The Team Members Principles

Strategy to Ensure fair and Even Contribution and Collaboration by team members

In order to ensure fair and even contribution and collaboration by team member, the team leader has to develop guiding principles for the team that will enable better coordination within the team. These principles will include:

Communication

Communication is one of the biggest problems experienced by teams. Communication barriers and non defined communication channels are the greatest challenge that hinders flow of ideas within the team. To solve this problem, proper channels of communication should be clearly established i.e. face to face communication or written communication to enable the team share ideas effectively. The group should meet in a venue that is free from external noise or disturbances that will affect group members. The language used during the team meeting should be well understood by the group members to encourage understanding of the issues being addressed and to contribute effectively. Finally, each team member should be encouraged to feel free in expressing his or her ideas within the team.

Team charter

A team charter is a manuscript that stipulates a group scope or scale of function, goals and purpose or rationale. It is normally developed by top management and presented to various teams in an organization set up.

A team charter document has generally eight sections

Purpose statement

The purpose statement gives the reason for the team’s existence. It generally highlights how the team will utilize the team charter to meet its objective.

Background

This section introduces the team activities and functions. This section summarizes functions of the team with a brief description of the products or services that team deals in and how these products support the team.

Team mission and objectives

The team’s mission gives the actual reasons for the team’s existence. A mission statement highlights the team believe and aspiration. Mission statement is long-term in scope. Goals are developed from the general mission of the team. From the goals, short term objectives that are achievable within a short span of time are developed.

Team composition

This section lists the members who form the group. There are core members i.e. those members who are responsible for conducting the main business of the team on routine basis and extended team members who are involved in team activities on part time basis.

Team/group membership responsibilities

This part categorizes the responsibilities and requirement of key members of the group and other subordinate members founded on personal ability and know-how.

Team empowerment

Spells out the existing authority the team posses and also establishes the empowerment the team has to have in order to meet its objective.

Team operations

This section describes the process the team utilizes in its operational plans. It includes conflict resolution procedures that clearly spell out how to define and resolve conflict within the tem. It also includes decision making process and procedures for improvement of process in the team.

Team Performance Assessment

This section defines critical areas of performance that require further improvement by the team. Here the team records key areas that need improvements in order to effectively achieve the team’s goals

Conflict resolution

What do you include in the conflict resolution section to provide stronger strategies?

Definition of the conflict: This will enable the team to clearly establish the problem that is causing the conflict. To achieve this tem member need to confront the real cause of conflict by being objective and not personal. The aim of defining the problem should be to find a definite solution to the conflict (Augsburger, 1992).

Tactic to employ if a group member cooperating efficiently: How will the group deal with disagreements between group members?

Each and every group member should be encouraged air their views freely. The member may also explain in writing his reasons for not contributing to the team. Other sources of communication such as electronic mode should be used to ensure that everyone in the team contributes.

To manage a conflict among members, the team should

  • Confront the conflict. Members should openly express their views on the conflict and be listened to
  • The team should jointly find the root cause of the conflict by discussing within themselves and share their feelings on the subject.
  • The team should then reach an agreement and all participants in the conflict feel that the conflict has been resolved to satisfaction.

Reference

Augsburger, D. (1992). Conflict mediation across cultures.Kentucky, KY: Westminster / John Knox Press.

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Zara’s Unique Supply Chain Management

Zara was founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega Gaona in Spain. It started off as a small outlet for clothes from Ortega’s factory. It grew rapidly to become a brand shop from major companies like Industria de Deseno Textil and others. Through Zara, Ortega is credited with having democratized fashion in Spain by making them be more accessible to the mass. By 1984, Zara was established in all major towns of Spain, and in 1988, it opened its first store in Portugal which was outside Spain. In 1989, it went to New York and Paris in 1990.

Up to date, Zara is credited as being the most efficient fashion shop in the world. It has an integrated retail system that enables it to place garments in any store in the world within two to three weeks. It has a vertically integrated structure where design, production, distribution, and retailing are integrated making its service more efficient. The design shop has about 3,000 retail shops all over the world which are all well-coordinated and performs to the required standards. The chain is able to establish about 400 new stores every year. According to Avanzo and Lewinski (2003), this is a good example of an integrated management style that has propelled Zara above its competitors.

According to Bovet and Martha (2005), Zara has been able to propel to a great height in the fashion industry due to its supply chain strategy which emphasizes that the chain dictates industry standards from time to market, cost, order fulfillment, and customer satisfaction. Its operation is guided by these principles which lead to better-managed inventories, tight links between the forces of supply and demand, and reduced costs of operation.

