great sentimental value to an individual planning for the holiday and a lot of awareness would thus be given to the designated destination (Decrop  Snelders, 2005). This entails more than an information processes series and it contradicts the arguments of traditional view. Despite the fact that choices may be emotive or impulse based, this process has some elements of processes of information. Actualising the notion of a holiday or making such an idea a reality takes a sequential rationalism form based on organisation and planning. Also, a number of back up plans are formulated while going for a holiday. The most fundamental form of back up plans is the contingency plans which are made or formulated to cover for unforeseeable circumstances (Solomon, 2006).

The variety of options available to a consumer is another aspect or characteristic of holiday decision making. According to the traditional views, the decision making process is termed as a course of action that aims at satisfying the desires and needs of an individual. However, it is impossible for an individual to plan for or even make decisions relating to something that one knows nothing about. Prior to choosing a holiday, an individual undergoes a process subconsciously. Around the world, there are a number of holiday offers and not all people could be aware of them while the awareness set tends to be great. After gaining holiday awareness, a person considers several sets of holidays, a process known as the consideration set. Consideration set refers to the set through which different companies market their products to create awareness and their marketing mix is aimed as such a direction. After considering the general holiday type one wants to engage in, a choice set is created. This entails the weighing of last few holidays while considering the pros and cons of each of them. A chosen set refers to the decisions made to embark on a specific holiday. The above process are undertaken prior to making any decisions pertaining to a holiday, an aspect not considered in the traditional view of decision making process (Decrop  Snelders, 2005).
Comparison of the process of information search described with consumers search process that may be followed for a particular category of product for example a perfume or a household appliance

Information search process (IPS) is an ongoing process since collection of information takes place from the minute a person decides to go for a holiday, through the process of booking for that holiday and even after the holiday is already over. Unlike in other items, the information search process for going on a holiday is not as sequential or straight forward as compared to that of other services and products. This discrepancy exists due to the various external factors that influence information being looked for. For example, holiday prices fluctuate throughout the year. Due to such factors, search process tends to be less intensive as many people assume. Mostly, holiday makers rarely make in-depth plans for their holidays thus leaving a discovery and mystery sense (Pizam  Mansfeld, 1999).

While making a decision of purchasing a piece of clothing, IPS would differ from that of a holiday decisions due to a number of reasons. Holidays assume a temporary service that may last for one day or a number of weeks but clothing takes a permanent stance with its lifespan ranging from one year to several years. As such, while purchasing cloths, a consumer must engage some thoughts and also he must have some information concerning some specific type of information (Decrop  Snelders, 2005). This may include the clothes size, price, brand, colour, and preferences of washing. While purchasing clothes, ISP also may be influenced by fashion trends meaning that those on fashion at any particular moment have higher marketability and the likelihood of customers purchasing them is higher if they are in line with their preference. One of the most powerful ways of increasing information search for items such as clothes is word of mouth. However, this usually have little effects while making decisions on holidays. Despite the differences, some similarities exist between buying clothes ISP and holiday ISP. Just like in holiday, the notion of purchasing clothes is at times driven by impulses or emotions. It can also be a mode of satisfying the needs of a person. For some instances preference is unexpected. This occurs when one makes cognitive decisions for on spot purchases (Perner, n. d).

Implications of findings of the above case to managers engaged in promoting and marketing holidays

One implication of the presented case study is that it illustrates the complex and vast nature of decision making process relating to holidays. From the case, we can conclude that holiday decision making entails a mix between cognitive or rational process and impulse or emotional decisions. I think managers while marketing holidays should employ a holistic approach so as to impress a large number of possible customers. I also think that manages should offer unique selling point for holidays to ensure that they differentiate them from other offered holidays and also to create awareness to potential consumers. A reward system or some kind of discount should be given to return holiday makers mostly because holiday decisions commences following the ending of a previous holiday. Giving rewards and incentives would entice consumers to visit that particular place for another time. Emotional marketing should be employed in advertising or creating awareness on holidays as arousing emotions have a tremendous effect on holiday decision making process.

Antares Pharma belongs to a pharmaceutical industry. It operates in three locations namely Ewing, New Jersey which houses their corporate offices, Minneapolis, Minnesota in which their Device Division could be found and lastly, in Basel, Switzerland, their European offices. This company is committed to developing and commercializing novel therapeutic products utilizing their unique, advanced drug delivery systems.  Their products are patient focused they typically improve safety and efficacy, reduce side effects and enable them to deliver a lower dose. Their advanced- delivery systems are also well positioned for life cycle extension options. Because of their product focused specialty, Antares Pharma has developed three proprietary platforms, two of which now include FDA approved products. Their belief is that they should offer a distinct value to patients, physicians and shareholders (Antares Pharma, 2009).

History
Antares was formed in 2001 when Medi-Ject Corporation (a device company) merged with Permatec Holding AG (a developer of transdermal delivery systems).  In the late 1970s Medi-Ject was one of the first companies to develop reusable needle-free injection devices. Since that time costs have decreased and the technology has gained acceptance. Presently they have broad approval for their device in the US for insulin and in Europe, Asia and elsewhere for human growth hormone. In addition, they have a disposable pressure assisted auto injector product, which uses a disposable single use small gauge needle for unit dose injectable drugs and have recently added a disposable multi-use pen injector. The company currently distributes its needle-free injector systems for the delivery of insulin and growth hormone in more than 20 countries and an estradiol transdermal patch for hormone replacement therapy. In addition, Antares Pharma has five products under development and is conducting ongoing research to create new products that combine various elements of the Companys technology (Antares Pharma, 2009).

As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first device for diabetics that integrates a glucose meter and an insulin pump with a dose calculator into one device, Antares Pharma is considering that this product be launched into countries with high market potential. In choosing the countries, Antares Pharma is targeting the North American Regions like Canada, Mexico and Caribbean countries because these are the countries with high rate of diabetes (Missouri Business, 2007). The criteria in choosing the countries are the following

Market
This factor is important because one must identify the market quite specifically. One must determine its size, the competitors and the features of the product that will satisfy customers. This information will enable Antares Pharma to determine its market share and most likely potential customers (Missouri Business, 2007).

Competition
In order to become successful in launching this product, Antares Pharma needs to know their competitors. They have to identify their top competitors, its similarities and differences in the product launching, its strength and weaknesses and its marketing strategies (Missouri Business, 2007).

