Bluesky Shopping Mall Essay Example

Administration

Long-term Business Plan

The Blue Sky Shopping Mall, established in January 2010, experienced early success and profitability. However, its current performance is subpar. This situational analysis evaluates both the positive aspects and the main causes of the decline.

Internal Factors: Strength and Weakness

a. Strengths
- The Shopping Mall has experienced and skilled employees with the potential to become leaders.
- The majority of employees are young, hardworking, and eager to learn, increasing their competence in their jobs.
- The interior organization of the Shopping Mall is simple, with each sector occupying a floor. This makes it easy for shoppers to find items they need and for management to handle.

b. Weaknesses
- The organizational structure of the Mall takes a centralized approach, with all decisions made by the CEO. This negatively impacts the overall operation of the Mall as too many matters are solely handled by the CEO, leading to delays in decision-making and piling up of problems.
- Supervisors of each sector have no delegation of power and must wait for decisions from the CEO. This exacerbates problems in each department and causes delays in finding solutions and directions, hindering efficient operation.
- Due to having too many tasks at hand, the CEO cannot establish good relationships with staff members and can only inspect each sector on rare occasions.

Some employees take advantage of his absence and neglect their duties, leading to conflicts among staff. The increasing number of problems adds stress to the CEO, who becomes more authoritative and loses trust in his subordinates.

frustrated individuals abandon the idea of queuing up and gradually lose interest in visiting the Mall.

The lack of proper training among cashiers results in a significant amount of time being taken to serve customers, leading to an unnecessary long queue at the payment counter. This causes stress and potential conflicts among customers.

Furthermore, the absence of a clear break time schedule for cashiers contributes further to the extensive queue at the payment counter.

In addition, the customer information staff is poorly trained, which leads to their inability to provide satisfactory answers or effective directions to customers. Their discourteous manner also creates discomfort and unpleasant experiences for customers.

ix. The problem lies in the absence of "general inspectors" within the staff, whose responsibility is to ensure smooth operation in a sector. Without them, there is no one to notify or report issues to supervisors, thus causing delays in necessary replacements or repairs. Additionally, the food court provides a limited selection of drinks and menu items, while the waitstaff lacks proper training.

Marketing

• The Shopping Mall lacks a clearly defined target market.
• There is no proper marketing plan, including promotion of new products, seasonal sales events, and special item sales.
• The CEO's centralization approach to management prevents market surveys.

Human resource management

• Recognition and rewarding of workers' achievements is not consistent, leading to a lack of motivation and
  

celebration of success.

B. External Factors: Opportunities and Threats

"Let's go shopping." is a popular phrase among people these days.

Typically, when people mention "they," they are referring to visiting a shopping mall.

Even when not purchasing, individuals enjoy leisurely strolling in the Shopping Mall to enjoy the air conditioning or to meet their friends. It is an ideal meeting point due to its cleanliness, accessibility via public transportation, and affordable prices, making it highly convenient. In essence, it is a prime location for attracting people, particularly the younger generation, to spend their money. As an increasing number of young people gather with their friends or watch movies at shopping malls, the societal perception becomes associated with having disposable income. Consequently, the youth demographic presents a reliable and lucrative target market.

If the Shopping Mall is designed to cater to young people's preferences in terms of atmosphere, merchandise, pricing, and services, they will be drawn to it. Furthermore, by providing competitive salaries and a positive workplace culture, the Shopping Mall can easily attract and hire numerous energetic and innovative young individuals. If their abilities are effectively utilized, they have the capability to create a highly competent and productive workforce.

The Mall is situated in a vibrant business area with a large number of schools, training centers, and language centers. The majority of the population consists of young individuals.

Multiple forms of

public transportation and a car park make the area highly accessible, providing an advantage for the Mall. These factors contribute to its potential for exceptional prosperity. However, there are threats to consider from nearby competitors such as Blue Sky Shopping, Dagon Center, Gamonepwint, and City Mart who are thriving and have the ability to attract customers and secure their loyalty.

There is currently a significant traffic congestion near the Myaynigone area, which may deter potential customers from visiting our shopping mall. Our ultimate goal for our business plan is to establish ourselves as a prominent shopping mall that offers attractive spaces and value for young individuals. To achieve this, we aim to understand our customers' requirements and meet them by providing modern high-quality products at affordable prices in convenient locations, all while delivering exceptional customer service. To ensure effective decision-making, each sector head has been assigned specific job responsibilities and granted special authority based on their market knowledge and current circumstances.

The CEO and the team will collaborate closely to accomplish the goals and sales targets of the Shopping Mall. Decentralization is vital for the success of the Mall as it aligns well with its management system. The organizational structure demonstrates the chain of command, which specifies reporting relationships. In a Shopping Mall setting, clear authority and responsibilities are crucial due to daily retail operations involving diverse products. The span of management within the Mall encompasses positions like Chief Cashier, Staff 1-4, Chief Standby, Replace Inspector, and Customer Service. To ensure organization, each floor in the mall has a Sector Head since each floor represents a distinct sector in retail business.

The organization has a sector structure that

comprises of a sector head, standby inspectors, and a cashier head. The sector head is responsible for supervising around ten staff members. This diagram visually represents the hierarchy within a sector.

Leadership

In an ever-evolving world, leadership holds significant importance within an organization. It can be likened to the captain of a ship who not only determines the direction but also motivates and directs the crew to serve passengers and foresee potential hazards. They meticulously select routes that guarantee utmost contentment for all individuals on board.

