...------------------------------------------------- Leeds Business School ------------------------------------------------- Corporate Strategy Critically examine how the success of Ikea has been supported by its organisational culture Mona Thorvaldsen, Kate Mulvana, Joan Kawalewale, Tom A. Trosterud, Jodie Evans MA Public Relation Management & MA Business Studies Semester Two Module Leader: Lawrence Bellamy Contents Page No Chapter 1 – Introduction | 3 | | | | | Chapter 2 – Background | 3 | | | | | Chapter 3 - Appraisal | 4 | | | | | Chapter 4 – Analysis | 9 | | | | | Chapter 5 – Conclusion | 14 | | | | | Bibliography | 15 | Executive summary This report examines the corporate culture of the global furniture leader IKEA and discusses the link between Ikea’s culture and its performance. The cultural web is used as a device for breaking up the complexity of organisational culture and for demonstrating that Ikea enjoys a strong and consistent culture. The report identifies synergy between Ikea’s culture and strategy, arguing that culture has given the organisation competitive advantage. Furthermore it points to the complex set of factors influencing performance, and how Ikea’s culture is one of several components in its success-formula. 1.0 Introduction Organisational culture is built on the assumptions and beliefs that construct purpose, guidelines and collectivism. In effect...
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...DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Looking at IKEA's challenges, which ones do you think pose the greatest threat? Why? The one that faces the great threat is the lack of adequate supply of wood. This is because lack of wood supply implies that the company does not have the potential of expanding globally. Such a situation will occur since it does not have sufficient raw materials to sustain the conduct of its business activities. Moreover, deforestation has become a global issue, which implies that the company may lack carbon credits. As such, the target market may decline as potential customers become sensitive to the global issue of deforestation. 2. How would you address the challenges you identified in Question 1? The problem lack of adequate supply of wood can be solved if the company can engage in environmental activities, which involve planting of trees. This will ensure that the company has the ability to access its own raw materials, as well as from other sources. Further, IKEA should partner in business and environmental activities with companies that produce wood. As such, it will become easy for IKEA to acquire raw materials. 3. Did it surprise you to learn that both a developed country (the United States) and also emerging economies (i.e., China and Russia) are the fastest- growing international markets for IKEA? Does this fact pose any challenges in the way that IKEA ought to compete across the globe? Why or why not It was a surprise...
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...Name Course Professor Date DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Looking at IKEA's challenges, which ones do you think pose the greatest threat? Why? The one that faces the great threat is the lack of adequate supply of wood. This is because lack of wood supply implies that the company does not have the potential of expanding globally. Such a situation will occur since it does not have sufficient raw materials to sustain the conduct of its business activities. Moreover, deforestation has become a global issue, which implies that the company may lack carbon credits. As such, the target market may decline as potential customers become sensitive to the global issue of deforestation. 2. How would you address the challenges you identified in Question 1? The problem lack of adequate supply of wood can be solved if the company can engage in environmental activities, which involve planting of trees. This will ensure that the company has the ability to access its own raw materials, as well as from other sources. Further, IKEA should partner in business and environmental activities with companies that produce wood. As such, it will become easy for IKEA to acquire raw materials. 3. Did it surprise you to learn that both a developed country (the United States) and also emerging economies (i.e., China and Russia) are the fastest- growing international markets for IKEA? Does this fact pose any challenges in the way that IKEA ought to compete across the globe? Why or...
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...called, success. Success means achievement, accomplishment, victory, and triumph. The dictionary states that success is “The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted; the gaining of fame or prosperity” (The Dictionary.com n.pag.) and “The favorable or prosperous termination of anything attempted; the attainment of a proposed object; prosperous issue” (Hypertext Webster Gateway n.pag.). These are just dictionary definitions, though. One needs examples and instances in order to fully understand the meaning of success. Our Service Can Write a Custom Essay on Success for You! Over the years, many people have viewed success as the gaining of fame and fortune. While this is true, success encompasses all kinds of prosperity. Fame and fortune is just one form. The reason why most people view fame and fortune as the prototype of success is because these two things usually come to people who have worked long and hard. For the most part, in order to be and feel successful, one needs to have worked at it. Bob Brown once declared, “Behind every successful man there's a lot of unsuccessful years” (Cyber Quotations n.pag.). Colin Powell also stated, “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure” (Cyber Quotations n.pag.). Success is something that usually takes a lot of effort to get, but is worth it in the end. Success is also something that is viewed differently in the eyes of everyone. This is because success means...
