Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, Vol. 07 (June 2014)
Permanent URI for this collection
This issue was originally published June 9th, 2014.
Copyright Policy
Authors retain copyright of their work. By submitting their article to BCOM Best Business Research Paper, the author grants the journal the rights for first publishing. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item An analysis of the growth and success of H&M(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Youell, MichelleThis paper provides the historical as well as present overview of the clothing retailer, Hennes & Mauritz. The purpose of this research paper is to understand the global success of H&M, what strategies were used to help them become successful and how they have faced major global changes, such as the focus on sustainability. To understand the company’s success, I will analyze H&M’s business operations, including their marketing and sustainability strategies. I conclude the paper by discussing the results of my survey and recommendations for the company. After designing a survey that used a random sample of 17 exchange students at the University of Gothenburg, I was able to conclude several things. Firstly, that the majority of the applicants notice H&M’s marketing campaigns, and they are fairly effective in persuading the applicant to visit the stores. Secondly, they believe H&M does offer fair prices compared to the various other retailers in the market. Lastly, that H&M’s sustainability initiatives need to be better displayed to the public. The majority of those surveyed are unaware of the strategies that H&M undertakes to inspire its employees, help various communities, and better the environment. H&M’s marketing campaigns undertaken with various celebrities are extremely successful, and their sustainability initiatives are helping to better the planet. Nevertheless, much of the general public is unaware of their initiatives, which is why they should focus on combining a marketing and sustainability campaign in order to educate their customers. Overall, H&M is doing extremely well and will continue with their plans to expand worldwide.Item German success in a flawed European system(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Patchell, John CodyThis paper discusses the current flaws in the European Union as it exists today and addresses how Germany has succeeded within the flawed system. The purpose of this paper is to address the underlying fundamental issues with the European Union and explain how these issues have affected various European countries. It begins by discussing the foundation of the EU and the conditions upon which it was found. It goes on to discuss the reasons countries joined the EU and addresses why these conditions were ripe to create a crisis. The paper then discusses the asymmetries across Europe, how and why they occur, and the effect they have on Germany and the EU. The paper then focuses on how German society and German influences on the EU have enabled its continued economic success before concluding with an analysis and recommendation on how the EU should proceed from here. The paper finishes with a recommendation of further fiscal and political unification within the EU as the only means of success in the long run.Item The time for change is now: An analysis of the current state of sustainable initiatives in the EU and a case study of the Henkel Corporation’s sustainable success(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Sallows, JenniferAs the world recovers from the Global Recession, the search for a stable and resilient long-term growth strategy is the critical issue facing both governments and business leaders today. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze some of the current strategies being considered, specifically the policies and frameworks used by the European Union and the United Nations in the area of sustainability. This paper will discuss the basic principles of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the United Nations Global Compact in relation to their current goals and success in the area of sustainable growth. In addition, it will focus on the Henkel Corporation and analyze their strategies and the success they have achieved by integrating sustainable initiatives into their corporate values. This paper will also discuss the results of a brief student survey with the purpose of determining how the public views the sustainability efforts of the European Union and the level of optimism as to whether the EU will achieve future success in the area of sustainability. This paper reflects the current sustainability situation in Europe and offers an analysis regarding the future of sustainable growth and development in the European Union.Item Swarovski: Analysis and recommendations(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Witschen, JillThe objective of this paper is to determine how Swarovski has grown to become a global luxury jewelry market leader and to develop recommendations for their expansion strategy. This will be accomplished by conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, followed by an analysis of the Swarovski positioning strategy and marketing mix. This analysis will help to determine Swarovski’s market position and will assist in creating recommendations for their future.Item The Swiss banking industry: The changing banking secrecy laws and the future of Swiss banking(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Norman, TaylorRecent global events have triggered the start of Switzerland’s government cooperating with international authorities that are working to stop tax evasion. The cooperation by the Swiss government is threatening the future of Swiss secret banking laws, which have been around since 1934. The importance of this topic is to understand the effect that these changes will have on Swiss banks, as the new laws and regulations begin to stop foreign tax evasion in Switzerland. The successes of Swiss banks have been in large part due Switzerland’s tax laws attracting foreign wealth combined with strict secrecy