Business Issues II

7. PROTECTING YOUR MARKET SHARE
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Although sales of your product have remained high you have become aware that a foreign company intends to try to enter your home market.
What could you do to ensure that the sales are not too badly affected?
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8. UTILISING PRODUCTION CAPACITY
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You have recently invested heavily in new technology systems for your production line. Despite an advertising campaign, home sales have remained static and your new machinery is running at under-capacity.
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What are the possible courses of action that you could take in order to use your machinery at a more economic rate?
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9. QUALITY vs MASS-PRODUCTION
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Your company which produces a high quality specialist product, is now being challenged by cheaper but lower quality products from the Far East. Until now your manufacturing methods have used traditional crafts with none of the high technology, mass-production methods introduced by your competitors.
What possible responses could be made to halt the slide in sales and which would be your preferred choice?
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10. FIGHTING OFF THE MULTINATIONALS
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Three years ago you created a company to sell cosmetic products made by outside manufactures to your own natural recipe. Although you now have a chain of 5 shops, nationwide demand is out-stripping your ability to finance the opening of new shops and large multinational cosmetic companies are beginning to notice your success.
What can you do to prevent them, with their superior financing facilities, from squeezing you out of the market?
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11. MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES
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You have just been appointed to the board of an unprofitable company that has recently been privatised. You have been asked to put forward proposals to remotivate staff who have been demotivated by various rumours of redundancies and by press criticisms of standards of service and efficiency.
Where should your priorities lie and how would you tackle the problem?
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12. STAFF LOYALTY
The junior middle management levels of your company have been seriously affected by the lack of promotion prospects and they have become a soft target for head-hunters and competing companies.
What are you going to do to ensure that your company does not lose vital staff?