Rolls Royces Strategic And Business Management Management Essay

Rolls Royces Strategic And Business Management Management Essay Rolls-Royce is founded in 1906 by Frederick Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls (Pugh, Peter, 2001).Headquartered in London. As a diversified company, Rolls-Royce operates in four global markets namely civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy-in each of which it is among the worlds top three competitors. The company has manufacturing sites or service centers located in 50 countries around the world. Rolls-Royce produces both commercial and military engines civil and defense aerospace business for a broad customer base, including more than 650 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, and 160 armed forces around the world. Rolls-Royce also supplies power generation systems to the oil and gas industry and is one of the worlds largest makers of marine propulsion systems. It maintains key operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, with emerging presence in the Middle East (Nancy Daniels, 2001). Rolls-Royces revenue for the year 2009 was  ¿Ã‚ ¡10,414 million, definitely higher than the figure for 2008, which is  ¿Ã‚ ¡9,082 million. In 2009, 44% of Rolls-Royces revenue came from civil aerospace, while defense aerospace, marine and energy each accounted for 20%, 26%, 10% (Rolls-Royce, 2009). 2. Analysis of the Current Business Environment Affecting the Industry 2.1 Macro-Environmental Analysis The PESTLE analysis (appendix A) details the main macro-environmental trends affecting the aviation industry. Of these, the economic crisis is the most pressing current issue but in the longer term, technological advancements remain central to the industrys progression. More international cultural exchange will accelerate the development of aviation industry, and the growth in developing countries needs more energy and a range of products serviced by Rolls-Royce. 2.2 Micro-Environmental Analysis Porters Five Forces analysis (appendix B) indicates that the threat of substitution in the aviation industry is fairly low. Limited to the technologies and standards, the airline company can only get the suitable parts from the original corporation which supplied the products. Threat of entry is quite low because the aviation industry needs the latest scientific and technological achievements and long-term technology accumulation as well as a lot of money and human resources, so the potential competitors are hard to entry. Suppliers are hard to influence the aviation industry, for the reason that big corporations such as General Electric (GE) and Rolls-Royce possess the key technologies, while the suppliers are so many that can be easily replaced. The power of buyers has increased somewhat due to ease of switching, transparency of costs. But they dont have many choices but only three. Overall, competitive rivalry within the aviation industry is very high due to the presence of General Electric (GE) and Pratt Whitney (PW), rapid technological change and intense products and services competition. 2.3 Main Opportunities and Threats The main opportunity is the increasing business in the jet aircraft market and growing aerospace and defense market as well as Rolls-Royces Strategic alliances and investments. The most prominent threat currently faced by the industry is the economic crisis. Based on a survey of randomly selected flight departments about their expected use and purchase plans over the next five years, market forecasters believe Europe will remain a major source of demand for business aircraft, and orders will reach record levels in the next five years. While most of Europe entered recession about a year later than the America, European orders are expected to recover once economic growth resumes (Ian Goold, 2010). The challenge of climate change will present a range of exciting opportunities for Rolls-Royce. Many customers will potentially consider investing in new technology earlier in order to minimize emissions. Equally there is likely to be a lot of interest in future low carbon technologies as well as alternative energy sources (Rolls-Royce, 2009). And as manufacturing employment has declined in Britain, there has been less reason for the best and brightest to study the subjects that manufacturing demands. Rolls-Royce executives say that the pool of experienced engineers, process managers and skilled workers from which the company can recruit is shrinking (The Economist, 2009). Any company engaged in global business should be aware of the risks of currency fluctuations. In such an economic environment, the exchange rate fluctuations can affect Rolls-Royces earnings and value. They are fully exposed to what is known as an exchange risk. 3. Analysis of Rolls-Royces Strategic Capabilities 3.1 How the various market trends have affected Rolls-Royce plc And after 1987 the various market trends are as following: Rolls-Royce was rescued by being nationalised by a Conservative government when the firm reached its nadir in 1971. Margaret Thatcher privatised it in 1987, when Rolls-Royces engines were then used by only a handful of airlines. There was a trend that the engine market would be dominated by GE and Pratt Whitney. After that, the core of the firms strategy had been to increase the number of its engines powering the worlds civil jets. There was a trend that defence spending would be reduced