Price
The price should be fully reviewed so that the variable and fixed expenses will be accounted for plus providing profit to cover the cost of operations. The most common business pricing strategies are Market Penetration, Skimming and Follower Pricing. Market Penetration is accomplished through a comprehensive promotional campaign, which may include pricing the same product or service below the competition in order to gain market share or to establish entry into the market place. Skimming is a strategy that involves setting the price for the product or service high in order to skim the market demand. Follower Pricing is a strategy that entails the business owner in adopting follow-the-leader approach and setting prices in response to all major competitors (Missouri Business, 2007).  

Distribution Channels
In this criterion, Antares Pharma should identify the most effective methods  means in making the product available for customers. They should determine if there is a need for warehousing of product if not sold directly to the buyer (Missouri Business, 2007).  
 
In order to make this project a reality, Antares Pharma needs to set its marketing objectives so that they can achieve the goals for the business. For the marketing objectives, it should build customer database of at least 150,000 devices within the next 12 months, it should achieve a market share of 15 and to increase customers awareness of the product by 80 in the target market. For the companys objectives, it should aim for a return on investment of at least 15 and achieve increase of operating profit of at least 15 within the next 12 months (Marketing Plan, 2001-2009).

The marketing plan is central to the business plan. Marketing research helps you define a product or service, the target market and the competition. Pricing the product is the most important step that must begin with an understanding of the total cost of the product or service. Promotions and advertising should be planned for at least a year in advance to take into considerations seasonal fluctuations, competitors activities, turn-around of sales and opportunities for free publicity. It is important to note however, that customer service may be the best tool in implementing marketing strategies (Marketing Plan, 2001-2009).

Table1. Criteria of countries with high market potential (Marketing Plan, 2001-2009)
Table2. Criteria of countries as against the USA (Marketing Plan, 2001-2009)

The best country to launch the first device that integrates a glucose meter and an insulin pump with a dose calculator is Canada because economically and technologically speaking this country has developed in parallel with United States of America, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Being included in the North American Regions possessing high rate of diabetes, the target market are the adults and teens affected by Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Canada in its own effort faces the political challenges of meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services.  Being a neighbor of the USA, it would be much accessible in distributing the product to the country with less cost as well as the promotion and advertising would be easily taken cared of. Careful consideration must be given to planned events that will educate customers and heighten their awareness of the product such as free publicity, grand opening and other strategies (Canada, 2009).

Effects of cultural believes and values

Cultural believes and values affect the way we relate with individuals from other cultural societies. Different cultural values and believes can be a big challenge especially if the cultural values and believes of the involved individuals contrast. This is because cultural norms affect the way we think and thus our perception of other cultures. The western culture and the Japanese or Chinese culture contrast in various aspects. The American culture encourages individualism which makes it hard for Americans to accept other peoples point of view. On the other hand, the Chinese culture encourages collectiveness among the society members. The interdependence culture of the Chinese enables them to relate with other cultures while the independent values held by the western cultures have a large impact on communication (Nauert, 2007).

Communication technology in workplaces

The advancement of communication technology has brought about revolution in the way people relate with each other and thus the way they work. Today, a worker can chat with a fellow worker hundred of miles away and exchange ideas. An engineer can receive or send urgent proposals and designs while stuck in the traffic or while in a holiday miles away from his or her workplace. Technology has therefore facilitated effective communication and thus keeping workers informed. However, communication at workplaces has been subjected to misuse. Workers lose a lot of working hours on personal use of internet services. There are cases of information getting into the wrong hands and technology has been used to damage the companys name. However, this can be solved by promoting responsible use of communication technology among the workers. The institution should also set laws and regulation that govern the use of communication technology in the organization (Place, 2000).

IKEA is an international furniture production and distribution company based in Sweden. The company was founded in 1940s by Ingvar Kamprad and has since asserted its presence all over the world. IKEA provides direct retail services to customers and furniture distributors. The case study provides a critical analysis of the implications of the key organizational inputs in IKEA namely the internal environment, external environment resources and strategy.        

Analysis of the External Environment
The macro-environment consists of the key aspects of organizations which are most affected and determined by the status and direction of the political forces, economic forces, social forces and technological forces legal factors and environmental factors (PESTLE) (Johnson, Scholes  Whittington, 2009). As such, the macro environment forces are the main determinants that influence the operations of business organizations in a particular country or region. Proper evaluation and analysis of the macro environmental forces in the organizations external environment goes along way in determining the success or failure of the marketing strategies adopted by an organization (Wilson, 1982). The analysis of the implications of the macro-environmental forces on the operations of IKEA involves comprehensive insight into the PESTLE factors.
The political situation in Sweden and IKEAs international markets poses major significance to the regulatory aspects of business activities as well as the spending power of consumers in the countries. The furniture market in Sweden enjoys a stable political environment founded on the principles of democracy and free market economy. The stable democratic political environment means that the furniture industry does not experience uncertainties experienced in politically unstable states. Emphasis of analyses are always placed on the stability of the political environment both in the domestic and international markets, government policies and how they influence business laws and regulations, and governments position on marketing ethics (Hunger  Wheelan, 2003). The macro environmental analysis identifies natural changes, radical changes, gradual changes, policy changes, and changes in foreign governments to be the key political factors that influence marketing and business planning in organizations. Much as the furniture industry in Sweden may enjoy peaceful political environment, there can be no ruling out myriads of challenges and business uncertainties that are associated to insecurity such as terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

As for the economic forces, the execution of production and distribution plans in IKEA should always take into account the elements that characterize a trading economy with focus short-term based and long-term-based interests (Johnson, Scholes  Whittington, 2009). This is especially significant when planning for international marketing. The key points of interest when determining economic factors of target markets include levels of inflation, rates of employment, levels of interest rates, long-term aspects of the economic growth (Wilson  Gilligan, 1999). During periods of economic decline, consumers spend less and less on luxury or comfort items than they used before the onset of the global economic crisis, a situation that is likely to persist for a few more years before the full global economic recovery.    

Socio-cultural factors are considered to be very important determinants of the external market environment of IKEA. According to Kotler  Keller (2009), the influence exerted by the socio-cultural factors on the external marketing environment of business organizations varies in different countries. The major elements which constitute social and cultural factors of an organization are religious beliefs, attitudes to product orientations, and the importance of language in the penetration of products or services in the target markets. These factors definitely portend wide reaching implications in the marketing strategies of the key players in IKEAs domestic and international markets. There are several social and cultural dimensions that impact directly on the marketing strategies of the furniture industry in Sweden and international markets. For example, the existence of obvious differences in socio-cultural and religious orientations in Islamic societies, Christian societies, Buddhist societies or mixed religion societies would require IKEA to initiate appropriate analyses of the target markets with the objective of ensuring that the companys products are designed within recommended guidelines of the socio-cultural affiliations prevalent in the target markets.

