Analysing The United States Presidential Election Of 1916 Politics Essay

Analysing The United States Presidential Election Of 1916 Politics Essay An election, to most, is a vote taken to determine who and what party will hold office for the government in question for a set term. Though this is accurate, an election is also a reflection of not only the government and the people to which that government supports, but in fact the entire world at that time. The year of 1916 was one of optimism, opposition, nativism, womens rights, allies, central powers, trenches, progressivism, isolationism and a great deal of nationalism. The Great War had started two years prior and a small amount of other serious conflicts such as Easter Rising, the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks and the Mexican Revolution had begun to take place as well. The incumbent to the presidency had appointed his first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis, and the US had invaded Cuba for the third time due to the corruption of the Menocal regime. 1916 also presented many achievements in a variety of subjects: the rise of Charlie Chaplin; the first succes sful blood transfusion; the invention of the light switch; the creation of the Boy Scouts; the beginning of Boeing Aviation; approval by more states of womens suffrage; Coca-Colas introduction to the market of the current coke formula; the founding of the San Diego Zoo; the presentation of Albert Einsteins Theory of General Relativity, and the cancellation of the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. Although such details may seem insignificant, no time ever lived in should be forgotten or secluded from that of the rest. Primary issues, political parties, nominations, elections and results do well to reflect this great time in history and its impact on the US as a nation but just as well should we remember the world as it was. The most predominant factor affecting the world at that time was WWI, or as it was called back then, The Great War. The war had started two years prior to this election and had caused so much turmoil within Europe that the American people where simply dodging the inevitable. The Great War was merely an arms race of one alliance against the other. The first alliance was called the Triple Entente, also called Allies, which consisted, at that time, of Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Ireland, Portugal, Serbia, Romania and Greece. The second alliance was called the Triple alliance, also called Central Powers, and consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria and the entire Ottoman Empire. The conflicting alliances disturbed the American peoples through ethnicity, trade and moral dilemmas. German-Americans as well as the other Central Power country-related Americans had only begun to experience alienation because of the war, but the effect as well as their ties to home beca me a problem in future government involvement. Also, the Americans were supplying both sides. Ford Motor Company, for instance, was supplying the Germans with automobile parts. This, as well as moral conflicts from hearsay about the war, such as the sinking of the RMS LUSITANIA, had much of the United States in conflict. Still, much of the U.S was absolutely adamant towards its isolationist stance on the war. Unfortunately the Great War was not the only problem present in the world in that year. In fact, such conflicts as the Easter Rising in Ireland and the Mexican Revolution also had an impact on many Americans just as easily. Easter Rising was, at the time, the biggest rebellion effort against the British rule over Ireland that had occurred since the rebellion of 1798. To some, it may seem that it was also the spark of what the IRA would later become as well as over 90 years of bloodshed between the IRA and the British. Though most of the attention of the U.S. was centered on the Great War, the uprising in Ireland was most certainly not a missed subject during this time, and most certainly not ignored by the majority of Irish Americans. The Mexican Revolution, however, had a more direct impact on the American people due to its proximity to the U.S. A revolution by a man named Francisco Madero led to attempts by Pancho Villa to reclaim lands lost to the US years before. Pancho Villa the n invaded New Mexico killing 12 U.S soldiers and instigated retaliation from the United States government as wished. Though an invasion, Pancho Villas efforts, however, were merely used for tricking the US into intervening in the revolution by way of invasion themselves as a way of insuring that Villas preferred candidate would emerge victorious. Even more than our involvement, were two questions; how to protect the economic interests we