Product Mix Free Essays

INTRODUCTION Operating in over 50 countries with more than 100,000 people, Johnson Johnson USA has been ranked 4 times in the â€Å"Fortune Top 10† list of the most admired companies in the US. Johnson Johnson (JJ) India, a subsidiary of Johnson Johnson USA, is one of the leading players in the Indian pharmaceutical and consumer products business. It has employee strength of over 1,800. We will write a custom essay sample on Product Mix or any similar topic only for you Order Now It started business in India in 1947 in Bombay with Johnson’s Baby Powder, and, over time, introduced other products like toothbrushes, Johnson’s Baby Cream and Prickly Heat Powder. Briefing about this world class company, we can have a glimpse on the following points:†¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Global Manufacturer of Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Products and Medical Devices. Listed in Fortune 500 Companies Ranked 1st among 50 top Pharmaceutical companies 230 subsidiary companies with operations in over 57 countries. Well-known consumer products are the BAND-AID Brand line of bandages, Tylenol Medications , JOHNSON’S BABY Products Produced its first products in 1886 Incorporated in 1887 ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON served as the first President of the company. In 1910,JAMES WOOD JOHNSON succeeded him as President. William C. Weldon is the President (since 2002 Onwards) The other key Members of the company are:†¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ William C. Weldon:- Chairman ,Board of Directors; Chairman ,Executive Committee; Chief Executive Officer †¢ †¢ Christine A. Poon:- Vice-Chairman ,Board of Directors; Member ,Executive Committee Dominic J. Caruso: – Member, Executive Committee; Vice President, Finance; Chief Financial Officer. COMPANY STRUCTURE †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Based on the principle of Decentralized Management. Executive Committee is the principal management group. Committee is responsible for the operations and allocation of the resources. Oversees and coordinates the activities of the three segments. Each subsidiary within the business segments is, with some exceptions, managed by citizens of the country where it is located. SUBSIDIARY HOLDINGS Johnson Johnson is a highly diversified company with at least 230 subsidiaries, which it refers to as the â€Å"Johnson Johnson Family of Companies†. Some of these subsidiaries include: †¢ †¢ †¢ ALZA Corporation Baby Center, L. L. C. Johnson Johnson, Group of Consumer Companies, Inc. Johnson Johnson Health Care Systems Inc. Johnson Johnson – Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co. Johnson Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Development, L. L. C. Pfizer Consumer †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ J in INDIA †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Spread its roots in India during 1947. It was Mr. Patrick Whaley who set the foundation. Launched Johnson’s Baby cream and Prickly Powder. Product like bellodomma, pharmaceutical tapes were imported from the parent company. In Sep. 957, a new company Johnson Johnson India Ltd. was created and registered. Recently this company celebrated its 50 years in India. †¢ SEGMENTS OF BUSINESS Johnson Johnson is organized into three business segments:†¢ †¢ †¢ Consumer Pharmaceutical Medical Devices and Diagnostics Consumer J manufactures and markets a broad range of products used in the fields like:†¢ †¢ à ¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Baby and Child Care Skin Care Oral and Wound Care Women’s Health Care Nutritional and Over-the-counter Pharmaceutical Products MAJOR BRANDS Some of the major Brands of J are:†¢ †¢ AVEENO (Skin Care Products) BAND-AID (Brand Adhesive Bandages) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ CLEAN CLEAR (Teen Skin Care Products) JOHNSON’S BABY (Baby Products) NEUTROGENA (Skin and Hair Care Products) REMBRANDT (Brand of Oral Care Products) SPLENDA (No Calorie Sweetener) PRODUCT PORTFOLIO PRODUCT MIX J is known not only for the quality service types of products but also for the variety range of products. It has a huge list of Product Lines with enormous depth in each line. It also has a tremendous width depth in its Product Mix. Its Product Lines are in the following segments:? Baby Child Care ? Skin Care ? Oral and Wound Care ? Women’s Health Care ? Nutritional and Over-the-counter ? Pharmaceutical Products ? Medical Devices and Equipment. Some of the Products in the Product Line of Baby Child Care are as:0 Baby Hair Oil 0 Baby Soap 0 Baby Cream 0 Baby Body Lotion 0 Baby Massage Oil 0 Baby Powder 0 Baby Nappy Pads 0 Baby Shampoo J has done the Brand Line extension in the products like Hair Oil, Soap, Cream, Massage Oil, Powder Shampoo by launching these products in various fragrance colours. In today’s changing times, where people have become more conscious towards their health thus moving towards natural products, they prefer using J products over other Brands. J has captured the customers by Positioning itself as a Company providing Natural products devoid of chemicals. Thus its graph of Customer Confidence Index is high as compared to other Brands. Not only the Kids New Born, but also the teenagers upper age group customers have been the Target of J. It has its products flowing for every age group in every segment. Some of the products in the product line of Skin Care are:0 0 Aveeno (Brand for Skin Care Products) Clean Clear face wash 0 Clean Clear Cream 0 Clean Clear Cleansing Milk 0 Neutrogena (Brand for Skin Hair Care products) 0 Body Lotion etc. J also has its Oral Care products by the name Rembrandt. It also has its No Calorie Sweetener by the name Splenda. Product Line Length of J in Pharmaceuticals is huge. The products are for various Therapeutic uses such as:0 Anti Fungal 0 Anti-Infective 0 Cardiovascular 0 Contraceptive 0 Dermatology 0 Gastrointestinal and many more†¦ Band-Aid is one of the most popular pharmaceutical products of J. Product Line of J in Medical Devices Equipments is also quiet impressive. 0 0 It includes a broad range of products distributed to Wholesalers, Hospitals Retailers. Used principally in the professional fields by Physicians, Nurses, Therapists, Hospitals, Diagnostic Laboratories and Clinics. Products include Cordis’ circulatory disease management products, DePuy’s orthopedic joint reconstruction and spinal care products. Vistakon’s ACUVUE Disposable Contact Lens. One Touch Brand Blood Glucose Meters from LifeScan, Inc. P. F. C. Sigma Knee System from DePuy, Inc. 0 0 0 0 JJ also has several women’s Health Care products. Thus JJ has segmented the market in a way so as to target Kids, Teenagers, Women also people those are conscious about Natural products. It has strongly covered the market by diversifying itself into Pharmaceuticals Manufacturer of Medical Equipments devices. MILESTONES †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 1989: Introduced the first test kit for the detection of antibodies to hepatitis C. 1996: Introduced the first test kit to screen blood for antigens to HIV-1, the virus that is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS cases in the U. S. 997: Introduced the first fully automated blood banking system in Europe. 