Louis Vuitton is about to introduce a new item to its line of women’s shoes. What three places can the unit sale for the new item come from that can affect the net impact on the company’s own margins?

The new Fresh-Cola product by Fresh-Cola Inc., a manufacturer of carbonated drinks, has just been introduced. What patterns develop during this phase of the product life cycle?

Discuss the global challenge facing U.S. firms. Provide several examples.

1.     Seth Godin’s concept of Permission marketing works to get a “date” with a customer and to sell products. You are the marketing manager responsible for continuing customer relationship marketing from beginning to end.

1. Define and Demonstrate how the “Sales Continuum of Suspect through to Advocate” works and why its necessary for a marketing manager to understand it.
2. Demonstrate how you would use the Permission Marketing concept when applied to the Sales Continuum as discussed in class.
3. “WII-FM” means “What’s in it for Me.”
   1. What is the value of knowing this?
   2. Why is this important to the marketer?
   3. Which element(s) of the 3 legs of direct marketing (L, C, O) does this apply to?

“How good are you at preparing for and reaching for an interview? How do you think you appear to other people in an important interaction?”

analyse the various types of Gantt charts Gus bell and Jeff can use to schedule preparations for the above negotiation.

1. Which of the four "I"s (four factors) of transformational leadership (according to Bass and Avolio from the LTP chapater) is most important in the transformational leadership process and why?

2. What are the four components of authentic leadership and which do you think is most important and why?

Case Study-1

LUKOIL is the largest oil company in Russia. The company is also the second biggest owner of proven resources in the globe. The company was found in Moscow, Russia, the year 1991. As of 2019, LUKOIL produced 102.65 tons of oil. Currently, LUKOIL accounts for more than 19% of the total production of crude oil in Russia with its profits being USD 192 billion as of 2019. This report is aimed at discussing the trade strategies of LUKOIL as a privatized exporter of crude oil and analyzing the various risks that may be faced by Russia as a key oil exporting country.

It can be identified that the current situation of the oil exports of Russia is that the country is in a competitive advantageous position over the foreign counterparts. Due to the high quantities of crude oil reserves present in the country, the nation has a natural inherent advantage related to having sufficient accumulated oil resources. When observing the oil export system of Russia, it can be identified that a large part of the oil export in the economy is headed by the local countries like Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. This information helps to establish that the Country Similarity theory can be used to explain the current position of the country as an oil exporter. This theory establishes that the majority of trade carried out between a home country and other countries should be with the nations which are at similar positions of economic performances as compared to the exporting country. The Porter’s diamond of national competitive advantage is another main trade theory that can be used to explain the position of Russia as an oil exporter. The demand for oil has increased across the world and continues to increase on an accelerated basis. In this scenario, Russia remains in a competitive advantageous position due to the availability of high reserves of oil in the country.

Theories of trade that are not relevant for explaining the position of Russia as an oil exporter are the Mercantilism theory which suggest the encouragement of exporting and discouragement of importing practices and the theory of countries which suggests that large countries are self sufficient in nature which is not true in case of Russia because the economy is largely driven by exports. The PLC theory of trade is also irrelevant in this case because oil is considered as a natural resource that is more of a necessity than a desire or luxury product.

Over the last decade, the oil industry in Russia has experience major changes. The economy of Russia has experienced significant growth in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a year on year basis. The majority of this exceptional economic growth in the country can be accredited to the most valuable natural resource of the country which is crude oil. The oil industry of Russia accounts for 25% of the total GDP of the nation and 40% of the export values in the country. Political factors that have affected the growth of the oil industry include government regulations, quotas and embargos imposed by OPEC countries, trade sanctions, like the sanctions imposed on countries like Iran etc. The economic factors that largely affect the global oil markets include the economic uncertainties caused by low economic performances of nations, less disposable incomes and Purchasing Power parity (PPP), high levels of unemployment etc. which affect the oil industry and oil exports at both macro and micro levels.

In spite of the tremendous success of the crude oil industry in Russia, the country is now looking for new strategies to reduce the risks associated with the extreme dependence on oil export and the heavy fluctuations of oil prices in the global markets. Due to this, the major oil companies like LUKOIL are engaging in new international trade management strategies like foreign investment and expansion as the ways of reducing the impacts of political uncertainty, fluctuating oil prices, changing export values and other risks related to the oil industry. It can be said that for both LUKOIL and Russia as oil exporters, creation of competitive advantage would be the primary key for determining the level of success that Russian oil can achieve in the global oil markets. The fact that Russia has much higher resources of crude oil than the other oil producing and exporting nations is definitely a source of competitive advantage for the country but does not guarantee long term success. For succeeding in the international trade markets, the Russian oil companies like LUKOIL should display greater efficiency that would help them to create higher competitiveness. Foreseeing the profits and opportunities in importing and exporting activities would be another key strategy to ensure the success of the nation as a viable trader. The use of the comparative theory can uphold the oil exporting advantages. Since Russia produces mass amounts of crude oil, therefore, it should prevent other countries to occupy in the market with FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) strategies so as to protect the exporting economy and its natural resources.

