Recently, society has been observing military people’s tendency to transition into entrepreneurs, and this phenomenon becomes increasingly popular annually. Evidently, military leadership skills and traits are applicable in the world of business today as they are in personal life. The hypothetical conclusion is that military personnel can succeed in the business sphere due to their service-developed discipline. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the traits which help military businessman enter the business world.
An Overview of the Case Study
Sperry Top-Sider is a company that will be considered as the material for the case study within this paper’s framework. This shoe company was chosen because its founder, Paul A. Sperry, was involved in military service – he was a sailor. This very fact proves that military staff can organize a well-functioning business. Paul Sperry used to be a salesman in the U.S. fishing company before the naval service. He joined the naval forces in 1917 when he was 22 (Akhtar, 2019). Sperry served as Office Aid for Information and was released from duty as Seaman of First Class at the end of the year (Akhtar, 2019). Since those times, he was passionate about sailing and even purchased his first boat. The idea of creating his own shoe company occurred when he slipped on the deck and fell straight to the sea. As a result, he came up with an intention of producing non-slippery shoes. Having utilized many materials for creaking his boots, he created the best pair. Since then, Sperry’s slippers have become formal shoes for the sailors and the entire department of the navy.
This case study vividly depicts how a military man could become one of the U.S. leading businessmen. For the most part, such leadership skills that Sperry had might have been inherited from his short-termed but efficient service. Therefore, there is a necessity to turn backward and trace what could lead Sperry to becoming a successful businessman. Mainly, his naval service in reserve affected his personality and the traits that helped him head his company.
Data Collection
This research demands a thorough qualitative and quantitative data collecting to understand both numerical and non-numerical information concerning the veterans’ experience. Qualitative data should include case study, interviews with the Sperry’s staff, and written documentation, and quantitative data only includes surveys with Sperry’s employees. The participants are the workers, managers, and leaders of the shoe company. As a result of data collecting, the study investigated the trait described below.
Primarily, the evidence of successful leadership comes from experience, that is, the documentation of the events; in Sperry’s case, they came from his service. As it is known, a military man develops numerous traits that can be applied in the business world. Firstly, the quality of dependability was inherent to Sperry both in business and naval careers. Typically, one thing that every director will say he loves is a critical characteristic that is learned in the military (Gagnon, 2010). When the military says they are planning to do something, they know they will actually do it simply because it gives them trouble. Many companies say that finding employees with this quality can be extremely problematic, making it an extremely profitable characteristic. If a person is looking for a career after the army, possessing this trait will greatly advance their victory.
Another essential trait formed in the army is the capacity to make choices which are further transmitted to leading a business. It is striking that there are a few representatives who do not necessarily know how to do this (Gagnon, 2010). Finding a representative who can analyze the circumstances and make instructive choices may be irregular for most companies. Those who have a military base are usually exceptionally able to make quick decisions depending on the circumstances they are in.
The migration from the army into business does not necessarily mean bossing around in every aspect but building efficient teamwork. In some cases, it moreover implies knowing how to work inside a group and delegate tasks equally. Most military stations instill a sense of collaboration, which can be brought into the trading world (Yin, 2017). Whereas working well inside a gather, might not save a life, it will still be a well-done work. Like Sperry, the sailors were made successful businesspeople by continually uncovering them to developing conditions that require sound choices with constrained time, assets, or data (Storlie, 2018). They are prepared to utilize their judgment, conclusiveness, and information to reply rapidly and fittingly since the most noticeably awful choice they can make within the middle of an operation is no choice.
One’s reaction in the business world may identify triumph. An armed force pioneer must quickly respond to extreme cautions commerce has and one should be able to react to competitors bringing modern things to the market (Storlie, 2018). It is subsequently essential to have the characteristics and aptitudes of the military and the versatility to memorize from trade. It makes a winning combination when one aims to leave the army and start a civilian organization career.
Another characteristic concerns the organizational structure of the work environment. Usually an aptitude that’s exceedingly esteemed by numerous bosses in a assortment of distinctive industries. The military educates veterans how to be organized to move forward not as it were productivity but too effectiveness (Gagnon, 2010). This will interpret over into the work environment within the quality and amount of the work one produces. Therefore, one can observe that the military men and veterans’ presence in a business world is beneficial due to their resiliency, high level of trust, adaptability to the different tasks and commands, and others. Thus, it can be asserted that Paul A. Sperry’s success in business is due to his broad perspective and leadership traits learned in the naval service (James, 2017). Veterans are more likely than other statistical groups to start their own businesses, and they have the genius to offer to help companies grow quickly from within (Johnston, 2016). The government provides financial assistance to veterans in search of higher education. By attracting genius, companies ensure that they have representatives who can reliably move forward in their work while continuing their training activities.
Therefore, the protocol framework is the following:
- Excellent performance during the service
- Improved leadership skills
- Increased possibility of skills transition into another sphere
- Increased chances of entering the business world
- Veteran’s good performance in business.
The combination of college training with characteristics obtained in the army additionally includes the necessary information and abilities. For bosses, this combination offers them a college-educated individual with instructing capacities, inclination, and the capacity to be a cohesive player. This briefing presented a research plan for performing productive methods and strategies for the skilled movement of war veterans’ power characteristics. Therefore, one can observe a logical chain of evidence that a military leader can organize their own business. On the other hand, one can observe a backward situation: a successful businessman can hypothetically be a former military soldier. Thus, the hypothesized conclusion can be proven by the suggested chain evidence and data.
References
Akhtar, A. (2019). 9 incredibly successful companies founded by military veterans. Business Insider. Web.
Gagnon, Y. (2010). The case study as a research method. Les Presses de l’Université du Québec.
James, G. (2017). 3 entrepreneur veterans explain how military is good for business. Inc. Web.
Johnston, S. (2016). The military servicemember’s guide to starting a business. Quickbooks. Web.
Storlie, C. (2018). Six must do’s for an effective military to civilian transition. Medium. Web.
Yin, R.K. (2017). The case study as a research method. Collecting case study evidence (pp. 98-217). Sage Inc.