Strategic Assessment of Raleigh Cycle Ltd Case Study

Strategic Assessment of Raleigh Cycle Ltd - Case Study Example Business Environment The cycling industry in the United States of America (USA) had generated revenue of 6 billion dollars in 2005 (Wales 2009b). There are countless bicycle manufacturers around the world that compete for sales. A recent report dated 28th October 2009 listed 172 primary bicycle manufacturers (Wikipedia 2009). However the market is huge as stated by a 2009 report by Business Exchange which indicates a growth in the industry with 3.8 million people in the USA riding bicycle daily to work (Rickman 2009). This statistic is also supported by another statistic that indicates there are currently 450 million bicycles in China (Johnson 2007) and 16 million bicycles in Netherlands (Cycling in the Netherlands 2009). Hence capturing a customer would plausibly not be difficult. This notion is also supported by the fact that fuel prices constantly fluctuate (Shanghai Daily 2009) thus cycling offers an alternative mean of transportation. But some manufacturers reported losses. Shimano's net income fel t 58% in 2009 (Le 2009) and Dorel's revenue drop 8% in that same year (Reed Business 2006). These 2 contrasting statistics indicate that the business environment of the cycling industry is mixed. Assessment of Raleigh 2 Past and Current Strategies of Raleigh Cycle Ltd. In 2001 Raleigh's parent company went bankrupt (Teather 2007). But by the year 2004 the company's sales were increasing due to the reintroduction of the 'Chopper' (Teather 2007) but their market shares were decreasing and it was predicted to decrease until the year 2010 (Teather 2007). Different strategies were employed during the 122 years life span of Raleigh. From the period 1887 till 1943, the company employed the strategy of expansion and diversity. This is evidently shown as... This essay assessed the strategy employed by Raleigh Cycle Limited. Not only that the business environment of the company were also analyzed. The researcher of this paper thoroughly dissected the company and mentioned the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the company. Several key factors that affect the growth and profit of the company were outlined. This paper ended with comments upon the sustainability of the current strategy and obstacles and hindrances faced by the company. Raleigh’s current aim is to increase sales and regain the share of the market. Mark Gouldthorp, the Managing Director of Raleigh, in his statement stated that focusing too much upon competitors would make Raleigh’s products similar to the competitor’s products. Thus Raleigh is currently employing a strategy of improving the quality of their products, while not concentrating too much upon their competitors. The researcher stated that in certain cities, there are few or no dedicate lanes for cyclists to commute. This can be denoted as a governmental issue since the government has the authority and initiative to appoint or construct such lanes. This situation exists throughout the world and companies have to be prepared to face these consequences. Even encouragements from companies like Raleigh are insufficient if higher authorities have contrasting policies. According to Kotler, this is a typical company-government relationship that one should take into account before venturing into business

Whats cool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Whats cool - Essay Example Different people had their own way of defining it. To begin with, cool was seen as a behavioral characteristic. Cool mainly, was a behavioral attitude practiced by black American men in the US. As a slang word, it was used to mean that a person is ok or in a relaxed state (Simchona par 1). Cool is also a positive attribute assigned to an awesome or great thing. Underdogs, rebels, and the likes of slaves, prisoners, bikers and political dissents, all fostered a cool attitude. This rebellion often invited punishment. Other people view cool as a state of well-being. In the modern society, cool is seen to bring a sense of serenity and internal peace. Other terms used to explain this is the absence of conflict, a state of balance and harmony. This meaning is of an African origin. In other cases cool can be used to describe the absence of excitement or composure in a person. The idiom, ‘Keep your cool’ best defines this. Also in the phrase ‘I’m cool with that’, used to express agreement or assent (Bornstein 3). People also view cool in the form of aesthetic appeal; it is taken as an attitude adopted by intellectuals and artists, who have aided in its infiltration into the culture. Today, it is a global phenomenon having spread across the globe. In fact, the concepts of cool have existed in several cultures over the centuries. Cool has also existed as an epithet. It is a common slag word among the young people and is well understood by the English- speaking people. It has gone to the extent of being used as a vocabulary in languages besides English. It is seen generally as an epithet with a range of related adjectival meanings. Through creativity and innovation, cool appears to be a classic case of resistance to authority. A paradoxical fusion of submission and subversion is represented by â€Å"so cool† (Bornstein 6). In the early 1960s and 1970s, cool like groovy was a very popular expression of satisfaction. Like groovy,