Design

Zara has a communication system that helps keep the managers abreast of all that is happening in the fashion industry. According to Andrew, Sjoman, and Dessain (2004), managers communicated with their in-house designers of the customer’s preferences through handheld devices due to improved IT services in the chain. This ensures that in-house designers know what is happening and what the customers want. It keeps the designers aware of the changes and new technology in the market. It also keeps designers informed of the response of the customers to their designs and appropriately reacts to the changes required in the design.

This shows that Zara values the design part as the most important step in the whole process of taking their product to the consumer. The ability of the chain to enhance communication between the consumers and the designers helps them to manufacture a new fashion in two to three weeks. This is enabled by the fact that preliminary designs can be delivered to consumers and the customer’s reaction noted quickly and communicated to the designers for required changes.

Zara has established a dedicated team in Arteixo which keeps the chain on top with new designs in the market. It is able to spot emerging fashion trends in the industry and quickly react to the customer’s demand and introduce them to the market in the shortest time possible. Communication between the store’s manager and the designers helps in implementing the modification of any design before a sales batch is released. This makes sure that the chain releases only what is preferred by the customers.

Zara pegs its success in the retail chain in the way it organizes the production and selling of its merchandise. It has a strongly controlled demand-led strategy in that it attunes to design and production to the consumer demand. It has a consumer-led production style. The vertically integrated supply chain is vital in ensuring that its product hits the market immediately after it is produced and the comments of the consumers are immediately given back to the designers who make the necessary changes. Zara has kept to the policy of design to the shelf which makes sure it designs what is seen and bought on the shelf.

Production

The production process is a key step in the chain’s supply process. The production process is important in inventory control. The chain controls the production process to ensure that what is released in the market is what the customers want. They require their fabrics to be delivered in four colors only. The process of dying and printing is done at the end of the manufacturing process. This ensures that they are printed and dyed according to customers’ demands. It helps in reducing waste and also minimizes the stocking up of unsold inventories.

The chain has automated its production plants which make sure that its shelves do not run out of products. Automation of the production plants was is perhaps one of the factors that led to the rapid success of the chain. It has an efficient production system that links the design and supply chains.

Distribution Process

Zara has banked on one of the cornerstones of an efficient supply model in order to feed its retail outlets. It has shortened the supply chain in order to reduce cost and in the process enhance more profit. This enables the chain to introduce more than 11,000 new designs in the market every year far beyond the capacity of its competitors.

According to Capacino and Anderson (2005), Zara has a distribution model built on the demand chain. Its distribution process is guided by the customer’s demand due to the strong links it creates with the consumers on the ground and the designers. The fame of the store comes from its efficient distribution model which shortens the lead-time between the designing of the clothes and the placement of the clothes in the stores.

With a lead time of less than 3 to 4 weeks, the chain becomes the most efficient in the world in terms of distribution of its products to the consumers. Although it has many outlets in the world, Zara has kept its production stores in Europe from where it distributes are products to the rest of the world. It has amazed many how the chain is able to sell 85 percent of all its products at full price.

The supply process is enabled by airlifting of the finished clothes to the retail centers. This helps to shorten the time between production and availability of clothes in the stores. It is good to understand that due to limited stockpile over in the production plants, the outlet chains can easily run out of clothes supply with an inefficient supply mechanism. This is why the chain prefers to airlift the finished product to make sure that its shelves are always stocked.

Zara ensures that it has twice delivery per week from the factories. This limits the need for warehouse space and inventory. It also ensures that new styles hit the rack which reduces the risks of markdown sales and stock-outs.

The supply chain is such that Zara minimizes the number of products it outsources less and less of its clothes from other manufacturers. Many other fashion shops outsource for more than 90% of their stock in a bid to reduce production costs. On the other hand, Zara ensures that it covers about 40 percent of its stock from its own factories and outsources for the rest 60 percent of the stock from other manufacturers to have varieties in the stores.

References

Avanzo, R. & Lewinski, H. (2003): The link between supply chain and financial performance. Supply Chain Management Review. Stanford University.

Andrew, M., Sjoman, A. & Dessain, V. (2004): Zara: IT for Fast Fashion. A field case study, LACC Case.

Bovet, D. & Martha, J. (2005): Value Nets: Breaking the supply chain to unlock hidden profits. Harvard University Press.

