Strategic Audit - Tesla Motors Inc

1. Current situation

Current performance

Tesla Motors has continued with its growth strategy which includes the expansion if its product line and the revamping of its manufacturing on its current programs. This includes products such as All-Wheel Drive Model S 85D so as to increase its and general return on investment. Since the delivery of Roadsters in 2009 which enabled the company to secure more investment, the growth and expansion plans have been working out well. The firm was able to secure around $500 million loan so as to support its initiatives.  By 2010, the firm had gone public with an announcement that Toyota would buy about $50 million in form of common stock (Tesla, 2016). This also comprised of an arrangement where the firm would enable Toyota to succeed in a plan to develop electric powered vehicles. Later, Tesla was able to sell 13.3 million shares at about $17 per share (Tesla, 2016). As the firm’s success continue to grow, it has become possible to move towards the overall goal of offering viable electronic alternatives in the market.  The company has released a new Model 3 vehicle and it’s presently taking the product’s reservation with a price set at $35,000. There is an increment in the company’s product orders which has been observed since 2016 period where about 80,000 to 90,000 deliveries of Model S and X vehicles have been estimated (Tesla, 2016). The company’s report also shows a posting of positive cash flow from the major operations at $ 179million for the year 2015. In its report to investors and shareholders for 2016, the firm highlights various major accomplishments for the year 2015 and 2016 and which is expected to spill over onto 2017 (Tesla, 2016).

Strategic posture

The firm has focused on such a goal since its foundation in 2003 by breaking new barriers through the development of high-performance vehicles that are safe and highly rated (Tesla, 2017).  Further from Model S sedan and X-sports utility models, the firm plans to launch a new brand, Model 3 sedan, in late 2017 at $35000 base price and which is expected to drive the electric cars into the conventional market. Moreover , the firm has opened Gigafactory and acquired SolarCity that are poised to enable the company to provide complete set of energy products comprising of grid services , solar and storage. The firm enjoys the status of the only energy company in the world that is wholly integrated and sustainable, which places at better place as the world inevitably shift towards a platform based on sustainable energy (Tesla, 2017).

1. Strategic Managers

Board of Directors

Tesla’s board of direct comprises of internal employees as the main directors. The board is headed by the chairman Elon Musk, who also adds up as CEO and product architect of the firm. Elon Musk is the founder of the company, and his passion was focused on electric cars and has been building on this dream for over two decades now. The other directors include Brad W. Buus , IRA Eth renpreis , Antonio J. Gracias , Harald Kroeger, Steve Jurveston and Kimbel Musk. Each direct is tasked with a responsibility to manage their sections in the company (Tesla, 2017). The directors are chosen from individuals with extensive background in terms of business experience and knowledge, since they have worked in other firms in the industry before they joined Tesla Motors. The board of the company also sets standards that are high to be emulated by directors themselves, officers and employees. This is a philosophy that is implicitly important and which is founded on elaborate corporate governance (Tesla, 2017). The Board of Directors also a tasked with the duty of serving in their capacity as product fiduciary for investors and shareholders and oversees the management of the business operations of the firm. So as to perform these responsibilities and discharge these duties, the board acts in accordance to standards and procedures highlighted in the corporate governance guidelines. The guidelines can be adjusted with time as deemed right by the board in the best interests of the firm or when the applicable regulations and laws requires. The top management is majorly composed of the various sectional heads whose actions are also guided by the guidelines of corporate governance (Tesla, 2016).

• External environment

External environment consists of the different outside factors that influence the operation of an organization or a business and on which the business should act or react so as to continue with its operations (Hamilton, 2015).

Societal environment

Tesla operates in a society that is increasingly becoming concerned with the impacts of business operations on the environment. The culture and attitudes of the society are also geared towards accepting products that are considered fit, safe and of high quality in the market. The present societal factors involve increased concern, emphasis and attitudes for environmentally friendly products in the market (Hamilton, 2015). Customers are tending to lose faith in energy sources like gasoline fuel and related production cost and effect on environment (Raine & Funk, 2016). The present customer is also judged by the society in the basis of the car which they own. This means that the idea of electric vehicles augurs well with the society if it raises a person social status, is more safe and eco-friendly. There is also a rise in ageing part of the population that has most savings and wealth and these are likely to spend such resources in purchasing premium electric vehicles.

Natural environment

The last decades has seen increased competitive pressure in the vehicle manufacturing industry for production of vehicles that are fuel-efficient and eco-friendly. The major environmental factor that is likely to affect Tesla’s operations is increased knowledge on climate change. The firm has been trying to change its products and operations through adoption of electric cars since customers are becoming more knowledgeable about the impact of gasoline fuel on their natural environment.

Task environment  

Tesla operates in an environment that is highly competitive, suppliers who are mainly retailers and other interest groups. The firm operates in an environment with high threat of new entries given it also entered the market that has large and resourceful manufacturers.  On the other hand, established firms with significant economic capacity may not find it easy to compete with the firm due to limited capabilities and the programs supported by government to build electric vehicles. Currently the are several opportunities in the market the firm may continue to exploit , which comprises of federal policy and government state policies that facilitate the EV technology (Plumer , 2012). The electric vehicles will have a big role in transportation sector in US and global in the coming days. The fact that supply of oil products will continue to be limited while the production cost for electric vehicle technology will continue reducing means that in coming days this technology will overtake human and material movement (Randal,2016).

 The firm has the opportunity to capitalize on such government programs and incentives and hence, expand its viability until it can stand on its own. The customers in the market have a modest bargaining power in general but with increased competition the buyers may gain more power. The company relies on its relationship with other firms such as Toyota and Daimler, an important partnership and supplying to these firms makes up a large part of Tesla’s income (Tesla, 2016). This means the firms have higher bargaining power. The firm can sell its car to individual buyers and various incentives by the government provide tax credit reduction for the customers. The market demand for the electric vehicles is stimulated and bargaining power lowered.  The suppliers have high bargaining power since Tesla depends on them to deliver components, and any problem may negatively impact the image of the firm.

1. Tesla Internal Environment

Corporate structure

Corporate structure refers to the systems and designs from which the interaction patterns in the organization’s components are defined (Alkhafaji &Nelson, 2015). The organizational structure of Tesla Motors takes a traditional form when its limited approach to the development of production facility is considered. The corporate structure enables the firm to maximize its capacity to adopt new strategies and manage various operational activities. The structure is based on organizational function which is the major defining aspect. The major features of the structure include global hierarchy, centralization and few regional divisions.  The global hierarchy comprises of functional teams or even offices tasked with overseeing local and international operations of the company. The goal is to maintain total control of all the operations around the world (Quora, 2015).  Global centralization involves central groups that make the main decision of the firm .Minimal Regional Divisions involves various divisions of the automotive business of the firm, which are important in the implementation of various strategies or marketing efforts, organization of financial records and required reporting (Tesla, 2017).

Corporate culture

The corporate culture of the firm is base on various standards that are set by the Board of Directors and which are followed by directors, officers and all employees. The culture is founded on the need for reasonable corporate governance that informs the interaction and relationship between various stakeholders. Innovation is central to the culture of Tesla where advanced electric cars are developed in a way they stand out from other automobiles (Tesla, 2017). An established Code of Business Conduct and Ethics helps in guiding the operations of the firm. It covers the basic principles that guide all the procedures and practices of employees, officers and directors of the firm, so that they must carry themselves by avoiding any practice that may imply improper behavior. The culture upholds observance of established standards and violation is subjected to the approved disciplinary actions (Tesla, 2017).

