A STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market or the UK supermarket Essay

A STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market or the UK supermarket sector - Essay Example In the second part, two examples of human resource management (HRM) in the supermarket sector will be presented, to demonstrate human resource (HR) professionals’ responses to changes in the environmental contexts. Part 1: STEEPLE Analysis of the United Kingdom’s Supermarket Sector STEEPLE is a valuable instrument facilitating the use of appropriate strategy and practices by Human Resource professionals and senior managers, in response to the changing external circumstances impacting organisations. Environmental analysis is considered as the key element in strategic analysis for corporate planning. Several of the external variables identified by the STEEPLE analysis, will present opportuniites, while many will pose threats. Hence, it is necessary to â€Å"distil out of the complexity the key environmental impacts for the purposes of strategic choice† (Kew and Stredwick, 2005, p.205). Strategic choice involves the creation and evaluation of strategic options, and the logical or political selection of strategy, to effectively manage the key drivers of external forces, with a focus on the microeconomic environment. STEEPLE Linkages with UK Supermarket Sector Leading supermarket chains Marks & Spencer and Waitrose founded in 1884 and 1904 respectively, are among the highly successful retail businesses, which have changed organisational strategies with shifts in external drivers related to the STEEPLE concept. Similarly, the four biggest chains in the UK: Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury and Morrison’s also deal with the same external forces as the smaller retail chains across the country. Among the STEEPLE external forces, changes in Sociocultural factors affects United Kingdom’s supermarkets, with changing demographics found in greater ethnic diversity, and increasing percentage of the elderly population (Datamonitor, 2009), as well as greater health consciousness, product awareness, selectivity and austerity among people. Similarly, techn ological advancements in information and communication support the provision of greater reach (Meneely, Burns and Strugnell, 2009; SAS, 2012), and more efficient service. For example, ASDA Supermarket’s online evolution has led to its highly successful ASDA@Home Website (Khosrowpour, 2006). While consumers acquire increasing power through access to information and the availability of greater choices, retailers’ power declines. â€Å"New technology fuels rise in m-commerce by all age groups and empowers voice of the consumer† (SAS, 2012, p.3). Bryan (2004) reiterates that there is increasing competition for gaining customer loyalty among manufacturers, suppliers and retailers. Waitrose has acquired tremendous customer support due to its minimizing the environmental impacts of its business, while maximizing economic outcomes such as â€Å"better prices for suppliers, better value for consumers† (Warrier, 2010, p.31), as well as social effects such as better conditions and wages. According to Farnham (2010), the economic factors that impact UK supermarkets relate mainly to the microeconomic environment including the product market, the competitive structure and nature of competition. Fair-traded products are preferred by the increasingly well-informed clientele. These are â€Å"

Research Log Book Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Log Book - Research Paper Example It is also important to note that every new inventor of phonographs had their own distinguished motives attached to their inventions (Sterne, 2003). Where Berliner wanted to investigate aesthetic possibilities, Edison wanted to use it for educational and social purposes. So, the sound reproduction machines actually transformed into hearing machines that cultural and social values attached to them. From their onwards, there has been a continuous advancement in the given field. The first intended purpose of phonautographs was to produce sound on the paper i.e. create documents of sound’s frequency that can be read by humans instead of machines (Feaster, 2010). Later on, the same principle was used to recreate sounds. Personal analysis of this phenomenon of sound recreation helped in understanding that sound reproduction actually undermines the social process of sound creation. We are surrounded by machines in the form of amplifiers, roofer, hi-fi sonic systems, musical recording s that just reproduce the sounds burnt into optical discs. However, this burning of sound into disc not only put an end to a learning process that was a by-product of sound production on a paper but also fails to illustrate the actual experience of first production of sound. In addition to that, the essence of original sound is already lost too. The sound of music and speech that we hear every day in the compact storage devices is already tempered and edited. Therefore, the user of sound does not have access to the real sound. The only replication of real sound that is available these days is in the form of real-time radio. Although radio itself as a medium does not follow the principles of phonautographs however electronic devices used to play these radio channels do follow simple rules of sound reproduction. Hence, phonautographs do exist in 21st century as well but real sound is not in the reach of many of us. Second Entry: The Printing Press as an Agent of Change. Argument prese nted by Elizabeth Eisenstein illustrated the revolution in printing after the advent of typography. Although her selected time period and regional studies are rather limited and her analysis cannot be applied on general European and Asian literature however it does illustrate the transformation that medieval literature went through after revolution in printing press. More than Eisenstein, McLuhan appears to be a strong advocate of use of technology in preservation and dissemination of literature (Leed, 1982). McLuhan recognizes the importance of technological advancements for literature and believes in modification of typographic culture under the influence of electronic media. Where print helped in brining oral speech to a visual space, use of electronic medium is allowing this visual space to be at readily available for human use irrespective of time and space (Eisenstein, 1979). I personally use kindle for reading books which would have been impossible to carry with me otherwise. Eisenstein believes that most of the literature uses stereotypes and cliches for reproduction of literature and continuous reproduction can have an effect of reinforcement on those who have access to this frequently referenced literature (Odin, 1997). Hence, it can be said that emergence of printing press paved ways for more technological adv