Executive Summary
This section indicates that the primary goal of any business is to increase its market share in its industry to increase sales which in turn lead to an increase in profit levels. Research indicates that for a firm to attain such objectives it should be efficient and effective in its production processes. We also find that business environments keep on changing and businesses often have to adjust to any changes in the marketplace. Such changes may be brought about by globalization or saturation of home markets among other factors. Therefore, through marketing research, firms must efficiently plan for their future by incorporating all the anticipated changes in the business environment as well as ensuring that the target goals of the business are achieved with ease.
Aims and Objectives
The general objective of this research was to find out the role of the managers in managing the operations of an organization with particular regard to the Starbuck Corporation.
It was also to illustrate the specific objectives of the research which included;
- Finding out the prerequisite management skills needed for carrying out managerial activities in an organization
- To find out the various management levels that support the managerial practices done by the managers in the organization with particular regards to Starbuck
Research Questions
Based on the objectives of the study research questions included the following:
- Does management play a key function in attaining an organization’s goals or objectives?
- What are the different management levels in an organization?
- Which skills of management are required to be applied in an organization for it to be successful in its operations?
- How can the management skills and levels be improved in a poor-performing organization to improve its performance?
Introduction
Starbuck Company is considered one of the most recognized global retail business organizations that deal with the buying and distributing of various products including the coffee beans that are both roasted and brewed internationally. We find that there exist three levels of management that include the operational level, middle level, and top level. These levels form a hierarchy or level of command within the Starbuck Company. Top-level managers include the Chief Executive officer, Corporate Head, or Administrators who hold the top ranks in the company. They are responsible for setting up the main goals, objectives, and policies of the organization.
Research conducted shows that middle-level management includes the general manager, operations manager, or human resource managers who are responsible for implementing the top-level decisions to attain the set objectives. Operational level management is responsible for the day-to-day management of employees in the organization and they include team leaders or office managers. They have a strong influence on the firm by streamlining the entire task undertaken by the employees.
It is also indicated that the three managerial level managers in the Starbuck Company are required to have the three skills of management that entail the technical, interpersonal skill and conceptual skill whereby we find that the Interpersonal skills relate to the way managers interact with the employees while conceptual skills allow the managers to view the organization as one. Technical skills emphasize the need for the managers in the Starbuck Company to have proficiency in certain jobs within the technical organization. These managers should carry all these skills to have the Starbuck Company achieve its set goals. (Stephen and Mary, 2003)
Literature Review
Management in any organization including the Starbuck Company has the responsibility to coordinate all the activities within the organization and also to ensure efficiency in productivity of the organization. We can therefore construe that organizations use management skills to improve the performance of their business activities particularly the case of the Starbuck Company in its attempt to get the best from its diverse workforce. (Stephen and Mary, 2003)
The significance of workforce diversity in an organization this workforce diversity entails the spread of human labor across the entire globe irrespective of their area of specialization and skills entailed. We find that the Starbuck Company has employed people from various host countries who are therefore required to have interactive skills that enable them to commune with other employees in the organization and also with the external public that will see the company achieve its objectives and succeed in its operations. (Rue and Lloyd, 2003)
Company Background
From the research conducted we find that Starbucks Corporation is considered as one of the most recognized global retail business organizations that deal with the buying and distributing of various products including the coffee beans that are both roasted and brewed internationally. The company was formed in the year 1985 with its location in Seattle Washington. The best example of the coffee the company purchases and sells is the espresso beverage which is widely known to be an Italian-style, ice cream.
Research indicates that apart from the coffee beans the company also deals with the selling of cold blended beverages and also some products that are not of beverage in nature as a result of this we find that the company engages in the selling of music products which is referred to as the Starbucks Hear Music compact discs, this corporation is reported to have established more than 8,000 retailing stores globally as from September 2007.
Research Methodology
A probabilistic type of sampling technique was chosen since the sample identified gave every respondent a known likelihood of being included in the sample selected. For that reason, the research was conducted using the simple random method of collecting data because it was difficult to reach all the participants in the population. Under this technique, the selected sample gave the person identified the opportunity to have an equal chance of being incorporated in the research work. Since a sample of the population was identified the researcher utilized both open and closed questionnaires to collect the required information from the respondents that were selected from the sample identified.
Target population
The target sample was mainly those workers who are involved in the day-to-day operations of the Starbuck Corporation. However, some middle-level and top managers were considered and allowed too to air their views. A total of ten respondents were identified and questionnaires were administered to them. However, the administering of questionnaires as a tool of measurement was based on the willingness of the respondents to adhere to the instructions thus in the process answer the questions to their best knowledge.
Techniques for Data Collection
Since a sample of the population was identified the researcher utilized both open and closed questionnaires to collect the required information from the respondents that were selected from the sample identified. This method was considered and found to be effective and efficient to the researcher since it required the researcher to only drop the questionnaires to the respondents and collected them at a later date. The reason for choosing both open and closed questionnaires to be administered is that it allowed the respondents to answer freely to a set of questionnaires that were administered to them during the study.
Conclusion
From the research, we find that the most critical factor that resulted in poor management of many organizations is that of the inability of senior managers to provide the necessary support for the accomplishment of organizations’ goals. This research substantiated that the behavior of many senior managers has contributed immensely to the poor success of the organizations. This is explicitly witnessed in the decision-making process. Senior managers have adopted the behavior of self-centeredness and they always think that they are the only one who makes viable decisions about goals being attained hence resulting to low morale by an existing workforce. (Rue and Lloyd, 2003)
Recommendation
The study came up with the conclusion that management is a key factor to the success of an organization and in our case the Starbuck Corporation. We also find that the managers’ impact on the company’s success is great and immeasurable; therefore this study recommended the management of the Starbuck Corporation to look for convenient, cost-conscious, and appreciated levels and skills of management to have better productivity and profitability operations of the organization. (Stephen and Mary, 2003)
Reference
Rue, L. and Lloyd, B. (2003): Management- Skills and Applications. 10th Edition, New York, McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Steven, P and Mary C. (2003) Management with Rolls Access Code 9/E 9th edition- Prentice Hall.
Questionnaires
Open and closed questionnaires
The researcher will utilize both the following closed and open questionnaires to achieve the best possible findings about management and management skills applied in organizations in this case of the Starbuck Corporation. The following are the questionnaires to be administered:
Please tick the appropriate answer for each question provided or indicate your answer in the spaces provided;
Part A
- What is your name? (Optional)————————————————–
- What is your occupation? ——————————————————–
- Please indicate your gender.
- Male
- Female
- Please indicate the age bracket you fall in
- Below 20 years
- 20-30 years
- 30-40 years
- 41-50 years
- Above 51 years
- For how long have you worked in the organization?
- Below 2 years
- 2-5 years
- 5-10 years
- 10-20 years
Part B
- Do you enjoy working currently in your place of work?
- Does management has an impact in an organizational performance in your company?
- Yes
- No
- No Response
- Have you ever been a manager?
- Yes
- No
- No Response
- If the answer to the above question is yes, what were your roles?__________________________
- In your own view do you think that your company is applying the management skills and levels?___________________________________________________
- What is the relationship between you and the management in the organization i.e. does the Relationship enhances a better performance?
- excellent
- Good
- average
- poor
- No Response
- Do you share the view that management plays the greatest role in any organization?
- Yes
- No
- No response
- Give reasons for the answer that you have chosen above? _____________________________________
- Do the organization use management levels in its operations?
- Yes
- No
- If yes, do you think that the management levels are effective in achieving the Organisations’ Goal Give reasons ______________________________________
Action Plan
The following schedule was followed by the researcher during the research study