Corporate resources

Corporate resources include an organization’s financial resources, human resources, inventory, information technology and even different production resources (Alkhafaji &Nelson, 2015). The production resources that are needed by the firm include lithium for building various lithium-ion cells for electric batteries for the electric cars (Debord, 2015). The information technology resources include the EV infrastructure that is necessary for developing its products. Financial resources are necessary for the firm to continue and expand its operations in the market which is necessary for long term sustainability. The human resources include its officers and employees whose skills helps in carrying out its production and marketing operations in the market (Tesla, 2017).

1. Analysis of Strategic Factors

SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis is a highlight of major aspects from external environment and internal strategic capabilities that affects the strategy development of a firm.

• Strengths

Tesla Motors has several strengths that assist the company to have competitive edge over its rivals in the automobile industry. Through outsourcing secondary materials or components enables the firm to maintain low production cost and pay attention to technological advancement. This strengthens the research and development capability of the firm and creation of battery systems that are highly productive. The system of lean management adopted by the firm improves the working conditions of employees resulting in simple process of decision making and enhancing relationships and trust between workers, supervisors and management. The own stores enables good distribution and their locations in high traffic areas improves interactions with customers. Digital marketing and e-commerce helps in retail efficiency.

• Weakness

The most significant problem for Tesla is lack of financial liquidity. Even though the firm has experienced high sales in the past more so for the Model S, the firm has a large debt. In addition, the slow buying rate for its vehicles and failure to achieve targeted cost reductions and operational cost weigh heavily on the firm’s financial well being.  The manufacturing capacity of the firm is also limited to just Fremont factory which may result to result to meet the customer demands in the market.

• Opportunities

A major opportunity available to be exploited by the firm can be achieved through customer awareness on the benefits of buying electrical vehicles over other conventional vehicles. The subsidy program by the government and various loans for supporting green-energy can help the firm to find more growth investment. The market segment served by the firm is rapidly expanding in terms of eco-friendly vehicle demand.

• Threats

The main threat that Tesla faces is the entrance of established manufacturers into the market, and such firms have capabilities in form of large economies of scale. These firms can produce similar products at lower prices than Tesla. The innovation of other energy sources and technologies brings more competition in the market.

Current Mission and objectives

The company’s mission involves the acceleration of advent of sustainability in transportation through providing attractive electric vehicles for the mass market in the soonest time possible.  This is based on the overall mission for Tesla which involves the acceleration of the transition of the world to sustainable energy (Tesla, 2017).

The marketing objective for Tesla has been to directly reach customers through online retail and showrooms and doing away with dealers. The policies of the firm involve gathering of customers’ personal information and align products and services to their needs but such data can only be sold to third party in batch so that it is not possible to identify a person.  The data is also protected in the best way possible in order to make sure it is not compromised (Tesla, 2017).

1. Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy

Strategic alternatives

• Low production cost strategy

Since the firm aims at expanding and fulfilling its mission may need to finally face competition from established firm. The company needs to reach lowest prices possible by exploiting the assistance from the government until it reaches a pricing point where buyers will not be required to bear upfront costs. The high cost acts as barrier to consumers. The firm should lower the battery costs and try to generate economies of scale through consolidation of all production aspects.

• Fulfilling the current demand

Since the orders for Model 3 has been exceeding expectations, it is obvious that demand for electric cars at price offered by the firm is high. The present projection in terms of production capacities and demand shows that Tesla is not able to serve the market demand. The company should improve its production capacity and grow its marketing efforts to exploit the existing sales opportunities.

• Diversification strategy

The firm should also consider providing alternative products to guarantee its survival, as electrical vehicles become popular and competitors invest in the industry. Tesla should develop other products that meet other needs in the market and hence, have a supplementary revenue stream. This involves finding ways in which products such as battery technology may be used by consumers.

Recommended strategy

The best strategy that the firm should adopt is to focus on production cost reduction. Cost reduction strategy can help a firm to do away with wastage, reduce unnecessary costs and improve their overall profits (Leiwand &Couto, 2017).  

• Implementation of cost reduction strategy

 In order to implement the cost reduction strategy, the firm should be more strategic through identification and understanding all the costs including good costs, bad costs and best costs. Bad costs involve those that don’t align with the growth strategy and mission of a firm. Good costs are those that drive strategies that enable growth of the firm while best costs drive the building and expansion of various capabilities (Leiwand &Couto, 2017). The firm should then embark on strategic cost reduction, whereby managers maximize investment in best costs and minimize exposure to the operation’s bad costs. Cost management will be a way of supporting the strategy and mission of the firm.

• Evaluation and control

 This will involve assessing the effects of the cost reduction strategy in terms of pricing and product sales. The impact of cost reduction on the income statement should be measured and assessment made to see its sustainability. The capacity of the firm to lower its production cost and translate this to the price will determine whether the strategy is effective. Controlling the application of the strategy should be done to ensure it does not affect the quality of the product.

References

Leiwand, P., Couto,V., (2017).How to Cut Costs More Strategically. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2017/03/how-to-cut-costs-more-strategically

Tesla, (2016).FORM 10-K.Retrieved from: http://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDF/NASDAQ_TSLA_2016.pdf

Tesla, (2017). Retrieved from: http://ir.tesla.com/index.cfm

Hamilton, L. (2015). The international business environment. Oxford University Press. 122

Daft, R. L. (2011). Understanding management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Alkhafaji, A. F.Nelson, R.A. (2015). Strategic management: formulation, implementation, and control in a dynamic environment. Routledge. 61-63

Raine E., Funk, C., (2016).Climate Change and Energy Issues. Retrieved from: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/07/01/chapter-2-climate-change-and-energy-issues/

Debord M., (2015).Tesla is moving to secure the critical resource it needs for its future. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-is-moving-to-secure-the-critical-resource-it-needs-for-its-future-2015-9?IR=T

Communications

            Interpersonal relationship refers to a deep and close association amongst people sharing common interests. This may range from a shorter duration to a very longer period. For any relationship to exist there must be a sense of trust and commitment amongst the involved partners so as to avoid misunderstanding and conflicts. In a relationship, there is a possibility of two people starting a relationship as strangers. They come to know each other slowly and later become strongly attached to each other gradually. In the long run, the two are able to build up a stronger commitment that cannot be separable (Devito, 2016). On the other hand, there is a possibility of two starting a relationship very well but later face problems. Such problems come in as a result of differing opinions where the two cannot reach a mutual agreement.

            Interpersonal relationship involves the following stages; the first stage for any interpersonal relationship is, contact. This is the stage where people become aware of the other’s existence. This may happen distantly and within a shortest period, for instance, seeing a person at the work place or even in a train. In this stage, one party may identify the other while the other party is unaware, or both parties may identify each other at the same time (Devito, 2016). At this stage, parties may have a brief and impersonal interaction with each other for example, greeting each other and brief talks on bland matters such as work. This stage also involves assessment of individuals whereby one party learns of how to interact with the other.

            The second stage of interpersonal relationship is involvement. In this stage, people can get to engage with one another forming an extra bond of attachment than before. Interaction increases more and more forming a sense of mutuality such that when the two parties meet, pleasant feelings arise. At this stage individuals test each other whether they can go forward to enter into intimacy (Devito, 2016). Many times, relationships end at this stage if one party lacks commitment. At this stage, individuals may ask for a proof that will show readiness to move to the next stage.

