Caterpillar is facing a case of mismanagement at its subsidiary in China. The misconduct involved officials overstating profits to make the firm appear more profitable. This highlights issues with the human resource management practices at the subsidiary. The document recommends performing a fair investigation, documenting findings, and instituting disciplinary actions against responsible managers. It also stresses the strategic importance of human resource management for multinational companies to prevent such misconduct issues.
Caterpillar started in 1883 as the Stockton Wheel Company and focused on heavy machinery. It expanded globally after World War 1 and through mergers. Key to its success was its wide product range including machinery, engines, and parts. To remain competitive, Caterpillar invests in innovation, acquisitions, and sustainability. It aims to grow through developing green technologies and meeting changing customer needs.
CATERPILLAR Mini Case from Marketing Management by Kotler as a part of Summer Internship under Professor Sameer Mathur, IIM Lucknow.
By Aravind M, IIT Madras
The document discusses options for implementing an ERP system for a company that provides electrical and civil services. Three options are considered: implementing ERP on-premise through Bluechip corporation, implementing ERP on-premise through Codeautomations, or implementing ERP on the cloud through Codeautomations. Bluechip's on-premise quote is over budget. Codeautomations' cloud option has the lowest initial cost but higher ongoing costs than their on-premise option. While the cloud option is cheapest initially, the on-premise option through Codeautomations has the lowest total cost over 5 years. However, organizational acceptance and risk of failure also need consideration.
Caterpillar is assessing service gaps at three pilot dealerships in Latin America to develop integrated solutions. There are gaps in understanding customer expectations through marketing research and upward communication. Additionally, services were not customer-driven or standardized. The document outlines plans to bundle customized customer service agreements along with products to address these gaps and better serve different customer segments from large to small construction companies.
United Breaks Guitar - A Case Study on 'Online Reputation Management'Ronak Mehta
Business owners are often taken off-guard by online reputation issues. Many don’t even realize they need to be concerned about their reputation online. A common question that everyone comes across is: “Why are people saying bad things about us on the Internet, and what can we do about it?” Executives spend long years developing a strong brand. It can be beyond unsettling to wake up one day and see defamatory remarks appearing online, particularly when the items move beyond constructive criticism to include outrageous accusations and even slanderous or libelous remarks. Even worse, the negative reviews are often on websites that rank high in search engines, so anyone doing a search on the company name will probably see them. Whether the comments are true or not, these negative search results jeopardize the company’s online reputation.
This Case Study, shows how Dave Carroll, a musician from Halifax, used the Internet to reach billions of people on the internet, to share his bad experience with one of the well known Brands in the Aviation Industry.
This document summarizes a strategic analysis of Chevron's upstream and downstream sectors. It provides background on Chevron, an overview of its financial performance in these sectors, and SWOT analyses. Key strengths in upstream include large oil reserves and access to unstable regions, while weaknesses are environmental and legal issues. Downstream strengths are its refining network, and weaknesses include environmental costs and legal issues. The document evaluates Chevron using various matrices and proposes strategies like influencing local communities and investing in lubricants and petrochemicals downstream.
Nucor operates steel mills, steel products facilities, and raw materials businesses. It is North America's largest recycler of scrap steel, which is its primary raw material. Nucor has grown significantly since the 1960s under Ken Iverson's leadership and later through strategic acquisitions and new plant development. Today it remains highly decentralized with plant managers making most operating decisions as profit centers.
Galanz is the largest microwave oven manufacturer in the world. It pursued a strategy of low-cost production through economies of scale and process improvements. This allowed it to gain 60-70% of the domestic market share in China by 2002 and 50% of the international market by 2007. However, Galanz now faces challenges such as low overseas brand awareness and capacity issues. It must determine the best strategy going forward for its OEM, ODM, and OBM businesses to maintain competitive advantage.
Caterpillar started in 1883 as the Stockton Wheel Company and focused on heavy machinery. It expanded globally after World War 1 and through mergers. Key to its success was its wide product range including machinery, engines, and parts. To remain competitive, Caterpillar invests in innovation, acquisitions, and sustainability. It aims to grow through developing green technologies and meeting changing customer needs.
CATERPILLAR Mini Case from Marketing Management by Kotler as a part of Summer Internship under Professor Sameer Mathur, IIM Lucknow.
By Aravind M, IIT Madras
The document discusses options for implementing an ERP system for a company that provides electrical and civil services. Three options are considered: implementing ERP on-premise through Bluechip corporation, implementing ERP on-premise through Codeautomations, or implementing ERP on the cloud through Codeautomations. Bluechip's on-premise quote is over budget. Codeautomations' cloud option has the lowest initial cost but higher ongoing costs than their on-premise option. While the cloud option is cheapest initially, the on-premise option through Codeautomations has the lowest total cost over 5 years. However, organizational acceptance and risk of failure also need consideration.
Caterpillar is assessing service gaps at three pilot dealerships in Latin America to develop integrated solutions. There are gaps in understanding customer expectations through marketing research and upward communication. Additionally, services were not customer-driven or standardized. The document outlines plans to bundle customized customer service agreements along with products to address these gaps and better serve different customer segments from large to small construction companies.
United Breaks Guitar - A Case Study on 'Online Reputation Management'Ronak Mehta
Business owners are often taken off-guard by online reputation issues. Many don’t even realize they need to be concerned about their reputation online. A common question that everyone comes across is: “Why are people saying bad things about us on the Internet, and what can we do about it?” Executives spend long years developing a strong brand. It can be beyond unsettling to wake up one day and see defamatory remarks appearing online, particularly when the items move beyond constructive criticism to include outrageous accusations and even slanderous or libelous remarks. Even worse, the negative reviews are often on websites that rank high in search engines, so anyone doing a search on the company name will probably see them. Whether the comments are true or not, these negative search results jeopardize the company’s online reputation.
This Case Study, shows how Dave Carroll, a musician from Halifax, used the Internet to reach billions of people on the internet, to share his bad experience with one of the well known Brands in the Aviation Industry.
