Unit 9 Companies Notes

Favorite Company

• Type: Private healthcare insurance company
• Leadership:
  • Decent people
  • Focus on employee welfare
  • Care about customers
  • Environmental consciousness
• Work Ethic: Employees motivated by helping others in need.

Desired Company to Work For

• Characteristics:
  • Major purpose to improve the world
  • Focus on:
    • Green energy production
    • Affordable housing for the poor
    • Solutions for hunger

Common Traits of Successful Companies

• Leadership:
  • Strong and supportive leaders
  • Focus on employee performance and welfare
• Customer Focus:
  • Understanding and meeting customer needs
• Environmental Responsibility:
  • Sustainable business practices
• Ethics and Legality:
  • Ethical operations and legal compliance

Companies with Strong Futures

• Examples:
  • Rolls-Royce: Known for quality leadership
  • Apple: Renowned for innovation and creativity
  • Google: Focus on product development
  • Fairtrade: Focus on social responsibility
  • Body Shop: Recognized for environmental friendliness
• Future success: Companies that integrate strong leadership, innovation, and ethical practices will thrive.

Presentation by Robert Ford (Track 20)

• Topic: New marketing strategy
• Structure:
  1. Background of the strategy
  2. Changes to current operations
  3. Cost details and impact on staff
• Objective: Clarify future plans.

Presentation by Nikki Hunter (Track 20)

• Company: Fiesta Time (medium-sized coffee chain)
  • Headquarters: Chicago
  • Flagship Store: New York
  • Stores: Over 200 locations
  • Employees: 3,000
  • Turnover: $50 million
  • Profit: $12.2 million
• Competition: Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's
• Responsibilities:
  • New business development
  • Hiring and supervising managers
• Expansion Plans:
  • At least 10 new stores on the West Coast
  • Starting with San Francisco.

Challenges in Business Meetings (Working Across Cultures 3)

• Sales Trip Issues:
  • Toulouse: Poor scheduling due to holidays; informal meeting focus.
  • St. Petersburg: Few pre-arranged meetings; public holidays; advice on long-term planning.
• Successful Trip to Kazan:
  • Extensive preparation and relationship building; bilingual documentation
  • Successful presentation and response to inquiries.

Cultural Considerations in Business (Speaker 3)

• Moscow Trip:
  • Importance of building relationships
  • Time wasted with junior managers; future focus on senior managers.
  • Acknowledgment of silence in decision-making process.

Personal Experience in Bogota (Speaker 4)

• Initial Trip:
  • Generous client; cultural exchange over dinner
  • Gifting etiquette and conversation topics
• Cultural Sensitivity: Not liking coffee impacted dining experience.