Case Study 3 - Input Diagnosis (skype) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case Study 3 - Input Diagnosis (skype) - Essay Example Now in the context of the project, the report will highlight the business strategy of Skype. Apart from that the report will also shed light on the three generic strategies of Porter and its resemblance with the organizations strategy of Skype. Furthermore Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model will be also emphasized in accordance with the strategies of Skype. Finally the report will present the critical inputs of Skype and will then offer a conclusion based on the findings from the study. The next part will therefore put emphasis to the business strategy of Skype. Skype mainly follows the business model, which is the combination of network effects model and service provision and thereby collective referred to as â€Å"freemium† model. Skype offers both free as well as premium services to the customers. Some of the applications that are offered free include chatting, Skype-to-Skype calling, file transfer, multi-party calling, and video calling. On the other hand premium or paid serv ices comprise of Skype-In, Online numbers, Voicemail, subscriptions, Skype-Out and SMS. Since Skype offers a number of communication methods via internet, it has been able to target a large number of customers, who seek communication over the internet at low cost. In the recent past the company has also entered the mobile market by incorporating software that runs on a Smartphone. Skype also caters to the television segment along with the blue-ray devices. Hence from an overall viewpoint the basic business strategy of Skype is to have global coverage for the users of mobiles and computers. Apart from generating revenues from the premium services, the company earns revenue by providing partnership perspectives through licensing, and advertisement opportunities (Hagstedt, Hakansson & Thideman, 2011). Nevertheless, one of the important factors that played a major role in driving the business of Skype is the security it offers to the customers and a strong brand reputation supported by Microsoft. Porter’s Three Generic Competitive Strategies The three generic strategies of Porter include cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy. The cost leadership strategy is about being the low-cost manufacturer. The differentiation strategy can be characterized by the offerings of a service or product that is unique and highly valued by the customers. Finally the focus strategy is about focusing and catering to a particular customer segment. Now comparing with the business strategy of Skype, it can be concluded that Skype makes use of differentiation strategy. The company offers a large number of unique communication modes that are distinctive and are highly value by the customers. Organizational Inputs The organizational inputs are those materials which the organization has to utilize for completion of their desired objectives. There are several different types of inputs, each of which signifies different resource for the organization. All t he organizational inputs are interlinked; especially the environment and resources have a very close relation. The environmental conditions affect the availability and price of acquiring the resources. The key organizational inputs are: a) Environment: It includes all the factors such as events, groups, individuals, institutions, and the whole

Helping the Elderly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Helping the Elderly - Essay Example Going by this theory, elders are in the stage of self actualization and in this stage, they are not attracted by desires etc. All they need is peace and they will be in a position where they know about themselves clearly. At this stage most of the needs are fulfilled. Relating the theory with the case clearly shows one of the major needs of elders - health. Most of the elders are in need of drugs and medicines to relieve them from their diseases. So medicine also becomes the basic need for elders. Most of the drug/medicine businesses are targeted at this basic need of elders. The elders are in a stage of dependency due to their physical and mental weakness. In this case, both the government and Insurance companies must come to the aid of elders as the elders depend directly on medicine for their survival. The role of Doctors, Health care Industry (Drugs), Insurance Companies and Government have a direct impact on the life of elders. These key persons must change their attitude and mindset from looking at elders as a revenue source and start helping them in their own ways. It's no secret that average costs of prescription drugs have raised dramatically in the past decade. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, average retail prices for brand name drugs in the United States more than doubled between 1990 and 2000, from $27 in 1990 to $65 in 2000. The obvious question is: Why? One of the major reasons is the advertising cost spent by health care companies. The amount of money that has been spent promoting drugs since the new FDA regulations went into effect is staggering. In 1996, the drug industry spent $791 million on mass media advertising. Four years later, that number more than tripled to $2.5 billion. ... I approached the case study considering the important people in the case. i.e. Doctors Health care Industry (Drugs) Insurance Companies Government Elders The role of Doctors, Health care Industry (Drugs), Insurance Companies and Government have a direct impact on the life of elders. These key persons must change their attitude and mindset from looking at elders as a revenue source and start helping them in their own ways. The decisions to be taken by doctors are to charge less to elders. The decisions to be taken by health care industry personnel are to provide drugs at a cheap cost to elders. The decisions to be taken by Insurance companies are to charge low premium from elders and compensate them quickly on their medical expenses. The decisions to be taken by Government are to provide tax cut and provisions on high priced medicines to elders. If possible, the Government must distribute them free of cost to elders. Why are prescription drug prices so high The drug prices are tremendously huge. It's no secret that average costs of prescription drugs have raised dramatically in the past decade. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, average retail prices for brand name drugs in the United States more than doubled between 1990 and 2000, from $27 in 1990 to $65 in 2000. The obvious question is: Why One of the major reasons is the advertising cost spent by health care companies. The amount of money that has been spent promoting drugs since the new FDA regulations went into effect is staggering. In 1996, the drug industry spent $791 million on mass media advertising. Four years later, that number more than tripled to $2.5 billion. All told, the U.S. drug industry spent $15.7 billion