Sunday, August 26, 2012

   Author:M. Azim Ulfati

Empowerment and Communication
Create an advertisement for one of the company’& s products that focuses on one of the socially responsible or sustainability initiatives you researched. Be sure your advertisement is an example of positive external communication from the company.

I am a customer of Comcast and have Internet connection at my home from this company and I love their best services not only that but also their friendly environment. Comcast is one of the best companies socially responsible and initiative in their services and products.

The culture of social responsibility and codes of ethics and business are the outstanding characteristics of this company that reflects dedication to maintaining the highest standards in ethics, honesty, fairness and integrity and being green. There is notable social responsibility for every one within the company to create a society of non discrimination, equal opportunity and non harassment policies to insure that a person’s race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity, age, national origin or ancestry citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, membership in uniformed services, genetic information or any other basis that are protected by federal, state, or local laws.
To perform well social responsibility and compliance efforts, the company periodically assesses principal compliance risks under applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, Company policies, and Company contracts.
The company takes reasonable steps to ensure they have standards and procedures designed to prevent and detect criminal conduct.
It makes reasonable efforts to screen persons with "substantial authority" to ensure they have not engaged in illegal conduct;
It ensures that their standards and procedures are effectively communicated, including through effective training programs, to personnel at all levels of the Company.
It conducts monitoring and auditing to detect non-compliance with standards, procedures and laws; have systems in place to permit employee reporting of actual or potential wrongdoing; and evaluate periodically the effectiveness of the Compliance Program.
It promotes and enforces the programs through incentives and discipline.
It takes reasonable steps to respond to criminal conduct/non-compliance and to prevent future violations; and report periodically to senior management and the Board of Directors on the results of the Compliance Program.

Analyze how employee empowerment has enabled Kimpton business model of being a boutique hotel. Determine how this empowerment enables trust in the employees and then extends to how the employees provide service to the hotel customers.

Kimpton hotel is the place for a culture of care where individuality and creativity can flourish where self-leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit are encouraged to design and deliver the best possible service. Kimpton is a place where the employees are treated well like a business partner and they are recognized for their outstanding work.

The employees are looked at as a loyal worker and employee. I believe that there is a great opportunity of growth and attitude toward empowerment begins from the top of the organization all the way to the bottom. High expectation of managers provides a great opportunity for the employees to grow and promote the organization toward progress by making a wise decision when needed without discussing it with management staff.
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants offers wonderful hospitality career opportunities that range from restaurant executive chef to hotel director of housekeeping. Each employee’s plays an important role in providing heartfelt care to guests, and in order shows the diverse opportunities available at Kimpton. There is also parties and fund raisers once a year at Kimpton.
Kimpton strives to create a work force as diverse, inclusive and multifaceted as our properties and customer base. It is their desire to respect culture and ethnic diversity by hiring and nurturing individuals with an array of talent, experience, perspective and backgrounds that will recognize the needs of, and provide exceptional service to Kimpton guests
Author:M. Azim Ulfati


Analyze Klimpton’s strategy for being environmentally friendly. Determine how this strategy helps Klimpton make supplier channel decisions and manage the waste from its hotel and restaurant operations.  

Initiative is one part of success in the company’s strategy, which leads the company to become green. That is the best way that they practice these initiatives in actions for long sustainability where the company can leave global footprint limitations for the environment. In order to bring an initiative Klimpton established Earthcare for standardizing green practices all over the restaurants and hotel. The company saved money in the cost of shopping some products and expanded through out the company.
At Kimpton, there is a culture that includes people, one that celebrates the individuality of guest and employees alike. Kimpton has the highest customer satisfaction scores (93%+) and emotional attachment scores (89%) of any hotel company operating in the United States.

There is also 40 percent saving in waste management from Klimton’s Hotels restaurants.
Waste management is a good program where a lot of recycling and reuse of every thing from cardboard, batteries, computers and papers are composted, recycled or reused. The restaurant not only saves money through 40 percent savings in waste management but also it utilizes local organic products which helps local economy and saves money from the shipping of many different items.


• Describe Zappos’ customer service area and analyze how customer service is a strategic part of its business model.

Zappo is the online shoes , clothing and accessories retailer has had the top ranked customer service with a great interaction to customers. The ranking rates are based on the assessments and evaluation of customer service features, metrics and policies for each site.
It is very important to have customer service in order to grow and attract customers. I think Zappos is the only online retailer that has the best customer service, where the consumers pay for a good quality shopping experience. When the customers shop from Zappos, most of them return back. It is estimated that repeat customers is nearly 75 percent of business. The difference between this store and others is in interactions.
Not only many online retailers staff a customer service loyalty Department whom they keep contacts with customers and among other departments of company but also they keep customers happy via sending individual customers personal notes or flowers for different occasions. The customer service finds solutions if there is some thing wrong or problems with any products after the sale.