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...Queuing Theory Significance There is a very significant reason why Queuing Theory exists. Not only does it apply to a wide variety of topic, many within the business and supply chain industries, it also helps prove cause and effect. In addition to this, it provides a very logical idea of what a solution to a problem it has discovered should be. Measuring and understanding both order rate and service rate can potentially be the difference between business success and business failure. For example, if a company has too slow of a service rate, it is going to lose business because of the long wait times. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if a company focuses too much on improving its service rate instead of understanding its ratio compared to order rate, it will be misusing its very valuable resources. It is also important to have knowledge of all different types of queuing systems. Importance of Queuing Configuration As one can imagine, the importance of a queuing system configuration is very significant as well. As stated above, there are several different types of queuing systems and queuing configurations. If a business uses an improper queuing system or queuing configuration, it can suffer from one of many different negative consequences. Some examples of different types of queuing systems/queuing configurations are First Come First Served, First In First Out, Round Robin, Service in Random order, and many more. Queuing systems and configurations also vary by the number...
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...外企面试最常用的八大英文问题及高分回答 来源：过来人求职网 发布日期：2012-06-29 点击：1264次 [收藏] 外企面试最常用的八大英文问题及高分回答 每年的12月到次年2月都是职场人士跳槽的“多发期”，而大多数白领的新的工作意向是薪水高、福利好的外资企业。很多人从接到面试通知的电话起，心里就开始紧张，不用说想到要用英语面试、老外老板亲切却又让人紧张微笑、看似简单而又机关重重的问题……其实，只要提前准备一下，就可以避免因胡言乱语而失去你梦想工作的可能。 1. Tell me about yourself. 这是一个面试问题中的经典头道开胃菜。铁芸说这个问题主要考察求职者的个性是否符合公司的企业文化，所以回答的时候要尽量贴近这个公司的情况来推销自己的特点。比如这个公司是属于汽车行业，那么你就该回答: “Driving is my hobby. I really love the feeling of running on the road and I take cars as my best friends.” 总之是要找到自己跟这个公司的一个切合点，让面试官了解你充分适合这个环境。 自己优缺点： 2. What are your three greatest strengths? 铁芸说回答这个问题的时候不可以含混不清，不可以只是简单回答 “I’m really organized, punctual and get along well with others.” 简洁、精炼，找到这个公司所看重的特长，是回答这个问题的关键。比如要应聘金融行业，可是说 “I think my three strongest strengths are details-oriental, patient and cautious.” 但是如果应聘者是一个销售精英，可以说:“I think my strongest strengths are aggressive, hard working and communicative.”总之，需要考虑到应聘公司及职务的需要来选择表现自己的优势 3. What are your three greatest weaknesses? 铁芸强调，能够为公司增值永远是老板的最爱，老板都愿意找到一个了解、热爱工作，并能够为公司创造价值的员工。所以不要很诚实的把自己的毛病暴露出来，而是要策略的选择一些能够为自己加分的缺点。比如:“I am a perfectionist and I pay very much attention to details. Sometimes I am quite captious.” 4. Why are you interested in working for our company? 这个问题主要考察应聘者是否对这个工作进行了了解，或者是否真正有兴趣，所以需要围绕整个公司的具体情况，让面试官知道你很清楚这个公司的运营模式，以及对这项工作非常积极。因此不要以“It seemed like a good career move, ”或是 "I haven't been able to find anything else interesting.”为开始。如果能有一些实际问题回答的话，就会更大的加分，铁芸建议应聘者可以这样: “I read an article in the...
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...been influenced by the way they see the circumstances in their life. In other words, successful people see those circumstances with a positive attitude. In this case, successful people see those circumstances as a challenge to beat and not like a punishment to suffer. Therefore, these people will be more likely to fight and have success in their life, rather than the ones who see their life as a punishment. Positive attitude might be the key to all the people who want to fulfill their dreams. Where there is a will, there is a way. If you find any problem, a typical one, don’t lose heart, go ahead and devote yourself fully, analyze each aspect, and get the problem solved. Every invention taken place so far, were riddled with many unfound answers, but the inventor’s zeal and perseverance found the solution and a new invention took place. For a confident person, the word ‘impossible’ is no where in his dictionary. A determined and dedicated person finds way in all complexities undaunted by the initial problems and failures he keeps on finding solution to every teaser and one day he achieves his cherished goal. Confidence is the most important key to success. It boosts the morale and creates determination to attain a goal....
