Hewlett-Packard

a traditional company By eliminating the intermediary steps and creating a direct relationship with its customers, Dell is able to substantially reduce the cost of business processes and lower the cost of customers and suppliers. In addition, Dell also uses the differentiation strategy to cope with the rivalry of competitors. Unlike its competitors, Dell’s built to order model allows customization based on specification of each client’s needs. As Michael Dell has stated, this direct…

When using information systems, it is essential to ask, “What is the ethical and socially responsible course of action?” A MODEL FOR THINKING ABOUT ETHICAL, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL ISSUES Ethical, social, and political issues are closely linked. The ethical dilemma you may face as a manager of information systems typically is reflected in social and political debate. One way to think about these relationships is given in Figure 4-1. Imagine society as a more or less calm pond on a summer…

Unfortunately, some companies have mismanaged their greatest asset—their brands. This is what befell the popular Snapple brand almost as soon as Quaker Oats bought the beverage marketer for $1.7 billion in 1994. Snapple had become a hit through powerful grassroots marketing and distribution through small outlets and convenience stores. Analysts said that because Quaker did not understand the brand’s appeal, it made the mistake of changing the ads and the distribution. Snapple lost so much…