1999: Introduced the first fully automated blood and plasma screening system. 2000: Introduced the first blood screening kit for HCV antigen. AWARDS RECOGNISATION †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ In the year 2005 JJ was recognized by National Safety Council for the excellence in environmental, health and safety ma nagement. In the year 2006 Working Mother Magazine named JJ in best 100 places to work for mother. Fortune magazine ranked JJ in 9th position in over all industry and also listed it in the America most admired companies in 2006. In the year 2007 JJ receive the Spark Award for the new packing and advertising campaign. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY †¢ †¢ †¢ Centre of Health, Environment and Justice AND JJ launched PVC consumer campaigns. Developed a PVC phase out policy in June 2007 Signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. A pledge to make safe products. Eco-Friendly Endeavour’s 0 0 Reached a settlement with the U. S. govt. in December 2006. Installed a â€Å"ZERO† discharge cooling tower water treatment system. Help-age 0 0 0 Donated to TSUNAMI relief efforts in Asia. Gave $10 million to September 11 , 2001 victims. Working to reduce its green house gas emissions. Environmental Policy 0 0 0 0 0 0 Integrating Environmental goals. Striving for ZERO WASTE. 100% resource efficiency. Enhancement of environment. Utilizing innovative technologies. Fostering ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS. CREDO 0 0 0 0 0 0 Our first responsibility – doctors, nurses, mothers, fathers, consumers. Everything of high quality. Constantly strive to reduce costs. Customers’ orders -serviced properly. Suppliers distributors – make profit. Envt. is the ultimate human health issue. FUTURE PLANS JJ Corporation has a very good perception of India. This has been supported by good results in the country. The outlook is bullish, and is supported by a high level of confidence in the Indian management team and more investments likely in the coming years. Double-digit growth is forecast for the India operations. India would be a key growth driver for JJ worldwide. JJ is also exploring the opportunities for setting up BPO operations in the country. How to cite Product Mix, Essay examples

Nelson Mandela and Unitive Leadership-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Write a reflective essay on a Person, Historical or Current, that you consider to be a Leader. Answer: Nelson Mandela was a successful leader because of the charismatic traits of leadership such as compassionate, continuous learner, ethical, unifier, and servant and had the characteristics of self-sacrifice. According to me, the aforementioned traits enabled Nelson Mandela to end the Apartheid movement in the Southern Africa. For example, the compassionate trait of Nelson Mandela allowed him to think for the betterment of the county and the people without considering own needs. Nelson Mandela sacrificed 27 years of his life in prison for the independence of his people and country and was proud about his vision. According to me, his characteristics of being a continuous Larner, compassion for his country and the ability of self-sacrifice made him a great leader of all time (Senge, Hamilton, Kania, 2015). This essay introduces about the great leader Nelson Mandela, a world political leader who devoted his life for the betterment of South Africa and spend almost 27 years in jail as the British imprisoned him for his fight against them. Nelson Mandela was born on 18th July 1918 in a village near Transkei who was one of the members of the African National Congress under the leadership of Anton Lembede. In 1960, Nelson Mandela proposed the formation of a military wing within ANC. In 1963, Nelson Mandela was voted the head for overthrowing the government by violence. Nelson Mandelas statement was highly appreciated internationally. However, in 12th June 1964, eight accused along with Nelson Mandela was sentenced imprisonment. It is during his imprisonment; Nelson Mandelas reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in Southern Africa. Nelson Mandela became the potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement. As a great leader, Nelson Mandela refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom (Carlin, 2012). According to me, Nelson Mandela had the ability of visualise differently for the better future conditions of the people along with deciding the ways of achieving them. This is one of the characteristics of charismatic leadership that allowed him to have a vision for better future. Due to this trait, I think Nelson Mandela was able to be a leader by inspiration. As a result, Nelson Mandela articulated a highly emotional message by using metaphors to the citizens and clarifying the goal to the nation and its people. He also had the ability to lead the nation by inspiring the people through story telling in terms of better future. Nelson Mandela had a charismatic leadership style, as he was the one who created the vision of ending Apartheid movement in the Southern Africa for the entire nation. As a leader, Nelson Mandela was always enthusiastic in the activities and challenges that came across while fulfilling the vision by being optimistic and energetic. According to me, this trait of Nelson Mandela that helped in motivating and inspiring the nation to achieve the independence by overcoming the obstacles (Howell, 2013). According to me, Nelson Mandela also had the characteristics of transformational leadership, as he was the one who rose awareness among the people regrading stopping Apartheid movement for the betterment of the country. The transformational leadership nature of Nelson Mandela allowed him to help the people to look beyond their self-interest but to consider the betterment of the entire nation. Therefore, as the people were able to look beyond their self-interest, I think it helped them in having a better understanding of the need for the change. Nelson Mandela was also able to build trust within the people that if they support him, he will bring the change for the country and its people (Dennerberg, 2014). Nelson Mandela used a democratic leadership style that provided an opportunity for him to facilitate reconciliatory communication between the different social groups of Southern Africa. According to me, this lead to a dramatic improvement in the political situation of the nation. The main feature of democratic leadership style is to encourage participation from all. During Nelson Mandelas imprisonment, the