Capacino, W. C. & Anderson, L. D. (2005): A Global study of supply chain leadership and its impact on business performance. Stanford University.

Zara SM. (2008): Directory Articles. Web.

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How to Manage Quality Customer Service?

In order to deal with customer complaints, one has to pay keen interest to what the customer is saying. One does not need to show feelings towards the client or the situation. Nodding the head shows that one is paying attention to what the customer is saying. After listening, one needs to show how sincerely they are sorry about the situation. One needs to ask questions in a polite manner to get to the bottom of the issue. One can involve the customer in the entire process of solving the problem.

It is good to ask the customer to propose solutions to the problem while one recommends possible ways to solve the problem. The customer must not sense that there is any possibility that the complaint will not get a solution. It is proper to solve the problem or find someone who can solve it. Once the situation is under control, once again, apologize to the customer and be sorry for the inconveniences that arose from the problem. The best way to never have the problem again is to improve products and service delivery.

Customer Complaints are important because they help the management to know its weaknesses. Questions that clients raise contribute to preventing bigger problems in the future of a business. They also contribute to sustaining existing customers and providing avenues for referrals.

Customer needs are varied. To identify them, one can decide to use a focus group that includes one or two present or past clients. Let the employees take notes of the customer concerns. One can also use a suggestion box or form with customer care. Another way is by checking the movement of company products, as well as sending emails to customers to ensure regular interactions and hence, the feedback.

Effective feedback must be goal-referenced. There has to be a goal that one seeks to achieve. It must also produce tangible results. Feedback must be one that is actionable.

Customer interactions can happen when a customer visits the business. The customer can come to buy a product or seek information. A telephone conversation can trigger interaction too. Email can also be a form of communication with the client. Social websites such as Facebook, Twitter, or even Skype can assist. A business can also interact with the customer through organizing field visits, exhibitions, and advertisements. When launching a new product or service, one can invite customers to attend.

Factors for delivering superior services to customers include the expectations of boosting the sales volume. When sales go up, the business can meet its obligations. Excellent service to the customer enables the company to beat its competitors. Feedback from customers helps to improve the products and services that lead to improved sales. It promotes repeated purchases in a market that is very competitive. It leads to referrals from other customers. It also keeps improving the company image.

It is a motivation for the staff to keep improving on their service delivery. It opens up room for expansion due to satisfied customers. It makes the business use all its available resources. Following up with clients is important because it helps the company to keep track of its customers and know whether they got the products they paid for or if there is any need for improvement. It also helps to know whether the service delivery was worth the effort.

The two dimensions of service include the systems and procedures of service delivery. It is the quality, equipment, and distribution mechanism. The second is how service providers make contact with clients. Welcoming atmosphere enables a customer to make the decision quickly.

The first of five elements of quality service is reliability. It is the ability to provide the company’s promise accurately. Identifying customer needs makes customers go for their desired products. The assurance by employees builds confidence in customers. The action strategy enables the sales to use positive communication skills and describe the products accurately. The physical facilities, equipment, and personnel appearance make services easier to deliver.

Service mission is a service culture component that enables the organization and customer care to know that, at the end of the day, its most important duty is to serve its clients well.

Products are tangible items that a company sells to make a profit, while services are actions performed to make products sell. There are businesses that are service providers. An example could be law firms whose primary objective is to sell their services.

The delivery system is the entire process of making sure that a product reaches the selling point. It is also ensuring that the customer gets the product at the most convenient place.

Training enables a business to review its weak points regularly and make adjustments because of the way knowledge keeps advancing.

Motivation and reward are tokens and awards that a company can decide to give to customers. The staff can receive motivation in monetary form or improved working conditions.

To make customer service work for the benefit of the company and the staff, one needs to formulate policies and ensure strict adherence. There have to be procedures on how to deal with customers and complaints while adhering to the set policies.

Words that damage customer relationships are; we are closed, we can’t help you, and we don’t have this product. Others include; we don’t have a chance; we don’t use credit cards. Words that should never be told to the customer are: buy somewhere else, go away, and don’t come back.

When dealing with assertive customers, one needs to make them cool down first. Give them something to drink if possible, and start by listening to their concerns. Then state the company’s position in a polite way and ask the customer to give views in relation to what one has explained. Get the client to understand the best way to bring out their argument.

One can request the customer to come back for another meeting in order to prepare to get back with the correct answers, refer the customer to management procedurally or deal with his or her concerns as soon as possible.

