ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY- BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Argumentative Essay- Business Transformation Management
Overview
The process of bringing radical and profound change within the internal affairs of an organization is closely associated with success and high levels of productivity. Companies that constantly rebrand themselves while at the same time change their operational strategies tend to become more effective as opposed to those that stagnate at one point. It is through different forms of business transformation that reputable giant firms such as Apple, Samsung, McDonalds and even Walmart have managed to remain profitable in such a competitive global market. It is through the use of this tool that fundamental revolutions have been introduced in most companies and their results have been phenomenal.
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Business transformation is known for assisting most entrepreneurial ventures in changing their operating strategy so that it can suit the contemporary trends in the market. Professionals within the field of commerce advise that it is paramount for any business to consider underdoing through these transformation programs as they help in increasing the amount of sales returns, revenue and even the shares of the market. At the same time, customer satisfaction is significantly improved because the corporation learns to take to heart the needs of their clientele. The process of achieving change in business can be accomplished in a myriad of ways such as re-alignment where the internal structure of the organization can be restructured and the employees are also reshuffled. This aids a lot when it comes to identifying areas where some employees may have more capabilities and also destroys the monotony that may come with formal employment. The list of companies that have transformed their operations over time is endless and so are their benefits. This paper is a detailed and incisive argumentative essay that analyzes the plight of the Nokia Company and how business transformation would have helped this firm to capitalize on the emergence of smartphones.
Topic Chosen for the Essay
Discuss what should the CEO of the Nokia Company could have done differently so as to capitalize on the emergence of smartphones.
Body of the Essay
- That Argument
This part of the essay will argue that the Nokia Company could have used different business transformation strategies so that it can profit from the emergence of smartphones. It is a widely accepted fact that smartphones have been one of the most celebrated discoveries of the twenty first century (Bajarin 2014, p. 44). These devices have managed to revolutionize the manner in which people communicate, socialize and even access information. In particular, the emergence of a different feature within these smartphones is what has contributed to their skyrocketing popularity. Most of these devices now have an operating system, software applications and internet connections that make them convenient for usage and ownership (Snively et al 2014, 178).
These features have made the smartphone to become one of the most sought after devices among young and old alike. The existence of numerous tech giant firms such as Samsung, Apple and even Huawei is sufficient evidence of the lucrative nature of the smartphone business (Cooper and Brainard 2011, p. 177). The Nokia Company was widely renowned for occupying a huge global presence when it comes to the sale of mobile phones. However, this firm lost the smartphone battle and this led to its spiraling decline (Ammisetti 2012, p. 16) Argumentative Essay- Business Transformation Management .
It can be argued that the management in this mobile firm became complacent and it did not bother to revolutionize its activities so as to suit the emerging trends. In the recent past, Nokia Company was largely synonymous with cell phones so much that this firm became an instant technology star in virtually all parts of the globe. This image has since faded away and the Nokia of today is a pale shadow from what it used to be around the beginning of the twenty first century (Sturges 2015, p. 10). The fall of Nokia from the top can hugely be blamed on the manager and CEO who would have incorporated business transformation strategies so as to match the expectations of customers in the market.
Business Transformation Management Methodologies or BTMM are frameworks that assist companies to remain relevant as the global market continues to evolve and drastically change. One of the ways that companies in the modern era evolve is by adopting a different operational strategy such that their daily running become more efficient, faster or sophisticated (Laamanen et al 2016, p. 14). A classic example of an operative business transformation is the manner in which most firms are going digital and conducting most of their affairs online. What’s more, most corporations and organizations are embracing new technology so as to solve their current problems.
It is through operational models that firms such as Netflix have managed to capitalize on sales and become one of the most preferred online brands. This firm made a drastic shift from merely selling DVDs via email and instead began to stream videos through the inter webs (Brahma 2015, p. 23). The CEO of Nokia Company would have followed a similar lead as opposed to simply enjoying the fact that their brand had already become a household name. Further, Nokia’s management should have maximized on the knowledge obtained from the customer’s preferences and used it to design some of the most sophisticated smartphone brands (Das and Madhavan 2014, p. 62).
This is because the mobile phone industry is one that constantly evolves and most companies operating in this sector are forced to transform their endeavors so as not to become obsolete. The mobile phone has ceased to become a mere object of communication and it is now capable of handling a variety of functions. The Nokia Company did not realize this fact and this explains why firms such as Samsung, Lenovo and even Apple managed to overtake it and become the household brands in matters of smartphones (Sturges 2015, p. 10). The successful transformation of the rival firms to Nokia is a strategy that has taken place over the years with constant rebranding and changing the features of most smartphones.
It is also essential to note that business transformation also takes place through leadership. It is crucial to change guard at the top so that the firm can experience a shift when it comes to supervision and task execution. For Nokia, the CEO and other managers had served long terms and this explains why they were not the right people to initiate radical changes so as to capitalize on the emergence of smartphones (Day and Jung 2010, p. 118). At the same time, it can also be argued that the process of choosing and hiring the right leaders is very vital because they determine how the internal affairs of the company are handled and how employees relate with one another.
