Success

The word team comes from the old English, Fresian and norse word fro a bridle, thence to a set of draught animals harnessed together. According to Annett and Stanton  “A number of persons involved in joint action. ” In this modern era, Team a psychological group whose members share a common goal that they pursue collaboratively. According to Kerr , “Teams are replacing individuals as the basic building blocks of organizations. ” In 2000 Kerr estimates teamworking was a strategy employed by 90% of Fortune 500 companies.

Team-oriented workgroups appear in numerous case studies promising exceptional results in improved efficiency and increased productivity. Organisations therefore perceive operational advantage in teams, worthy of the expense and inevitable organisational structural changes required. Teamworking is now “the most frequent topic taught in company training programs of 200 Fortune 500 companies. ” I will attempt to define how teams operate within organisations, how the organisation expects teams to produce benefits, and how the processes within teams and external sources contributes to group discussion and decision making.

I will discuss the role of communication as the lynchpin of team strategy, and conclude by examining the scope of a manager in achieving increased performance for the team, ensuring they can become more than the sum of their parts. Many studies and experiments have been conducted in the past to find out what makes individuals bond closely in a team. There are many reports formed over the results of these studies and the findings are closely examined and implemented by many companies to improve their team’s affectivity and productivity.

From these studies, an important finding was that like in most cases, job satisfaction is found to influence the quality of work done by individuals and their contributions to the team. ‘competence motivation’ is the term used when individuals are found to be motivated when they value their team and work they are doing and when they are proud of the team they represent. Individuals will be most committed to their team when the task is of high importance to them and will therefore have less interest in their own objectives.

Studies have also shown that working in teams is more effective for completing complex projects than it is if it was to be done by individuals. In general, teams work well in problem solving tasks as they can produce better evaluated and more thought through ideas than individuals. Teams tend to share responsibility for decisions and therefore are found to be more adventurous and take more risks. This sometimes pays off when for example, a team may do things that might not follow common procedures but will produce the same outcome, with less time and money having been spent.

Tuckman (1965) discovered that teams usually go through five stages of growth: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing. At the Forming stage, team members are introduced. They state why they were chosen or volunteered for and what they hope to accomplish within the team. In the storming stage, all members have their own ideas as to how the process should look, and personal agendas often come out. Storming is probably the most difficult stage for the team.

The team members often conflict and argue in this stage as many individuals have their own opinions on how the problem should be tackled and therefore slow progress of the project. In the Norming stage, individual conflicts reduce as the team seeks to establish methods and techniques to tackle the task. At the performing stage, the team begins diagnosing, problem solving, and implementing changes. By this point, team members have discovered and accepted other’s strengths and weaknesses and have established their roles.

International team means ‘across culture team’. Now let’s concentrate on what makes a successful team. The leadership role is an important factor. In a number of studies, it has been found that ‘a powerful leader has a positive effect on the morale of a group’ . It is a known fact that people like working under a respected leader who possesses lots of knowledge and experience in the field of work. In general, groups are more productive when they have an influential leadership. A good leader sets high standards and targets for the group.

A study by Deutch, M found that when good leadership is applied to co-operative groups, they tend to: “be more productive in quantity, produce higher quality and have a stronger push to complete the task”. Another factor that makes a team successful is how satisfied the members are in the team. I mentioned this earlier but it is found in the studies of Hawthorne that “happy groups are also productive ones”. One of the aims of the management within an organization is to make team members bond with each other and satisfy their social needs.

Whether it’s through the environment they work in or the amount of freedom given to them, satisfaction in their job results in high productivity. The Kretch, Crutchfield and Ballachey model of group functioning 1962 was also used to illustrate how different independent variables could affect the outcome of group productivity and member satisfaction. Group cohesion is another factor that increases affectivity in a team because when members all have the same positive drive to reach their targets; the motivation spears them to do better.

Throughout the reign of Stalin he was able to establish himself as a successful dictator through totalitarian rule. He became the undisputed leader of the USSR and the factors that enabled him to do so were Industrialisation, his social policies and his ability to defeat Hitler in World War Two. However, through Stalin’s political career he also encountered many failures. These were Collectivism, the purges and the terror he caused by the people living in Russia during his reign. Stalin’s reign was successful through Industrialisation.

