Case Study of the Great Lakes
Case 11: Great Lakes: Great Decisions Report
Jessita Herriott
Mr. Bill Loelius
Bus. 499 (Senior Seminar)
October 20, 2010
Great Lakes’ Immediate, impending, and Invisible Competitors and How G.L. Measure’s Up Great Lake’s bad public relations image is its only immediate, impending and invisible competitor. The industry environment that Great Lakes is situated in is one that is characterized by global market shifts and pressures. At the moment, Great Lakes does not have any competition from possible competitors such as Ethyl Corporation, or Dow Chemical. However, they are beginning to receive criticism from the press on a global scale that is affecting their company’s image. If their corporate image is affected, then they are bound to see those affects trickle down into their profits in the near future. As division manager, it should not be difficult for Ellie Shannon to interpret those external conditions, but what she is experiencing is an inability to provide a solution that would be an acceptable “coping mechanism” for her company’s board of directors. As long as Great Lakes remain in the lead additives arena, their public perception is only going to get worse. Pressure from the environmentalists will eventually be aided by strict government regulations on their lead usage, which will cause them more damage in the future than they can anticipate at the moment.
Great Lakes does not appear to measure up well against their growing negative image in the media. In their past experiences, Great Lakes was able to maintain a low profile in their market because they were still growing. Currently, the media portrays Great Lakes as appearing to be driven by greed because they appear to be unmoved by the environmental and public health risks to producing and distributing this unhealthy additive. In fact, it makes them look as if they are taking advantage of undeveloped countries because this chemical has already been banned by the developed world.
Great
Jessita Herriott
Mr. Bill Loelius
Bus. 499 (Senior Seminar)
October 20, 2010
Great Lakes’ Immediate, impending, and Invisible Competitors and How G.L. Measure’s Up Great Lake’s bad public relations image is its only immediate, impending and invisible competitor. The industry environment that Great Lakes is situated in is one that is characterized by global market shifts and pressures. At the moment, Great Lakes does not have any competition from possible competitors such as Ethyl Corporation, or Dow Chemical. However, they are beginning to receive criticism from the press on a global scale that is affecting their company’s image. If their corporate image is affected, then they are bound to see those affects trickle down into their profits in the near future. As division manager, it should not be difficult for Ellie Shannon to interpret those external conditions, but what she is experiencing is an inability to provide a solution that would be an acceptable “coping mechanism” for her company’s board of directors. As long as Great Lakes remain in the lead additives arena, their public perception is only going to get worse. Pressure from the environmentalists will eventually be aided by strict government regulations on their lead usage, which will cause them more damage in the future than they can anticipate at the moment.
Great Lakes does not appear to measure up well against their growing negative image in the media. In their past experiences, Great Lakes was able to maintain a low profile in their market because they were still growing. Currently, the media portrays Great Lakes as appearing to be driven by greed because they appear to be unmoved by the environmental and public health risks to producing and distributing this unhealthy additive. In fact, it makes them look as if they are taking advantage of undeveloped countries because this chemical has already been banned by the developed world.
Great
References: All Business, (March 28, 2008). Lead Additive Firm Profits from Tighter Regulations. All Business. Retrieved from: http://www.allbusiness.com/energy-utilities/oil-gas-industry-oil-processing/14446978-1.html Leigh, D., Evans, R., Mahmood, M. (June 30, 2010). UK Firm Bribes Iraqis to Keep Buying Toxic Fuel Additives. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/30/octel-petrol-iraq-lead MBendi Information Services, (October, 2010). The World Demographics. Retrieved from: http://www.mbendi.com/land/p0016.htm Morse, E., Makovsky, M., (May 29, 2009). Morse and Markovsky: Over a Barrel: Why Congress’s Sanctions Against Iran Won’t Work. The New Republic. Retrieved from: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/news/articles/2009/05/bpcs-mike-makovsky-new-republic