NIKE †Channel conflict

Executive summary NIKE Company that deals in the designing and manufacture of sportswear sports items evolved from the BRS Company, which was established in 1964 by Phil Knight. He decided to establish the company after recognizing that the U.S. market was too much dependant on imported footwear items.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on NIKE – Channel conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since then, the company has grown to become a global market leader in supplying sports shoes to its customers. Despite of its wonderful growth, the company experienced channel conflict when it decided to launch its products to be available for online retail in 1999. This channel conflict was mainly due to the clashing objectives of the channel members, its traditional channel members declined to keep pace with the changing times, and channel members failed to accomplish their obligations. This led to negative impacts on the effectiveness of the channel, reduced partner loyalty to principals, and erosion of customer satisfaction. Therefore, to avoid undesirable outcomes, the problem can be addressed adequately by engaging the services of an external consultant to come up with a number of proposed solutions that can benefit the organization in the long run. The success of the proposed solutions can be evaluated through analyzing the behavioral performance of the channels and distinguishing forewarning signs of unacceptable performance within the channels. Introduction In 1964, Phil Knight, a Stanford MBA student, started the BRS (Blue Ribbon Sports) Company with the intention of manufacturing high-quality shoes for the people in America. He recognized that the U.S. market was too much dependant on footwear imports; therefore, he started trading in these imported shoes. Eventually, the company evolved into NIKE. Over the next thirty-five years, the company expanded tremendously. Its fast growth was ba sed on a consistent and a logical strategy: â€Å"to capitalize on the importance of sports in people’s lives and to be identified with competition and victory in consumer minds† (Stanford University, 2000, p. 1).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Situated in Oregon, NIKE, was distinguishing itself as an outstanding apparel company that aimed at fulfilling the varied needs and requirements of its customers throughout the whole world. The company embraced internal collegiality and outward competitiveness in its organization culture. This initiative was largely due to the contribution of his founder, Phil Knight. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, NIKE, was distinguishing itself as an outstanding apparel company that aimed at fulfilling the varied needs and requirements of its customers throughout the whole world. The company embraced internal collegiality and out ward competitiveness in its organization culture. This initiative was largely due to the contribution of his founder, Phil Knight. The company’s marketing strategy focuses on portraying it as a premium-brand that trades in stylish and luxurious sports equipment. It attracts it worldwide clients by embracing a marketing strategy based on its brand image. This is realized by having a distinguishing logo as well as the advertising slogan: â€Å"Just do it,† and it lures customers to purchase its sports equipment by establishing long-term relationships with mega stars such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, and other distinguished teams around the world. In addition, its marketing mix consists of advertising, sponsoring sports events, and sponsoring celebrity athletes to use their products. Besides the controversies that surrounded its advertising campaigns, the company has proved that it is highly focused since it has paid more attention on building core corporate functio ns and expanding to other newer markets around the world. Problem Diagnosis Similar to other consumer products, the trade in sports equipment attracted several business persons who wanted to engage in ecommerce. Therefore, they wanted to make adequate use of the available opportunity in order to benefit from the advance in technology. Nike was not left behind in this new development. Originally, the nike.com website was established in late 1996 for the sole purpose of interacting with NIKE clients; there were no intentions of starting internet trading. However, in the following years, the company’s internet strategy transformed drastically. By early 1999, the company started to engage in e-commerce by launching some of its test products online and by the mid of the same year, the company had entered full-scale in e-commerce. However, as the year drew to a close, the company found itself at crossroads concerning the ambitious e-commerce initiative that it had launched at the b eginning of the year.