            Intimacy is the third of interpersonal relationship. This is the stage where the relationship is as its deepest and the parties are so committed. This stage involves personal commitment where the individual puts time and effort to strengthen the relationship. The problem comes when one party is more committed than the other. At this stage, the two affirm their feelings for one another and agree on their expectations from one another. For example, individuals may agree on whether they will stay as friends or get married (Devito, 2016). After making commitments to one another, it may be so difficult for the two to look back because of the social bond created; hence, it may lead to a formal signing of a marriage declaration. As a result, this will call for a long-term commitment. However, there are still uncertainties of a relationship at this stage. There is a possibility for it to continue smoothly, or even separation which can lead to deterioration.

            The other stage is called repair. This is where individuals work out to mend their relationship if there are damages. This may involve the help of friends and counselors who can guide on draw out the problem from that relationship. The parties reflect on times when the relationship used to be good and identify the error (Devito, 2016). When repair is done well, it can result in to a stronger relationship thereafter.  Whereas, if it is done rightly, damages may continue cropping in every now and then

            The final stage is known as dissolution. This is for relationships that have failed to be repaired. This entails separation of individuals both physically and psychologically and it has to be done with a joint agreement such that one party is not left clinging. This stage may also involve acquaintances that can witness the incident (Devito, 2016).

            One of the relationship movies that has conflict is “crazy love” 2007. The movie shows a story of Pugach and his wife Linda. The two had a very strong relationship but after Linda learnt that Pugach had another plus a child, she left him. This left Pugach in pain and he threatened to harm Linda. These threats led to his fifteen years’ imprisonment. While in prison, Pugach always wrote to Linda, and were able to date again after his release (Klorez &Stevens, 2007). In this movie, we find that the two came into disagreement because of mishandling one stage of relationship. In their involvement stage, they needed to know each other very well and openly such that either party is able to bear with one another. However, after deterioration the parties were able to repair back the relationship and made it even stronger. However, on the other hand, there are other movies where the involved parties are so much passionate about each other and they tend to avoid every possibility of conflicts in their relationship, for instance, “before sunset”2004.

References

Devito, Joseph A. (2016). Essentials of Human Communication Access Card. Pearson College Div. 9^th edition.

Klorez Dan, Stevens Fishers. (2007).Crazy love, http://putlockers.fm/watch/lx2zLyxe-crazy-love-2007.html

Richard Linklater. (2004). Before sunset. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381681/

Justify the use of a needs assessment of your company’s proposed employee customer service training, stressing five (5) ways in which such an assessment would expose any existing performance deficiencies.

A need assessment particular kind of a process that is used by the management in organizations in order to determine the most priorities which will allow the management to make improvements and also allocate the necessary resources. This process involves the determination of the gaps or needs between the current state of the organization and the future of the organization. The needs are therefore addressed in a manner that will ensure the success of the business in the future. In the business of retailing, employee needs assessment is a very crucial point to consider (Eales et al., 2017). It is necessary that every employee has the capability of working effectively and efficiently for the success of the business. The needs assessment plan is used to identify the level of the problems existing in the industry. A needs assessment has the capacity of exposing any performance deficiencies which exist in the organization through focusing on the individual needs of the potential employees.

The report assists in understanding the knowledge and skill level of the employees and any needs of the potential employees. Getting the needs assessment will help the employer to be able to recruit the potential employees which will be assets of the company (Kaufman & Guerra-Lopez, 2013). An occupational needs assessment can also help in exposing the performance deficiencies which exist in an organization by use of the needs assessment. An occupations assessment defines the knowledge, skills, and the abilities which are required for any affected group in the organization. This type of assessment ensures that the existing occupational gaps or discrepancies are identified. The job performance of an employee is also determined by the occupational assessment. New work or a different workplace for the employees can also be determined by the occupational needs assessment.

A personality test can also be done through a needs assessment to identify any performance deficiencies which exist in the business. Job places such as the retail can be problematic to some people and therefore this can be eliminated (Armstrong et al., 2015). Other people have difficulties working very close to other people and the needs assessment can help identify the perfect position for each individual. The existing performance deficiencies could also be accessed through the needs assessment and identify the employees individual mental capacity and stability. The retail business can be very stressful and demanding type of job and an assessment is required. Any employee can be overwhelmed by the commission, attitude and high demands of the customers. It is necessary for each employee to be able to manage the aggression and the stress which comes from being at the retail job position.

Develop a customer service training implementation plan and determine the method of training (i.e., presentation, discussion, case study, discovery, role play, simulation, modeling, or on-the-job training).

Implementation of customer services training of the employees needs a lot of solid understanding of the customer expectations and needs and also being able to surpass and meet the expected needs through positivity and consistency. To have the customer service training with the employees implemented, it is necessary to identify the customer requirements, assess the employee skills, have them designed and implement a session for training, and evaluate constantly the customer service delivery (Eales et al., 2017). There are many different ways which new employees can be trained while still working at the retail business job places. The type of training needed is highly dependent on the number of employees. A presentation that is simple could be a choice for a sufficient group. Hands-on or modeling could be the most preferable for the larger and smaller groups of employees for training.

Justify why you selected the training method that you did.

Hands-on or modeling type of training method provides the actual needed experience in comparison to the information being presented visually. Hands-on or modeling style allows the trainees to get the practice with the real customers in real situations. Using the hands-on or modeling style, the visual representation of the required and involved material is necessary. Some people may require the visual representation since the person is not only getting to hear the information but also see the information and have the capacity to follow in the visual sense (Eales et al., 2017). Case studies are also of importance since they allow the employees to have an experience of the different customer personalities and scenarios. Any of the above methods are of an advantage since they prepare what is expected from the customers to the employees.

Role-playing is helpful in enhancing the situations available in the case study, actual experience to the employees, and also very helpful in hiring people who will appreciate the kind of relationship experienced in the retail business. Through role-playing, employees are given the chance to be able to apply what they have learned in their specific locations after being hired. This is a good strategy since the new employees can be able to understand what might happen or not when they are at work. Hands-on is also very important for new employees in the retail business since they are able to understand how each situation should be handled in order to be effective (Armstrong et al., 2015). Through modeling, the correct activities and behaviors to be faced by the new employees during training assure the organization that the employees have received good training from a person who is well trained. New employees are now able to pick up and take on the business since it is what they have been trained. The retail type of businesses should be able to include an on the job type of training for their new employees in order to make sure that each employee is able to work on the job fully conversant with the environment. All the above training methods should be able to help the organization to continue with its operation with well-trained employees (Kaufman & Guerra-Lopez, 2013). Each of the above methods of training also offers a different method which can be intertwined with any other method which is effective to have successful outcomes.

Propose two (2) ways to motivate an employee who has no interest in attending a training class.

Training classes are very beneficial and essential to the new employees. Some individual employees might need some level of motivation in order to attend the classes for training. The unmotivated employees can be offered some level of motivation through early leave, compensation of some kind for attending the training sessions, or paid times when they attend. A banquet can also be offered at the end of the training session. Offering certificates can also be a way of motivating the employees to attend the training session (Pinder, 2014). The contest can also be used among the employees who attended the training. Every type of incentive should be offered to the employees to offer motivation for attending the programmed training sessions. Making attendance for training for every employee a mandatory session can also motivate the employees in a huge way. It is very important for the employees to identify and gain skills on how to perform their jobs in a perfect way. Dismissals and layoffs should be the ultimate awards for every employee who does not want to dedicate some time for training. This will be a positive encouragement to the employees and the organization will be successful with the full attendance of the employees for training.

Develop a survey to collect feedback from the employees who attend the training.