speech given by him highlighted the significance of involving all the South African citizens in the movement towards achieving the change. This is because I believe a change cannot take place above the heads or behind the backs of the people that participate in bringing the change (Allison Goethals, 2014). According to me, the charismatic nature of Nelson Mandela allowed him to visualise and convince others that courage does not signify the absence of fear. This mindset of Nelson Mandela allowed him to pretend and appear fearless. I think the fearless appearance of Nelson Mandela that helped him motivate and inspire others. According to me, a great leader should be proud of the vision and should hold his head high in any circumstances while achieving the vision. Nelson Mandela was a perfect example of this leadership nature as he was proud of his vision. The inmates said they watched Nelson Mandela walk with the head high, upright and proud, as he knew he was a role model for his nation and the rest of the world. This sense of achievement as an individual made it easier for Nelson Mandela to survive in the prison. I think that as a leader it is important to make the people understand that one needs to be proud of his vision. This is the only possible way that a leader can motivate and inspire the surrounding people to work towards the change regardless of anything and achieve it successfully (Joffe, 2013). Another characteristic of Nelson Mandela that makes him one of the greatest leaders is he believes of leading from the front but without leaving his base. I think as a great leader Nelson Mandela had the ability to think ahead time and visualise the outcomes of the change in the coming decades. Nelson Mandela knew that history was on his side and that the results are inevitable. The characteristics of Nelson Mandela to think ahead of time is a sign of great leader (O'fallon, 2012). According to me, the ability to view things in terms of decades is what allows the leaders motivate and convince the population about the change and its impact on future. The immensely strong self-believe and the pride are what made Nelson Mandela one of the greatest charismatic leaders of all time. According to me, this leadership nature of Nelson Mandela allowed him to see the positive impact of the end of Apartheid movement for the people of South Africa without being afraid thereby, bringing the change successfully (Beresford, 2014). Therefore, I can conclude that Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest charismatic leaders of all time who is selfless, fearless and believe on the vision in terms of decades allowed him to bring the change successfully for the South Africa References Allison, Goethals, . (2014). Now He Belongs to the Ages: The Heroic Leadership Dynamic and Deep Narratives of Greatness. Beresford. (2014). Nelson Mandela and the politics of South Africa's unfinished liberation. Review of African Political Economy, 297-305. Carlin. (2012). Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the game that made a nation. Atlantic Books Ltd. Dennerberg. (2014). Nelson Mandela:" no Easy Walk to Freedom. Scholastic Inc. Howell. (2013). Snapshots of great leadership. Routledge. Joffe. (2013). The State Vs. Nelson Mandela: The Trial that Changed South Africa. Oneworld Publications. O'fallon. (2012). Nelson Mandela and unitive leadership. Integral Leadership Review, 1-20. Senge, Hamilton, Kania, . (2015). The dawn of system leadership. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 27-33.

Homeless Essays - Homelessness, Humanitarian Aid, Poverty

Homeless What has been done to decrease the problem? One of the largest growing concerns in Toronto is the constantly increasing number of citizens who are finding themselves living on the streets. With the decrease in the number of available jobs, the population of homeless people has literally boomed. My questions are not as simple to answer as they may appear. Why is a large portion of our community forced to live on the streets? What has be done to decrease the problem? These are the questions I will confront in my essay. With the economical wealth attributed to the name "Canada", one would have to wonder why there is a homeless situation at all. This problem is especially evident in Canada's wealthiest city, Toronto. When it comes to the affairs of the people, it is the government who should intervene. When I look at what the government has done with regard to the homeless problem, I have to doubt that everything is being done to eradicate it. The United Nations implemented a universal d eclaration of human rights. Article 25 Section 1 of this declaration states: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services, and to the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. This is a step in the right direction. However, this is not enough. These rights are subject to the discretion of the government of the country who decides to obey these universal rights. How much is "adequate"? The government, both at the federal and municipal levels, is currently working on new spending cuts. These cuts also include spending on welfare, unemployment and social services that are geared towards helping the homeless. Spending cuts can be seen as a necessity to maintain the country economically, but the reason for having a government i n the first place is to take care of the people. How can this be done when money is being taken away from those services that are necessary to uphold this obligation? Simply put, it cannot. Those obligations are served by nonprofit organizations who depend on government grants to maintain a standard of care for those who need the services. The blame cannot be placed only on the government. Such a system of assistance depends on its beneficiaries to be honest and have some integrity. Many recipients of these services attempt to "cheat the system". With no will to search for work many of these recipients remain at home and reap the benefits of their weekly cheques. This causes the government to create other services to control the amounts of money being distributed to those people. This process is costly and would be unnecessary if all of the recipients decided to take an honest approach to this service. What can the government do to decrease the homeless population? Although there is no quick and easy answer to solve this difficult problem, Toronto has the means to attempt economical ways to research and come up with ideas to solve it. Here in Ontario we have many excellent universities and colleges with equally excellent students who are taking courses in the political sciences. If the government were to cooperate with these universities and colleges and have them work in conjunction with the current research groups, then the answer to decrease the homeless population would be effectively answered. The government would encounter little expense and at the same time give the students a chance to implement what they are learning into real life situations. Everyone benefits from this idea and there are no losers. In conclusion I think that our homeless problem could eventually be rooted out entirely if everyone were to take part in the care of their fellow neighbour. If we were to stop being self-centered and start thinking about the other person who has less than us, I am sure that we would benefit from it. It isn't all that hard. A few advertisements on the television and radio, a little push from our society's leaders