As a consumer of shoes, I would return to Zappos whenever I need shoes because not only they provide me free shipping and free returns but also checks with me if I am happy and satisfied with their products after the sale.
Author:M. Azim Ulfati

A New Business Plan

  • Imagine that you are beginning the very first social networking site, fast-food restaurant, or pizzeria, and develop a brief business plan that highlights the financial, marketing, and organizational aspects.
  • Now that you have identified several key components of your business, recommend how you would approach the first six months of operations
Mountainous Restaurant Business plan
I was born in a mountainous country, Kabul Afghanistan and I currently live in Woodbridge, Virginia. Mountainous food is more similar to any other Afghan regular food and as well as countries like, Pakistan, India, Iran, Tajikistan, Bangladesh and some other Asian and middle east countries. And there is lots of people from many of those mentioned countries and the news of mountainous food would be great news not only for them but also for the people of the area who have never tried this food. I will open up mountainous restaurant that would be open 24 hours per day and 7 days a week for breakfast, branch, lunch, dinner to eat in the restaurant, pick up and delivery and for some small private parties.
1- Executive Summary: I would focus more on the very important issues of my business, like the quality, variety of food, locations and as well as the business plan and strategy.

2- Introduction: I will start with an introduction about mountainous restaurant. We will be located in the heart of Dale Boulevard, close to Giant, CV’s, bars, restaurants, bus station and one-minute walk from commuting lot and bowling center in front of Center plaza. The mountainous Restaurant courses include many types of Afghan Kababs.
You may choose from halal chicken, beef, lamb, lamb chops, vegetables and even salmons. Our dishes will come with qabli palau ( A special type of rice with mixed ingredients), , dipping sauces and fresh Uzbakai Nan.We also offer many different types of vegetarian dishes and drinks. Please keep in mind to finish your food by trying some of the most delicious mountainous deserts and pastries in a romantic and memorable atmosphere for very reasonable prices.

3-Marketing Strategy: I will be discussing about the demographic of mountainous food. I will be providing some discounts for students, veterans, federal contractors and disabled people, football, soccer, cricket coaches and team leaders who would show their ID card. I will also advertise my business on the billboard, radios and local TV stations, face book, twitter and the restaurant website and will start mailing fliers to and giving brochures to the people in the area.

4-Financing strategy: Mountainous Restaurant business will be a family owned business. I will be running this business with my family. In order to start and run this business. I will need about 90 to 160 thousand US Dollars for kitchen appliances computer, cash register machines and all other equipment. I will get some loan assistant from Small Business Administration to help me with my business.

5-Operations: Once I identified some key components of my business. For the next six months, I will recommend to focus on establishing the best customer service, management, awareness to people via different types of marketing campaigns, like Facebook, twitter, websites, mailing fliers, issuing brochures, advertising in billboard radio and TV. Further more I will focus on the quantity and quality of food and will make sure that the customers do not walk a way hungry and they will surely be back for more food. I will evaluate my daily business activities and will learn from the errors within my business and will bring new changes for improvements.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Author:M. Azim Ulfati

Core Human Resource Functions

  • Determine how you might reduce involuntary turnover if you were the top human resource manager.
  • Recommend two ways to control compensation costs that do not decrease employee motivation or productivity.
Involuntary turnover happens when an employee does not frequently show up for work (Absences) , termination of contract due to the lack and poor skills, immorality, sexual harassment or when an employee is overqualified for a job. This involuntary is experienced more among high-skilled talents.

If I were the top human resource manager; I would recruit and selected qualified people not overqualified ones based on the needs of my company.
I would create flexible teambuilding activities and would hired people who are flexible. I would have retained them through incentive pay and as well as each six months or three months bonuses. I would have trained my employees in the best possible way regarding the corporate culture of the company, current position and holding workshops on the related field and as well as ethical behaviors.
Investing in strategic solutions such as absence and disability management techniques will also reduce involuntary turnover.

There are two possible ways to control compensation costs that do not decrease employee motivation or productivity and they are downsizing, and outsourcing and that which they can be a great strategy for long-term success.
Downsizing is a reaction to an emergency situation and it can also be part of a broader workforce strategy designed to align closely with the overall strategy of the business. For example, a new business strategy that pursues different products or services and new types of customers may motivate firms to lay off employees with obsolete skill sets and hire new employees with the skills to implement the revised business strategy. And outsourcing is also one way to hire people from foreign countries with less pay and to control compensation costs that do not decrease employee motivation or productivity.
I used to work with one of the United States Companies called Mission Essential Personnel and what I learnt from this company was that the company hires not only translators from the United States of America but also hires more translators and interpreters from Afghanistan with less pay and funds. These interpreters and translators communicate via Internet, computer and phones from a long distance and that outsourcing helps to control compensation costs.
Author:M. Azim Ulfati