The relationship between exports and factor mobility is strongly integrated in the case of LUKOIL. The company use large amounts of financial resources, equipment and trained human resources. Also, LUKOIL employs high amounts of investment efforts and capital in the production areas which are most capable of making profits. The company experiences high factor mobility in the export systems due to the fact that it exports oil to various geographical locations across the world.

The roles assumed by the Russian government and the Cost Rican government for using trade to achieve the national economic goals are distinct in terms of the use of strategies and regulations. The Costa Rican government has developed acquired skills and talent within the oil industry of the country. In contrast, the Russian government has adopted the strategy of exploiting the global demands of oil by controlling on the surplus natural oil reserves in the country. Also, the Costa Rican government has transformed the economy by using high technology manufactured products and underplaying the export of natural resources. On the other hand, Russia has transformed the economy by shifting the control of the industry from the state owned businesses to the more competitive and efficient private enterprises.

To conclude, it can be said that there are many limitations in the ways of performance and success in the global oil industry. As for companies like LUKEOIL, the main key to success would be competing in the industry through strategies like efficiency achievement in all parts of the supply chain including extraction, refining as well as distribution of oil. Also, the country and the oil companies should focus on protecting the natural resources from foreign countries and companies which may try to exploit these resources.

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Required Question

Question 01: The use of the comparative advantage theory can support the oil exporting advantages of Russia. Justify your answer.

Question 02: The Porter’s diamond of national competitive advantage theory can be used to explain the position of Russia as an oil exporter. Justify your answer.

Which of the following statements about the upper and lower control limits of a control chart is true?

Group of answer choices

The upper and lower control limits for a p chart depend on the sample size.

The lower control limit of a p chart will ALWAYS be a negative value.

The upper control limit of an X-bar chart does NOT depend on the average range R-bar.

The upper and lower control limits of an R chart are always the SAME distance from R-bar.

Modern retailing approaches are evolving in India, especially in the food sector. It is common practice to shop for groceries in kirana stores, small neighbourhood shops and produce markets operated by entrepreneurs. In these retail outlets, the fruits and vegetables often are not good quality or in good condition, and the shops are not attractive or comfortable for shoppers. The owners are known for being wasteful, buying in small quantities, selling at high prices, lacking storage capability, and having no expertise in inventory control. There are about 12 million of these small family-operated outlets. In addition, there are 200 million pushcart vendors and hawkers who depend on the highly fragmented retail market for their livelihood.
Large Indian corporations have entered the market, such as Reliance Retail Ltd., with 300 stores in 30 cities across India. Some are opening modern North American-style supermarkets and hypermarkets while others are operating chains of produce shops. These stores are air-conditioned, brightly lit and clean, with trained workers. A greater variety of higher quality fruits and vegetables are available. Goods are neatly packaged, accurately weighed, and refrigerated. Most importantly, prices are lower. Modern retailing supply chain practices are being introduced, including distribution efficiency, high technology farming, and waste reduction. Some suggest that the farmers will receive more for their products as middlemen will be eliminated from the supply chain.
Another dimension of this issue is the restriction on foreign retailers’ entry into the Indian market. Foreign retailers cannot sell directly to consumers. To avoid this regulation, foreign corporations are entering at the wholesale level or in joint ventures or partnerships with Indian corporations. For example, Walmart has a joint venture with Bharti Enterprises, an Indian conglomerate. Other foreign retailers are attempting to enter the Indian market, including the U.K.’s Tesco PLC, and France’s Carrefour SA.
The operators of the smaller stores have protested this trend and have called upon government to stop the large corporations from entering the market. They fell that they cannot compete with the new retailers and would become unemployed with no other form of work available to them. The Indian government is monitoring this retail revolution closely and is under political pressure from the small shopkeepers, opposition parties, and socialist groups. There is concern that the arrival of modern retailing reduces the opportunities for self-employment, especially among the poor. The state of Uttar Pradesh even ordered the closing of ten Reliance supermarkets to calm protestors.
Economists argue that the retail market, estimated at US$328 billion, is large enough for both traditional and modern retailers. The liberalization of retail trade in India is not yet a revolution, and barely an evolutionary trend. In November 2012, the Indian government announced that it would allow foreign investments in supermarkets and department stores.
Questions
1. Who are the stakeholders involved and what are their positions? 2. What are the issues relating to business and society? 3. Should foreign corporations be allowed to operate freely in India?

