Ford Corporation Essay Example for Free

Ford Corporation Essay The manufacturing capabilities kept on improving and in 1917 he built the Rouge plant that put the whole operation, from the raw material, to the final product, under the same roof. In 1915 Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford joined his father in the company. Edsel brought to the company the desire of making a product not only functional, but stylish and beautiful. Ford became entirely family owned in 1919 when Henry, his wife Clara, and Edsel bought the outstanding shares for 5,820,894 (Chapman, pp. 128) . The company would hold to this status until 1956 when the company would allow outsiders to buy shares. For many years the image of the company was the same as its leadership. Henry Ford passed the presidency to Edsel Ford in 1919. Henry Ford reassumed the leadership after the death of Edsel in 1943. After Henry Ford resigned, Henry Ford II assumed the presidency. The company inherited by Henry Ford II was not the same. Ford had fallen behind General Motor (GM) and Chrysler. Henry Ford II knew he had to regain terrain, so he contracted the Whiz Kids (a group of former US Army Air Force officers), and created a â€Å"sophisticated management system including accounting and financial controls† (Chapman, pp. 28). With the finance side in check, Ford gained increased its position, and became the number 2 car company in 1950. Ford products were not fuel efficient, and when the gas prices rose in the 70s because of the OPEC embargo, Ford lost many consumers. The company responded by closing plants and cutting jobs. After the storm, the sun came out in the late 80s with the launch of F ord Taurus and Mercury Ford was on the top of the game once again. The desire to diversify made Ford buy other brands and include it in its family such as: Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo. Bill Ford assumed the presidency of the company in 2001. It was the first time in 20 years that the head of the company was a member of the Ford family. Bill Ford drove the company through one of the worst times in history for the company: right after the extensive (and expensive) Firestone tires recall, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Bill Ford went to ups and downs during his presidency. He saw sales improving slowly from 2001 to 2006, but the increasing competition from foreign brands such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda made him realize that he needed help taking the company to the next level. Alan Mulally became the new CEO in 2006. He was a new face in the auto industry, coming from Boeing Corporation instead from inside Ford or from another auto company. Mulally â€Å"demonstrated leadership skills Henry Ford had established many years ago. † Mulally brought to the company new energy, and a brave new plan. His most risky decision proved to pay off in the end. He decided to raise money by mortgaging almost all of Ford’s assets including the brand. His audacity put Ford as the most trustworthy American company. The money raised by Mulally helped keep Ford out of the government bailout of 2009. Ford Motor Company: The Problem(s) Ford has been a pioneer in the auto industry but it still faces a lot of problems to make it the number one in the industry. The increasing competition from other car companies to creatively and efficiently attract and retain customers made it difficult to gain the number one position. The economic crisis also made it hard to sell new vehicles. The quality of Ford vehicles have also gone down compared to what it was before. The slow reaction to change in consumer taste made Ford lag behind its main competitors. It was also late in expanding in international market and opportunities were lost to other brands. Ford Motor Company: SWOT Analysis Strengths One of Ford’s biggest strengths is its leadership. Since Henry Ford founded the company, the leadership has been proven to help the company throughout difficult times. Every leader brought to the company a new idea. Henry Ford wanted the company to produce an affordable product. His successor, Edsel showed that innovation is always necessary in this industry. Edsel wanted stylish and beautiful vehicles to carry the Ford brand. Henry Ford II with he help of the Whiz Kids developed a â€Å"sophisticated management system† what helped the company after World War II. He also â€Å"revitalized Ford with modern engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and distribution facilities in the US and 22 foreign countries† (Chapman, pp. 128). The strong and visionary leadership style of Henry Ford was shared by many other leaders of Ford. T he new generation, Bill Ford and Alan Mulally also presented the traits of a Ford leader. Bill by navigating Ford throughout harsh times, and for seeing that the company needed a change, a fresh start. He then passed the leadership of the company to Alan Mulally who proved to be exactly what the company needed. Mulally discovered that Ford lacked â€Å"global synergy,† he was surprised by the way that Ford was operating its brands. He saw that the company did not have central control, it took him a while to find out what was really happening inside the company. He also made really tough financial decisions, and reorganized the amount of brands and