Essay on Market Structure - 829 Words

Market structure is defined as the particular environment of a firm, the characteristics of which influence the firm’s pricing and output decisions. There are four theories of market structure. These theories are: nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;†¢nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Pure competition nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;†¢nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Monopolistic competition nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;†¢nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Oligopoly†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Examples of perfect competition include some agricultural markets and a small subset of the retail trade. The stock market, where there are hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers of stock, is also sometimes cited as an example of pure competition. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The theory of monopolistic competition is built on three assumptions: (1.) There are many sellers and buyers. (2.) Each firm produces and sells a slightly differentiated product. (3.) There is easy entry and exit. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The monopolistic firm has no rivals, and it produces a good for which there are no substitutes. In a monopolistic competition, it has a downward slope. This means that it has to lower price to sell an additional unit of the good it produces. Just like the pure competition, monopolistic firm charges the highest price it can possibly charge for its product. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Examples of monopolistic competition includes retail clothing, restaurants, and service stations. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The theory of monopoly is a theory of market structure based on three assumptions: (1.) There is one seller. (2.) The single seller sells a product for which there are noShow MoreRelatedMarket Structure Of The Company Essay1088 Words   |  5 PagesMarket Structure Introduction There are four types of market structures and they are monopoly, perfect competition, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. What is a market structure? A market structure is â€Å"the makeup of the companies operating in a particular market.† Why is the market structure important to the producer as well as the consumer? It distinguishes the difference in seller numbers, buyer numbers, seller entry barriers, and buyer entry barriers. The main differences in market structuresRead MorePerfect Competition : A Market Structure1942 Words   |  8 PagesWhen trying to top look for a market structure to fit your needs a person should start with perfect completion, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. These four market structure are used by business to aid the businesses in producing and selling products. Perfect competition is described as a market structure that has many sellers and buyers that produce the same product and they are allowed to leave and exit the in dustry at any time. Free entry and free exit is a crucial characteristicRead MoreDifferentiating Between Market Structures Essay1260 Words   |  6 PagesDifferentiating Between Market Structures Yvonne C Rivera ECO/365 May 16, 2013 Paul de la Pena Abstract There are many TV service providers available in the U.S; however there are only two companies that offer services via satellite. Dish operates within the monopolistic competition market. Dish has been in business since the early 1980’s and has gradually worked its way up to become one of the leading satellite provider and innovator of new technology. In 2013 they offer service to overRead MoreMarket Structure Of An Economics Perspective Essay1728 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Market structure from an economics perspective is defined as the characteristics of the market that impacts the behavior or way firms operate, which economists use to determine the nature of competition, and pricing tactics of businesses in the market. Within a market, the market structures are distinguished by key features, including the number of sellers, homogeneous or differentiated goods or services produced, pricing power, level of competition, barriers to entering or exit theRead MoreThe Impact of the Internet on Market Structure8084 Words   |  33 PagesTHE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON MARKET STRUCTURE Bruno Cassiman** Sandra Sieber** RESEARCH PAPER No 467BIS July, 2002 * Professor of General Management, IESE ** Professor of Information Systems, IESE Research Division IESE University of Navarra Av. Pearson, 21 08034 Barcelona - Spain Copyright  © 2002, IESE Do not quote or reproduce without permission The PwCIESE e-business Center is a joint initiative of IESE Business School and the professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopersRead More The Main Categories of Market Structures Essay1668 Words   |  7 PagesCategories of Market Structures Recent industry analyses typically have strong relation with economic theories. There is a theory, belongs to microeconomics, divides industries into categories according t the degree of competition that exists between the firms within the industry, i.e. the theory of Alternative Market Structures. This essay based on three questions divides into 3 parts to explain and evaluate the questions. This essay (PART A) outlines the main categories of market structuresRead MoreThe Market Structures Of A Market Structure962 Words   |  4 Pagesfour market