The six different customers’ needs include information. Customer needs to know the product they are buying, how to use it, and why it is the best. The organization can organize promotions and advertisements. They can also have the manual for self-knowledge.

Customers need to have options and alternatives. They want to be able to choose from a variety. There are also alternative uses of the products that the company can advertise.

Customers need control. The customer will always have the final decision. They may not care about procedures and policies but want to be able to get solutions immediately. The company must sometimes learn to accept the customer’s views.

Customers like friendly businesses, places where they can see a smile on the face of the seller, they find someone to listen to them and care enough to share ideas. The customer likes places where the service people appreciate them and understand their circumstances. First, one needs to find out what made the customer come.

Customers also want to be treated with fairness. The company should not put them into distinct classes. They want equal treatment. Provide an environment that is fair enough for all customers.

One of the behavioral styles of customers is dominance. It is a client who prefers to be authoritative. An influencing client is one who continually influences the decision of the company. Guide and let the customer understand that the business cannot overlook its policies and procedures.

A client that acts with steadiness is one who is stable and regularly buys the products. Maintain the client by issuing some benefits. A compliant client trusts the company and its products and quickly adapts to any changes. Continually work with them and encourage them about new dimensions.

How does one rectify a service break down? First, the service provider needs to send out an apology to the customers and regret the breakdown. If possible, give a time that it will take to rectify the problem. The management needs to make a decision on what the next course of action will be. The decision can be to withdraw the product/service from the market and modify it or replace it. Then get back to the customer with a carefully analyzed solution.

Some of the factors that may hinder service recovery are government interference, trade unions agitation, court cases, and lack of a recovery mechanism within the organization. The customer’s unwillingness to continue enjoying the services or the product may also be a concern.

Information that one may find from existing customers is whether the products they are getting are quality, useful, and make them happy. If there can be any change, one should ask, will they be willing to adapt? One should also find out if the customer needs any changes to the products and what kind of changes.

Information that one may find out from potential customers is why they don’t know about one’s product or why they are not using it. One needs to know if they would be willing to try it out. In addition, find out what can make them start using the product.

There are ten things one should know about his or her customers. One is to know who the client is, what the customer likes, why he likes it, and how he gets the product. One should also know more about the lifestyle of the customer. Affordability is also paramount. On needs to know if the buyer can afford what the company is providing.

One must also identify the geographical location of the client so that he knows how to reach him or her. One needs to know the frequency of buying the product, where else the customer can get the same service. For the service providers, one needs to know the client’s contacts (telephone, email, and address). It is important for the business to make the customer feel satisfied. The client’s interests are also important to note. One should know if the customer has a family and/or a child, or if a client loves pets.

The strategies one can use to obtain customer feedback include maintaining customer feedback forms with every service provider, making a customer feedback box at the reception. Give the company’s website with the feedback tool to customers. Providing direct and personal emails can be of help.

One can call the customers personally and ask how satisfied they were with the service. One also needs to stop reoccurring problems. One can also get some potential advocates from the happiest customers list and use them to get to others.

It is important for a company to produce a variety of products because it enhances diversity. It enables customers to have several choices. It also promotes sales. It reduces reliability on one product type that may be facing stiff competition in the market. It also enables the company to set different prices and enhance affordability across all social classes.

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British Airways Company Change Management

Achievements of Culture Change Program

From the case study, it is clear that the senior management of British Airways (BA) wished to develop an organizational culture that was customer-oriented and market-focused to enable employees to respond to shifting customer demands. Additionally, the senior management wanted to change the culture of middle-level and line managers from what was perceived as an authoritarian/domination management style to one which was not only open, visible and dynamic, but also emphasized the Marshal’s organizational values of caring, achievement, creativity, innovation, and profit.

Through the introduction of the culture change program, it is also clear that BA’s senior management had a long-term agenda of creating a corporate culture that focused on collaborative working, excellence in the delivery of services to customers, and visible commitment to organizational values, beliefs, and mission. Lastly, BA’s senior management expected to dramatically reduce gaps between customer and employee expectations by coming up with a set of programs that aimed to change the values, practices, and relationships throughout the company by reinforcing trust and sharpening focus on customer service rather than operational excellence.