had in Mexico during Tafts administration, and, even more largely, how was this an act of neutrality. Much of the US was uncertain, by this point, of Wilsons capability of dealing with foreign affairs, which had a significant effect on the election as well. The year of 1916 was also an election year. The two primary parties were the Republicans and the Democrats. Minor parties, consisted of the Prohibitionists, Socialists, Socialist Labor Party and the Progressives. The Republicans of this time were seeking more protection on individual rights, restriction in foreign affairs involvement, increases in industry, protection of free enterprise, good education and the right of states to determine womens suffrage. The Democrats, however, were endorsing Wilsons former achievements as the incumbent; military preparedness, a world association of nations to maintain peace after the war in Europe had ended, Pan-American unity, a ban on child labor, womens suffrage, and prison reform. Third parties, for the most part, remained more exclusive on which subjects they found most interesting. The Prohibitionists still kept their focus on the banning of alcohol; its main goal being temperance. The Progressives as well as the Socialists remained determine d on excessive government change and inspiration for radical movements to support the people. Lastly, the Socialist Labor party had kept its views most evidently towards labor modifications. Most parties were in agreement on who would represent what. The Democrats without opposition renominated Wilson and invited Thomas R. Marshall to be his running mate at the Democratic National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri from June 14th to June 16th. The Prohibitionist party held their convention in St. Paul, Minnesota from June 19th to June 21st and nominated James Franklin Hanly as president and Ira Landrith as his running mate. The Socialist Labor Party nominated Arthur Reimer as president and Caleb Harrison as his running mate in their convention in New York City, New York on April 29th to May 3rd. The Progressives were the same in accordance to their nomination of former president Theodore Roosevelt, but Roosevelt turned down his nomination, thus removing the party from the race and pulling former progressives in all directions. Roosevelt endorsed the Republican Partys nominated member quickly thereafter. The Republicans had many candidates in question, but the most promine nt was a conservative Senator named Elihu Root from New York, and a liberal Senator named John W. Weeks from Massachusetts. The partys bosses on the other hand saw that a balance between the two would be more substantial for both ends of the party and result in a once again unified party. It was then, that Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes was brought into the race without previous interest and won on the third ballot, with former vice president Charles W. Fairbanks as his vice presidential nominee. The Socialists, due to Eugene V. Debs decline to the ticket, did not hold a formal convention. A referendum of the partys members nominated Allan L. Benson, an anti-war activist, for president and George Ross Kirkpatrick as his running mate in hopes of a better chance at the presidency. Due to popularity, precedent, and the incumbent himself, the two primary parties that ran against each other were the Democrats and Republicans. President Wilson, running on the Democratic ticket, came into the 1916 contest with a list of domestic accomplishments, but the race was dominated by foreign affairs and the ongoing world war in Europe. The Democratic Party itself was running most of the campaign on the slogan He Kept Us out of War. Ironically enough, Wilson did not like the slogan due to his doubtfulness in his capability to keep the US out of conflicts with such an uncertain future. Hughes, on the other hand, did not have the advantage of being the incumbent and used his efforts to suppress Wilsons attempt to plead neutrality, as well as his views on labor laws that suppressed businesses and profit. On one hand, the Republican party held militarists, who criticized Wilsons weak foreign policies with Mexico and Germany, but also pro-Germans or pacifists, who simply denounce d Wilsons policies for fear they might lead to war. Hughes was not exact on either approach, but was diligent in his attempt to defeat Wilson. Though both Wilson and Hughes had a mostly similar outlook on the war, Hughes efforts seemed to have been skewed mostly by his own party. Theodore Roosevelt, who had split the party in the previous election, was now giving his endorsements to the Republican Party. Even though he was resentful for his lack of nomination in the party, he felt it was best to support them in