This document summarizes a strategic analysis of Chevron's upstream and downstream sectors. It provides background on Chevron, an overview of its financial performance in these sectors, and SWOT analyses. Key strengths in upstream include large oil reserves and access to unstable regions, while weaknesses are environmental and legal issues. Downstream strengths are its refining network, and weaknesses include environmental costs and legal issues. The document evaluates Chevron using various matrices and proposes strategies like influencing local communities and investing in lubricants and petrochemicals downstream.
Nucor operates steel mills, steel products facilities, and raw materials businesses. It is North America's largest recycler of scrap steel, which is its primary raw material. Nucor has grown significantly since the 1960s under Ken Iverson's leadership and later through strategic acquisitions and new plant development. Today it remains highly decentralized with plant managers making most operating decisions as profit centers.
Galanz is the largest microwave oven manufacturer in the world. It pursued a strategy of low-cost production through economies of scale and process improvements. This allowed it to gain 60-70% of the domestic market share in China by 2002 and 50% of the international market by 2007. However, Galanz now faces challenges such as low overseas brand awareness and capacity issues. It must determine the best strategy going forward for its OEM, ODM, and OBM businesses to maintain competitive advantage.
1) The document discusses the business strategy, challenges, ERP selection process, and benefits of web-enabled IT for a company.
2) The company assembled a broad product line, systematically acquired companies, set networking software standards, and partnered strategically.
3) Challenges included an inefficient legacy system, unauthorized database access, and lack of scalability. The company selected Oracle ERP and invested $115 million over 9 months for ERP and web enablement.
The document analyzes Apple's decreasing smartphone market share and discusses recommendations to address key issues. It performs an internal and external analysis of Apple's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. To address being the #2 smartphone maker behind Samsung, the document recommends focusing marketing on India, the world's fastest growing smartphone market. To address losing its tech advantage, it recommends acquiring Lytro, a camera company, to implement its light field technology in iPhones. The recommendations include negotiating with Lytro in 2013, manufacturing iPhones in Indian factories in 2014, and acquiring Lytro for $20 million plus a premium in 2015 while attacking the Indian market.
1. The document provides background information on Nucor Corporation, the largest steel producer in the United States.
2. It discusses Nucor's history from its founding in 1905 through its growth into a Fortune 500 company and largest steel manufacturer in the US.
3. The document also analyzes Nucor's business using frameworks like PESTEL analysis, 5 forces analysis, and value chain analysis to understand its competitive advantages in areas like corporate culture, technology, and low-cost structure.
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational corporation founded in 1880 that pioneered many innovations in photography. It grew through strategic acquisitions and new product lines but faced increasing competition in the late 20th century from Japanese firms and a decline in film use. Kodak underwent massive restructuring and workforce reductions to cut costs while transitioning to digital technologies and services.
Intel International Business case studyJoshua Norris
Intel is a multinational corporation headquartered in California that produces semiconductor chips and microprocessors. It has operations in countries around the world, with major customers in China and Taiwan. The document discusses how Intel's international business is influenced by seven environmental forces - sociocultural, natural resources, political, trade, legal, monetary, and financial. It focuses on Intel's operations in China and the legal and political issues there. The document also discusses an ethics issue Intel faced in 1994 and how it is now considered one of the most ethical companies.
IBM was formed in 1924 and became a leader in computing technology throughout the 20th century. It introduced many innovations including the personal computer in 1981. More recently, IBM has expanded into consulting services and acquired companies to grow. It aims to increase profits and market share, especially in Asia. Potential strategies include increasing marketing in Asia, entering the mobile phone market, and producing video game consoles. The best approach is increasing Asian marketing and entering mobile phones given market potential. Contingency plans address issues that may arise with these strategies.
- Edgar Newell started Newell Company in 1902 through the acquisition of a curtain rod manufacturer.
- Dan Ferguson crafted a growth strategy of acquiring companies to expand Newell's product line.
- In the late 1990s, Newell faced challenges from increased customer buying power and consolidation in the retail industry.
- Newell acquired Calphalon and Rubbermaid but integrating the large Rubbermaid presented challenges due to its size, reputation, and operations that could impact Newell's strategy.
CAT_Porter’s 5 Forces Going Forward (Revised Final Version) (1)Courtney Fenwick
This document analyzes Caterpillar Inc. using Porter's Five Forces model. It finds that the threat of new entrants into the heavy industrial equipment industry is low due to several large barriers. These include the enormous investment costs required for research, development, and global operations. Existing firms like Caterpillar benefit from economies of scale that would be difficult for new companies to achieve. Government regulations also present barriers through requirements for environmentally friendly and high-quality machinery. While some Chinese manufacturers have achieved success, the industry remains challenging for most new entrants to break into due to these substantial barriers.
Raju Omlet is a restaurant known for its egg dishes located in Dubai. It developed high customer expectations around good food, service, and atmosphere. Its unique selling point was its specialized egg menu. During startup, it established a positive brand image through innovative ideas like serving free food for 10 days. For expansion, market development through opening new branches in other parts of Dubai and the UAE would allow it to reach more customers without changing its core offerings.
The document discusses Walmart's efforts to compete with Amazon in online retail. It provides an overview of Walmart and Amazon's business models, Porter's five forces analysis, strategic acquisitions timeline, SWOT analysis, value chains, change processes, modular architecture, multi-sided platforms, and financial analysis. It analyzes how Walmart can leverage its strengths in grocery retail and supply chain to grow its online business and diversify beyond grocery to maintain competitive advantage against Amazon.
The document discusses Dell's direct sales model and competitive strategy. It summarizes Dell's history and growth founded on direct sales to customers. It analyzes Dell's competitors who struggled to copy the direct model. The document also reviews Dell's market share, competitive strengths, and provides recommendations to expand products, markets, and diversify through acquisitions for long-term growth.
