Human resource strategy and practices are effective ways to sustain organizational competitive advantage under the concept of strategic human resource management. It was proved that human resource strategy and business strategy have causal relationship. However, we need to explore the relationships among industry environment, business strategy and human resource in corporations of Taiwan. Using literature review and case studies, this research targeted six firms, which were sampled purposely, to conduct an in-depth interview to explore the relationships among human resource strategy, business strategy, and industry life-cycle. And the results showed below: 1.Business strategy is influenced by industry life-cycle stage and industry category. 2.Different business strategic will result in different human resource strategies and practices, that is, the principle of ¡§fitness¡¨. 3.Operation of human resource management will output multi-changes and combinations, due to cross influences of multi-factors.

This research is about how ERP system affects the strategy of a company. The paper use strategy matrix as a measurement tool for the changes of strategy changes. We use resource-base view as the base of theory. In this case study, we can learn how small and medium enterprises use information technology for better preference. The implementation of ERP system will changes the allocation of resources and ability of the company. In this process, it will also changes strategy of the company. The implementation also affects value chain for the company; the company, which instills such a system, must evaluate those changes before the implementation. With the data collected from the case, we have some findings about the relation between the implementation of ERP system and strategy of a company. First, ERP system can provide the company an intergraded platform for all it¡¦s business. Second, the implementation of ERP system will help company relocate it¡¦s activities. Third, ERP system will also changes the relations between companies. At least, ERP system will help company accumulate different resources and develop new ability for new strategy. We suggest company which want to instill such system must well planning their relation between other companies and effects of organization changes.

Economic globalization and the Open-Door policy make China market more significant around the world. On the other hand, intensive competitions are making progress. This paper examines the economic and society change, labor laws altering, and human resources varying since 1949. As the dynamics of competition accelerate are perhaps the only truly sustainable sources of competitive advantage in China firms. Thus, successful management of human capital may be more ultimate determinant of organizational performance and survival than physical capital. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) emphasizes the through the improvement of within reliable bundles of human resources practices and human resources management system, which are appropriately matched or linked to existing organizational environment. Most particularly business strategies could result in higher organization performance achievable. An empirical analysis is presented by gathering data from 80 China firms in 2003. That is on purpose to examine the determinants of the accomplishment of human resource management system and the coverage to human resource management system influences on organization performance.

In this work, the market penetrating strategies of Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer in an emerging market was studied by using the methodology of case study with the sales cases in Taiwan. A five force model and key success factors were used to analyze the competition models and strategic logics in a Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer, Company H. The results from this work shows that the new Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer has abandoned the price leading competition strategy and shifted to integrated business strategies based on high technology, professional service, and flexibility in order to develop the market rapidly. Meanwhile, she was able to better manage the penetrating timing and expand the market share; therefore, her market share is gradually increased to the similar level of major leading telecom equipment manufacturers. As the time passes and technology evolution, the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer will be able to become a major player by expanding the market share.

<p>This thesis aims at describing the CIO role from the perspective of two interviews and the literature on the subject. Our research questions mainly focus on the actual work of a CIO and are answered by providing a framework on how to view the CIO and the influence of the CIO. Influence meaning both on business and IT strategy. We have answered what the CIO role implies and how it is used in different organizations. To do this we have scanned current literature and also conducted two interviews with CIO’s from completely different organizations and resources. A framework for understanding how the IT strategy and business strategy is linked with the CIO as a resource has been created and our interview findings are presented in this framework. We have also found that the CIO with little involvement in overall business strategy decisions has less influence on the IT strategy. This is ex-plained by the nature of the organization and the view of IT.</p><p>A CIO’s primary function could be to strategically align IT with business or to make sure that the IT systems runs flawless. These can be viewed as counterpoints but since the role today is changing from being operative to working more with strategic questions it is not a strange finding. The influence a CIO has in business strategy questions ranges from none to a lot, based on how the CIO role is defined by the organization. This is also well in line with the view of IT. When viewing IT as something that has the possibility to gain competitive advantage, IT gain more credibility, hence the CIO gains more influence on business strategy decisions. We also found that the CIO not only has the overall responsibility of IT in the organization, but also that s/he is supposed to work with questions of concern to the business. This forces the CIO to have an understanding of the end-customer, which in itself creates a better understanding for the business strategy. The CIO should work with questions that not only meet the current demand of the organization they support, but also future needs and potential opportunities where IT can be of specific interest.</p>