Athens and Sparta the culture essays

Athens and Sparta the culture essays Athens was one of the first city-states. Each of these independent states consisted of a city and the region that surrounded it. Athens had a king, as did other Greek states. According to tradition, the first king of Athens was named Cecrops. Kings ruled the city-state until 682 B.C. Beginning that year, elected officials called archons headed the government of Athens. The general assembly, which consisted of all adult male citizens of Athens, elected the archons to one-year terms. After their term of office, the archons joined the Areopagus, a council of elder statesmen. The Areopagus judged murder trials and prepared political matters for the vote of the general assembly. Hippias fell from power in 510 B.C., and Cleisthenes, the head of a leading family, became the most powerful statesman in Athens. About 508 B.C., the Athenians adopted a new constitution proposed by Cleisthenes, which made the state a democracy. This constitution was an unwritten one, but it stayed in effect with little change for hundreds of years. The constitution kept the ideas of Solon, but it also provided for new conditions that had developed since Solon's rule. Until Cleisthenes' time, citizenship in Athens had been based on blood relationship to the four Ionic tribes that had originally settled Attica. A man had to belong to a phratry (brotherhood) to be a citizen. Under Cleisthenes' system, all men 18 years of age and older were registered as citizens and as members of the deme (village or town) in which they lived. In time, membership in the demes became hereditary, and so a man might belong to a deme in which he did not actually live. Cleisthenes divided the demes into 30 groups called trittyes, which, in turn, were divided into 10 new tribes. Each of the 10 tribes was made up of 3 trittyes from different regions of Athens. Thus, members of each tribe came from various families and different parts of the city-state. ...

Non require Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Non require - Essay Example inning as a renegade sect of Judaism that was banned by the Roman government (largely because it did not allow for the kind of religious pluralism that the Roman state was based on), to a tolerated, legal but minority religion (under the reign of Constantine),1 very briefly back to being an illegal religion (under Julian the Apostate) before finally becoming the official religion of the Roman state.2 Along with these changes in official status came changes in church structure – early Christian churches likely operated on a very small scale, with priests and bishops (where they existed) mainly serving the role of teachers and communicators, without actually wielding much power.3 As Christianity became more officially recognized, it became a more strongly organized church in itself, with greater emphasis put on hierarchy and the power and authority of church elders and leaders, and less emphasis on the importance of individual believers. Through these broad changes many disagree ments emerged: questions about who were church leaders, how their power was exercised, who got to set doctrinal legitimacy, and theological questions such as the nature of the divine. Through the broad history of Christianity, it becomes apparent that more and more of these conflicts were solved by the creation of a strict hierarchy, which put older, educated men at the head, forming church policy, while diminishing the importance and voice of anyone else. The role of women in the Church was an early issue that demonstrates the shift of power from ordinary believers into the hands of the same kind of people that ruled Roman society, older, patriarchal men. Women played an incredibly important role in early Christianity – Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Jesus were both incredibly important members of the early church. Likewise, Paul had many â€Å"coworkers† that demonstrate that women were indeed an important part of the early church.4 Women may have even had a role in

HRD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRD - Research Paper Example In this relationship, rules are created and enforced to ensure smooth running of the organisation and its effectiveness. Different actors are involved in this process including employer, employee, trade unions, and the government or state. Such a relationship may be harmonious, conflictual or antagonistic depending on the context and ideologies. This forms the core of employment relations that this report will focus on. This is a report to the boss of a multinational mining company in Australia seeking to engage the services of skilled immigrant workers under Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) visas. Bill is a newly appointed ER manager at a multinational mining company in Australia. This is the first time he is working in the mining industry having prior experience in heavy engineering and utilities. The company is about to take over operations of an existing mine on a remote site in WA. However, many mining companies in Australia claim to be facing skill shortages and reduced competitiveness due to rising labour costs thus the problem is how to fill this skill gap. The most reasonable option is to source labour from local market but since this is not forthcoming, the option of immigrants is crucial. For a long time, Australia has been using the services of immigrants to fill skill gaps. These may be filled by permanent skilled immigrants, or temporary immigrants who include: holidaymakers, students and temporary (long stay) immigrants. Jakubowicz (2013) indicates that temporary business (long stay) visas were introduced by the Howard government in 1996. Prior to that Australia was not keen on employing immigrants but permanent skilled immigrants are considered Australian citizens hence appropriate to work in Australia under prevailing working conditions and labour laws. However, the option of temporary (long stay) visas has enabled Australia to

Overview Of Tata Steel Pre Merger