order to oppose his most hated Wilson. Roosevelt held many speeches in an effort to support Hughes, but ended up leading a pro-war campaign that did nothing less than upset the majority of the US population and its absolute view on isolationism as well as alienating others. Nearing the end of the election, there was a minor issue in California pertaining to Hughes was slight of both Senator Hiram Johnson and the California Labor Unions. In spite of this, however, most of the American public believed that Hughes was most certainly going to win the election anyway. Results in November, as well, made the election one of the closest in history. Hughes took an early lead in the eastern and mid-western states but Wilson persevered and found himself in the lead with the western and southern votes. Wilson took 30 states for 277 electoral votes, while Hughes won 18 states and 254 electoral votes. Although still narrow, Wilson had also won the popular vote, taking 49% of the popular vote to Hughes 46%. The remaining five percent went to the third parties, leaving a 4% split between the Prohibitionists and Socialists. Voter turnout reached a high of 62%, and would not be matched for another 24 years until Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for a third term in 1940. Also, the 11 states that had already approved womens suffrage played a great role in the election, as all but one state voted for Wilson. If Hughes had carried California and its 13 electoral votes, he would have won the election. This made the incident in California seem to be the cause which may have very well cost him the election. In account of the election, we also see differences and similarities between past and present elections that allow us to compare and contrast our histories. Vice President Thomas Marshall was the first vice president elected to a second term since John C. Calhoun in the election of 1828. Woodrow Wilson was the only person other than James Knox Polk to win a presidential election but not win his home and birth state. His popular vote margin of 3.1% was also the smallest percentage margin in history for a victorious sitting President until the 2004 election, in which George W. Bush produced a margin of 2.4%. Wilson is also the only president in U.S. history to win re-election with fewer electoral votes than in his first election. However, Wilson is not the only President to win re-election with a lower percentage of the electoral vote in his second election than in his first election. The other president was James Madison, who although had a lower percentage, did have a lower electoral vote total. The election in general also has a distinct relevance to the 2004 election. Wilson, like Bush, was the incumbent president running for a second term whose only previous experience in a political office was as his home states governor. Though one ran on a strong war record and the other on keeping out of the war, Wilson and Bush had both run on their previous presidencys involvement in war. Both were keen on their domestic involvement, however Bush wanted less taxes and Wilson wished for a new graduated federal income tax. Though different, there is most evidently a distinct connection between this election and others that has and will remain most important to our nations history. Mark Twain stated the importance of ones past quite well, History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. Written By: Carlynn Ferguson Resources: Hicks, J.D. (1941). The American nation; a history of the united states from 1865 to the present. Cambridge, MA, U.S.A: The Riverside Press. Richardson, D.B. (n.d.). CB Presidential Research Services, . (2009). Allan benson. Retrieved from http://www.presidentsusa.net/albenson.html Mount, S. (2007, February 20). Electoral vote 1916 election. Retrieved from http://www.usconstitution.net/ev_1916.html Woodrow Wilson. (2009). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved December 10, 2009, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/644766/Woodrow-Wilson Election of 1916. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h888.html United states presidential election, 1916. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.viswiki.com/en/United_States_presidential_election,_1916 United states presidential election, 1916. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1916 Peters, G. (1999). The American presidency project. Retrieved from http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29591 Electoral college 1916. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/b/bd/ElectoralCollege1916-Large.png Miller, D. (2005). 1916 timeline. Retrieved from http://din-timelines.com/1916_timeline.shtml Legacy america. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.legacyamericana.com/servlet/the-Presidential-Candidates-cln-Charles-E.-Hughes/Categories charles evans hughes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Charles_Evans_Hughes (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/1483/1518969/DIVI508.jpg (n.d.). Retrieved from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Prohibition+Party (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/exhibits/elections/images/1916_antiWilsonToon56962.jpg (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.corbisimages.com/images/U42650INP.jpg?size=67uid=31107087-C729-48D8-AE0E-F24913B92735 Art Antiques Online Auction, Initials. (2003, January). Retrieved from http://www.aspireauctions.com/auction13/details/1650.html Last Finegold-Sachs., D.C. (2005). Dcs political report. Retrieved from http://www.dcpoliticalreport.com/members/1988/pres16.htm (n.d.). Retrieved from http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/09/24/pages/2698/PoliticalCartoon6.jpg Woolley, J, Peters, G. (1999). The American presidency project. Retrieved from http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/showelection.php?year=1916 Mia : early american marxism : socialist party of america history page. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/eam/spa/socialistparty.html Smyth, M. (2004, October 22). 2004 as the bizzaro election of 1916. Retrieved from http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/article.php?id=MVS2004102201 Wilson re-elected in 1916 an the wwi. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCNfvC_8324 (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.citizendium.org/images/thumb/4/4a/1916vote.jpg/550px-1916vote.jpg

Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby” Essay

Kate Chopin’s â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† is a short story set in Louisiana in the late 1800’s. Slavery was still prominent in society, and the color of a person’s skin chose what caste he or she would occupy. Desiree has married Armand Aubigny, a wealthy bachelor. The origin of Desiree’s family is shrouded in mystery; she was found by her adoptive parents, the Valmonde’s, when she was young. Years later, Armand and Desiree have a son, whom they both adore. But after three months, their son has gotten darker in skin tone. Armand instantly recoils from both him and Desiree. His coldness towards them eventually leads Desiree to the bayou, their son in hand. After weeks of no contact from his wife, Armand burns all of her things, where he stumbles upon a letter from his mother. It reveals that he is the son of a slave woman. The major theme Chopin was using throughout â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† is the impact society has on race. If a person was white, he or she was considered superior to other races. A white man could vote, own property, and run for council; though a white woman wouldn’t receive these rights until the 1960’s, she was still held in a higher position than a black woman or man. Blacks had little rights given to them, and it still took a hundred years before they were viewed as equals. Mixed children weren’t exactly rare; some white slave owners thought little of taking advantage of one of their black house-keepers or slaves. If the child had lighter skin, sometimes they were treated better. Such is the case with Armando. By the end of the story, Chopin drops a bomb that leaves her audience with a chill: Armand’s mother was African-American, meaning Armand was a slave’s son. It wasn’t Desiree who gave their son his dark skin, it was Armand. Armand was incredibly narrow-minded, as he no longer cares for either his wife or his child because he thought Desiree’s genes gave their son dark skin. Although intolerance towards blacks wasn’t exactly unpopular back in the 19th century, Armand takes it to a new level when he doesn’t attempt to stop Desiree from leaving. He was smitten with her from the moment he laid eyes on her, and yet at the thought of having a diluted bloodline, his adoration transformed into hatred. Chopin was making a point when she allowed the story to end the way it did. She is noted for writing about taboo topics that women normally didn’t breach, such as women’s role as subservient characters to the male-dominated society. Although she was just writing a short story, she also wanted to leave the reader with lasting emotions once the story ended. Desiree killed herself, as well as her son, because she couldn’t stand the repulsion Armand felt towards her. With ethnicity being the major theme of this short story, I have chosen that topic as my critical approach. It’s clear that Chopin was focusing more on the injustice served to blacks then any sort of injustice women were handed in 1800’s society.