1. What rating would you give for the class trainings?

• Poor
• Excellent
• Fair
• Very poor

2. Kindly rate the trainer according to how well or poor he performed during the training session: Poor, Good, Very good, fair.

• Did the trainer show some good and thorough level of understanding for the training session?
• Did any questions mark the progress of the training session?
• If any questions were asked, how well did the trainer respond to the questions?
• In the case of a person needing assistance, was it offered?
• Did the trainer come prepared for the class session?
• Did the involved trainer show some level of professional demeanor?
• Were there some time for follow up from the trainer?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how can you rate the trainer possession of the required skills?

3. Kindly rate the below aspect according to the class training session: Poor, Very good, excellent or fair.

• During the class training session, was it as effective as it should be?
• Rate the level of being guided effectively
• How was the rate of time taken in one activity?
• At the beginning of the class session, how effective was the timing?
• When working with the provided training equipments, how effective were they in relation to the class training?
• According to the trainer expectations level, how effective was the class session according to each individual?

4. Considering the level of training done in the current training session, how effective do you think the next class should be?
5. Considering the kind of experience gained in the training session, what is the likely rate of attending any other employee training session to be organized in the near future?

• Not a chance
• Very interested
• Interested

6. Kindly provide some additional comments with regards to the training sessions according to individual capacity.

Every training session is very important and of advantage to both the employer and the employee. To the employee, the activity if beneficial since it allows them to get involved and identify any crucial points which might have been lost over the time and which are very helpful in the workplace. To the employer, the training activity is very beneficial since it ensures that the organization runs according to the level expected and the best strategies to see that there is a success in the future of the business. Surveys give more time to reflect on the necessary requirements (Kiel, 2014). Surveys are very important since they allow the trainer or the employer to view how well the employees have been able to apply what is taught in the training sessions. Surveys indicate the necessary requirements and give direction for any change that is required. Through the surveys, the trainer or the employee can be able to identify the necessary training sessions and methods which need revision for the best results in the organization. Surveys are also very important in weighing how much the employees have been able to grasp through the sessions and also encourage room for improvements.

References              

Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., & Brennan, R. (2015). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education.

Eales, J., Haddaway, N. R., & Webb, J. A. (2017). Much at stake: the importance of training and capacity building for stakeholder engagement in evidence synthesis. Environmental Evidence, 6(1), 22.

Kaufman, R., & Guerra-Lopez, I. (2013). Needs assessment for organizational success. American Society for Training and Development.

Keiningham, T., Gupta, S., Aksoy, L., & Buoye, A. (2014). The high price of customer satisfaction. MIT Sloan Management Review, 55(3), 37.

Kiel, I. H. (2014). Entrepreneurial marketing.

Pinder, C. C. (2014). Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press.

Franchising in United States and Internationally

Evaluates and compares the pros and cons of franchising in the US vs. franchising internationally for OS

Companies which have been successful locally think of franchising as a way of increasing the revenue and also expanding the business. OS has been a successful business locally and expanding the operations to the next level means more income for the business and international earning and recognition. Expanding the business comes with both the advantages and disadvantages. The pros and cons of expanding the business should be determined to offer a broader view of what to expect from the operations (1). Franchising in the United States is beneficial for the business since there will be an increase and defined territorial grounds for the business. Franchising in the United States could lead to the death of the business if the decisions made by business partners are hindering the control of the business. International franchising has the advantage of having a low risk when it comes to growth. The business can grow far wider than being in the United States alone.

Recommends whether OS should franchise only in the US or only internationally, or both

OS should go international as a way of increasing the business earning capacity. In the international setting, the business can gain from being able to get talented people who can bring in new skills for the business. Better talents can be in the international market and therefore a good opportunity for the business (1). The required amounts of capital for expansion can be obtained from the international market. Other businesses can purchase the outlets from the franchise meaning that there will be less spending on the company resources. Such services can allow the business to grow and diversify to another level of the market.

References

LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES OVERVIEW. Retrieved from:       http://business.laws.com/business-intelligence

Franchising an Organized Space Business

Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of franchising Organized Space

In a franchise type of business, the owner of the franchise allows the development of new ways of conducting business, guidance, and assistance for the growth of the business. There are diversified advantages and disadvantages of franchising which can determine the future of the business. Since the business is already in place and making a profit for the past 10 years, there is no chance for the business to fail and a franchise increases the chances for success. Testing the market has already been done since the business has been in operation and has received a lot of publicity meaning the business is recognized therefore franchising will only increase the earning capacity (1). It is also very easy to have the franchise, especially in the organized space since customer base is already established. A disadvantage of the franchise is the issue to do with the franchisor exiting the business. At such a case, the franchise can lead to lots of losses and this could be challenging for the organized space business. Making any changes with regards to the business can be challenging since the signed restrictions could lead to court cases.

Evaluates the most significant factors to consider in the decision

When making the decision with regards to franchising, the most important factor to consider is what kind of benefits to expect. Franchising is an act that is meant to see the business grow from the local standards to favorable international standards. With such a market capacity, the success of the business is highly dependable on the kind of services offered (1). Organized space has been successful in the local market due to offering the best services for the customers and this means that even in the large market; more is expected for the business.

References

Business Law. Retrieved from: https://business.laws.com/business-intelligence

Toyota ethical issues

Toyota is a multinational company that deals with the manufacture, assembly, and selling of motor vehicles and it is headquartered in the country of Japan. Through the numerous levels of development, Toyota is currently operating about 180 billion dollars in its annual sales and it holds the record as the largest dealer and maker of automobiles in the world. The company has opened its operations in most of the continents in the world including Africa, Asia, and America. Over the years, the company has concentrated on making automobiles and delivering the best kind of services all around the world. However, the company is facing challenges regarding the automobiles it manufactures which is an ethical issue facing this great company (Bowen & Zheng, 2015).

The sudden acceleration of the vehicles is one of the ethical issues that Toyota has faced in the recent times. This unintended, uncontrollable, unexpected acceleration of the vehicles to speeds that are dangerous which are accompanied by the immediate loss of the breaking services in the vehicle. Such a problem can be caused by the driver, mechanical issues or the electric problems of the vehicle or a combination of these problems can be a cause. In 2007, the company was faced with an event of its vehicles being ineffective when it comes to acceleration which causes the vehicle to speed up above the speed limits on its own (Stephan, 2016). Toyota admitted to not have tested the safety issue of the vehicles which made it sell the dangerous vehicles to customers all around the world. The company delayed the required safety regulations through avoiding the investigations by the government with regards to the safety measure of all the vehicles it developed.

Finally, Toyota recalled off over eight million vehicles all around the world and this recalling made the company go back to its focal point once more. Apart from the acceleration challenges, more people began to point figures at the company about the lack of business ethics as a big business and this brought more shame to the company. For example, one customer from the company accused the company department of financing of reduced and bad business relations with the company (Stephan, 2016). The person said that the company had initially financed the purchase of his vehicle through the department but after he was dismissed from his job, he was unable to pay for the due installments and this caused the company to repossess the vehicle without prior notice. After he tried to intervene and have the payments done by his friend, the company declined the payments and went ahead to repossess the vehicle. The company sold the vehicle for half its worth and told the prior owner to pay for the losses the company has undergone. These actions indicate that the company lacks the business ethics on how to relate to its customers and this is a poor business strategy (Lee, 2015). The company is more concerned with the shareholders instead of the stakeholders. The aim of the shareholders is to improve on the selling and offering more to the world but lacks the idea of who matters in the business. Concentrating on the profits is not a quality strategy since if the customers are not happy; they will choose to buy vehicles from the competitors, therefore, losing the market. 