Apart from leadership, Nokia as a mobile phone company should have embraced business transformation in an alternative way (Phillips and Dalakas 2014, p. 178). There are transformation programs that can also take place from the internal side of the firm where the various managers and supervisors focus keenly on the trends, production levels and performance on both daily and weekly basis (Day and Jung 2010, p. 118). This directive could have aided this firm greatly, especially when it comes to integrating the company’s operations into one global venture that can also harness the scope of the available resources. The following part of this argumentative essay discusses the role that the CEO of Nokia Company should have played based on the “because” argument.
- Because Argument
The Nokia Company could not have profited from the sale of smartphones because its leaders were not keen enough to realize that the market trends were changing fast. The CEO of this firm remained rigid and did not respond to the wave of evolution that was sweeping in the mobile phone industry (Bajarin 2014, p. 46). It was also impossible for Nokia to remain at the top and capitalize on the sale of smartphones because the top managers of this firm had a very terrible and tainted reputation. In fact, some of the senior managers were very short tempered and it was not unusual for them to shout and scream at the junior staff.
Therefore, it was quite difficult for employees to express their opinions when it came to matters of task execution or even giving positive input. In as much as Nokia as a company had already established itself in the market, its survival would have only been maintained through the process of constant transformation (Snively et al 2014, 177). The latter should have been strategically embraced such that the very essence of a company is redefined.
This is what worked for Apple as their business transformation approach involved a change of gear from manufacturing computers to designing some of the most superior brand of phones (Cooper and Brainard 2011, p. 178). The CEO of Nokia failed to realize that in business, change is inevitable and constant transformation is more than necessary. In fact, it has never been advised for executives to remain complacent and contented because of past achievements, but they should frequently initiate change if they want to remain successful (Ammisetti 2012, p. 19).
Business transformation methodologies are never complete and they are always ongoing depending on the current market trends. The fact that Nokia had one of the longest serving CEOs who sat in power for more than two decades could explain why they were not receptive to the idea of smartphones. What’ more, the CEO of this mobile firm could be faulted for not paying any attention to the changing current that significantly changed the appearance and features of smartphones. Nokia was also to blame for failing to develop phones that were innovative and stylish enough to match those of its rising rivals such as Samsung and Apple (Sturges 2015, p. 10).
It can also be argued that as Nokia grew larger, most of the departments slowly converted themselves into mini kingdoms such that people were only concerned with what happened in their own division and not in others. Further, the CEO of Nokia portrayed the picture that made employees more concerned with individual gain like promotions and bonuses. Therefore, it was virtually impossible for staff members to work towards improving the mobile brands of Nokia as they were busy pursuing their own interests (Cooper and Brainard 2011, p. 178). What this firm failed to realize is that change of tactics is very crucial when it comes to the centralization of business.
This is actually one of the forms of transformation is business that strives at restructuring the day-to-day functions in major departments of a company such as communication, information technology and even human resources (Bajarin 2014, p. 48). This approach would have been very instrumental to Nokia when it comes to designing and creating of superior smartphone brands. In as much as the firm still produces modern phones, they are not rated highly as those of rival companies like Lenovo and Apple. The use of the centralized model as a means to transform a business is designed such that it mirrors the most superior and grander innovations that could provide the much needed leverage to compete with other giants in the industry (Day and Jung 2010, p. 119).
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This means that Nokia should have learnt from the profitability gained from other smartphone producers and then gather insights on how best to come up with an innovative product (Laamanen et al 2016, p. 16). In as much as imitation in business is not very ethical, this firm would have simply observed how giant firms like Samsung, Lenovo, Itel and even Apple were revolutionizing the industry and then develop their own marketing plan. The fact that Nokia failed in all its endeavors to embrace business transformation explains why they quickly faded away in an industry that they had previously managed to colonize. The next part of this essay analyzes the plight of the Nokia Company using the “however” argument.
- However Argument
It is essential to note that in contrast to the above provided arguments, however, Nokia strove to achieve excellence in its own way and this is why this brand was considered synonymous with any type of phone in the past (Brahma 2015, p. 25). Perhaps the reason why Nokia managed to remain relevant in the industry for very many years is because the CEO was at one point competent in leadership. However, they would have still agreed to embrace change so that the company capitalizes on the smartphone market. In fact, the latter is described as one of the most dense markets with customers having a high demand for superior mobile phones that contain unique features and software.
The success story of Apple and Lenovo is sufficient testimony of this fact as these two firms embraced business transformation using the operational strategic approach. The reputable companies managed to make a drastic shift from computers to smartphones and their endeavors paid off handsomely (Das and Madhavan 2014, p. 64). Argumentative Essay- Business Transformation Management This is exactly what the Nokia management team should have done so that it can remain profitable and enjoy its growing customer base. It is indisputable that Nokia was highly established in the western region from where it spread its wings to other countries.
