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Journal of Business and Management Studies - Articles, Research and Case Studies

A New Business Strategy: Familiarity Matrix

Roberts and Berry devised a technique for selecting optimum diversification action plans for firms wishing to enter new product-markets called the familiarity matrix. It helps strategists decide which product-markets to enter and how. Its two axes, familiarity with market factors and technology or service, are both divided into three values: Base, new familiar, and new unfamiliar. The market dimension refers to the amount of knowledge possessed by the diversifying company of various characteristics of the market and the competitors within it. The authors distinguish between the newness of, and the familiarity with, the market for a product-service. Newness of a market is the extent to which the company has previously targeted it.… Read the rest

Relationship Between Financial Leverage and Risk

Not to be confused with operating leverage, financial leverage involves the use of debt in the firm’s financial structure. Though it may be operationally defined and measured in a variety of ways, it essentially entails the use of debt to extend the earning power of funds committed by the firm’s shareholders. When used properly financial leverage magnifies returns on committed funds.

Because of the nature of financial leverage, it carries within it not only the general types of risk associated with operating leverage, but also two others that have rather specific implications. First, there is the risk of default-the inability to meet debt obligations as they come due.… Read the rest

Relationship Between Operating Leverage and Financial Risk

All strategic investment decisions are going to involve some degree of risk. Risk entails not only the profitable versus unprofitable dichotomy, but also the variability in earnings or losses emanating from an investment project. One dimension of the risk-management question is captured in the concept of operating leverage.

Operating leverage is the degree of magnification of earnings or losses (expressed as cash flows or profits) set off by different levels of output. The magnification results from the variable cost versus fixed cost mix in an investment period. Generally the higher the level of fixed commitment in relation to variable costs, the greater is the leverage (and magnification).… Read the rest

Is a Dollar Always Worth a Dollar?

The value of a dollar changes dramatically, depending on when you can take control of the dollar and invest it. The critical variable in the exact value of a dollar is time. If someone owes you a dollar, do you want him to pay you today or next year? Yes! The answer is, Today. With inflation consistently destroying the purchasing power of a dollar, a year from now a dollar will be worth slightly less than it is today. “Inflation” is an economic term used to describe the gradual tendency of prices to rise over time. If inflation is 2% per year, which means that prices, on average, will rise 2% over the next year, which in turn means that your dollar can purchase 2 cents less in a year than it can today.… Read the rest

Team Based Pay System Design

There are many considerations in the designing of a team-based compensation system. After the alignment of pay with strategy, culture, and competencies of the employee, then the next step is to determine the type or types of team in a particular organization. There are four types of teams: The first is the parallel team that is defined as a part-time team that can be temporary or permanent that employees participate on in addition to their normal activities. The second type of team is a process team that carries out the work processes and is done collectively by members of a team.… Read the rest

Team Based Compensation System

Teams have become a popular way to organize business because they offer companies the flexibility needed to meet the demands of the changing business environment. While many companies have been quick to organize their workforce into teams, they have not been as eager to implement team-based compensation systems. However, if team-based organizations continue to utilize old, individually-oriented pay systems, they will not fully realize the benefit of highly cooperative and motivated work teams.

Team compensation is a way of rewarding performance in team settings. That is, individuals are rewarded based on the performance of the team as opposed to individual performance.… Read the rest