structures that function in the worldwide market. Each of these market structures correlates with one another to create the demand and supply of the market. However, these market structures have some unique traits that no other theory can have alike. Therefore, a comparison and contrast is necessary to distinguish each of these theories from one another. These market structures of the economy are perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. These market structuresRead MoreMarket Structure And Functions Of The World Economy1832 Words   |  8 PagesAssignment Student name : - Md Mokshed Hasan Student id : - 614181 Part one: - Market structure and functions Q1,a) Financial markets:- It’s a marketplace where buyers and sellers participate in the trade of assets like equities, binds, currencies and derivatives. Financial markets are well-defined by having transparent pricing, rudimentary regulation on trading, cost and fees and market forces determining the pieces of stocks trade. Its participants need to fulfil some of certainRead MoreMarket Timing and Capital Structure for Baker and Wurgler1526 Words   |  7 Pagesequity when their market values are high, relative to book and past market values, and to repurchase equity when their market values are low. We document that the resulting effects on capital structure are very persistent. As a consequence, current capital structure is strongly related to historical market values. The results suggest the theory that capital structure is the cumulative outcome of past attempts to time the equity market. Introduction â€Å"Equity market timing† refersRead MoreMarket Structure Of The Market Structures1779 Words   |  8 Pagesmayor to look at various market structures. I plan to provide excellent information and answer all the questions that will help the mayor understand the market structures of many of the businesses in his city. According to Arthur Levitt, the tension between centrality, on the one hand, and competition, on the other, is probably the oldest of all market structure issues (Levitt, n.d.). Market structures are being used daily to help foster companies. Describe each market structure discussed in the course

How Social Media Shapes Musical Identities - 959 Words

The following proposal will be an overview of a short documentary project that will analyze and discuss how social media shapes musical identities. To do this I will use Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook to consider the interactions that happen through these mediums and also look into how this relationship can form musical identities. Thus, I will use interview subjects who I will film interviews with myself and I will also interview and use videos of fellow students on Mike Johnston’s online student page. I will use Jimmie Manning’s chapter in the book, Beyond New Media by Herbig, Herrmann, and Tyma to discuss the intricate nature of identity throughout this proposal to identify some of the areas of focus such as public music identity and social mediated music identity. I will also use things like Mcgee’s theory of fragmentation and Megan Foley’s sound bites to explain how subjects subsume their social mediated music identities. For this project I would like to do a short three to four minute documentary to analyze how social media helps shape peoples musical identity in this technological era. I can only give an estimate at this time because I know a lot of people who have said they would like to contribute to this project. However, I also know life happens so that number may change that is why I have chosen to leave the length a little open ended. The documentary will follow about four subjects five, including a few appearances of myself. It will follow twoShow MoreRelatedMusic and Identity Essay994 Words   |  4 PagesMusic and Identity In this report, I will expand upon what was spoken in the presentation by providing a more in-depth look at each section I talked about. The presentation was divided into six sections: i) What do we mean by identity? ii) Identity in previous historical periods iii) Identity in contemporary culture iv) How the media constructs our identities v) A case study; MTV and the music video vi) Conclusion What do we mean by identity? Identity refers to the way people seeRead MoreMusic Taste And Its Effect On Your Own Image934 Words   |  4 Pagesinto certain social or economic groups, for example high class or low class or simply the nerdy or the â€Å"cool†. In an attempt to jump social circles one can employ musical taste to fit in with different groups. By simply claiming you hate one band, and love another you can completely shift the way people characterize you. As Bourdieu and Wilson lay out in this chapter, taste is a way to â€Å"fight for power and status† with your peers. It allows one to â€Å"condemn those beneath you†. Musical taste is a toolRead MoreClassical Music Vs. Contemporary Music1113 Words   |  5 PagesBy universal, they mean that music exists in every culture. However, the meanings and emotions attached to the music are interpreted differently depending on the listener. People will associate different meanings and feelings with a musical performance based on their cultural upbringing and life experience. When we categorize music, we use terms such as â€Å"classical,† â€Å"folk† or â€Å"popular† to distinguish different types of music. However, using labels is problematic because there can be stereotypingRead MoreThe Effects Of Music On Our Lives1576 Words   |  7 PagesHow would life be without the influence of sound particularly music? To begin, our