Organizational Culture and Harley-Davidson Case Study

Organizational Culture and Harley-Davidson - Case Study Example The success of Harley-Davidson as a company can be attributed to its strong organizational culture. Harley-Davidson management strived to rediscover the things their company did best and was gifted with the knowledge of what culture could help achieve its vision of the future. Its leaders consciously re-examined its community roots and undertook actions that served long-term corporate and community purposes (Burack, 1993, p. 78). According to Schuster and Weidman (2006), Harley-Davidson's culture could be described as participatory because it imbues "collaborative decision-making at all levels". Schuster and Weidman (2006) shared that this company applies "collaborative model" because it decentralized the senior management's decision-making down to its salaried-only work groups. Although Harley-Davidson management considers this culture as a "work in progress", it has already attained various success levels throughout the organization. The continued exposure of their leaders and plan t floor employees into working productive teams, the company has gained non-traditional opportunities and it increased the level of employee support for this practice of labor-management partnership. Harley-Davidson's is an epitome of a company's effective approach to people management No doubt, organizational culture... Conversely, failure to comply with cultural norms generates social pressures to conform; thus the individuals would either align with the cultural expectations or face ostracism and ridicule by their peers. Much of this process occurs in an informal and unspecified manner, filling in the gaps left by rational organizational control systems such as reporting relationships and job descriptions. Ultimately, it is the customers that benefits in the application of a We have recommended for Harley-Davidson to establish a website where customers and potential customers can convene, the site will be called "Harley Dreamers" and the goal of this website is to promote Harley-Davidson events and while linking our customers to each other. The site will also offer a "Swap Meet" portion of the website, where subscribers could post ads for motorcycles and parts for sale or for trade. Another feature would be a site like "Bike Log", which could complement the "Swap Meet" site because people purchasing a bike from the site will be able to see where the bike has traveled and users can share their good or bad experiences using Harley-Davidson's motorcycles. "Swap Meet" should be free for all Harley-Davidson customers, since this is the great selling point for getting people to subscribe to this site. Lastly, the "Technical Information Center" is a vital feature of the site where subscribers can obtain answers directly from Harley-Davidson professionals who wo uld answer to their needs 24-hours a day. The GPS system will also enable users to track a bike or they can simply chat with other bike owners about their experiences on our blog. Incidentally, decentralized and collaborative decision-making that already exists in Harley-Davidson culture can work best with

Finance and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Finance and Management - Essay Example Finally, a decision is arrived at whether the firm can be financed two hundred thousand dollars. This Criterion must answer the following questions: What problem are you solving What is your business proposition for solving the problem Who are your customers Who are your competitors How viable is your business How do you make money Executive Summary is clear & effective as a stand-alone document. In the case, BBC is trying to solve the problem of customization of bicycle frames. There is no business proposition. The customers are mountain bike riders and racing professionals. BBC is a niche player and there is no information about its competitors. BBC makes money by selling Bicycle parts. In Joe's Case, the executive summary is a projection of sales without any explanation on what basis the projection is made. The problem is not clearly stated. From the executive summary, it is evident that Joe's specializes in providing high-quality fast food via company-owned portable carts in high-density urban office locations. The business proposition is clearly stated to provide high-quality fast food which is 100% natural. The customers are employees working in urban office locations. No information is provided about the competitors. ... The executive summary of BBC is very practical and workable. This is a favorable one. The executive summary of Joe's is viable but the sales projections made have no basis. Still this is a favorable one. Product or Service Description This criterion must answer the following questions: What is the product or service What are its attributes Advantages and potential drawbacks Why/how is your product/service more compelling than existing ones or the competition What is the stage of development Do you have a proprietary position or intellectual property protection planned or in place Most successful companies start with just one product or service or a few, at most. Trying to do too much too fast and having to educate the consumer about a product's or service's benefits can push a company under before it's out of the blocks Analysis BBC is having a single product of manufacturing bicycle frames as per the requirements of the customer. The features of the product are light, stiff, responsive and race worthy. The great advantage of BBC is customization and this forms the most compelling reason for choosing BBC. Joe's Redhots sells premium-quality hot dogs and other ready-to-eat luncheon products to upscale business people in high-traffic urban locations. Joe's Redhots is positioned versus other luncheon street vendors as the "best place to have a quick lunch." The features of Joe's product include cleanest carts, the most hygienic servers, the purest, freshest, products, and the best values. Prices are at a slight premium to reflect this superior vending service. Joe's Redhots also is known for its fun and promotional personality, offering consumers something special every week for monetary savings and fun. Interpretation BBC is very clear in its