The document discusses implementing Lean principles at Caesars casinos to address problems of increasing competition, declining revenues, and the need to improve customer service and employee morale. It considers alternatives like implementing organization-wide process improvement initiatives using Lean and Kaizen events, using process experts, or maintaining current practices. It chooses the organization-wide Lean implementation led by Lean expert Brad Hirsch to generate momentum from previous successes. An action plan is outlined involving multi-day Kaizen events for employees to identify inefficiencies and establish KPI boards and weekly assessments to maintain improvements.
JetBlue's strategy was to combine technology and innovation to improve the air travel experience. It aimed to be the first paperless airline using computers for all operations. JetBlue targeted customers dissatisfied with existing airlines and offered low fares and quality service. It was heavily funded as a startup. Choosing New York as its base was strategic due to the large population. JetBlue established the world's first paperless airline using laptops for pilots and aimed for quick 30 minute turnarounds to maximize aircraft utilization. It adopted a low-cost carrier strategy and achieved success through cost reduction and revenue growth.
This document provides an overview of design thinking and innovation at Apple. It discusses how Steve Jobs focused on simplicity in design and the user experience when he returned to Apple in 1997. It also outlines Apple's excellence in product execution, platform strategy of creating integrated product families, and how Jobs drove innovation through an unconventional process of saying no to many ideas. The document notes how Jobs imprinted his visionary and experimental approach at Apple and pushed boundaries through bold experiments like the Apple retail stores. It concludes by reflecting on how Apple has maintained market leadership since Jobs' passing by continuing to develop products consistent with his culture of innovation.
The document provides information about climbing Mount Everest, including its elevation of 29,029 feet above sea level and temperatures that can be 100°F below zero at the summit with only a third of the oxygen level of sea level. It then lists the members of the 1996 Everest expedition teams from Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness, led by guides Rob Hall, Mike Groom, Andy Harris, and Scott Fischer with eleven total climbers between the two teams.
The merger between HP and Compaq in 2002 was one of the largest in IT history at $25 billion. While management argued it would improve innovation, leadership, and financial benefits through scale, critics argued the integration risks were substantial and HP's strategic position may not improve. After the merger completed, HP struggled for years to integrate the companies and realize the projected synergies.
Havells acquisition and turnaround of Sylvania - A comprehensive analysisIshan Pratik
Havells acquired Sylvania's global lighting business excluding North America in 2007 for €227 million. Sylvania was struggling at the time due to losses from the financial crisis. Havells implemented an aggressive restructuring plan to cut costs and close factories. This turned Sylvania profitable by 2010. The acquisition provided Havells with global brands, manufacturing facilities, and distribution networks. It expanded Havells' product portfolio and presence in new markets like Europe and South America. The merger synergies helped improve margins and financial performance of the combined entity.
Nucor is the largest steel producer in the US. Its mission is to be the lowest cost and highest quality steel producer. It faces high competition globally and domestically. Nucor has been highly successful due to its strategy of pursuing cost reductions through advanced technology, empowering employees, and maintaining quality. However, rising iron ore and scrap prices present a threat. Nucor is well positioned due to its low costs and innovation, but further expansion and protecting its supply chain could strengthen its position.
Three deaths were reported in late September 1982 in the Chicago suburbs from cyanide poisoning after ingesting Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules. The next day, one more death occurred and the cause was confirmed to be cyanide poisoning from the Tylenol capsules. James Burke, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson, took charge of the crisis management at the corporate level after it was determined that cyanide was the cause of death in the contaminated Tylenol capsules from a specific batch manufactured at a McNeil plant.
CPA Congress Melbourne 2015 - Day Two Wrap Up CPA Australia
The panel discussion focused on Australia's future of work and major trends in the industry. Key points discussed were:
- Working environments are becoming more flexible and jobs need to become more meaningful.
- Key future jobs will be in agriculture, tourism, hospitality and aged care. Robots will take over repetitive jobs.
- More people will become entrepreneurs and specialists in their specialized fields. Technology will give people more time to work on other activities and enterprises.
The paper 'Why business ethics matter to your bottom line' looks at the need for businesses to build institutional integrity into an organisation to support employees in making ethical choices.
1) The document discusses the business strategy, challenges, ERP selection process, and benefits of web-enabled IT for a company.
2) The company assembled a broad product line, systematically acquired companies, set networking software standards, and partnered strategically.
3) Challenges included an inefficient legacy system, unauthorized database access, and lack of scalability. The company selected Oracle ERP and invested $115 million over 9 months for ERP and web enablement.
The document analyzes Apple's decreasing smartphone market share and discusses recommendations to address key issues. It performs an internal and external analysis of Apple's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. To address being the #2 smartphone maker behind Samsung, the document recommends focusing marketing on India, the world's fastest growing smartphone market. To address losing its tech advantage, it recommends acquiring Lytro, a camera company, to implement its light field technology in iPhones. The recommendations include negotiating with Lytro in 2013, manufacturing iPhones in Indian factories in 2014, and acquiring Lytro for $20 million plus a premium in 2015 while attacking the Indian market.
1. The document provides background information on Nucor Corporation, the largest steel producer in the United States.
2. It discusses Nucor's history from its founding in 1905 through its growth into a Fortune 500 company and largest steel manufacturer in the US.
3. The document also analyzes Nucor's business using frameworks like PESTEL analysis, 5 forces analysis, and value chain analysis to understand its competitive advantages in areas like corporate culture, technology, and low-cost structure.
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational corporation founded in 1880 that pioneered many innovations in photography. It grew through strategic acquisitions and new product lines but faced increasing competition in the late 20th century from Japanese firms and a decline in film use. Kodak underwent massive restructuring and workforce reductions to cut costs while transitioning to digital technologies and services.
Intel International Business case studyJoshua Norris
Intel is a multinational corporation headquartered in California that produces semiconductor chips and microprocessors. It has operations in countries around the world, with major customers in China and Taiwan. The document discusses how Intel's international business is influenced by seven environmental forces - sociocultural, natural resources, political, trade, legal, monetary, and financial. It focuses on Intel's operations in China and the legal and political issues there. The document also discusses an ethics issue Intel faced in 1994 and how it is now considered one of the most ethical companies.