<p>Innehåll: Uppsatsen tittar på hur de senaste årens tekniska utveckling har påverkat musikbranschen och hur musikbolagen bör utforma sin affärsstrategi för att klara av dessa förändringar. En litteraturstudie har genomförts för att diskutera begreppet affärsstrategi på ett teoretiskt plan, och två fallstudier tittar närmare på musikindustrin. Fallstudierna behandlar MP3.com och Napster, två företag som såg de nya möjligheterna som Internet förde med sig, medan de traditionella musikbolagen fortfarande var fast i gamla mönster. Slutsatsen är att de traditionella musikbolagen fortfarande är alltför rädda för riskerna med piratkopiering för att våga satsa fullt ut på kundorienterade lösningar.</p> / <p>Content: This report examines how the technological developments over the last few years have affected the music industry and how the record labels should formulate their business strategy to cope with these changes. A literature study has been conducted to examine the term business strategy on a theoretical level, while two case studies give a closer look at the music industry. The two cases are MP3.com and Napster, two companies that realised the new potential that the Internet brought, while the traditional record labels were still stuck in old patterns. The conclusion is that the traditional record labels are still too afraid of the dangers of illegally copied music to fully go for customer oriented solutions.</p>

This practicum sets out to address several challenges faced by a multinational corporation operating within a globalized marketplace through the reconsideration of its workplace design. The aim is to achieve a balance between cultural adaptation and standardized corporate identity in the design for the hypothetical multinational management consulting company, Torrent. The balance is perused in order to support Japanese and Canadian national-work-cultures, the two cultures on which the practicum is based, while creating a strong, consistent, and recognizable visual identity across its different subsidiaries. The practicum’s overall objective is to demonstrate how both of these themes can be achieved simultaneously in order to create a balance that benefits both the multinational company as well as its host country. The practicum’s outcome involves two design solutions developed for Torrent based on a single workplace, one responding to Japan’s national work culture, and the other to Canada’s. A standardized corporate identity is achieved through the communication of a consistent company identity in both workplace designs.

The anticipated increase in competition among airports means that there is now a greater need for strategic thinking in the airport business industry. In order to succeed, airport management will have to implement new strategic initiatives and identify their key competitive strengths. While many airports are now more active in following strategic directions, there is some deficiency and inconsistency in the literature in this regard. This research relates the theories of strategic management to the case of airports in order to explore the issue of whether the airport business industry is able to apply the different strategies adopted by other industries in order to achieve growth. The research provides an in-depth analysis into the strategies that Dubai International Airport has pursued. This carefully selected case study involves the collection of qualitative data through conducting semi-structured interviews as a primary source of information. Data collected are applied to different well-known business tools including the PESTEL Analysis, the Five Forces Model and the Resource-based View (RBV) of the firm. The research found that there are some strategic differences between the airport industry and other industries. While it is possible for airports to adopt certain strategies, some strategic theories are not very practicable for airports. While Dubai International Airport is not considered very different from other airports, there are some differentiated characteristics in its ownership and management that led it to outperform its rivals. The research proposes that there are a number of key success factors derived from four core areas that led Dubai International Airport to obtain strategic strengths over other airports. These four areas include: General Condition, Competitive Situation, Resource Acquisition and Strategic Direction. These areas are also classified as No Control, Least Control, Some Control and Most Control, respectively. This thesis contributes to the development of a best practice conceptual model that can help airport managers understand and improve their key competitive strengths and success factors.

An important problem in present academic research on foreign divestment is to understand how foreign divestments fit in a concept of international business strategy. The purpose of this paper is to research if characteristics of foreign divestment differ according to the corporate international business strategy and if so what these differences are.This paper is unique of its kind because cases presented here have never been mentioned in any academic literature before. In this paper I am using case study method in order to compare characteristics of foreign divestment experienced by two MNCs pursuing two opposite international business strategies.The results of the paper are inline with previous suggestions in the academic literature on foreign divestment. It was proved that international business strategy affects the characteristics of foreign divestment. These results were proved using comparable analysis of case studies. Analysis of the findings shows that differences in foreign divestment characteristics exist in dependence of corporate international business strategy. This paper also describes these differences and draws propositions for further research in the topic.The implications of this research are of particular interest both in practical and theoretical terms. Practically, results of the study can contribute to building better planning and predictive models of foreign divestments. Theoretically, results of the paper can be seen as a contribution to understanding and more detailed definition of relationships between international business strategy and foreign divestments.

Background The market together with the demands on companies are ever-changing and it has for long been a growing trend for companies to work in a responsible way towards its society, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR gives the opportunity of improving a company‟s brand image, but it has yet to been explored which dimensions of the well known- and cited CSR pyramid, that affect brand image among consumers. Purpose To explore how consumers brand image of companies are affected by companies‟ CSR activities.Methodology The thesis was conducted by a qualitative case study, through focus groups. Conclusion To be able to gain brand image from the work of CSR, companies have to work above the line of what is expected by society‟s consumers. The economic and legal dimensions have to be fulfilled, but they do not independently create a strong brand image. Philanthropic, and partially ethical CSR activities however, provide the possibility of a strengthened brand image.