The main technological aspects of macro-environmental marketing aspects in IKEA include infrastructure, information communication, innovation, research and development, production equipment and transportation. The product life cycles has seen the relatively pragmatic furniture industry in Sweden and internationally undergo constant technological innovations and advancements. The market capitalization of the furniture industry has grown tremendously in the 21st century. Indeed, technology plays an important role of creating competitive advantage and driving globalization objectives in IKEA. Some of the challenges that IKEA is facing in the pursuit of technological advantages include provision of advanced furniture products and services at affordable rates and standard qualities creation of new channels of distribution methods such as online selling and e-commerce and instant communication and feedback channels between the company and its stakeholders. According to Johnson, Scholes  Whittington (2009), successful implementations of technological innovations lead to decreased barriers to entry and provide great stimulus for increased research and innovations in business organizations.

The legal aspect in IKEA relate to the laws and regulations that govern different aspects of the business relative to the prescribed benchmarks in Sweden. Such aspects include environmental laws, employment laws, taxation laws and licensing of business activities. The environmental aspect covers issues that govern the conservation of the environment with respect to the operations of IKEAs business activities. Such issues include waste disposal, green initiatives and cutting down on emissions of toxic gases through use of renewable energy.    

Analysis of IKEAs Internal Environment
Porters five forces determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of a market and any changes to any of these forces would require a company to re-assess the market place (Porter 37). The five forces include barriers to entry barriers to exit the buying power of customers threats of substitute products and bargaining power of suppliers. The furniture industry exists as a highly deregulated sector, a situation which however, if combined with the relatively low fixed costs compared to other industries, makes it easy for new players to make entry. The low barriers to entry introduce intense competition in the furniture production and distribution business. Barriers to exit serve as indicators on how easily a company can exit the market, and IKEA is characterized by high barriers to exit because company has wide network of distribution channels and highly specialized equipments that cannot be sold off easily. Customer buying power represents the level of power that buyers have over products (Johnson, Scholes  Whittington, 2009). The demand for IKEA furniture products in the short run is inelastic and therefore customers have much of options for other furniture brands. As such, customers have high buying power relative to the IKEA furniture because buyers can freely switch brands on service and cost preferential grounds. Threats of substitute products are therefore very high given that there are many furniture production companies in Sweden and around the world. Competitive rivalry is the ability of a product to match the performance of the existing products in the market and evidently, the IKEA brand faces high competitive intensity in most of its target market at the domestic and international levels. The power of suppliers relates to the readiness or difficulties of switching suppliers. IKEA enjoys low power of suppliers because of the existence of numerous supplier alternatives for supply of raw materials for furniture processing and production.

Critical Success factors
With reference to the Nadler and Tushman Congruence Model (Nadler  Tushman, 1980), the environment, resources, organizational history and strategy have been identified as the critical success factors guiding the business and operational drive in IKEA. According to the complexity theory dynamism in organizations is typified in multi-directional relationship across systems. Interactions among different elements of a particular system therefore results to emergence of new norms and behavior. By and large, the emerging change is usually as a result of interactions amongst localized agents within the system and between the system and other forces in the environmental (Nadler  Tushman, 1980). Effectively, the complexity theory acknowledges the need for organizations to match any normative changes with convincing efforts to promote an understanding of the emerging norms and ensure that interactions between localized parts of the complex system are not interfered with.

The strategy clock is equally based on the long term strategy aligned towards competitive advantage. Advanced by Cliff Bowman, the framework is premised on the competitive positioning of company product and service orientation (Johnson, Scholes  Whittington, 2009). Bowmans strategy is a strategic concept providing eight key options for evaluating and enhancing market competitiveness (Johnson, Scholes  Whittington, 2009). The eight options include low added value,   hybrid, focused differentiation, low price, increased price  reduced value, differentiation, low value  standard price, differentiation. These options are effective parameters for measuring the performance standards vis a vis long term profitability projections in IKEA.

Part B
The value chain model as presented by Michael Porter has at its core the creation of sustainable and strategic competitive advantage in business organizations. The key elements that define competitive strategy include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, value chain model of Porter marketing and sales, service, procurement, technology development, value chain model of Michael Porter Human resource management (Johnson, Scholes  Whittington, 2009). The element of inbound logistics in IKEA define storage, control of inventory, scheduling of transport operations and processes for receiving goods. The operations factor in IKEA is related to the value creation activities that facilitate the transformation of material inputs into final furniture products. As for outbound logistics define the activities intended to achieve production value through distribution strategies, marketing and sales bring on board the goals of convincing buyers to purchase IKEAs furniture products through advertising and product awareness initiatives.

The Value Chain Table
Firm Infrastructure
Human Resource Management
Technology Development
Procurement SHAPE   MERGEFORMAT

Comprehensive evaluation IKEAs competitive advantage can be achieved effectively through a critical SWOT analyses (Grant, 2005). SWOT is a synonym that refers to strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that characterize the products or services provided by a business entity. Grant (2005) emphasized that an organization can perform an audit of its external environment through SWOT evaluation. This is because a thorough SWOT evaluation is important in initial planning stages in organizations and determines the ability of managers to identify the major issues facilitates the transformation of the issues into objectives. IKEA has demonstrated sensitivity, cohesiveness, identity and tolerance to the varying implications and challenges posed by internal and external environmental factors. Indeed, the external and internal environments portend either positive or negative impact on the strategic plans of any organization (Whittington et al, 2006). The organizational abilities to build relationships and create community with sense of purpose and vision are wholly pegged on the leadership strengths and goodwill. Openness and effectiveness in leadership in IKEA ensures that all stakeholders, with particular emphasis to the customers, are kept abreast of the organizational processes. The customers are facilitated to bear influence in the companys decision-making processes through the internet as an enhanced communications and public relations channel. The key elements that constitute social and cultural factors that portend influence on IKEAs planning strategies are religious beliefs, attitudes of employees from diverse cultures and the importance of language in communicating organizational policies and plans.