Case Study-2

International trade theories argue that nations should open their doors to trade Conventional free trade wisdom says that by trading with others, a country can offer its citizens a greater volume and selection of goods at cheaper prices than it could in the absence of it. Nevertheless, truly free trade still does not exist because national governments intervene. Despite the efforts of WTO (World Trade Organization) and smaller groups of nations, government seems to be crying foul in the trade game now more than ever before.

We see efforts at protectionism in the rising trends in governments charging foreign producers for "dumping" their goods on the world market. Worldwide, the number of anti-dumping cases that were initiated stood at about 150 in 2014, 225 in 2015, 230 in 2016, and 300 in 2017.

There is no shortage of similar examples. The US charges Brazil, Japan, and Russia with dumping their products in the US market as a way out of tough economic times. The US steel industry wants the government to slap a 200 percent tariff on certain types of steel. But car makers in US are not complaining, and General Motors even spoke out against the anti-dumping charges — as it is enjoying the benefits of low cost steel for the use in its auto production. Canadian steel makers followed the lead of the US and are pushing for anti-dumping actions against four nations.

Emerging markets too, are jumping into the fray. Mexico recently expanded coverage of its Automatic Import Advice System. The system requires importers (from a selected list of countries) to notify Mexican officials of the amount and price of the shipment 10 days prior to its expected arrivals in Mexico. The ten day notice gives domestic producers advance warning of incoming low priced products so they can complain of dumping before the product clear customs and enter the market place. India is also getting onboard by setting up a new government agency to handle anti-dumping cases.

Why dumping is on the rise for the first place? The WTO has made major inroads on the use of tariffs, slashing them across every product category in recent years. But the WTO does not have the authority to punish companies, but only governments. Thus the WTO cannot pass judgments against individual companies that are dumping their products in other markets. It can only pass the rulings against the governments of the country that imposes anti-dumping duty. But the WTO allows countries to retaliate against nations whose producers are suspected of dumping when it can be shown that:

i) The alleged offenders are significantly hurting the domestic producers.

ii) The export price is lower than the cost of production or lower than the home market price.

Supporters of anti-dumping tariff claim that they prevent dumpers from undercutting the price charged by the producers in a target market and driving them about of business. Another claim in support of anti-dumping is that it is an excellent way of retaining some protection against the potential dangers of totally free trade. Detractors of anti-dumping tariffs charge that once the tariffs are imposed they are rarely removed. They also claim that they cost companies and governments a great deal of time and money to file and argue their cases. It is argued that the fear of being charged with dumping causes international competitors to keep their price higher in the target market than would have otherwise be the case. This would allow domestic companies to charge higher prices and not loose market shares forcing consumers to pay more for their goods.

Required Question

Questions 01: Based on the above case study, evaluate the effects of dumping on domestic business and also on the consumers

Question 02: As we have seen WTO cannot currently get involved in punishing individual companies for dumping. Its action can be only directed towards governments of countries. Do you think this is a wise policy? Justify your answer.

The XYZ Corporation is a global manufacturer (XYZ makes “widgets”) which employs 25,000 employees in the USA and another 25,000 employees in Europe, Asia and Africa.   In light of recent market successes by their competitors, the CEO of XYZ is considering moving the corporation’s entire voice and data information infrastructure into a Virtual Private Network (VPN, see pages 269 and 271 in the Laudon textbook) subscription service that is owned and maintained by a public Internet provider. In other words, XYZ is moving all of its corporate databases, software applications and voice communication to a 3^rd party Cloud platform, including most of its IT activities as well .  

Discuss some of the key issues and risks to consider in order to determine whether the CEO’s planned move to the Cloud will provide XYZ with a significant competitive advantage over its competitors.

Please read the case provided below and answer the following question:

COMPANY Case: Porsche: Guarding the Old While Bringing in the New

Porsche (pronounced Porsh-uh) is a unique company. It has always been a niche brand that makes cars for a small and distinctive segment of automobile buyers. In 2009, Porsche sold only 27,717 cars in the five models it sells in the United States. Honda sold about 10 times that many Accords alone. But Porsche owners are as rare as their vehicles. For that reason, top managers at Porsche spend a great deal of time thinking about customers. They want to know who their customers are, what they think, and how they feel. They want to know why they buy a Porsche rather then a Jaguar, a Ferrari, or a big Mercedes coupe. These are challenging questions to answer; even Porsche owners themselves don’t know exactly what motivates their buying. But given Porsche’s low volume and the increasingly fragmented auto market, it is imperative that management understands its customers and what gets their motors running.