He modernised industry by introducing the 5-Year Plans, which consisted of two plans. The first plan from 1928 to 1933 and the second to 1932 to 1937 and they had the aims of improving the Russian industry. Many of the regions of the USSR were backward. Stalin believed that ‘to be backward was to be defeated and enslaved, but if you are powerful people must beware of you. ’ There were many successes of the 5-year plans. The USSR was turned into a modern state, which was able to resist Hitler’s invasion and as well as that there began to be a genuine communist enthusiasm displayed among the young ‘Pioneers’.

There were huge drastic improvements in the industry; the output was projected to increase by an enormous 180% over 5 years and there were also huge achievements in coal, steel and hydroelectric power productions. The targets he had set were impossibly high however Stalin believed that he could force a nation to meet them. Overall throughout his reign he achieved fantastic successes, but at a big human cost, and while industrial output soared, the production of consumer goods remained static.

Another way Stalin was successful during his reign was through his social policies. In 1936, Stalin published a new constitution. Soviet citizens were granted the right to a job, social security, equality, health care and education. They were also promised freedom of speech and right of a fair trial. Before this, after the 1917 revolution, there had been a lot of social changes however, Stalin returned the USSR to traditional values that related to the communist rules and regimes.

Despite this, there was an increase in the number of women entering the workforce and child -minding services were set up in every factory to accommodate the needs a woman. Women had more rights given to them and the educational systems dramatically improved leaving to key successes. Stalin ultimately wanted the people to believe that strong leadership was good for the USSR and through this time he was seen in a very ‘positive light’. Evidently, through the introduction of new social policies, Stalin was successful during his reign over Russia.

By having the ability to defeat Hitler in World War Two, Stalin’s reign was successful. Hitler at the time was attempting to invade the Soviet Union, and Stalin kept retreating into the Soviet territory. After many battles within the Soviet Territory, Hitler began to realise that the Soviets were beginning to win battles. The broken troops in 1941 were replaced with new soldiers that were willing to defend the ‘motherland’. While Hitler was pouring more of his reserves into the battle, Stalin just began to scratch the surface of his reserves leaving him with more troops.

After the battle of Stalingrad over 91,000 of Hitler’s army had been captured and their supply line was cut. The Red Army pushed the Nazi forces back to Berlin in 1945 and in The Battle of Berlin; The Red Army took control over Berlin, which is Germany’s capital. Through his leadership skills and having the ability to ‘not lose his nerve’ and stay in Moscow when Germany was closing in he was able to defeat Hitler in World War Two, evidently making Stalin’s reign successful. However, Stalin had many failures throughout his reign, one of which was through collectivism.

Stalin had a strong desire to modernise agriculture, which led him to collectivise the farms of Russia, uniting them and putting them under full state control. Stalin thought he needed to collectivise farms because Soviet agriculture was backward, food was needed for workers in towns and this was essential if the five-year plans were to succeed. The NEP wasn’t working, by 1928; the USSR was short of 20 million grains that were needed to feed the people in towns. Another reason Stalin collectivised agriculture was because the Kulaks opposed communism, as they liked their ‘private wealth. The Kulaks hid food from the government collectors and became very influential on peasants, so therefore, Stalin wanted to destroy them. From this came disastrous implications which included the fall of stock, an example of this is in 1928, 73 Tons of Grain was produced however, in 1933 this figure fell to 69 Tons of Grain produced. This lead to a famine because there wasn’t enough food for the people of the USSR and in 1923, 33 million Russians died as a result of the famine.

Another failure was that the Kulaks were eliminated, however, in Stalin’s eyes this was a major success. Overall through collectivism Stalin experienced a failure through his reign. Another failure during Stalin’s reign was through the Great Purges. At fist the actions of the purges were limited to ‘removing membership cards’. However, it became much more brutal as it escalated quickly as it expanded onto the majority of the population. One out of eighteen in the USSR was accused, put on trial and then either sent into exile of executed.

Some of the most developed minds in the government were killed because they didn’t agree with the policies Stalin put forward. Purging of the officers in the army in the 1930s also weakened the Red Army, which caused the collapse and loss of Western Russia to Nazi forces in 1941. Through all of what the great purges caused another failure for Stalin’s reign. Through the terror that Stalin caused onto the people of Russia, people lived in fear of him, which became a failure of his career. Stalin believed that Russia had to be united, with him as a leader if it was to be strong.