Insights into resource allocation related to the corporate plans and management functions in IKEA takes a two-pronged approach (1) organizational approach in which key concepts of the economic theory such as resource allocation and competitive advantage relative to rationality, maximization of profit and responsiveness are analyzed and (2) sociological approach in which the nature of human interactions relative bound rationality, behavior satisfaction and perception of profit-making as sub-optimal objective are extensively evaluated (Whittington et al, 2006). The company has adopted risk reduction approaches in the design of business plans and further implements its vision for access for all stakeholders. Indeed, this has been modeled alongside the efficiency perspective, which informs the philosophy behind the theory of strategic management because it defines the formulation of corporate objectives, development of plans for achieving the set corporate objectives and the allocation of resources for plan implementation. PetMeds has without doubts implemented a human resources management strategy that is geared towards the provision of guiding framework for staff management, welfare and development, as well as comprehensive internal control and risk management measures that serve to ensure the smooth running of all the departments in the company.

IKEA enjoys a rich organizational history as founded by its mission and vision. IKEAs history is an input that serves as reference for the organizations current undertakings and future plans.  Corporate governance in this organization is defined by a hierarchical structure which consists of different departments and sub-departments responsible for different duties within the companys distribution channel for pet medicines and health products. IKEA has successfully retained well developed organizational operational infrastructure that support the integration of strategic and business planning initiatives. The organizational history is what informs the procedures and processes for conducting business in IKEA.

Part C
Recommendation of Five Years Growth Strategy for IKEA
The crucial links across IKEAs core strategic functionalities strategy should be modeled alongside the key inputs of the environment, resources and organizational history. These functionalities are best summarized by Porters three generic competitive strategies consisting of cost leadership, differentiation and focus. IKEAs cost leadership strategy should be ignited through the adoption of e-commerce distribution strategies which minimize the distribution costs by eliminating the need for establishing and maintaining branches in Sweden and internationally. The move will effectively reduce other operating and overhead costs including rental costs, labor costs and input costs. The company should further adopt generic strategy of differentiation through the production and distribution of a wide range of furniture products to meet varying customer tastes and preferences. Being a successful distributor for different varieties of high quality furniture products, the IKEA enjoys a competitive edge over pricing and profit margins in its nationwide and international distribution network. The generic element of focus should be enhanced through the companys specialization in furniture product line. The move will enable the company to identify easily with a particular niche, that is, home owners and redistributors of furniture products. This will lead to the companys brand name gaining greater brand loyalty, thereby gaining strategic competitive advantage.

Evidently, the three recommended generic competitive strategies fits in with IKEAs environmental, resource and historical inputs by way of ensuring the achievement of sustainable business model that ensures the perpetuation of the companys mission and vision but also ensure proper planning and optimal utility of human and financial resources. In an article titled Images of Strategy, Cummings  Wilson describe strategy as the course for onward movement for organizations both in terms of time and space with regards to where the organization seeks to go and what to avoid. As such, planning and strategies should be viewed as two independent but integrative and interlinked components of organizing in IKEA. Indeed, none of the two concepts can work independently of each other. Notably though, IKEAs strategies may experience set backs arising from the difficulty to accurately predict the outcomes and implications of organizational planning and strategizing decisions. Such setbacks arise from the susceptibility of organizational planning to unforeseen constraints and changes. Organizational planning and management in IKEA therefore demands the acknowledgement of possible setbacks in the implementation and achievement of projected objectives by the organizational management. Cummings  Wilson noted that the value of any strategic models lie in their ability to fully achieve effective and objective representation of the environment but also their viability in focusing minds and helping people to take particular actions from informed perspectives.  Mintzberg (qtd in Whittington et al (2006) is emphatic that strategy is a concept which should wholly be viewed as tailored through emerging processes, effectively portraying as a distraction the tendency towards formal strategy analyses. In his study and findings on the departmental level strategies and planning for eight different oil companies which demonstrated continuous transformations in strategizing, Grant (2005) identified that organizations are decreasing reliance on the business as usual analyses and forecasts and increasing dependency in organizational factors such as communication, control and coordination. To this end, change management projects, workshops and symbolizing through artifacts (Whittington et al., 2006) are seen as the essential practices that IKEA should perfect in order to achieve optimized communication, control and coordination.

Moreover, further growth of the GDP and personal income growth in a country tend to benefit the subsidiaries of an international firm in the form of increased sales in the expanded markets. It is for this reason that the management team of IKEA should always undertake systemic evaluations of the target markets in the home country and international markets to ensure that the long-term and short-term growth opportunities in the industry are well guaranteed. In the short term however, the IKEA has to contend with the global economic crisis which has already impacted negatively on the GDP of countries around the world and hence on the consumer spending parameters. The continuous adoption of advanced information and communication technology is one such technological strategy that the IKEA must adopt domestically and internationally so as to optimize on efficiency and performance. IKEA must also contend with the internet infrastructure challenges associated with the ongoing changeover from satellite supported internet to undersea cables.

Furthermore, IKEA should endeavors to undertake comprehensive reviews of current operational structures and processes to identify areas of weaknesses and improvements. As such, emphasis and continuous pursuit of knowledge, perception of the organization as community of people and perpetual endurance are the characteristics that define learning organizations. Factors such as the stakeholders, partnerships and industry life cycles must also be tailored to suit the strategic needs in IKEA as situations may demand. To this end, IKEA should streamline its corporate plans to reflect realistic and achievable objectives. Contrary to the assumption of many business organizations, the successful implementation of organizational strategies is dependent on the strengths and goodwill in the organization and any functional lapses in the environment lead to failure in achieving the overall targeted objectives.  

The PESTLE factors in the IKEAs external environment will evidently bear very significant impact on the marketing strategies of the company in the next five years. This demonstrates the importance of taking into account all the important aspects of the environment whenever carrying out external marketing audit of the company. Each and every element of marketing must always be accorded full attention in order to ensure success of all marketing objectives of the organization (Peters  Waterman, 1982). Other factors such as the stakeholders, partnerships and industry life cycles must also be tailored to suit the marketing needs of a business organization at all times. Product life cycle is very important in determining and overcoming barriers to entry as well as testing the maturity of a product market (Porter, 1980). Contrary to the assumption of many managers, the functional area of marketing relies so much on the overall nature of the organization and therefore, any functional gaps in the organizations environment leads to failure in achieving overall marketing objectives.