Management Decisions

  • How a company’s ethical standards are aligned with its decision-making approach (es) and how you would be certain that ethical decisions were being made?
  • From the perspective of an executive suite, prioritize three of the responsibilities of management and justify your selections.
I think that any company’s success relates to its ethical standards which are aligned with its decisions making approach. Understanding how we make and follow through on ethical decisions is the first step to making better choices and the second one is taking a systematic approach. It is very important for the entire manager to make sure that all employees know all do’s and don’s and how to deal and behave with customers and use the daily conduct, moral values and corporate culture of the company as well as the individual and eventually they perform their tasks in the best possible way in order to achieve the company’s goals.
It is also very important for decision makers (Managers) to decide wisely and follow step-by-step process for choosing and performing a job in an ethical and legal way.

For instance, I work in a company where the mangers make wise decisions in ethical standards.
If the manager wants to lay off an employee or changes his/her duty location, he/she makes sure that every thing can flow better, then he lays off or changes his/her duty location.

Ethical decisions are made through these five steps. First the manger makes sure and thinks that is it an ethical issue?, he gets the facts, evaluates alternative actions, tests his decision and once the decision is made then he/she does not waste time in implementing it. Sets a date to review his/her decision and makes adjustment if necessary, Often he makes decisions with the best information to hand at the time, but things change and he makes a flexible decision making to be able to change that decision, then he lays off or changes his/her duty location.

Managers also need to practice these steps in their businesses accordingly.
The steps are planning; they have to plan a head of time or on time and must know what is needed in their businesses. The next one is organizing their daily, weekly and monthly schedules in order to plan and use the resources in the right places for the right plans.
Directing, leading, influencing is also one of the steps for using the skills and making effective plans in business. And the last one is controlling and checking all the planned resources, skills and progresses of all the plans.

It is important to know that ethical decision-making is a tricky business and managers must make more palatable workable decisions.

I think three responsibilities of management and my selections out of them are the following.

Establishing the corporate culture of the business from top executive management to lower level management. Making sure all do’s and don’s are complied within the corporate culture of company.

The second management responsibility is to motivate and encourage employees of the company in a democratic style, where the employees perform their daily job in the best way possible and can bring new innovate ideas in the meetings for the growth and progress of company.

The third one is coordination of leadership with the employees in a coaching style.
It is important for all mangers to have and perform all the mentioned responsibilities in the best possible way to achieve company’s goals toward success.

Sunday, August 12, 2012


  Author:M. Azim Ulfati

Introduction


In this paper I have researched in to Southwest Airline, I have focused to write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which I will, determine how Southwest Airlines’ corporate culture differs from other airlines. I will then analyze three (3) ways that Southwest’s unique culture has benefited the airline and its employees and eventually I will speculate how Southwest Airlines would continue to thrive as a company if its current corporate culture would need to change in the near future.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment paper are as follows. Examine the private enterprise systems, drivers of change on the system, ethic and social responsibilities of business, and the requirements for success in today’s business environment.
Analyze business plans based on an analysis of domestic and global operating environments, market dynamics, and electronic and internal capabilities.
The paper will close out with a conclusion that restates the main focus of the paper.

