Ikea s Global Sourcing Challenge Indian Rugs And Child Labor

IKEA’S GLOBAL SOURCING CHALLENGE INDIAN RUGS AND CHILD LABOR In 1995, Marianne Barner, IKEA’s manager for carpets, faced a difficult situation when one of their Indian rug supplier apparently was involved with the use of child labor in the manufacture of its products for IKEA. Even though they had a contract where IKEA explicitly forbid the use of child labor. These Allegations generated mixed opinion regarding the future of all the Indian carpet suppliers and the company was studying the future impacts of its decision. In order to assess and give recommendations to IKEA, it is important to fully understand the operations and the values that drive the company, ant its philosophy. Since was founded in 1954 by Ingvar Kamprad the Swedish company’s vision of â€Å"creating a better life for the many people† inspired them to develop high quality and lower cost products in the furniture business, and almost a decade later, after they consolidate in the Swedish market, they made the decision to expand abroad opening stores in Northway and Denmark respectively (Exhibit 1). With a relatively rapid expansion the company needed to transmit their unique philosophy and created the testament of a furniture Dealer and trained ambassadors to help spread and secure the firm’s values (Exhibit 3). Furthermore, IKEA’s adopted another principle, the company preferred to focus on establish close ties with business partners and supporting their suppliers in a long-term relationship rather than justShow MoreRelatedIKEA Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor1176 Words   |  5 PagesProposal Case: IKEA Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor Summary In this case, it is known that IKEA s procurement model is the mode of global sourcing. IKEA products are shipped to the 26 distribution centres from the trade area after procurement, and then delivered to the shopping malls in the world. IKEA s procurement philosophy and assessment of suppliers mainly include four aspects: continuous price improvement; strict supplier performance and service levels;Read MoreIkea Children Labour6495 Words   |  26 Pages2006 CHRISTOPHER A. BARTLETT VINCENT DESSAIN ANDERS SJÃâ€"MAN IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor (A) In May 1995, Marianne Barner faced a tough decision. After just two years with IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, and less than a year into her job as business area manager for carpets, she was faced with the decision of cutting off one of the company’s major suppliers of Indian rugs. While such a move would disrupt supply and affect sales, she found the reasonsRead MoreIkea’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor2782 Words   |  12 PagesIKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor Jordan de Jong Case Study _ The case I will analyze and discuss in this case study is â€Å"IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge: Indian Rugs and Child Labor†. 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This movie sounds like it is totally geared towards tearing down the corporation’s credibility,Read MoreIkea Supply Chain Analysis4691 Words   |  19 PagesCoursework Supply Management IKEA Supply Chain Analysis Name | Sun Yifei | | Wu Yanli | | Zhang Yuting | Word CountSubmission date | Zhao Yandong4114April 18th, 2012 | Introduction IKEA is short for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd, as the Swedish furniture corporation, which with more than 200 stores in over 30 countries (Chen et al., 2011). In 2011, IKEA had 23.5 billion euros in sales with 2.7 billion euros net income and 127,000employees worldwide (IKEA sustainability report, 2011)Read MoreIkea Supply Chain2393 Words   |  10 PagesINTM 543 PURCHASING IKEA SUPPLY CHAIN November 2012 1. INTRODUCTION Ikea is a Swedish international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture. It was founded in 1947 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad, who currently is one of the richest people in the world. He borrowed some money for his parents and create a small local furniture store, 65 years later Ikea is one of the leading home furnishing companies in the world with its vision to ‘’create a betterRead MoreInternational Supply Chain Management4274 Words   |  18 PagesStimulus Material Case Study – IKEA About IKEA Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings and accessories of good design and function at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. IKEA’s vision is to: â€Å"Create a better everyday life for the many people† Its business idea is To offer a wide range of well designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them The IKEA concept is based on their

The Debate Of Nature V. Nurture - 1688 Words

