What Are Crocs Core Competencies - 1448 Words

My fellow students and I were asked to answer four questions related to the Stanford Graduate School of Business Case: GS-57. The Case title â€Å"CROCS (A): REVOLUTIONIZING AN INDUSTRY’S SUPPLY CHAIN MODEL FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE† presents how the Crocs Company changed the footwear industry. The following is the questions and answers relative to this assignment. 1. What are Croc’s core competencies? Investopedia defines core competencies as â€Å"the main strengths or strategic advantages of a business.† Furthermore Investopedia describes core competencies as â€Å"the combination of pooled knowledge and technical capacities allowing a business to be competitive in the marketplace.† (Investopedia 2014). Considering these definitions, the following are Croc’s core competencies: †¢ owning the proprietary inexpensive resin â€Å"croslite†, giving crocs their unique properties including unmatched comfort; †¢ vertically integrated compounding, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution; †¢ ability to partner with universities, Disney, etc.; †¢ global high-growth business model; †¢ global brand recognition, presence and strength; †¢ brand extensions; †¢ flexible, retailer focused supply chain system enabling Crocs to support a boarder retail base than competitors; †¢ global planning capabilities and ability to assess or forecast global demand; †¢ global production capacity; †¢ and innovation. 2. How should Crocs exploit these competencies in the future? Make a clear analysis of options,Show MoreRelatedCrocs Case Study1351 Words   |  6 Pagesmillion in 2003 to $355 million in 2006. What are Croc’s core competencies? Core competencies are the main strengths or strategic advantages of a business, including the combination of pooled knowledge and technical capacities that allow a business to be competitive in the marketplace. A company s core competencies are difficult for competitors to replicate, allowing the company to differentiate itself (Core Competencies, n.d.). Croc’s core competencies include a combination of maintaining grassRead MoreThe, Inc, The World Leader Of Innovative Casual Footwear1481 Words   |  6 Pages Crocs, INC is a world leader in innovative casual footwear. The key product differentiator that Croc’s offers is their use of â€Å"Croslite† material, a revolutionary technology that gives each pair of shoes the soft, comfortable, lightweight, non-marking, slip and odor-resistant qualities that Crocs consumers know and love. Founded by Scott Seamans, Lyndon Duke Hanson, and George Boedecker, Jr, Crocs was the product that resulted from a sailing trip in the Caribbean and their need for a shoe thatRead MoreThe Success Of Its Core Competencies3720 Words   |  15 Pagessuccess of Crocs through its core competencies and the analysis of our recommendations. Crocs has been a phenomenal success and there are two reasons that can be attributed to this—our Croslite technology and supply chain. By using different marketing theories such as Porter’s 5 forces and the marketing mix theories, we have uncovered the reasons why Crocs have decided to invest in these strategies. The recommendations raised in this report are aimed to utilise the core competency raised above and exploitRead MoreCrocs Case Study2682 Words   |  11 Pagesdistribution of the shoes occurred through Crocs outsourcing over the U.S (Marks et al, 2011, para. 6, 10). The next edition of the supply chain is where Crocs took the first steps to vertically integrate their supply chain and developed two core competencies. In 2004, when Robert Snyder from Flextronics joined Crocs, Finproject became company owned, under the new name of â€Å"Foam Creations.† Now, Crocs owned the manufacturing of their product and the proprietary croslite resin that comprised theirRead MoreCrocs Marketing Plan14993 Words   |  60 Pages2009 and will cover the period until December 2012. In the short term, changes in Crocs’ brand portfolio and new footwear products should attract new segments and increase the target market. Rather than entering new markets, Crocs should stick to its core business of creating quality footwear and use its Croslite material for the new types of footwear. A new fresh and cool brand called Gators will carry sneakers, athletic shoes and casual shoes to attract the teenager segment. Further reorganizing will