life would consist of incredibly quiet spaces. Music plays a vital role in our lives, whether it is attending music festivals to attending religious ceremonies. In many ways, music is the composition of our lives that defines society. As a reflection of society, it allows us to remember how things were in the past, how things are now in the present and lastly presents a view of how things might be in the future. MusicRead MorePopular Culture From Musicals Like Wicked With Its Popular Song863 Words   |  4 Pagesis one of the most prevalent themes in adolescents’ experience in school and social developm ent. It shapes how they interact with peers, adults, and their selves. This theme is explored and emphasized in popular culture from musicals like Wicked with its popular song titled â€Å"Popular† to television shows like Sabrina the teenage witch, Glee, 90210, etc. How popular an adolescent is defines who they are, in that it shapes where they stand amongst peers and their self-perception of their self-valueRead MoreModern Day Technology : What Kind Of Direct Effect Does Technology Play?1469 Words   |  6 Pagesfirst and foremost social creatures. Stay by yourself for any prolonged amount of time and you’ll immediately see why. If there’s nothing left to occupy yourself with, your life may begin to seem mundane and insignificant. Humans crave social interactions and sense of meaning. We all need a reason why we were born on this rock we call Earth. And this is precisely why your place in this world has such an impact on who you are, and how you choose to liv e your life: your identity. Now, take this contextRead MoreEssay on The Ultimate Goal Line of Art971 Words   |  4 Pagesthe subject matter of any painting, you have to look at the artists objectives, which are regularly connected to social conditions, national or global issues and the demands of the public. To avoid the drawbacks of judging all art by our own personal experiences and personal views, we have to learn the background surrounding the artist when the work was created- that being the social and historical conditions of the time and the logical views which affected the way in which the artist viewed theRead MoreBurberry : A Brand Image1327 Words   |  6 Pagescosmetic collection. The brand maintains a strong British identity and has built a reputation for its authenticity, originality and craftsmanship. It is widely renowned for its trademark checked print trench coat and ‘prorsum’ horse logo. Being a brand that is globally franchised, Burberry has reinfo rced its brand image defined by authentic British heritage, remaining relevant and ‘current’ within the fashion industry through use of digital media and its core principles of quality and classic style,Read MoreK Pop s Shady Business Secret Essay1239 Words   |  5 Pagesextravagant music videos and visual aesthetics, which have attracted worldwide followings. K-pop companies are also infamous for being brutally strict on training and restrictions for their trainees and idols. They fixate on the business growth over the musical talent and content. The problem that stems from creativity and commerce overlapping in the Korean pop industry is the unethical treatment of its trainees along with the racialization and exploitation of idol groups in different global markets, dueRead MoreAnalysis Of Martin Luther King Jr s View, Oppressed People Can Not Remain Oppressed Forever1105 Words   |  5 Pages(King 213) Basically King is warning the oppressors that the peopleâ€℠¢s desire for freedom will outlay their tolerance for discrimination. The oppressors force labels and societal norms onto people so that their identity falls inline with what the oppressors want. We are entering an era where identity is being forced by the labeling of individuals and causes us to questioned ourselves at every corner. The societal norms placed upon people instruct them to dress, act, and even express themselves in an acceptable

Black Asthetics and Toni Morrison Free Essays

The black arts, or the black aesthetic, movement was born among the black artist as a response to the ideologies of the black power in the 1960’s. The movement was a continuation of the 1920’s and 1930’s Harlem Renaissance that had begun the tradititon of rediscovering the roots os black culture and heritage,dating back to slavery. Some of the major literary figures of the Harlem era included authors James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes and Nella Larsen. We will write a custom essay sample on Black Asthetics and Toni Morrison or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Black arts emerged to promote art that illustrated African-American music, languages, heritage, and beauty. In order to be substantial, art had to have a proudly black subject matter and style; be it sculpture, a piece of music, a novel or a poem. Empowered by the concepts of the black power, the movement inspired the emergence of the black theatre groups, magazines, and printing presses. Literature influenced by the black arts concepts struggled to abandon W. E. B. Du Bois’ idea of double consciousness, which meant blacks were constantly struggling towards the white culture’s ideals, even though the dominant society disabled them for reaching the Eurocentric goals. Mirroring themselves against the value structure of the oppressive white society was depriving the blacks of their empowerment. Black writers wanted to concentrate on solving the problems of the African-American community from the inside, developing awareness of the rich black heritage and gearing the co mmunity to