The Cemex Way Company’s Success Story Essay Example

A significant portion of the success of CEMEX Way can be attributed to its three main strengths, which are integration, innovation, and global trading. The post-merger integration (PMI) process enabled CEMEX to integrate its acquisitions successfully by making use of the best-standardized practices. After the company moved to Spain, it made acquisitions in several countries, including Venezuela, Columbia, and Indonesia. These acquisitions utilized effective techniques from CEMEX’s operations in Mexico. However, the company has learned from experience that successful identification and dissemination of the best practices require a standardization of business processes and organizational structure, as well as consideration of appropriateness. For example, when it was discovered that the two companies in Spain were highly productive due to the use of petroleum coke, all the other companies began using it as the primary fuel source.

Also, the complex integration process involved the determination and further utilization of the best practices from acquired companies. The resulting set of the most efficient methods gathered from all the company’s acquisitions was used by CEMEX in conducting business throughout all of its locations. Finally, more than half of CEMEX’s practices were borrowed from its acquisitions. Thus, the first strength that contributed to the success of CEMEX Way is the company’s integration strategy that focuses on the dissemination of the best practices and standardization of business processes.

It is worth mentioning that CEMEX Way fostered innovation, especially in operations and marketing. PMI managers were encouraged to find new ways of doing things and establish new practices. One example of this particular innovation was the elaboration of the branded cement strategy, which allowed the company to attract new categories of customers. The new way of exploration of potential acquisitions allowed CEMEX to assign new partners. One more significant change which enhanced the company’s performance was the redefinition of the large markets, such as the US. As a result, CEMEX made a new acquisition and became the largest cement producer in the USA. Despite the continuous innovations, the organizational structure of the company was clearly defined with transparent role definitions and the common language.

The global trading network gave CEMEX Way unique flexibility and tremendous opportunities for growth. Since the beginning of CEMEX Way, the company stepped out to the other markets in different countries, such as Venezuela, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. CEMEX made a number of steps in the internalization process to attract new customers across the whole world. As a result, the company consolidated its position in the Mexican cement market, despite the presence of a significant competitor (Froeb, McCann, Shor, & Ward, 2015). Operating in the Spanish cement market enabled the organization to make several acquisitions and fund the further economic growth of the business. Though initially considered as a failure, CEMEX’s acquisition of UK-based RMC allowed the firm to enter the European market, thus gaining a more fabulous geographical presence. Sales in countries other than Mexico and the United States accounted for more than fifty percent of total sales, which can be considered a result of efficient management.

In summary, on its way to the position of one of the leading cement manufacturers, CEMEX has overcome a number of challenges due to its unique business strategy called CEMEX Way. The top three strengths which helped CEMEX globalize and create a common culture and standard processes are integration, innovation, and global trading. Advanced management techniques and a transparent organizational structure were also the critical factors for success.

Reference

Froeb, L. M., McCann, B. T., Shor, M., & Ward, M. R. (2015). Managerial economics: A problem-solving approach (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Sacrifice In Malamud’s, Jacob’s, Alvarez’s Works

Introduction

The topic of sacrifice has been a subject of numerous works of literature since it refers to the range of qualities and actions that people do in order to bring good to others. Discussing sacrifice in the literary context is seen as beneficial because the acts of selflessness are reoccurring themes and are important for understanding the nature of humanity as a whole. People make sacrifices in the name of love, to protect others (for example, at war), to guard the vulnerable against the horrors of the modern world.

While sacrifice does not always result in positive outcomes for those involved, considering how it can affect people is fundamental. With the help of examples from Idiots First by Bernard Malamud, The Origin of Stories told by Henry Jacob, and Yo! by Julia Alvarez, the topic of sacrifice will be explored, focusing on the hypothesis that the value of a person can be determined by what they sacrifice.

Idiots First

Idiots First are the story of love in which the main character, Mendel, gives all that he has in order to ensure that his special needs son, Isaak, gets on the train to California. Despite being weak and prepared to face his last day, the protagonist goes from one man to another offering everything he has in exchange for money on a train ticket. The presence of Ginzburg, the anthropomorphized embodiment of death is a continuous reminder that Mendel is close to an end and that he would not succeed in getting Isaak on the train.

However, Mendel sells his last precious belongings, he does not eat or drink, he is cold from the blizzard of winter, but still determined to do everything he can to protect his son. The delivered sacrifice of all material possessions along with the mental strength shows that love drives many acts of selfless kindness toward those who need help and support.

The Origin of Stories

Mendel’s story is close to heart for many parents who happen to read Idiots First. Despite the ironic title, the story depicts the character of a parent who is only concerned with the well-being and safety of their child. Any parent would do the same in situations of danger and despair – abandon all possible considerations of self-preservation in order to be sure that their child is safe. It is notable that on his journey, Mendel does not meet many people who understand his situation and are willing to help.

For instance, when Isaac and Mendel come for help from a Rabbi, the latter felt pity and gives them his new fur-lined coat while his wife starts screaming and calling the two thieves. Therefore, Mendel only had the help from himself, and living his last minutes on Earth; he saw his son getting on the train: “When the train was gone, Mendel ascended the stairs to see what had become of Ginzburg.”