The management of IKEA should also accord adequate recognition to organizational change parameters in the company in the next five years. Organizational change is an operational variable that presents as much challenges as credibility to the overall management processes in organizations because of its impact on the general performance and success in the organizations (Johnson, Scholes  Whittington, 2009). The scope of change management in organizations goes a long way in determining the outcome of operational and managerial decisions in organizations (Barnes, 2005). It is with this regard that change management in IKEA should be accorded much prominence in the management processes of the company. Moreover, it is incumbent upon the management of IKEA to identify the controllable and uncontrollable variables so as to be able to initiate appropriate responsive measures to different forces and mechanisms of change.

Aldi Company is a discount supermarket chain founded in 1913 by two brothers- Karl Albrecht and Theo Albrecht. The founders of the two groups established and operated them but currently they have retired. Aldi is the short for Albrecht Discount and is based in Germany. The company was split into two in 1960 after a dispute. The company is composed of two groups which operate separately-Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud (Plank, 1995). The two groups have many branches internationally and have employed a large workforce. Lidl incorporated is the main competitor to Aldi both in the national and international market (Ponte,  Gibbon, 2005).

Wal-Mart is a public corporation based in America. It operates a chain of discount departmental stores. The company was established in 1962 by Sam Walton. In 1969, it was incorporated and listed in the stock exchange in 1972(Luecke,  Bunnell, 2000). The main focus used by the company is cost reduction so as to make high profits. This approach has been criticized by many people and groups since it has become oppressive to the employees and other stakeholders (McCarthy,  Spector, 2000).

Strategies used by ALDI Company in entering and expanding in foreign markets
Offering low prices - Aldi has maintained low prices in all its markets so as to maintain its customers. The low prices are achieved through cost efficiency measures. The company has reduced costs involved in advertising, storing, promotion, marketing and other operational costs. The company has used cheap advertisement campaign methods in the international market so as to cut down the cost and maintain low prices (Plank, 1995). The low prices have attracted a big customer demand for the products from Aldi groups of business. The company has continued to fight its main competitor in the local and international market-Lidl, through progressive reduction in prices. Aldi has created intense price war after its penetration in the Switzerland market in 2006. Aldi has been able to survive in the markets that are very competitive due to the low price strategy being employed (Luecke,  Bunnell, 2000).

Maintain high profit margins irrespective of the low prices - In the year 2006, Aldi Nord made a profit margin of 2.4  while Aldi Sud made a 4.5 profit margin in the German market (Burke, 2005). Aldi has an objective of stabilizing the profit margins while creating more branches internationally. Focus on low prices has enabled the company to make very high sales leading to high profits (Burke, 2005).

The two groups of businesses operate in environments which allow high profit margins despite the low prices set for their products. These businesses are not listed in the public domain and therefore do not reveal their financial information to the public. This ensures that the shareholders and the public in general do not have a chance to scrutinize the accounts of the company which may disrupt the normal running of activities. The company does not share dividends since it is not publicly listed. These funds are used to expand the investments, reduce costs and maintain a high profit level. The high profits being made by the company have enabled it to penetrate more potential markets, particularly the markets coming up recently in the international scene (Ponte,  Gibbon, 2005).

Aldi has taken the risk of penetrating markets where other competitive companies exist (Burke, 2005). The company has intensified its competition in the Eastern countries. These countries have already established companies which remain a great challenge to Aldi Company, for example, Lidl. The Aldi Company focuses on the changing shopping habits and lifestyles of the customers in these markets so as to penetrate properly (Ponte,  Gibbon, 2005). The customers in these markets have demonstrated the character of being sensitive to price and purchase time. Aldi has focused on these traits to capture a large customer base in these highly competitive markets. Aldi has expanded its branches to smaller towns and cities so as to reach all its customers and to bring the products nearer to them. Recent markets being penetrated by the company are Eastern Europe, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia. Some of the markets not yet penetrated are Russian markets (Plank, 1995).

Strategies used by Wal-Mart Company in entering and expanding in foreign markets 
The company uses cross-docking inventory system to cut down its costs. This system has enabled the company to reduce costs in sales due to economies of scale. The reduced sales costs have enabled the company to sell at reduced price, hence making more profits (McCarthy,  Spector, 2000).

Wal-Mart has used the strategy of concentrating on a single business to venture the international market. This has enabled the company to achieve a competitive advantage over its competitors who have focused on diversification. The company focuses on timely delivery of goods and refreshing its shelves continuously (Luecke,  Bunnell, 2000).

The company has focused on free-trade-zone distribution centers. This strategy has reduced the operational costs. The cost reduction method has led to high profit margins. The company makes quick transfer of its products to markets with high demands. There is use of high technology in tracing the rate of purchase of all products in all branches. Products are located in branches where they have high demand so as to reduce stock holding costs (McCarthy,  Spector, 2000).

Difference in the strategies used by the companies
Aldi uses the strategy of simplicity and efficiency in capturing its customers (Plank, 1995). Wal-Mart uses the strategy of cost reduction to make high profits. Aldi is a private enterprise and it is not listed in the stock exchange. This strategy has enabled it to maintain confidential information about its operations. Conversely, Wal-Mart is a public corporation which has already been listed in the stock exchange market and must disclose all the financial transactions (McCarthy,  Spector, 2000). Wal-Mart uses the strategy of transferring its products to branches with a high demand for particular products. Aldi focuses on expanding its market by penetrating markets where there is stiff competition as well as markets not yet penetrated. Wal-Mart Company makes its products to be of low price through cut down on its costs by such measures as paying low salaries to employees and use of economies of scale in marketing. Contrary to this, Aldi reduces its prices and focuses on increasing sales volume so as to attain high profit margins (Ponte,  Gibbon, 2005).

How successful the companies are
Aldi has succeeded in its strategies to attain its goals of price reduction and expansion. The company has been able to establish many branches in many countries. The low prices strategy has been achieved through penetration into markets that are sensitive to prices (Ponte,  Gibbon, 2005).

Wal-Mart has been successful in its strategies to some extent. The company has become the biggest of its kind in America. However, there are many objections being received from lobby groups due to the oppressive strategies. The low salaries offered to employees have caused chaos and a lot of people have challenged the companys strategies (Luecke,  Bunnell, 2000).

Conclusion 
The strategies used by a company in its operation can make it successful or failure. Managers must be careful when making decisions on the best strategy to follow. All stakeholders must be involved when making decisions so as to ensure the strategies being adopted are friendly to all people concerned.

Introduction
I have chosen Oakley Inc., because sport is my leisure pursuit and the company offers many sport accessories of high quality. It has always performed in a distinct manner while providing quality products and services. Its management style, organizational structure, objectives, policies and philosophies provide an insight into the successful business approach which has resulted into profitability, growth and higher return to stakeholders.