He also believed that Russia has 10 years to catch up with the western world before Germany invaded and because of this Stalin became extremely paranoid and ‘power-mad’. The results of Stalin’s enforced terror was Russia came to dominate the whole of the USSR, the Orthodox Church was attacked and twenty million people were arrested. Most people lived in fear of the secret police and the industry grew as the terror caused provided free slave labour. A Stalin cult was formed and the army and navy weakened due to the purges of leading officers.

Through all of these things he caused terror to the people of Russia making this a failure in Stalin’s reign. Overall, Stalin’s greatest success included becoming the undisputed leader of the USSR through Industrialisation, his social policies and his ability to defeat Hitler in World War Two, however this came a greater cost to the people of Russia by collectivisation, the Great Purges and the terror he enforced upon the people of Russia. So, therefore, Stalin was successful through his reign to some extent however he did have acts that hindered his success.

The critical success factors include having a sustained increase in profitability for the next five years and increasing number of customer on a per year basis as well as sustained prices in its stocks. If anything happens in these factors management is advised to take action responsively by reviewing its strategies which are bound to change because of changing conditions. Controls and Evaluation: List and describe controls and evaluation methods.

The controls and evaluation include conducting an evaluation of management performance periodically where managers must be made responsible for not attaining their measurable target as the objectives are translated on a per department basis.

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1. J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. (2008a) Company Website , {www document} URL, http://www. jcpenney. net/about/default. aspx, Accessed May 10,2008
2. J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc.(2008b) On companys mission to increase access to after-school program {www document} URL http://ir. jcpenney. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=70528&p=irol-newsCompanyArticle&ID=1040751&highlight, Accessed May 12, 2008 J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. (2008c)
3. Company Website: On company’s overall vision to be a leading corporate citizen in youth development and community involvement { www document} URL http://www. jcpenney. net/social_resp/community/default. aspx, Accessed May 10,2008 J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc.
4. (2008d) Company Website: On company’s mission to offer its customer the best way quality fabric that is trend right at great price, www document} URL http://www. jcpenney. net/search/default. aspx? cx=009810369955986132959%3Ar9sapjfpxh4&cof=FORID%3A11&q=mission&sa=#570, Accessed May 10,2008 J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. , 2008e) Company Website: On Branding strategy, www document} URL http://www. jcpenneybrands. com/ Accessed May 10,2008
5. J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. , (2008f) Company Website on “Every day matters” positioning strategy http://ir.
6. jcpenney. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=70528&p=irol-newsCompanyArticle&ID=1129137&highlight=, Accessed May 10,2008 J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. (2008g)
7. Company Website: On positioning strategy, www document} URL http://ir. jcpenney. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=70528&p=irol-irHome, Accessed May 10,2008 Porter (1980) Competitive Strategy, Free Press, UK Yahoo Finance (2008)
8. Financial Statements , 2006 to 2008 {www document} URL, http://finance. yahoo. com/q/pr? s=JCP, Accessed May 10,2008

In the late 1990s McDonald’s in an effort to revive the downward moving sales figures launched new growth initiatives. Diversification strategy to boost sales and capture new markets was adopted by the Chairman and CEO Jack M. Greenberg. This led to acquisition of Donatos Pizzas and some other food brands in the hope of providing the consumers with a range of products under one roof. This strategy was not a success in the coming years and McDonald’s decided to sell back Donatos Pizzas in the year 2003.

The fast food chain decided it was better strategy to position themselves as special burgers and French fries outlets than be tied with other food items as pizzas. The leading brand has been positioned as quality retailer of hamburgers and French fries over the years. It is a strategic error to associate the burger brand with other food items as it may spoil the existing image of the company. The consumers’ perception of the brand closely relates to burgers and fries.

The name McDonald’s has become synonymous with burgers and French fries across the globe. It is true that growing health consciousness among consumers and the risks associated with high calorie food has eaten up a segment of the fast food market. The McDonald’s has effectively countered this by introducing salad variations in their menu cards. The adaptation to local tastes and culture across the globe is also a smart move by the company but it essentially remains the burger and fries brand in the minds of the consumers.

Hence a deviation from this model will not be strategically correct. Controversy around McDonald’s – reasons A brand as big as McDonald’s that has become a symbol of success in the fast food industry across the globe has been a target of criticism and protests time and again. The company has been criticized for encouraging unhealthy eating habits among the present generation and held responsible for increasing obesity and health related problems.

It has been the target of protesters across the world for promoting a food culture that is not only unwanted but also exploiting the poor workers who are paid low wages, and other acts of polluting the environment. It has also been accused of being a profit making enterprise that has no respect for other cultures. The big multinational companies spend enormous amount of funds on advertising and promotion every year with the objective of market penetration and profit earning. The marketing and strategic planning of such companies are analyzed and debated over.