Since its early days, Porsche has appealed to a very narrow segment of financially successful people. These are achievers who see themselves as entrepreneurial, even if they work for a corporation. They set very high goals for themselves and then work doggedly to meet them. And they expect no less from the clothes they wear, the restaurants they go to, or the cars they drive. These individuals see themselves not as a part of the regular world but as exceptions to it. They buy Porsches because the car mirrors their self-image; it stands for the things owners like to see in themselves and their lives.

Most of us buy what Porsche executives call utility vehicles. That is, we buy cars primarily to go to work, transport children, and run errands. Because we use our cars to accomplish these daily tasks, we base buying decisions on features such as price, size, fuel economy, and other practical considerations. But Porsche is more than a utility car. Its owners see it as a car to be enjoyed, not just used. Most Porsche buyers are not moved by information but by feelings. A Porsche is like a piece of clothing—something the owner “wears” and is seen in. They develop a personal relationship with their cars, one that has more to do with the way the car sounds, vibrates, and feels, rather than the how many cup holders it has or how much cargo it can hold in the trunk. They admire their Porsche because it is a competent performance machine without being flashy or phony.

People buy Porsches because they enjoy driving. If all they needed was something to get them from point A to point B, they could find something much less expensive. And while many Porsche owners are car enthusiasts, some of them are not. One successful businesswoman and owner of a high-end Porsche said, “When I drive this car to the high school to pick up my daughter, I end up with five youngsters in the car. If I drive any other car, I can’t even find her; she doesn’t want to come home.”

For its first few decades, Porsche AG lived by the philosophy of Ferry Porsche, Ferdinand’s son. Ferry created the Porsche 356 because no one else made a car like he wanted. But as the years rolled on, Porsche management became concerned with a significant issue: Were there enough Porsche buyers to keep the company afloat? Granted, the company never had illusions of churning out the numbers of a Chevrolet or a Toyota. But to fund innovation, even a niche manufacturer has to grow a little. And Porsche began to worry that the quirky nature of the people who buy Porsches might just run out on them.

This led Porsche to extend its brand outside the box. In the early 1970s, Porsche introduced the 914, a square-ish, mid-engine, two-seater that was much cheaper than the 911. This meant that a different class of people could afford a Porsche. It was no surprise that the 914 became Porsche’s top selling model. By the late 1970s, Porsche replaced the 914 with a hatchback coupe that had something no other regular Porsche model had ever had: an engine in the front. At less than $20,000, more than $10,000 less than the 911, the 924 and later 944 models were once again Porsche’s pitch to affordability. At one point, Porsche increased its sales goal by nearly 50 percent to 60,000 cars a year.

Although these cars were in many respects sales successes, the Porsche faithful cried foul. They considered these entry-level models to be cheap and underperforming. Most loyalists never really accepted these models as “real” Porsches. In fact, they were not at all happy that they had to share their brand with a customer who didn’t fit the Porsche owner profile. They were turned off by what they saw as a corporate strategy that had focused on mass over class marketing. This tarnished image was compounded by the fact that Nissan, Toyota, BMW, and other car manufacturers had ramped up high-end sports car offerings, creating some fierce competition. In fact, both the Datsun 280-ZX and the Toyota Supra were not only cheaper than Porsche’s 944 but also faster. A struggling economy threw more sand in Porsche’s tank. By 1990, Porsche sales had plummeted, and the company flirted with bankruptcy.

But Porsche wasn’t going down without a fight. It quickly recognized the error of its ways and halted production of the entry-level models. It rebuilt its damaged image by revamping its higher-end model lines with more race-bred technology. In an effort to regain rapport with customers, Porsche once again targeted the high end of the market in both price and performance. It set modest sales goals and decided that moderate growth with higher margins would be more profitable in the long term. Thus, the company set out to make one less Porsche than the public demanded. According to one executive, “We’re not looking for volume; we’re searching for exclusivity.”