It is a lesson that the society must learn that the increase in the growth rate can increase the rate of risking to poor management. The company had aimed to manufacture more than General Motors making it lose the control over the quality of the vehicles made. Toyota was aiming for expansion to the many locations that General Motors is involved but forgot to deal with the issue of safety in its vehicles. Getting the facts quick enough and managing the risk in a fast way is very important (Stephan, 2016). The company recalled more than 4 million vehicles in 2009 and more than 5 million vehicles in 2010 both periods with the issue of the gas pedal being stuck on the floor of the car. The many cars might have been on the roads and when such a malfunction occurs, millions of lives could be at stake. This is an indication that managing the risks involved in the business should be paramount to reduce the loss that might be followed by court actions and finally pushing the business out of the market.

Morals and values are of importance since the company could have avoided the issue by counterchecking on the vehicles made. The company lacked morals through selling more than 10 million vehicles which all had the defective pedals that could have killed more than a million people. Competition is a business issue and the best way to deal with competition is to have quality products and being innovative in whatever business being done. This will push the competitors out of the market or reduce competition but Toyota neglected this issue. The motor vehicle industry is very risky since what is developed and manufactured is a machine that is used by people and any bad move could end many lives (Lee, 2015). This is not an industry of making clothes which can be mended without any lives lost if they have defects but an industry dealing with making lives of people and operating a business more simple and therefore more focus should be given to the end products. When dealing with the customers, the company should ensure that they have a good relationship with each individual for the benefit of the good business environment. Stakeholders are the most important factors in a business and therefore more care should be awarded to reduce the chances of disappointment. This is a value that the company lacks through its lack of being concerned with the views and feedback of the customers. At all times, the company should concentrate on offering quality services and good business relationship with the customers. It is wrong for the company to use its resources and manpower to oppress the minority groups of people. The individual personal purchase of any Toyota model of vehicle is what makes it a great company and therefore the company needs to take care of the customers in a huge way.

 Toyota manufacturing industries locations are rated the first when it comes to suicide and other bad behaviors in the business (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2015). The workers have accused the company of overworking them with poor pays and less time for resting. The workers have been protesting against the idea of working until you die which is what the company is doing too many of its workers. It is wrong and the company seems to have lost its morals and ethical standards. Overworking people to beat up competition brings loses since the skilled personnel who would have been resourceful to maintain the company at the first positions are overworked and eventually leave the premises to look for a better part to make a living.  

The plan to recall the vehicles was a good idea in order to check them for any defects but the way the company dealt with the recall was a bad idea. The company delayed in the delivery of services and the time it took to recall all the vehicles. The vehicles had been on the market for more than 1 year meaning the company should have realized the issue earlier on and discovered the malfunction and recall all the vehicles immediately. Instead, the company waited for deaths and injuries in order to act accordingly. The immediate response is required in a case where there is a loss of lives at stake. It should not be about the number of losses to be expected but about the lives being kept at risk through the vehicles being in the market. Ethics and training can be the ultimate solution to the ethical issue at Toyota (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2015). Ethical behaviors will prevent the negative responses by the society towards the company and make them positive again. Before the event, the company had enjoyed a good relationship with the general public and this was a positive thing for the company. After the defects being reported, the company has son found it had to overcome the issue and it is still struggling to regain its previous status. Ethics in business is very important since it eliminates the chances of risking the business and finally losing market value.

References

Bowen, S. A., & Zheng, Y. (2015). Auto recall crisis, framing, and ethical response: Toyota's missteps. Public Relations Review, 41(1), 40-49.

Ferrell, O. C., & Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases. Nelson Education.

Lee, G. J. (2015). Crisis Management: The Toyota Way Leadership, Recall, Recovery (Doctoral dissertation, 서울대학교 국제대학원).

Shin, H., Richardson, R., & Soluade, O. (2014). Assessing sales loss from automobile recalls: a Toyota case study. International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 5(1), 14-28.

    Stephan, K. D. (2016). Toyota: Not So Fast, Guys [Ethical Dilemmas]. IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, 35(2), 36-37.

Discussion Post

Confrontation and problem solving is categorized as the most effective strategy for solving conflicts in the contemporary workplace. Confrontation mainly involves placing one’s needs above all others that have been incorporated in the situation (Mathey, 2012). Diversity and company’s values are the primary cultural aspects in the workplace that might affect confrontation as a method of solving a conflict. In that, if the companies value peaceful resolutions then confrontation which might lead to aggressive communication might not be encouraged. This is because confrontation works with emphasis and high emotional levels might be incorporated. In order for confrontation and problem solving to be incorporated into a company’s culture first is to encourage confrontation when issues arise and set common objectives for such which is to arrive at a more mutual ground (Mathey, 2012). More so the hindrances to achieving these common objectives should be identified and eliminated by creating a guiding policy tor all.

Conflict avoidance usually involves the ones confronted about an issue attempting to avoid to discuss the problem with the hope that it will just fade but the differences amid the parties will never be solved (Gamaghelyan, 2017). It is advantageous to use smoothing and avoiding strategies if the problem solving will end up destroying relationships between parties and where all there is no one opposing the claim that can be foregone. If a conflict affects performance or individuals productivity and one or both parties are not willing to resolve the issues bargaining and force should be utilized to ensure that everyone complies. In that when issues are left unsolved this leads to the heightening of such matters which might lead to worse outcomes such as violence due to anger (Gamaghelyan, 2017).

References

Gamaghelyan, P. (2017). Conflict Resolution beyond the Realist Paradigm. Columbia University Press.

Mathey, S. B. (2012). The art of friendly confrontation: Conflict resolution to improve relationships. Bloomington, Ind: AuthorHouse.

Strategy Formulation and Process

The chosen company in the fast food industry is McDonald’s. McDonald’s is currently the leader in the global food sector and the highest chain in fast food services where it operates more than thirty-six thousand restaurants outlets in the global setting attempting to millions of consumers every day (Gaspar, 2016). Since the industry has become particularly competitive due to the dominance of established companies a strategic plan will be essential in improving performance, sustaining its competitive positioning and overcoming prevailing business and economic-based changes.

Mission and Vision Statements

The company’s vision is to be the favorite fast food provider. The company is committed to offering the most suitable place for work, social responsibility and providing quality and trusted services. The comprehensive vision of the company is primarily to become a contemporary, and growing fast food products and services provider creating a more unique and satisfying consumer experience. In that, the contemporary vision is to ensure that the company’s brand gets to the position that it is required to be while growth means creating a new experience to the consumers to build better relationships to offer guidelines for future operations and in turn create loyalty. In order for this commitment to be realized the company has to be focused on offering premium-quality products, with unique and appealing taste to all consumers based on their preferences and choices to let them feel appreciated (Gaspar, 2016).

Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of the company is to attain sustainability in the global industry. The primary problem that is being faced by the corporation lies in marketing and sustainability due to the intensifying competition as well as economic and operational changes that are particularly aimed at improving the general performance. This goal is mainly based on its aim of maximizing the general profit earned by the company for its shareholders while still increasing its market share and sales. In order for sales to be maximized then a strategic plan to position the company’s products and services should be present. By adhering to its values it is easier to ensure that these objectives are achieved (Gaspar, 2016). The company seeks to achieve these objectives by honoring its quality, unique experience and safety (Gaspar, 2016).