They currently have 11 markets throughout Europe and Asia and are currently the market leaders in five countries. Tesco also currently have over 160,000 employees working internationally serving 28 million customers. Tesco has also adapted to the Multi-format stores internationally which targets the specific area, utilising space and providing customers with local offers which will interest them. This should thus meet the needs of the customer by gaining loyalty. In order to achieve continued international growth and maintain success Tesco has evolved an international strategy based on six elements.

These elements stress the need for flexibility and change when entering different markets and the need for customer feedback. Through the constant implementation of this strategy Tesco should have no problem in maintaining international growth. Tesco’s third aim takes Tesco to a completely new level with different more intense competition globally which they are not as familiar with. Tesco’s third aim is ‘Be as strong in non-food as in food’ which basically concerns the Tesco direct website, Homeplus stores (7) and Extra stores.

Some of the stores have opticians and over 240 pharmacies. Tesco have also adapted their ‘Tesco finest’ range in the non-food sector offering products such as cashmere jumpers. Tesco currently has a growing market share in the non food sector, with non-food sales growing faster than food operations. This clearly shows us that Tesco is doing something right in this sector and gaining the customers’ interest. Tesco ensures it has broad appeal by continually innovating and investing in new lines to increase choice for customers and maintain growth.

Currently 22 per cent of Tesco’s sales and profits in the UK come from Non-Food and whilst only owning about 7% of the market share can still generate 6 billion in profits in the UK alone. This clearly shows how successful Tesco have been in trying to meet their aim. Customers’ interests in non-food items are growing, profits are increasing and market share is growing. Therefore Tesco is making their non-food sector very profitable and are moving closer to their aim of making non-food as successful as food.

Tesco’s fourth major aim is to ‘Follow customers into new retailing services’ and since 1997 when Tesco entered the sector they have been achieving this aim. In 1997 Tesco Personal Finance was launched as a joint venture with Royal Bank of Scotland. It currently offers customers a choice of 26 products ranging from savings accounts and credit cards to car and travel insurance. Since 1997 TPF has been very successful and has attracted the customer’s attention. Tesco were able to make personal finance profitable and in 1999 Tesco launched a new on-line bookstore and on-line banking website

In 1998 Tesco Telecoms was launched, providing simple, straightforward telecoms services with great value tariffs. However Tesco didn’t take telecoms seriously until 2003. It has not purchased or built a telecoms network instead it pairs with other existing providers. To date Tesco Telecoms has over 2 million account holders and is proving to be a growing profitable business. For this assignment I am concentrating on my local Tesco branch located in Monaghan. It is one of the 95 stores currently in Ireland. Tesco has expanded in Ireland through takeover, mainly through the takeover of Quinnsworth stores for 680 million.

This is how it became the anchor tenant in the local shopping centre in Monaghan. Tesco support local growers and buys directly from manufacturers in Ireland wherever possible. For example they buy potatoes from local producers in Monaghan. It has become a very good employer and contributes to fundraising and supports organisations such as Rehab. Objectives In order to fully fulfil their aims Tesco have a number of objectives which they have divided into 5 main categories’s including: customer, community, operations, people and finance.

Now that everyone has caller ID and most people are weary of telemarketers, the question arises whether cold-calling is still viable in today’s world.

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As a result, companies are instead focusing on buying and maintaining email lists, and often sending out constant messages about a variety of news and offers. However, don’t diss cold-calling so fast, because the opportunity to establish a personal connection in the digital age, which is something many of us so desperately need in today’s faceless world. Here’s what you need to remember about cold-calling so you have an easier time when you pick up the phone.

You need thick skin.

We’re talking elephant-thick here, in order to muddle through the amount of voicemails, annoyed secretaries and busy executives who all seem to want you to go away. That’s the nature of cold-calling, but even the best salespeople still get their feelings a little ruffled. The main problem of unsuccessful cold callers is that they give up far too easily and quickly.

Confidence can be a killer.

If you go into a call with the mindset that no one will want this product, that alone may bury the conviction in your sales pitch. And, if you go into a call thinking that , that can be just as harmful.

The latter happens when salespeople repeat the same things to every potential customer and continue to loudly extol why they’ve come up with an answer to a prospect’s prayers even when that customer seems underwhelmed about the product’s usefulness. Too much confidence can make listeners feel annoyed that the salesperson assumes he or she understands their problems without any context at all.