Industry Overview
According to Plunkett Research (2009) there exists the notion of diversification and people have different perceptions concerning sports. It is being perceived as a matter of interest by both viewers as well as entertainers through out the globe. Some might think of sport as a platform for gambling, while others might consider it as a recreation arena. From the business perspective, it provides a healthy business model for investment by explicating a continuous positive slope. Athletes consider it as a symbol of success which can direct them towards recognition and fate. Governmental organizations and authorities regard it as a way of generating revenue.
       
According to certain statistical data, in the United States only, the sport industry has the revenue of 400-425 billion on yearly basis. It is also found that that a considerable part of the population of the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia earn their living through the sports sector. The Official Bureau of Labor states that about 1.5 million Americans are directly involved in the business. In comparison to this, about 50, 200 people perform in the wholesale channel, while 244, 600 people do business in the retail sector. It was also highlighted that different sports have become extremely famous due to key players like Lance Armstrong, who has marvelously promoted cycling by winning Tour de France. SGMA (sports goods manufacture association) which mainly focus on propping up individual sports exclaimed that Tennis which is one of the cost efficient sports and it can be encouraged during the prevailing period of economic recession and high fuel prices. It participation has increased to 43 from 2000-2008. The higher prices of gasoline has lamented enthusiastic sports like RVs (recreational vehicles), motor boats and others having massive engines. If the prices for gasoline increase by 3 or more then the sales of sports equipment with huge motors will crash down. During the time span of 2000-2008, the participation in golf has shown a declining trend, however, preference has increased tremendously in particular sports like joggingrunning, paint ball, lacrosse, table tennis and spinning. Furthermore channels like online gaming, internet and television broadcasting has deemed to flourish games like high-stakes poker and other sports events. Long-term has been found health and fitness sectors. In the United States alone health clubs are enjoying with 40 million members and other 25 million use exercising machines in their homes. About 78 million baby boomers that have no constraints as far as time and money are concerned and focus on improving their lifestyles depicts a favorable opportunity for sports industry. According to SGMA several exercises sorts like spinning, pilates, treadmills and the elliptical motion have revealed remarkable growth.
         
Along with this, fashion and technological influence are the two major factors, due to which sales of sports equipment have shown a positive upward trend during the current period. Businesses are continuously participating in new product development activities and are providing compelling reasons to consumers to buy their products. Golf ball, club makers, snow ski and board makers are incessantly utilizing technological advancements to bring innovation and creativity. The manufacturers of ski gear more often focus towards style, color and fashion rather technology is involved or not. Media is playing an important role in the sports industry. Sports coverage is specifically being watched online. People are using digital television recording devices like TiVo to watch sports coverage. Major emphasis is being given to sports news and events videos, which are conveyed to cell phones with state-of-art technology. In the overall scenario, recession has a major influence on the sports industry. Companies are facing difficulties in selling tickets and even manufacturers of sports equipment have found decrease in their sales. Although consumers like to follow their favorite teams, but they have reduced their expenses on luxury goods and services. Since ticket prices are constantly rising, several businesses have been closed, while others are trying to renovate themselves. The manufacturers of golf equipment, RVs, motor boats have faced a decrease in their profits. Companies are now trying to price their products appropriately in order to gain the major market share. Today, the major focus is towards high tech gear at suitable prices, identifying value opportunities, family recreation, offering ticket packages, health and fitness equipments and developing innovative designs and selling products at right prices.

Company Overview
Oakley Corporation was founded in 1975 by Mr. Jannard, who was the first to design an orbicular formed handgrip for motocross motorbikes. Since its beginning the company has remained market oriented and has followed contemporary market driven strategies. The company brought a new concept to eyewear through reinvention. The owner named the company after the name of his favorite dog.  The organization develops world class products for athletes, who consider the possibility as one of the major constraints. Today the business operates in more than 100 countries while having 575 patents and 1100 trademarks being used throughout the globe. The head office of the company is in Southern California.
         
The business has developed a state-of-art research program along with the production and operation facility, and each and every brand goes through the virtual CADCAM engineering software. Its products are tested through the spectrophotometer and simulation chambers. Its designs are formed based on the philosophy of sculptural physics which aims in solving different problems and issues on the basis of science and the key is enfolded into the art with the expertise of technical engineers and artisans who work on permanent basis while focusing on product development strategies by enhancing the product categories around its core competencies. The business performs through collaborative efforts and cross-functional approach. The business operates with an entrepreneurial mind and competes with the best-in-class. The business has distinguished itself from me too approach and its products are not available at the mass market retailers. It has evolved towards high-end retailers and specialty stores. There are Oakley stores where all of the companys brands are available. Moreover, Oakley Vaults sells products on discounts along with wide variety of seasonal merchandize. The OSAs (optical shop of Aspen) sells high-ends products and accessories comprising of brands like Chrome heart, Chanel, Cartier, Paul Smith and Christian Dior etc.

Overview of the Products
Most of the people associate Oakley Inc. with eyewear brands however, the corporation operates its vast array of diversified product lines. The product portfolio basically focuses on the athletic performance. It well-known products include

Sunglasses Oakley leads in the category with its advanced sports technology. The numerous inventions of HDO (high definition optics) with polarized lenses have been awarded. It uses EN1836 standards for the proper axis. Due to infusion molding it resolves the issue of miasma and deformation.  It provides a variety of spectrums to match the environment through different color lens. Due to polarization it gives 99 efficiency. Furthermore, its eyewear meets all the resistance standards as authorized by the American National Standard Institute. The use of the hydrophobic technology has resulted into the clear vision while protecting it from any sort of contaminant or oil repelling or water buildup.

Prescription Eyewear The Company provides best prescription optics through its line of ophthalmic-specific frames and corrective sun lenses. Oakley activated by transition lenses which are accompanied by Rx system endow with quality service.

Goggles It offers goggle for skiing, motocross, BMX, mountain biking and snow boarding. Oakley Stockholm has been specifically designed for women. It 3D cranial geometry and F3 anti-fog coating have facilitated among product features. In motocross it has established an advanced tear-off system as a benchmark.

Electronics The business came up with the concept that the audio system should be placed near the ear and invented Oakley Thump successfully. Razrwire and ORokr include a stereo system, as well as Bluetooth for wireless connectivity with cell phones. In individual oriented games these high definition optics give clarity.
Apparel The Company uses the membrane technology which is water proof and breathable with a reversible heat storage system. The use of CADCAM softwares and bio foam panels are some of the factors for its achievements.