Questions: Mobile Phone and Personal Navigation Devices Essay

Overview As TomTom, one of the largest producers of satellite navigation devices in the world, entered 2010 it faced stiff competition from its traditional rivals such as Garmin and from new competition from cell phones. Although its sales reached an all time high of â‚ ¬1.74 billion in 2007 by 2008 sales had slipped to â‚ ¬1.67 billion. That year the company posted a loss of â‚ ¬872 million. The decline in sales continued with 2009 sales slipping to â‚ ¬1.48 billion, although the company managed to post net income of â‚ ¬86 million that year. TomTom employed over 3,000 employees in 40 countries. Since its founding in 1991, the Netherlands-based company experienced steady growth. It offered an array of information services and devices aimed at the consumer and business markets. It led the navigation market in Europe, and was second to Garmin in the United States. In 2007, it outbid Garmin to acquire Tele Atlas in a vertical integration strategy to control the map creation process. TomTom paid â‚ ¬2.9 billion for Tele Atlas. As 2009 came to a close, Google announced it would offer turn-by-turn navigation within cell phones. Google said the product, initially limited to driving directions in the U.S. would be free to consumers. As the U.S. and European markets for navigation devices matured, TomTom was faced with decisions related to the relative emphasis it should place on its stand-alone navigation devices, built-in navigational units for automobiles and aviation, and business devices and services aimed at companies with large mobile workforces. Suggestions for Using the Case Students should find the TomTom case interesting since many of them probably own a GPS unit or use a smartphone- based GPS application. The Nintendo case is excellent for drilling students in applying the concepts and analytical tools covered in Chapters 4 and 5. The case provides sufficient information to allow students to fully examine the competitive forces at play in the personal navigation industry, consider the industry’s driving forces and key success factors, and examine TomTom’s internal situation. In addition, the case’s decision focus allows students to consider what TomTom must do to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. To give students  guidance in what to do and think about in preparing the TomTom case for class discussion, we strongly recommend providing class members with a set of study questions and insisting that they prepare good notes/answers to these questions in preparing for class discussion of the case. You may also find it beneficial to have your class read the Guide to Case Analysis that is posted in the student section of the Online Learning Center for the 18th edition at www.mhhe.com/thompson. Students will find the content of this Guide particularly helpful if this is their first experience with cases and they are unsure about the mechanics of how to prepare a case for class discussion, oral presentation, or written analysis. TomTom: New Competition Everywhere! *This teaching note was prepared by Professor Woody Richardson, Mississippi State University. We are most grateful for his insight, analysis and contributions to how the case can be taught successfully. * In our experience, it is quite difficult to have an insightful and constructive class discussion of an assigned case unless students have conscientiously have made use of pertinent core concepts and analytical tools in preparing substantive answers to a set of well-conceived study questions before they come to class. In our classes, we expect students to bring their notes to the study questions to use/refer to in responding to the questions that we pose. Moreover, students often find having a set of study questions is useful in helping them prepare oral team presentations and written case assignments—in addition to whatever directive questions you supply for these assignments. Hence, we urge that you insist students spend quality time preparing answers to study questions— either those we have provided or a set of your own questions. The case can be used effectively for a written assignment or oral presentation. Our recommended questions for written assignments are as follows: You have recently been hired by TomTom as a new market analyst and have been asked to assess the attractiveness of the personal navigation industry and determine TomTom’s competitive strength. Please prepare a 5-6 page report that evaluates competition in the industry, assesses industry driving forces, and lists industry key success factors. Your report should also include an assessment of TomTom’s internal  situation and makes specific strategy recommendations that will allow TomTom to improve its market and financial performance. Assignment Questions 1. What strategy is TomTom pursuing?  2. How well is the strategy working?  3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What kind of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the outlook for industry profitability? 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the company? 