Extent Cultural Change Program Addressed Employee Beliefs & Practices

The culture change program, in my view, succeeded to change basic employee beliefs and practices from an orientation that focused much attention on routine and functional aspects of their jobs to a new paradigm that was customer-focused and market-oriented. Upon reading and analyzing the case scenario, one cannot fail to see how BA’s senior management took the center stage in driving the change agenda and demonstrating its full commitment to develop a customer-focused workforce through considerable investment in time and money. It is a well-known fact that most change initiatives fail due to lack of commitment from senior management.

The other reason why the culture change program at BA was a success, in my view, is premised on the fact that it relied on a multiplicity of focused programs that targeted employees and managers to trigger an emotional context through which they could actively respond and change. The underlying focus of nearly all of these programs was to change the values, practices, beliefs and working relationships of employees and managers, with the view to creating a conducive environment through which customers could get excellent services, employees could internalize the feelings of belonging and involvement in company affairs, and managers could adopt the new shared vision and effectively adapt their style of management from perceived domination of roles and procedures (authoritarian style) to one which was open, visible and dynamic (transformational style).

Of course, some employees developed a cynical orientation towards the cultural change program, but this is expected in any organizational change effort. However, proactive commitment and engagement of senior management in the training programs definitely reinforced an emotional context among the employees through which they could respond to the change initiatives.

The approach of the Culture Change Program

The culture change program at BA, though initiated by top management, utilized a bottom-up approach. From the case study, it is clear how BA’s senior management first came up with a program titled “Putting the Customer First”, which expressly targeted the 12,000 BA staff in direct contact with customers with their view to assisting employees to change their beliefs, values, and practices toward customer handling. It can be argued that these employees were at the bottom level of the change pyramid since they interacted with customers on daily occasions. Since the change was all about focusing the company to the shifting needs of customers and the market, it is plausible to say that it started from the bottom upwards.

To reinforce this position, it is also clear from the case study that the program was later extended to staff not involved in direct contact with customers, and afterward to employees at management level, thus the bottom-up approach. This type of approach receives little resistance from employees due to the fact that they get to be involved in the change process at an early phase and are therefore at a distinct advantage to internalize the benefits that come with such change.

Introducing a Similar Culture Change Program

The first step would be to undertake extensive market research intended to reveal gaps that are leading to the problem. The second step would be to convene meetings with senior management, deliberate on the findings of the market research, and afterward develop strategies and programs that will be focused on addressing the problem. The third step would be to orient the targeted sections of employees to create an understanding that the strategies and programs need to be implemented so as to achieve competitiveness and productivity in the company.

With the full support of senior management, the next step would be to expose employees to training not only to enhance the internalization of new values, beliefs, and practices but also to introduce a new corporate identity that will reflect a new paradigm in the company’s engagement with customers. The fourth step would be to develop and implement other interventions that could be used to reinforce an emotional context among the targeted employees so that they could respond to the change initiatives and act accordingly. Measures to deal with resistance from employees also need to be conceptualized and operationalized. Lastly, the senior management needs to develop strategies to evaluate if the change initiative has been a success.

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The Role of Values in Leadership and Organizations

The peer reviewed article “Values as Foundation: The Role of Values in Leadership and organizations” is written by Harvey Kaufman who works as a Collaboration Consultant with Interaction Associates, Inc. His work mainly entails helping companies deal with resistance to change by providing individuals with the mindset and expertise of thinking strategically.

In this article, the author argues about the significance of organizations maintaining their values in action in their daily dealings with their workers and clients. He notes that while many companies have well adorned core values, their significance and relevance to the day-to-day functioning of the company have been thwarted (Kaufman, 2005). The author also points out that leaders should behave in a manner that reflect the organization’s core values, the thinking and actions of employees should be guided by the values, and an organization should be accountable for the behaviors stipulated in its core values.

This article is very significant in assisting an organization in maintaining its core values since they have tangible application in its various aspects. First, in this current competitive job market, core values assist an organization during the recruitment process by determining the relation between the job seeker’s values and the company’s values. Therefore, this reduces the friction between the employee and the company. Second, in combination with the company’s mission and vision, core values assist a company in setting appropriate direction to follow (Sims & Quatro, 2005). Lastly, defined values are significant in decision-making. This is because in making important decisions, managers will try to align them with the company’s core values so as to validate the direction taken.

This material plays an important role in my life since it will help me in defining my own core values as a person. Core values are very much important in life since they provide the basis for building a person’s life by defining a person by what he or she personally stands for (Leboeuf, n.d.). More so, since I want to be a successful manager, this article has assisted me to develop the relationship between my core values and philosophy of leadership as well as develop appropriate strategies on how I can realize the goals of whatever company I will be working for.