Industry Analysis

The fast-food industry is characterized by intense competition mainly because most of the competing firms are well established and have already acquired a significant market share. These include companies such as Subway, Burger King and Chick-fil-A operating in more than 80 countries (Ireland, Hoskisson, & Hitt, 2012). In order for the companies to survive and sustain their competitive edge, each of them has adopted a strategic approach. Since fast food is increasingly being considered as unhealthy based on lifestyle changes and the need to sustain health wellness McDonalds similar to its competitors is concentrating on developing differentiated products that are considered healthier to suit the needs of these growing segment. In addition, the competition is intense due to the option of more companies settling for the affordability approach to attract more consumers. Entrant’s barriers are minimal also since small fast food companies are on the rise. Buyers have a high buying power in the fast food industry as it is their preferences and tastes that determine sales and the availability of substitutes make it even worse. However, since McDonald is a large corporation it has high suppliers control which makes it supply chain effective and also reliable (Ireland, Hoskisson, & Hitt, 2012).

SWOT Analysis

McDonald’s is able to maintain its leading positioning in the international fast food scale through the application of strategies that not only address internal but also external forces. These forces affect the operations and determine whether the company will achieve the set targets fully.

Strengths

The primary strength that the company has is its highly recognized brand. The company is equated with major firms such as Hamburgers and KFC and it is highly appreciated for changing the food industry and introducing more convenient and quality food to the world (Ireland, Hoskisson, & Hitt, 2012). The company has not only build a positive reputation but also loyalty which has led to its growth.  In addition, the company has a large market share as it is categorized as the largest firm in regard to size. The company has adequate resources as well as highly trained employees since it values the creation of suitable and appealing relationships with the consumers.

Weaknesses

Consumer demands changes and absence of differentiation are the primary weaknesses that the company has. In that due to the healthy foods perceptions. Consumers are constantly changing their preferences and demands leading to low sales since the company has not yet fully ventured into the healthy food service (Schlosser, 2012). These aspects are leading to reduced sales and profitability decrease since consumers have more options to choose from (Schlosser, 2012). Most of the company’s products are also being offered by the competitors thus requiring it to make adjustments to the menu.

Opportunities

The company’s opportunities are connected to its product marketing and global growth. The company’s opportunities lie in expanding to the global scale, market development to the emerging industries as well as focusing on diversification. In the general consideration of its general potential to grow into the international market. The company can also utilize the diversification opportunity by creating products that are unique quality and focused on the general values of the consumers (Schlosser, 2012).

Threats

Intense rivalry, healthy lifestyle and regulatory trends are the primary threats that the company is facing. The fast-food industry is particularly competitive which is worrying since the companies have established themselves adequately in the market (Ma'arif, 2008). In addition, individuals are now shifting their preferences to the healthier options which means that these might affect the operation and the general sales. More and more countries are now adopting more firm regulations policy to ensure that consumers are provided with healthy and safe foods.

A Perceptual Map

Market orientation is the selected plotting criteria. In that, since the company is in need of improving its performance and overcoming the increasing business and economic changes market orientation is the most important business strategy to apply (Ma'arif, 2008). In that, this strategy will seek to create customized and yet diversified products in the market based on preferences and demands of the consumers thus increasing sales. In the inconsistent global industry, the company can utilize this strategy to achieve a more competitive positioning. This strategy operates in two segments which are competitors and consumers orientation. Once the operations of the competitors have been established it becomes easier to position products in a manner that appeals to them (Ma'arif, 2008). This will be achieved while attempting to identify the general needs of the consumers in the market. There is a need to not only identify the general conduct of the competitors but also the needs of the consumers for a more competitive positioning.

References

Ma'arif, N. N. (2008). The power of marketing: Practitioner perspectives in Asia. Jakarta: Penerbit Salemba Empat.

GASPAR, J. E. (2016). Introduction to global business: understanding the international environment & global business functions. Cengage Learning.

Ireland, R. D., Hoskisson, R. E., & Hitt, M. A. (2012). Understanding business strategy: Concepts plus. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast food nation: The dark side of the all-American meal. Boston: Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

HR Training Class

A Needs Assessment Justification

Needs assessment for employees can be categorized as an advantage that each firm should have in the retailing sector today. In the competitive industry, it is crucial for the company to only employ employees with full potential in regards to performing their roles appropriately and speedily. In this context, needs assessment is required to assist in spotting the candidates with the highest potential and those that fit the needs of the organization (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011). One of the primary methods through which a need evaluation might highlight any performance weaknesses is through analyzing the employee’s personal needs. It is this assessment that will be useful in determining the kind of training that every potential applicant's needs and same resources as well as time which would have been wasted by training them inappropriately. An additional strategy through which the assessment would high the existing working weaknesses is by focusing on the company’s performance in general (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011).

This strategy is essential since it helps the company in figuring out, knowledge, skills, and competence that all the company requires from the employees thus helping the company in only recruiting those that will be beneficial and not affect them in any given way. Occupational assessment mainly deals with spotting the existing performance weaknesses and evaluates how well every employee performs their given role (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011). This is then utilized in determining the general potential of an individual in regard to performing new and diverse tasks. An additional way through which such weaknesses can be highlighted is through conducting a personalized test. Retail business requires individuals with the potential to relate well with others since it’s all about building relationships. It is not everyone that is capable of working in this industry thus personality aspects are to be evaluated to establish their physical and psychological responsiveness. The industry is particularly demanding and if one is not fully able to cope with the ever-changing demands they are likely to get torn amid pressure.

Customer Service Training Implementation Plan and Training Method

Training is highly essential for a company that seeks to improve its performance and sustains its competitiveness (Kumar, 2011). Training, particularly in the retail sector, is the beginning step for every employee since it seeks to create awareness and familiarity to how activities should be conducted and how such operations represent the firm. There are a number of strategies that can be utilized to train newly hired employees (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011). This training might include learning different skills such as communication using methods such as presentation, job training, modeling and so on. Customer service training requires a detailed plan that should be followed correctly. This plan should particularly incorporate distinct aspects such as the objective, training budget, procedures and technology to be adopted for the success of the program.

Customer service employees will thus be trained in regard to how they should enhance their working responsibilities. The training will be inclusive of training objective, method and time period for the training. The primary objective of this training is to enlighten all those training for customer service roles on different ways of improving their services to the consumers (Kumar, 2011). In addition, this training is to be conducted by the recurring trainers who are to be chosen from the company or externally. After the training has been completed, a detailed report should be forwarded to the management which can either be written or recorded based on the setting of the session. More importantly, this training will incorporate evaluation of case studies since customer service is more of practicality (Kumar, 2011). This is, therefore, an effective strategy since based on studies employ tends to learn better where there is supporting the defense. For instance, it is encouraged that all clients should be reminded that at times disasters are part of success. But the employees have to understand this concept and this will require the respective trainers to utilize different case studies and real examples of popular individuals and some of the aspects that highlight their success. Lastly, the trainers will be required to establish the period that the training will utilize. This will allow for the planning of the needed budget. The management team will thus, need to create a cost-effective program for the whole training and once decisions arrive at the finance section will approve and made further modification if needed (Kumar, 2011).

Training Method Justification

Job training and case study methods were selected as the primary training strategies because a customer service role is all about practicality and skills (Kumar, 2011). It is not something that can be easily illustrated by literature rather by using more real examples that create awareness on the trainees and also triggers their interest in becoming the best. This approach being a more developed one is useful in ensuring that trainees to ask and relate to workplace-specific examples and questions and acquire guidance (Dhar, 2008). This method is highly effective because it raises the skills of every employee to higher and fresh practicing standards and the capability to cope with changes. This method is more of a practical strategy that seeks to create awareness and enhance the individual’s familiarity. This is by helping the employees to establish their weaknesses and strengths and the most appropriate strategies through which each is to be developed (Kumar, 2011). This also raises the skills and competencies help employees by ensuring that they fully understand what is expected of them and the different strategies through which control is to be achieved.