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on NIKE – Channel conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company was experiencing a severe crisis of inequitable channel relationships that resulted in channel conflict (Lamb et al., 2009).The members within its distribution network were not agreeing in goals and methods to use for them to reach the global network of NIKE’s customers (Cullorta, Lynn, n.d.) This situation that faced the designer and manufacturer of sports equipment resulted when its traditional channel members declined to keep pace with the changing times. The advent of e-commerce had forced NIKE to make some of its products available online. The destructive horizontal channel conflict that nike.com was facing can be attributed to a variety of conditions and factors. Usually, the crisis is seen when the different channel members have clashing objectives. For instance, in thi s case, the online retailers wanted to reach as many consumers as possible with the products they were advertising on their websites. However, they were not paying attention whether the products are manufactured by NIKE or its ardent competitors. Nevertheless, Mary Kate Buckley, the general manager of nike.com, wanted the company to realize a targeted sales volume and market share within each market segment. As a result of coming up with an online strategy, NIKE embraced e-commerce which has made its chain of business relationships with other traditional retailers to scramble and become confused. Part of the reason why NOKIA is experiencing this problem can be traced to the overproduction of its products (Dahui et al., 2006; Rosenberg Stern, 1970). As the company invents newer versions of its sports equipment and transforms its marketing trend, channel clash is an inevitable consequence. Channel conflict arises when individual channel members do not accomplish their obligations so as to meet the expectations of other channel members (Hardy Magrath, 1989). For instance, some athletic footwear retailers were not abiding by the rules established by NIKE. Consequently, the quality of NIKE products was not adequately meeting the requirements of its customers. In some other situations, there was communication breakdown between the channel members, which hindered the viability of the distribution network.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even though some minimal levels of horizontal channel conflict is beneficial for an organization, when it is managed adequately, if this problem that NIKE is facing is not sufficiently addressed, it can lead to a number undesirable outcomes (Bucklin et al., 1997; Shavit, 2007). This problem can lead to severe negative impacts on the effectiveness of the channel (Hopkinson, 1997). The different channel partners and principals’ proceeds can also feel the pinch of this problem. These undesirable outcomes may make channel partners to stir up. When the conflict is very much pronounced, it can result in reduced partner loyalty to principals. Since in this case, the delicate balance between market coverage and conflict has been lost, the resulting undesirable conflict is able to erode the satisfaction of the customers concerning the products of NIKE. This is because clients will begin experiencing unnecessary purchasing costs in a situation when they are compelled to deal with mult iple channels which are providing basically similar solutions concerning sales solutions, and as the competing channels commence on concentrating on simple methods of winning sales in a conflict situation, they would ignore other important obligations. If the problem is not addressed sufficiently, it can back into the organization. Therefore, it can begin to affect some internal measures of operating effectiveness and the ultimate success of nike.com. In a situation in which a clash affects a direct sales force resulting in decreased productivity, an organization can experience increased management costs since the sales managers will be compelled to manage by exception and their will be increased turnover since the sales representatives will start reacting to conflict (Goldkuhl, 2007). To solve this problem amicably, NIKE needs to engage the services of an external consultant. This is because the consultant will be compensated only for the work or time taken when solving the problem . This will reduce the expenses of the company since it will not have to cater for other benefits that employees enjoy such as sick leave and paid holidays. Since the consultant will not be an employee of NIKE per se, the contract can be ended any time without dire consequences like facing the feared Employment Tribunal. More so, since the consultant has adequate expertise in solving channel conflict issues, he or she will be better placed to handle the situation as compared to an ordinary employee of the company. Proposed solution for the client After discovering that destructive channel conflict poses a potential threat to the existence of NIKE, the next question appertains to the solutions that can be implemented to avert the disaster from taking place. However, before the solutions can be implemented, NIKE must take drastic action to identify which particular conflicts poses a threat to its online retailing business. This involves identifying if the channels are actually making efforts to serve the interests of its customers, and distinguishing whether the channels are in conflict or they are deriving benefits from one another (Hopkinson, 1997; Lynn Kaarst, 1999). Others are identifying the exact cause of reduction in profits since poor operations in a channel can also be a factor, and lastly assessing if the decline in one channel is able reduce its overall proceeds. Distinguishing whether channels are in conflict is important because in some situations they assist in expanding product usage or building the company’s corporate brand image. For example, NIKE’s creation of NIKETown superstores is a forward-integrated strategy, which has improved its brand awareness and reputation. Therefore, it has made the organization to have increased control over its brand image which took a lot of time and considerable effort to build. Despite the fact that the rivalry superstores initially drew back, the advent of the new store increased the returns of the company