Corporate
social responsibility is understood as an
organizational philosophy that helps the organization to find special activities
and admit it to reduce the social impact in the smooth business operation in
the firm. The practice and study of the social responsibility can be terraced back to the decade of the 1950s. Now the theory regarding the social
responsibility use and practice has helped the business organization for the
positive business growth along with the strong brand values. The main motto for
practicing corporate social responsibility by the firms is for the betterment
of the society due to the organizational activities. Besides, it helps to
create great impact on the brand value
and the brand reputation of the company. CSR helps to foster the internal and
external business environment. The basic components of the corporate social
responsibility pay high value for the organizational involvement
in the local communities activities including corporate philanthropy. To gain
the competitive business advantage the customer must focus on the customer
service, customer loyalty, increase the customers repurchasing intentions and
behaviors, their interest to pay the
prices for the company. Thus, the corporate social responsibility plays an
influential role in earning the loyal
customer to the company through its great influential power. Customers always keeps an eye on the
organizational activities, and the
practice of corporate social responsibility in the firm is the great way to
attract the customers. People are willing to support for that organization that supports for the
peoples, societies and the environmental protect. In this sense, we can identify that corporate social
responsibility and the brand value of the organization are dependent on each other. It has become difficult to
increase the brand image of the company without performing the duties towards
the people and the society of where the company is existing. CSR has become the
best attempt for the management of the marketing strategy of the company that
is most essential factor for the business
growth in the competitive global business market. The business company should
never undermine that the customer are the valuable assets for the organization
and the CSR helps to influence both the people and the society. Customer’s
desires about company performing its social responsibility rather than only
making the business profit. Positive relation management is the great attempt
through the functioning of corporate social responsibility. Internal or the
external stakeholders for the company has the great expectation regarding the
corporate social responsibility of the company. Therefore, the business company
that fulfills its customer’s expectation are successful for earning the great
brand value of the company.
CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT CORPORATE STRATEGY
Corporate strategy is defined as the
scope and direction of a corporation focusing on the company’s mission and core
values. The corporate stagey under helps to facilitate in achieving the overall
goal of the company. It provides the clear direction to meet the expectations
of the stakeholders and enhancing shareholders value. In general, there are
three types of the corporate strategy they are: growth, stability, and renewal
strategies. Growth strategy is the strategy that enhances the market expansion
and product differentiation. The growth strategy is implemented either through
the current businesses or through the new businesses. The application of the
growth strategy helps to increase the revenue in the new marketplace or excel
in the current marketplace through the product expansion. A stability strategy
is strategy that does not bring any changes in the business current operations.
It does not bring any changes in the products that has been offered. It offers
the same product to the same customer. As the company doesn’t gain high profit
or loss but maintains the current financial position of the business. Such
types of business neither grows not fall. The renewal strategy is used in the
business when the business faces the trouble. Therefore, for resolving the
problem a renewal strategies are designed. Major two types of renewal
strategies are found: retrenchment and turnaround strategies. Corporate
strategies are important strategies for the business to secure profit and
sustainability issues. It helps to provide pertinent guidance for the company
to earn the valuable profit and ensuring high shareholders value.
Both of the companies Easy Jet and
Ryanair Ltd operate within the airline industry. But, they don’t hold the alike
corporate strategy as their mission and goals are different from each other.
The current corporate stagey of the company are different as they have their
distinct organizational culture, values, and norms. Both airlines have unique
attributes and they have different areas of expertise. The current corporate
strategy of the company varies from each other. The current corporate strategy
of the company are described below:
The Easy Jet PLC incorporates the cost
leadership strategy where services offered to the customers are highly lower
than their competitors. They hold notion to make the travel easy and affordable
to the customers. The main aim of the business is to provide market leading
returns to the shareholders through keeping a leading European network at
primary airports. The vision of the company is delivering amicable and
efficient services at a very low cost. The company mainly focused on the safety
measures, simplicity, integrity, passion, and pioneering. The company believes
on high degree of competitive advantages by providing the lowest cost services.