Determine how Southwest Airlines’ corporate culture differs from other airlines


              Let’s first talk about corporate culture and then will discuss how southwest Airline’s corporate culture differs from other airlines.
Corporate Culture is a phenomenon that you cannot see it, smell it, taste it, or hear it, but it is there. It pervades all aspects of organizational life and has a profound impact on organizational success and failure. If managed in the right way, it is a real economic and strategic asset. If managed incorrectly or allowed to deteriorate, it can become a true liability or strategic disadvantage. (Eric & Yvinne, 2011). In other word we can say that culture is the deepest, often unconscious part of a group and is therefore less tangible and less visible. (Edgar H., 2010)
          Southwest Airline is a unique company for its corporate culture with great performances and incredible efficiency, quality, reasonable fares, cheerful service, great schedule controlled growth, genuine interest for its customers, organizational competency for building and sustaining relationships for the purpose of shared goals, shard knowledge and mutual respect, high levels of coordination, the extraordinary leadership and more importantly corporate culture of love, friendship laid back family atmosphere, humor, mutual respect and reputation. The Southwest airline is one of the most distinctive company in the region in many ways like intense focus on the quality of its relationships, customer service, and its willingness to forego quick solutions to invest long term commitments in keeping relations among employees, managers and business partners.
            It has the high reputation for its high customer satisfaction airline for instance the Southwest airline ticket was cheaper than any other airline. Compare to the Southwest and United, the Southwest’s net income was 4.8 ($B) in 2004 and the United’s was -10.5 ($B) IN 2004. Because the Southwest’s low price of ticket can attract the customer to buy their ticket and they had lowest operating-cost which support and control their low ticket. ("Southwest case study," 2008)
         The corporate culture calls for employees to make every one’s responsibility and own it. The company has established two cultural committees to make sure the focus and concentration is kept on the culture. (" southwest airlines," )
           If an employee does not have the cultural values, he or she will not be promoted to higher positions. There is a performance appraisal every year for the employee and the employee’s performance is evaluated based on the corporate cultural expectations.
        Southwest airline has the highest percentage of unionized employees of any airline in the United States of America, and it prides itself on outstanding relationships with its unions, including traditional unions such as the International brotherhood of teamster, the international Association of machinists and the transport workers union. (Jody Hoffer, 2005)
            There is one concern about the integrity of employees. If an employee has a bad day and if he or she makes a mistake then he/ she is punished for her/his mistake. She/he is not given promotion.
        Southwest Airlines treats its employee’s right, and the employees reward the company with loyalty. The profit sharing plan was the first in the airline industry in 1973.According to Southwest Airlines; their current employee retention rate is 92.3%. During the times of September 11, 2001, more than 32,000 employees gave back some of their pay. They did this to help the company through a temporary difficult time. The competitive advantage that Southwest has over competitors is the benefits, which include free flights. During a time when the economy is in a recession, many people cannot afford travel by airplane. The employees can reap this benefit from day one of their employment (" southwest airlines," )

Analyze three (3) ways that Southwest’s unique culture has benefited the airline and its employees

Leadership, culture, strategy and coordination are the factors of success in Southwest Airline not only that but also there are three following ways that Southwest Airline culture has benefited the airline and its employees.
1-     Self-actualizing culture, which not only values creativity, task accomplishment but also individual growth and satisfaction. These types of culture let the employees to improve, enjoy the environment of work, develop them selves and bring positive changes in new activities.
2-     Humanistic- encouraging culture
The employees play and manage every thing as if, he/she is the center of gravity. On the other hand I can say that in this culture they manage in a participative and employee centered way. The company expects all its employees to be supportive, helpful, listen and value the comments, opinions and suggestions of other employees.

3-     Affiliate and satisfaction culture and effective empowerment
In this culture Southwest Airline gives higher priority to constructive interpersonal relationships, and the personal satisfactions of employees. The company always expects its employees to be committed to their job, be friendly and open in sharing information, ideas, feelings, suggestions and questions and take responsibility for the success of their business to survive and prosper.
I believe that leadership at Southwest Airline plays a very important role in the success of the company. Organizational leadership makes unique culture for Southwest Airline business, like environment of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect, without these types of environment the high performance relationships of Southwest Airline business may not have the same impact.
Herb Kelleher the Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Airline is a person off the- wall CEO who has built outstanding organization and has been very successful among many companies in the market. Herb Kelleher’s leadership is not like any other company leaders but it is contrary. He does not rule over his company’s staffs but rather rules with all of his staffs. He believes that every employee must have leadership in their spirit, they need to use their abilities to lead, see things, experiment them and make decisions. He leads the employee the way to believe that they can be leaders too. Leadership is a force, which motivates employees in a company in order to use their leadership qualities for improvement of a company.
Here are a few secrets Kelly shared about creating a winning corporate culture:
1.     Make culture everyone’s responsibility, asks everyone to own it.
2.     Create a culture committee. Southwest has two. Both Local Culture Committees and a Corporate Culture Committee are responsible for keeping the focus on culture.
3.     Make the key components of your culture a part of your leadership expectations. In other words, don’t promote people who don’t reflect the company culture. (Dan Oswald, 2009)
              In Southwest Airline leadership is embedded in every employee based on mutual influence through integrity, truthful. And also the culture of integrity and facilitating mutual leadership is embedded in every employee of Southwest Airline. The second one is focusing of employees on things that can control. Many Southwest Airline employees can solve problems quickly. It is because they can directly focus and control on issues. The third one is caring for each other within the company for facilitating influence.
 Not every one cares how much you know but how much you care. And the last one is listening to every one’s leadership facilitating ideas in the company. Once one person feels that other colleague hears his/her words then they will be more willing to lead. Mutual leadership creates a strong bond among individuals striving to attain the same goals.