Stephen Cranes The Open Boat Essay - 1033 Words

Stephen Cranes The Open Boat Humanity often tends to see itself as being somehow important in the grand scheme of the Universe. We speak of fate as if we were put here for some reason, or purpose. We have our religions, which often serve as an engine to drive our lives and as a means to give meaning to them. But why do we think of ourselves in such a superior fashion? Do we really matter at all? Would the Universe stop if we were suddenly taken away? In his short story, The Open Boat, Stephen Crane shows us a Universe totally unconcerned with the affairs of humankind; it is an indifferent Universe in which Man has to struggle to survive. The characters in the story come face to face with this indifference and are nearly overcome†¦show more content†¦The men, however, seem removed from the clockwork of their surroundings; seperate, but somehow in the midst of everything happening around them. This indifference causes the men to feel a certain isolation from nature. They even go as far as to think of the Universe as being hostile: [The waves were] nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats.(1) This is, however, just normal activity of nature, not any act of agression against Man. Although the men are pitted against an uncaring sea, they still at this point seem to think their destinies are controlled by some outside force. Their collective thoughts are given: If I am going to be drowned--if I am going to be drowned--if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees?...If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of mens fortunes.(6) It soon dawns on them, though, that there is no fate, no purpose for their being where they are. It is the realization of this fact that brings the men to the brink of despair: When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples.(6) It seems to them that theirShow MoreRelated Stephen Cranes The Open Boat and Jack Londons To Build A Fire 2309 Words   |  10 PagesStephen Cranes The Open Boat and Jack Londons To Build A Fire Stephen Crane’s short story, â€Å"The Open Boat† speaks directly to Jack London’s own story, â€Å"To Build A Fire† in their applications of naturalism and views on humanity. Both writers are pessimistic in their views of humanity and are acutely aware of the natural world. The representations of their characters show humans who believe that they are strong and can ably survive, but these characters many times overestimate themselves whichRead More Man and Nature in Stephen Cranes The Blue Hotel and The Open Boat2651 Words   |  11 PagesMan and Nature in The Blue Hotel and The Open Boat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Crane uses a massive, ominous stove, sprawled out in a tiny room and burning with god-like violence, as a principal metaphor to communicate his interpretation of the world. Full of nearly restrained energy, the torrid stove is a symbol of the burning, potentially eruptive earth to which humans cling and of which they are a part. As a literary naturalist, Crane interpreted reality from a Darwinian perspective, and sawRead MoreMother Nature In Stephen Cranes The Open Boat1482 Words   |  6 PagesOften to be considered one of America’s most influential realist writers if his time, Stephan Crane wrote many great pieces, but arguably one of his most popular stories he has written was The Open Boat. This story is about a few men who are stranded on a lifeboat after their ship goes down off the coast of Florida. On the surface of this story it could seem like just a couple of men who are trying to survive and get to safety, but if you look closely yo u will find that it is so much more then thatRead MoreThe Effectivness of Literary Techniques Used in Stephen Crane’s The Open Boat842 Words   |  3 PagesStephen Crane’s short story â€Å"The Open Boat† is developed through many techniques, but the most effective technique he used was his organization. The first chapter is an introduction of the setting, characters, and plot. The second chapter contains innocent details to familiarize the audience with the characters and the situation, while the third chapter begins to dig into the plot. The fourth chapter sets a problem for the characters and the fifth and sixth chapters are the rising action, buildingRead MoreThe Arrogance of Man in Stephen Crane’s Short Story, The Open Boat1130 Words   |  4 Pageselement used in adventure stories and stories of survival. It is when the main character(s) of a story are in conflict with an animal or a force of nature. In Stephen Crane’s short story, â€Å"T he Open Boat,† the man vs nature conflict is present throughout the entire course of the story. The end of the story presented a controversial topic left open for discussion; who was the victor of the conflict, man or nature? A normal read though of the story would leave one with the impression that man was the winnerRead MoreEssay about Symbolism and Devices in Stephen Cranes The Open Boat1930 Words   |  8 PagesAn Examination of Symbolism and Devices in The Open Boat   Ã‚  Ã‚   The struggle for survival by mankind can be found in many different settings.   It can be seen on a battlefield, a hospital room or at sea as related in â€Å"The Open Boat†, written in 1897 by Stephen Crane.   The story is based on his actual experiences when he survived the sinking of the SS Commodore off the coast of Florida in early 1897.   â€Å"The Open Boat† is Stephen Crane’s account of life and death at sea told through the use of themesRead MoreThe Correspondent as Spokesperson and Mediator in Stephen Cranes The Open Boat828 Words   |  4 PagesThe Correspondent: the Spokesperson and the Mediator in Stephen Crane#146;s #147;The Open Boat#148; Stephen Crane#146;s #147;The Open Boat#148; has long been acclaimed as a fascinating exemplar of Naturalism, generating many studies that range from the indifference of Nature to the #147;psychological growth of the men through the experience#148; (466). The psychological growth happens to every man on the boat, yet is mostly depicted through the voice of the Correspondent and in theRead MoreOpen Boat Essay544 Words   |  3 Pages The Open Boat, by Stephen Crane, has been critiqued and deconstructed by many thinkers. One such critique is The Dialogic Narrative of `The Open Boat. This critique on Stephen Cranes The Open Boat, was written by two authors: Sura P. Rath and Mary Neff Shaw. The authors focused on a five main points in the duration of this Critique. First Mikail Baktins theory of the Five basic types of discourses, are discussed and used in the deconstruction of The Open Boat. The critiqueRead MoreNaturalism in The Open Boat1504 Words   |  7 PagesCalder â€Å"The Open Boat† â€Å"The Open Boat† is a short story written by Steven Crane about four men stranded on a dinghy after their boat had sunk over night. The men were struggling to stay alive because it seemed as if they had no hope for survival. The four stranded shipmen were a correspondent, an oiler, a cook, and a captain. The theme of the story is that man has no control over his destinies and that nature controls everything. Naturalist themes prevail in Stephen Cranes â€Å"The Open Boat† as it demonstratesRead MoreThe Open Boat by Stephen Crane Essay1882 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"The Open Boat† is short tale of endurance, suffering, and redemption. The story focuses on four interesting sailors on a journey towards survival. They try their best to overcome the adversities of the water and raging storm. Crane focuses on the constant struggle of man’s immobility to control his own life. â€Å"The Open Boat† is a nonfictional fiction some call it. It typically is argued as only fiction, but many lean toward its nonfictional quality. Crane wrote the story based off his real life