almost in every channel that it was established in. After identifying the channels that threatens its existence, NIKE will be able to distinguish the dangerous channel conflicts and adopt appropriate solutions in order to avert the possibility of a channel disaster (Eliashberg Michie, 1984; Digital River Inc., 2000). In this instance, proposed solutions include redesigning the channel structure so as to concentrate on the sports equipment being sold and the varied client needs, instituting equally agreeable and focused business objectives with the channel partners, establishing effective communication within the channels, and developing particular channel products that are not easily accessible to other channels. These proposed solutions will ultimately benefit NIKE. This is because they will ensure that its specific client’s requirements within particular channels are met, partner agreements are as clear as possible hence avoiding unnecessary clashes, and all pa rtners will be included in all the business-planning events (Lee, Lee, Larsen, 2003; Rosenbusch, 2008.). In achieving the desired outcomes, the challenges that can be experienced include, but not limited to, and some partners may be unwilling to give up the practice of discounting, some sales representatives may not be happy of the changes due to the benefits they have been getting. Additionally, some customers may have been accustomed to particular channels; therefore, the change may not go well with them. The implementation plan for these proposed solutions is scalable and flexible since it is long enough for NIKE’s clients to react positively but also short enough in order to establish some client urgency. This involves outlining strategic actions to be undertaken, giving roles and responsibilities to different people, laying down the intended completion date, laying down the projected outcomes, and assessing the impact of the solutions to be implemented (Wheeler Hirsh, 1999). The success of the solutions can be gauged through analyzing behavioral performance by the use of appropriate role audits. In addition, the channels can be evaluated on a constant basis in order to single out forewarning signs of unacceptable performance within the channels. References Bucklin et al., 1997. Channel conflict: when it is dangerous? The McKinsey Quarterly, 1(3), pp. 1-4. Cullorta, C. Lynn, F., How to tell when channel conflict is destructive white paper. Frank Lynn Associates, Inc. Web. Dahui et al., 2006. Why Do Internet Users Stick with a Specific Web Site? A Relationship Perspective. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 4(10): pp. 105-141. Digital River Inc., 2000. Managing Channel Conflict in the Online Environment. Digital River Inc. Web. Eliashberg, J. Michie, D. A., 1984. Multiple Business Goals Sets as Determinants of Marketing Channel Conflict: An Empirical Study. Journal of Marketing Research, 21(1): pp. 75-88. Goldkuhl, L., 2007. Multiple marketing channel conflict with a focus on the Internet : a dual perspective. Lulea: Lulea University of Technology. Hardy K. G. Magrath A. J., 1989. Dealing with cheating in distribution. European Journal of Marketing, 23(2): pp.12-4. Hopkinson, G. C., 1997. Channel conflict : critical incidents or telling tales: methodologies compared. Bradford : University of Bradford Management Centre Lamb et al., 2009. Essentials of marketing. Mason Ohio: Cengage learning. Lee, Y., Lee, Z., Larsen, K. R. T., 2003. Coping with internet channel conflict. Communications-ACM, 46 (7): pp. 137-142. Lynn, M. Kaarst B., 1999. Five symbolic roles of the external consultant – Integrating change, power and symbolism. Journal of organizational change management, 12(6), pp.540-561. Rosenbusch, J., 2008. Managing channel conflict. Education channel partner. Web. Rosenberg, L. J. Stern, W. L., 1970. Toward the Analysis of Conflict in Distribution Channels: A Descriptive Model. The Journal of Market ing, 34(4): pp.40-46. Shavit, Y., 2007. How to sell technology in the IT channel. Search IT Channel. Web. Stanford University, 2000. NIKE-Channel Conflict. Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Web. Wheeler, S. Hirsh, E., 1999. Channel champions : How leading companies build new strategies to serve customers. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass. This essay on NIKE – Channel conflict was written and submitted by user Sonia Sutton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Portrayal of Otherworldly Spaces

The Portrayal of Otherworldly Spaces One of the main motivations, which prompt people to read fiction-novels and to watch movies, which contain the motifs of otherworldliness, is the fact that, while being exposed to these literary and cinematographic works, individuals are being often able to confirm the validity of their unconscious anxieties, as to what accounts for the true essence of a surrounding reality.