The next peer-reviewed article, written by Gary Yukl, is titled “Leadership in Organizations.” The author is Professor of Management and Leadership at the State University of New York in Albany. He is a renowned scholar and writer on leadership. In this article, the author focuses on managerial leadership aspects in large companies. These aspects include effective leadership strategies, participation and empowerment, leading change in organizations, the role of teamwork, leadership development, and ethical leadership and diversity.

The author stresses, “Personality traits are considered especially relevant to successful leadership, and those highlighted ad the most pertinent include energy levels and stress tolerance, self-confidence, internal orientation, emotional maturity, and maturity” (Yukl, 2001, p.2). “Leadership in Organizations” covers a broad survey of theory and research of leadership in formal organizations in an attempt to bridge the widening gulf between academics and management practitioners.

The significance of this article is that it highlights the role of effective leadership skills in the success of an organization. Currently, effective leadership is crucial for ensuring that an organization maintains a competitive edge in the market. Effective leadership is the hub of an organization since it acts as a liaison between all the parties concerned with running the organization.

It is important to note that providing the workforce with the necessary expertise and behaviour is able to make an organization to realize its objectives (Covey, 1991). Leadership ensures that team spirit is upheld, as all the parties would strive to work as a composite whole in meeting the requirements of the organization. “Leadership in Organizations” has a specific focus on these elements.

Since I am an aspiring manager, this material influences me in a number of ways. First, since leadership techniques are increasingly becoming central for the success of organizations, the material has assisted me in understanding my leadership styles and tendencies. Therefore, this will help me to develop integrity and demonstrate it every day by providing clear expectations to the employees, monitor destructive emotions in the organization, and exhibit remarkable interpersonal skills (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). Second, understanding my leadership style will help me in developing appropriate strategies for achieving the goals of the organization by interacting freely with everyone and avoiding conflicts at the place of work.

Lastly, Prof. Sunil V. Chaudhary, who is a lecturer at Semcom College Vallabh, India, is the author of the article titled “Organizational Behavior in Practice.” In this article, the author illustrates the practical aspects of organizational behavior. He points out that because of the ever-changing demands of the workforce, organizational behavior is fundamental in enhancing the management style of different organizations (Chaudhary, 2010).

Organizational behaviour scrutinizes the various types of employees in all kinds of diverse circumstances. The study of organizational behavior seeks to benefit those in managerial and supervisory positions in a number of ways. It is important in all the different aspects of the organization. Chaudhary maintains that organizational behaviour aims to understand the human behaviour in an organization and its association with the organization.

The study of organizational behavior can significantly contribute to the enhancement of the effectiveness of an organization in various ways. First, because of the unpredictable behavior of employees, it helps the management of an organization in understanding the various distinct needs and motivation factors that influence the behavior of the employees (Griffin & Moorhead, 2010; Robbins, 1994).

Second, organization behavior provides techniques for establishing effective interpersonal relationship at the place of work; therefore, this assists in avoiding disagreements that can lead to reduction of productivity amongst the employees. Next, organizational behavior proposes appropriate incentive systems that an organization can use to motivate its employees towards realizing its overall objectives (Kelly & Kelly, 1998). Lastly, this article is significant since it emphasizes that when organizational culture has turned into the very culture of a business enterprise, it will be able to experience significant progress in its development.

This material influences me to develop good interpersonal skills. This is because in most duties in an organization, one is required to have good interpersonal relationship with others in order to do them better (Baker, 1985). Effective performance of tasks requires an excellent understanding of others and even the employee’s own interpersonal skills. To handle grievances, which are an everyday occurrence within a company, one is usually advised to posses the ability to compromise for a win-lose outcome and strive at best for a win-win outcome or at the very least, an acceptable result. However, achieving this requires one to recognize the needs and perspectives of other people, which is a tenet of organizational behavior postulated by this article.

Reference List

Baker, M. (1985). Marketing Strategy and Management. London: Macmillan.

Chaudhary, S. V. (2010). Organizational Behavior in Practice. Articlesbase. Web.

Covey, S. R. (1991). Principle-centered leadership. New York: Summit Books.

Griffin, R., & Moorhead, G. (2010). Organizational Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Kaufman, H. (2005). Values as Foundation: The Role of Values in Leadership and Organizations. Leader Values. Web.