IBM was formed in 1924 and became a leader in computing technology throughout the 20th century. It introduced many innovations including the personal computer in 1981. More recently, IBM has expanded into consulting services and acquired companies to grow. It aims to increase profits and market share, especially in Asia. Potential strategies include increasing marketing in Asia, entering the mobile phone market, and producing video game consoles. The best approach is increasing Asian marketing and entering mobile phones given market potential. Contingency plans address issues that may arise with these strategies.
- Edgar Newell started Newell Company in 1902 through the acquisition of a curtain rod manufacturer.
- Dan Ferguson crafted a growth strategy of acquiring companies to expand Newell's product line.
- In the late 1990s, Newell faced challenges from increased customer buying power and consolidation in the retail industry.
- Newell acquired Calphalon and Rubbermaid but integrating the large Rubbermaid presented challenges due to its size, reputation, and operations that could impact Newell's strategy.
CAT_Porter’s 5 Forces Going Forward (Revised Final Version) (1)Courtney Fenwick
This document analyzes Caterpillar Inc. using Porter's Five Forces model. It finds that the threat of new entrants into the heavy industrial equipment industry is low due to several large barriers. These include the enormous investment costs required for research, development, and global operations. Existing firms like Caterpillar benefit from economies of scale that would be difficult for new companies to achieve. Government regulations also present barriers through requirements for environmentally friendly and high-quality machinery. While some Chinese manufacturers have achieved success, the industry remains challenging for most new entrants to break into due to these substantial barriers.
Raju Omlet is a restaurant known for its egg dishes located in Dubai. It developed high customer expectations around good food, service, and atmosphere. Its unique selling point was its specialized egg menu. During startup, it established a positive brand image through innovative ideas like serving free food for 10 days. For expansion, market development through opening new branches in other parts of Dubai and the UAE would allow it to reach more customers without changing its core offerings.
The document discusses Walmart's efforts to compete with Amazon in online retail. It provides an overview of Walmart and Amazon's business models, Porter's five forces analysis, strategic acquisitions timeline, SWOT analysis, value chains, change processes, modular architecture, multi-sided platforms, and financial analysis. It analyzes how Walmart can leverage its strengths in grocery retail and supply chain to grow its online business and diversify beyond grocery to maintain competitive advantage against Amazon.
The document discusses Dell's direct sales model and competitive strategy. It summarizes Dell's history and growth founded on direct sales to customers. It analyzes Dell's competitors who struggled to copy the direct model. The document also reviews Dell's market share, competitive strengths, and provides recommendations to expand products, markets, and diversify through acquisitions for long-term growth.
The document discusses implementing Lean principles at Caesars casinos to address problems of increasing competition, declining revenues, and the need to improve customer service and employee morale. It considers alternatives like implementing organization-wide process improvement initiatives using Lean and Kaizen events, using process experts, or maintaining current practices. It chooses the organization-wide Lean implementation led by Lean expert Brad Hirsch to generate momentum from previous successes. An action plan is outlined involving multi-day Kaizen events for employees to identify inefficiencies and establish KPI boards and weekly assessments to maintain improvements.
JetBlue's strategy was to combine technology and innovation to improve the air travel experience. It aimed to be the first paperless airline using computers for all operations. JetBlue targeted customers dissatisfied with existing airlines and offered low fares and quality service. It was heavily funded as a startup. Choosing New York as its base was strategic due to the large population. JetBlue established the world's first paperless airline using laptops for pilots and aimed for quick 30 minute turnarounds to maximize aircraft utilization. It adopted a low-cost carrier strategy and achieved success through cost reduction and revenue growth.
This document provides an overview of design thinking and innovation at Apple. It discusses how Steve Jobs focused on simplicity in design and the user experience when he returned to Apple in 1997. It also outlines Apple's excellence in product execution, platform strategy of creating integrated product families, and how Jobs drove innovation through an unconventional process of saying no to many ideas. The document notes how Jobs imprinted his visionary and experimental approach at Apple and pushed boundaries through bold experiments like the Apple retail stores. It concludes by reflecting on how Apple has maintained market leadership since Jobs' passing by continuing to develop products consistent with his culture of innovation.
The document provides information about climbing Mount Everest, including its elevation of 29,029 feet above sea level and temperatures that can be 100°F below zero at the summit with only a third of the oxygen level of sea level. It then lists the members of the 1996 Everest expedition teams from Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness, led by guides Rob Hall, Mike Groom, Andy Harris, and Scott Fischer with eleven total climbers between the two teams.
The merger between HP and Compaq in 2002 was one of the largest in IT history at $25 billion. While management argued it would improve innovation, leadership, and financial benefits through scale, critics argued the integration risks were substantial and HP's strategic position may not improve. After the merger completed, HP struggled for years to integrate the companies and realize the projected synergies.
Havells acquisition and turnaround of Sylvania - A comprehensive analysisIshan Pratik
Havells acquired Sylvania's global lighting business excluding North America in 2007 for €227 million. Sylvania was struggling at the time due to losses from the financial crisis. Havells implemented an aggressive restructuring plan to cut costs and close factories. This turned Sylvania profitable by 2010. The acquisition provided Havells with global brands, manufacturing facilities, and distribution networks. It expanded Havells' product portfolio and presence in new markets like Europe and South America. The merger synergies helped improve margins and financial performance of the combined entity.
Nucor is the largest steel producer in the US. Its mission is to be the lowest cost and highest quality steel producer. It faces high competition globally and domestically. Nucor has been highly successful due to its strategy of pursuing cost reductions through advanced technology, empowering employees, and maintaining quality. However, rising iron ore and scrap prices present a threat. Nucor is well positioned due to its low costs and innovation, but further expansion and protecting its supply chain could strengthen its position.