after 1987, which was the edge of the end of cold war. Growth in civil business was doubly important because Rolls-Royce was badly hit by the fall of the Soviet Union-at which time defence accounted for 60% of its revenues (The Economist, 2005). Government began to reduce defence spending, thus Rolls-Royce got less orders from the military. Worse for the firm, British Airways, which was Rolls-Royces old customer, equipped its new Boeing 777 wide-body planes with GE engines (The Economist, 2005). From then on, Rolls-Royce tried its best to get its engines on the wings of big airlines around the world. The British government used to be Rolls-Royces biggest customer, buying its jet engines for Royal Air Force planes and its nuclear power plants for Royal Navy submarines. But nowadays America (the biggest defense market by far) is its biggest defense customer, using its jet engines on todays jump-jet aircraft and planning to do so on the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter, which promises to be the subject of the biggest contract in military history (The Economist, 2005). Nowadays America and British are facing the threat of international terrorist organizations, so the market is still promising. With the development of the worlds emerging economies, the world needs ever more tankers to transport oil and gas over long distances, and demand is growing for economical but high-power marine gas turbines to drive them, in place of the diesel-electric hybrid motors that have dominated until now. 3.2 Rolls-Royces development strategies According to these various market trends, Rolls-Royce increased the number of its engines to civil jet, and bought copper in order to push oil and gas along pipelines. In order to expand American market share, Rolls-Royce bought Allison. With over 80 per cent  of global commercial shipbuilding taking place in Asia, Rolls-Royce recently relocated its global headquarters for the Marine business to Singapore, bringing the Group closer to the customer base. The company had already placed its Global Headquarters for Marine Services and the regional headquarters for the Commercial Marine business covering Asia, the Middle East, India and Australia in Singapore. The operations also house one of Rolls-Royces global repairs and overhaul service centers. Rolls-Royce stands out as well for being the only company to offer an expanded OEM warranty (Rolls-Royce, 2009). As the expansion of the new markets and the use of new engine, Rolls-Royce has sold more services together with their products. Ansoff: product/ market matrix Product Current new Current penetration product development Market New market development diversification The theory of the Ansoffs: Product penetration refers to current product for current market. Aircraft engines Automation and control equipment Diesel and gas turbine engines Electric propulsion systems Engine support services Fuel cells Generators Offshore drilling equipment Overhaul and repair services Technical publications Training (Hoovers, Inc., 2009) Product development -it means new product for current market. Diesel and gas turbine engines; providing a better service Market development it means current product for new market. Marine motors ¼Ã…’Fuel cells ¼Ã…’Engine support services; Expanding American market share Diversification-It means new products for new market. Such as jet engines 3.3 How the main competitive advantage have been built up Competitive advantage refers to condition which enables a company to operate in a more efficient or otherwise higher-quality manner than the companies it competes with, and which results in benefits accruing to that company. After 1987 Rolls-Royce focused on four sectors which are civil, military, and marine as well as energy, and the firm continued its expenditure on investment and RD, it provides new products and new technologies. Rolls-Royces competitive advantage mainly focuses on core markets and core technology. We can see that, for the past decades years, the core strategy of the company has been to focuses on the four chosen markets namely civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy, now each of them are the top three in the world. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has increased the number of its engines powering the worlds civil jets, and the whole firm mainly makes all kind of engines, which accounts the majority of their revenue.   3.4 Evaluate the companys use of acquisitions Acquisitions means acquiring control of a corporation, called a target, by stock purchase or exchange, either hostile or friendly, also called takeover. After 1987 Rolls-Royce had several acquisitions as a method of strategic growth as following: (1) In 1996 Rolls-Royce bought Allison, its an American maker of small jet engines, mostly for corporate jets. This gave Rolls-Royce a significant presence in America-essential for any firm seeking to increase sales to the Pentagon (The Economist, 2005). From then on, American gradually  replaced Britain as Rolls-Royces largest market.   (2) In 1999 the company bought Vickers, a struggling arms-and-marine business. This acquisition took Rolls-Royce into the business of marine propulsion systems for warships. (3)In the same year Rolls-Royce bought Coopers, another specialist company, as the short cut in compressors with gas turbines in order to push oil and gas, which was very good for Rolls-Royces energy business. 