Overview Of Tata Steel Pre Merger TATA Steel, earlier known as TISCO, is the iron and steel production company which is the flagship concern of the TATA group, Indias largest private corporate group. Tata Steel was established by Indian Parsi Businessman Jamsetji Tata in 1907. As of 2005, TATA Steel was Asias largest private sector steel company. The company was also recognized as the worlds best steel producer by World Steel Dynamics in 2005. Tata Steel has set an ambitious target to achieve a capacity of 30 million tonne by 2015. To this end it acquired Singapore based NatSteel in 2004 and acquired a 40% stake in Thailand based Millennium steel. Through these two acquisitions, TATA steel added about 3.2 million tonne to its production capacity. As of 2006, TATA Steel had a production capacity of 5.3 million tonnes. After the Corus acquisition (18.2 million tonne), the net acquired capacity was 21.4 million tonne, and TATA Steel plans to add another 29 million tonne by this route. Thus we see that TATA Steel seems to have a definite strategy of increasing capacity through acquisition and is acting on it rapidly. At this point we will conduct a resource based analysis of this strategy. A resource based view of strategy emphasizes the internal resources of a company in the formulation of strategy in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. The following model makes this process clear:- Resources Resources are the input which an organization uses to carry out its activities. And yet organizations in the same industry might have similar resources but have differing performance, since they may utilize their resources differently. For a resource based view, Assets available to a business may be classified in the following form  [1]  (Resources in management TRIZ, Business level):- TATA Steel Particulars Pre Merger Post Merger Tangible assets (in Rs. Crore) Fixed assets 9865 11040 Current assets 2174 2332 Financial assets (in Rs. Crore) Assets (cash) 288.39 7681.35 Net Worth 9755 14096 Intangible Location Jamshedpur Jamshedpur Size World 56th largest World 5th largest Competition None domestically None domestically Thus we can see that prior to the merger TATA Steel was a very large domestic steel player, in fact the largest in India. The location advantage conferred by the plant being in Jamshedpur was aptly put by Mr. Ratan Tata, who said that the owners of iron ore will be the rulers of the steel industry. Its captive raw material resources and state of the art 5 million tonne plant at Jamshedpur gives at a competitive edge. This capacity is slated to go up to 7 million tonne. In addition, TATA steel has extremely good relations with the government in the region by virtue of its long standing developmental efforts in the region. As a result, TATA Steel has acquired a great deal of goodwill among the local population and consequently, the government. This is apparent in the Greenfield projects which the group is setting up in the region:- 6 million tonne plant in Orissa (India) 12 million tonne in Jharkhand (India) Capabilities However, the best resources in themselves are of no real value to a company in and of themselves. The organization must have the capability to employ these resources properly. It is these distinctive capabilities of an organizations resources which result in a competitive advantage. But this advantage is sustainable only if this capability comes from some characteristic other firms do not possess. TATA Steel is one of the lowest cost steel producers in the world. It is also one of the even fewer steel companies which are EVA positive. It has an operating profit margin of nearly 40%  [2]  (avg. = 16%). As an indication, only two manufacturers in USA (and none in India) have higher margins. At the same time, growth rate for sales was 232% and net income was 590%  [3]  . Adding this information to its captive raw materials resources as explained previously, we can see that TATA Steel had a unique position as an extremely low cost steel producer in an extremely fast developing region of the world. Tata Steel holds a very vital place in Indian business history, because it has introduced some of the unique concepts like 8-hour working days, leave with pay and pension system for the first time in India and the first player to start rapid industrialization process. In the later part, the concepts invented and implemented by the Tatas became law and compulsory practice for the Indian employees. A direct result of these employee friendly practices is the goodwill which TATA Steel enjoys among its workforce. In consequence, the Jamshedpur plant furnaces have never been closed down due to industrial strife. Thus we can see the two major capabilities which enable TATA Steel to employ its resources effectively extreme operating efficiency and employee friendly policy. Another point of note is the extremely cash rich status of the organization even prior to the acquisition with an interest coverage ratio of 32, and a growth rate of 380% for net cash flow from operations. Competitive advantage At this point we can clearly see the sources of competitive advantage for TATA Steel prior to the merger. Therefore let us examine its position in the market prior to the merger, with the Porters five forces model. 1) Threat of entry of new competitors The steel industry is one which has a very high entry barrier. In addition, established players already enjoy customer loyalty, and hence it will be difficult for new players to gain market share. On the other hand, the sector promises high returns in future. 2) Intensity of competitive rivalry In terms of price, quality and innovation TATA Steel had no domestic competition as of 2005-06. However, on a global scale, it was just so small in terms of volume that it could not bring into play the economies of scale of the truly major players. 3) Threat of substitute products This threat is well nigh negligible with respect to steel. 4) Bargaining power of customers The steel industry is one of periodic swings in demand. However, with an average growth rate of 7% expected in countries like India, China and Brazil in the foreseeable future, we can safely assume that price of steel will continue to rise. In fact, the price of steel has doubled over 2006-2008  [4]  . However, it is also accepted that consolidation in the steel industry will lead to stabilisation of world steel prices and higher bargaining power. This is necessary because the buyers are consolidating e.g. auto makers are consolidating with six to seven global majors. 