Speculate how Southwest Airlines would continue to thrive as a company if its current corporate culture would need to change in the near future

             I think today if the company struggles more and more every day, the employees help create and keep loyalty and love alive and well, make sure the customer are all happy, loyal and have a good time, make sure the service production is up, the quality of food is great, airplane gets loaded and unloaded in the air fast and on time and the customer be happy, satisfied and dedicated.
            If the Southwest company will encourage the employees to have fun on the job and have a great relations atmosphere, help them develop their potential and keep them to be energetic and let them to lead, treat them right in all aspects of work, in turn they will help and treat the customer right and the Southwest Airline will find more and more demands in the market and as the number of employees have multiplied from 195 to 23,000, it will be tripled in the next few years provided that Southwest Airline will maintain its low cost advantages in the airline industry and second to maintain its growth through current operational strategy and bring change.
           A strong culture, like Southwest’s can and does outstrip their competitors, if it continues like this. The people are the ones who plays vital role and make a big difference.  (Eun, Fred, Genita, Keith & Sonya)

Conclusion

The unique employee leadership, corporate culture, people management philosophy and coordination at Southwest Airline is an outstanding strategy that not only differs the company from other Airlines but also it makes the company the most successful one amongst its competitors.
This strategy makes the company to afford an opportunity to reward, encourage and eventually motivate employee and also maintain their loyalty.
This unique corporate culture along with management and leadership strategy attracts the customers and retains them for long-term relations and commitments to be the customers of Southwest Airline.
This great strategy may maintain low cost advantages in Southwest Airline and will maintain its growth through operational strategy for a change and success.

References

Eric, F., & Yvinne, R. (2011). Corporate culture: The ultimate strategic asset. Conclusion: Corporate Culture, a True Strategic Asset, Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=PBh45Euvp9UC&pg=PA230&lpg=PA230&dq=Freiberg and Freiberg Nuts! Southwest Airline's Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success. 1996&source=bl&ots=RI2zVmzA9S&sig=r8Bb2bAheCWHQbTG3VXviHTc73k&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gLMSUNLaOJOs8QT16YHIDw&ved=0CHIQ6AEwCQ
Edgar H., S. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. Depth, 4, 17. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=cFOhqWMB3XoC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=Schein, E. H. Organizational Culture and Leadership.&source=bl&ots=kY2haeaqbY&sig=BwcRIeZBplpaNu5yRavVHDMOUjQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=i7oSUKP1Io2E8ATwzIH4DA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA
(2008). Southwest case study. Southwest Airline Corporation, Retrieved from http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Southwest-Case-Study/181666
(n.d.). southwest airlines. Company Culture, Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/85276179/72271480-Southwest-Airlines
Jody Hoffer, G. (2005). The southwest airline ways. Success factors-leadership, culture, strategy & coordination, Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=BapojOGVz5cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Corporate Culture Done Right: Southwest Airlines&source=bl&ots=WuLqvQPwmI&sig=qt-Zbnh7AIq5xjtupXYmcWSYXZ8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eWMRUJOXF5Go8gSj1oCIBw&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAQ
Dan Oswald, O. (2009). Corporate Culture Done Right: Southwest Airlines, Retrieved from http://blogs.hrhero.com/oswaldletters/2009/11/29/corporate-culture-done-right-southwest-airlines/
Eun, K., Fred, L., Genita, M., Keith, N., & Sonya, O. (n.d.). Southwest airlines 25 years of luv. Retrieved from http://cobweb2.louisville.edu/faculty/regbruce/bruce//cases/swa2/swa2.htm

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Author:M. Azim Ulfati

Legal Effects on Business 


Numerous laws that are enacted to protect consumers have been passed and business leaders have evolved to reflect this focus on consumer safety. Select one of the laws and determine its consumer safety effects within the past 20 years on the type of business in which you are currently employed or have been employed. Be sure to state the type of business in your response. Then, speculate how this law will impact business in the next 10 years, assuming it is not repealed. 

Assess how your business might be impacted financially should a consumer lawsuit be instigated arising from this law.

I work with a contracting company for US Department of Defense and I used to work with this company in the past almost two years and there were so many laws that reflected my job, like employee protections laws, federal laws which are prohibiting job discrimination and equal employment opportunity laws.
 I would like to discuss about federal laws which prohibits job discrimination. Considering Mission Essential Personnel Company and US Department of Defense is where people are from many different backgrounds, races, colors, religions, sex national origin and so on. Therefore federal laws are prohibiting discrimination based on title VII of the civil rights acts of 1964 (title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. When employees decides to start the paper work for testing and security clearance or screening, they are given a brief paper about laws and prohibiting discrimination law and they are required to read and sign those papers. In those papers the Federal laws, prohibiting discrimination is written like the following.
It is illegal to discriminate in any aspect of employment, including:
  • Hiring and firing;
  • Compensation, assignment, or classification of employees;
  • Transfer, promotion, layoff, or recall;
  • Job advertisements;
  • Recruitment;
  • Testing;
  • Use of company facilities;
  • Training and apprenticeship programs;
  • Fringe benefits;
  • Pay, retirement plans, and disability leave; or
  • Other terms and conditions of employment.
Discriminatory practices under these laws also include:
  • Harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, or age;
  • Retaliation against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in an investigation, or opposing discriminatory practices;
  • Employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities, or based on myths or assumptions about an individual's genetic information; and
  • Denying employment opportunities to a person because of marriage to, or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national origin, or an individual with a disability. Title VII also prohibits discrimination because of participation in schools or places of worship associated with a particular racial, ethnic, or religious group.
There is also employee protections laws that my job had to prevent and safe guarding employees and contractors and cover them from hazard and hardship, like injury at the front line of war or war zone areas, lack of potable water and healthy food at the front line of war. I believe that if the company does not comply with the above mentioned laws , it would effect the company financially millions of dollars and will be sued at local and international levels. It will also lead the company not to be given any contracts by government.

