In today’s world, many companies are involved in activities aimed at addressing relevant environmental issues as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. However, some ventures conduct their businesses while using solely green marketing as a mechanism to operate by reducing numerous negative impacts on the environment. One of the factors affecting the sustainability of fashion brands negatively is competition. Some businesses in this sector use radically distinctive development models, which allows them to keep the intermittent interest of the target market. However, without having a reputable history, this is difficult for companies to overcome the competitive barrier. As a result, high competition in such an environment affects the sustainability of brands and can often be an obstacle. The inability to withstand pressure from rivals, in turn, is directly associated with falling profits and, consequently, financial challenges. One of the trends in the fashion industry is the focus on environmental Continue reading
Modern Business Concepts
Platformized Societies – Meaning, Opportunities, and Threats
Changes in the economic and social structures of modern societies have seen the emergence of new platforms for business and socializing. The concept of a platform society has emerged from this trend and it refers to the use of digital markets to complete transactions or foster social engagements. The concept of the platform society is contested because researchers have varied limits of accepting the above description. Nonetheless, globally, five technology companies dominate the digital market space and dominate traffic across major internet platforms. They include Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft. Collectively, they have the power to shape the geopolitical landscape of human populations through their controls on information exchange and discussions that occur on their platforms. Jointly, these tech companies have billions of users, which means they control knowledge flow to a degree. This extensive power attracts concerns from skeptics who highlight the potential for information manipulation and censorship Continue reading
Integration of Six Sigma into Enterprise Architecture (EA)
Today, more than ever before, enterprises are increasingly being faced with unparalleled competitive and regulatory demands, along with elevated levels of business uncertainty as they wade through the upsetting waters of contemporary global economy. On yet another front, the convergence of technology witnessed in the 21st century has made many enterprises increasingly concerned with how to productively transition to an enterprise exploiting information technology to its fullest strategic potential. In the light of these concerns, it is obvious that executives must embrace a paradigm shift from the traditional enterprise management approaches to more market-oriented approaches, which underlines the need to balance capabilities, manage risks, improve processes and systems, and engage in agile decision-making with a view to achieve the desired business end-states. As has been witnessed in the company, the organization’s Enterprise Architecture (EA) plays a critical role in this transition, particularly in integrating key processes and systems to enable Continue reading
Telecommuting – Definition, Management, Benefits, and Drawbacks
Meaning and Definition of Telecommuting Telecommuting is the practice of working from one’s home, or at a satellite location near one’s home, where employees use communication and computer technology to interface with internal and external stakeholders. The advent of telecommuting has changed the profile of the global workforce dramatically. The workers are no longer confined within the walls of the office. They are becoming more technologically savvy and work on flexible timings at remote locations. Telecommuting has been defined in many ways, but all such definitions are based on two concepts: the office is not the only place where work can be conducted; and secondly, information technology (IT) is necessary for telecommuting. Telecommuting is also defined as the case in which an employee is paid for work conducted at an alternative worksite, so total commuting time is reduced. The success of telecommuting is seen in the fact that the total Continue reading
Greenwashing – Meaning and Examples
Marketing ethics is an area that is crucial when it comes to marketing because ethics guide the moral principles that regulate marketing. In a simple definition, marketing ethics are the morals of marketing. There are both good and bad behaviors that make up the morals. Over the years, marketers have used the wrong principles to boost sales, especially through advertisements and promotions where customers are not told the truth about a product so that they can buy the product. There are many organizations that have been involved in corporate scandals that touch on ethics. Corporate scandals are unethical actions or illegal dealings that a company or its representative may engage in. In corporate ethics, marketers always try to be better decision makers because they want to make ethical decisions that avoid corporate scandals. Greenwashing Concept Greenwashing is the kind of marketing where the marketers deceive the customers that their products Continue reading
Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing Strategy
Outsourcing constitutes one of the fundamental sourcing strategies that organizations can adopt. Outsourcing entails an approach whereby certain business processes are undertaken by an external entity. Thus, outsourcing is based on a contractual relationship. The concept of outsourcing has gained remarkable significance over the past few decades. Traditionally, outsourcing was limited to peripheral organizational tasks. This trend is changing as evidenced by the high rate at which outsourcing is being integrated into diverse organizational activities. Organizations perceive outsourcing as an essential strategy in their commitment to value addition. Some of the industries that have adopted the concept of outsourcing include aviation, manufacturing, and medical services. Firms in the oil and gas industry are also adopting the concept of outsourcing. Organizations’ motivation towards this strategy has been spurred by the need to attain competitiveness concerning high return on assets and better and quality service delivery. Secondly, the pressure to outsource has Continue reading