In our society there are many controversial topics that are discussed amongst many of us. Sociology reveals those topics and shines a light on them. Without sociology, we wouldn t be able to decipher what we think is â€Å"common sense†, from actual facts and evidence. After carefully studying an abundance of data from things such as experiments, statistics, and the macro perspective of experiences, only then can we find what we think may be the truth. A specific example of a controversial sociological topic is the debate of nature v. nurture. This debate has been going on for a very long time, and it really depends on who you talk to about it. What nature v. nurture refers to is that you are either the person you are because of heredity, or you are who you are because of society and are thus, a product of your environment. People s experiences and own personal findings affect how they see this particular subject matter. If you were to ask John Locke, he would tell you that â €Å"a child s mind is a (blank slate). They become what they are taught to be.† (Thio) Now this probably makes sense to you, at least to some degree. But to others this doesn t make sense at all. Some people, whether conscious or unconscious of it, will blame almost anything on heredity. Things like â€Å"You got that attitude from your mother.† or â€Å"Your father used to say that same thing when he was your age.† The question is, was it really passed down to you, or did you learn it? Things like this are the entireShow MoreRelatedSerial Killers1314 Words   |  6 Pagesthe debate over nature versus nurture. With that debate going on there are many topics that are being researched under it, like serial killers, and what drives them to do what they do. Many scientists are still researching whether or not if serial killers are driven by the way they were raised or if it is a part of their genes. 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Leadership For the Contemporary Organisation for Knowledge

Question: Discuss about theLeadership For the Contemporary Organisation for Knowledge. Answer: Introduction Leadership is an important aspect for the success of organizations. The effectiveness of a leader is demonstrated through the overall performance of the organization the effectiveness of organization teams as well as the availability of a sense of direction. Leadership is defined as the process of inspiring a group of people towards the realization of certain goals. Leaders create an inspiring vision and motivate their teams towards the realization of the vision. Leaders are known based on the special attributes that they possess their skills and knowledge. Business leaders such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Zhang Ruimin are all known because of certain aspects regarding their leadership abilities. Zhang Ruimin is a Chinese Business mogul currently serving as the CEO of a Global brand Known as Haier Group. Zhang Ruimin has become widely known for his role in transforming a company that was in deep financial crisis into a competitive global home appliances and consumer electronics com pany ( Chen, 2016). This report will focus on Zhang Ruimin as a business leader. I will analyze various aspects regarding his leadership Leadership Character, Skills and Knowledge Leadership Character Strong Vision This is one of the most recognizable leadership traits. At the Time he became the General Manager of Heir Group, he had a strong vision of turning the bankrupt company into a top global enterprise. He believed that if he did not take the initiative of destroying faulty refrigerators, the future of Heir Group would be shattered (Wang, 2008). Commitment and passion Although many had tried and failed to change the fortunes of Heir Group he was passionate about his ability to transform the company through the introduction of critical changes and reforms. His commitment to the course, especially quality management course has seen him take a leading role in major undertakings intended to promote and maintain the quality of Heirs Group products (Gupta Wang, 2009). Excellent decision-making ability Great leaders are judge based on the kind of decision that they make during times of crisis. His ability to make effective decisions aimed at the prosperity of Heir Group has been part of the reason for the massive success for the company. This attribute was witnessed when he instructed his employees to destroy 76 Refrigerators worth huge sums of money in order to secure a bright future for Heir Group (Kerfoot, 2011). Inclination towards change He views change as an important aspect of organizations success. Upon assuming leadership of Heir Group he embarked on Brand building and several other changes in the company. His insistence on quality has always been focused on enabling his organization to meet or exceed the highest standards of quality. His inclination towards change has seen him successfully introduce product diversification into the company. He also introduced the Qingdao based company into the global market through the adoption of an internationalization strategy. Unlike other business leaders, Ruimin refers to his employees as entrepreneurs. This is a way of improving ownership of their organization (Leavy, 2016). Skills and Knowledge Management Knowledge Although he did not get an opportunity to attend university in his early