laws protecting clients. Swiss banking is a very important part of the Swiss economy. Through analyzing research in scientific papers and business journals, it can be argued that changing the secrecy laws will have a negative financial impact on Swiss banks, and cause a restructuring in their operations.Item Smartwatches: How they could impact the largest Swiss watch company, Swatch Group(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Desrochers, JeremySwatch Group is the largest watch producer in Switzerland and one of the largest in the world. The group was formed during the Quartz crisis when the Swiss watch industry nearly collapsed in the face of a market flooded with cheap Japanese Quartz watches. Nick Hayek was hired to save ASUAG and SSIH, the two largest watch groups at the time. He combined both companies and saved them by introducing the brand Swatch, a low-end watch line that produced a product that was emotional, high quality and had a great brand. He designed a watch that could be produced as cheaply in Switzerland as in China and this is what led to their success. Today the company is called Swatch Group and owns 18 brands including Omega and Tissot, and is highly vertically integrated, being able to produce and sell its watches independently. Ever since the introduction of the Swatch, the company has been innovative having introduced a smartwatch in 1999 and in 2004. Today, new technologies like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and smartphones have given rise to new smartwatches from giant-tech companies like Samsung and smaller start-ups like the Pebble. Many Swiss watch makers deny that the smartwatch is a threat but with changing consumer behavior among the younger generation this could lead to another crisis. Swatch Group is in the best position to turn this threat into an opportunity having expertise in producing watches and brands.Item A study on airline strategy: Comparing Ryanair and Lufthansa to determine the best strategy in the industry(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Mack, RachelWhile Porter’s generic strategies provide a look at five of the main business models that companies typically follow, two in particular stand out in the European passenger airline market: low cost leadership and product differentiation. Ryanair dominates the European market of price-sensitive consumers, while Lufthansa has long been regarded as one of the best quality airlines in the industry. While the question of which strategy is “better” is difficult to determine, what this paper aims to discover is how both companies have found such incredible success in the competitive industry of passenger airlines with their differing strategies and how these strategies have been the main contributors of said success. To fully examine the companies from all aspects, this paper will use McKinsey’s “7-S” Model to develop a better understanding of the two companies to understand their commitment in all areas to their respective strategies. Also included is a survey that I conducted to get a sense of which airline’s strategy “wins” in the eyes of customers. In the end, the results from the survey, as well as from all secondary research, show that despite Lufthansa’s current lead over Ryanair for largest passenger airline company, there is no clear winner between the two strategies. Rather, the “winning strategy” is a company’s complete commitment to one strategy as opposed to low cost leadership versus product differentiation.Item Selling energy: An analysis of Red Bull’s marketing strategies(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Brown, KevinThis paper’s objective is to provide the reasons for Red Bull GmhB’s marketing success in the global energy drink market. It focuses on the company’s marketing strategies and product positioning for their flagship product, Red Bull Energy Drink. It discusses the company’s history and the emergence of the new product category “functional energy”. Congruently, it considers how this gave Red Bull first-mover advantage. Investigation into Red Bull’s marketing mix provides insight into the company’s product, price, place, and promotion, also known as the four Ps. Product is analyzed by looking into taste, ingredients, and packaging. Price is analyzed by the effects of internal and external market forces. Different geographic locations and environmental factors are used to analyze Red Bull’s effectiveness of place. Lastly, the various promotional tactics that Red Bull implements are identified and analyzed. The primary evidence was gathered by interviewing Professor Albert Dolecek, Senior Lecturer of Marketing at Vienna University of Economics and Business, who is also a private Strategic Marketing Consultant. Also, information was gained from speaking with a Red Bull sales associate, who will remain anonymous.Item The business of bicycles: The adoption of the bicycle in Madrid, Spain(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Hallahan, ErinThe use of bicycles around Europe has long since been a trend and a tradition. However, some cities have become more bicycle-friendly than others. Madrid, Spain has, in the past, been known to have almost no existence of bicycles, and essentially been a city in which vehicles dominate the roads. The recent economic crisis has seen a boom in the bicycle industry in Spain and in Madrid specifically, and the use of bicycles for transportation is on the rise. A market analysis has shown that the opportunities and strengths of a potential bicycle business outweigh the weaknesses and threats. There is market space and a target group for bicycle businesses in Madrid and the industry is only growing. Madrid, Spain is now in the process of adopting the bicycle for use of transportation and bicycle shops will soon be in abundance if those who are capable of it take advantage of the new and growing market.Item Note from the editor(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014) Galang, M. CarmenItem Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers: Vol. 7 (2014)(Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 2014)