Value Chain and Globalization Essay

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    Value chain and globalization

    Introduction

    The process of corporate life is always a sea change and sometimes there are high tides

    and sometimes are quiet times. Day to day companies are faced with new challenges, whether it

    be a consolidated organization or a small business just starting, always emerging issues that affect

    their behavior and their performance. Owing to the consequences of an impressive development

    of technology and globalization that we are living in this age.

    Nowadays are faster changes, new challenges threaten seriously survival of organizations, new

    foreign competitors, mobilization of capitals, difficulties in retaining human capital and changing

    technologies are elements that require managers to be prepared for change and have ability to

    motivate employees in order to have continuous renewal. Micro and small enterprise dominated

    industries have been both threatened and provided with advantages as a result of dynamic trends

    related to globalization (Kula et al., 2006). Value chainis not only to implement new management

    models that ultimately prove to be only uncertain. However, management of change consists of

    take advantage of changes in business environment for the interest of the organization. That is

    why companies should not only be flexible, but also managers should develop a keen sense to

    anticipate change; therefore companies will be able to achieve to be at the forefront. According to

    Porter (1998) Activities provide the bridge between strategy and implementation. When strategy

    was defined in terms of broad positioning concepts, a clear separation between strategy and

    structure was meaningful and useful.

    Innovation is everywhere and organizations that are not renewed will hardly be able to survive.

    Firstly, it should be noted that the purpose of this essay is that I want to explain what is the value

    chain, its impact to the companies and the impact of globalization to the value chain. Afterwards, I

    will explain the following seven major issues have had significant impact of globalization on the

    value chain.

    History of the value chain and consisting

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    First of all, the value chain is a theoretical model to describe the development of the

    activities of a business generating value to the final customer. The value chain was described by

    Michael Porter. He defines the value as the sum of the perceived benefits customer receives of

    low costs to acquire and use product or service Value is the amount buyers are willing to pay for

    what a firm provides them. Value is measured by total revenue, a reflection of the price a firms

    product commands exceed the cost involved in creating the product. (Porter1998).

    At the same time value chain is essentially a form of analysis of business through which a

    company is split up into their constituent parts, and we can seeking to identify sources of

    advantage. Simultaneously, it is creating the competitive advantage that is achieved when

    company develops and integrates activities of its value chain less expensive and better

    differentiated than their competitors. Therefore value chain of a company is formed by all its

    added value generating activities and the margins they contribute Competitive advantage in

    regard to products and services takes two possible forms. The first is an offering or differentiation

    advantage. I f customers perceive a product or service as superior, they become more willing to pay

    a premium price relative to the price they will pay for competing offerings. The second is a relative

    low-cost advantage, which customers gain when companys total costs undercut those of its

    average competitor(San Miguel, 1996).

    Sometimes change times in business can generate fear, but beyond fear, managers must

    generate within their companies the ability to bring about change. When it comes to making

    changes to the companies and this usually means the introduction of new procedures, staff or

    ways of working that directly affect those around the organization: employees, shareholders,

    suppliers, customers. Therefore managers have two options to deal with the changes. The first

    option is intimidated by the changes and remaining still or the second option is to understand

    what is going on, develop strategies and implementation to deal with change. Competitive

    Advantage provides the architecture for describing and assessing strategy, linking it to company

    behavior, and understanding the sources of competitive advantage. It provides the foundation

    needed to go deeper. (Porter 1998)

    According to Kula (2006), Globalization is a process by which people, companies, goods and

    services, capital and information and ideas are exchanged across international boundaries, is

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    shaping opportunities for growth and poverty reduction in developing countries . In the current

    context of globalization, the trend toward merging business grows increasingly harder. Therefore,

    it is very important to cooperation of all employees of organization in a chain and they sharing

    common vision for business quickly translate into success factors. Where employees are involved

    to this vision therefore they will be more productive and more collaborative mechanisms bind

    them to other actors in the chain, the greater the chance of survival and progress towards

    economic development processes.

    Moreover, companies tend to compete with other companies in the same country and in

    the same way, companies of the same country tend to compete with companies in other countries

    a cause of globalization. Therefore, competition among global companies are strongly and should

    possess highest level of professional competence and for this reason heads of companies should

    know as renew companies every day to produce high return. A good example about this

    information is the competence between Procter and Gamble and Unilever; both are global

    companies and both offer similar products. In the case of my country; In Mexico are both

    companies each one have both have large factories and corporate offices; the number of

    employees is large and both have many processes to manufacture both products, as well as quality

    and administrative.