Women in the Workforce Free Essays

Group: 6 Janelle Maskulka, Hannah Reifer, Laura Welker, Andrea McNett Group Leader: Hannah Reifer Scribe: Janelle Maskulka Topic: Women in the Workforce from the 1800- current Outline and Student Responsibilities Introduction: Our group will discuss how women in the past had limited working rights but over time laws and bills were passed that allowed women to grow in the workplace. However still today women are not treated as equals to their male counterparts. 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in the Workforce or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1800’s – Andrea McNett Before/ Early 1800s little to no rights and strictly housewives †¢ Industrial Revolution o Unmarried women worked in factories and moved to city o Caused women to delay marriage/ less children †¢ Women’s Rights o More Independent o Fought for equal wages ? Female Labor Reform Association in New England (1844) o Fought for education o Fought for voting †¢ The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) o Founded in 1840 o Mainly focused on women’s right to vote Branched into two subdivisions ? National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) ? American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) †¢ Susan B. Anothony 2. 1900-1950 – Hannah Reifer †¢ Employment in 1900 o Women only had 5% gainful employment outside of the household ? Woman self-imagine began to change †¢ Went from only wanting children and a husband to wanting to be employed o By 1910 this employment rate had increased to 11% †¢ Women in politics (voting rights) Also by 1910, only four states had equal women rights. ? These failures were partly due to people who believe that politics was no place for women †¢ Women’s Suffrage Amendment (1920) (NAWSA) o 19th amendment o Can’t base the write to vote off of sex †¢ The Great Depression (1930’s) o Prohibited married women to work ? Legislature passed in 26 states †¢ World War II (1939-1945) o Brought major change to women in the workforce o Men went to war o 6 million more women entered into the workforce o Some women didn’t want to work Rosie the Riveter â€Å"We Can Do It† was used as motivation o As soon as the war was over men returned to jobs women were laid off †¢ By 1947 women began to once again enter the workforce †¢ By 1950 31% of women in the United States were employed and working 3. 1950- 2000 – Laura Welker †¢ â€Å"Roots of the Revolution† (1950-1970’s) o Warning signs of a revolution, change in women’s expectations of employment †¢ Women began to see themselves as going to college and perhaps even graduate school o Working mothers and wives was slowly becoming more common †¢ â€Å"Quiet Revolution† (1970-2000’s) Woman enrollment in colleges and grad schools increased dramatically o Women began to studying fields men were typically professionalized in such as medicine, law and dentistry †¢ More women were now expected to go to college and join the workforce by age 35, where in the past women were supposed to be in the home and raise the children 4. 2000’s – Janelle Maskulka †¢ Almost half of the workforce today is made up of women (46%) †¢ Major women in the workforce today o Oprah o Condoleezza Rice o Hillary Clinton †¢ Major changes since 1900’s o Bypassing men in management positions Staying with employers longer than men †¢ However, men still continue to make more mo ney o . 76% higher wages than women Conclusion: (Group collaboration/ Input of tying up loose ends) Over time and history women have worked hard to gain rights in and out of the workforce. If we continue to work in the same direction and gain more and more rights we will see more results such as equal pay compared to men, more women in the management and CEO positions, in turn breaking the glass ceiling and the barrier between men and women in the workforce, which is the overall goal. How to cite Women in the Workforce, Papers