realize it worth. The Black Arts movement brought the time for blacks to stop internalizing the image of being the inferior in the society as a whole. The black population had to find strength, beauty and self esteem within the black community. The black arts, characterized by acute awareness, produced writers like Toni Morrison, Ishmael Reed, and Alice Walker. Toni Morrison undeniably is an author who internalizes the main concerns of the black aesthetic. She writes about black oppression, consciousness and tradition. Her major characters’ are black and they are in constant search for their ethnic identity. The first African American writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993, Toni Morrison is a leading voice in current debates about the construction of race and black marginality in literature and culture. As a prominent writer of the age she refuses to allow race to be marginalized in literary discourse. Throughout her writing Morrison uses narrative forms to express African Americans’ dislocated, oral tradition, and culture, and reclaim African American’s historical experiences. She profoundly uses the fictive narratives to transfigure the old south; the bedrock of black dehumanization, degradation and sorrow into an archetypal black homeland, a cultural womb that lays claim to history’s orphaned, defamed and disclaimed African children. In her novels Morrison humanizes black characters in fictions that strive to overcome and excavate enforced invisibility of African Americans’ social reality. Morrison critiques the mainstream thinking and acclaims that black writers and black characters are the relative means by which text demonstrates to be human and superior. Imagination is possible in the presence of black characters and black contents. At the same time talking African discourse is inferior and submissive tends to impoverish cultural interpretation of reality. Morrison questions the validity and vulnerability of a set of assumptions conventionally accepted and taken for granted among literary historians and critics. Africanist presence, in a constitutive part in the entire history has been rejected. Morrison in Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and Literary Imagination proposes, â€Å"[t] he contemplating of this black presence in central to any understanding of our national literature and should not be permitted to hover at the margins of the literary imagination† (5). Morrison argues that American culture is built on, and is premised by, and always includes, the presence if blacks’, as slaves, as outsiders. She likens the unwillingness of academics in a racist society to see the place of Africanism in literature and to the centuries of unwillingness to see a favorite discourse, concerns and identity. She posits whiteness as the ‘Other’ of blackness, a dialectical pair, each term both creates and excludes the other: no freedom without slavery, no white without black. The major themes of Toni Morrison’s writing is to redefine the notion of white American canonical texts and their idea of African American writing as being non-canonical or inferior. She demonstrates the idea of racial superiority and hegemonic culture in her writings. Morrison, in the preface of her critical work Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and Literary Imagination says she is â€Å"struggling with and through a language that can powerfully evoke and enforce hidden signs of racial superiority, cultural hegemony and dismissive ‘Othering’ of people and language which by no means marginal or already and completely known and knowable in my work† (XI). It is clear that Morrison’s writing is different from that of mainstream white discourse, which always bserves that African American literature is subsidiary product. Her intention, thorough her writing , is to reinterpret and redefine the hidden, dislocated and alienated Afro-American presence in American mainstream discourse and claim that Afro-Americans are no more inferior human beings. Toni Morrison’s fiction demonstrates a central interest in the issues of boundary, attachment , and separation. Her characters experience themselves as wounded, or imprisoned by racial and economic divisions within American culture. The boundaries that circumscribe black people are not only the prejudices and restrictions that bar their entry into the mainstream but the psychological ones they internalize as they develop in a social structure that historically has excluded them. Toni Morrison draws from a rich store of black oral tradition as well as from her own imaginative angle of vision to illuminate the potentialities for both annihilation and transcendence within black experience. Black lore, black music, black language and all the myths and rituals of black culture are the most prominent elements in Toni Morrison’s writing. She feels a strong connection to ancestors because they were the culture bearers. She thinks that it is the responsibility of African American writers to dig out that annihilated history and secure the importance of it in the making of American civilization. Toni Morrison ranks among the most highly regarded and widely read fiction writers and cultural critics in America. As a critic she refuses to allow race to be relegated to the margins of literary discourse. She focuses on the importance of African American’s oral and musical culture and to reclaim black historical experiences. Morrison says that African American have rediscovered texts that have long been suppressed or ignored, have sought to make places for African American writing within the canon, and have developed ways of interpreting these works. Works Cited Morrison, Toni.  Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1992. Print â€Å"Toni Morrison.†Ã‚  Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 21 May 2011. Web. 23 May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison. Welcome to Black Aesthetics Institute. Web. 23 May 2011. http://blackaesthetics.org/. How to cite Black Asthetics and Toni Morrison, Papers