On the other, a job training and job training were approached were integrated since it helps in integrating all the concepts that were learned during the training (Kumar, 2011). In that, the ideas acquired from the case studies can then be implemented while playing the given roles without fail. This is the case since case studies provide real examples that make it easier for the employees to adjust as well as understand all that is required and adjustments that they can make to fit within the set performance. It is highly established that employees are most likely to acquire new skills during job training where the most suitable and relevant cases are utilized to offer education (Armstrong & Armstrong, 2011).

Ways to Motivate an Employee Who Has No Interest in Attending a Training Class

Motivating and retaining staffs in an organization necessitates effective management strategies and authoritative leadership competencies (Dhar, 2008). Substantial training and effective operating system are highly vital in regard to the company (Dhar, 2008). Employees normally need effective support and training resources for a job to be performed well. This, therefore, means that a compensation plan can be created in a careful manner to make sure that the staffs are encouraged to support in business growth and ensure that the set goals of the company are achieved recognizing efforts and effective communication are also essential. The management and leadership efforts are supposed to establish the success of providing the most suitable surrounding where all employees can be inspired thus remaining loyal to the corporation (Dhar, 2008).

Reward and recognition are one of the primary strategies of encouraging those with no interest to participate in training. Employees are highly motivated to work for the wellness of the company when they understand that the company is focused on rewarding efforts and performance (Dhar, 2008). When employees are eying recognition and compensation that comes with a good performance they will definitely operate beyond the given measures. This acts as a form of motivation when they understand all that the company has promised. In addition, if they see others being rewarded for their efforts they are inspired to work more so that they can attain such heights. It is good to promote those that deserve based on performance which also encourages skills and competence growth due to the existing pressure to be better (Kumar, 2011). In turn, the company will have to enjoy better performance and more motivated employees to fulfill their roles. Recognition generates energy and spreads it across the company uniformly thus creating a more favorable surrounding for people to work in. for most employees compensation is not primary although it plays part in ensuring that they become highly motivated to achieve higher. When one is recognized for their role this tends to have a stronger effect on the employees in general (Kumar, 2011).

Performance management can also encourage employees to attend training if they know that their evaluations will be grounded on performance (Hoffman & Bateson, 2017). In that employees are required to perform well and thus attending training becomes rather compulsory for them because they are in need of growing their abilities and also learning how they can overcome their weaknesses in general (Hoffman & Bateson, 2017). Employees tend to perform better when they understand that they are being watched and their career growth depends on it. They will, therefore, begin to view training as a necessity to increase their familiarity with all that they do as well as a platform where more knowledge can be acquired and their weaknesses overcome. In addition, employees can be trained on the significance of training in general. In that most are not interested because they believe that it is like other programs which waste their time and energy.  The lack of knowledge is likely to encourage such perception and by setting standards then employees will be highly motivated to participate (Hoffman & Bateson, 2017).

Survey

Please indicate your:

Gender

Male                 Female

Position in the organization

• Manager
• Supervisor
• Employee

1. In general, what is your rating of the training session?

• Poor
• Average
• Good
• Excellent

2. Please rate the trainers under the following aspects (Poor, Average, Good, and Excellent)
3. Did the trainer have adequate knowledge of the subject?
4. Was the trainer engaging?
5. Did the trainer address all the questions?
6. Was the trainer fully prepared for the session?
7. Based on your experience acquired from the training will you attend future training session?

• Yes
• No

4. Suggestions on what should be improved in future training sessions?
5. Further comments

References

Armstrong, M., & Armstrong, M. (2011). Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management. London: Kogan Page.

Dhar, R. L. (2008). Strategic human resource management. New Delhi, India: Excel Books.

Hoffman, K. D., & Bateson, J. E. G. (2017). Services marketing: Concepts, strategies, & cases.

Kumar, R. (2011). Human resource management: Strategic analysis text and cases. New Dehli: I.K. International.

Integrity and leadership

Integrity can be defined as the possibility and the capacity to be very honest and possessing moral principles which are strong accordingly. Integrity can also be termed as the choice of a person to be responsible and hold on to the ethically strong standards. When it comes to ethics, integrity is considered to be the honesty, accuracy, and truthfulness of what one does. Hypocrisy can be the opposite of integrity and many people in leadership lack the integrity through their actions which do not indicate any good level of control. Integrity can be used to identify the wholeness of an issue holding qualities such as being honest with the consistency of character. Leadership, on the other hand, has a varying difference from person to person all around the world (Avey et al., pg580). It can be a related to political leadership, religious leadership, community leadership and a number of other forms of leadership. Leadership can be defined as the act of getting various persons or a person to do what is required to be done but with the aim of being in control. Leadership can also be defined as the capacity to rule and control other individuals through guidance for the benefit of the involved members. People in authority are regarded to be leaders in the community and the followers are always expectant of the best from their leaders. Leaders should be in possession of integrity in order to control others to the right direction for the benefit of the community.

Every leader should be able to uphold some level of integrity through their actions, methods, values, principles, measures, outcomes and the expectations. Individuals who possess integrity are incapable and incorruptible of breaking the trust of the people who support them. Every individual is born with a conscience and therefore has the capacity to know what is right and what is wrong. Integrity requires that every person chooses to do the right thing and walk away from what is wrong. Many leaders have been corrected for showing the wrong direction to the people they lead. In the olden days in history, many leaders held upon being integral at what they wanted to be done by their followers. It is upon the integrity of leaders that they are given the chance to lead for many years in many parts of the world. For example, there are great leaders who indicated that they had the capacity and the ability to be leaders in the history of America (Avey et al., pg575). Someone like Abraham Lincoln lead the united states with the best type of leadership skill ever known in the world. The United States was facing a military, moral and constitutional crisis but Abraham leads the country in the direction it required. Abolishing slavery, civil wars, preserving unity and strengthening the government in making the economy great was part of his duties as a leader and he did that with the best level of integrity.

Leadership is a part of a person that he must acquire through having integrity in what he or she does for the community. Many of the African leaders do not have integrity since the only thing they consider is being in power. Power hungry individuals fight for being the leaders not because they want to show how great they can do for the country but to hold the most powerful pieces of the country. This is what has created a lot of trouble in such countries and leading to civil and political battles that never end (Carver, pg220). From the article He becomes deeply and famously drunk, one can identify that Archie who was the son of a ranch owner and who was murdered by a friend after having drunk alcohol to an uncontrollable level. Archie was poised to make sure that the person responsible for murdering his father was dead as payback or revenge for the crime he committed. At this time, Archie was the ranch leader and his actions would have been noticed by many who he was controlling. In many cases, revenge is seen as a perfect way of dealing with people who wrong us but it is a bad way since it shows that one does not have the abilities of a leader among them integrity. In the end, Archie does not kill the friend who killed the father since he learnt that the same person was in big trouble and therefore killing him was just useless (Craig, pg147).  Also in the case of the cathedral, the characters show concern and a lot of passion for each other through the situation in the family of Robert is not that very good. People should be able to be very honest with one another in order to reduce the chances of being in a quarrel every moment.

