Case 16 – Harley Davidson
Strategic Audit of a Corporation
III. External Environment: Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)
Natural Physical Environment: Sustainability Issues 1. What forces from the natural physical environmental are currently affecting the corporation and the industries in which it competes? Which present current or future threats? Opportunities? a. Climate, including global temperature, sea level, and fresh water availability b. Weather related events, such as severe storms, floods, and droughts c. Solar phenomena, such as sun spots and solar wind 2. Do these forces have different effects in other regions of the world? No, weather will always be a factor to some degree no matter what part of the
…show more content…
| 0.025 | 3 | 0.075 | | Shifts in buyers needs and tastes. | 0.025 | 3 | 0.075 | | Customer loyalty in European and Asian Countries | 0.025 | 2 | 0.050 | | Costs could become expensive from international importing | 0.025 | 2 | 0.050 | | The Buell division needs to continue to produce a quality motorcycle under Harley’s brand name | 3 | 0.075 | 0.075 | | TOTAL | 1.00 | | 2.38 | | http://www.soopertutorials.com/business/strategic-management/1028-external-analysis-of-harley-davidson-inc.html IV. Internal Environment: Strengths and Weaknesses (SWOT)
Corporate Structure 1. How is the corporation structured at present? a. Is the decision-making authority centralized around one group or decentralized to many units? Authority is decentralized around both foreign and domestic operations. b. Is the corporation organized on the basis of functions, projects, geography, or some combination of these? It is a Multi-National Corporation and it is organized geographically. It currently has operations in Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and the U.S 2. Is the structure clearly understood by everyone in the corporation? The structure is understood by all employees. Employees generally review structure changes and adapt accordingly. 3. Is the present structure consistent with current corporate objectives, strategies, policies, and programs, as well as with the firm’s international operations? Yes, all areas are
Question #1 If you were CEO of Harley-Davidson, how would you compare the advantages and disadvantages of using exports, joint ventures, and foreign subsidiaries as ways of expanding international sales?
A long standing business practice at Harley-Davidson is “Excellent Corporate Governance” (Harley-Davidson, 2010b ). Last year (May 2009), Harley-Davidson welcomed its new President and Chief Executive Officer, Keith E. Wandell. Working with Mr. Wandell, is the Board of Directors,
Having the appropriate structure is vital for an organisation or business to meet its aims and objectives. A business may be structured by:
The relationship between an organization’s strategy and structure are extremely important because it “directly impacts a firm’s performance” (Rothaermel, 2013, p. 309). Also, as an organization grows, it should reevaluate the current strategy and structure to ensure that it remains the optimal choice for the organization (Rothaermel, 2013). The four types of organizational structures, listed in order of least to most complex according to Rothaermel (2013), are: (1) simple, (2)
Is the present structure consistent with current corporate objectives, strategies, policies, and programs, as well as with the firm's international operations?
20 5. Corporate-level strategy 25 6. How is the effectiveness of the company’s strategies? (ROIC) 26 7. What strategic problems does the company have?
d. Does the firm appear to have an effective corporate governance structure? Explain any shortcomings.
The small student body, emphasis on undergraduates, and how they challenge students to think outside of the box, is what I am looking for. I want to be a well-rounded individual who has an appreciation for both sciences and the humanities, who can work, at turns, with raw data, and who understands history as well as the complexities of the contemporary moment. I know Davidson can do that by allowing students to focus on thinking critically, communicating effectively, and learning for a lifetime. In addition, I want to expand my intellectual curiosity and sharing my fascination with others that are driven. Even more so, Davidson is a school with a name and values that is dedicated to provide students with the best professors and faculty. One
There are many ways to analyze the performance of a company, some more popular than others. According to the Barney text the accounting method is the most popular way of measuring a firm's performance (Barney, 2002). Some of the reasons for the popularity could include the fact that accounting measures of performance are publicly available on many firms and they communicate a great deal of information about a firm's operations. Other methods of performance analysis include firm survival and the multiple stakeholder approach.
As for South America, Harley-Davidson Inc. HOG +0.31% opened a permanent Latin America headquarters, joining a growing list of U.S. companies looking to tap into the emerging market. (By Melodie Warner in Market Watch) South America has a growing economy and a huge acceptance for an icon in the motorcycle industry like Harley Davidson. In the same way Japan embraced Harley “Their economy is a fast growing luxury market” p.c11.
As pointed out in the video, Harley Davidson is fully committed to fostering and growing the women motorcyclist market. Women today represent a large sector of the workforce, enjoy higher incomes than 20 years ago, and possess more disposable income. Furthermore, women are much more empowered than ever before and are encouraged to exercise their freedom of expression and individualism.
Harley Davidson Company has a long history of building motorcycles that have worked to actually shape a part of the American culture. Its product positioning and marketing strategies have served as a prime example for any company to imitate. Harley Davidson has developed immense levels of brand loyalty over the years. However, the company has also been burdened by the recent economic downturn and now is going through something of a rebuilding phase as it tries to determine its best course forward. This analysis will conduct a SWOT assessment of Harley Davidson's current position and make recommendations on how Harley can continue to develop the next phase of its iconic American brand.
Good relationships, continuous improvement, employee and management involvement, team building or employee training and empowerment are not just words out of a management book for Harley-Davidson. Only by adopting those management techniques and building a solid base between the management and the Unions/employees made it possible for Harley-Davidson to improve its management processes. While management 's responsibility is to build
Aside from educating a manager through formal training in managing an organization through change, there are many ongoing activities that will increase a manager's awareness and aid them in supporting a more complex organizational structure as it develops. A company's organizational structure is a road map of its communication patterns. A well-designed structure can also make it easier to identify inefficiencies and new problems as the organization grows. Reviewing the organizational structure on a regular basis will help ensure that the organization set up for optimal growth well into
One weakness they have is the high prices of their models when compared to their Japanese counterparts. It seems that they could increase their market share if they could produce a less expensive model without compromising the quality of the model. A major strength they have is their name recognition and the activities available for Harley owners to interact with each other. Groups such as the Harley Owner’s Group (HOG), and the Buell Riders Adventures Group (BRAG) often sponsor rallies for their members.