The performance of the Greggs Bakery Chain Essay Example
The performance of the Greggs Bakery Chain Essay Example

The performance of the Greggs Bakery Chain Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 7 (1836 words)
  • Published: October 15, 2017
  • Type: Report
View Entire Sample
Text preview

In this assignment, I will critically analyze the authoritative and modern-day theoretical accounts, constructs, and tools in concern strategy and planning, with a specific focus on the British bakery chain Greggs plc. I will also evaluate the methods used by organizations to identify their goals and values. Pertaining to Greggs plc, Manning (1988:27) proposed several assumptions regarding contemporary concepts and ideas of strategy. These assumptions include the need for Greggs to develop a strategy to navigate an uncertain future, the use of a restructuring process instead of a rigid plan, the incorporation of competition with other bakeries into the strategy, the importance of inspiration and creativity for improved performance, the significance of synthesis as a key skill for Greggs, and the implementation of metrics in all discussions in the Greggs boardroom. Additionally, Greggs employs a "transformational" executive

...

management tactic that combines their organizational strategy and objectives with initiatives for employees, processes, and technology. This tactic helps support the business strategy and achieve long-term goals by integrating various areas of people, processes, and technology to work towards specific targets together.Greggs utilizes different methods to achieve their goals. Evaluating the success of these methods is fair for a modern-day organization like Greggs. However, their strategy, developed a few years ago, has proven to be unsuccessful in preparing for an uncertain future. This is evident in the decrease of their profits from ?52 million to ?48 million. They were unable to anticipate and adapt to an uncertain future, resulting in negative consequences. Nonetheless, if their initial strategy was to increase sales, they have succeeded with a 2.1% increase in sales. Nevertheless, Greggs can still be considered a failur

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

as they were unable to increase their profit. In conclusion, the success of their strategies depends on what they were, but either way, Greggs has struggled. Transformational methods are visibly employed by Greggs.The use of newsletters is evidence of the organization's commitment to improving communication among employees. This facilitates awareness of the company's goals and keeps staff informed about events in other departments. Consequently, this motivates and inspires employees to work together towards the common goal.

The main differences between normative and emergent theories in relation to Greggs plc are as follows: The prescriptive approach used by Greggs is systematic and based on pre-analysis of future occurrences in the bakery industry. In contrast, the emergent approach is unplanned and develops over time as Greggs continuously adapts to the changing business environment in the bakery market. In the normative approach, executives at Greggs set the objectives and plan the organizational strategy. However, in the emergent approach, managers at any level, such as local branch managers, can contribute to setting the objectives or strategy.

The normative approach relies on analysis of the bakery market situation as a strong foundation for competitive advantage. On the other hand, the emergent approach relies on Greggs' expert knowledge as the basis for competitive advantage. The logical and analytical approach of the normative allows Greggs to predict and revise their strategies in order to take advantage of any new opportunities that may arise.One example of this attack, in relation to another company, is when EasyJet accurately predicted and reduced their costs to gain an advantage in the price-sensitive European market. However, the emergent attack allows for a more innovative and responsive strategy, which can

be well-suited for a highly competitive and unpredictable business environment, such as the food market. Notable organizations, like Microsoft and Apple, also adopt approaches that do not restrict themselves to pre-determined goals and strategies. In today's organizations, like Greggs, the emergent approach is more relevant because the traditional model does not allow for lower-level employees to contribute to decision-making, leading to decreased motivation. There are three types of goals, all working together to form the overall organizational goal. These goals are: Strategic Goal (the desired position Greggs aims to be in the future), Tactical Goal (the targets set for key departments within Greggs), and Organizational Goal (specific outcomes expected from certain departments, groups, or individuals). Goals help in designing actions to be taken and are most effective when clear choices about the future exist. However, they may not work properly if Greggs undergoes rapid restructuring.Every administration, including Greggs, has its own set of values that shape its culture and working environment. These values are instrumental in establishing goals that align with the organization's culture and improve performance in critical areas such as quality and customer service. According to Peter Drucker's Eight Content Areas in Developing Goals, these include marketing, innovation, productivity, physical and financial resources, profitability, managerial performance and development, worker performance and attitude, and public responsibility. However, one major problem that Greggs faces is its failure to think strategically when setting goals and values. This often occurs when planners (i.e., executives) mistakenly equate organizational efficiency with organizational effectiveness. As a result, they only focus on internal matters and finding slight improvements rather than addressing potential threats or leveraging their strengths for advantage. To foster