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Portrayal of Otherworldly Spaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In its turn, this usually helps people to attain the sensation of an ‘existential wholesonmess’ when they come in a close touch with a number of socially suppressed truths about what may be considered the actual significance of their life-experiences. The Freudian concept of ‘uncanny’ comes in particularly handy, when it comes to discussing the significance of fictitious representations of otherworldliness, â€Å"An un canny experience occurs either when infantile complexes which have been repressed are once more revived by some impression, or when primitive beliefs which have been surmounted seem once more to be confirmed† (Freud 57). Therefore, it makes a perfect logical sense to discuss these representations as such that are being reflective of the workings of people’s unconscious psyche. In this paper, I will aim to do just that, in regards to the motifs of otherworldliness, which can be found in George Lucas’s 1977 film Star War: A New Hope and Steven King’s 1977 novel The Shining. The foremost aspect of how the unworldly reality is being depicted in Lucas’s movie is the fact that, while being exposed to it, viewers are being prompted to establish dialectical links between what they get to see on the screen and what accounts for the essence of their socialization-related experiences, in a real life. The validity of this statement can be well illustrated in re lation to the film’s scene, in which the characters of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) end up confronting aliens and mutated humans in the bar, on the planet of Tatooine (00.46.37). Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There can be few doubts as to the fact that there are strongly defined motifs of the Freudian ‘uncanny’ to this particular scene, because it relates to the White viewers’ unconscious fear of multiculturalism. After all, it does not represent much of a secret that even many open-minded Whites in Western countries, where the policy of multiculturalism had attained an official status, do not exhibit much of an enthusiasm, while being required to take an active part in the ‘celebration of diversity’. Hence, their tendency to prefer residing in a racially secluded ‘white suburbia’ , as opposed to residing amidst the representatives of racial minorities in ethnic ‘ghettos’. Therefore, while exposed to the scene, in which the alien-looking representatives of an ‘intergalactic scum’ are picking upon the characters of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, many viewers confirm the validity of their rationally suppressed fear of venturing in places, where ethnically diverse individuals can be found in particularly large numbers. There are two mutually exclusive aspects of how people experience the ‘uncanny’ – they are being simultaneously encouraged and discouraged to rationalize their unconscious anxieties, in regards to the potential dangers of the unknown. Apparently, Steven King was well aware of it, which is why he used to say that it is being in the very nature of just about every individual to expect that even thoroughly conventional settings conceal subliminal horrors. Therefore, it does not come as a particular su rprise that King’s novel contains scenes, in which Danny’s otherworldly daydreaming becomes ‘uncanny’ to an extent that readers simply cannot help but having their attention solely focused on the plot’s unraveling – quite contrary to the fact that they do realize that what they are about to read may well scare them to death.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Portrayal of Otherworldly Spaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, there is a memorable scene in the novel when Danny is having a vision of streams of blood starting to pour down on the floor out of the elevator doors (King 161). This scene’s ‘uncanny’ appeal is being concerned with the fact that the author was able to take a certain advantage of the readers’s subliminal tendency to associate the color red with blood. Therefore, even though readers do get to experience a certain ho rror, while being exposed to this scene, on an unconscious level, they nevertheless do not perceive the concerned plot’s twist as being thoroughly unrealistic. This is because, prior to having this vision, Danny stared at the red-colored elevator doors for a long time. Yet, the prolonged staring at ominously looking red doors can never bring any good – people’s unconscious psyche never ceases being aware of it. The fact that the portrayal of otherworldly spaces in movies serves the purpose of prompting viewers to come to terms with their fear of the unknown can also be explored in regards to another scene in Lucas film, in which Luke Skywalker, Princess Lea (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) find themselves trapped in the Imperial spaceship’s garbage-compartment (01.21.43). While there, they realize that is a some kind of dangerous creature is lurking underneath the murky water. Yet, even though that a good part of the concerned action involves all three characters trying to figure out what they are being faced with, the creature never shows itself. The only part of this creature that viewers get to see is its tentacle. This, of course, results in the intensification of viewers’ fears of the unknown even further, because it is specifically the unknown types of danger, which people tend to perceive as being particularly dangerous. It appears that by exposing viewers to this particular scene, Lucas was able to strengthen the acuteness of their ‘uncanny’ experiences, which in turn increased the film’s cinematographic appeal rather dramatically – in full accordance with Freud’s outlook on the subject matter.