    CEOs of each company must be updated on how to improve processes in each part of the

    business, the should evaluate the process and trying to reduce as many errors and waste in order

    to offer the best products and the best price cheaper for the end customer. So also promote more

    featuring your product compared with the rest of their competition, as to promote values, social

    responsibility, brand linkage and sometimes prizes and raffles.

    Another key point, managers of big companies know that linking brand starts when people

    are young children and this is why, one of their main sector of society are children. Because

    marketers know that if a child comes to impregnate a brand in in their childhood, they will take

    for all their life and therefore they will transmit to their offspring in the future. I see this reflected

    in my case, since I always prefer to drink Coke when I am eating and I never liked Pepsi since my

    childhood, this is because since my childhood always drank Coca-Cola by the influence of my

    mother. To date I still drink coke, this is an example of how a global company that has

    implemented the value chain in their structural processes relevant their product has made in my

    life. For a firm to achieve superior differentiation, it must utilize the best mix of resources in

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    creating value for its customers. In order to prioritize its processes as sources of differentiation, a

    company must determine what attributes of each process enhance customer value (San Miguel

    1996).

    1)

    Competitive advantage considerations

    The competitive advantages are the fundamental capabilities that put an organization over

    competitors. Is that company does much better than competitors, so it is a force to compete and

    specialized experience that the competition cannot match. There appears then to be acceleration

    in the growth of a business strategy is powerful if it causes or results in a significant and lasting

    competitive advantage; is weak if the results not to be successfully and consequently is a

    competitive disadvantage.

    Confirming this claim, Porter (1998) Competitive advantage grows fundamentally out of value a

    firm is able to create for its buyers that exceeds the firms cost of creating it. Value is what buyers

    are willing to pay, and superior value stems from offering lower prices than competitors for

    equivalent benefits or providing unique benefits that more than offset a higher price. In this

    manner the competitive advantages are the power, imagination, agility, experience, knowledge

    about strengths and weaknesses of opponent, information and finally the winner the battle it will

    be the one have made better use of resources and adequate manner.

    A good example about competitive advantage considerations are the case of the American

    company Wall-Mart that their goal is always offer the cheapest prices into markets. A good

    example about competitive advantage considerations is the case of the American company Wal-

    Mart that their goal is always offer the cheapest prices into markets and in the case in Mexico,

    Wal-Mart Mexico is the biggest group of supermarkets because the goal of this company is to offer

    more variety of products and open more shops.

    2)

    Corporate social responsibility considerations

    An important aspect in business strategy is to interact more with society, this means that those

    companies that reflect the impact of needs and goals of the population, through projects involving

    the community and contribute to a better quality of life; should also seek strategies warranting

    protection of the environment; policies that are concerned with employees, among others. As

    such strategies make integrated part of the so-called corporate social responsibility.

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    Moreover, the idea of better business, competitive, efficient and profitable, framing a concept

    that it is unclear and may be too forward throwing a definition about him, he is enthroned as an

    essential component in businesses or organizations looking to be much more that success in

    today's markets. This component is corporate social responsibility.

    This term because of the complexity in its implementation, given sample of firms that are fair,

    balanced, inclusive, legalistic, socially active and environmentally responsible. Furthermore,

    companies seek through rules or laws, their own abilities and innate voluntarism meet those

    requirements, is intended to establish the constant interaction between economic, social, cultural

    and environmental issues, making this a reliable source for the continued development of clearly

    responsible companies.

    This is reflected through en the example with Coles, as the company focuses on three approaches,

    sustainability, national charity partners and local charity support. Coles is helping charities not for

    profit organization like Guide Dogs Australia, Cancer Council, Food Bank and more charities. On

    the other hand, the supermarket company is working closely with environmentally responsible

    growers and suppliers, developing efficiencies with their supply chain. They are working about

    waste reduction, recycling and reducing greenhouse gas. When the company opens a new

    supermarket supports offering employments in the community and also offering vibrant and

    supportive environment to work in plus and great career opportunities.

    3) Cultural considerations

    Nowadays, the value chain has been developed through globalization in all around the world on

    profitability and the advantages to be gained by that chain. But in each country is very different

    the ways of processes are performed in the companies. In recent years, China and India have had

    excellent development and economic growth, as they are cultures that make people work more

    than eight hours and CEOs know how to do great business trying to make cheaper products and

    low wages in labor. Moreover, this is not good for the health and quality of life for employees.

    Taking up the topic about cultural considerations, "While Most R & D internationalization still

    takes place within the OECD area, developing countries are increasingly attracting R & D centres,

    although these remain relatively small in a perspective overall. Large Increases in foreign R & D

    investment in Asia, in particular in China and India, have attracted much attention in recent years.