Footwear The business offers footwear for hiking, racing, winter and motor sport and the military. The Net Shape technology which uses CADCAM software provides durability and comfort. The invention of the Red Code prevents the player from shocks and absorbs ground forces.

Accessories The basis objective is convenience and comfort and the company offers backpacks and bags which are designed through the application of ergonomics. The sculptural design has assisted the company in developing distinctive accessories ranging from belts, wallets to bags for surfing boards, cases for eyewear etc.

Watches The watches explicit the athletic concept which are used to measure split, intermediate or cumulative time. It offers a premium feature to set local time with the feature of the world city.

Apart from this its brand portfolio for optics consists of fox racing, Oliver people, Mosley tribe, Paul Smith spectacles and eye safety system.

Stock Symbol and Stock graph
According to Funding Universe (2002) Oakley Corporation is a public company and it is listed in New York stock exchange. It ticker symbol is OO.  
Figure 1. Five year stock graph for Oakley (NYSE), 2010
         
According to Globe Newswire (2007) the merger of Luxottica Group with Oakley Corporation was voted by 83 of the common stock holders of the business. It has performed outstandingly and has shown consistency for the past 3 years. According to Joseph (2009) that Oakley has remained a bright spot for Luxottica Group. The Chicago William Bliar investment company found that during the period of recession Oakley Corporation revenue increased by 1.1 billion in the year 2009.

Domestic and International Competitors
The business has both direct and indirect competitors. The key competitors of Oakley Inc. include Adidas, Marchon Eyewear Inc. and Nike (Hoovers, 2010). According to Edgar Online (2007) the company occupies a highly competitive position domestically as well internationally. The business believes that there are critical components for the successes, which are regarded primarily, including the integrated approach, which the company follows throughout the business process in attaining quality, sustainability and the technological advancement. The learning capabilities, marketing efforts and the protection of intellectual property rights have enabled the business to maintain its competitive position in the arena. The company competes with SMEs (small and medium enterprises) for the niche market. Its major domestic competitors include Luxottica Group, Safilo Group and Marchon Eyewear Inc. The key components for building the  competitive edge include brand image, understanding fashion trend, strategic marketing, and channels of distribution and product offerings and in order to sustain the company at the leading position it requires classical performance among all the highlighted factors. The business specialty stores compete with mall-based specialty retailers. Luxottica alone has a wholesale network in around 120 countries which entails the availability of resources. In athletic segment the business compete with Nike, Timberland, Adidas, Foot joy, Burton, Billabong, Patagonia and Columbia sportswear etc. In niche market several competitors include Tiva, Vans, Ashworth and Reef etc. In fashion and luxurious watches some of the major competitors include Omega, Swiss, Rolex, TAG and Swatch etc.
 
International Sales Management
According to Business Wire (2000), the business occupies a separate function of sales and marketing, which deals with the international management across different countries.  The key goals of the function include maximizing international sales, building the brand image and leveraging distribution channels to maximize profits. Its international sales represent 43 of the world wide sales. Moreover the optimistic attempt for launching an e-commerce website has facilitated in generating more revenue while minimizing cost and becoming customer oriented by focusing on the relationship marketing. The business went through the reorganization in order to fulfill the business requirement of selling the assortment of products and has increased the number of sales representatives. It also appointed internal brand managers to facilitate international offices in formulating branding strategies. Endorsement has remained an effective factor in boosting up the international sales. It was explained that e-business assisted that international management where the firm uses distribution and category diversification strategy to adopt a synchronize approach. Reuters (2007) highlighted that it sales reached 263.2 million for goggles, sunglass and protection eyewear and growth increase to 26 from 22 during the same period.

International Markets
Oakley (2010) highlighted that the business operates in international markets including the Middle East, America, Asia, the Western and Eastern Europe. The business has separate governing bodies in the major countries in order to meet needs and requirements of local consumers, specifically, in Japan, America and Australia. However, the corporation has shown consistency in delivering excellence, while meeting standards. In the United Kingdom the business has more importantly focused on merchandizing, whereas in the United States the business elaborates the importance of individual games.

SWOT Analysis of the Company
Soderberg (2009) conducted the SWOT analysis of the company as follows
Strengths
It has a strong brand portfolio which involves the history of successful efforts with key emphasis towards the product mix and brand extension strategies.
The company has adopted strong principles of vertical marketing strategy where major emphasis is given to Relationship VMS (vertical management systems).
The business has developed strong distribution network throughout the globe.
Weaknesses
Its existence in the contact market seems quiet stumpy.
The business has adopted the policy due to which it has concentrated suppliers.
Opportunities
Opting for licensing agreements seems one of the major opportunities.
Acquisitions rather than mergers entail long-term effectiveness.
The business can extend into optical category.
B2B business can act as a special segment.

Threats
Retail consolidation is the major threat.
Laser surgery and prevailing concept of counterfeit goods can deliberately affect the company.

Porters 5 Forces Model
Entry The Company has depicted a medium entry in the growth industry. It frequently offers patented products with high capital investment while requiring highly skilled labor.

Suppliers Suppliers are weak due to consolidation and it occupies the major expense portion of approximately 40.

Buyers Buyers are strong comprising of military and government customers with strong power while athletes are more prices sensitive.

Rivalry There exist 550 firms in the United States alone, with 70 of the firms having less than 20 employees, whereas only 3 firms have more than 250 employees.

Substitutes Substitutes have high availability, since there are products obtainable at cheaper prices and their exist alternatives against major patents.

Job Opportunities

According to Oakley (2010), the problem identification is considered as the DNA of the business and it exists everywhere in the corporation. Skills and qualifications are important for candidates during recruitment and selection. The business offers different sorts of perks to its employees, there exists a separate health and fitness club for them, moreover, they participate in different games. A candidate should have an inspiring vision, long-term objectives and an enthusiastic approach creativity and innovation.

Conclusion
The Company has wholeheartedly followed the market-driven strategy. It has continuously tried to match its capabilities with the core functions in order to meet the value requirements of the business. The corporation has always focused on capitalizing and leveraging opportunities. Its business and marketing strategies are marvelously integrated with the corporate strategies. The marketing plan implies long-term objectives and goals and each and every SBUs (strategic business unit) is being dealt with properly to achieve the strategic objectives.