A brief history of Capitalism, from antiquity to the present Essay

A brief history of Capitalism, from antiquity to the present - Essay Example re the history of capitalism from antiquity to the present; in doing so the paper deals separately with the Ancient, Medieval, and Modern forms of capitalism. Ancient forms of capitalism had its roots in the agrarian societies; the ancient form of capitalism was prevalent in ancient Israel, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and in the ancient Roman empire. Weber is of the opinion that capitalism was at work in antiquity; he purports that the ancient societies were marked by â€Å"dramatic increases in wealth and these were often followed by decline† and therefore he argues that the existence of ‘apparent economic prosperity and expansion’ during this period show the evidence of capitalistic economic structure. Weber views capitalism as an economic system where â€Å"property is an object of trade, and is used by individuals for profit-making in a market economy†; following this definition Weber considers the slave-based agriculture (comprised of slaves and lands) as an ancient manifestation of capitalism (Love 35-36). The landlords and nobles used to levy rents from their dependants and the estates (plantations based o n slave labour) they owned contributed to the economic surplus. The ancient cities were more natural economies which were centres of consumption than production and therefore the economic surplus had a crucial role to play in the prosperity of the economy. Most of the ancient cities depended on grain imports; however, in cities like Rome and Athens private trade was replaced by state intervention which is against the principles of capitalism. However, organized labour and organized division of labour was absent in the ancient societies even though some crude forms of grouping of slave labour was prevalent in certain plantations and factories. Weber’s list of capitalist pursuits in ancient societies include â€Å"government contracts (tax farming and public works), mining, sea trade (maritime loans), overland trade, the leasing of slaves, and the

Education and youth integration into European labour markets the case Study

Education and youth integration into European labour markets the of Balkan countries - Case Study Example e employers recruits & selects the most efficient and smart candidate who is a blend of adaptability, flexibility, vision, critical thinking and charisma. Hence, it is justified to argue that the above mentioned consequences are fruits of globalization that potential employees of 21st century have been reaping in an extremely challenging, complex and unstructured business environment. Education, in this scenario, plays vital role because it informs and shapes the mindsets of youths, who are would-be employees. In fact, the purpose of education is to provide students an insight over contemporary challenges in their society, sharpens their critical thinking / intellect and mentally prepares them for any adverse or favorable future outcomes. For instance, the students learn how they could assimilate pressure and upgrade themselves to comply with modern rules, expectations and demands. This paper will throw light in detail how different kinds and levels of education shape the access of y oung people to jobs of varying advantage and the smoothness of the transition from school to work. The researcher will specifically take into consideration the educational policies, frameworks and models presently implemented in European Union to enhance educational level and prepare students to successfully commence their careers in an uncertain and unpredictable external business environment. It should be emphasized that education may resolve financial problems that are actually the root cause of societal unrest and uncertainty. In other words, the uneducated have become outliers since they barely find any respectable employment opportunity, thereby contributing to growth of unprivileged classes. However, it should not be confused that only free market economic system and capitalism has...The interaction and coordination among people has improved tremendously in last 3 decades after the advent of internet and subsequent use of desktop PCs, laptop notebooks, Personal Digital Assist ants, mobile devices etc. Indeed, there has been greater focus today on research and development function because every nation has understood that a country, with technological backwardness, may not succeed and prosper in today’s extremely challenging external environment.The importance of education in personal and financial development could not be denied. Without education, a person in 21st century could face oneself insecure and unsafe because of complexities, unpredictability and challenges. The educational systems across Germany and United Kingdom have focused on school-based and work-based training sessions, thereby reducing youth unemployment rates and contributing to youth integration in labor markets to a greater extent. Similarly, Austria, Denmark and Netherland also have low youth unemployment rates and greater integration levels. In contrast, France, Italy, Greece and Spain are among notable countries that have very high youth unemployment primarily because of les s focus on vocational specialization and work-based training. Most of the poor and economically unsound Balkan countries have been grappling with grave issue of unemployment, and provide limited educational facilities to every youth.

Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Facebook - Essay Example The co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, had been accused of stealing the concept of Facebook from three students in Harvard University. However, he won his case against them and cleared any misconceptions about the source of the concept. Facebook was launched when the idea of social networking sites had already been circulated on the web in the form of MySpace, Orkut etc. These competitors were overshadowed by the inventive ideas and features of Facebook. It is a matter of time until another interesting idea makes its way to the top rank and supersedes Facebook. External and internal analysis has been conducted regarding Facebook to facilitate the continuation of the achievement of its goals and objectives. Other than the constant threat of the initiation of an even more inventive idea, Facebook is starting to face ‘Facebook Fatigue’ from the users due to the extensive usage of the same features. Few strategies have been proposed in the report that can be useful for Facebook to improve their service and achieve their goals and objectives. The need of the hour is to inhibit the adaptation of third party applications to ensure greater security, offer new features and functions to handle ‘Facebook Fatigue’ and reduce the number of advertisements display for the users. Facebook 1. Introduction Facebook is a social networking site that has leaped mankind to a new level of social networking; in terms of greater interactivity and communication. It is not only considered as a mechanism to communicate, but also an effective medium to share different types of multimedia, like videos, images, documents etc. It enables the users to stay in touch with their friends, colleagues, family and strangers who might have similar interests or hobbies. It is a global platform where an individual from any race or religion can become a member to communicate with his peers. Facebook has become the most commonly adopted social networking site in the prevail ing times since they have greater number of registered users every day; Facebook shows records that on average, 100 million users access the respective website every day. This report discusses different aspects of the social networking site and how the respective company has gained the status of one of the leading companies in the world. The core objectives and mission statement of the company has also been included to communicate the core values of the company. External, as well as internal analysis has been done for the company to identify the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for the company. An important and final aspect of this report is the proposal of effective strategies to facilitate the achievement of the goals of the company, along with the strategic plans to implement the propositions in the company. The financial impacts of the propositions have not been analyzed in the report due to the unavailability of extensive financial information from Facebook. It is also recommended that some of the proposals should be implemented after attaining feedback from the user to ensure that the tedious task of implementing the changes would cause a positive effect on the users, such as the provision of customization options, lessening of advertisements on profile pages. 2. Company Overview Mark Zuckerberg is one of the main founders of the company. Womack stated that the annual revenues of 2010 amounted to around $2 billion. It has been ranked as the 3rd largest IT company in the world, behind Microsoft and Google. Womack also provided the information that the founder was named as the â€Å"Person of the Year† by Time Magazine in 2010. The value of the company has

Strategic Supply Chain Managemnt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Strategic Supply Chain Managemnt - Essay Example As any student of management accounting is aware of, the quantum of capital employed in plant and machinery is more or less uniform across an industry as all players generally opt for the latest technology so as to enjoy maximum levels of operating efficiency. So, there is not much to differentiate between the competitors in that regard. But the area where the leaders leave the stragglers behind is supply chain management and inventory control. If a proper and taut control over inventory is not maintained, the level of capital employed can never be brought down while keeping the operational efficiency intact. (Cox, Sanderson and Watson 2001) These days the management gurus are looking beyond the narrow and immediate confines of inventory management and are looking at managing the supply chain as a whole. Supply chain attempts to view the whole production process as a seamless entity that begins with market research for correctly evaluating consumer demand and follows the flow of inputs and services through the production process right till the time when the finished product reaches the final consumer. Thus this is a wider concept that includes all the stakeholders; right from the supplier that supplies raw materials to the final consumer that buys the product to satisfy a particular need. In between of course lie the producer, the labour and the service inputs from the tertiary sector of the economy. A supply chain in its most basic form has four components, and they are: Supply chain management, as is clear from the above diagram, is basically akin to running a relay race and just as in a relay race the entire team is as good as its weakest link, so also in supply chain management the entire operation is as efficient as its least efficient sections. That is to say, a super efficient manufacturer is not enough to make the entire supply chain effective – all the components must be

Revollutionary and evolutionary socialist hae different ends and means Essay Example for Free