Friday, August 3, 2012

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Author:M. Azim Ulfati                                                               

Introduction

                     In this paper I WILL Determine how Five Guys’ philosophy sets it apart from other fast-food chains. I will then analyze the original values for the start-up company and how it remains strong today. I will enumerate three (3) factors that contributed to Five Guys’ success in such a short time and what effect, if any, external markets had on these factors. I will lastly assess how ethical and social practices are part of the Five Guys’ culture and provide examples to support your choices.

Determine how Five Guys’ philosophy sets it apart from other fast-food chains

              The Five Guys Burger and Fries restaurant chain originally began with a single location in Arlington, VA within Washington DC, Metropolitan Area in 1986.
Competition regulates much of economic life in the United States of America. Five guys burger and fries successfully compete and has found the basis for competitive differentiation, the unparalleled and unique combination of organizational abilities, products and approaches that sets five guys burger and fries a part from other chains in the minds of customer.
            When you enter the five guys burger and fries, you start to feel that five guys burger and fries philosophy really sets it a part from other fast food chains. It starts from the Mission Statement, Goal, and Service Promise of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which is aligned with a philosophy of, sell hamburgers and French fries in a restaurant industry better than any one else. And be in the business of selling of burgers expand and sell the best quality burgers possible. More focus on quality, service and cleanliness.
 It starts from considering business ethics, the standards of conduct and moral value, the actions, decisions, policies and procedures of employees in the work environment.
                    When you are at the restaurant you see the great management, developed and sophisticated systems through which certain goods such as food board with fixed prices, names, beverage machines, chairs, tables, trash cans, cooking equipment are all placed neatly in certain locations. You notice a sign that hangs on the beverage machine at every five guys restaurants, which can be referred to as a mission statement but is really more of a service promise. They value the customer as the most important visitor in their premises, not an outsider in their business but part of it.
                     When you order your food at the counter from a variety of selected food board menu. You can choose, Hamburger for $4.39, Bacon cheeseburger for $5.69, Little hamburger for $3.39, Little cheeseburger for $3.89, Little bacon burger for $3.89., Kosher-style hot dog for $2.89., Cheese dog for $3.39, Bacon cheese dog for $3.89, Fries, plain or Cajun-style, regular size for $2.49; large for $4.19, Veggie sandwich for $2.49, Grilled cheese for $2.49 and have the choice with 15 free toppings of catsup, lettuce, pickles, onions, mushroom, cheese,  tomato, jalapenos and hot sauce.
                 The vegetables are all fresh. You can see the employees are trust worthy. You can see them. They wear gloves while making food and are clean and tidy with nice attire. They follow the health issues carefully.
                 Patty burgers are all fresh. They do not use the frozen meat. The potatoes are all fresh for the French fries. When you are waiting for your food, you can have free roasted peanuts on the side and until your food comes out. They give every customer a receipt number for the order of their food and when the food gets ready the employees bring the food on the table with happy face.
              There are two types of French fries. One is seasoning French fries and the second one is regular French fries and they come in two sizes, large one and small one. The French fries comes in small and large cups. The large cup is enough for three people to eat. The food is put in a nice paper wrap and then in a basket neatly. When it comes to the drinking part. They have brought new beverage machines. They are all in one box. There are like about 20 kinds of drinks for your selection. All the drinks have their names and you push the button for drinks.
It demonstrates that five guys burgers and fries chains are unique for meeting and satisfying the needs and demands of the consumers.
                     Let’s not remain unsaid that the concept is similar to fast food. Orders are taken at a counter and picked up several minutes later at a second counter, with a menu limited to several types of burgers, hot dogs, fries and soft drinks. The difference between Five Guys and your average Burger King or McDonalds is in the execution. The open kitchen insures that diners can watch their selection being made, all toppings are free, and the fries are cut fresh and fried in small batches.
                      You can Watch your sandwich being made, the fries are where this chain really excels. They may be more time consuming to prepare than those of their fast food counterparts, but are delicious and certainly worth the effort and the wait.
The assembly line is efficient but those fresh fries take time. The restaurant's veggie sandwich is different from what you might expect. Instead of a frozen Garden burger or Boca patty, the sandwich consists of a bun and as many of the free toppings as you wish, all for $2.69. Vegetarians will be happy to know that the Five Guys policy is to keep the grilling stations for vegetables and meats separate, so those grilled onions and mushrooms are worry-free. If a bun filled with veggies doesn't appeal, the restaurant also offers the tried and true grilled cheese.
Orders are bagged, regardless of dine-in or carryout. Something to keep in mind with the fries: employees throw in an extra scoop when bagging them up, so a "regular" order (the smallest they offer) is easily enough for two people.
                             Unpack your bag of goodies. Vegetarians can't go wrong with the veggie sandwich. It's a flavorsome but very messy affair, and the pile of napkins stuffed into the bag was saturated by the time I was finished eating. Oddly, my hands smelled of the meal for the rest of the day, even after repeated washings. ("Five guys burgers," 2009)
                              Tastes better than it looks. It is refreshing that more fast food restaurants are starting to cater to the vegetarian diner, and kudos to Five Guys for making it affordable. They aren't going to top Subway for vegetarian-friendly, healthy fare, but as an occasional caloric splurge it's pretty darned tasty. ("Five guys burgers," 2009)