5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making Personal Navigation Devices a smaller portion of total revenue will be enough to sustain it in the near future? Is this strategy consistent with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe? 6. What recommendations would you make to TomTom management to improve its competitive position in the satellite navigation industry, take advantage of market opportunities, and defend against external threats? Teaching Outline and Analysis 1. What strategy is TomTom pursuing? For the most part, TomTom has followed product development and market development strategies with clear emphasis on differentiating its product. Its 2007 acquisition of Tele Atlas was clearly illustrative of vertical integration. Through the years its acquisitions and patent development display elements of an offensive basis of competitive attack based on pursuing continuous product innovation to draw sales and market share away from less innovative rivals. A good use of the history section of the case is to have students classify or label TomTom’s historical actions related to products and markets into product development or market development. The results might look like the following table. Time Action Described in Case Strategy Early 1990s Software development for handheld computers to commercial applications. Product Development & Market Development 1996 Announced first navigation software Market Development 2001 Entered Mobile car satellite navigation market Market Development 2006-2008 Acquired Datafactory AG to power TomTom Work Acquired Applied Generics for Mobility Solutions. Acquired Tele Atlas for map creation Product Development Product Development Vertical Integration 2009 TomTom for the iPhone released Market Development The TomTom Group consisted of TomTom (Business to Consumer), Tele Atlas (Business to Business), WORK (Commercial Fleets), and Automotive (Auto Manufacturers & Suppliers). In response to the economic downturn that began in 2007, increased competitive threats, and growth declines in the U.S. and Europe, the company shifted its business mix toward value-added services. The potential results of this attempt to make personal navigation devices (PNDs) a smaller proportion of total revenue were at best uncertain. 2. How well is the strategy working? The short answer is that up until the global economic downturn beginning in 2007 and continuing in 2008, TomTom’s strategy had produced outstanding results. However, as the losses in 2008 indicate, the strategy bears scrutiny. The downward pressure on prices due to competition and the slowing of discretionary expenditures due to the global recession produced a financial strain on TomTom. An examination of Case Exhibits 3 and 4 reveals the following trends from the first Quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009: ÃŽ ½ European Revenue Down 22% ÃŽ ½ North America Revenue Down 52% ÃŽ ½ Global PNDs sold Down 29%. At the same time, the selling price and overall operating margins had been decreasing since 2007. The gross profit margins from 2006-2009 were as  follows: 2009 2008 2007 2006 50.6% 53.3% 56.0% 57.6% This caused net income to drop much more precipitously than the decline in sales. Couple this information with a debt load over â‚ ¬1 billion due to the acquisition of Tele Atlas and the company appeared to be in a financial bind. For all of 2008, the company posted a loss of â‚ ¬872 million. 3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What kind of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the outlook for industry profitability? The outlook for industry profitability is not what it was 5 years ago. Students should be able to develop an outlook by using Porter’s Model of Industry Attractiveness as discussed in Chapter 3 of the text. Rivalry among Competing Sellers Rivalry will intensify as industry growth in US & Europe slows. Margins will continue to decline. Firms will fight to utilize capacity through further price cuts. Growth in China & India would mitigate the rivalry intensity. Buyers Big Box stores exert strong pressure on price, terms & delivery. Car makers also exert strong influence owing to their purchasing power. Suppliers Very limited influence as all key components are controlled through vertical integration. Threat from Substitute Products Major Threat – Cell phones for PNDs predicted to dominate by 2013. Less Threat – Fleet management & Automotive markets. Potential New Entrants Nokia’s acquisition of Navteq signals their intent to integrate phone and navigation services. Google’s announcement also signals its entry into the market. Up until recently the industry was much more attractive. Physical maps were not much of a threat as a substitute, but by 2009 the industry was undergoing a sea change regarding cell phones as substitutes. For the younger consumers who have never not known cell phones, the expectation that navigation be a common feature will be a strong force in the market just as many in this generation only wear watches as fashion ornaments because they are never without their cell phone. These tech-saavy consumers may eschew separate devices for navigation. 