Erika james: Life and Career of an Associate professor

Synopsis
People who met Erika Hayes James tended to be impressed. She was tall, slender,
vivacious, well groomed, and immaculately dressed, and she exuded energy. The
more you learned, the more she seemed like a woman who had accomplished what
many, if not most, just dream about: having her complex life‐act all together and
well balanced. She was a successful professional, a loving spouse, an adoring
parent, physically fit, emotionally upbeat, socially polished, and seemingly cool,
calm, and collected.
Erika James had been in academe for nine years and was a tenured associate
professor at the Darden School when she was asked to be the Associate Dean for
Diversity, a new position at the school. She discussed the offer with her colleagues
and contemplated the matter thoroughly. The position would bring with it a
sizeable increase in pay, much more responsibility, and many more administrative
meetings, with a continued requirement to meet her teaching responsibilities. All in
all, the job would mean more work. The job would likely cut into her available
consulting time in the summer, and require her to create an initiative and strategy
for the office from scratch. And she still wanted to reach full professor. She had
several research projects under way and was partway through her first book
manuscript. She had a husband who was a busy executive and lived two hours
away during the week—and who was likely to get more promotions. She had two
small children full of energy and enthusiasm. She had a full-time au pair and a
personal Pilates trainer. She had always been known for her cheerful, can-do
attitude.
This case is intended to help management students explore the personal side of
leadership and power, the nature of leadership development, how life events can
shape leadership philosophies, the nature of success, how executives build and
maintain business and personal relationships, and the way executives develop
personal style throughout their professional careers.

Issues and problems

1. Career planning,
2. Career management,
 3. Career choice,
4. Life work balance,
5. Uncertainty,
6. Family and work,
7. Leadership,
8. Managerial psychology,
9. Personal change

Analysis

 SWOT Analysis
A quick summary of SWOT Analysis is given below.

Strategies to exploit Opportunities using Strengths

Business needs to introduce more ingenious products by large quantity of R&D

Spending and mergers and acquisitions. It might increase the marketplace share of
Business and increase the earnings margins for the company. It might also supply
Business a long term competitive advantage over its competitors.

The global expansion of Business should be concentrated on market capturing of

developing nations by growth, drawing in more customers through customer's
commitment. As developing nations are more populated than developed countries,
it might increase the client circle of Business.

Strategies to Overcome Weaknesses to Exploit Opportunities

Erika James The Life And Career Of An Associate Professor must do mindful
acquisition and merger of companies, as it could impact the consumer's and
society's perceptions about Business. It must acquire and combine with those
companies which have a market reputation of healthy and nutritious companies. It
would enhance the understandings of consumers about Business.
Business should not just invest its R&D on innovation, instead of it must also
concentrate on the R&D costs over examination of cost of different healthy
products. This would increase expense efficiency of its products, which will result
in increasing its sales, due to declining prices, and margins.

Strategies to use strengths to overcome threats

Business should move to not only developing however also to developed nations. It
must widen its circle to numerous countries like Unilever which operates in about
170 plus nations.

Strategies to overcome weaknesses to avoid threats

It must acquire and merge with those nations having a goodwill of being a healthy
company in the market. It would likewise make it possible for the company to
utilize its potential resources efficiently on its other operations rather than
acquisitions of those companies slowing the strategy development.

Conclusion
Based on the overall analysis done for Erika James The Life and Career of an
Associate Professor, this section will offer recommendations which will help the
company take on strategic directions that will enhance its core competencies and
capabilities, as well as reduce its chances for risks and threats? The following
recommendations are thus made for Erika James the Life and Career of an
Associate Professor:

1. Strengthen distribution network

 Control
This is an important strategic recommendation as it will allow higher control
to the company over its products in different markets. The company will be
 able to control where its products are placed, and thereby, will also be able
to enhance the accessibility and easy availability of its products.

 Stronger relation with consumers

At the same time, the strengthening of the distribution network will allow
the company to work more closely with end consumers by being able to
reach them with the same high quality of products across different markets.

2. Develop unique marketing tactics

 Higher penetration
This strategic recommendation will help the company reach a higher number
of consumers and penetrate deeper into target consumer groups. Also, this
strategy will allow the company to increase trial and consumption and sales
of its products.

 Forming a partnership with consumers

Unique marketing tactics will involve new and informed strategic means of
communicating with the consumers and engaging them with the brand. One
way that this can be done is by making consumer co-producers for the brand.
Another way that Erika James The Life and Career of an Associate Professor
can do this is through co-branding with other similar, yet dissimilar brands
and companies to enjoy higher market visibility amongst target consumers.

3. Adapt to different cultural aspects of different markets

 Identify different consumer group characteristics

Each market and target group has distinct characteristics. This recommendation
is suggested so that the company can connect better with different target groups
in different markets.

 Adapt to and respond to characteristics

By adapting to different cultural and regional characteristics, the company will
be able to present itself better to target consumers – who would then feel a
greater affinity, and more likeliness of consuming the product and the service.

4. Expand into new regions

 Market expansion
Another strategic recommendation for Erika James The Life and Career of an
Associate Professor is to expand into newer regions and markets. This can be
done by expanding into new markets, firstly. This expansion will give the
company exposure to new consumer groups. Increase the overall consumption
rate, as well as diversify income streams. Also, it will give the company related
expansion exposure regionally as well as internationally.

 Product diversification
Another means of expansion is through product diversification. By adding new
products, the company will be Abe to penetrate deeper into existing markets
bye exploring new consumer groups, and new target consumer groups. This will
also diversify income streams for the company, and increase its overalls hare of
the market.

 Strengthen value network

By strengthening the value network further, and by adding quality and
enhanced elements at different stages, the company will be able to maintain
competitive advantage, as well as put off new players from the industry by
increasing barriers to entry. This will allow the company to maintain
sustainable competitiveness over other players, as well as maintain a possible
leadership position in the local and international markets and industry.