Porsche’s efforts had the desired effect. By the late 1990s, the brand was once again favored by the same type of achiever who had so deeply loved the car for decades. The cars were once again exclusive. And the company was once again profitable. But by the early 2000s, Porsche management was again asking itself a familiar question: To have a sustainable future, could Porsche rely on only the Porsche faithful? According to then CEO Wendelin Wiedeking, “For Porsche to remain independent, it can’t be dependent on the most fickle segment in the market. We don’t want to become just a marketing department of some giant. We have to make sure we’re profitable enough to pay for future development ourselves.”

So in 2002, Porsche did the unthinkable. It became one of the last car companies to jump into the insatiable sport utility vehicle (SUV) market. At roughly 5,000 pounds, the new Porsche Cayenne was heavier than anything that Porsche had ever made, with the exception of some prototype tanks it made during WWII. Once again, the new model featured an engine up front. And it was the first Porsche to ever be equipped with seatbelts for five. As news spread about the car’s development, howls could be heard from Porsche’s customer base.

But this time, Porsche did not seem too concerned that the loyalists would be put off. Could it be that the company had already forgotten what happened the last time it deviated from the mold? After driving one of the first Cayenne’s off the assembly line, one journalist stated, “A day at the wheel of the 444 horsepower Cayenne Turbo leaves two overwhelming impressions. First, the Cayenne doesn’t behave or feel like an SUV, and second, it drives like a Porsche.” This was no entry-level car. Porsche had created a two-and-a-half ton beast that could accelerate to 60 miles per hour in just over five seconds, corner like it was on rails, and hit 165 miles per hour, all while coddling five adults in sumptuous leather seats with almost no wind noise from the outside world. On top of that, it could keep up with a Land Rover when the pavement ended. Indeed, Porsche had created the Porsche of SUVs.

Last year, Porsche upped the ante one more time. It unveiled another large vehicle. But this time, it was a low-slung, five-door luxury sedan. The Porsche faithful and the automotive press again gasped in disbelief. But by the time the Panamera hit the pavement, Porsche had proven once again that Porsche customers could have their cake and eat it to. The Panamera is almost as big as the Cayenne but can move four adults down the road at speeds of up to 188 miles per hour and accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in four seconds flat.

Although some Porsche traditionalists would never be caught dead driving a front engine Porsche that has more than two doors, Porsche insists that two trends will sustain these new models. First, a category of Porsche buyers has moved into life stages that have them facing inescapable needs; they need to haul more people and stuff. This not only applies to certain regular Porsche buyers, but Porsche is again seeing buyers enter its dealerships that otherwise wouldn’t have. Only this time, the price points of the new vehicles are drawing only the well heeled, allowing Porsche to maintain its exclusivity. These buyers also seem to fit the achiever profile of regular Porsche buyers.

The second trend is the growth of emerging economies. Whereas the United States has long been the world’s biggest consumer of Porsches, the company expects China to become its biggest customer before too long. Twenty years ago, the United States accounted for about 50 percent of Porsche’s worldwide sales. Now, it accounts for only about 26 percent. In China, many people who can afford to buy a car as expensive as a Porsche also hire a chauffeur. The Cayenne and the Panamera are perfect for those who want to be driven around in style but who may also want to make a quick getaway if necessary.

The most recent economic downturn has brought down the sales of just about every maker of premium automobiles. When times are tough, buying a car like a Porsche is the ultimate deferrable purchase. But as this downturn turns back up, Porsche is better poised than it has ever been to meet the needs of its customer base. It is also in better shape than ever to maintain its brand image with the Porsche faithful and with others as well. Sure, understanding Porsche buyers is still a difficult task. But a former CEO of Porsche summed it up this way: “If you really want to understand our customers, you have to understand the phrase, ‘If I were going to be a car, I’d be a Porsche.’

4 Questions – Answer

1. Distinguish between the concepts of Needs, Wants and Demands, out of the three concepts which one you can relate it to Porsche customers . Briefly explain the concept of core competency , in your opinion what are the core competencies of Porsche.

2. Define and explain the concept of brand personality, describe the brand personality of Porsche brand in general, please justify your answers

3. Using relevant theory Analyze the buyer decision process of the Porsche Cayenne customer.

4. Identify, explain and justify the main consumer behaviour characteristics that influences the Porche buyers.

Students arrive at the Administrative Services Office at an average of one every 6 minutes, and their requests take on average 5 minutes to be processed. The service counter is staffed by only one clerk, Judy Gumshoes, who works eight hours per day. Assume Poisson arrivals and exponential service times.

a. What percentage of time is Judy idle?

b. How much time, on average, does a student spend waiting in line?

c. How long is the (waiting) line on average?

d. What is the probability that an arriving student (just before entering the Administrative Services Office) will find at least one other student waiting in line?