Business Environment for IKEA UK Research Paper

Business Environment for IKEA UK - Research Paper Example The product is packed flat for easy assembly at home by the customer. IKEA began in 1943 in a small farming village in Sweden. Ingvar Kamprad started the business at age 17 and used his own initials plus the first letters of Elmtyrid and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where he grew up, to create the name IKEA. Although it didn't start out as a furniture company, furniture became the focus of the business in the 1950s when IKEA turned its problems into opportunities (About IKEA: Timeline) by: The IKEA group has 90,000 co-workers and operates in 44 countries, and the unique focus of IKEA UK continues to be on its customers, offering eye-appealing furniture design and keeping prices low by finding ways to shorten the route from manufacture to customer without detriment to the quality and ease of assembly for the buyer (About IKEA: in the world). A SWOT analysis of the organisation shows internal and external factors which affect its overall identity in the global marketplace. According to Wikipedia, Albert Humphrey developed the SWOT analysis in a research project for Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s. It evaluates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in an organisation-the first two internal, the second two external. IKEA's major strengths are brand recognition, customer communication and staff satisfaction. One of the most difStrengths: Brand Recognition One of the most difficult selling points to establish in an organisation is positive brand recognition. Over time, IKEA UK has managed to do this by not compromising on its promise to its customers to maintain brand quality, easy construction and low prices. In addition, the packaging of the various components is personalised by simplifying instructions (the need for the customer to buy an electrical cord for a lighting product is shown by a simple sketch of the cord on the package) and creating a connection between the customer and the company by giving the product a unique name and printing the designer's name on the package. The personal touch establishes the brand and makes the customer feel a special bond. An additional benefit for the customer is the ability to design a complete room and to be given a copy of the plan if the purchase will be made at a later time. Strengths: Customer Communication Good leadership creates good business practices. Never has this been more evident than with the IKEA group. The organisation started its first store in the United Kingdom in 1987, and as it expanded, customer satisfaction was key. Convenient IKEA distribution centres in different sections of the UK offer customers the opportunity to go directly to the warehouse and centre and pick up materials after utilising the IKEA OnlineWeb site to design and order whole rooms of furniture (Investor). By encouraging the "IKEA Way," the company has established its unique methods-according to CEO Peter Hogsted, "we do 50-you do 50" (Lewis, par. 20). Another area of customer relations is recognizing concern for the environment, and IKEA was the first to suggest reuseable

The King of Pop VS The King of Rock N Roll Essay

The King of Pop VS The King of Rock N Roll - Essay Example Another artist who gained fame from his ability to entertain the audience with passionate dancing moves is Elvis Presley. The eye-popping dancing moves displayed by both Jackson and Elvis resulted to them being crowned as king of Pop and Rock N Roll respectively. Therefore, the essay will seek to provide detailed comparison between Jackson and Elvis with respect to their dancing power as well as their contribution towards musical dancing styles. The fame and popularity of both Jackson and Elvis resulted from their ability to drive their audience wild. Since the two artists specialized in different genres, their dancing styles also varied. Taking a look at the Jackson, he managed to cement his name not only as the king of Pop music but also the master of dance floor (Steve Huey). Jackson managed to increase the number of his followers following his ability to display extra ordinary dancing moves. He could make slicker glide accompanied with snappier heel leading to fine and smooth moonwalk dancing moves. Despite being a talented singer, Jackson had mastered ways of spinning around his dancing move and then slotting it into the beats as if it is a musical riff (Roy). While his audience surrendered as he ruled the stage, his taut and perfectly rhythmic dancing moves totally changed various aspects of his music videos. The style, story, the value of production and audience to Jackson’s music videos were greatly impacted by iconic dancing moves. The smooth formation drills as well as gravity-defying lean and crotch-grab are among the ground breaking dancing moves that have greatly shaped the modern Pop culture (Roy). The dancing moves by Jackson have had lasting impacts in the field of entertainment. Endless examples can be witnessed in the dances employed by film stars in Bollywood as well as sharply choreographed bands in the early 1990s. While Jackson can be