Kelly, J., & Kelly, L. (1998). An existential-systems approach to managing organizations. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2002). The leadership challenge. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Leboeuf, C. M. (n.d.). Developing a leadership philosophy. US Military Academy. Web.

Robbins, P. (1994). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Sims, R. R., & Quatro, S. A. (2005). Leadership: succeeding in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. London: M.E. Sharpe.

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Total Quality Management and Business Results

The issues addressed by the total quality management

In the context of the modern business environment, the majority of the companies need to know how to deal with the rapid changes both on the inside and on the outside of the firms. The changes can concern some new competitors in the marketplace or unexpected societal changes. The issues on the inside of the company can also be completely different, but the common ground of such changes is the necessity for the company’s management to be able to reorganize the working process. Total quality management is one of the means of dealing with the rapid and unexpected changes in the business environment (Anjard 239).

The total quality management can address several issues on the different levels of the corporate structure. First of all, even though the competition between different companies can take different forms and directions, the main aspect of it is the quality of their products and services. It is also important to point out that various companies are trying to maintain different levels of quality that is acceptable for their target markets, but the main objective for any business, in the modern context, is to make the quality consistent.

That is the main aim of implementation of the total quality management. Quality programs are nowadays common for any business in any sphere. One of the main issues of the large productions in the competitive markets is the level of responsibility and integrity within the company (Black 160). Introducing different quality programs to the productions, distribution and other stages of goods manufacturing help the employees realize their responsibilities and the significance of the quality of their performance.

Total quality management also addresses the issue of communication in the workplace (Yusof and Aspinwall 291). The approach based on the significance of the job of each employee helps to ensure the more horizontal system of communication (Dale 30). In other words, the objective is to make sure that the people from the different departments of the company and different stages of the production treat each other not as strangers. It ensures that the feedback in the company is continuous between not only the management but also the employees themselves. The service-based approach in workplace communication helps to make it more efficient and allows the employees to feel more integrated.

Main idea and key points

Total quality management comprises the entire managerial philosophy. The main aspect of it is to focus the attention on the individual elements and to nurture every single part of the business process to create a high-quality whole rather than start from the top of the hierarchy (Boaden 153). This principle idea of the total quality management formed the key concepts and basic steps of its practical implementation.

The first key point is the fact that the standard of quality depends on the target market or, in other words, on the customer’s demand. The feedback from the customer is the priority in production, and the improvement of the quality to meet the customer’s expectation is the direct responsibility of the executives. The third point is the fact that the best way to improve the quality standards is to analyze each part of the production stages to find out the precise areas that need improvement. Finally, the optimal way of defining the problematic areas of the production process is to receive feedback from the employees who are involved in it (Anjard 241).

If the communication in the workplace is based on shared responsibility and employees are interested in improving the quality of the products, the process of meeting the customer’s demand is much more efficient.

Summary of the impact of total quality management on business results

When total quality management was applied in the corporation SGS-Thomson, the company that produces different microelectronics, it adopted all the advantages of the holistic approach. The production process was perceived as the whole, and the key to developing it and achieving business results was to improve every single component of it. With each employee and each manager understanding the role of their work in a bigger perspective, it became possible to interest them in improving the quality. The continuous feedback meant that the opinion of each worker mattered. It led to the empowerment amongst the employees and the growth of commitment among the managers since they could relate more to the whole process when they have feedback on each of the stages of production.

In the case of SGS-Thomson, it is also important to point out the fact that the financial aspect of the implementation of total quality management was more than rewarding. The company secured its position among the most powerful semiconductors manufacturers. The net earnings and losses were stabilized, and revenues reached the number of more than $3,5 million allowing the company to enter the international market in a very strong position (Duffin and Pellegrini 166). Moreover, the integrated approach enabled the company to cope with the dangers of downsizing. The concept of employee involvement became an update on the integrative nature of total quality management.

Summary of the graphs

Overall, several factors enabled SGS-Thomson to achieve high performance and business results. The strong position in the marketplace and the successful R&D investments helped the company to find the resources to increase the market share. In particular, the served available market index grew from 3,4 in 1990 to 4,1 in 1994 (Duffin and Pellegrini 169). Another important factor that affected the business results was the correlation between expenses and sales.

The ratio of expenses to the percentage of sales was especially calculated for the situation if the company was not using total quality management. The actual ratio of those two variables was compared to the specially calculated one. The latter was circa 5% higher, which means that the expenses without the total quality management would be higher (Duffin and Pellegrini 172). On the opposite side, the statistics of the manufacturing yield suggests that total quality management helped the company to improve for more than 10% on the global market (Duffin and Pellegrini 173). The inventory turns, when using total quality management, are also bigger, which leads to an increase in the cash flow.