The Origin of Stories discusses the topic of sacrifice from a completely different perspective if compared to Idiots First. The protagonist of the story, a boy named Poyeshao, trains himself to be a successful hunter in order to sustain his living in the future. According to a woman who cares for him, learning how to hunt would allow the boy never to be hungry and help her sustain the household. However, Poyeshao sacrifices the birds that he hunted once he encounters a talking stone in the forest that promises to tell the boy stories about what happened before: “If you will give me your birds, I’ll tell you stories.”

As the boy becomes better at hunting and gets more birds, he sacrifices more and more birds to the stone that tells stories. Subsequently, the stone convinces the entire village to bring food to sacrifice in order to hear the stories that it had to tell. In this context, the sacrifice occurs to gain the knowledge and wisdom needed to build society. The Native American tribe of Seneca did not have written the language, and all stories and myths were passed through word of mouth. Their sacrifices to the stone show that the tribe could give away everything it had in order to gain knowledge and transfer it from one generation to another.

Yo!

Yo! Written by Yulia Alvarez is focused on the life of the novel’s protagonist, Yolanda, “nicknamed Yo in Spanish, misunderstood Joe in English, doubled and pronounced like the toy, Yoyo.” The sections of the story are dedicated to the reflections of people who have known her and discussed the facets of her personality when encountering her. Each of the sketches included in Yo! deals with some global themes such as spousal abuse, homosexuality, political oppression, AIDS, Third-World poverty and exploitation, immigrant issues, and many more.

Sacrifice is explored in the novel through the character’s abandonment of the mentioned life issues and taking responsibility. In Alvarez’s perspective, sacrificing means being oneself and striving for freedom, which is the idea that Yolanda transferred through her character.

Conclusion

Thus, the topic of sacrifice has different manifestations in literature because it applies to different situations and settings. In Idiots First, the love of a father made it possible to persevere through challenges and reach the final goal of getting a son to safety. In The Origin of Stories, the sacrifice was made in exchange for knowledge and wisdom necessary for building society while in Yo! sacrifice meant the abandonment of worry about life issues.

Johnny Cash’s Life And Musical Career

Introduction

1. Even with today’s popularity of eclecticism, not many artists can mix five genres in one song and fewer have done so repeatedly and with staggering popularity.
   

   1. Rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, folk, and gospel cannot be further apart.
   2. This unlikely melange of sounds is precisely what made Johnny Cash famous.

2. Today I will attempt to give you an overview of who Johnny Cash was.
3. Choosing this topic is a matter of paying homage to the man who helped shape the music scene for more than 50 years.
4. His character, deeply interwoven with his convictions and music, remains essential to American music.

(Introducing him primarily through his biography seems appropriate, as there could be no tune without a person playing it.)

Body

1. Accepted into halls of fame of country, rock and roll, and gospel musical genres, Johnny Cash was also an actor, a profoundly religious man, and, briefly, a part of the Muppets in 1981.
   

   1. John M. Alexander, author of The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash, outlines the singer’s life through its hardships.
      

      1. Johnny Cash was born in 1932 and from an early age worked with his family, picking cotton until 1950.
      2. Following his four-year military service and after a failed stint at becoming a radio announcer, he got a recording deal in 1955.
      3. As his fame increased, Johnny Cash became more involved with drug abuse, out of which he emerged religious, popular, and the star of his own TV show, until he relapsed again.

   2. Despite becoming a controversial figure due to drug-related activities, the singer maintained popularity and remained loved.
   3. In an interview with columnist Kurt Loder, for the third 2015 issue of the Southern Cultures journal, Johnny Cash said that he was “young and wild and crazy.”
   4. He released an album titled Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous merely three years after his first recording.
   5. He also played prison concerts and befriended an American president. (Simply saying that he was famous, however, does not do justice to the charm that permeates his songs.)

2. The music that Johnny Cash wrote always stemmed from introspection, touching upon every-day topics that were relevant to American people.
   

   1. His songs always tied with his own experiences, for example, cotton picking in “In Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home.”
   2. The song “I Walk the Line” initially seems to be merely a love song, but is indicative of his romantic devotion, despite this not always being correct.
   3. His performances with famous stars, such as Elvis Presley, brought him even more fame.
      

      1. W. S. Holland, Cash’s friend and drummer, remembers his band’s jamming session when both Cash and Presley showed up impromptu to join them.
      2. This collective performance became the basis for the uniquely occurring Million Dollar Quartet. (The mentioned two songs and two albums are sufficient to find a pattern to Johnny Cash, biographically as well as musically)

Conclusion

1. In closing, it is necessary to say that the life of Johnny Cash may be considered equal parts a put-on outlaw act and a real tragedy.
2. His songs are indicative of not only trends in the 1950s music industry but also of the American life, average enough for everyone, from presidents to convicts, to appreciate.
3. So next time you hear the song “Man in Black” think of it less like bragging and more like an autobiography of a troubled man hoping to find some semblance of goodness within himself.

Works Cited

Alexander, John M. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press, 2018.

Loder, Kurt, and Johnny Cash. “Johnny Cash: “You Have to Call Me the Way You See Me”.” Southern Cultures, vol. 21, no. 3, 2015, pp. 5-17. Web.

Setnyk, Jason. “Interview with Johnny Cash legendary drummer WS Holland.” The Cornwall Seeker, 2017. Web.