models offered by Ford. â€Å"With his leadership and conviction, Ford Motor Company stood apart from its competitors by standing on its two feet† (Chapman, pp. 33). Ford’s reputation is also an incredible strength for the company. Ford is seen as a family company. Henry Ford wants the employees to be able to buy cars, increased their wages, and was interested in sharing a piece of his family with others. Weaknesses Ford has proven to be slow to respond to changes in the environment and consumer tastes. They felt that they â€Å"got it,† and felt comfortable with it. Since the beginning of Ford, with a delay to offer cars in other colors than black, they experience a tardiness to respond to changes. One example was the excessive attention to SUVs and other gas inefficient cars when the gas prices spiked. When consumers were looking for alternatives to the gas drinking vehicles, Ford was fully producing SUV’s. Although SUV’s are Ford bestselling product, the fact that they were slow to make them more efficient or give costumers other styles to choose from, made Ford to lose market share to other automakers. Ford also lost terrain when they did not address earlier the ecofriendly trend. Toyota had the Prius which did not have much of a competition until recently. Currently, Ford has â€Å"12 vehicles with best in class fuel economy and 4 models with at least 40 mpg† (Chapman, pp. 137), and is developing plug-in models that use a combination of electricity and gasoline that will compete against the Chevrolet Volt. Opportunities Ford has the opportunity to expand its presence and capture market share in India and China. It aims to increase its revenues from international sales from 20 percent to 50 percent. The expanding market of the two countries allows Ford to focus on small, light and fuel efficient cars that are needed in the market. Ford has also been slow to respond to demands for small hybrid or fuel efficient cars in the United States. There is also an opportunity to increase standardization of the platforms used in world-wide production of vehicles. If this happens the cost of production would significantly lower and it would be easier to introduce new cars into new markets without building new plants. Ford can also further trim down the number of models out in the market and focus on cars they are widely known for such as light trucks and expand its model for smaller and fuel efficient cars. To target the higher end market, it should continue to build its Lincoln brand as a better alternative in the US and once established, export that brand to new markets overseas. Production from union controlled plants could also be transferred to non-union plants that can give Ford plants a competitive edge or be at par with other auto companies in compensation for workers. Ford can also consolidate more dealership to become more competitive and give them incentives to attract more customers thru financing and offering excellent customer service. Threats The auto industry is very competitive and technology driven industry. Ford has to constantly monitor its competitors to know how it will make its own decision. Companies will outbid one another in attracting new customers by giving them a lot of rebates, incentives and attractive financing. The technology for clean, fuel-efficient cars and alternate sources of fuel is also changing and without proper funding for research Ford could be left behind and lose in this expanding market. Any increase in price of raw materials could also increase production cost for Ford and make their vehicles more expensive. Demands of union workers also affect the competitiveness of Ford. They are currently paying higher compensation and benefits compared to the rest of auto industry. Changing consumer tastes also makes it difficult for Ford to quickly address and create cars that the market needs. Any decline in the US economy would also greatly affect the revenues of Ford. Most of the revenues of Ford comes from the US market and if the US economy goes into another recession it would decrease consumer spending and make it difficult to survive without government help. Ford Motor Company: Five Forces Threats of Substitute Products – High in Urban Areas, Low in Suburban Areas * With the increase of gas prices and traffic congestion consumers are now looking for alternate ways to commute between work and home. Consumers are increasingly being aware of their â€Å"carbon footprint† and are looking for clean and energy efficient alternatives to commute. In cities, the availability of public tr ansportation such as buses, subways and light rail systems gives commuters flexibility. Car-sharing options such as Zipcar are now also available in cities and have become popular. Rivalry Among Competing Firms – High * Competition in the auto industry is very high. Different companies compete aggressively in increasing their market share by giving incentives to customers. It is also important for companies to satisfy the needs and tastes of consumers. Companies also try to run an efficient supply chain to limit the cost of producing and increasing profit margins. * Threats of New Entrants – Low * The threat of new entrants in the local auto industry is low. The auto industry is very capital and labor intensive and it takes time for companies to establish their