Analyze the original values for the start up company and how it remains strong today

                     The Five Guys Burger and Fries restaurant chain originally began with a single location in Arlington, VA within Washington DC, Metropolitan Area in 1986. Jerry Murrell and four of his sons for the purpose of selling French fries, hamburgers and hot dogs opened it. Today the "five guys" that lead the chain are the five Murrell brothers, Matt, Jim, Chad, Ben, and Tyler.(“Five guys burger,”) It started from one restaurant and grew to 1,000 restaurant franchises in the United States of America and Canada with all values of respect to customers and co workers through great management, better customer service, great quality food, variety of food and great quantity of food.
                     I believe that in every business there are both demand and supply market which they are important elements. For any business to succeed, management must carefully monitor the success that may affect demand for the good and services, it hopes to sell and same with supply. Supply is driven by a number of factors in five guys burgers and fries that how five guys’ burger and fries are willing to proeevide goods and services. They usually buy and use natural resources like fresh vegetables, capital like sophisticated beverage machines, cooking ware, communication tools and physical facilities, human resources like well trained employees, great managers and executives and entrepreneurship like developing the franchise business, investing on food and competition in different markets.
                         Demand is also driven by a number of factors in different types of structures in a free enterprise system that include customer preferences, the number of buyers and their incomes, the prices of substitute foods, the price of complementary food and consumer expectations about the future. Five guys burger and fries has been able to meet the demands of its customer since its opening up to present therefore the demand curve graph for five guys burger and fries has gone up except that this family business tried to experiment coffee and chicken on the side of burger and fries one time but unfortunately it was not successful then they removed those two from the business. Now this is the fastest growing business and developing franchises all over the United States and Canada because of its well trained employees, customer service and fresh food with the best quality and quantity. It has taken 70% up from the previous year,
                      Today Five Guys serves over 250 thousand burgers each day offer 15 free toppings with each. Depending on appetite, customers can order the hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon burger, and bacon cheeseburger in regular (two patties) or little (one patty) size. Don't be mistaken; the little burger is not little at all. (Ashley , 2010)
                      Toppings include the typical lettuce, tomato, mustard, and ketchup as well as mayo, pickles, onion, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, relish, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce. Burgers are made to order hot and fresh every time. (Ashley, 2010)
                    Though burgers are its specialty, Five Guys' menu also includes a kosher-style hot dog, cheese or bacon dog, bacon cheese dog, and a veggie or grilled cheese sandwich. Fries are cooked in pure, no cholesterol, and peanut oil. (Ashley, 2010)

Enumerate three (3) factors that contributed to Five Guys’ success in such a short time and what effect, if any, external markets had on these factors

                    In my idea the three factors that contributed and played an important role to five guys success in a short time are concentration on the quality of natural resources (food and Restaurant locations), capital (quantity of food, prices of food, tool and technology), human resources and entrepreneurship (customer services). Following is few examples of these factors.
A Recipe for Success (Concentration on quality of natural resources)
                Sell a really good, juicy burger on a fresh bun. Make perfect French fries. Don’t cut corners. That’s been the business plan since Jerry Murrell and his sons opened Five Guys Burgers and Fries in 1986. Today, there are 570 stores across the U.S. and Canada, with 2009 sales of $483 million. Though we weren’t able to coax out his secret recipe, Murrell shares with us five things that helped him expand one lone burger joint into a national franchise. ("5 reasons why,”)