Three deaths were reported in late September 1982 in the Chicago suburbs from cyanide poisoning after ingesting Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules. The next day, one more death occurred and the cause was confirmed to be cyanide poisoning from the Tylenol capsules. James Burke, the CEO of Johnson & Johnson, took charge of the crisis management at the corporate level after it was determined that cyanide was the cause of death in the contaminated Tylenol capsules from a specific batch manufactured at a McNeil plant.
CPA Congress Melbourne 2015 - Day Two Wrap Up CPA Australia
The panel discussion focused on Australia's future of work and major trends in the industry. Key points discussed were:
- Working environments are becoming more flexible and jobs need to become more meaningful.
- Key future jobs will be in agriculture, tourism, hospitality and aged care. Robots will take over repetitive jobs.
- More people will become entrepreneurs and specialists in their specialized fields. Technology will give people more time to work on other activities and enterprises.
The paper 'Why business ethics matter to your bottom line' looks at the need for businesses to build institutional integrity into an organisation to support employees in making ethical choices.
This document discusses how sustainability can drive innovation in products, processes, and services. It provides a framework for organizations to achieve parallel goals of sustainability and innovation. The framework involves cultural change, setting sustainability goals, managing the supply chain, conducting portfolio and product development with sustainability in mind, providing transparency of sustainability metrics, and using new tools. Examples are given of companies innovating products and processes to be more sustainable. Overall, the framework aims to balance environmental, social, and financial aspects to create long term sustainability.
The document discusses how cleantech is poised for rapid expansion by moving beyond its origins in venture capital funding and into the mainstream. It highlights how cleantech now encompasses a wide range of technologies and services across many industries that improve efficiency and sustainability. Major drivers for cleantech adoption include growing population and resource constraints, urbanization, energy security concerns, climate change impacts, and evolving consumer and policy pressures. The document argues cleantech represents significant investment opportunities as many large companies increasingly invest in cleantech to remain competitive in the face of these trends.
Business Ethics and Corporate Governance - White PaperDavid Mallard
Ethics and Culture in organisations: 53% of C-suite executives think their boards are out of touch in understanding the ethical issues facing their business. Its reasonable to suggest that companies aim to develop an organisational culture that is self-policing and that positively encourages concerns about ethical behaviour to be raised at all levels and in all locations.A White paper written by colleague Dr Attracta Lagan for the ICAA.
The document provides an overview of starting a sustainable business. It defines a sustainable business as having a triple bottom line of people, profit, and planet. It recommends conducting an audit to understand one's current sustainability practices and developing sustainable products using systems thinking. It emphasizes partnering with sustainable suppliers and implementing sustainable practices across governance, employees, environment, supply chain, and social responsibility once a business is running. Certification frameworks can help businesses achieve sustainability goals.
The fitness sector is adapting to changing consumer demands by offering more flexible and personalized services like 24-hour gyms and group personal training. Fitness training is increasingly taking place outdoors, requiring new skills in areas like risk assessment, environmental protection, and legal compliance. Technology is also becoming more important, with some trainers offering online sessions, so understanding technology is now essential for the profession. The sector must work with other industries to develop these new skills.
This document provides an overview of a workshop on developing strategic agility. It begins with a quote about the importance of agility and then provides details about the workshop, including its modules which cover topics like anticipating change, generating confidence, and evaluating results. The workshop is designed to be highly interactive and teach participants how to apply the Agile Model, which defines five drivers of agility: anticipating change, generating confidence, initiating action, liberating thinking, and evaluating results. Attendees will learn strategies and tools to help their organizations navigate turbulence through increased flexibility and adaptability.
Ellen mac arthur foundation towards the circular economy vol.1Glenn Klith Andersen
This report outlines the economic opportunity of transitioning from a linear "take-make-dispose" economy to a circular economy where resources are reused and waste is designed out. It finds that adopting circular business models could result in annual net material cost savings of $380-630 billion for EU manufacturing sectors by 2025. Case studies show companies can benefit from designing products for disassembly, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling to reduce costs while increasing value creation. The report argues the circular economy presents a solution to risks of resource scarcity and volatility, and a way for businesses to decouple revenues from material inputs through more sustainable models.
Here are a few examples of dishonesty in Othello:
1. Iago deceives Othello into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful with Cassio by fabricating "evidence" and manipulating Othello's insecurities. This ultimately destroys Othello and Desdemona's marriage through jealousy and distrust.
2. Iago lies to Roderigo, telling him he can help Roderigo win Desdemona's love while secretly plotting to steal Roderigo's money and use him as a pawn in his schemes against Cassio and Othello.
3. Iago lies to Cassio, getting him drunk and instigating a fight that leads to Cass
Whole Foods was issued a warning letter by the FDA for finding Listeria bacteria at multiple manufacturing facilities and preparing foods under insanitary conditions. They also paid a $3.5 million penalty resulting from a deal with the EPA over improper handling and disposal of hazardous wastes. The documents outline issues Whole Foods faced regarding food safety violations and environmental protection regulations.
The governance professional of the future
will have to deal with a different regulatory
framework, greater complexity and technology
shifts, each occurring at an increasingly
rapid rate. Over 83 per cent of governance
professionals expect their roles to change by
2025.
Three key themes emerged consistently from the
interviews, survey and roundtable.
The leading theme nominated by governance
professionals is the increased complexity of many
organisations, this relates to internal operations
as well as the influence of shareholders and other
external stakeholders
The future of the governance professional is
right here and now. The world of the governance
professional is changing faster than ever before.
Boards are increasingly under the microscope
from regulators, investors, proxy advisers, staff,
customers and activists. Social media also gives
every stakeholder a voice.
This scrutiny escalated following the Royal
Commission into Misconduct in the Banking,
Superannuation and Financial Services Industry
and the lessons learned have relevance to all
Australian organisations, not only banks and
insurers.
The pressures of operating in the face of growing
complexity and uncertainty are being felt across
Australia’s boardrooms, raising the importance
of governance professionals’ input and
strengthening their valued ‘trusted adviser’ status
within every organisation.
This report attempts to understand why
governance professionals’ roles are shifting,
what future skills they require, and the resources
and support they will need from their executive
leaders. As Australia’s largest dedicated
governance association, we too will use this
research to support our members with the
most relevant and up-to-date professional
development, courses, events, networks
and resources.
