The Dayton Company opened a single branch called Target in 1962. The flagship store's mission was "to take the best-quality merchandise of a high-end department store's 'bargain basement' and sell it in a standalone shop," (Schlosser, 2004). Right from the start, Target branded itself as a cut above other discount retailers and set their prices accordingly. Within eight years, the company was able to open 17 stores totaling $200 in sales (Scholsser, 2004). Target could not have been so successful even in its early years without establishing a strong company culture. That company culture continued to define Target's identity as being essentially distinct from that of Wal*Mart or K-Mart. The story of Target's beginning and evolution as a retailer is one of the key ways the organizational culture is perpetuated and new employees socialized.
Rituals are another way that organizational culture is sustained. At Target, there are rituals that introduce new members to the organization, via training programs. There are also rituals when employees are recognized for exceptional performance or offered a promotion. Rituals related to customer relations might not be as famous as the "Wal*Mart greeter" phenomenon, but Target also has a similar ritual that defines its treatment of customers.
In fact, Target management calls its customers "guests," not customers. This reveals the use of language as a key part of creating and sustaining organizational culture ("What's the Company Culture at Target?" n.d.). The symbols of Target go beyond its iconic logo and branding; even the color red connotes the high-paced environment in which Target employees are expected to work. Use of language and symbols is a strong point in Target's organizational culture, and it does not need to change its culture on these measures.
Organizational culture is usually described in terms of social justice and ethics. Target does well on this level, too, and does not need to improve its organizational culture with regards to this concept. Target affirms a commitment to social justice,...
When it is flown at half-staff because of a death or series of deaths, it should be first hoisted to the top of the pole for an instant and then lowered to halfway. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. "Half-staff" means lowering the flag to one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff. Crepe streamers may be
Said Mr. Harris: "We are always looking at new ways to reach our customers through innovative digital platforms." Mobile works well since "There is rapid growth in mobile devices supporting more and more of the everyday tasks that people want to perform." Another highly successful mobile application has been that of American Express' Android version of its free mobile app, which has had more than 1 million views since 2011.
In order to reach and maintain this business standards, the company has created a set of basic rules for itself, regarding the respect for the customer and the ethic principles. One of the sources of competitive advantage that the company benefits from is represented by its Human Resources policy. The importance of the relation that the company has with the members of its staff is worth underlining. One third of
(Schall, 1998) In addition to a lightened burden of proof and broader definition there were two additional changes resulting from the amendment which served to positively affect the impact and ultimate effectiveness of the legislation. This amendment clarified the fact that judges are not allowed to assess possible mitigating factors such as medication, corrective surgery, or specialized equipment in the determination of whether or not an individual is disabled. This
Target Audience and Competition Introduction and Major Consumer Influences It is very important to understand the psyche of a growing young woman who is taking her first steps into womanhood, and how this would help in explaining the target market of the 'Push Up Bra with a Punch'. In Judy Bloom's famous novel, 'Are you There God' the young woman Margaret is role playing about her future mature body. In this intensely
American Express This report is an analysis of the American Express company. Company Background Founder, date incorporated -- "Established in 1850 in New York, American Express Company was among the first and most successful express delivery businesses to arise during the rapid westward expansion of the United States." (American Express) Initial source of Capital -- "Although in its early years American Express was not itself a financial services company, its largest and most consistent
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