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the company? Strengths Weaknesses †¢ Brand Name Recognition †¢ Map creation capabilities †¢ Innovative features — Mapshare — Points of Interest — Traffic updates †¢ Automotive partnerships †¢ European market share †¢ Sales declines †¢ Shrinking margins †¢ Debt load since Tele Atlas acquisition †¢ Relative weak sales outside Europe & the United States †¢ Stand alone (separate) products Threats Opportunities †¢ PND unit sales decline †¢ Multifunctional devices (cell phones/smart phones) popularity is growing †¢ Strong Competition from Traditional competitors – Garmin & Magellan †¢ Strong Competition from new competitors – Nokia & Google †¢ Potential legislation to restrict/ban navigational devices from autos †¢ Aging satellites that support GPS †¢ Growth of India & China †¢ 65% of U.S. adults don’t own any kind of navigation device of any kind †¢ High fuel prices encourage better fleet management & fuel efficiency for consumers †¢ Environmental concerns encourage better fleet management & consumer behavior to be â€Å"green† 5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making Personal Navigation Devices a smaller portion of total revenue will be enough to sustain it in the near future? Is this strategy consistent with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe? This is a difficult question. Certainly the move to reduce the company’s reliance on PNDs, a product category with declining sales, prices, and margins seemed a prudent measure. The efficacy of this strategy will depend on at least two key questions. ÃŽ ½ How fast will the PND market continue to shift to cell phones? If the analysts are correct and the cell phones will dominate the delivery for personal navigation devices then TomTom may need to accelerate its plans to reduce its dependency on this category. Students should recognize that as the demand for stand-alone PNDs declines the price will drop even more precipitously. ÃŽ ½ How fast can TomTom grow its non-PND business lines? One bright potential bright spot for TomTom could be the demand for more partnerships with car makers. Car makers will likely offer navigational devices as standard features rather than luxury options. TomTom could be well positioned (if it chooses to do so) to garner a share of this market similar to its deal announced at the end of 2008 with Renault. Of course, the car makers would continue the downward price pressure, but would represent a sizable market opportunity. Of course, should legislation be introduced to ban navigational devices in automobiles this would have a profound effect on TomTom and its competitors. Some students will be quick to point out that the markets in China and India would be lagging the U.S.  and Europe and would therefore be ripe for market penetration without any significant outlay for new product development. However, better students will point out that China and India both have significant cell phone penetration and they may actually be more desirous of product integration and multi-bfunctionality. 6. What recommendations would you make to TomTom management to improve its competitive position in the satellite navigation industry, take advantage of market opportunities, and defend against external threats? First, there appears to be no â€Å"magic bullet† capable of taking a strong #2 player such as TomTom to number one in the industry unless Garmin were to make a major misstep. The diffi culty of making a recommendation is further exacerbated by the move to cell phones for PNDs. However, TomTom might consider some of the following actions. ÃŽ ½ Focus on information solutions, specifically the â€Å"Better Routing† & â€Å"Better Traffic† information goals mentioned in the case. Provide these solutions regardless of type of device. ÃŽ ½ Defend and Develop markets not dependent on cell phone devices (e.g. coast guard, maritime, aviation, and fleet management markets.) ÃŽ ½ Seek more automotive partnerships – use the Renault and Avis experiences to ramp up sales in this area. ÃŽ ½ Extend product life – attempt to recoup R&D efforts by seeking markets in developing countries where the disposable income may be reaching the threshold to adopt PNDs. ÃŽ ½ Aggressively market fleet management solutions. ÃŽ ½ Develop more applications/partnerships similar to the iPhone experience. Find a way to â€Å"ride the dragon.† Find a way to participate in the growth in multifunctional cell phones. Even a small portion of this huge market would be extremely lucrative. Epilogue Immediately following Google’s October 28, 2009 announcement mentioned at the end of the case, TomTom and Garmin offered Black Friday discounts of 25% up  to 40% on some units. In 2010, the company generated sales of â‚ ¬1.521 billion with a net income of â‚ ¬108 million. TomTom announced in a February 25, 2011 Reuters report by Roberta B. Cowan that it faces â€Å"such a rapid decline in its key market for personal navigation devices (PNDs) that its shift into new businesses may not be fast enough to compensate.† The company forecasted that the overall PND market would decline by 10 to 15 percent in 2011 and that its earnings would not grow.