The future is hard to predict. I hope this report will
fuel further debate on what the future will look
like, how governance professionals can futureproof
themselves and ensure they continue
adding value to the board and their organisation.
Ellen mac arthur-foundation-towards-the-circular-economy-vol.1Amalia Minguzzi
This document provides an executive summary of a report on accelerating the transition to a circular economy. It outlines the limits of the current linear "take-make-dispose" economic model, including rising resource prices and volatility. The summary then describes the circular economy as a restorative system that eliminates waste and keeps resources in use for longer. Case studies estimate the potential annual net material cost savings from adopting circular models in EU manufacturing to be $380-630 billion by designing products for reuse, remanufacturing, and recyclability. The report analyzes examples of circular products and sectors to understand how circular models generate economic benefits and argues for mainstreaming circular approaches.
Ellen mac arthur foundation towards the circular economy vol.2Glenn Klith Andersen
This report examines the economic opportunities of transitioning from a linear "take-make-dispose" model of production and consumption to a circular economy model, with a focus on fast-moving consumer goods. It finds that a circular economy approach could generate hundreds of billions in material savings annually by recovering more value from resources through reuse and regeneration. Specific opportunities identified include generating $1.5 billion from food waste collection and $1.9-2 billion from cascading beverage processing waste to other industries. Transitioning to reusable packaging like glass bottles could also reduce costs. The report argues that companies adopting circular business models will be rewarded as resource constraints increase pressures on the linear economy.
Ten Key Elements to Sustainable Business Practices in SMEs. This tool combines together case studies and lessons learned from small businesses across Canada, the US and the UK.
What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Why CSR? How can you effectively deliver CSR...? etc. Enjoy this CSR Presentation we did in 2012 at le Bistro Latin in Douala.
This report proposes recommendations to advance Chile's energy efficiency efforts from "good to great" through a formal participatory process. It recommends Chile commit to reducing energy consumption through a 10-year goal-setting and review framework with participation from experts and stakeholders. This includes determining energy efficiency potential, setting goals, and reviewing progress. It also recommends expanding strategies for new buildings and appliances, implementing energy management commitments for large industry and mining, and establishing an energy efficiency services strategy for other sectors. Funding mechanisms and law changes are proposed to support implementation over an initial 10-year timeline.
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Caterpillar 'CASE STUDY'
1. Human Resource Management –MGMT 607
Prof. Olgun Çiçek
May 01, 2013, GAU, North Cyprus
CASE STUDY: CATERPILLAR TAKING CHARGE FOR CHINA MISMANAGEMENT
Done by
Asaad Ali Karam No:123001059
2. Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Caterpillar Background ........................................................................................................................................ 4
The innovation approach, ................................................................................................................................... 5
The prescriptive approach, ................................................................................................................................. 5
Vision & Mission .................................................................................................................................................. 6
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS ............................................................................................................................... 7
Improving quality................................................................................................................................................. 8
Sustainability Strategies ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Caterpillar in China .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Statement of the problem ................................................................................................................................10
Recommendation for the case .........................................................................................................................11
Performing effective investigation ...................................................................................................................12
Organizing for a fair hearing ............................................................................................................................12
Documentation of findings with regard to managers’ misconduct ...............................................................13
Instituting a disciplinary action against the managers...................................................................................14
Strategic role of HR............................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................................................15
Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................................16
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3. Introduction
Caterpillar Inc. is one of the largest manufacturers of construction and mining equipment,
diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines across the world. The firm was formed
in 1925 after a merger between Holt Caterpillar Company and C.L. Best Gas Tractor Company.
Their business lines include Engines, machinery, and financial products. It is a multinational
corporation with operations in about 42 countries across the globe. Caterpillar Inc. has extended
their services and operations to China. Where the firm has about 23 manufacturing facilities, they
produce compactors, hydraulic excavators, undercarriage, compactors, motor graders,
remanufactures product machinery, electric power generators and iron castings.
This paper seeks to evaluate and examine the human resource management of caterpillar
Inc. in china. This is as been influence by the existence of ineffective human resource
management at the subsidiary where corrupt officials and corrupt deals are evident. This was
indicated by accounting misconducts at the firm. The misconduct involved officials overstating
the firm’s profitability prior to their actualization.
Human resource management misconducts are increasing gradually for multinational
corporations. This is associated to the increasing complexity of business firms, which demands
high decentralization, and delegation of duties. Firms must ensure that any misconduct is
handled effectively to discourage future misconduct and maintain a good reputation of the firm1.
It is essential that the management ensure that it organizes for a fair hearing for the victims.
Make proper and accurate documentation of the findings on the case, which is important in
1
John Remington, Richard T. Heiser, Cyrus Smythe, Kenneth Sovereign, Human Resources and the Law, chapter 11, 2011
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4. making a fair judgment. It is also important that the firm institute deterrent disciplinary measure
for all victims of misconduct. This discourages future inefficiencies and misconducts in the firm.
It is important that the firm ascribe to the best practices of human resource management.
Caterpillar Background
Caterpillar Inc. also known as "CAT", is an American corporation, the Caterpillar Tractor
Co. was formed in 1925 by Benjamin Holt and Daniel Best as a result of the merger of the C.L.
Best Gas Tractor Company and the Holt Caterpillar Company. Restructure as Caterpillar Inc. in
1986, and it is currently one of the world’s largest manufacturers of construction and mining
equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. Caterpillar has over 3
million machines in usage and it runs in three primary lines of business such as Machinery,
Engines, and Financial Products. Caterpillar is a worldwide Inc. it is exist in 42 country with
100,000 employees with 18 different language2
In addition Caterpillar formed its university on 2001 by David Vance which he retired on
2007. The university were founded to ensure the right education, training and leadership.
Douglas R. Oberhelman Chairman and CEO
2
http://www.caterpillar.com/company/history
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5. Chairman’s Message
I can describe Caterpillar’s strategy in one word —
Customers. We wake up thinking about our customers
every day.
