Dell Computer Entered into a Strategic Alliance with Lexmark, a Producer

question 16

Essay

Dell Computer entered into a strategic alliance with Lexmark, a producer of printers and ink cartridges, to provide a more direct challenge to Hewlett-Packard (H-P)-the market leader in printer and cartridge sales. Clearly, this will take time and a well conceived strategy by Dell because H-P has about 50 percent market share in printer sales and a huge installed base of printer customers around the world. For this strategic initiative in the printer business, describe how Dell might use a strategy map to illustrate objectives, targets, and strategies as well as measures it might use to assess its performance in this new business.

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Definitions:

World War II

A global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations, marked by significant events, battles, and shifts in power.

Fordism

An industrial production model based on mass production and consumption, characterized by standardized products and assembly-line mechanisms.

Scientific Management

A theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes workflows, aiming to improve economic efficiency, especially labor productivity.

Human Relations

An area of management practice focusing on improving worker productivity through better interpersonal interactions and understanding of human behavior in the workplace.