Discuss the below in a 250 words each and use APA format:
Discussion 1:
The company that I admire is Microsoft. These days Microsoft has seen its share of downfalls however, Microsoft has proven to be a contender in the world of computing, software, gaming, and hardware. Recently, Microsoft has tried to get in the mobile phone industry however, they have not done well. What has made them a company that has survived since 1975? Microsoft has cemented itself on just about every computer in the world using Microsoft Office. According to a website, "windows accounts for 88.79% of computer usage. Apple and other software companies such as android, linux, chrome os, don't even come close and only account for 11.22%". (Share, 2018) Since Satya Nadella took over as it's new CEO, Microsoft has moved to integrate its Office programs in the mobile computing world allowing those with Apple products to use their software. Their Surface Pro 4 has been a huge success that other brands have manufactured "laptops" using their design model. In 2017, Microsoft report earnings for its 2nd quarter of $26.1 billion and a net income of 6.5 billion. Its stock was up 93%. Overall, Microsoft has had highs and lows however, Microsoft has to continually rethink its strategy and not rely on the 88.79% of computers with Office installed on them and begin to assert themselves in AI and other future innovations.
The company that I don't admire is Lowe's. The Motley Fool said that, "Lowes did well in 2017 with revenue at $16.8 billion, however, a large portion was due to the hurricanes Harvey and Irma". (Rossolillo, 2017) In comparison to it's rival Home Depot in 2017 did $22.2 billion for 4th quarter revenue. (Kalogeroupoulos, 2017) I don't respect Lowes because though any company makes billions of dollars it has nothing to do with its service. In my opinion, Lowes has poor customer service and it seems that you can never find help when you need it. In comparison, when I visit Home Depot, there's always some looking to assist you. Not to mention, everything seems to be in the wrong place and unorganized. The key to the article when I looked as Lowes profits is that their shares and if it weren't for the storms, Lowes would have had a subpar quarter. Secondly, their earnings per share that more than doubled a year ago, didn't rise though they earned more revenue. Sometimes numbers don't matter.
Discussion 2:
I choose apple as the company I most admire and respect. The company I have little respect for and admire the least is JP Morgan Chase.
To evaluate the companies for the list, Fortune magazine employs the Fortune 1000 listing and the Global 500 listing to determine the industry groupings of companies (Dowling, 2016). They then evaluate the industries' management quality, ability to attract and retain talented people, innovativeness, social responsibility to the environment and the society, products and services quality, financial ability, use of corporate assets, effectiveness in global business, and long-term investment value (Persons, 2015). This evaluation is done by interviewing at most ten executives from the chosen industries.
I agree with this criterion because it evaluates what the company does to impress the society by improving on service delivery, producing quality products, and giving back to the community. Therefore, the company with the best tactics to satisfy their customers and portray a good picture to the society by getting involved in social responsibility will be the most admired.
I admire and respect apple the most because it is very innovative and is consistent with providing quality products. They are also very passionate to develop and upgrade their products to meet the market demands. I admire their courage and competitive nature since they came in the industry when windows had already established itself but they did not cower, and they managed to move to the top.
The company I least admire and respect is JP Morgan Chase because of their alleged involvement in various corruption scandals. For instance, they were charged to pay $264 million to settle a foreign bribery case in 2016. The implication of corruption in big business is upsetting to me.