5) Bargaining power of suppliers The three major iron ore suppliers CVRD, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have a 75% market share and 40% margins. Clearly, small players are at a distinct disadvantage. Strategy In this context, let us examine the strategy of acquisition as proceeded upon by the TATA Steel management. First, TATA Steel had proximity to low cost iron ore, and the capability to take advantage of it. As a result, TATA Steel had acquired leadership status in the Indian market. In terms of the BCG Matrix, it would be considered a star. However, if it does not grow into the international it would, sooner rather than later, become a cash cow. In order to remain a star, it would have to grow its capacity and become a world major. However, before the Corus acquisition, it was only at 56th position in capacity. In terms of the world market, TATA Steel would find market penetration in Europe or America extremely difficult. In addition, as explained via the Porters five forces model, steel producers are on the wrong side of the equation both with respect to the buyers as well as suppliers, who are well consolidated and hence in a position to dictate terms. Hence, it is necessary for global steel players to consolidate as well, and thereby acquire a position of strength. This would decrease price fluctuations and increase earnings multiples. Hence, considering resources (cash, technology) present with the company, the competitive advantage it enjoyed (low cost, high margin) and the market conditions (consolidation), acquisition of some major manufacturer and jump into the big league was the only choice. Strategic Decision Undertaken The strategic decision we will be considering for the purpose of this project is Tata Steels decision to acquire Corus and the how they went about the entire process. The reasons behind the takeover will be viewed in detail along with a resource based view of the resources so collated by the newly formed company now known as Tata Europe. I really believe that the owners of iron ore are going to rule the industry. They will be OPEC of the steel industry. (Ratan Tatas interview to McKinsey Quarterly quoted by Wheatley in Financial Times, January 29, 2007). This statement made by Ratan Tata expresses in clear words the true reason behind the adoption of this strategy. Corus- An overview Corus headquarter in London, Europes second largest producer of steel and the 9th largest in the world was founded in the October 1999 via a merger between two companies British Steel and Koninklijke Hoogovens. This merger was a result of the privatization of Steel producing companies by the U.K government. In the year 2005 its revenues stood at  £9.2 billion. Corus had a divisional structure which comprised the Strip Products division, the Long Products division, Aluminum Division and the Distribution Building division. Corus customer base ranges across countries of the world and its core businesses include the manufacturing, development and allocation of steel aluminum products as well as services. It has a diversified product services portfolio which comprise manufacturing of electrical steel, narrow strip, plates, packaging steel, plated steel strip, semi-finished steel, tube products, wire rod and rail products and services and also design, technology and consultancy servic es. To support this elaborate array of products services, Corus employed about 42,600 employees in sales services centers across 40 countries. The main strength of the company lay in its international expertise with local customer service and its brand which stood for quality and strength Through the period of 200 2006 Corus grew via a number of acquisitions which did add to its large pool of long term debts, but nevertheless it has a wide range of customer segments ranging from commercial and military aerospace ventures, the automotive, construction, engineering, defense and security, as well as the rail and shipbuilding industry. Some of the Financial Information available in respect to Corus in the year 2005 has been put in annexure 1. Acquisition Based Dynamic Capabilities Tata Steel has often used the Acquisition strategy to expand their products and markets or gain other advantages and have in most cases been good at it. Looking at this strategic decision from Acquisition Based Dynamic Capabilities approach we find that over the years the Tatas have well groomed these capabilities into their system. There are three factors to consider here: Acquisition Selection Capability- Tata steel was correct in timing the merger as it was due to emerging trends in the world steel industry with the increasing consolidation in the market. With a eat or be eaten mentality it was essential for this strategy to be adopted in order to become the 5th largest producer of steel and give competition to post merger entities like Arcelor-Mittal etc. Also there would be multiple points of contact with their firms existing resources and those of Corus owing to the long list of synergies as listed in the following pages of the report. Acquisition Identification Capability- The most appropriate target for the Tatas was definitely Crus as there was the horizontal integration with respect to the R D capabilities that the Tatas were keenly interested in adding to their resource base. The Due Diligence was well carried out as though there were certain cultural issues in the way, the top management of the Tatas were fact to act in a manner to resolve the issues. Some of the steps they took involved retention of crucial executives of Corus to help in a smoother integration process and also aid in running the newly formed entity. Also the Tatas did not over pay for the deal as the market value of it exceed the price they paid, and the yearly savings expected from it were substantial. Apart from that they were able to gain access to wider distribution networks and newer markets. Acquisition Reconfiguration Capability- This is one of the most crucial aspects which can determine the success of failure of a merger. It involves the acquirer to be able to merger its resources with the new ones acquired and do so in a productive and efficient manner in order to enhance the functioning of operations etc. Tata Corus Merger Tata steel started the acquisition process in the year 2005 but since Corus had been involved in a number of its own acquisition processes the deal was finally closed with the acquisition of Corus on the 2nd April 2007 as per official records. The price paid or the same was considered to be too high at an overwhelming $12 billion out of which the Tatas financed the deal with only $4 billion. This strategic decision undertaken by Tata Steel raised their rank from the 56th to being the 5th largest steel producing company in the world. In all fairness it is necessary to note that this acquisition did not come to the Tata with ease, as though the bidding started at 455pence per share, by the time the deal came to a close it had resulted in gaining a price of 608pence per share. This 33% hike in bidding rate was caused due to the emergence of another bidder, the Brazilian Steel maker Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (CSN). The Counter Bids The deal so made was a 100% acquisition and the newly formed entity now renamed Tata Europe is being run by one of the subsidiaries of Tata Steel. As Corus had been looking to make an exit, Tatas acquisition proved to be a profitable opportunity. The expected synergies deemed the deal to be beneficial for the Tatas as although some said that the Tatas overpaid, it was clearly communicated