3.5 Main Strengths and Weaknesses Rolls-Royces main weakness is they have to employ a lot of employee, which is very common in the manufacturing industry. It means Rolls-Royce has to pay a lot benefit for the retail employee. And sometimes, the orders may not be implemented well in such a big group corporation. There is another issue that Rolls-Royce has to focus on, that is, the increasing inventory which is caused by the unexpected order or demand. This will increase the companys operating costs. Rolls-Royces main strength is they are a leading integrated power systems company operating in the civil and defense aerospace, marine and energy markets. They have built their golden quality of their band, and they have regular partners and customers, for whom they will provide sustainable products and services. Furthermore, Rolls-Royce is a global corporation, so their business has a diversified geographic spread, which can be a source of guaranteed profit. Also they have a strong and trustful leadership to guarantee the right direction the corporation goes. Evaluation of Rolls-Royces Recent Strategies Rolls-Royces recent strategy is based on five key elements: 4.1 Address four global markets Rolls-Royce should focuses on the four core businesses, civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy, which are the most four profitable markets to the corporation. And there are still a lot to be done in order to develop the international market. As we know, Europe and the American market accounted for the majority of revenue, thus Asia and African are two emerging markets to emphasize. In some developing countries, Rolls-Royce will benefit from the preferential policies and cheap labor force. 4.2 Invest in technology, infrastructure and capability Rolls-Royce needs to invest more in RD to develop more innovative, environment-friendly products in order for it to keep the possession of advanced technologies and to offer better services. Meanwhile, with the development of the global market, it is necessary to invest more on the infrastructure to offer better services and attract more customers. 4.3 Develop a competitive portfolio of products and services As mentioned above, a competitive portfolio of products and services can consolidate existing markets and explore new markets. 4.4 Grow market share and installed product base Across the group, the installed base of engines in service is expected to generate attractive returns over many years (Rolls-Royce, 2009). 4.5 Add value for the customers through the provision of product-related services. Rolls-Royce should seek to add value for their customers with aftermarket services that will enhance the performance and reliability of their products (Rolls-Royce, 2009). 4.6 Others Manufacturing industry need a lot employee to make products, so Rolls-Royce could move the manufacturing centers to countries with low labor costs, which can greatly cut the cost. 4.7 Key Competitors GE Aviation and Pratt Whitney are Rolls-Royces top competitors. General Electric (GE) enjoys a very strong position in the wide body market, with the CF6 and GE90 engines powering about 40% of aircraft in the class. Pratt Whitney (PW) and Rolls-Royce each have about a 30% market share with the JT9D/PW4000 and the RB211/Trent series, respectively (Aircraft Economics, 2004/2005). To date, the most fuel efficient single-aisle jet engine belongs to Pratt Whitney, a considerably smaller player. The company unveiled its PW1000G geared turbofan in 2008 after a decade of development and promised it would reduce fuel burn by some 12% to 15% compared to todays engines (WSN Staff, 2010). In other business areas, there are some Rolls-Royces competitors not as big as GE and Pratt Whitney, such as SAFRAN, Emerson Electric, GE Honda Aero Engines, Honeywell Aerospace, IHI Corp, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, McDermott, Siemens AG, and Volvo. 5. Evaluation of Rolls-Royces leadership Sir John Rose took over as CEO in 1996. Rolls-Royces CEOs used to have an engineering background until Sir John Rose. He likes the intensely challenging job in Rolls-Royce which has something to do with His adventurous lifestyle, I guess. His leadership is critical to Rolls-Royces success. Rose insisted on continuing to invest substantially in the Trent engine series and it proved to be very important. Under Roses direction, the second largest business of Rolls-Royce, marine propulsion also has fared very well over the past years (Heller, Richard, 2005). Sir John Rose attaches importance to the after-sales business. And it makes sense, because engine services and sales of spare parts to replace worn components make up more than 50 percent of turnover. All in all, Rolls Royces leadership is smart, mature ¼Ã…’dynamic, aggressive and trustworthy. 6. Conclusion Rolls-Royce, the global leader in power systems and services for air, land and sea, will focus on both the importance of services for its civil and defense aerospace markets and its newest programs for these markets, mainly on the global market. In civil and military business, they can also through acquisition of developing countrys jet industry to expand market segment. Therefore there are tremendous opportunities for future business in expanding consumer markets, such as China and India. After setbacks in the exploration, the corporation has achieved a positive development under the leadership of Sir John Rose.