operations. The current companies have established their presence and market share but competition from potential, new and growing car companies in big markets such as China and India is inevitable. * Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Low * The auto industry sources its raw materials from global suppliers. The suppliers market is also a competitive industry. Bulk of their sales come from the auto industry and companies have established relationships to give them access to supplies and new technologies. The relationship of auto ompanies and suppliers are intertwined given that as auto companies increase production, supplier companies increase revenues. * Bargaining Power of Buyers – High * Consumers now have more choices that gives them a higher bargaining power. The economy is also improving and giving them more buying power. Unlike before where manufacturers dictate what the dealers will push to the consumers, consumers now make the demand for manufacturers to make fuel-efficient an d environment friendly cars. Consumers are also well informed and by being well informed they can ask for more incentives to dealers and car manufacturers. Ford Motor Company: Recommendations Under the leadership of Mulally Ford has significantly made changes to improve the position of the company. We recommend that Ford increase funding on research for fuel efficient cars, alternate sources of energy for smaller cars that the market demands and will create sustainability in its vehicles. Ford should also maintain or increase the quality of its vehicles by standardizing its platforms and improving its technology to detect any safety issues with its vehicles to avoid costly recalls that not only is expensive but tarnishes the image of the company. The economic crisis has made it difficult for other car companies not to be bailed out but Ford was able to maintain its independence by using its assets and enforcing better control in its finances. Ford can continue to be competitive by maintaining or lowering its operating costs. Ford has been known in its proficiency in having a tight supply chain were it can control the costs of production. Ford should be quick to adapt in changing consumer tastes. It should not be content with making products that they are known for and lose market share in new vehicles that are small, clean and fuel efficient. It should also make its current models cleaner and more fuel efficient to maintain attractiveness to consumers. Ford has great potential in new markets such as China and India. The reputation it has built as a well know car manufacturer in the US can be used to tap new customers in international market. Ford has built by its strong leaders and will continue to thrive if more reforms are made.

Biography of Rudyard Kipling Essay -- Rudyard Kipling Writers Authors

Biography of Rudyard Kipling 1865 - Kipling is born in Bombay, India. 1871 - Kipling and his younger sister Alice are separated from their parents and sent to England to be educated. 1878 - Kipling enters public school in North Devon. 1882 - Kipling ends his formal education and returns to India to become a trainee journalist. 1886 - Publication of Departmental Ditties. Kipling begins to make a name for himself as a young writer of some repute. 1887 - Soldiers Three, In Black and White, The Phantom Rickshaw, Wee Willie Winkle, The Story of the Gadsbys, and the stories later collected in The Smith Administration, The City of Dreadful Night, and Letters of Marque, were all written and published. 1889 - Kipling returns to London and embarks upon a decade of rising fame and extreme productivity. Kim, The Jungle Book, Stalky and Co., Captain’s Courageous , The Seven Seas and The Days Work are all published to great success. 1891- Marries Caroline Balestrier and emigrates to the USA 1899 - Death of first born child, Josephine, in New York. 1900 - Begins sojourn in South Africa. Becomes leading proponent of the Boer War. 1908 - Greatly disillusioned by the Liberal governments policy in South Africa, Kipling returns to England. 1914 - World War one begins. Kipling believes his long-held suspicion of the Germans has been justified. He once more becomes an enthusiastic proponent of the British war effort. 1915 - Kipling’s 18 year old son John disappears in battle. Kipling never really recovers from the loss. Kipling is diagnosed with the ailments that would later kill him. 1... ...nsued when John Kipling disappeared in action only a month after his arrival. Kipling saw the subsequent settlement at Versailles as another betrayal, mocking the sacrifices of the fallen allies. For his remaining two decades, he endured constant pain and discomfort from a series of misdiagnosed stomach ailments. In his autobiography Something of Myself (1935) , Kipling makes no mention of his years of suffering, just as he also avoids mention of the other tragedies in his life. He continued to write, and to develop his art, right up until the end of his life. He died in January 1936. Works Cited Kipling, Rudyard. Something of Myself and Other Autobiographical Writings, ed. Thomas Pinney. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Sullivan, Zoreh T. Narratives of Empire : The Fictions of Rudyard Kipling. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Should the use of cannabis be legalised?

Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United Kingdom. However, more and more people are campaigning to see it legalised. These people have many arguments that could give good reason for the drug to be legalised, but these are also arguments against it being legalised because it is dangerous in many ways. Either way, there is no way to decide who is right or wrong unless the deciding party is in full awareness of the benefits and disadvantages that legalising the drug could bring. In this essay I will be putting forward why cannabis should be legalised or why it shouldn't and then say my opinion on the matter. For the past year cannabis has frequently been in the news headlines in the UK, and it was recently announced that the legal status of the drug is to be reviewed. This may come as welcome news to the many people who use the drug either for medicinal or recreational reasons. The supply and possession of cannabis is illegal in the UK and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Even though the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, recently down-graded from cannabis from a ‘Class B' drug to a ‘Class C' drug. Some people believe that the legalisation of cannabis would lead to an increase in the usage of the drug among young people. They argue that if cannabis was legal, it would be easier to obtain and therefore more tempting to try. The graph above shows the percentage of cannabis use of young people around the UK in 2002. I believe this is the most reliable source for this information in 2002 as it was collected by the British Crime Survey taken by the Home Office. This chart shows the falling prices of cannabis between 1994-2004. Therefore if the prices keep on falling, more and more people will be able to buy this drug. Furthermore, If more and more people will buy and use cannabis, Most of the people will become addicted and at some point move on to stronger and more harmful drug, for example cocaine. This graph shows another reason why cannabis should be kept illegal. The graph shows just how dramatic the number of convictions there are per year and that police time could be put to better use if cannabis was legalised. I think this is a reliable source as it was published in the Home office annual statistics of 2000. Therefore, if cannabis would be legalised more people would obtain the drug and the number of cannabis offender's increase. There is also some short term effects of cannabis one of this includes Mood effects. Adverse mood effects can occur, particularly in inexperienced users (Users that do not take the drug often), after large doses of cannabis. These effects include panic, depression, delusions, and hallucinations. These effects normally disappear after a few hours after use. Some of the long term effects of cannabis include impact on the respiratory system. Cannabis smoke contains many of the same components as tobacco smoke. As much as four times the amount of tar can be deposited on the lungs of cannabis smokers as cigarette smokers. Cannabis cigarettes usually do not have filters and cannabis smokers usually develop a larger puff volume, inhale more deeply and hold their breath several times longer than tobacco smokers. This graph show, the long term effects on cannabis, which include: Your eyes, Central nervous system, respiratory system, circulatory system, stomach and intestines, pregnancy and babies and reproductive system of male and female. It also describes each one and shows some of the disadvantages of it in bullet points One of the reasons why cannabis should be legalised is that the money that is spent on attempting to decrease the number of people consuming cannabis illegally would be reduced , the police would be targeting more dangerous criminals, it would be easier for people to ask for help about their addiction because they wouldn't fear getting in trouble and also because people have the right to practise their religion ( Buddhism ) .It was reported on the BBC news website since The Netherlands legalised cannabis in the 1970 usage of heroin declined. This counters the argument that cannabis is the â€Å"gateway† to more dangerous drugs There has not been a reported death for which cannabis is directly responsible, whereas, there is always news and stories linking tobacco with cancer and high blood pressure. Yet cigarettes are available to buy to anyone in Britain over the legal age, while cannabis is a banned substance. The opportunity cost of not legalising cannabis is alcohol and cigarettes, which are consumed anyway. Alcohol is socially approved, even though people know the consequences of alcohol. Cannabis is not packed as tightly as a tobacco cigarette, and so the substances smoked is about half that in a tobacco cigarette. Also, tobacco smokers generally smoke a lot more cigarettes per day than do cannabis smokers. A question asked by many of the public is â€Å"alcohol causes more crime, abuse and costs to the NHS as well as society as a whole and it is legal, so why should cannabis be illegal?