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The same can be said about the scene in King’s novel, in which Danny realizes the fact that his nightmares of being chased by a person with an ax in his hands were bound to come to reality, â€Å"It was the place he had seen in the midst of the blizzard†¦ The place Tony had warned him against. It was here. It was here. Whatever Redrum was, it was here† (69). The clearly ‘uncanny’ undertones to Danny’s earlier mentioned realization are being thoroughly apparent, because the author made a deliberate point in emphasizing the unknown subtleties of Redrum, which in turn increased the extent of this scene emotional intensity. Apparently, King wanted readers to remain in the state of suspense, for as long as possible. This is the reason why, every time the novel’s characters come in a close touch with the emanations of otherworldliness, they can never they can never grasp the true significance of their experiences, in this respect. The manner i n which Freudian ‘uncanny’ is being explored in movies that contain strongly defined otherworldly motifs, often serves the purpose of allowing viewers to experience the sensation of Dà ©j vu. In its turn, this strengthens the extent of their commitment to perceiving the plot’s unraveling as such that does in fact relate to their own positioning in life. For example, there are a number of scenes in Lucas’s film, in which Imperial officers act in a particularly cold-blooded manner, while refusing to consider other people’s feelings. These scenes, of course, were meant to trigger in viewers the same set of emotions that they get to experience, while reflecting upon the historical legacy of Nazi Germany. Therefore, it is not a pure coincidence the Imperial officers’ uniforms resemble those that used to be worn by Nazis – especially riding breeches, as seen on the screenshot below. Apparently, the director did strive to prompt viewers to construct their attitude towards the representatives of the ‘dark side’, in regards to what accounted for the discursive significance of Imperial soldiers’ physical appearance and the qualitative essence of their psychological inclinations. In its turn, this explains the popularity of this film’s most otherworldly character – Darth Vader. Even though that, throughout the movie’s entirety, Darth Vader rarely talks, viewers nevertheless are able to get a good clue, as what kind of an individual he really is. The reason for this is quite apparent – despite the character’s otherworldly appearance, people can well recognize him as a person who represents currently suppressed (due to considerations of political correctness), but discursively legitimate masculine virtues of loyalty and cold-heartedness. Essentially the same line of reasoning can be applied, when it comes to discussing the significance of Dà ©j vu–invoking scene s in King’s novel, concerned with otherworldliness. The scene, in which the character of Jack Torrance walks in the ballroom, filled with the ghosts of people that were alive during the Great Depression, exemplifies the point. This is because, the appearance of these ghosts (or mental constructs, which existed solely within Jack’s brain) cannot be discussed outside of the fact that the era of the Great Depression has been traditionally associated with the notion of moral depravity, â€Å"A woman in gauzy harem pants and a rhinestone-sparkled brassiere, a man with a foxhead rising slyly out of his evening dress, a man in a silvery dog outfit who was tickling the nose of a woman in a sarong with the puff on the end of his long tail† (405). What it means is that, even before Jack turns into a bloodthirsty psycho, the earlier mentioned scene provided readers with an unconsciously-felt indication that this eventual development was indeed bound to occur. Apparently, w hile being prompted to construct images of fancifully dressed people drinking and laughing, readers get to experience a Dà ©j vu sensation that there is something utterly short-lived about these partying individuals. After all, on an unconscious level, we all know that the intensity of a particular sensual pleasure corresponds to the extent of this pleasure’s lengthiness in a counter-geometrical progression. Thus, the portrayal of an otherworldly space in this particular scene was meant to confirm the validity of readers’ growing suspicion that Jack was actually on the path of a mental self-destruction. Freud, Zigmund. The Uncanny, London: Penguin Books Limited, 2003. Print. King, Steven. The Shining, New York: Gallery Books, 2002. Print. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Ex. Prod. George Lucas: 20th Century Fox. 1977. DVD.

The Competitiveness of the US Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Competitiveness of the US Economy - Essay Example For the past 15 years, the nation has maintained its position as the most competitive economy in the world amidst the challenges in the rapidly evolving global environment. During 2007, the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook together with the World Economic Forum cited that US is "arguably the country with the most productive and innovative potential in the world" (Reuters 2007). Amidst this regard for US competitiveness, this paper argues that the economy should watch out and safeguard this status in the face of recession it is undergoing. A country's competitiveness is indicated not just by economic strength but through the creation of a market environment which promotes healthy and unbiased competition among industry players. In order to be competitive, leaders should pursue policies which treat players equally. In an extreme case, competitiveness is indicated by a market where there is no government intervention (McConnell & Brue 2002). However, in the world today this system is not feasible and thus, competition is promoted through little or balanced intervention from the state. This paper believes that US economy is by far the most competitive economy in world noting the government's quest in promoting efficiency and fair play.