Nike s Code Of Conduct - 959 Words

Supply Chain Management Every year, about 900 million pieces of Nike footwear, apparel and equipment arrive at the right destination on time. The complex process involves more than 50 distribution centers, a network of thousands of accounts, and more than 100,000 retail stores around the world. As a leading company in footwear industry, Nike believes they have the responsibility to conduct their business in an ethical way and also expects the same of its business partners. Moreover, Nike focuses on working with long-term, strategic suppliers that demonstrate a commitment a safe working conditions to their employees (Nike, Inc., 2014). Nike has high expectations to their factory partners through evolving standards of their Code of Conduct that is a straightforward statement of values, intentions and expectations meant to guide decisions in factories. Nike’s Code of Conduct includes strict guidance about child labor, excessive overtime, compensation, forced labor, and freedom of association Nike (n.d). For years, Nike has been sourcing from factories that seek to meet the company s minimum standards for good labor performance. The policy of Nike is to evaluate potential contracted factories before they enter the supply chain. Throughout their business relationship with Nike to assess compliance with high standards of social and environmental performance, including country-related risk for issues including forced labor, human trafficking and slavery Nike (n.d). NikeShow MoreRelatedNike s Code Of Conduct934 Words   |  4 PagesIn addition, Nike, Inc.’s Code of Conduct also states that its subcontractors must provide â€Å"a safe, hygienic and healthy workplace setting and [take the] necessary steps to prevent accidents and [injuries] [†¦]† (Nike, Inc.,†Code of Conduct†). In 2013, following another company’s factory catching fire in Bangladesh, killing 112 people in the process, two of Nike’s vice-presidents flew to Bangladesh to assess the situation in their own factories (Banjo). Seeing as their buildings were not safe, theRead More Nike Sweat Shops Essay707 Words   |  3 PagesNike Sweat Shops I am writing this letter to express my concerns over Nikes labor practices in Asia. There has been much debate and controversy recently concerning Nikes Asian labor practices. It is very difficult to determine which side of the argument to defend, as both acknowledge the problems yet put a completely different spin on the facts. I will try to show that Nike has created a cloud of smoke in Asia that the public cannot see through. 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Both companies code of vendor conduct clearly states that no workers are employed under the legal minimum age and sweatshops dont exist in their factories. A sweatshop is a factory where employees are subject to extreme exploitation; they work in dreadful conditions with healthRead MoreEthical Implications of Expanding Business Abroad: Nike Case Study1241 Words   |  5 Pages1. The leadership at Nike initially failed to consider the ethical implication of extending their business abroad and primarily focused on the profits generated by the enterprise. If the company were to concentrate of the idea of integrity when deciding to build factories abroad it would have certainly experienced better results when considering its general image. Such an act would have most certainly prevented complication from arising and would have emphasized that Nike is generally concerned withRead MoreNike and Social Corporate Responsibility1059 Words   |  5 PagesBowerman founded Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. The company started as being a distributor of Onituska Tiger athletic shoes which were imported from Japan. In 1971 they broke away from Onituska and created their own of shoes. The company was renamed, Nike . It became the largest worldwide seller of athletic shoes. They branched out and created various products lines; shoes, clothing, sporting goods and digital devices. They used celebrities to promote their products. The first athlete to wear andRead MoreUnethical Business Practice: Nike1499 Words   |  6 Pages The role of the government also plays a major role in these challenges that are faced by Nike. As we know that government laws and regulations differ from country to country and this makes manufacturing of products very difficult challenge for the international companies like Nike. The host governments have laws concerns against consumer protection, information and labeling, employment, wages and salaries and safety of the workers who work in those firms. The international organizations must keepRead MoreNike: the Sweatshop Debate Essay1494 Words   |  6 PagesNike: The Sweatshop Debate MGT/448 May 31, 2010 Instructor: Adrianne Ford Nike: The Sweatshop Debate The purpose and intent of this paper is to describe the legal, cultural, and ethical challenges that face the Nike Corporation in their global business ventures. This paper will also touch on the roles of the host government and countries where Nike manufactures their products and the author will summarize the strategic and operational challenges that Nike managers face in globalization ofRead MoreSocial Audit Responsibility977 Words   |  4 PagesCorporations while they need to conduct a strategy to become socially responsible, they usually passes through a process that leads it at the end to achieve what is called by â€Å"Civil learning†. 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