Strategies for Business
1
Over the next 4 weeks, you will examine theoretical and empirical points of view and apply the
knowledge you have gained from your study and research in order to present a case for how business
operations within your organization, or one you choose as an exemplar, can be managed to achieve
competitive advantage. You will conduct first-person research in addition to scholarly research, so
choose an organization for which this will be possible. A key element of the Praxis Paper is the
identification and framing of an organizational problem that relates to the course topics covered in the
first half of the course. Your research should lead you to identify possible solutions to the problem(s)
you identify. You will apply knowledge gained in the course in order to present advantages and
disadvantages of various approaches to the problem(s) with the goal of optimizing performance and
harmonizing key elements within business operations.
For this paper, due in Week 4, you will conduct a detailed analysis of the various key operational
elements involved in the business you have chosen as your subject, beginning with an assessment of
the macro-processes that make up the organization’s global supply chain. In the coming weeks, you
will deal with three additional and equally important areas: forecasting and demand management,
business processes, and operations and production systems. Your paper will be designed to
demonstrate a clear and coherent strategy for achieving competitive advantage through the
application of modern theory and practice to improve operational performance. Each student’s paper
will contain topics unique to the organization chosen, but will incorporate the themes covered each
week. See each of the weekly Application areas for further details.
Strategies for Business
Strategies for Business
Abstract
The following document details the decision making process that was followed in the
selection of a business entity to investigate for the assignment. It also details the aspects of
Romano Car Rental Company that made it a viable subject as well as the employees who will
be interviewed.
Strategies for Business
Strategies for Business
The company that was selected for this exercise is known as ‘Romano’s Car Rentals and
Leasing.’ It is based in Washington DC.
The reason why this company was selected is first of all because it has been in operation
within the in this area for the past two decades. This means the business has gone through a
myriad of changing macro environments in its twenty years of operation (Byman and Bell ,
2011). Many businesses in the Washington DC area taking part in the hiring out of cars have
come up and gone under during this period. The emergence of these businesses has been
promoted by the cosmopolitan and highly commercial aspects of the area. Some still exist but
they have been forced to focus on a different market segment and this is testament of Romano
Car Hire’s influence in the industry (Powell et al, 211). The result is a wealth of knowledge
and experience by the company’s management.
Staying afloat for this period of time also means that the administrators of this
company have a good idea of how to leverage business strategies for profitability as well as
longevity of the business enterprise. The proximity of the company’s branch office to the
campus further supported this decision as it guarantees the relatively easy accessibility of the
employees for the interviews. The minimal budget that the research project is running on does
not have resources to finance transport to distant locations. This is why the focus was centered
around the Washington DC area.
Face to face conversations with the interviewees will also facilitate more candid
collection of data from the respondents. If there is a need for follow up, this can also be done
relatively easily. The Romano car hire company has also engaged in mentorship programs for
youths from different colleges in the Washington DC area in the recent past. This is an
indication of their willingness to share knowledge about their organization and operations in a
Strategies for Business
candid manner. It is important to exploit such an opportunity because many business entities
tend to be rigid and wary about providing information about their operations to individuals
considered to be outsiders. The fact that this research study is being conducted by students
from the surrounding area will endear the facilitator of this project to the management since
the age group is similar to that of the individuals who participated in the mentorship program
in 2013 (Mann, 2011).
Transport is a key component of the economy and this comes from the fact that it
facilitates the movement of the different factors of production such as labor or capital from
one place to another depending on the need that has arisen. Washington DC being a
commercial and administrative hub experiences hosts a great deal of road transport.
Interviewing the administrators of a company will therefore provide a good glimpse into the
dynamics that affect this component of the economy as well as the nature of the relationship
between this company and various economic situations (Saunders et al, 2011).
Individuals to be Interviewed
Sales Manager : James Sanchez, Available on Thursday between 10 and 11.30 am for video-
conferencing interview.
Marketing Manager: Phelipe Rodriguez Available on Friday between 11 and 11.30 am
Fleet Maintenance Officer: Anthony Porter Available on Wednesday between 9 and 10.30 am
subject to confirmation.
Strategies for Business
References
Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2011). Business Research Methods 3e. Oxford university press.
Mann, S. (2011). A critical review of qualitative interviews in applied linguistics. Applied
Linguistics, 32(1), 6-24. doi:10.1093/applin/amq043
Powell, J., Inglis, N., Ronnie, J., & Large, S. (2011). The characteristics and motivations of
online health information seekers: cross-sectional survey and qualitative interview
study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1). doi: 10.2196/jmir.1600
Saunders, M. N., Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2011). Research methods for
business students, 5/e. Pearson Education India.