They are inclined to provide the low fares to enhance the operational
efficiencies. Major focus is placed upon the customer services to retain the
loyal customers. The goal of the business is to become the Europe’s most preferred
short-haul airline providing market leading returns. The company’s current
corporate strategy is to expand the business across the Europe. The current
corporate strategy of the airline is to capture the market shares and become
the number one short-haul airlines. The company has put all of its efforts to
increase number of routes to attract more customers across the Europe. The
company four main objectives are to build robust number one and two market
positions, to maintain the cost advantages, disciplined use of capital, drive
demand and airlines expansion across the Europe. The company implements the
marketing strategy for gaining the benefits from the competitive advantages as
well as the product differentiation across the Europe. The overall goal of the
company is supported by the company’s current corporate strategy. It tries to
achieve the corporate strategy through placing high importance on the cost
focus strategy and providing the best airline services as the cheapest cost.
Their current corporate strategy is based on low cost high services and to
expand its business across the Europe. Since, the airline is the UK’s largest
airlines but it tries to enter into
different marketplace of the Europe to expand business and operations.
The Ryan air Ltd holds the objective to
establish itself as the Europe’s foremost low-fare passenger airlines. It
intends to achieve the objective through the continuous improvement by offering
the best low-fares services to the customers worldwide. Although, the company
has the goal to offer services at the lowest price it tries to increase its
sales volume to excel in operating efficiencies. The company has the mission to
provide the best quality services at the lowest cost prices. The mission
statement states that the company aspires to become the most profitable airline
company of Europe and higher degree of customer retention as well. It focused
on the three major things: producing
high profits, low cost services, and become the leaders in the airline
industry. The company also put special attention in enhancing their sales
volume by increasing the number of new and loyal customer’s. The company
competes with other conventional and low-cost airlines but provides the unique
services. The current corporate strategy of the company is to offer the lowest
fares to the customer’s based on cost focus strategy. The company focus on the
low fares to increase the demand focusing on the fare- conscious and business
travelers. The sets fares are based on the demand for a particular flight and
sold on a one-way basis. Along with it, the company focuses on the customer
services to provide the best quality customers services. The overall strategy
of the company is to offer the lowest operating costs and focused on the
criteria for growth. The company undertakes the manageable growth plan
targeting the different specific markets. The corporate strategy of the company
is creating the superior value for their customers and delivering superior
value-adding activities in the most efficient manner.
Easy Jet and Ryanair Ltd both carried
the different corporate strategies to gain the objective they have set up. Easy
Jet is the biggest airlines and Ryanair Ltd is also a prominent airline
company. Easy Jet offers low priced airbfares but, Ryanair Ltd offers the
lowest air fares. Their current corporate strategy seem alike however, Easy Jet
Company is more focused on product differentiation strategy and Ryanair Ltd is
more focused on cost focus strategy. Therefore, the ultimate goal of both companies
is to expand their business across the Europe. But, to reach at the ultimate
goal they carry different corporate strategy. The product differentiation
strategy incorporated by the Easy Jet believes for wider customers approach and
the next believes that cost focus strategy helps to hold loyal customers
offering the lowest cost. Both companies have wider and divergent corporative
strategy that makes them highly unique in terms of service qualities and brand.
Hence, both companies current corporate strategy aligns with the overall
objective including their vision and mission as well. The companies are
expertise in their business operations providing the best quality airline
services at the most affordable costs.
EVALUATION
OF FUTURE PROSPECTS
Both companies’ financial performances
are robust. They are financially very viable and profitable as well. The Easy
Jet financial performance was measured through the calculation of the three
major ratio: net profit, current ratio, and EPS. The calculated net profit
margin of the company was 0.1 that shows that it remain financially viable in
the future days as the sales revenue is big. Similarly, the calculated current
ratio was 0.08 that shows that the company need to add more current assets in
the future days to pay all of the short term liabilities. The current
liabilities of the company was higher than its current assets. That suggests
that the company can face difficulties in paying the short term liabilities.