Without strong leadership in management and interpersonal skills, as well as a clear vision for the future, the crew will be lost, the ship will not reach its destination, the journey will be unpleasant, and the ship may even sink amidst the dangers at sea. The Blue Sky Shopping Mall has experienced a decline in profits due to weak leadership in various areas mentioned in the situation analysis. In this era of rapid technological advancement in telecommunications, social transformations, mass media culture, and globalization, leadership must continuously adapt to these changes. If an organization's leadership fails to keep up with these changes, it will inevitably fall behind. The case of Blue Sky Shopping Mall illustrates how leadership was unable to respond to these changes.

Initially, the number of customers increased but the lack of security personnel couldn't handle the growing demand. As the customer base grew further, it became crucial to provide better and more efficient services. The CEO also failed to meet expectations in this area. Moreover, there were delays from the CEO in addressing different issues that could have been taken advantage of as opportunities, particularly in understanding the

market needs of younger individuals.

As the importance of health and environmental concerns increases, it becomes crucial for retail products to meet these evolving expectations. Blue Sky's ethical concerns, such as low wages and long working hours, have damaged its reputation. Additionally, the CEO's lack of connection with staff and organizational values has further perpetuated harm within the company. These flaws underscore the significance of leaders consistently collaborating within their organizations.

Leadership is crucial for the functioning of an organization.

Organizational Control

According to the organizational structure chart, top management will closely collaborate with all employees. The focus of organizational control will be on concurrent control and feedback control as the organization continues to utilize existing employees and offer similar products.

Marketing

Marketing Strategies

A. Segmentation:

• Location
• Age group
• Income

The main target audience for Shopping Mall is young adults, particularly women. This is because there is a large group of working young adult females aged 16-35 in Yangon. Additionally, families with a stable income, including newly-wed couples and those with children, are also desired as customers. These demographic segments make up a significant portion of the population compared to individuals under 18 or over 60 years old. Moreover, individuals with a middle income are being targeted since they have disposable income available for spending.

Thus, it is essential for the Shopping Mall to generate value for this specific customer segment. In order to do so, positioning becomes of utmost importance. As stated in the textbook (Pre-MBA marketing Principle, p 24), positioning refers to the necessity for a product to have a clear, unique, and desirable position in the

market. Given that Shopping Mall offers a vast array of products to various customer groups, careful and detailed planning of positioning is crucial.

To ensure a strong positioning, the Mall must ensure that it stocks all the necessary products to satisfy the needs of its target groups to the highest extent possible. Insufficient stock or limited options for certain products may disappoint customers and lead to loss of their loyalty. Hence, it is crucial for sector supervisors to understand the market and continuously strive to meet its demands. A possible slogan that could be used is "We have what you need". Another important aspect of positioning is that the product should stand out from competitors.

In order to cater to the targeted customers, the Shopping Mall should establish a reputation for meeting the specific needs of young adults, middle-income individuals, and families. For young adult females, the Shopping Mall should be associated with the latest fashion and cosmetics, while also serving as a popular meeting spot for friends. "Blue Sky Shopping Mall" is the best choice for young people to hang out due to its excellent service.

The final aspect of positioning is customer value, which is often associated with low prices. Implementing frequent sales can help generate interest among customers. Additionally, Human Resource Management plays a crucial role in addressing the high turnover rate by implementing a new organizational structure and addressing the following areas:

For a successful workforce transition in a new organizational structure, it is important to conduct a thorough analysis of current resources' job, role, competency, and skills. This analysis helps in allocating employees in their areas of expertise, ensuring the organization runs smoothly and

efficiently towards its goals. Once the analysis is complete, a detailed training and development plan should be implemented, starting with key teams like section heads, security personnel, cashiers, and customer information services.

3. A clear work schedule is necessary to address the lack of organization and the resulting confusion and conflicts among workers. It should include appropriate breaks and a clear timetable for lunch shifts, helping to bring order to the chaos.

4. To incentivize high performance, employees should be informed of a fair pay scale based on their competence and skills. Additionally, benefits like holidays, medical insurance, and bonus plans should be established and consistently implemented in a transparent manner.

Rewards for exceptional performance, such as in sales or customer relationships, or for taking on responsibilities with a positive attitude, should be promoted. This will not only motivate individuals to recognize their potential, but also inspire the overall workforce to strive for improved performance.

Additionally, providing opportunities for personal development is crucial. Since the majority of employees are young, the management can tap into the large pool of talent to drive the organization forward with effective and efficient momentum. In this regard, it is advantageous to handpick and train potential workers for specific tasks within a structured framework. This approach benefits both the employees and the organization.

6. The work environment is warm and creative, fueled by a shared vision. Above all, the employees are recognized as more than just paid workers – they are individuals with emotions and feelings, and their work holds significance in their lives.

Therefore, it is important that this work provides meaningfulness for their lives. In order to achieve this, the work environment should

be welcoming and should allow space for their creativity, especially considering that the workforce is young. It would be beneficial if a shared vision of the Shopping Mall could be established, as this would aid the process. An essential aspect to note is that, contrary to top-down management, those in higher positions should demonstrate care, concern, and closeness with all employees. Only then can the work environment become warm and conducive to creativity.

Conclusion: The business plan for Blue Sky Shopping Mall outlines the strategy for revitalizing the mall. The report identifies areas of weakness that need to be addressed to promote growth. The recommendations propose restructuring the organization, establishing a vision and mission, implementing marketing plans, and reshaping the workforce. This comprehensive approach offers a vision of what the mall could become in the future. There is an optimistic outlook that Blue Sky Shopping Mall can return to its previous success.