微软公司是美国一家跨国集团公司，总部设在华盛顿，从事开发，制造许可证，支持和销售计算机软件、消费电子产品和个人电脑和服务。该公司由比尔盖茨和Paul Allen于1975年4月4日成立，以开发其最著名的软件产品，分别是微软Windows操作系统系列、微软Office套件和IE浏览器。其主打硬件产品Xbox游戏控制台和微软的Surface系列平板电脑。它是世界上最大的软件制造商通过收入衡量。
MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports and sells computer software, consumer electronics and personal computers and services. The company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on 4th April 1975 to develop and Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, Microsoft Office suite, and Internet Explorer web browser. Its flagship hardware products are Xbox game consoleand the Microsoft Surface series of tablets. It is the world's largest software maker measured by revenues.
1.1THE OBJECTIVES
This paper is going to discuss about Microsoft Corporation stakeholders interests either in conflict or coincide, the mapping exercise and with analysis.
Also the Porter’s Five Forces Model on Microsoft relating to competitions among the operators in the same industry and the approach this company adopted on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and how the approach has been of competitive advantage to the organization.
2.0STAKEHOLDERS
A stakeholder is anybody or group that has interest in a project or enterprise who could directly be affected by business operations or its outcomes. They can either be internal or external stakeholders as listed below (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington, 2011):-
(A).Those that are mostly affected by the business operations and outcomes are the investors, the customers, employees, suppliers and communities at large. According to (R. Edward Freeman, 1984)
(B).Those who guide and influence the organization in carrying out the business specifically the government, regulatory authorities, non-governmental organizations and civil societies and the industry organization. According to (Archie B.Carroll, 1991).
Microsoft recognizes its bigger responsibility in developing and sustaining relationships with diverse stakeholder groups, both internal and external to the organization.
According to Microsoft Citizenship report 2013, stakeholders are categorized into two groups: those who are directly affected by the business operations and outcomes (namely, investors, customers, employees, suppliers, and the community at large) and those who guide and influence us in carrying out our business (specifically, government and regulatory agencies, non-government and civil society groups and industry organization).
Investors
Pursuant to the Corporate Governance (CG) Manual, it is the duty of the Board to promote and uphold stockholders’ rights such as the right to vote, pre-emptive right, right to timely receive relevant information, right to dividends and the appraisal right. The Board shall ensure that the company remains faithful to its undertaking to make timely disclosures of material information and transactions that could potentially affect the market price of the company’s shares.
Customers
Customers are important stakeholders at Microsoft Corporation because they are driven force of sales and revenue generation. Organization must provide products that are of high quality and at affordable price. Microsoft continually strives to satisfy its customers’ expectations and concerns regarding quality of service. They commit us to continually improve the way they do things to better serve their customers.
Employees
Microsoft is committed to the development and welfare of its employees. As the Company sustains its efforts in building a high performance culture to fully respond to the requirements of the new business environment, employees are continuously trained and developed to enable them to achieve excellent performance founded on our Corporate Mission. All employees are required to attend a 5-day training a year which is monitored on a monthly basis. Career development progr