Likewise, the calculated EPS was positive. Therefore, the company can increase
the number of shareholders and generate huge capital from the shareholders
investments. The calculated ratios to determine the financial performance of
the Ryanair Ltd was found strong. The company’s operating income, net income,
total assets, and total equity all were higher than the Easy Jet. The net
profit and current ratio was determined as 0.15 and 1.55 respectively. The
results shows that the company holds strong financial performance and it is
financially viable. The company bigger sales revenue suggests that the company
can generate more net profit in the coming days. The company can easily meet
all of its short term liabilities because the current assets of the company is
huge than its current liabilities. The company has got positive EPS that
indicates the company is able to generate capital as the shareholders will be
attracted to invest into the company. Therefore, in the future days the
financial performance of the company will increase along with the growth in the
net income, current assets, and EPS .Hence, the company is able to remain
financially viable.
The corporate strategies undertaken by
the both companies are both need based approach. The corporate strategies
incorporated such as product differentiation strategy and cost focus strategy
are highly pertinent in the current context. Both undertaken corporate
strategies complement with their respective mission and vision. Therefore, the
strategy will be highly useful to enhance their sales volume and retention of
loyal customers. The current corporate strategy are designed considering the
current needs and demands. As a result, the company is able to remain
sustainable and profitable in the coming days. The corporate strategies
undertaken are helpful to operate its business operations smoothly and to
expand the market share of the company. The corporate strategies aid to achieve
the overall objective of the company efficiently and effectively. The corporate
strategies guides the company to achieve its ends results. Therefore, the
current corporate strategies aids in the further growth and development. The
strategies not only provides the company growth but, it helps to generate long
term benefits for all shareholders. The shareholder values also increases with
the effective execution of the corporate strategies.
The financial performances of the
company are analyzed to determine the financial position of the business. The financial performances are measured with the help of the various financial ratios. Although, the financial ratio
calculation depends on the different factors as one type of business varies
significantly with the other types of the business. Therefore, financial ratios
are also under criticisms. The financial performance determines how well a
business can use assets through primary mode of business and produce revenues.
The financial ratios are used as one of the best tool to determine the financial position of the business. The basic forms of the financial ratio are:
profitability sustainability ratios, operational efficiency ratios, liquidity
ratios, and leverage ratios. The ratios used help to provide the current financial performance of the business.
The reliable results of the financial ratio helps to provide accurate
financial information and the information on the performance of companies
referring to different period of time. It is also useful to make pertinent
comparison of internal benchmarks and goals. The major financial ratios
calculated for both companies are the profitability ratios, liquidity ratios,
and investment ratios. The other types of financial ratios are also available
but, only these three major ratios are undertaken to analyze the financial performance
of Easy Jet and Ryanair Ltd. The financial ratios are calculated on the information accessed through the annual reports of the both companies for 2014.
A competitive business environment is
the dynamic outward system in which a business contests and operates. The
competitive business is high in the context where there are numerous sellers of
an alike product or services. Since, abundant number of airline companies are
profound in UK so, competitive business environment is highly prevalent. There
are multiple choices present for people to choose between airline services.
Therefore, both Easy Jet and Ryanair Ltd are delivering their services in a
highly competitive business environment. The internal and external
environmental factors pose serious threat on the airline industry. The
competitive business environment is determined on the basis of the market size,
scope of competitive rivalry, customers, technology and innovation, product
differentiation, and economies of scale. The drivers for change are the
internal and external business environment. Specially, the drivers for change
are rivalry among airline services provider, potential new entrants, substitute
products, supplier bargaining power, and buyer bargaining power. Similarly, the
major driver for change are: the growth of the internet economy, globalization,
and low-cost competition. Both companies’ functions are hindered by the changes
in its external environment. The political, economic, social, technological,
environment, and legal factors directly impact on the airline operations. Thus,
both of the companies are aware of the impact of these factors. They acquire
various external environment analysis tools such as SWOT analysis and PESTEL
analysis. The usages of these external environmental helps to get proper
information about the competitive business environment. So, various coping
strategies can be developed to reduce the negative implications of these
external environmental factors. The airlines companies formulate various coping
strategies to ensure that the environmental factors are understood properly
through formulating the appropriate strategic plans. The airline industry exist
in the perfect market competition. Therefore, there is high competitive
business among the airlines companies of UK.