days, Ruimin spent a considerable amount of time reading. He also enrolled for management course in his early days as an employee and went ahead to increase his knowledge by enrolling for a masters degree in Business Administration. He spends most of his time reading and has been described as the most read business executive. He has been influenced in his leadership journey by a wide range of individuals including Henry Mintzberg, Kelvin Kelly, and Don Tapscott (De Man, 2011). Outstanding leadership skills His outstanding leadership skills can be seen through his steady rise to top leadership positions in a short period of time. His leadership skills have enabled him to introduce critical reforms and work closely with his employees to turn the fortunes of Heir Group. Impact of past failures Born in 1949, Zhang was swept by Chinas Cultural Revolution that aimed at preserving the countrys communist ideology. Having missed a chance to attend university, his thirst for education was compounded. His rise to leadership can be partly attributed to the acquisition of management skills through education (Zhang Alon, 2009). Past failure of the management of Heir Group especially their failure to address quality related issues that had almost collapsed the company also provided a turning point in his leadership career. The management of the indebted company out of financial crisis and making it a top global brand has provided him with an opportunity to provide leadership hence improving his leadership skills. Development of Ruimins Leadership skills After failing to attend school in due to the prevailing circumstances in his country such as the shutting down of almost all universities in the 1960s and equipped with a great sense of cultural experience Zhang Ruimin began his career at a little known state-owned construction in Qingdao in the years 1968.While working at the construction company his thirst drove him to start attending management classes in between his working shifts. Determined to improve his abbreviated education, He would cycle to and fro for classes on daily basis. Apart from attending management courses he also read widely and wildly on his own (McDonald, 2012). One of the main attributes that drive him today is hard work. After a few years of hard work at the Construction Company, he slowly but steadily began rising the hierarchy of leadership. He was first promoted to be the Companys workshop director and later became the Companys Deputy Director in 1980 after serving for 12 years (Lewin, Vlikangas Chen, 201 7). After two years of serving as a deputy director, he was promoted be the deputy manager of the division of Household Appliance. While working as the deputy manager of the Qingdao Refrigerator Plant that was then in a deep financial crisis he was instructed to look for General Manager for the company. The company had more than $10 million in debts and was on the verge of bankruptcy. For that reason, no one was willing to take up the role of General Manager after the former manager had left the company. The turn of events forced him to take up as the general manager of the company (Xing, 2016). In his early years as the general manager, he noted that the company had a major problem with its reputation and quality of products that had resulted in numerous complaints from clients. This realization compelled him to establish a concept of quality among his workers through a demonstration using some of the companys faulty products (Yu, 2014).His action was compelled by the returning of a faulty refrigerator to him by a customer. In the process of looking for a replacement for the customer, he discovered a 20% failure rate among the Refrigerators. His demonstration involved instructing employees to destroy 76 faulty refrigerators into pieces using sledgehammers (Bell, 2008). He also took a leading role in the destruction process upon realizing that employees were reluctant due to the high prices for the refrigerators. This his most widely known leadership initiative that resurrected a struggling company. He also instituted major reforms that saw the company sales rise in the next year after taking over the leadership. The company changed its Name to Hier Group in 1991 and named Zhang Ruimin as its CEO in 1993.Haier group is currently rated as Worlds best white Goods Company (Wei, 2009). Through his leadership journey, it can be noted that his leadership skills were developed through concerted efforts to learn and acquire education as well as through determination and hard work. Leadership Methods/Approaches Zhang Ruimin uses a wide range of leadership methods including transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and charismatic leadership. Charismatic leadership approach Charismatic leadership is said to exist where a leader is followed without reliance on external authority or power. A leader is followed based on their persuasiveness and charm. Ruimin used charismatic leadership to change the status of a bankrupt company by setting standards and being the first to enforce them. Through his action of destroying