However, this trend did not last as the firm failed to reinvent itself and meet the expectations of its target consumers (Phillips and Dalakas 2014, p. 179). At the same time, the CEO and his managerial team did not understand that embracing the latest innovations in designing of mobile devices is critical when it comes to maintaining customers. A large number of people purchase a mobile phone based on its features and not on usability (Das and Madhavan 2014, p. 64). Therefore, in as much as a Nokia phone is quite convenient in use, its features and level of sophistication is quite low when compared to its rivals. This means that the needs of customers come first and it is the duty of CEOs to know what their needs and expectations are at any given moment (Das and Madhavan 2014, p. 64).
However, this is not the case for Nokia and it explains why the firm was not able to rapidly expand within the market since its products were not engineered with any expertise or prowess. The final part of this argumentative essay incorporates the “therefore” approach to discuss and evaluate what Nokia’s CEO should have done so as to capitalize on the emergence of smartphones.
- Therefore Argument
Therefore, due to the complacency and inept leadership of Nokia’s CEO, the firm was not in any position to remain profitable as a mobile phone company. It is the ultimate duty of the senior leader in any company to ensure that levels of profitability do not fluctuate, but instead maintain an upward trend (Bajarin 2014, p. 49). The fact that the top manager failed to embrace business transformation made it impossible for Nokia to compete within a market that had entirely changed in terms of cell phone preference. The creation of differentiation to deal with stiff competition in the market is also another way in which Nokia would have transformed its activities (Brahma 2015, p. 27). What’s more, this process is strengthened further by the introduction of a business model that is vertically integrated.
This type of approach is quite unique and could have been of great value to Nokia such that it could have enabled it to capitalize on smartphone proliferation. Therefore, the fact that business transformation was absent in Nokia made it impossible for the firm to profit from the sale of smartphones.
Conclusion
The frameworks for achieving success and prosperity in any business lies in the ability of a firm to reinvent and rebrand itself. A large part of this process is achieved through business transformation where a company adopts strategies that can help it remain profitable and relevant in the market simultaneously. The Nokia Company was one of the most sought after firms in the past century due to its ability to design phones that were convenient to use. However, the firm was slowly phased out by emerging giants such as Lenovo, Samsung and Apple since it did not change its phones to suit market trends.
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The CEO of this company failed to understand the power of change and as such, it was difficult to profit from the sale of smartphones. Argumentative Essay- Business Transformation Management The case analysis of the Nokia Company offers valuable insights to already established firms that change in business is not only crucial, but it is inevitable if one desires to see their entrepreneurial venture remain prosperous.
References
Ammisetti, A. (2012). Nokia: The Troubled King of the Indian Handset Market. Vidwat: The Indian Journal Of Management, 5(1), 14-20.
Bajarin, T 2014, ‘The Real Difference between Nokia and Apple’, PC Magazine, pp. 44-46, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 October 2016.
Brahma, M. (2015). When a Giant Falls. Vision (09722629), 19(3), 288-291. Doi: 10.1177/0972262915604915
Cooper, R. N., & Brainard, L. (2011). The Nokia Revolution: The Story of an Extraordinary Company That Transformed an Industry./ When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management. Foreign Affairs, 80(6), 176-177. Argumentative Essay- Business Transformation Management
Das, G., & Madhavan, N. (2014). Death Of A Dream. Business Today, 23(16), 58-63.
Day, J. D., & Jung, M. (2010). Corporate transformation without a crisis. Mckinsey Quarterly, (4), 116-127.
Laamanen, T., Lamberg, J., & Vaara, E. (2016). Explanations Of Success And Failure In Management Learning: What CanWe Learn From Nokia’s Rise and Fall?. Academy Of Management Learning & Education, 15(1), 2-25. doi:10.5465/amle.2013.0177
Phillips-Melancon, J, & Dalakas, V 2014, ‘Brand Rivalry and Consumers’ Schadenfreude: The Case of Apple’, Services Marketing Quarterly, 35, 2, pp. 173-186, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 October 2016.
Snively, C., Alcacer, J., & Khanna, T. (2014). The Rise and Fall of Nokia. Harvard Business School Cases, 1.
Sturges, D. (2015). The Transformation of communication @ Apple. Smartphone Design & Production, 127(11), 10. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 15 October 2016.
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY- Business Transformation Management Methodology Concepts and Theories
CHOSEN TOPIC: What should have the CEO of NOKIA done differently to capitalize on the emergence of smartphones?
Task:
You are required to prepare an argumentative essay that applies the concepts and theory of the course. The questions will focus on key theory and the Business Transformation Management Methodology (BTMM) framework.
This assignment will be assessed upon how well you are able to identify and articulate the concepts. You will be assessed on your familiarity with the theory, application of argument, ability to research and reference Argumentative Essay- Business Transformation Management .
The structure I would like you to use in your essay has four parts:
- That
- Because
- However
- Therefore
Within each of these four parts, there are a number of paragraphs.
REMEMBER THIS IS AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
NB// MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE STRUCTURE AS PER THE ATTACHED PDF ON STRUCTURE.
FAILURE TO APPLY BTMM CONCEPTS AND THEORIES WILL LEAD TO ZERO GRADING!! Argumentative Essay- Business Transformation Management