Revollutionary and evolutionary socialist hae different ends and means Essay Socialism is a broad ideology which covers a whole range of different traditions and ideals. There are disagreements within socialism are most definitely between revolutionary and evolutionary socialist in terms of means and ends. Revolutionary socialism believes in the idea that a capitalist system will not easily fall and so the only way to remove a capitalist society is for a mass up rise and overthrow of the system accepting that violence may be involved with this. From a Marxist-Leninist view the way for this to take place is for a vanguard party to help the proletariat to have some sort of revolutionary class consciousness. Revolutionary socialist reject electoral and constitutional politics as it is inextricably tied to the interest of a capitalist society and the ruling class, which is why Marxists see revolution as inevitable as they believe in the complete abolition of it. Revolutionary socialism therefore seeks the abolition of Private property and the state; this is because Marx and Engels viewed capitalism and its traditions to be a system of naked oppression and exploitation on the working masses and therefore the only way to remove capitalism and enforce socialism is by mass up rise from working class. Marxists therefore believe that political power reflects class interests and that the state is a bourgeois state that is based on the capital. Reasons in which there is a need for a overthrow of the bourgeois state by political revolution is because Revolutionary Socialists understand that change by political reform and gradual change which is supported by evolutionary socialist are clearly misleading as the ideas of universal suffrage and regular and competitive elections are simply a disguise of the actual reality of unequal classes and to mislead the political energies of the working class. Hence the need for the class-conscious proletariat to overthrow the capitalist state in order to enforce socialism. However in contrast evolutionary socialists believe that means of socialism should be brought about peacefully by the ballot. An example of this is Fabian Socialists who believe in inevitability of gradualism, which means that the working class would use the means of political democracy to empower them and therefore use voting to bring a Socialist Party into power. Fabian Socialists therefore take the liberals view on the state rather than the Marxist, so the state should be neutral authority rather than an agent of class oppression. They also believe that through education and a combination of political action that the elite of the capitalist society can be converted to socialism this way, essentially for them is the most easiest way to achieve socialism in the most peaceful manner. the use of the ballot would therefore develop an evolutionary outgrowth of capitalism. The inevitability of gradualism is supported by evolutionary socialists as extension of franchise would eventually lead to universal adult suffrage which will then lead on to political equality. if political equality is apparent, then in practice it will work in the interest of the majority. so evolutionary socialists believe political democracy would go in the hands of the working class as within any industrial society, the proletariat would be the majority. Therefore, as human nature seen by socialist is ultimately altruistic, they will inevitably be drawn towards social political parties which offer social justice. this will then guarantee the success of socialist parties numerically. once in power the party will then be able to legitimately create changes within society towards socialism and so achieving socialism peacefully and therefore making it inevitable. There are also disagreements with the terms of ends in socialism between revolutionary and evolutionary socialists. As seen, revolutionary socialism seeks to abolish capitalism and seek to replace it with a classless and stateless society which essentially the Marxist utopia; they also seek a social system based on common ownership. Revolution socialists believe private property should be removed as they believe that the origins of competition and inequality come from private property, and so they seek to remove private property as it is seen as unjust because wealth is produces as a collective effort of humans and so should not be owned by individuals. Common ownership as a terms of ends also emphasises on the fact that private property is morally corrupting and it fosters conflict in society ie. between owners and workers, or simply rich and poor. Therefore Fundamentalist socialists seek to abolish capitalism and replace it with a qualitatively different kind of society based on common ownership. Whereas, the evolutionary socialist seek to attain socialism through a parliamentary route and evidently showing the clear disagreement between evolutionary and  revolutionary socialists as they have very different ways to achieve socialism and the type of socialism that will be enforced as evolutionary socialists believe in a few types of ends ranging from the abolition of capitalism, to taming it through welfare state, wealth and progressive taxation which is definitely opposed by revolutionary socialists. Essentially they moderately critique capitalism as they only want to reform and reduce the economic inequalities and increase social justice. this has led to the redefinition of socialism in terms of distributive equality rather than common ownership. however there has been an exception within socialism with Fundamentalist democrats as they want to remove capitalism through the parliamentary route, however there has not been any demonstration of this type of ideology.