Vodafones Organizational free essay sample

After having been brought public in 1988, Vodafone kicked off its international expansion by acquiring minority stakes in other wireless telecom companies, following with multiple joint ventures within countries that were about to launch their cellular networks. Under the cabinet of Chris Gent as Vodafone’s CEO, the company drastically expanded the portfolio of its overseas acquisitions. Arun Sarin, who initiated the One Vodafone project, maximizing economies of scale, then succeeded him. The One Vodafone was to unify and simplify the company’s structure. This mainly included reshaping organizational charts and integrating Vodafone as a global brand. When Vodafone’s current CEO, Vittorio Colao, took over in 2008 he established a set of clear goals for the company to pursue. These mainly focused on â€Å"improvement of operational performance, [ ] pursuit of growth opportunities, [and] increase in shareholder returns†. (Colao, 2008, cited in Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 1 2) First results of Coleo’s newly adopted strategies came up positive yet the concerns arose around Vodafone’s long-term strategies in terms of its international presence. So as to help Vodafone pursue the aforementioned goals, we were assigned a consulting mandate to evaluate the following queries: 1- Are Vodafone’s organizational capabilities correctly aligned with their current strategy? If not, how could they improve them in order to grow within the competitive market they are facing? 2- Does Vodafone’s organizational structure enable them to undertake efficient decision-making processes? If not, what kind of organizational structure should Vodafone adopt? In order to develop a set of recommendations, the current strategy is first taken apart into its four components and for each the organizational capabilities needed are identified. In a second step, we define Vodafone’s current capabilities and determine the gaps to be closed. After having done so, we provide recommendations on how to close the organizational gaps by referring to the three leverage points, organizational structure, management preferences and leadership behavior. 2 Vodafone’s current strategy and required capabilities To make sure Vodafone’s international strategy is consistent with its organization, the required organizational capabilities have to be determined. In order to do so, the strategy is broken into its four components, goals, product-market focus, core activities and value proposition. In a subsequent manner, the organizational capabilities necessary to fulfill each one have to be established. (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 160) Goals Every strategy follows a certain set of goals. For Vodafone said set consists of three parts. Firstly, top operational performance is achieved through cost cutting and superior customer service. Secondly, growth in emerging markets, mobile data services and comprehensive telecom solutions for business customers leads to the leading or the second position in every market. Lastly, Vodafone increases its shareholder returns by balancing selective investment and disinvestment. (Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 1 2) To accomplish those goals, Vodafone as to continuously improve its ability to cut costs, grow in emerging markets and generate a surplus form investments and divestments in the long-term. Product-Market Focus Operating in over 52 countries, Vodafone aims to provide high-class wireless communications and mobile services, integrated business solutions and mobile advertising (Vodafone, 2014). With its international scope and business but also private customers as clients, the definition of a â€Å"market† can vary. Markets for telecommunications can in this case either be determined by their geographical location or by their users. While corporate clients benefit from a â€Å"seamless† roaming, especially when operating globally, smaller clients get won’t acknowledge the service offered by a single, international provider. In order to develop the right product-market focus, the right target markets have to be identified and innovation has to be fostered consecutively. Value Proposition As stated before, Vodafone aims to provide high-class services. Therefore instead of challenging its competitors on price, customer value is created through premium services and differentiation. The global scope allows the customer to benefit from high quality reception worldwide, always offered by Vodafone and without value decreasing interceptions in the network. A strong value proposition requires the ability to offer superior data services and superior customer services, always moving one-step ahead of competition. Core Activities When operating globally, the core activities have to be established in a structure that allows the company to benefit from synergies and international integration. For Vodafone core activities focus on procurement, global development of products and services, marketing and brand development and service functions. If core activities are to be performed efficiently and effectively, it is not only necessary to balance the need for coordination and synergies with local initiatives and to adapt to industry changes, but also to have a well functioning corporation. This means, back-room systems have to run smoothly, economies in equipment purchase have to be realized and know-how has to be transferrable from one unit to another. Moreover the international scope has to be transferred into customer value and thus a competitive advantage. 