A company’s success comprises of several critical factors, which are categorized as internal and external factors. The purpose of this paper is to identify the internal and external factors of Microsoft and discuss how the company influence the business environment. Furthermore, identify the impact of trends in corporate culture and social responsibility on business ideas and the potential ethical or regulatory issues that affect the corporate strategy and brand development.
Trends
Business Environment
Microsoft technological environment is influential and competitive. Every market change is a chance to consider new innovations, new products, target niche or new thoughts that can additionally change the marketplace business and Microsoft operations. Microsoft Corporation pushes the limits of what is conceivable through a wide scope of innovative work exercises that look to distinguish and address the competitive force, consumer changing demands and business trends (Microsoft, 2016).
Microsoft success is a result of the 114,000 well-trained employees employed at the company. Through the skills, talents, expertise and endless contributions, Microsoft is able to achieve its mission. The company has a very diverse culture of employees from a blend of college-graduate to industry, experienced individuals. Microsoft attracts talented employees based on the competitive compensation and benefits it offers, training and development, safety and wellness, diversity and inclusion,
“Microsoft aspires to be a great company, and our success depends on you. It depends on people who innovate and are committed to growing our business responsibly. People who dedicate themselves to really satisfying customers, helping partners, and improving the communities in which we do business. People who are accountable for achieving big, bold goals with unwavering integrity. People who are leaders, who appreciate that to be truly great, we must continually strive to do better ourselves and help others improve.”
As a result of the wide spectrum of products Microsoft offers, they communicate to a wide customer base. The company has implemented successful brand and communication strategies throughout their range of products which vary across software, entertainment, devices and gaming etc. The modern media mix typically used by Microsoft includes television campaigns and the internet to generate reach, mobile to drive engagement and social media to spark conversations and generate virility. However, in contrast with the other sectors they operate in Microsoft holds a smaller market share in the smartphone and tablet industries. This means that Microsoft needs to implement branding and communication strategies that focus on gaining new customers rather than
Microsoft has grown into an enormous and powerful corporation by a combination of aggressive business practices and having written operating systems (DOS and Windows) for personal computers. From operating systems it branched out into other software which has, along with the operating system, become something of an industry standard.
Bill Gates' approach to planning, implementing and managing strategic-level initiatives throughout Microsoft Corporation and the long-term effects of his leadership strategies on the culture of the company is the subject of this analysis. Using the model on effective strategic leadership found in the text (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson, 2013) each of its dimensions are also used for assessing Bill gate's leadership style and effectiveness. As the model shows that the factors of effectively managing the firm's resource portfolios, sustaining an effective organizational culture and emphasizing ethical practices form the foundation of effective strategic leadership, these three foundational elements form the basis of the analysis. Determining strategic direction and establishing balanced organizational controls are also essential for guiding organizations to above-average performance and profitability (Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson, 2013). Based on this framework and the insights gained, an assessment is also made of Microsoft's ability to sustain an effective, productive organizational culture. Inclusive in this analysis is also an assessment of Bill Gates' strategic leadership style, with two suggestions of how Gates and his predecessors at Microsoft could create higher levels of strategic entrepreneurship throughout the company. This analysis concludes with the identification and discussion of two strategic
Microsoft was founded in 1975, and is the worldwide leader in software, services, and solutions (Career). Microsoft is proud to offer great products and employ outstanding people. Previous Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer once said, “There are many things that are true about Microsoft. We have big goals, big dreams, and big aspirations for the future. We are both competitive with our products and in the way we attract and retain talent. For me, the most important factor is competition for talent, because I know our success comes from the people who work here” (Foley).
As previously stated Microsoft’s success regarding career development, and the implementation of human resource strategies rests upon three factors: the ability to recruit and retain quality talent; the ability to ensure that the aforementioned talent receives the tools required to achieve; and the fostering of continual innovation and reinvention.
One company that appears to have a gap between its mission and its capabilities is Microsoft. The software giant has long had a problem with respect to innovation, and continues to rely on aging franchises for the bulk of its revenue. It was left out of the mobile operating systems boom and has failed to be a leader in either software or consumer electronics as a result (Clarke, 2010).
Microsoft is a highly diversified company. Its technologically-related products span from software to music players to game consoles to web browsers to search engines to phones. However, its flagship product, the product which has been the primary driver of its profits has been Microsoft Windows, the ubiquitous operating system that runs on virtually every computer in the world. Windows has been deemed so critical that even Microsoft's competitor Apple was effectively forced by market pressures to allow its Macs to run Windows, in an effort to boost sales. "As astounding as Apple's success has been, it hasn't put a dent in the Microsoft Office monopoly. [Current CEO] Ballmer and company still profit on every Macbook running Word, Excel and PowerPoint" (Greg 2012).But while Microsoft continues to make its highly profitable Windows products (despite industry criticism about its user features); it has struggled to diversify in its many critical areas, most notable in its music, phones, and Internet service.
Microsoft believes that work is a place for exploration, creativity, innovation and professional growth. It’s about being inspired and motivated to achieve extraordinary things that leave a lasting impact. At Microsoft, graduates learn from the finest in the business. As a full time graduate employee, they experience an inspiring world-class program.
This essay will utilise the following structure. It will commence by providing the reader with a brief history about Microsoft and then go onto explaining what corporate strategy is. Following this will be Microsoft’s diversification strategy in parallel with the reasons why they choose to diversify. Within this section the author plans to explore Microsoft’s related diversification approach, their corporate rationale, alongside why skill transferring is essential to them sustaining a competitive advantage and also how they achieved
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the culture, the internal, and the external factors in an organization. Our job is to examine the entirety of the organization. That would include the structural and environmental elements that effect the operation of the business. We will also take an in depth look at the perspectives of employees, managers, owners, and clientele.
Microsoft Corporation is one of the largest and most influential companies in the personal computer industry. It has won several awards for innovation, for their commitment to diversity, and for their flexible work arrangements. It has always been a leader in the market with regard to its compensation. With 80,0004 employees across the world, having more than $15 billion revenue, it is one of the biggest and best‐known technology companies in the world.
Microsoft Corporation is one of the largest and most influential companies in the personal computer industry. It has won several awards for innovation, for their commitment to diversity, and for their flexible work arrangements. It has always been a leader in the market with regard to its compensation. With 80,0004 employees across the world, having more than $15 billion revenue, it is one of the biggest and best‐known technology companies in the world.
in order to create possibly the most effective and versatile workforce of any corporation in existence. To study Microsoft's way of doing business is to look at the company from many angles, from a managerial and organizational standpoint to its process of developing products and services for its customers and its competitive environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Microsoft from a strategic fit
Micosoft was founded on 4th April 1975 by Bill Gates & Paul Allen and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington (USA). The company provides employment to more than 89000 people. Microsoft recorded revenues of $62000 million in the financial Year 2010 (Microsoft, 2011).