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...around you. Parents teach these values to their children at a very early age. Parents teach commitment by encouraging children to follow through with a promise, dedication by encouraging them to keep trying, regardless of how many times they may fail, and accountability if they choose not to. These are all building blocks to learning personal responsibility. As a mother and a college student, I have the personal responsibility to dedicate myself to my children and my education. I have had to utilize all resources available to me to be successful at both, and it takes honest commitment and dedication to achieve that success. Balancing family and school is a huge personal responsibility and I strive with honesty and integrity to be the best parent, teacher, and student I can be. There is an enormous correlation between personal responsibility and college success. A person cannot obtain one without maintaining the other. As a parent and a student, I have the benefit of continuing to teach my children personal responsibility along with...
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...Even after investing over 10 lakhs in an MBA degree from one of highly advertised business school, Rajesh is still looking for an entry level job which can fetch him atleast 20-25,000 rupees per month so that he can start repayment of the loan his farmer father had taken from village landlord to finance his MBA. Rajesh completed his engineering from a private engineering college with a hope that he will be able to get a regular job which will minimize the uncertainty attached with the earnings from agriculture. He has seen his father losing sleep every year, when the rain gods played mischief. He has felt the anxiety at home till the time the payment for each crop was realised and all the small borrowings taken during the season for the crop were repaid. His father tried to fulfil all his financial needs so that he can be what he wants to be. Rajesh studied hard during his engineering course but he could not get any job during campus placements. After futile job search for over one year, few friends advised Rajesh to get an MBA degree. They said that MBA is a sure shot way to get a highly paid and high ranked job in a large MNC. He was lured by big advertisements of business schools which promised the students an ultra-modern campus and dream jobs. But even after attending over 25-30 job interviews, the best job he was offered was of sales executive with a “CTC” of rupees 2.5 lakh per annum but having fixed salary component of less than 10,000 rupees a month. Most of us reading...
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...Q1. If I was the executive of Mega Brands, I will more concern with the customer feedback. The good customer feedback can bring the company to the success although it is hard to achieve good feedback from the customer. The good customer feedback can also bring the company to the top of the business and also let the company increase in growing to the successful. Furthermore, i also will concern with the customer safety. We as the company who sold the product of the customers, we must make sure that the product in safe and harmless to customers. The customer who believes with our product just will buy the product that we sold. If we sold the product that have the problem or it will harm to the customer, the customer will not confidence with our product and it will let our business failure. The customer is the most important person for the company. The customer can make the company to success or failure. The customer is the main resource of the company. The company without customer, the company wouldn’t be success in the market. Q3. The CPSC have no more powers to deal with such hazards and companies. Although the customer safety to use the product has been protecting by the CPSC, the company is the one who produce and sold the product to the customer. The company ethic is the main problem. If the company has the bad ethic, they will just care with their income and selling of their product. They also will won’t take any attention and action for the customer safety who...
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...Outliers summary When it comes to success, we are taught from day one that hard work, perseverance and the will to succeed would overcome any obstacle. Every day, the stories of success can be shared and used to inspire others who hope to one day reach similar happiness. The extremely incredible entrepreneur who rose from rags to riches or the tale of the underdog sports team that surprised all competitors and won the championship are the stories that continuously drive the dreams of individuals and make success seem possible to all. But what if success was not attainable for all, regardless of work ethic and all other factors that may contribute to it. What if, based on predetermined occurrences, success was easier for some to obtain because of those occurrences? The Outliers written by Malcolm Gladwell, is the author’s compiled study of success and how it very much so can be attributed to all of the normal factors (i.e. talent, work ethic, passion) but are also heavily influenced by the cultural and societal forces that give rise to opportunistic individuals. Through several cases of well known individuals who are deemed to be successful, we as a society easily fall into the myth that successful people are self-made. Gladwell writes that most successful people “are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.” Gladwell’s definition...