Your script is all wrong.

We all have a script in everything we do, whether we admit it or not. When we meet a new person or head to the grocery store, we have a set frame of conversation. Some cold-callers swear by scripts, but we fail to remember what we could gain from deviating from the standard sales script just a little. If you’re working with words that don’t sound like your own, listeners will be desperate to get off the phone.

You’re fighting technology.

The people you call are used to working with a computer on a regular basis, so it’s easy for them to ask you to send information via email. They’re more comfortable turning to a machine in order to skip making a contact. This can be good because it creates an opportunity for you, the salesperson, to show listeners that you are a contact worth making and that by listening, they can achieve a better bottom line.

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Your objective is lost.

Real selling isn’t just about talking up a product, it’s about forming a relationship with those on the other end of the line and then using that bond to introduce a way to actually help them. How can that objective not be confused when there are numbers to hit and bills to pay?

This is really the main reason that cold-callers get a bad reputation. One thing a company can really benefit from is by letting its sales staff contribute to the business’s overall strategy, a move that can lead to a .

Your contacts are confused.

We’re all confused about sales. On one hand, we know that there are some products that absolutely can benefit us. On the other, we’ve all made purchases we later regretted. The customer’s first instinct may be to get off the phone so as not to be tempted. This is not easy to deal with, but once you know where your client is coming from, you are more likely to tailor your conversation in a way that keeps this person engaged and hooked.

The list is wrong.

If a company gathers a wide variety of people to sell them all the same product, it’s setting itself up for failure. When the cold-caller knows little about whom he or she is calling, getting the words right (especially considering any time restraints) can be difficult.

However, if your prospect list targets a limited range of contacts, the caller will know something specific about whom he or she is speaking with, thus making it easier to establish rapport and authority. On average, it takes to reach someone, so making your list shorter can be extremely advantageous.

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Cold-calling can be learned.

Some people are just great speakers and are electric enough that audiences want to stay on the phone. However, finding the perfect candidates to fill all of your sales roles can be difficult. Fortunately, charisma can be taught. With a dedicated team and the right resources, it is possible to teach effective sales skills so long as employees are willing to learn them.

has become a legend in sales and entrepreneurship circles as one of the world’s leading sales trainers, a New York Times bestselling author and one of the most influential CEOs on social media. His astounding more than 1.5 million followers across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook speaks for itself. Now Cardone has a new project — a book. “” was released Oct. 11. 

I got my hands on a copy before it hit the shelves, and I found Cardone’s premise interesting. His main argument is that achieving greatness — whether in business, sales or another pursuit — requires obsession with your craft. 

Cardone also argues that more often than not, society views obsession as a bad thing. Even when you’re chasing an admirable pursuit, obsession itself is frowned upon or worse, seen as a problem. Cardone aims to show entrepreneurs how they can channel obsession in a healthy way to build successful businesses and have a real impact on the world. Here are my four key takeaways from the book.

1. Stop focusing on where you’ve been — or where you are now. 

Before you can leverage obsession to your advantage, you must stop using it to sabotage yourself. Stressing over a current life situation or difficult past drains your focus and energy. You need to recognize these negative obsessions for what they are, own up to your part in perpetuating them and take conscious action to divert your obsession elsewhere. This connects directly to my next takeaway.

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2. Obsession + clarity = success.

It’s not enough to be obsessed with your company or your product. You need to develop a level of clarity about your life and establish measurable goals with concrete deadlines.

To make sure your obsession doesn’t send you spinning into multiple directions and ultimately going nowhere, identify clear targets. Obsession can be like a heat-seeking missile, so it’s important to know at all times which direction you’ll pursue.  

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3. Go for it, and don’t look back.

Once you’re locked on your target, pull the trigger and never look back. If you know this is the life you want to live, there’s nothing wrong with going all in.

Steve Jobs said “the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” Success requires being fully committed — you can’t anything change your mind or stop you. If you do, you’ll miss the bull’s-eye.

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4. Don’t fear burnout.

Cardone doesn’t believe in burnout — so long as people are fulfilling their purpose. He thinks those who experience the symptoms of burnout more than likely are pouring their energies into something they’re not meant to be doing.

Are there days you’ll become frustrated, even if you’re on the right course? Certainly. But obstacles and challenges exist in every business, and those living their right life push through the tough times to overcome them.