3 Identifying Vodafone’s Organizational Capabilities As the strategy has been broken down into components, it is now necessary to identify Vodafones existing capabilities with respect to each component. The summary of these capabilities has been annexed to the present document. Currently, there are two main capabilities that facilitate the accomplishment of Vodafones goals. Firstly, there is the ability to grow in emerging markets. Between the years 2005 and 2008, Vodafone had demonstrated that it was able to enter emerging markets and to grow within these markets through acquisitions in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Secondly, Vodafone possesses the ability to generate long-term profits from investments and divestments. In fact, this capability is a indispensable in order to create shareholder returns. As shown in table 1 of Grant and Jordan’s case study (2011, p. 2), Vodafone realized continuous, positive free cash flows between four and seven billion pounds during the years 2005 to 2011. As for the product-market focus, there is one main capability that can be identified with the company, the ability to identify potential target markets. Vodafone has shown that it is constantly and actively seeking for new target markets to exploit and its ability to expand their international scope. With innovative projects in Kenya, Asia and Eastern Europe, Vodafone further established a global presence. (Grant Jordan, 2011) Vodafone possesses four main capabilities with respect to its core activities. Firstly, as a result of its international expansion, Vodafone can transfer seamless connections into costumer value. The company is thus able to provide integrated solutions to businesses with international functions. Smaller firms and private customers however don’t benefit as much from a global partner as most domestic providers offer good roaming services through partner agreements. Thanks to the large distribution of fix costs, Vodafone is able to offer promotional deals to small clients and therefore allow them to benefit from a unified provider. Secondly, by rationalizing its back-room systems Vodafone eliminates expenses that do not generate value for the costumers and strengthens the organizational structure. Thirdly, due to the international scope, economies in purchasing equipment can be realized. Lastly, the ability to exploit learning and knowledge transfer is directly linked to the required ability to innovate new generations of voice and data services. In order to enhance these capabilities Vodafone restructured the organization in 2011 (Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 9 16) Finally, with respect to Vodafones value proposition, the companys main capability is being able  to offer superior customer service. This capability is demonstrated by the fulfillment of three criteria: effective delivery to costumers, short response time and responsiveness  to customers needs. In order to fulfill these criteria, Vodafone nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset and provides each of its company with challenging missions to accomplish (Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 8). In conclusion, Vodafone disposes of several crucial capabilities but still can improve its abilities to adapt to industry changes and to innovate new generations of voice and data services. In addition the ability to balance the need for coordination and synergies with local initiatives has not been flawless. However those capabilities are determined inside-out. At the end it is the customer that determines how innovative Vodafone is or whether its customer service is superior (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 161). 4 Developing New Organizational Capabilities Now that we’ve identified the organizational gaps, we develop new organizational capabilities or improve existing ones to ensure consistency in the strategy-organization linkage. To do so, we refer to the three leverage points, organizational structure, management preferences and leadership behavior. As the available information does not provide sufficient detail on the latter, we therefore focus on the organizational structure and management processes. Organizational Structure Although the organizational structure had been redesigned in 2011, remaining weaknesses were identified. Creating geographical and functional units on the same level of hierarchy prevents efficient transfer of information and knowledge as competencies become unclear. Moreover a global strategy and business development department are contra-productive in two ways. Firstly  it opposes the necessity to adapt to cultural peculiarities and secondly it doesn’t fit the autonomous position of local subsidiaries. General strategic decisions have to be taken by a superior unit, mostly the executive board or the board of directors. The lack of clear hierarchical structures and well-defined competencies thus prevent a rapid reaction to industry changes. In order to enable efficient decision-making, opportunity recognition and a fast and free flow of information the organizational structure is to