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...is persistence. Become an expert at relating well with others. Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose. We have the sequence to success in life all wrong. Let me see if I can explain. You see, we don't achieve success, because we are afraid of taking risks. We are afraid of taking risks because we are afraid of failure. We are afraid of failure because we are afraid of what people might think. We are afraid of what people might think because we lack self-confidence. All this leads to more low self-esteem and further erodes our chances of success. So...No success = Fear of taking risks-caused by-Fear of failure-caused by-Fear of rejection -caused by lack of self-confidence. The Success formula is actually reversed. Its more like this....You have extreme self-confidence so you're not afraid of what people might think.This makes you not afraid of failing. Since you're not afraid of failing, then you're also not afraid of taking risks. This ultimately leads to success in any mission you undertake. This also boosts your self-esteem further. Heres the Formula= High Self-esteem-leads to-Not being afraid of what others think-this leads to-Not being afraid of failure-which leads to-Not being afraid of taking risks, ultimately leading to SUCCESS! "Its alright to be afraid. Fear is not absent in the lives of successful people, they have learned how to step forward in spite of it" says Peggy Mcoll . When you feel fear,...
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...Media opportunities for this management success A media strategy can often form the basis of other work plans that support your business goals. Government or stakeholder’s relations are often an important part of business and the key to good relationships is communicating clearly and consistently. As a project manager and informing the public and staff on the new state of the art equipment, using a good media professional will have the years of experience, expertise and the contacts needed to help you get the job done with positive results (Hirsch, 2013). I would start by introduce live procedures in explaining what is being done as the new equipment is demonstrating the procedure. As this healthcare marketing approach can effectively create excitement and raise public awareness for the healthcare organization. While most media is being done through social media networks; this will help reach more of the public to understand your organization and the changes you are doing. Setting up a site for live questions to be asked to insure the public is receiving the correct information to questions that they might want to ask. As for the staff; setting up training sessions will help with the training and being successful when the training is completed. Healthcare technology is developing rapidly; unfortunately, problems with equipment often arise due to mishandling by users or a failure to understand fully how the equipment works (Hounsell, 2014). In order to be able to use and maintain...
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...Northcentral University Assignment 3: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due Regina Taylor Contribution to the Field Chapter two and three of the book by Krames (2003) is very enlightening an intuitive. Michael Dell according to Krames (2003) believes in the power of the customer, be it their positive or negative feedback, but especially in what the customer wants from a product (p. 56). Michael Dell birth a business model based solely on a one-on-one relationship with customers is the foundation of his company the Dell Corporation. Andy Grove’s model mandates protection or maximization of sales opportunities so to be prepared for all possibilities of success or failure which he based on Time magazine’s 1997 person of the year Andras Grof paranoid perspective (Only the paranoid survive) (Krames 2003, pp. 66-67). Business partner Moore’s metaphorically likened their organization to that of a three legged stool, if one leg is off balance so is the entire organization (Krames 2003, pp. 137-139). Lastly, Grove named the fear of an organization being on the brink of total failure as a “strategic inflection point” (SIP) which he describes as an organizations face-to-face with massive must change events even to a point of complete organizational failure (Krames, 2003, p. 141). Resistance Comparison Michael Dell organization encountered near death when the brilliance of his technical engineering team and himself put together a massive computer (The Olympic)...
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...Secret to Success Personally I have never felt that there are any secrets to success. Have you ever heard of any successful man who didn’t tell you about it? In my opinion, I believe that every success is lead by hard work and the ability to stay undeterred despite slight failures. Such attitudes are the reason why I succeeded too, in a way… Besides the achiever himself, there are always other personalities who guide him to success. These people are equally important as self capability. I had such people to guide me too. Those would include my parents, my teachers. (I do owe them a lot. Simply put, my achievement is a result of their hard work to put me on the right path, towards academic achievement rather than my own.) Without them, there wouldn’t have been anything worth a praise printed onto my results slip and I wouldn’t be writing this at the moment. Apart from the adults who played vital roles in my life. My peers also share a part in helping me to achieve what I did. They were constantly supportive and they were always there when I was distracted by failure, to motivate me and to keep me pumped-up to face the worst. Such were the secrets behind my success but honestly, do you really believe there are secrets to success? Well, think again. My wishes to the future achievers and hopefully your results are better than mine. P.S. If there ever is a shortcut to success, please inform me...
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