by the Tatas that they had paid much less than the replacement cost (market value) of all the assets they were able to acquire via this merger. Reasons For This Merger Strategy- The Global Trends The Steel market in the world had been witnessing some very strong trends which called for such a merger. There are a series of mergers which happened in the world steel industry which include some of the following: In 2004, Mittal bought International Steel Group, an American company which included assets of the previous Bethlehem Steel. Mittals merger with Arcelor ($36.1 billion offer) in 2006 created the largest steel company in the world. In October, 2006, Russian steelmaker Evraz Group bought Oregon Steel Mills of the U.S. for $2.3 billion. Nucor, the second largest US steel producer, acquired Harris Steel Group of Canada for $1.07 billion in January 2007. Severstal, the largest Russian steelmaker had invested $800 million in a new plant in Mississippi and $900 million in a plant near Detroit. Essar Group of India has made a $1.6 billion investment in Algoma Steel of Canada (2007) as well as $4.65 billion offer to buy Minnesota Steel Industries. On May 4, 2007, Swedish steelmaker, SSAB, made a $7.7 billion cash offer to acquire Ipsco of Canada. Global Steel Production in 2005 Hence we see that the environment of the steel industry was amenable to consolidation. There was a strong desire among key players to gain efficiencies resulting from steel production. Some of the reasons for such a trend towards acquisitions were: Obtaining access to new and growing markets Enhancing purchasing power with respect to suppliers and buyers Growing economy of China and India during mid-2000s Higher degree of price stability better margins Attractive to Investors Eat or be eaten mentality A desire amongst the key players to gain efficiencies resulting from scale Steel prices have been on an upward trend as can be seen in the following graph. This phenomenon started in the year 2004 and slowed down due to the economic crisis in 2009. But a great deal of volatility has been witnessed in the market and had been another major reason to consolidate so as to have a greater hold on the market dynamics. There was also lot of speculation in the market about China, the worlds largest producer of steel to increase its capacity resulting in a dip in world prices of steel. Growing economies like China and India did make up for a major demand for steel and to meet this requirement China was even importing steel from outside. Following is the graph of 2006-2008: Prior to the beginning of the deal negotiations, both Tata Steel and Corus were interested in entering into an MA deal due to several reasons. The official press release issued by both the company stated that the combined entity will have a pro forma crude steel production of 27 million tons in 2007, with 84,000 employees across four continents and a joint presence in 45 countries, which makes it a serious rival to other steel giants. Post- Acquisition Scenario A Resource Based Perspective Before After EBITDA 13% 25% Capacity 7 MTPA 25 MTPA Position 56 6 Business Resources with sub-categories in Management- TRIZ Concrete Level Business Specific Level Tangible Assets Fixed Assets Assets: 23741.48 cr Cutting edge technology- providing metal solutions Low cost upstream Tata facilities with high end downstream processing facilities of Corus RD facilities of Corus Intangible Assets Human Distribution networks, Research and Development capability of Corus to be leveraged for Tata Steels green field projects in Orissa, Bihar and Jharkand Finances Capital, Obligations and Savings To finance the deal worth $12 billion the following sources were used: Equity by Tata Steel: $ 3.88 billion Bank loans: $ 8.12 billion by Credit Suisse, ABN Amro and Deutsche Bank Long term loans obligation to be paid by Corus cash flows Obligations: Total interest obligation: $ 640 million to the already existing interest obligation of Corus amounting to $ 400 million Pension liabilities of Corus $ 24 billion Cost Synergies: Production cost $ 710/ton which is far less than a green Field project which would cost around $ 1200-1300 per ton Savings of $350 million per year through synergy General Characteristics Location of Operation Main Center India; UK, Netherlands and South East Asia Markets Innovative solutions to: Construction, Packaging, Automotive, Aerospace Energy, Engineering, Defense and Security, Consumer Products, Ship Building, Rail Greater access to market and Significant presence in over 25 countries or regions Products Bar billet, Business services, Construction products services, Electrical steels, Packaging steels, Plates, Plated steel strip, Pre-finished steels, Rail products services, Sections, Semi finished steel, Specialty, Strip products, Support products, Tube Products, Wire Rod Size Post Acquisition Sales Rs 8105.30 cr Production Capacity 26 million MTPA Competition Position 5th largest Steel Maker with a production capacity of about 26 Million Tons Per Annum Strengthened position in construction, automotive and packaging construction sector Management Resources with sub-categories in Management TRIZ: Concrete Level: Management Specific Level: Planning and Coordinating; Strategic Planning- For the growth and globalization the route of acquisitions was taken up and the logic has been explained before. Post acquisition the top management of the acquired company was retained for effective integration of processes Operational Planning-. The Tata Steel and Corus operations were being run as one virtual company with performance improvement tasks being undertaken in each location. The aim was cross-fertilization of research, development of capabilities across functionalities and transfer of best practices from Europe to India. Organization- Company Operational Structure- 15-18 teams were formed with 3-4 members each with joint representation in teams to look at various synergistic avenues Company Organizational Structure- Corus Tata SteelIntegration Team- 7 members Several Task Force Teams were also constituted for integration. Organization and Environment- Government and society- The acquisition had a very positive response from India, Indians felt patriotic towards this investment. In fact the Indian Trade and Commerce minister Kamal Nath commented that the global perception of India is now changing. This way the Indian government and society was quite supportive of the deal, in spite of critics commenting that the deal was over-priced. The historical ties between India and UK were also becoming stronger, Trade and Industry were looking up. Markets- the Tata Steel stock attained a 52 week high of 721 on March 2007, showing positive investor response. SPs credit rating also improved Informal Organization Culture- Both the organizations had similar performance culture with respect to aspirational targets, safety and social