Business Culture Analysis: Target Corporation (Essay Sample)

Running Head: BUSINESS CULTURE ANALYSIS: TARGET CORPORATION
Business Culture Analysis: Target Corporation
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Business Culture Analysis: Target Corporation
Introduction
Target Corporation, simply known as Target, is a retailing American company began in 1902 and is founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as Dayton Dry Goods Company. Since 1962, Target has been growing very fast and in 2000 it assumed its present name. Today, Target is the second largest retailer in the United States after Walmart. Presently, Target is planning to expand its business to Canada. As a retailing business, Target deals with its customers directly and therefore there are different business strategies and cultures practiced in the organization to make sure the customers and shareholders are treated with dignity and by so doing promote its business (Miller & Vandome, 2010). The business culture is also very significant for the organization because its guarantees the realization of its goals. In this paper we will explore Target’s business culture and such corporate responsibility promotes its business performance.
Target Corporation: Business Culture
Corporate culture is one of the most important aspects of business management. This is because a business is characterized by constant interactions involving employees, customers, stakeholders, suppliers and clients. Because of this, business culture defines how the human aspect in an organization is managed to promote gains. (Goodpaster, 2007) This calls for proper managerial practices through which proper business culture is developed and retained. At Target Corporation, business culture is taken seriously so that the best services can be offered to the customers and other stakeholders while at the same time ensuring that the employees and workers are satisfied with the working conditions.
Being a general merchandiser in the US, Target Corporation always focuses on ensuring the customers are provided with exceptional value and unrivaled service. This is done by ensuring that proper hiring process and management are done as an important aspect of corporate culture. Also, Target’s culture is related to the political and cultural ideologies of the American people in order to make sure every service provided to the people is justified and serves the people right. With very many business branches in the country, a challenging environment has been developed; however, this has shaped the experiences of the employee and customer in a positive manner (Miller & Vandome, 2010). With increased competition, it becomes easy to launch new managerial practices thus promoting the corporation’s business.
Equality is a relevant value for any business (Goodpaster, 2007). At Target Corporation, there is an excellent treatment of minorities and especially women. For example, there is the Insight Group whereby the minorities are given a chance to work and by so doing promoting diversity. The managerial and leadership duties have also been given to women as one way of promoting gender equality and diversity in the business. The other important value practiced at Target Corporation is customer satisfaction. The corporation’s managers believe that the customer is very important and should be served right if the business is to prosper. As well, the interior design and approach at Target Corporation ensures that a unique business identity is maintained (Miller & Vandome, 2010). The roles played by different players and employees are significant because they have greatly helped promote the process through which the needs of the customers are met.
Integrity is also a top value at Target Corporation. The management process makes sure the promises and expectations communicated to the employees, customers and stakeholders are fulfilled accordingly. Agreements, decisions and policies are adhered to at Target as an important business element. In order to achieve its targeted goals, the organization has another important value: resourcefulness. A lot of diversity, creativity, self-reliability, and analyses of business position are encouraged in order to promote performance (Singh, 2004). Another important value practiced here is ‘service to society’. This is achieved by ensuring the environment has been protected, development of services that meet the overall needs of the consumer, and also making sure it is engaged in welfare and developments issues for the society (Goodpaster, 2007).
Proper cooperation, communication and accountability are also practiced as major values and ideals at Target Corporation. It is because of these values, among others, that the company has succeeded in its business for the last five decades. It is thus acknowledgeable that proper business ideals and values play a significant role in ensuring that targeted goals are realized within the specified time period (Goodpaster, 2007). As well, Target Corporation makes sure its business is connected to the cultural and political ideologies of the population as an important aspect of corporate culture. This has made sure the services provided in by the organization satisfy the needs and expectations of the consumers, and without comprising the political foundations of the land. This approach has made it possible for the company to achieve its goals as a major retailer in the United States.
At Target Corporation, communication is something of great significant. This is encouraged among employees and customers. Looking at the employee-manager relationship, it will be observed that there is proper communication whereby the manager acts as a leader, as a mentor, and also as an example regarding what is supposed to be done. This relationship also promotes communication process, decision-making and management (Goodpaster, 2007). As well, corporate culture at Target is always impossible without use of literature, images and other visual prompts to shape the experience of both the customers and employees. In order to do this, flyers, publications and business cards are used to inform the people about the business’ mission, goals and expectations.
Basically, any available media for communicating to the employees and customers is utilized accordingly. The company’s website is also used to craft its image and identity. The major ideals and values practiced at Target Corporation are crafted on the website. These include business ethics, customer satisfaction, proper decision making processes, opportunity for all, indiscrimination, integrity, and society-relations (Miller & Vandome, 2010). As well, corporate identity and community is a very critical value or concept widely practiced at Target. For instance, the company has been engaged in different activities aimed at giving back to the society by sponsoring students from poor families, education the public about certain issues, and also promoting environmental welfare.
Target Corporation’s employees are always encouraged to perform as a team in order to realize the best gains. Gender equality is also exercised in the working structure to achieve the best of gains. Basically, the corporate culture in the company requires that the employees perform different kinds of labor although teamwork is widely encouraged since it promotes performance. Identity is also another important thing at Target Corporation. The company always encourages the introduction of new business ideas and opinions without discrimination (Miller & Vandome, 2010). At the business, gender equality is practiced whereby everyone is treated equally; the important approach is to ensure the greatest gains are realized. As well, the corporation makes sure most of the emp...