progressive strategic thinking (i.e., setting goals and values), the following steps can be taken: choosing the strategies to implement, prioritizing the restructuring of Greggs to guide and sustain changes, designing strategies that allow for adaptation to unexpected outcomes, and using brainstorming techniques to incorporate input from fellow planners.When developing the scheme, the contrivers at Greggs plc should consider whether it will result in a change in the administration and if it is truly a strategic activity. They should reassess past failed strategies and avoid conflicting ones. Additionally, Greggs should take into account the following factors to ensure their strategies, goals, and values are effectively aligned: Important issues often present complicated problems, so they should focus more on these matters. Each idea should be thoroughly questioned for clarity. Each strategy should be associated with existing plans. Stakeholders in Greggs plc have diverse interests, some of which may conflict while others are in agreement. Examples of agreement include high profits leading to high dividends and job security, as well as interest in growth and prosperity. Examples of conflict include pay raises resulting in decreased dividends and prioritizing the administration's growth over short-term profit and the local community. It cannot be assumed that stakeholders have equal power and influence. Stakeholders can exert influence by creating disruption and uncertainty in Greggs' plans. However, governments, community groups, and managers can also exert influence.Stakeholders in an organization, such as authorities, community groups, and directors, have varying degrees of influence and power. Authorities can exert indirect influence through revenue enhancement, community groups can protest and use force, and directors make decisions that maintain extended power. Despite stakeholders theoretically having greater influence, other

individuals or groups can still exercise influence through indirect means. However, if conflict exists among stakeholders, the proportionality of ownership in the company becomes significant, as those with the largest portion have the most influence. Furthermore, strategic purpose is essential for any organization's existence, like Greggs. It provides a clear path to achieve the company's vision, prioritize important issues, and guide the development of strategies and goals. A well-designed strategic purpose enables the establishment of targets, inspires people by setting valuable marks, encourages participation and contribution, ensures careful resource allocation, and emphasizes the creation of new resources. Greggs has effectively utilized strategic purpose to streamline their organization by promoting engagement, efficient resource utilization, and implementing a successful strategic approach. This is evident in their increasing sales over the years. In conclusion, the implementation of strategic purpose has contributed to Greggs' success as an organization.The mission statement of Greggs explains the importance of the company's existence, its basic outlooks, and primary values. It should be brief, clear, and easy to understand, while also showcasing the uniqueness of the administration. The vision statement outlines the administration's desired future position. The mission purpose describes the function the administration plays in serving stakeholders and provides a model for formulating strategies. The mission purpose should include an executable and clear statement that is inspiring and believable, as well as unique and analytical.

Greggs' mission statement is "Making a difference to the lives of people in need in the heart of Greggs' local communities." It is a well-structured statement that is executable and clear (as it assists local communities), inspiring (as helping others is always a motivating cause), and analytical (as it

carefully considers the specific needs of the community). This mission has been successful, as Greggs has raised funds to support the local community and ensures environmentally friendly packaging for its products. In conclusion, the mission purpose is an effective tool in creating a friendly and comfortable atmosphere and environment.The text illustrates the importance of having a clear and realistic vision statement that aligns with an organization's culture and values. According to the text, a vision statement should clarify an administration's intentions in providing services and products, and should promote growth and development.

Greggs, for example, has a vision statement that states their intention to become Europe's finest bakery-related retail merchant. Their goal is to run a thriving business with integrity for the benefit of their people, customers, shareholders, and the wider community. This vision statement is considered perfect because it is clear, achievable (as Greggs continues to expand across Europe), and in line with the organization's values of supporting the community.

The text points out that Greggs' clear vision has played a significant role in its transformation into one of Europe's largest and fastest-growing bakery stores. This highlights the effectiveness of having a well-defined vision statement.

In addition to vision statements, the text also mentions the importance of setting goals or objectives within a certain timeframe. It notes that objectives are fundamental building blocks of any plan where policies are designed to achieve them. The responsibility for setting objectives lies with executives, and it is common to have multiple objectives rather than just one.

Furthermore, objectives should be set in both the short-term and long-term, ensuring they can be adjusted in the future if needed.The aims of an

organization must be executable, realistic, and operational. Greggs has successfully achieved their aim of being a "customer-focused concern" as evidenced by their increased sales and growth. This demonstrates the effectiveness of setting objectives that allow an organization to meet their targets in an organized manner.

In conclusion, businesses nowadays utilize various models, concepts, and tools, regardless of whether they are traditional or contemporary, to develop their strategies and plans effectively. This ensures that these strategies and plans are compatible with both present and future situations that an organization like Greggs may encounter. Additionally, the methods employed by companies like Greggs to identify their goals and values are effective in fostering growth for the company.

Online resources used as references for this text include:
- www.Greggs.co.uk
- en.wikipedia.org
- www.docstoc.com
- www.managementhelp.org
- www.foodanddrinkeurope.com
- www.managementstudyguide.com
- www.greggsfoundation.org.uk
- tutor2u.net
- www.apple.com
- www.microsoft.com
- www.easyjet.com

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New