faulty, he showed a degree of commitment to the quality course. He has successfully rallied his employees behind him to change the status of a failed company into one of the most successful. His charismatic leadership approach also enabled him to get rid of middle management and organize the huge number of employees working For Heir Group into 2000 teams managed by employees themselves. To each of this team, he has assigned unique roles (Cossin Hwee, 2016). Transactional Leadership Approach Transactional leadership is focused on organization, supervision, and performance. A transactional leader uses both rewards and punishments for employees to enforce compliance. Ruimin also uses this style of leadership in his roles as the leader of Heir Group. The most notable incident was when he led his employees to destroy faulty refrigerators. He directly took part and supervised the process and put on display one of the sledgehammers used in the Refrigerator destruction process (Waddell, Cummings Worley,2011).Through this action, he was focused on turning around the fortunes of the organization, promoting compliance to quality standards. He also supervised the entire process. His transactional leadership attributes are also demonstrated in his attachment of pay scales for an employee to products they have produced. He introduced the companys reward and punishment system in order to improve the performance of his employees. He also instituted a rule that required an employee who made an error to stand in front of other employees and explain it (Zong Ping, 2015). Transformational Leadership Approach A transformative leader works closely with their employees to identify organizational areas where change is required and lead through the change process to achieve the desired change. Through transformational approach, a leader creates a vision for the change process and inspires subordinates to implement the change. (Wang, 2008). Because of his transformational approach to leadership Ruimin has gained the absolute trust of Heirs group for the long period he has been at the helm of the Companys leadership. He has also been able to instill important attribute of vision among his subordinates. Conclusion In conclusion, Zhang Ruimin is a classic example of a successful business leader. Over the years, his rise to leadership has been quite remarkable. It has enabled him to join the list of most effective leaders in business. He learned his leadership skills both through learning and practice. His role in the Haier group in the many years that he has worked there has been quite commendable. He is both a visionary and change-oriented leader. He is also committed, passionate, a good decision maker and a widely read leader. He uses transformational, charismatic and Transactional models of leadership. References Bell, S. (2008). International brand management of Chinese companies: Case studies on the Chinese household appliances and consumer electronics industry entering US and Western European markets. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag. Chen, J. (2016). Haier Is the Sea: CEO Zhang Ruimin's Innovative Management. Management and Organization Review, 12(4), 799-802. Cossin, D., Hwee, O. B. (2016). Inspiring stewardship. Hoboken : Wiley De Man, H. (2011). Chinese philosophy as a mirror for western leaders. The Maastricht School of. Gupta, A. K., Wang, H. (2009). The rise of global champions: impact of country, industry company effects. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 115-126. Kerfoot, K. M. (2011). Direct decision making vs. oblique decision making: which is right?. Nursing Economics, 29(5), 290. Leavy, B. (2016). The next wave of global disruption and the role of Chinas entrepreneurs. Strategy Leadership, 44(3), 27-37. Lewin, A. Y., Vlikangas, L., Chen, J. (2017). Enabling open innovation: Lessons from Haier. International Journal of Innovation Studies, 1(1), 5-19. McDonald, P. (2012). Confucian foundations to leadership: a study of Chinese business leaders across Greater China and South-East Asia. Asia Pacific Business Review, 18(4), 465-487. Zhang, W., Alon, I. (Eds.). (2009). Biographical dictionary of new Chinese entrepreneurs and business leaders. Edward Elgar Publishing. Zong, R. and Ping, P. W. (2015) On the Awkward CSR Status of Chinese Household Appliance Enterprises-Take a Case of Haier as Example. International Business and Management Waddell, D., Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2011). Organisational change: Development and transformation. South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning. Wei, Z. (2009). Zhang Ruimin: Awakening the Sleeping Dragon. ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGE, AUDACITY AND GENIUS, 98. Xing, Y. (2016). A Daoist reflection on sea-like leadership and enlightened thinking. Management and Organization Review, 12(4), 807-810. Yu, F. L. T. (2014). Entrepreneurial leadership, capital structure and capabilities development of the firm: the case of the Haier Group. International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 7(2), 241-255.