The Best Salesman is the Customer (human resources and entrepreneurship)

               "Treat that person right, he’ll walk out the door and sell for you," Murrell says. "From the beginning, I wanted people to know that we put all our money into the food. That’s why the décor is so simple – red and white tiles. We don’t spend our money on décor. Or on guys in chicken suits. But we’ll go overboard on food." ("5 reasons why,")

Every Position at the Company Has Value (human resources and entrepreneurship)

                 Murrell says it is important to make employee feel a sense of ownership—and accountability. "Boys hate to smile. It’s not macho. And it’s definitely not macho to clean a bathroom," he says of some employees. To motivate them, Five Guys employs secret shoppers called auditors, and ties pay to performance. "If the auditor walks in and the bathroom isn’t clean, that crew just lost money," Murrell says. "Next thing he knows, the guy who was supposed to clean the bathroom has toilet paper all over his car and a potato in his pipe." ("5 reasons why," )

Know what you’re Good at – and Stick With It (natural resources)

                  "When we first started, people asked for coffee," Murrell says. "We thought, Why not? This was our first lesson in humility. We served coffee, but the problem was that the young kids working for us don’t know anything about coffee. It was terrible! We tried a chicken sandwich once, but that did not work, either. We do have hot dogs on our menu, and that works. But other than that, all you are going to get from Five Guys is hamburgers and fries." ("5 reasons why," )

Quality Is Everything (natural resources)

                     "The magic to our hamburgers is quality control," Murrell says. "We toast our buns on a grill – a bun toaster is faster, cheaper, and toasts more evenly, but it doesn’t give you that caramelized taste. Our beef is 80 percent lean, never frozen, and our plants are so clean, you could eat off the floor. The burgers are made to order. That’s why we can’t do drive-thru’s – it takes too long. We had a sign: “If you’re in a hurry, there are a lot of really good hamburger places within a short distance from here.” People thought I was nuts. But the customers appreciated it." ("5 reasons why," )

Employee Incentives Go a Long Way (capital and human resources)

                       "A lot of companies put 3 percent of their revenue toward marketing or advertising," Murrell notes. In contrast, Five Guys will collect "1.5 percent from all our franchisees and give bonuses to the crews that score the highest on our weekly third-party audits. The crews make about $8 or $9 an hour. If they get a good score, they will split another $1,000 among them, usually five or six people per crew. Last year, we paid out between $7 million and $8 million; this year, it will be $11 million or $12 million." ("5 reasons why,”)

Assess how ethical and social practices are part of the Five Guys’ culture and provide examples to support your choices

                     I believe that executives of five guys and it’s employees demonstrate ethical behavior in their actions and they are personally committed to the core values of the restaurant. They demonstrate and practice great moral codes at work and society in their character through, using clear, explicit language, honesty, doing what is right and do every thing responsibly. For instance when you order food at the counter the employee of restaurant behave with smile and happy face or when they bring the food for you.
                   It seems like family home when you are there, you feel like you are at home. Employees are all friendly; they are not racist and rude. For example, when you order food or have food there. They treat you equally with respect like every one else, no matter where you are from, what your nationality or religion is, what your race or color are.

Conclusion

                          As competition regulates much of economic life in the United States of America therefore five guys burger and fries successfully compete and has found the basis for competitive differentiation, the unique or unparalleled combination of organizational abilities, products and approaches that sets five guys burger and fries a apart from other chains in the minds of customer.
                           The five guys burger and fries are progressing has shown that they think ahead of time to keep up and compete in business world based on focusing and considering important economic factors which affect supply and ability of the restaurant to provide the best quality and quantity foods and services at different prices among the variety of their food. This is all because this business functions in a private enterprise system where it determines how goods and services are produced in a society and also determines patterns of resource use to meet and serve the needs and demands of customers not only through food and services but also through standards of conducts, ethics and values of different culture, ethical awareness, reasoning, actions and leadership and social responsibility, management, profit, consumer satisfaction and societal well being. Those are all the requirements for success in today’s business environment and these that you can find in five guys burger and fries.

References

(n.d.). 5 reasons why five guys is a big success. Retrieved from                                                                               
Ashley , M. (2010). Five guys named fastest growing chain restaurant. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/five-guys-named-fastest-growing-chain-restaurant
(n.d.). Five guys business analysis. Five Guys Business Analysis, Retrieved from http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Five-Guys-Business-Analysis/726131
LARSON, C. (2010). ‘5 guys' know how to make burgers, fries. Retrieved from http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100706/LIVING/7060302
(2009). Five guys burgers and fries . Retrieved from http://veggieoption.blogspot.com/2009/11/five-guys-burgers-and-fries.html
(n.d.). Five guys burgers and fries. Menu, Retrieved from          
            http://www.fiveguys.com/menu.aspx