responsibility, continuous improvement and openness and transparency. However, there were some cultural issues: Inherent in the mind of the employees. Resentment of being governed and managed by a former British colony Insecurity of production centers shifted out of the UK to low-cost centers. The labor unions in Europe raised their concern regarding this. Other Characteristics Compensation mismatch 18.5 % employee expense (Corus) 7.9 % employee expense (Tata Steel) Recent developments: In 2010 Tata Group has announced that the name and logo of TATA Steel will be used use for Corus. The transition also signifies that Tata Sons, which controls the use of the Tata brand, is satisfied that operations at Corus are now aligned with the characteristics of the Tata brand. The workers understand this is a name change and also realize that the Tata board has been supportive of the employees. It implies that synergies are being attained and that cultural integration is on the right path. Leadership: Common organization values for Tata Steel and Corus: Continues improvement program Integrity, respect for individual and world class governance Post- Acquisition: The company had effectively retained the top management of the acquired company to facilitate effective integration and to take care of the above stated cultural issues of the employees. This move coupled with effective communication has instilled confidence amongst the employees 2010 Current Executive committee which manages day to day operations of Tata Steel Europe (new name for Corus under Tata Steel) Value Chain Perspective There were significant effects that were seen on some parts of the value chain post Tatas acquisition of Corus. As already detailed above, Tata saw Corus as a strategic acquisition and took some immediate and long term steps to make the acquisition a success. Operations: This part of the value chain witnessed a saving of a whopping $103 million in 2008 09 post the integration process. Performance Improvement Teams (PITs) in 15 different areas were identified. These teams engaged in various new cost related projects in the wake of the economic recession and reduced volumes. The most important project that the teams worked on was the use of low cost coal for coke production and recycling of steel plant waste. Marketing and Sales: The acquisition of Corus gave Tata access to European markets in a very time efficient and cost efficient manner. Tata got access to the distribution network of Corus which was instrumental for its expansion in Europe. With the help of new capacity new products were introduced to cater to an expanding market in Europe. Post the acquisition, the company added flat products to Corus portfolio and thus strengthened Tatas position in the Automotive and consumer product segments. Tata globally became the 6th biggest player in the steel industry. Outbound Logistics: This function of the integrated company has undergone significant computerization and has led to more efficient supply chain management. The IT teams of Tata Steel Europe (Erstwhile Corus) are working in coordination with the IT teams of Tata Steel India to strengthen the IT support to this vertical. Both are also working to create online visibility of the operational performance of the organization. Procurement: This support function has seen significant cost savings driven by the increase in scale of the combined entity. Post the acquisition, Tata Steel Europe has appointed Lead Buyers for high value items and thus has streamlined the processes to a large extent. Contracts have been renewed for these suppliers and a resultant savings of over $40 million have been realized. Technology Development: The acquisition has provided Tata access to the latest technology and state of the art Research and Development setup. Tata has always been known for its technological excellence amongst the Indian peers but Corus took it to international standards. Post this deal, the total RD strength of the company has gone up to 1000 people. Process improvement teams have been set up leveraging the expertise of Corus for better process technologies. Through this RD set up TSE (Tata Steel Europe) has been working with various strategic partners one of them being the UK ministry of Defense. Human Resource Management: To increase efficiencies and in the wake of the economic downturn faced by the organization in FY 09, the company decided to cut its manpower costs by 20%. The target departments were IT, Finance and Human Resources. This undercutting was done through leveraging of Tata Steel Groups capabilities. A Performance Improvement Committee was set up during the integration phase and it still is responsible for knowledge transfer across the organization and adapting of best practices, which has to a great extent to Tata Steel Europe. Firm Infrastructure: Substantial steps have been taken in this regard in various departments such as finance, plants etc. This has been the pivotal point of addition in the value chain of the new company. Finance: Substantial expansion in the equity and debt resources was witnessed in order to acquire a big company as Corus. As the acquisition was essentially financed by raising substantial debt ($7.3 billion), the gross debt of the Tata Steel group stood at $10.54 billion in 2008 and increased to $11.78 billion by close of 2009. Restructuring of the debt has been witnessed in the recent past but the debt equity ratio still stood at 1.65 as at the end of FY 2009 from a low of 0.06 in FY 2006. Asset Restructuring, Integration and Divestment: With the acquisition of Corus, Tata Steel was the owner of an asset base that was thrice he size of the original Tata Steel and therefore was the need for integration of assets, divesting the obsolete assets and pairing down of overlapping assets. Immediate steps taken included closure of 4 plants and mothballing of 2 plants out of the 15 plants of Corus group. The expansion of the hot strip mill capacity at Port Talbot to 4mt. is on the table; and a decision to restructure the Corus Engineering Steels has been taken. All of this was done under the Fit for Future initiative undertaken at the merged company. Sources: Tata Steel Annual Report 2007 08 Tata Steel Annual Report 2008 09 Achieving Global Growth through Acquisition: Tatas Takeover of Corus, Journal of Case Research and in Business and Economics Tatas Acquisition of Corus: A Quantum Leap, Rashmi Malapur, The ICFAI University Press (2007) Achieving Global Growth through Acquisition: Tatas Takeover of Corus by Kimberly, Suresh and Jessica http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=articlesectid=5contentid=201007022010070215213931780a91fb3 http://indiaearnings.moneycontrol.com/sub_india/compnews.php?autono=264760 http://www.tatasteeleurope.com/en/company/management/executive_committee/ http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tata-steelcorus-synergy-realises-76-mn-in-fy08/347487/