Odysseus Cannot Return Home in Homers Odyssey Essay -- Odyssey essays

Odysseus Cannot Return Home in Homer's Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚   Webster's College Dictionary defines home as: An environment offering security and happiness" and "a valued place regarded as refuge or place of origin." Anyone can build a house but the emotional security a home provides is created by the people who live there. In Homer's Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus leaves his home in Ithica to fight in the Trojan war. The Odyssey tells the story of his treacherous journey back to Ithica, and the turmoil he experiences. Due to his strong desire to return to the place he remembered as home, Odysseus endurs the hardships of his journey. He hopes his homecoming will return him to the same home, and same life he built twenty years ago. Odysseus will never truly return home because he is not the same king, husband, or man he once was; He is not capable of recreating the home he once had. Ulysses' quote," I am part of all that I have met," is the epitome of why Odysseus can never again truly return home. Throughout his journeys he has experienced multiple life changing events. As the quotation states, he has become a part of everything he has experienced. Victimized by kleos, arrogance, and emotional weakness, Odysseus is forever changed from the Trojan war, and his journey home. Fighting on the battle grounds of the Trojan war, left Odysseus narcissistic, and controlled by his desire for kleos. Odysseus desire for recognition is demonstrated often before he reaches Ithica. It eventually leads to the death of all of his men. An earlier example is the manner in which he dealt with the Cyclops. When Odysseys and his men were sailing back to sea, after escaping the beast, he called out to the already furious Cyclops,... ...the suitors and the women who were in some way connected to them. Odysseus will never be the same husband, because he broke the trust between himself and Penelope, and the security of marriage. Emotionally damaged and belligerent, Odysseus is not the same man and will never be able to play the role of the person he was. The home he once had, the security, attachment, and people that are associated with it, will all be effected by him. The home Odysseus, the all mighty Trojan hero once built, will never again be more than a memory. Works Consulted: Bloom, Harold.   Homer's Odyssey: Edited and with an Introduction, NY, Chelsea House 1988 Crane, Gregory.   Backgrounds and Conventions of the Odyssey,   Frankfurt, Athenaeum 1988 Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: 1996 Tracy, Stephen V. The Story of the Odyssey Princeton UP 1990

Virgil’s Aeneas and Dido Essay

Love Stories Introduction Virgil’s Aeneas and Dido   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This romantic story has been in existence for decades. It is therefore evident that it is one of the most narrated romantic stories. It is a love story between Dido and Aeneas, a Trojan soldier (Virgil 21). After the shipwreck, Aeneas and his troop had no option but to seek refuge in Carthage, which was ruled by Dido. When Dido spots Aeneas, she immediately falls in love with him, hence, allows his troops to stay in Carthage. Although Dido admires Aeneas, she does not want to fall in love with him. This is because she wishes to remain loyal to her dead husband (Virgil 12). Her sister however convinces her into falling in love with Aeneas. According to Anna, Dido’s sister, falling in love with Aeneas will be beneficial to Carthage since it will become mightier than before (Virgil 51). Although Dido developed the perception that she and Aeneas were married, this was not the case for Aeneas. This is because after a short period of stay in Carthage, Aeneas decided to leave for Italy. Dido tried to prevent him from leaving but this did not bear any fruits since Aeneas was acting in response to the gods that had visited him at night. When Aeneas finally left Carthage, Dido was left in tears to the extent that she opted to end her life. Strengths and Weakness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This story can be equated as one of the best stories ever written. This is because it has a number of strengths in it. For instance, Dido portrays real love to her dead husband. According to Virgil (12), Dido had sworn never to fall in love again after the death of her husband. This is enough proof that she was quite loyal. The other aspect of real love that comes out in this