Communication in Business Spring 2002 Practicing Business Communication Case Project

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Communication in BusinessSpring 2002Practicing
Business Communication Case Project 1 IKEA
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• James Coers
• Charles Barkley

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Outline

• IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 as a
  mail order catalog.
  
• Ikea is a furniture outlet which produces
  low-priced, high-quality furniture for the widest
  possible range of incomes.
  
• Today Ikea is a 59 year-old company with
• 7 Billion dollars in sales annually, with 150
  stores in 30 countries.

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IKEA Philosophy

• Ingvar Kamprads personal philosophy simply
  translates into a business goal that is to
  create a better everyday life for the majority
  of people
• Further more it extends to give freedom with
  responsibility for all IKEA employees

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QUESTION

• What communication needs would a worldwide
  corporation with 150 stores in 30 countries run
  in to?
  

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• How does IKEAs communication network help to
  minimize costs?
  

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• Why is it important for IKEA managers to travel
  to corporate headquarters and to meet face to
  face with top management and with each other?

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• What advantages do IKEAs build-up teams offer to
  new employees?
  
• What benefits does team training provide to
  experienced employees who comprise the build up
  team?

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• What does freedom with responsibility imply
  about IKEAs communication climate?

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• How might managers communicate IKEAs
  organizational culture to new employees?

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Conclusion

• Some key points we feel that contribute to the
  success of IKEA and its business communications
  practice

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Communication Channels

• Computer network
• Emails between coworkers / suppliers
• Memos
• Phone conversations, Fax machines
• PDAs
• Tele-conferencing / Video-conferencing

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Globalism

• International marketplace
• Conducting business with and in foreign
  countries.
  

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Global Attitude

• An attitude that recognizes both the diversity of
  the work force and the diversity of technology.
  

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Systems Theory

• IKEA acknowledges the interrelationship of an
  organizations environment, labor, and management
  

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Open System

• IKEA promotes free movement of energy,
  information, ideas, data, people, and so on
  
• across organizational boundaries

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Synergy

• IKEA build-up teams creates Synergy
• That is to say, whereby the combined and
  integrated talents, energies, abilities, and
  knowledge of organizational members are greater
  than the sum of the isolated efforts of the
  individuals

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