    (Staying Competitive in the Global Economy 2008)

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    4) Financial considerations

    The area of finance has the responsibility of independent, objective assurance and consulting

    designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization

    accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improvethe efficiency of the processes of risk management, control and governance processes. For many

    professionals in the finance department are focused on addressing the development and improve

    on what companies more than just a job for verifying compliance of policies and procedures.

    Financial department of a company must adopt and use the value added. this is reflected when

    finance specialists know how to implement processes to improve on issues like obtaining efficient

    financial resources, profitability, value added and translation of financial resources into economic

    resources, or conversion of savings into investment.

    5)

    Human resources considerations

    The Human Resources function in business has changed considerably in recent years, some

    organizations began to provide the area staff training and career development opportunities,

    replacing the word "personal" by "human resources" with a new concept. It was no longer

    considered a cost but an asset. In the past HR was considered an area of the company purely

    administrative role has gone on to become in many cases in a strategic area of the organization.

    Achieving good results was a constant concern for management who began to realize the human

    side of the persons in the organization, moving towards a proactive and participatory position in

    strategic decision making.

    A clear example of value chain in human resources is when employees are looking for satisfaction

    with their work and eliminate those functions or unnecessary or costly tasks that do not

    contribute to the value. In my case, I worked for two years in the area of Assessment and

    Management of Talent in Mexico City and the value chain in the company where I worked is

    reflected in the value analysis is an organized approach to analyze jobs and the variables that

    affect them, to examine how work creates or adds value to the ongoing processes of the

    organization.

    6) Political and economic considerations

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    Economics is the science of scarcity because of resources are limited and needs are unlimited, so

    there must be a hierarchy in the satisfaction of needs, therein lies the importance of economics in

    business and government. One reason why businesses fail is because they do not manage

    resources efficiently. A company must manage the scarce and limited resources efficiently not get

    bankruptcy, do not spend more than income permits. A company must be solvent and profitable,

    first be solvent means having enough cash to make payments, suppliers and banks, for that

    requires carrying a good cash flow, cash inflows that are greater than cash outflows, and if it were

    the other way round, it could be insolvent. Being profitable means that business income

    outweighs the costs, for get good management is required to make good decisions in the

    administration of statements of profit and loss. Is essential doing excellent management for to

    make good decisions, constantly innovating and finding new products to meet unlimited needs.

    However, in the case of politics in the governments of each country, income taxes are collected

    and expenses are those intended for the public sector can operate efficiently as spending on

    education, health, defense, pensions, and interest on debt transfers.

    7) Technological considerations

    Recently, technology has drastically developed and therefore plays a role increasingly more

    important in life in general, but particularly in enterprises, which are subjected due to the opening

    of markets, an increased competition. Use of technologies in supply chains could bring

    operational benefits like cost reduction and service improvements and strategic benefits such as

    improvements in product planning and innovation(Prajogo & Sohal 2013)

    The information technologies supporting business to enable it to be more competitive in the

    market. Additionally, the information technologies are the best strategies that a business can use

    to improve the business; because it can be easier to align IT services with the needs of your

    company and the enterprise architecture ensures fulfillment of the strategic objectives of a

    company aligning technology with business processes. In according with Lancioni This ability

    includes quickly adjusting inventory levels, adding or reducing carriers when needed increasing the

    speed in reacting to customer service problems, more effectively managing distant facilities,

    reducing the level of paperwork in a supply chain system, adjusting material throughput when

    necessary, tracking shipments more accurately developing cost effective purchasing strategies,

    improving production scheduling and reducing operational redundancy in supply chain systems.

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    Conclusion

    In addition, to doing this research, I could find relevant information about the significant role that

    is playing the value chain into companies. The purpose of the essay is to provide assessment the

    role that could be obtained in business when is used the value chain process in the differentdepartments of a company. The administration of change is of great importance, since it allows

    control of the transformation process. but in most organizations even greater challenge is

    managing change so that through leadership can attack low productivity, motivate the actions

    needed to alter behavior in a meaningful way and make the change take root in infusing culture

    and values of the business. It is of primary importance that business leaders must be updated and

    catch up on new models and theories about management, change and value chain. To be able to

    compete with the variety of existing competitors in business territory.

    In Conclusion, there is no possibility that organizations can achieve competitive goals, if the people

    who are not found suitable from the point of view of training and attitudes, to carry on. In

    essence, organizations today emphasize the ability of leaders to manage their staff. Therefore,

    people will go to those who can prove they have the will and capacity to meet their needs,

    enhancing their strengths and improving their skills. Thus man becomes the protagonist of the

    success of any business strategy.

    References:

    San Miguel, J, 1996, Value chain analysis for assessing competitive Advantage. Institute of

    Management Accountants. Canada.

    Staying competitive in the global economy (2008) Secretary-General of the OECD