story is the manner in which Dido falls for Aeneas. It is because of her love towards Aeneas that makes Dido allow the Trojan soldiers to stay in Carthage. Dido’s love for Aeneas was strong to the extent that she did not want her to leave cartage. It was because of the passion she had for Aeneas that made her decide to end her life the day she realized that Aeneas had left her for Italy. Although this story has a number of strengths, it also has several weaknesses as well. For instance, although Dido was in love with Aeneas, this was not the case for Aeneas. Th is is because Aeneas did not seem interested in Dido. This brings out the fact that Aeneas took advantage of Dido’s and was never in love with her. Apuleius’ Cupid and Psyche   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story is about a romantic relationship that blossomed between Psyche and Cupid, the son of Venus, who was the goddess of love.According to the story, Psyche was quite beautiful to the extent that Venus, the goddess of love, developed hatred for her (Apuleius 39). He asked her son, cupid, to go and stab her. However, cupid was stunned by Psyche’s beauty to the extent that he stabbed himself instead. Cupid immediately falls in love with Psyche and gradually a relationship blossoms between the two. The most interesting thing about this love is that psyche was not allowed to see the man she was in love with. Out of curiosity, Psyche decides to see who his suitor was. When Cupid was fast asleep, Psyche uses the lamp to know the identity of her lover (Apuleius 26). She is surprised to learn that it was Cupid. Cupid is not happy with psyche; hence, he abandons her and goes back to Venus. Psyche is not ready to let her lover go, hence, she goes to Venus and requests to be allowed to see Cupid (Apuleius 39). Venus is not comfortable seeing Cupid with Psyche, hence, she assigns her difficult tasks in a move to get rid of her. To Venus’ surprise, Psyche accomplishes all these tasks. Cupid finally comes to her rescue and transforms her into a goddess; this implied that she was immortal. Strength and Weakness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unlike the previous story, this one tends to have more strength; hence, it stands a chance becoming the best love story ever written. This is because the story brings out the extent that one can go in the name of seeking love. For instance, although Cupid and Psyche were from two different worlds, they were able to finally marry each other and live happily. Similarly, the power of love is seen when Psyche decides to go search for Cupid (Apuleius 39). Although Psyche was aware that Cupid’s mother was never pleased with her, she still went to Venus to Inquire about Cupid’s whereabouts. Psyche’s love for Cupid is also seen when she accomplishes all the difficult tasks she was given by Venus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The only weakness about this story is the fact that there are a number of unrealistic aspects in it. For instance, it is quite unrealistic for Cupid, a god, to marry Psyche who was a human being. Additionally, the fact that Psyche was finally transformed into a goddess also brings out the unrealistic aspect of this story. Human beings are mortal; hence, it is not possible for them to be transformed into gods and goddesses, which implies that they cannot become immortal. Dante’s Paolo and Francesca   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is a story about Francesca, the daughter to the lord of Ravenna, and Gianciotto, the son to the lord of Rimini. These two cities had continuously been engaged in war. In order to end the continuous conflicts, an agreement be made. The two lords agreed to marry off their children in a move to have a lasting solution to the warfare (Singleton). Since Gianciotto was disabled and ugly, he did not attend the wedding ceremony. Paolo was the youngest brother to Gianciotto. He was picked to represent Gianciotto since he was handsome and good-looking and it was obvious that Francesca would fall in love with him. The plan proceeded well since Francesca did not know the truth until the following morning when she woke up besides Gianciotto (Singleton). Although she is angry, nothing could be done about it since she was already a married woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, since Francesca had fallen in love with Paolo, a secret relationship blossomed between the two (Singleton). After several years, the secret finally came to light when Gianciotto walked on them while they