† The real answer is yet to be answered, but in my opinion, the reason why cannabis is still illegal is because people and the government are concerned that the users that will start taking cannabis and will move on to more dangerous drugs and therefore will become infected and diseased with various different diseases and illnesses. I believe cannabis shouldn't be legalised, if it was it would send the wrong message to people, that it's safe when it has negative long term effects. Also because from what I have seen people who consume cannabis, later begin to consume more dangerous drugs such as heroin. There are long term negative effects on the body from using cannabis. Buying cannabis also wastes money which could be spent on more worthwhile things such as education. There will be an increase in people using the drug so there will be more rehabilitation programs which taxpayers and the government will have to pay for. References: http://www.lca-uk.org/ http://www.drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk http://www.mapinc.org http://www.telegraph.co.uk http://www.uk.answers.yahoo.com http://www.rds.homeoffice.gov.uk RESEARCH * Even hardcore smokers can become anxious, panicky, suspicious or paranoid. * Cannabis affects your coordination, which is one of the reasons why drug driving is just as illegal as drink driving. * Some people think cannabis is harmless just because it's a plant – but it isn't harmless. Cannabis, like tobacco, has lots of chemical ‘nasties', which can cause lung disease and possibly cancer with long-term or heavy use, especially as it is often mixed with tobacco and smoked without a filter. It can also make asthma worse, and cause wheezing in non-asthma sufferers. * Cannabis itself can affect many different systems in the body, including the heart: It increases the heart rate and can affect blood pressure. * If you've a history of mental health problems, then taking cannabis is not a good idea: It can cause paranoia in the short term, but in those with a pre-existing psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, it can contribute to relapse. * If you use cannabis and have a family background of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, you may be at increased risk of developing a psychotic illness. * It is reported that frequent use of cannabis can cut a man's sperm count, reduce sperm motility, and can suppress ovulation in women and so may affect fertility. * If you're pregnant, smoking cannabis frequently may have some association with the risk of the baby being born smaller than expected. * Regular, heavy use makes it difficult to learn and concentrate. Some people begin to feel tired all the time and can't seem to get motivated. * Some users may want to buy strong herbal cannabis to get ‘a bigger high' but unpleasant reactions can be more powerful when you use strong cannabis, and it is possible that using strong cannabis repeatedly could lead in time to more users experiencing harmful effects such as dependence or being more at risk of developing the mental health effects.

The Stages of Maturation in James Joyce’s Araby John...

When comparing the views of both James Joyce and John Updike on maturation from adolescence to adulthood it will be important to continually compare two of their similar works in Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† and Updike’s â€Å"AP†. James Joyce and John Updike follow similar views with the latter using Joyce as a foundation and following in similar footsteps; both authors follow a process of maturation based on the allure of love, while doing it at different stages of each of the protagonists’ lives resulting in similar views with different stages. First, both authors use the characters telling their own story in first person narration to express the protagonist’s inner thoughts and level of maturity. Second, again both Joyce and Updike use several literary metaphor’s to express the sexual and provocative intention of the main characters. Lastly, Joyce and Updike use different age, maturity and settings in their stories to define their rate of maturation and the results of the story. To begin, the first person narrative used in James Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† allows for Joyce to develop a younger character whose feelings, thoughts and maturity level is open to the understanding and criticism of the audience. The expansive level of personal description by Joyce’s narrator also indicates that the Joyce is trying to both develop the story itself but also the protagonist in terms of maturity level, general intelligence and knowledge. One of the main similarities between the two stories is the fact thatShow MoreRelatedANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesarranged sequence of interrelated events that constitute the basic narrative structure of a novel or a short story. Events of any kind, of course, inevitably involve people, and for this reason it is virtually impossible to discuss plot in isolation from character. Character and plot are, in fact, intimately and reciprocally related, especially in modern fiction. A major function of plot can be said to be the representation of characters in action, though as we will see the action involved can be internal