Recommendations

Total quality management is a holistic and integrated approach. This aspect has many advantages in terms of the business results, including the opportunities to reduce the company’s expenses, cope with the dangers of downsizing, and most importantly, install the consistent quality of the product. Nevertheless, the approach is sometimes deemed inefficient. The reason for it is that holistic nature makes it less flexible. Therefore, the main recommendation for using total quality management is the consistency and accuracy of the managerial actions. The most challenging part of this strategy is the implementation and maintenance that require the deep commitment of the executives.

Works Cited

Anjard, Ronald. “Total Quality Management: Key Concepts.” Work Study 47.7 (1998): 238-247. Print.

Black, Sam. “An Empirical Model for Total Quality Management.” Total Quality Management 6.2 (1995): 149-164. Print.

Boaden, Ruth. “What is Total Quality Management… And does it Matter?”Total Quality Management 8.4 (1997): 153-171. Print.

Dale, Barrie. Total Quality Management. London, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, 1999. Print.

Duffin Murray, and George Pellegrini. “SGS-Thomson – the Impact of TQMon business results. “Successful TQM: Inside Stories from European Quality Award Winners. Ed. Klaus Zink. London, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons, 1997. Print.

Yusof, Shari Mohd, and Elaine Aspinwall. “Total Quality Management Implementation Frameworks: Comparison and Review.” Total Quality Management 11.3 (2000): 281-294. Print.

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European Foundation for Quality Management Concept

European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) is a management quality tool used by many organizations to assess performance, integrate existing tools, and introduce reflective thinking. It also enables an organization to identify what activities drive its results. EFQM has grown its clientele base to thousands. It has diversified its services to all organizations interested as opposed to the previous approach. The forum offers a voluntary avenue of engagement based on systemic benefits as perceived by the customers. Thus the more the customer is satisfied, the more the likelihood of engagement.

The latest version of the model is by far the most used of all the models. It involves enablers that are factored in what it does and results. Notably, the model has leadership, strategy, people, partnerships, resources, and processes as its enablers. Products and services are also involved. All these cover what an organization does. The results are measured in customer results, people results, society results, and key results. All this is aimed at helping organizations in their drive towards being more competitive. An in-depth analysis of how enablers and results are interrelated offers the basis for critical analysis. A frequently asked question in many organizations is if the approaches taken in the strategy will deliver the intended results or not.

To begin with, the model is said to be pioneered by leadership. Does the leadership have the necessary strengths to implement the company strategy and achieve the intended results? Is the top management able to integrate existing tools, procedures and processes to align all and remove duplicates? One assessment is to enable the people working in the organization by acquitting them with the necessary knowledge of the strategy and intended results. The strategy is also reviewed in line with the organization’s goals. If necessary, the partnership is sought. It is not clear whether the enablers are correlated in the order of presentation.

Research has however shown that this approach leads to an almost perfect achievement of set results. Since in any organization processes, products and services are critical, the model factors them out. By introducing a way of thinking that encourages reflection and stimulates continuous improvement an identifying activities that really drive a firms results, the processes and products must improve. Although there might be positive approaches compounded by great thinking and appropriate activities, the model does not factor in a partial or complete change of the processes. For instance, if the equipment cannot match the organizations ambitious thinking then there is a stall in trickling of the model ideas.

On the other end of the model are key results. These are achievements that keep the organization in business. They are a combination of customer results, people results, and society results. Although an organization might be achieving results, there is always speculation and excitement about the future. Among the new models strong sure achievable results, is to avoid a standalone situation by any given organization. The model thus guarantees interlinking initiatives among the stakeholders.

In addition, it helps organizations restore credibility, trustworthiness, and achievement of sustainable results. Timeline for achieving the intended result is also factored in this approach. To avoid ambiguity, the model is tailored towards helping achieve specific organizational goals in specific situations. Remarkably, it provides a common language that is aimed at creating a forum for the exchange of knowledge and any other valuable experiences.

Although the model has largely been a success story, it remains unclear whether the positive strides made by the organizations are uniquely attributed to the model. There are organizations that are not customers but have achieved massively in terms of results and efficiency. Other factors that might override the model successes are the state of the industry and general market situations.

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