What do they need? How can we add more Value? What
challenges do they face?
The innovation approach,
emphasized by Caterpillar and other forward-thinking companies, proactively gathers and uses
data to identify sustainability constraints and priorities. This information is used to drive the
development and implementation of efficient methods, innovative solutions and technology
breakthroughs to create more sustainable systems, and in the development of performance-based
sustainability policies and regulations to promote innovation. This approach is highlighted
through this report’s feature stories that describe how sustainable development is integrated into
our day-today business operations.3
The prescriptive approach,
emphasized by many governmental and nongovernmental organizations, focuses on data
collection, data reporting, transparency, development of standards and development of policies
and regulations. Compliance and enforcement measures are then developed and implemented
that are intended to lead to more sustainable systems. You will find evidence of this approach in
3
http://www.caterpillar.com/secfilings
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6. the Goals & Progress section, where we report on Caterpillar’s performance against our 2020
aspirational goals for operations and products, services and solutions. Both approaches are
important with respect to improving the quality of our environment, communities and business
performance. As our sustainability journey progresses, our focus on innovation and technology
will be paramount in order to fully achieve sustainable development solutions that meet the
needs of our enterprise, customers, communities and planet.
Vision & Mission
Our vision is a world in which all people’s basic requirements — such as shelter, clean water,
sanitation, food and reliable power — are fulfilled in an environmentally sustainable way.
Our mission is to enable economic growth through infrastructure and energy development, and to
provide solutions that support communities and protect the planet. Our strategy is to provide
work environments, products, services and solutions that make efficient use of the world’s
natural resources and reduce unnecessary impacts on communities, the environment and the
economy. We apply innovation and technology to improve the sustainability performance of
Caterpillar products, services, solutions and operations. We believe sustainable progress is made
possible by developing better systems that maximize life cycle benefits, while also minimizing
the economic, social and environmental costs of ownership, as reflected in our sustainability
principles.
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7. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Culture.
Create a culture of sustainability in all our business units and in all our daily work. Progress: We
identify and share best practices to promote our employees’ awareness and understanding of
sustainability. We continue to foster a corporate culture of transparency, disclosure and
engagement.
Operations.
Be consistent with our sustainability principles and contribute to 2020 aspirational sustainable
development goals. Progress: The Caterpillar Production System provides the recipe for
efficiency and excellence in our facilities. We actively encourage employees to conserve
resources and be more efficient. Operating in a more efficient and sustainable manner will
reduce impacts on people and the environment, and help us and our customers save money.
Business Opportunities.
Identify and pursue business growth opportunities created by sustainable development. Progress:
We are actively embedding sustainability throughout our Caterpillar brand portfolio, our new
product development process and our technologies. Our business leaders continue to drive
growth in sales of products, services and solutions that help customers meet their sustainability
challenges. We utilize 6 Sigma methodologies to focus our work and drive measurable benefits.
We will execute our strategy by working to meet our long-term aspirational sustainable
7|Pa ge
8. development goals. We set yearly targets where possible and are working on additional targets to
help us measure our annual progress.
Improving quality
by proactively implementing measures that prevent waste is another key sustainability principle
at Caterpillar. Traditionally, this principle applies to the quality of the processes, products,
services, solutions and safety practices utilized throughout the Caterpillar enterprise. However, it
also applies to the quality of life for our employees, as well as the quality of the communities and
the environment in which Caterpillar operates. Healthy people, communities and environmental
resources are all valuable components for a thriving Caterpillar enterprise. Preventing waste and
improving quality measures provide the key drivers for developing better systems that are
inherently more sustainable. When Caterpillar brings people, materials, energy, water and land
into the various systems found throughout the enterprise, care must be taken to ensure that these
resources are not harmed or wasted. Keeping resources in the value chain through a circular flow
of materials, energy and water is critical to maximizing total life cycle benefits while minimizing
the cost of ownership. This leads to sustainable progress for communities, the environment and
the economy.
Sustainability Strategies
The sustainability principles described above complement the five key strategies described in the
graphic on page 8. It is noteworthy that the strategies described toward the top of this ranking
tend to offer more sustainability benefits than those described at the bottom of the ranking.
Strategies associated with preventing waste and emissions through improved efficiency and
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9. quality measures are preferred because they offer the most opportunities to enhance cost
competitiveness and reduce the potential for unnecessary impacts to communities and the
environment in both the short and long term.
Caterpillar in China
In Greater China, Caterpillar products have been associated with the region's growth and
development for many decades. In 1978, Caterpillar (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (CCI) was
established in Beijing to augment the increased investment and business development activities
in China. Today, Caterpillar has invested in 23 manufacturing facilities in China. They produce
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10. hydraulic excavators, compactors, diesel engines, undercarriage, iron castings, motor graders,
track-type tractors, wheel loaders, remanufactured products machinery components, and electric
power generator sets4.
Statement of the problem
The situation can be retrieved from the case that there is some corruptions in the
company’s human resource. This case involves an accounting misconduct that Caterpillar Inc, a
U.S. company, realized in its recently acquired Chinese company. Caterpillar Inc, a company
dealing with mining and construction equipment decided to eliminate some managers at the
company. Further, the company took non-cash 580 million USD, as charge, in the fourth quarter
linked to the misconduct. This shows a problem that existed with the human resource
management system of the Chinese company. An effective human resource system could have
averted the misconduct from taking place.
The issue, according to Caterpillar Inc, was an inspiration from internal investigation of
its subsidiary Siwei Company, and ERA, a coal mining company. Caterpillar noted that several
Siwei senior managers involved in the misconduct for many years before the acquired the firm.
This means that the Chinese company’s human resource had failed to create transparency and
accountability, thereby allowed the managers to continue with this misconduct. These managers
were attempting to overstate the company’s profitability prior to the deal. Because of this, the
company has decided to put in place a new leadership team. This keeps in line with good human
4
http://china.cat.com/en/caterpillar-in-china
10 | P a g e
11. resource practices. 5They have also moved manufacturing to another division, whose head is a
longtime Caterpillar employee. The transfer of the manufacturing process means that the
company will try hard to meet the human resource needs because of the arising gap.