Summary
The sports industry has shown positive growth since decades. The focus is being shifted to the individual oriented sports. However, the industry has been affected because of the prevailing recession. Oakley Corporation, which is one of the key players in the sports industry, was started by Mr. Jannard in 1975 with the objective of the continuous improvement in order to meet the requirements of athletes. The companys portfolio comprises a diversified set of product lines which are being manufactured through the state-of-art technology. Its stock price has remained flat for the past two years however, even in the recession the business generated healthy profits. The business is surrounded by both direct and indirect competitors among which it remains the leader because of its state-of-art technology, distribution network, strong control over its patents and capabilities. The international sales contribute the major portion in the over all sales and management is opting for different programs to enhance the efficiency in grasping international product market. The business overall brand portfolio is termed as the major strength while suppliers concentration is the major weakness. B2B is one of the major opportunities and retail consolidation is considered as one of the major threat.  

History of the Company
The opening of the first Hooters Restaurant was done in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida and was called Hooters of America, Inc (Boyer and Kathleen). The six pioneers of Hooters were all businessmen friends who had totally no concept regarding the running of restaurants. Nevertheless, they came together and the concept of Hooters was conceived on 1st April 1983 (the April Fools Day). According to one of the partners, Gil DiGiannantonio, the Hooters pioneering group was a team of guys who found it tiresome always visiting fern bars and really needed a change-the Hooters (Boyer and Kathleen).  Currently, Hooters runs and franchises a chain of casual restaurants which feature waitresses commonly referred to as Hooters Girls. It was not very easy at the start the six friends had to go through Clearwater Beach in the effort to find very attractive girls who had an interest of becoming the pioneering Hooters Girls.

The founding partners worked in specialized divisions which can be said to be the determinant of Hooters success. Prior to forming Hooters, DiGiannantonio was the companys sales representative for liquor distribution while L.D Stewart and Dennis Johnson were general contractors (Boyer and Kathleen). Another member was Kenneth Wimmer who worked for Johnson and Stewart before he chipped out to start his individual paint business. Ed Droste, who owned and at the same time acted as a chief executive of a business for resort development was one of the six members who came up with the idea. After retiring from Florida as the owner of a service station, William Ranieri formed the sixth member of the group. By that time of inception, Stewart held the majority of ownership of the Hooters Company (Boyer and Kathleen). In January 1984, the company gained from what can be termed as free publicity. This was the time when Tampa hosted the NFL Super Bowl involving the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Raiders (Boyer and Kathleen). The then star, John Riggens, who was running back for Redskins, had lunch at hooters a day before the game. After the game, John Riggens retuned to Hooters with his members of the team for a midnight nibble. This created a lot of media attention which led to Hooters increasing the sales from 2,000 to about 4,000 per night (Boyer and Kathleen).

The franchise rights and expansions of Hooters of Clearwater, Inc. were officially sold to Robert H. Brooks and a group of investors in Atlanta in 1984 and that formed the modern Hooters of America, Inc. (Business week) The Hooters of Clearwater was awarded a 10  of Hooters of America and additional 3  royalties on the total sales of Hooters of America. It was also the responsibility of Hooters Clearwater to design the menu and the general design of the restaurant. Hooters Clearwater had also retained the right to establish Hooters restaurants in counties of Pinnellas Hillsborough in Florida (Boyer and Kathleen). In just two years, Hooters had grown to have nine restaurants in Florida and an additional two in Atlanta. In 1986, Hooters again received free publicity when the soviet national team came in Tampa to fight the Americans. This event was covered in the Tampa Tribune where a Russian boxer was pictured in full color eating chicken wings together with a Hooters Girl standing next to him wearing a tight fitting Hooters T-shirt.

Brooks became the chairman of Hooters after buying the majority control of the company. Under the leadership of Brooks, Hooters Clearwater and Hooters of America grew to 425 stores around the globe (Business week). Unfortunately, Brooks died of a heart attack in July 2006. Before his death, the Hooters Casino Hotel was established on 2nd February, 2006 in Paradise, Nevada off the Las Vegas Strip in the US (Boyer and Kathleen). Nature Of Business Operations and Controversies The main business concept of Hooters of America was not based on foods or drinks as what might be mistaken from the statement that pointed out that the chicken wings were typical to Hooters while McDonald was known for hamburgers. The Hooters restaurant concentrated in hiring young attractive women who served as waitresses and were often dressed in orange running shorts that were designed to fit comfortably (Boyer and Kathleen). The girls also wore white tank tops or T-shirts bringing out the natural female sex appeal. The girls were encouraged to chat with the male clientele mostly and this was the reason behind the business success of the Hooters. Celebrity appearances by the Hooters Girls during sporting and charity events also helped increase the publicity. The girls also appeared in calendars, billboards, trading cards and a glossy Hooters magazine which featured the girls swimsuits and all their wears including the evening clad (Business week). The girls were expected to keep a prom-like look with their hair, nails and general makeup neatly done. The Hooters girls were also expected to develop a positive outlook with a sparkling character and have the prettiest smile in the whole world. Hooters of America also provided that the Hooter Girls, in addition to serving foods, were important in providing entertainment which granted that the restaurant get exempted from obeying the equal employment laws (Business week). These provisions came in response to the claim that the Hooters was not gender sensitive on employing men waiters but exclusively hired females. The men were only employed as cooks and in management positions despite much criticism from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the male subjects over equality in employment.

The Hooters of America which was privately owned in 1996 operated a total of 57 restaurants and also franchised 135 restaurants. A total of 65 percent of the revenues generated was derived from food sales while 30 percent obtained from the sale of wine and beer (Boyer and Kathleen). The hooters merchandise accounted for 5 percent of the total Hooters revenues. The 5 percent revenue from the merchandise included the trading cards from the Hooters Girls. Hooters was ranked the 75th largest food service chain in the whole US according to Restaurants and Institutions (Boyer and Kathleen). The Hooters of America was ranked as the 11th in position among the concepts of casual, dinner-house restaurants.

Hooters continued to receive controversies over its name, the employment nature and its general operations. For instance, in Mexico, the company was accused of corrupting the values of Mexicans by introducing their sexy image and the name hooters into the Mexican culture. The introduction into Mexico came as a result of the Agreement of North American Free Trade when it was enforced.

The operation of Hooters has not changed girls are exclusively employed as waiters while men are considered for other jobs like bar assistants and managers and the pioneering spirit of Hooters is maintained by all standards. However, Hooters continues to face fierce competition from Buffalo Wild Wings, Metromedia Restaurant Group and Carlson Restaurant (Business week).