be redesign as follows. Figure New Organizational Structure The company is to be divided into the four geographic units of Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Middle East. Each geographic unit consists of functional units managing the tasks for their respective area. The only functional unit operating globally remains the technology unit. This allows Vodafone to test a technology in one market and deploy it into another later on, without relying on several independent units. To facilitate the communication between the different units, the internal communications and cultural mediation unit (ICCM) is created. It is composed of one manager from every geographic unit. The ICCM also acts as a channel for internal communications and monitors synergies and manages the coordination between different units where necessary. The new structure allows maximizing efficiency in procurement, global developing of technology and new products or services, marketing and brand development as well as common service functions. The reduced complexity further keeps administrative costs low and permits additional growth. Management Processes Changes in management processes have the potential to act as a leverage point to develop new capabilities. These processes are separated in three components: decision-making processes, operational processes and performance assessments and reward processes. Each of these components contributes to the development of new capacities. (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 172) In order to increase the ability to innovate new generations of voice and data services, the company has to give the authority and latitude necessary to the Research Development department to take decisions on their own. Being able to take decisions and find innovative solutions increases employee satisfaction as well. Empowered employees feel as if their contributions matter and productivity increases. The company thus has to accelerate the approval of innovative ideas and enable projects to get fast tracked. Furthermore, the creative and innovative actions of employees are to be recognized and rewarded. For most employees financial rewards are insufficient and sometimes even contra-productive. When design a incentives, opportunities for self-development, recognition of achievement etc. Have to be equally considered. (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 176) In order to properly react to industry changes, Vodafone has to consider the dynamics in the changes of the environment. Along with a dynamic environment, it is crucial to monitor its competition regularly and identify possible threats and new entrants early on. 5 Feasibility Assessment The suggested changes in organizational structure and management processes allow Vodafone to develop the organizational capabilities necessary to transform its international scope into a distinct competitive advantage. In order ensure the effective realization of the proposed measures, the implementation of each step has to be according to the required time frame. Changes within the decision-making process can be conducted over a short period of time. Modifications in operational processes and performance assessments take a little more time to be established. In order to ensure a successful outcome, all actions have to be constantly monitored and communicated within the whole corporation. 6 Conclusion Over the years, Vodafone has shown it was capable to outrank competition and to generate large revenues. Nevertheless by ensuring consistency in the strategy-organization linkage, untapped potential can be realized. Improving and developing capacities, redesigning the organizational structure and modify management processes allow Vodafone to close existing inconsistencies. A detailed analysis of Vodafone’s organizational capabilities has yielded the following results. It is able to effectively cut costs and innovate new generations of voice and data services but needs to constantly improve those qualities, while capabilities such as balancing  the need for coordination and synergies with local initiatives, adapting to industry changes and offering superior data services are required and need to be developed. In order to achieve the envisioned capabilities, we suggest a redesign of the organizational structure and several adjustments within the management processes. The company is to be divided into geographical units on the first and into functional units on the second hierarchical level. Simultaneously a new department for internal communications and cultural mediation is to be created and the technology unit is kept on a global scope. Moreover, research development requires more decisional autonomy and a fast track for innovative and important projects has to be established. Finally, all measures have to be constantly monitored and evaluated to ensure their effectiveness. Bibliography Crossan, M. M. Rouse, M. J. Fry, J. N. Killing, J. P. (2013). Strategic Analysis and Action (8th ed). Toronto: Pearson. Grant, M. , J. , Jordan, J. (2011). Vodafone: Rethinking international strategy. Foundations of Strategy. Appendix A The ICCM Unit B Recommendations for management processes New Capabilities to be Developed Decision-making Process Operational Processes Performance Assessment and Reward Processes Ability to innovate new generations of voice and data sevices Give more decisional empowerment to the RD department Reduce time approval for innovative ideas and enable fast track projects Reward creative and innovative actions   and work Adapting to industry changes.