 Robert showed a lot of integrity and ability to deal with his wife through making her friend feel comfortable while in the house of Robert. Individuals should be able to directly influence correct and the best types of behaviors while they can (Carver, pg102). In the community, showing that the capacity to be a leader comes from the capacity of being honest is vital for its occupants. Another case from an article the things they carried, Jimmy feels as if he had not done enough for the people whom he was involved with who were fellow soldiers. This is so since in the battlefield, many people died and as a result it became very devastating for other soldiers who felt weak. While giving his story, not many are excited to listen or even participate in the talk making it even hard for him. All the three characters can be used to influence a level of leadership and good control over their families, troops and the rest of the society. The society is lead by a people who have the willing and power to showcase good qualities of leadership. For example, Archie was very eager to make sure that the person responsible for the killing of his father paid for his mistakes through revenge. This is proven to not work since Archie chose to be the bigger person and let his mistakes of killing take cause and inflict pain on the perpetrator rather than kill him (Craig, pg149). This is the same case with Robert who uses his intelligent to make sure that the right thing is done for the sake of the family which was on the edge.  Being blind does not qualify a person not to lack integrity but should rather push a person to act accordingly. Leaders should emulate such ideas and example and lead in the right way for a community to be successful. Giving the best should be the aim of the leaders and not showing wrong examples for their own benefit.

Works cited

Avey, James B., Michael E. Palanski, and Fred O. Walumbwa. "When leadership goes

unnoticed: The moderating role of follower self-esteem on the relationship between ethical leadership and follower behavior." Journal of Business Ethics98.4 (2011): 573-582.

Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. Vintage, 2015.

Craig, Chauna. "Letting Loose the Hounds." (1999): 147-149.

O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Spark Publishing, 2014.      

The major source of conflict between employees, supervisors and HR departments arises from responsibilities division which is related to the line of authority. In some instances, the supervisors who also add up as operations managers may have more control on employees than the HR department and even more influence on staffing and workforce planning. A conflict may arise if the HR department feels that supervisors are overstepping their mandate while dealing with employees (Crawford, 2014). The supervisors may also feel that they do not have control over their juniors which causes conflict.  Employees conflict with HR department and supervisors if they feel these staffs are not performing their roles effectively so that their functioning is affected (Leonard & Trusty, 2015).  From a Christian point of view, such conflict should be addressed through respect and understanding that no one is greater than others.

Managers should be given more autonomy in making personal decisions, since this provides flexibility so that such decisions are made in line with requirements of a specific department.  Managers who have been given the autonomy in making their decisions tend to be more cautious since there are aware that they will be held accountable for the outcomes (Rapp,  Agnihotri,  & Baker, 2015).  Such autonomy ensures that managers only hire qualified employees after understanding their capabilities. The managers can use their freedom to seek assistance from other operations managers and supervisors in developing standards for appraisal, by which they can assess the employees’ performance. Involvement of managers, departments and even supervisors can lead to more effective and accurate decisions. The autonomy also means they can develop compensation plans that abides to prevailing laws and policies and for which they can be held accountable.  Giving autonomy to managers in decision making involves moving away from centralization in the same, which is ineffective since important information can be lost in the chain (Gilbert, 2017). The managers should be honest in appraising and compensating employees by observing merit and avoiding favoritism in their decision making.

Employers may want to fire employees with large family responsibilities such family members with serious health conditions due to potential poor performance at the workplace.  Such employees would need flexible work arrangements that will allow them to have time for caring for the sick. In fact, such arrangements may not be predictable so that absenteeism becomes erratic and cannot be accounted for (Greer & Fannion, 2014). The employer may feel that the individual is not being productive since their tasks are performed poorly or not performed at all.   The result is unexcused absences that are likely to negatively affect the operations of the organization.  When such employees suspect that they will be hired they are likely to seek legal redress since Federal Family and Medical Leave Act allows a person an unpaid leave of 12 weeks (Cihon & Castagnera, 2011). The managers should give the employee sufficient time to care for the sick since it is an obligation of every Christian to care for the weak in the society.

Discrimination refers to an unjust treatment of a given group of people more so on the basis of their age, race and gender.  On that basis reserve discrimination is also discrimination since it involves unjustly dealing with or treating a person from a majority group due to their inherent characteristics (Wilkins, 2015).  Preventing discrimination is best done through promoting equality in employment and sensitizing that any form of discrimination is prohibited by the law including against members of advantaged or majority group (Daniels, 2016). The Bible calls on all Christians to deal justly with other members in the society.

References

Crawford, E. R., Rich, B. L., Buckman, B., & Bergeron, J. (2014). The antecedents and drivers of employee engagement. Employee engagement in theory and practice, 57-81.

Leonard, E. C., & Trusty, K. A. (2015). Supervision: concepts and practices of management. Nelson Education. 532

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Rapp, A., Agnihotri, R., & Baker, T. L. (2015). Competitive intelligence collection and use by sales and service representatives: how managers’ recognition and autonomy moderate individual performance. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 43(3), 357-374.

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Nike

 Mission

The mission for Nike Inc. involves providing inspiration and innovation to any athlete around the world, with an emphasis that anybody having a body is an athlete (Nike Inc., n.d). This mission is a representation of the strategic goal of the company that is founded on inspiration, innovation and any athlete globally.  The products offered by the company include sports apparel, equipment and shoes with the intended market being all individuals engaging in athletics in the world (Nike Inc., n.d). The innovation applied in the making of these products and which continuously use new technologies sets them apart from those produced by competitors.  Such innovation aims at people’s adopting a winning mindset, through inspiration.

Customers

The customers for Nike Inc. include all the people in the world, since the products are designed in such a way that they attract the and even satisfy various market segments around the world.  The internal customers for the company include the various retailers with which it operates a direct-to-customer selling. This includes about 930 e-commerce websites and retail stores in over 25 markets in the world.  The firm external customers involve a direct-to-consumer selling of various products in form of Nike, Hurley and Jordan brands. The firm has various key customers across the United Kingdome and United States, and other two in Israel and Taiwan each (Nike Inc., n.d). They form an important part of Nike’s market.

My value to Nike, Inc

My contribution to Nike is informed by the fact that the firms pays me and expected returns since as an employee, I am considered an investment. Hence, the more I contribute to the company, the more the management will continue this investment in future and mostly in a better way.  My actions at this company involve ensuring that the making of the products is in line with the required innovation so as to meet the needs of the customers around the world. The value of an employee in an organization should be positive, measureable and even powerful in terms of outcomes through their efforts and actions (Mahajan, 2016). My contribution to Nike Inc. in terms of performance in my designated tasks or duties can be measurable and positively enabling the firm produces high quality products that that can have an edge in a competitive environment.  My actions also involve marketing of the various clothing, shoes and even equipment needed by sports persons in their exercises and competitions. This also involves building relationships with customers by focusing on their needs so as to attract and retain them. Through this, I make myself worth the resource the firm uses to invest in my improvements. Hence, the company is able to provide innovative and inspiring products to customers all over the world.

Biblical Integration

The role of Christianity in this organization involves establish a business strategy that will lead the operations of the company towards having positive impacts in a world that is highly secularized. This involves setting a code of conduct that will uphold truthfulness and honesty while dealing with various stakeholders including suppliers, regulators and customers. This code of conduct is guided by the various Christian principles in various efforts aimed at achieving the mission of the Company. The role also involves developing a business that can blend entrepreneurship, business excellence and theological perspectives that are biblical. This ensures that profitability is not achieved at the expense of society welfare or environment.  

References

Nike Inc., (n.d).Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete^* in the world. Retrieved from: https://about.nike.com/

Mahajan, G. (2016). Value creation: The definitive guide for business leaders. Los Angeles: SAGE.