The gross misconduct by the managers can make far-reaching consequences on the
employees and the management. This hampers the financial returns of the business, as well as
other elements of the human resource management. Already the misconduct has made impact on
the trading shares. As it appears, the case has a considerable effect on the human resource of the
company. The elimination of the managers has created some gap, which the company has to feel.
This shows misconduct among employees can be detrimental to the business process. This means
that a company must put in place effective human resource management system to help a
company to function properly. However, in cases where there is misconduct, better human
resource management systems dictates that a company undertakes serious actions to come up
with solutions to the prevailing problem6.
Recommendation for the case
Human resource is a crucial element of the management process. It forms the pillar that
drives all operations to ensure that a company realizes its goals and objectives. Every company
has to institute a supportive human resource framework to ensure smooth undertaking of
operational and strategic activities. Through this, it becomes easy to minimize any form of
5
6
h p://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-01-18/caterpillar-taking-charge-for-china-mismanagement
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-01-18/caterpillar-taking-charge-for-china-mismanagement
11 | P a g e
12. dishonesty arising from employees. Usually, employee dishonesty deals a serious blow to an
organization. However, with appropriate measures, Caterpillar Inc is able to ease the effects of
such misconduct. It has to carry out reactive measures to solve the problem.
Performing effective investigation
Effective human resource practice requires that a company carry out investigation on the
pretended misconduct. In line with this, Caterpillar Inc has to work more into the issue to come
up with strong evidence on the misconduct. The company should carry out a thorough
investigative and analyze the effect that the misconduct has posed on its operations or returns.
This is crucial in understanding the level of punishment that the employees should face. This
would be making the right decisions on how to relate with the employees, and whether to
redeploy them to various sections. The investigation must be fair and balanced. This is
significant because in the end, it helps in coming up with a supportive decision on whether to
take any further action on the employees. The investigative process must go in-depth into
understanding the background information, as well as the available internal control systems. This
helps Caterpillar Inc to know where things went wrong so that it initiates proactive processes that
can bar potential misconducti7.
Organizing for a fair hearing
Proper human resource management requires that employees get a fair hearing whenever
they are under search for gross misconduct. This is useful in coming up with a solution to the
7
http://www.hr.ubc.ca/administrators/employee-relations/discipline-in-the-workplace/
12 | P a g e
13. problem. In this case, the company should also organize a disciplinary hearing to get the insights
based on the employees’ side of the story. This is useful in having an exhaustive understanding
of the whole issue. In that case, it becomes crucial to inform the employees on the company’s
intent to carry out thorough investigation, thereby demanding their availability to offer more
information. This will ensure that the employees have an opportunity to have their cases heard.
This enables them to respond to the allegations. As part of this initiative, the company should
provide the employees with requisite handbook policies that underline issues of dishonesty,
misconduct or theft. During the hearing, the employees must back their statements with officially
signed documents in relation to the accounting misconduct. The process should also involve
witnesses who might give relevant in information on the matter. The input from witnesses would
be vital. They may include employees who were working in the accounting department.
Documentation of findings with regard to managers’ misconduct
It is extremely essential for the company to document its findings. In other words, there
must be a comprehensive report on the issue. This is useful as a reference tool for future matters
of human resource nature. A company can make appropriate decisions based on the content of
such documents. In this case, part of the solution lies in detecting any future problems in view of
human resource management. The documents, therefore, offer basic information in issues that
touch on the company’s workforce. Caterpillar Inc should also copy such reports to their legal
team. The recommendations of the finding also help the company to know which action to take
against the employees. It provides a roadmap on how to proceed with the matter. Such
recommendations would call for reinstatement, potential prosecution, termination, suspension,
or even demand the employees to pay for the misconduct.
13 | P a g e
14. Instituting a disciplinary action against the managers8
Employees discipline is essential to ensure effective and efficient undertaking of
activities. This means that a company should have a code of ethics that gives a framework on
how employees should behave with regard to their duties. In view of the mismanagement
problem realized by Caterpillar Inc, they should institute a disciplinary procedure to help correct
the situation. They should recall their rules and regulatory framework for disciplining the
employees for having failed to comply with the stipulated company standards of operation. The
disciplinary procedure should base on the professional and ethical code of practice. The
disciplinary action should explore punitive measures to undertake depending on the severity of
the guilt in relation to the business process. In other cases, this should include the possibility for
compensation by the managers. This acts to ensure that other employees do not fall into the same
trap.
Strategic role of HR
Strategic HRM has often been discussed in the context of enhancing firm competitiveness and
improving firm performance. With many changes occurring as a consequence of global
competition, technology advancement, workforce casualisation, government deregulation and
organization restructuring, a greater emphasis on HRM to offer value added services and
deliverables in terms of administrative efficiency, flexibility, employee quality, cost
effectiveness and overall organizational capacity to facilitate fast change is required (Becker,
Huselid and Ulrich 2001). Hence, in the context of the coal industry with a number of HRM
8
Human Resources and the Law, John Remington, Richard T. Heiser, Cyrus Smythe, Kenneth Sovereign, chapter 11
14 | P a g e
15. challenges as outlined above, it is postulated that HRM might have also been used to play a
strategic role to address new challenges, rather than simply the traditionally-defined functional
role (Beer 1997).
To evaluate whether HRM is playing a strategic role or not, it is necessary to understand whether
the role of HRM really exists, and if it does, the extent of HR managers’ involvement in strategic
planning of coal companies both at the corporate and mine site level. Again, the following results
were generated from views and information given by the participants in the interviews and the
survey.
Conclusion
The company must strictly adhere to the best practices within human resource
management practices to deal with the problem. It has to handle this matter maturely knowing
well that any inappropriate engagement in the matter may destroy the company’s human
resource through continued misconduct.
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