were behind closed door. This discovery angered Gianciotto to the extent that he decided to kill Paolo. However, when he swung the rapier, Francesca rushed between them and the rapier ended up cutting through Francesca’s bosom before finally slitting through Paolo, hence, killing both of them on the spot (Singleton). Strength and Weakness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although it has a tragic end, it is also one of the best-drafted love stories since there are a number of lessons worth learning from it. Compared to other love stories, this one tends to have more weaknesses than strengths. In the case of strength, through marriage, there was peace between Ravenna and Rimini. This implies that love can cause harmony to dominate in a region that that marred by wrangles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story tends to have more weaknesses compared to strengths. The story is marred with a lot of deception. For instance, during the wedding ceremony, Paolo impersonates Gianciotto since he is more handsome. This implied that not only did they lie to Francesca but also her father who was also the lord of Ravenna. It was because of this deception that the marriage between Francesca and Gianciottowas unstable. For instance, since Francesca had fallen in love with Paolo, this relationship still went on even after the wedding. This implied that Paolo was having an affair with Francesca, who was Gianciotto’s wife. It was because of these deceptions that finally resulted to the tragic death of the two couples. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although the three stories are romantic, Apuleius’ Cupid and Psyche is the most romantic love story. This is because unlike the rest that end tragically, it is only Apuleius’ Cupid and Psyche that ends positively. Similarly, it is also the best love story since it has more strengths than weaknesses. In Apuleius’ Cupid and Psyche, Psyche portrays real love since she was willing to go to her extreme in search for her lover. References Apuleius, Joel. The Tale of Cupid and Psyche. Indianna: Hackett Publishing, 2009. Print. Singleton, Charles. â€Å"Romance Stories: Paolo& Francesca as told by Dante.† Wisdom Portal. 1977. Web. 31 October 2014. Virgil &Maclennan, Keith. Virgil: Aeneid Iv. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013. Print. Source document

President Obama s Executive Order - 1456 Words

My policy problem is that Congress now wants to reverse President Obama’s executive order and this reversal will be a huge step back in the process of the immigration reform that is needed. This reversal of action can be detrimental to many immigrant families by separating families with deportation and delaying families from being reunited after only parts of families were able to come to the United States. The government has been deporting illegal immigrants and the path to citizenship is difficult for illegal immigrants because of the complications and financial burden of the whole process. The reform that needs to take place is that Congress has to make amendments to our current immigration policy regarding citizenship for the illegal†¦show more content†¦This is a possible and desirable solution as evidenced by Obama’s executive action. His executive order is only a minor application of my proposed policy solution and it is a step in the right direction. Many interest groups that support immigration reform as I do are happy that Obama as enacted this executive order, however widespread immigration reform is still needed (Lulac.org 2014). The current power struggle between Congress and Obama is one of intergovernmental relations, â€Å"the relationship between different levels of government. For example, it may pertain to the struggle between the national government and the states for authority over a specific policy domain.† (Kollman 2014, 74), and although this usually pertains to federal versus state or state versus local government, it is definitely important to this current struggle between two parties. The House of Representatives has already started a bill to effectively get rid of Obama’s executive order and now needs the support of the Senate in order to make it happen. â€Å"The House bill, called Executive Amnesty Prevention Act, states that any attempt by the administration to exempt immigrants from deportation laws shall be null and void and without legal effect.† (Memoli 2014). This power struggle arises due to the relationship between legislative and executive branch of our governme nt